Stern · 2017
Choose and finish eight timed missions. Finish Groot Multiball and Orb Multiball. Those accomplishments open the two final challenges.
Learn the goal →What you are trying to do
A mission is a timed challenge with flashing shots. Finish all eight missions. Also finish the last large award in Groot Multiball and Orb Multiball.
Immolation Initiative is a three-ball challenge. It becomes available after you reach at least halfway in every mission and start both main multiballs.
Save Xandar is the final four-ball challenge. It becomes available after you finish all eight missions, finish both main multiballs, and start Immolation Initiative once. You do not have to finish Immolation Initiative.
The display and colored arrows show what counts next.
Where to aim
The large Groot head is above the middle of the table. Hit either square target in front of his closed mouth to open it. A ball shot into the open mouth can be held there for Groot Multiball.
How to shoot it: Use either lower flipper. The right flipper gives the straighter angle. Aim between the two square targets. If the ball bounces back, regain control before trying again.
Rocket is the short red lane halfway up the left side, just right of the far-left Ronan lane. It catches the ball and kicks it back toward the right flipper.
How to shoot it: Hold the ball on the right flipper, release it, and shoot across the table into the red lane. Use a normal right-flipper shot. Do not plan on a left-flipper backhand; the angle is shallow on this table.
Yondu is the narrow tunnel at the far-left edge, beside the Ronan entrance.
How to shoot it: Hold the ball on the right flipper and flip slightly earlier than you would for Ronan. Do not force this narrow shot while the ball is moving quickly.
NOVA CORPS: Five flat lane switches carry red NOVA CORPS labels. Two are at the upper right. Two are beside the left flipper. One is beside the right flipper. The ball activates one by rolling across it.
Hadron: Five small yellow triangular targets marked HADRON ENFORCER are spread around the middle of the table.
Small Groot targets: Two square targets sit directly in front of Groot’s mouth.
How to reach them: The three lower NOVA CORPS lanes are reached by normal ball returns. The two upper-right lanes are usually reached from a full launch or an outside-lane shot. Aim at each yellow Hadron target from the opposite flipper. The two Groot targets can be hit from either flipper.
Nebula is the raised ramp below Groot on the left. Gamora is the raised ramp below the Orb on the right.
How to shoot them: Hold the ball on the right flipper to shoot the left Nebula ramp. Hold the ball on the left flipper to shoot the right Gamora ramp. A weak shot can roll back down a ramp, so let the ball settle before shooting.
The Orb is the round silver mechanism just right of Groot. First knock down the rectangular Broker target in front. Then hit the exposed target behind it.
How to shoot it: Use the left flipper and aim just right of Groot. Pause after each hit to see whether the front target is down; the required target changes after every successful hit.
Drax is the long lane to the right of the Gamora ramp. Star-Lord is the shallow hole below Drax on the lower right.
How to shoot them: Use the left flipper for both shots. Flip slightly later for the lower Star-Lord hole. A right-flipper backhand can reach Star-Lord only from a slow ball near the flipper tip; learn the direct left-flipper shot first.
Three launch choices
Choose a mission: Before launching, press either flipper button until the unfinished mission you want is highlighted. Launching starts that mission.
Hands-free opening award: Do not press either flipper button while the mission choice is on screen or while launching. The already-highlighted mission still starts. If the ball crosses the flashing upper-right NOVA CORPS lane, you score 500,000 points. That is twice the ordinary opening award.
Ordinary opening award: If you used a flipper button to choose a mission, launch through the flashing upper-right NOVA CORPS lane for 250,000 points. After launch, the flipper buttons move the flashing light between the two lanes. Each move lowers the award by 50,000.
Super skill shot: Hold the left flipper button and launch at full power. The ball travels around the outside instead of through the upper-right lanes. One of three shots then flashes white for a few seconds: the silver Orb, the right Gamora ramp, or the farther-right Drax lane. Shoot the flashing choice for 1,000,000 points. Each later successful super skill shot adds 250,000.
A simple first plan
Eight timed challenges
Choose an unfinished mission before launch. If no mission is active during play, shoot the flashing Star-Lord hole to choose one. Shooting Star-Lord during a mission changes that mission once, usually by adding easier shots or raising their point values.
Make ten successful shots up either the left Nebula ramp or right Gamora ramp within 154 seconds. Either ramp can count repeatedly. A Star-Lord shot makes every other major arrow count once. Finishing the mission begins a short bonus round in which the next ten ramp shots score the best ramp value you reached.
Hit each of the five yellow Hadron targets within 68 seconds. A shot around the far-left Ronan lane gives credit for one yellow target you still need. The action button cannot help during Sanctuary. If time expires, all Sanctuary progress is lost and the next attempt starts from zero.
Finishing Sanctuary begins a bonus round. One yellow Hadron target flashes at a time; hit the flashing target twenty times to finish the bonus round.
Make eight flashing shots within 54 seconds. Yondu and Groot count at the start. Yondu continues to count after each successful shot.
When the ball rolls through a flashing NOVA CORPS lane, the next pop-bumper hit counts as one mission shot. Four counted bumper hits add Ronan, Drax, Gamora, and Broker to the available choices, one at a time. A Star-Lord shot adds Ronan immediately and lets the two left Hadron targets count.
Finishing Yaka Arrow starts a bonus round. Ordinary scoring contacts raise a displayed value. Shoot Yondu before time expires to earn that value.
The first start launches a second ball and briefly replaces either ball if it drains. During this first two-ball attempt, Groot and Orb cannot advance.
Make twelve shots where a yellow arrow is flashing. The point value falls while you wait. After the twelfth shot, the Star-Lord hole offers a separate award worth ten percent of your current score. That value stays fixed for eight seconds and then begins to fall.
The far-left Ronan lane, far-right Drax lane, and both ramps flash red. Make any eight of those shots within 85 seconds. Ronan and Drax can count repeatedly. Each ramp counts once unless a Star-Lord shot adds more choices.
Finishing Knowhere begins a bonus round. The next ten Ronan or Drax shots score the best outside-lane value you reached.
Cross all five NOVA CORPS lane switches, shoot Groot, and then shoot the short red Rocket lane within 85 seconds. Before the final step, a Rocket shot gives credit for one missing NOVA CORPS lane or for Groot.
A Hadron button press can also give credit for a missing lane or Groot, but it cannot complete the final Rocket shot. The NOVA CORPS lanes do not award shot multipliers during this mission.
Finishing Escape Kyln begins a bonus round. The next ten NOVA CORPS lane crossings score two million points each.
Make ten successful shots up either ramp within 101 seconds. Either ramp can count, and you do not have to alternate.
A Star-Lord shot changes the choices: after each successful shot, four arrows on one side of the table flash. The side changes after the next successful shot. The ramp on the flashing side scores the most.
After the ten required shots, shoot the right Gamora ramp once more to earn the mission’s total points a second time.
The Orb always counts. One other flashing choice moves among the two ramps, Drax, and Star-Lord. Every twenty scoring contacts anywhere on the table also give one credit. Earn seven credits within 61 seconds.
Useful setup: complete the Orb target twice, start Antiquities Shop, then complete the Orb a third time. That third Orb completion gives one mission credit and starts Orb Multiball while Antiquities Shop remains active.
What happens immediately after a mission
Finishing a mission immediately starts a short bonus round on the same ball. Each mission’s description above says what to shoot. If you want to stop the bonus round and choose another mission, shoot the Star-Lord hole while only one ball is moving.
The two main multiballs
Hit the square targets in front of Groot until his mouth opens. Shoot a ball into the open mouth. Put three balls into Groot to start the first three-ball game. Later starts require more balls and may require two hits to open the mouth.
During Groot Multiball, every major character shot has three green-arrow jackpots. Make all twenty-four jackpots. Groot’s mouth then opens and closes. Shoot the moving mouth for the final large award and to mark Groot Multiball finished for Save Xandar.
You can also open Groot and put a ball back in his mouth during the multiball. The game temporarily doubles all eligible scoring. Put a second ball in to temporarily triple scoring.
Knock down the front Broker target and then hit the target behind it. Repeat that two-hit sequence three times. On the third completion, the game holds a ball behind the target and starts a falling point value.
Hit the Orb quickly to set the jackpot value and release three balls. If time expires first, only two balls begin. Shoot each of the other eight major arrows once, then shoot the Orb. A second falling value begins at the Orb. Hit the Orb again before the value falls away to earn the final large award and mark Orb Multiball finished for Save Xandar.
Using two features at once
| Features | What happens |
|---|---|
| A mission with Groot Multiball or Orb Multiball | Start the mission first. Then start the multiball. A flashing shot can advance both. |
| Groot Multiball with Orb Multiball | They cannot play together. While either one is active, the other cannot start or advance. |
| The first Quill’s Quest with a main multiball | They cannot play together because the first Quill’s Quest already uses two balls. |
| Starting a new mission during multiball | You cannot. The Star-Lord hole shows the mission list only when one ball is moving. |
| NOVA CORPS, Rocket’s Rampage, and Groot’s temporary scoring increase | They can increase the same score at the same time. |
Useful combination: Complete the Orb twice, start Antiquities Shop, then complete the Orb a third time. Orb shots can now advance Antiquities Shop and score in Orb Multiball.
Make shots worth more
Keep playing
Hit the flashing GUARDIANS target until all letters are complete, then shoot the Star-Lord hole. The game chooses an award from the choices currently allowed. During Groot or Orb Multiball, the first Mystery sends another ball into play.
Reach halfway in three different missions to make an extra ball available. Finish six missions to make another available. Shoot the Star-Lord hole to earn an available extra ball.
Hit both square targets beside Groot. A light appears beside the far-right drain lane. If the ball later rolls down that outside lane, the game returns the ball once. This does not protect the left drain lane or the opening between the flippers.
The late-game challenges
Finish any four missions. After the current mission and any multiball end, shoot the flashing Star-Lord hole. Six balls begin, and drained balls are replaced for about sixty seconds. Shoot all nine red arrows. Then wait for Groot’s mouth to open and shoot inside for the final award.
Reach at least halfway in all eight missions and start both Groot Multiball and Orb Multiball. With one ball moving, shoot the flashing Star-Lord hole. Three balls begin.
Each yellow arrow needs two consecutive hits. Every four completed arrows sends another ball into play. Starting Immolation Initiative once meets the Immolation requirement for Save Xandar; you do not have to finish this challenge.
Finish all eight missions, finish the final large award in Groot Multiball and Orb Multiball, and start Immolation Initiative once. With one ball moving, shoot the flashing Star-Lord hole. Four balls begin.
Hit every major purple arrow three times. Each completed arrow sends another ball into play. After every arrow is complete, shoot the Star-Lord hole for the final award, which begins at 100 million points.
Check your plan
Choose your answer.
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