Strategy Guides and Tournament Settings

Through the tireless efforts of Dave Stewart, who coordinated all the work on the rule sheets, strategy guides, and the all-important tournament settings document; and Greg Dunlap, who helped out with the flyer and logo scans, I'm happy to present the official PAPA 5 game list.

This page was last updated on Tuesday, January 24; I expect there will be slight changes to some of the strategy guides or the tournament settings document in the near future, so check back here again. (The What's New page will also keep you up-to-date, both for changes here and on other pages.)

Please note that all of the guides are available in both plain text and PostScript format; I highly recommend downloading and printing the PostScript versions, because they look great. (The PostScript documents will be exactly what's handed out at the tournament, while the plain text versions are machine-generated conversions meant for quick online browsing.)

Click here for a zip file of the text version of ALL rules, or download the PostScript version.

Tournament Settings

* PAPA 5 Tournament Settings
This document explains how the games at PAPA 5 will be set up. It's essential reading for even those players already familiar with most of the games. Keep in mind that a few things will be true for all games at the tournament: there will be no extra balls, and all ball savers will be turned off. Click here for an online guide, or download the PostScript version.

Qualifying games

Here is a list of the eight games that will serve as the qualifying bank for all divisions. Flyers are available for all of the games. Finally, and thanks to my many anonymous friends, none of whose names I will ever divulge... :-)

* Premier's STREET FIGHTER 2
One of Premier's best games, and just in time for a movie tie-in, it's back again for PAPA 5. Click here for an online guide, or download the PostScript version.

* Premier's FREDDY: A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET
Think only Pat Lawlor can put a talking dummy head on a playfield? Nope, not when a great license like this comes along. With a great variety of shots on a wide open playfield, and lots of multiball play for novices, it's one of Premier's best games ever. Click here for an online guide, or download the PostScript version.

* Sega's MAVERICK
The first game to be released under the Sega name, it's a sharpshooter's delight. (It was also the featured game at this year's Pinball Expo.) Sharpshooters with sharp eyes may notice the Data East name and logo on the flyer, but one look at the eye-catching, oversized display and you'll know Sonic is here to stay. Click here for an online guide, or download the PostScript version.

* Sega's TOMMY
Based on the ultimate pinball license, and returning again this year to PAPA from the finals at PAPA 4, it's widely considered to be Sega's best game to date (even if until recently it was widely considered to be Data East's best game to date). Click here for an online guide, or download the PostScript version.

* Bally's WORLD CUP SOCCER
A great game, despite being based on a somewhat obscure license (though I hear some folks outside the US enjoy this little-known sport), it features some of the best dot-matrix animation ever seen on a pinball machine, a terrific sense of humor, and a playfield perfectly balanced between wide open shots and some only a sharpshooter could love. Click here for an online guide, or download the PostScript version.

* Bally's TWILIGHT ZONE
Pat Lawlor's followup to his monster hit The Addams Family marked Bally's return to the wide-body. It's packed with toys and a staggering array of shots, not to mention a working clock and gumball machine, and a Powerball that moves at warp speed. Click here for an online guide, or download the PostScript version.

* Williams' DEMOLITION MAN
A sleeper, in my opinion, but a game that's fun for novices and experts alike. It features a stunning soundtrack, multiple multiball modes, and enough ramp and loop shots for two games. Good thing it, too, is a widebody. Click here for an online guide, or download the PostScript version.

* Williams' STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION
My all-time favorite game, a classic Steve Ritchie design helped by a great license, a superb soundtrack, and a remarkable balance between new design elements (trapezoidal slingshots, dual rotating guns, and a widebody design) and old (loop shots, spinners and ramp combos). It's one of Williams' most successful games, and it's making a return to PAPA from the finals at PAPA 4. Click here for an online guide, or download the PostScript version.

Finals

* Premier's SHAQ ATTAQ
A worthy followup to their very successful recent release Freddy: A Nightmare on Elm Street, this game features one of the best interactive toys in pinball: a moving basket that's an integral part of the game. Novices love the strong license and the challenge of shooting the basket, while there is enough complexity to the rules to keep experts playing. Click here for an online guide, or download the PostScript version.

* Sega's FRANKENSTEIN (Side 1) (Side 2)

The most recent addition to The Broadway Arcade, this game boasts Sega Pinball's usual high-quality sound and graphics package (in fact, the graphics are some of the best seen in recent games, and Sega's oversize display really shows them off to good effect). Fans of the film's soundtrack or Edgar Winter's hit song "Frankentstein" will want to be sure the volume is cranked way up on this game before playing -- Brian Schmidt's soundtrack work is up to his usual excellent standards, and it really keeps you involved in the game. (Special double-sided flyer scan available! Click here to see the other side and learn about Sega Pinball's HD HQ display; you'll also see an actual artist -- Paul Faris -- get actual credit for the game artwork he did.) Click here for an online guide, or download the PostScript version.

* Bally's THE SHADOW
Brian Eddy has been a game programmer at Williams for some time now, but his first game as designer shows just how talented he is. It's one of the best games of the year, endlessly fun and inventive, with a terrific sound, music, and graphics package to boot. Click here for an online guide, or download the PostScript version.

* Williams' DIRTY HARRY
Can you believe it? A game so new even Broadway doesn't have it yet. All I can say is that I think it's a great license, and I'm definitely looking forward to it... Click here for an online guide, or download the PostScript version.
This page originally created by Steve Baumgarten sbb@panix.com.

This page updated by

Dave Stewart dstewart@eng.cmu.edu