This is the third installment of a 20 part series of tiny tips to help improve your fortunes in pinball. I hope you find it useful, and share with friends if inspired!
SKILL SHOT VARIATIONS
Skill shots vary in style and complexity. In its simplest form, the skill shot objective is to launch a pinball into a static target. This is simple to explain and relatively intuitive to someone new to pinball. For most newer games, however, skill shot rules cease to be intuitive and require require some experimentation and research to identify point scoring opportunities. Let’s look at a few variations.
MOVING SKILL SHOTS
Some machines incorporate a moving target for the skill shot. The illuminated insert shifts
from one target to the next, up and down the line. The objective is to hit the drop target positioned directly behind the illuminated insert. Expect the rate of shifting lights to quicken after each successful attempt - demanding both good aim and good timing.
Drop Targets: Foo Fighters (Stern, 2023)
SUPER SKILL SHOTS
Super skill shots are voluntary attempts at challenging targets that award significant points and / or valuable
advancement of important playfield objectives. NOTE: greater awards come at some risk. The act of attempting a super skill shot commonly nullifies the ball-save feature and can result in a disappointingly short turn.
To attempt a super skill shot, depress the left flipper button while launching the
ball with the plunger or launch button. Once launched, the ball will sail around
the orbit of the upper playfield and fly toward the left flipper. The objective is to flip the ball directly into a super skill shot target.
This illustration shows Attack from Mars
A traditional skill shot directs the ball into the passthrough lanes.
A super skill shot allows an attempt at other important targets with notable benefits.
Attack from Mars (Midway, 1995)
SECRET SKILL SHOTS
Secret skill shots are skill shots that aren’t disclosed on the rule cards. The beauty of these hidden shots is that they
can be a welcome surprise - and for tournament players, knowledge of these skill shots can afford you a distinct competitive advantage. With internet-connected machines and the trend to continually evolve game code, these surprises can appear without notice - so pay attention when playing and talk to fellow players and pay an occasional visit to online forums to see what other players are discovering.
Avengers Infinity Quest has several skill shots to choose from - at least two of which are secret:
Skill shot (standard)
Super skill shot
Secret skill shot 1
Secret skill shot 2
Avengers Infinity Quest (Stern, 2020)
MULTI-STEP SKILL SHOTS
Multistep skill shots require executing a series of tasks successfully in order
to hit a specific target—all within a limited period of time. These targets are
inaccessible from the launch of the spring plunger alone. The only way to
collect this type of skill shot bonus is to (a) launch the ball to a flipper and
(b) use the flipper to shoot the ball into the target. The illustration of Jurassic Park (Stern, 2019) depicts a series of shots that yield rewards for
Skill shot
Double skill shot
Double super skill shot and
Ultra super skill shot.
Jurassic Park (Stern, 2019)
There are many variations of skill shot objectives, so spend some time reading the rule cards to identify your skill shots and maximize the rewards you reap!
Stay tuned for more tips to help you improve your game, and for deeper dives check out my forthcoming project published with Schiffer Books: Pinball: A Quest For Mastery, hitting book stores June 28, 2026.
Stay curious, practice with intention, and keep it fun: your fortunes in pinball (and in life) are sure to improve.
AVAILABLE IN BOOKSTORES JUNE 28. PRE-ORDER AVAILABLE NOW →
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