Funhouse

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Funhouse
Mark Phaedrus
Date: 16 Apr 1991

I made enough misteaks the first time around that I've prepared one revision of the original FunHouse Rules posting. This will be the last revision, unless Williams decides to put out a new ROM revision or something.

A clarification of purpose: this posting is not intended to tell you every single rule about the game. Score values of targets aren't covered unless they're fairly big-ticket items (50K or more). In addition, it is not designed to tell you everything there is to discover about FunHouse, that would take a lot of the Fun out of it. There are quite a few subtle features in there waiting to be discovered, and I'm not going to do all your work for you (even if I'd discovered them all myself, which I haven't). In particular, I've removed my earlier mention of the Sausage Bonus, since the information I gave earlier was partially wrong and you'll figure it out well enough when the time comes anyway.

My thanks to Williams for producing a fantastic game and providing me with the manual. I hope I'm not giving away any company jewels; if I am, I'm sure they'll be sending someone around for me shortly. :)

My further thanks to the very nice gentleman at Williams (who shall remain nameless and addressless; he has enough work to do answering *my* email, thank you very much), who offered some corrections to the prior posting, among other things. Where this posting is wrong, it is now DEFINITIVELY wrong.

If you're not interested in FunHouse rules, skip this message now and run get your head examined.

OBJECT OF THE GAME

Take control of the FunHouse and put Rudy to sleep by advancing the clock to midnight. Once Rudy is asleep, shoot the ball into his mouth to start Multi-ball and a chance at tens of millions of points.

STARTING THE GAME

One to four players can play; the Start button will light when there are credits in the machine that haven't been played yet. Don't leave half-credits in the machine when you start a game; they will disappear at the end of the first ball. New players can enter the game by inserting coins and pressing Start until the end of the first ball; after that, pressing Start aborts the current game for all players and begins a new one.

PLUNGER SKILL SHOT

Shoot the ball from the plunger so it stops in the loop at the top of the machine and rolls back into "Rudy's Hideout" (a kicker just behind Rudy's head). 250K the first time during a game, then 500K, then 750K, then 1M every time after that.

"YOU CAN HAVE IT BACK!"

A ball that goes straight from plunger to drain without touching a scoring target is not counter against you. FunHouse is a bit more liberal than other machines in this regard; for instance, it often returns very weak plunger shots that go down the jet bumper lane and into the right outlane, even though they touch two scoring targets.

THE CLOCK

The clock starts at 8:00. (If it does not, your machine is not on standard settings; see DIFFICULTY OPTIONS.) It holds its value from ball to ball, resetting to 5:00 after the MIdnight Multi-ball sequence completes. Shots that advance the clock are: starting a ball (30 minutes); Hidden Hallway (10 minutes); Wind Tunnel (15 minutes); center ramp (15 minutes, then 20, then 25, then 30); jet bumpers (0 minutes when off, 5 when lit, 10 when flashing); blue S-T-E-P targets (5 minutes); Superdog targets (5 minutes); manhole below jet bumpers (30 minutes); Trapdoor (10 minutes); Trapdoor loop (10 minutes).

The lane that runs between the jet bumpers and the right in/outlanes will light an unlit jet bumper, or flash a lit one.

The clock will not advance past 11:25 during Quick Multiball or during Frenzy.

When the clock reaches 11:30, the Hidden Hallway lock flashes. The only way to advance the clock further is to lock a ball there; this moves the clock to 11:45 and serves another ball. Locking another ball advances the clock to Midnight, sends Rudy to sleep and opens his mouth to start Midnight Multiball.

Advancing the clock to 11:30 for a second time during a game lights the Special lights on the outlanes. The lights toggle between on and off each time the ball strikes a slingshot, and the special must be collected before the end of the ball or it is lost.

RUDY

Hitting Rudy's jaw from the side flipper adds to your end-of-ball bonus (this bonus is 50000*the number of Rudy hits; you start the game with 1 hit, and hits carry over from ball to ball), and relights the Mirror award light.

Rudy talks frequently, commenting on the game action. Shooting the ball into his open mouth during this time is a Rudy Gulp, worth 250K.

When the Million light is lit (lit by the Mystery Mirror or Quick Multiball), hitting Rudy's jaw or mouth scores 1M.

When the clock is at midnight and Rudy's mouth falls open, locking a ball in Rudy's open mouth scores 1M (2M if Million was lit by the Mystery Mirror as well), and starts Midnight Multiball.

TRAPDOOR LOOP/TRAPDOOR

At the start of the game, shooting the ball around the Trapdoor loop opens the Trapdoor for about 8 seconds; hitting the open Trapdoor scores 500K. Once the 500K is collected, two consecutive Trapdoor loops are needed to open the Trapdoor, which is then worth 750K; once that is collected, three consecutive loops open the Trapdoor for 1M.

The Trapdoor can also start Frenzy (see FRENZY), and it awards Million+ during Midnight Multiball.

The Trapdoor is disabled during Quick Multiball.

Whenever the Trapdoor is open, its bonus will also be collected if a ball rolls over the Trapdoor loop sensor behind the Trapdoor. This usually happens if a ball just clears the sensor and then rolls back over it on the way down.

Hitting the Trapdoor when it's not supposed to be open (for instance, when the game opens/shuts everything when it can't find a ball) awards 100K.

CENTER RAMP

Hitting the ramp awards 75K and 15 minutes, then 100K/20 minutes, then 125K/25 minutes, and 150K/30 minutes from then on. This resets at the start of every ball and after Midnight Multiball.

When the blue "STEPS" light is lit at the entrance to the ramp, the center ramp leads to the Steps plunger instead of the left inlane.

RUDY'S HIDEOUT

Shooting the ball into this kicker behind Rudy's head scores 75K during normal play. (See PLUNGER SKILL SHOT.)

GANGWAY

The inside right inlane starts the left Gangway flashing; the Trapdoor loop and the left inlane start the right Gangway flashing. Hitting an unlit Gangway starts it flashing as well. Hitting a flashing Gangway awards 150K, then 200K, then 250K, then 250K and lights the Extra Ball light on the Hidden Hallway. Gangway lights turn off after a few seconds. The Gangway value carries over from ball to ball, until the Extra Ball is lit; after that, the Gangway resets to 75K at the start of every ball.

WIND TUNNEL/MYSTERY MIRROR

Ordinarily, the Wind Tunnel hole just awards 15 minutes and 10000 points; however, when the white "MIRROR" light is lit, hitting the Wind Tunnel awards the flashing Mirror award.

The "MIRROR" light is on at the start of each ball; it is turned off whenever a Mirror award is collected, relit when Rudy's jaw is hit, and relit for about 4 seconds when the ball goes down the right center lane.

The six awards are:

"Extra Ball Is Lit"--Hidden Hallway extra-ball light comes on, and stays on until collected.

"Million Is Lit"--the next hit on Rudy's jaw during this ball is worth 1M.

"Jet Bumpers At Maximum"--all three bumpers flash for the rest of the ball (10 clock minutes for each bumper hit).

"Superdog"--20 seconds of Superdog bonus time.

"Steps Gate Open"--hitting the center ramp OR a drain down the left outlane will now lead to the Steps plunger.

"Quick Multiball"--see QUICK MULTIBALL

The Mirror is disabled during Quick Multiball and Midnight Multiball.

Once all six awards are collected, the Mirror light relights and all six award lights flash; hitting the Mirror at this point starts Super Frenzy (see FRENZY). (Note to Whirlwind players: this does NOT award all six bonuses again, unlike Whirlwind's Mega Door Score.) Once Super Frenzy is started, the Mirror is disabled for the rest of the ball, after which it resets.

STEPS

The Steps plunger can be reached by the center ramp (after hitting the Mirror "Steps Open" or the manhole) or a left outlane drain (after hitting the Mirror "Steps Open").

There are three steps on the ramp, each with a flashing light. At the start of the game, only the "Light Frenzy" light is lit; hitting all four "S-T-E-P" targets lights one unlit step (first Light Frenzy, then 500K, then Light Extra Ball). Hitting a step with a flashing light by it collects that step's award and unlights that step. Hitting an unlit step awards 100K. Shooting the ball all the way to the top of the ramp awards 20 seconds of Superdog time.

"Light Frenzy" opens the Trapdoor and lights its "Frenzy" light (which stays on until collected); "Light Extra Ball" lights the Hidden Hallway extra-ball light (for the rest of the ball only).

When "Light Extra Ball" is collected, the "500K" light goes off as well.

"Light Extra Ball" can only be collected once per game.

SUPERDOG

Superdog is started by the Steps ramp or the Mirror. For 20 seconds, hitting any of the three Superdog targets is worth 200K, then 225K, then 250K, and so on. Collecting Superdog from the Steps or Mirror while Superdog is already in progress adds 20 seconds to the existing Superdog timer.

The Superdog timer stops while the ball is in the Wind Tunnel or the Steps ramp; the Hidden Hallway lock stops the timer as well, but 3 seconds may tick off before the timer finally stops.

FRENZY/SUPER FRENZY

Frenzy is started by hitting the Trapdoor when the Frenzy light is lit; Super Frenzy is started by hitting the Wind Tunnel after all six awards have already been collected. The Frenzy Bonus starts at 120K for normal Frenzy, 1.5M for Super Frenzy; during the Frenzy period, all playfield targets add 50K (or 100K for Super Frenzy) to the Frenzy Bonus. The Frenzy Timer starts at 20 seconds, and stops whenever the Superdog timer would stop. The Frenzy Bonus is added to your score at the end of the ball. (Don't tilt.)

The clock will not move past 11:25 during Frenzy.

Collecting a Frenzy while one is already in progress adds 20 seconds to the existing Frenzy timer. Collecting Super Frenzy while a Frenzy is running adds 20 seconds to the Frenzy timer and converts it to a Super Frenzy. Collecting Frenzy while Super Frenzy is running adds 20 seconds to the Frenzy timer and leaves it as a Super Frenzy.

QUICK MULTIBALL

Quick Multiball is started from the Mystery Mirror. A second ball is served, or launched from the Hidden Hallway; as soon as it strikes a playfield target, the first ball is launched from the tunnel. Until one of these balls is lost, all Rudy hits are worth 1M. The clock will not advance past 11:25 during this period.

Once the clock reaches 11:30, if there are already two balls in the Hidden Hallway, the game will try its best not to award Quick Multiball; it will only do so if it's the only award left uncollected. If Quick Multiball is hit during this time, and the clock is at 11:30 or 11:45, a normal Quick Multiball starts. If Quick Multiball is hit with the clock at midnight, Quick Multiball and Midnight Multiball are both started; all Midnight Multiball rules apply, and all Rudy hits are worth 1M until all balls but one are lost.

MIDNIGHT MULTIBALL

Midnight Multiball is started by advancing the clock to midnight and then hitting Rudy's mouth, or by Quick Multiball. The Trapdoor opens and the Million+ light turns on; the first Trapdoor hit scores 2M and closes the Trapdoor. The center ramp reopens the Trapdoor for 3M; each time the Trapdoor is hit its value increases by 1M (to a maximum of 10M) and the Trapdoor is closed again.

The Steps and Mirror are disabled.

Once all balls but one are lost, the Trapdoor closes. If at least one Trapdoor shot was made, the clock resets to 5:00 and normal play resumes. If no Trapdoor shots were made, the Hidden Hallway Lock relights, and you have 12 seconds (actually more like 24 seconds) to relock the one remaining ball. The playfield clock counts down the number of seconds remaining; nothing can stop this timer. If the ball is locked in time, another ball is served, and you have one more chance at a 2-ball Midnight Multiball. Otherwise, normal play resumes.

3/4-WAY COMBO

Hitting the center ramp, then the right Gangway, then the Trapdoor loop awards the 500K 3-Way Combo. The targets must be hit in that order, and quickly (so you don't have much time to spend lining up the Gangway shot). Center ramp/Steps plunger/Trapdoor loop/Trapdoor loop is also an acceptable 3-Way Combo.

After the 3-Way Combo is hit, hitting Rudy's jaw quickly enough awards the 1M 4-Way Combo.

GRACE PERIOD

When you shoot a ball into the Hidden Hallway lock just before Superdog/ Quick Multiball/Midnight Multiball expires, the bonus in question usually remains lit for a few extra seconds, just long enough to let you take one last shot at the bonus once the ball is kicked out of the lock. If this happens at the very end of Midnight Multiball, and Frenzy was lit before the multiball started, hitting the Trapdoor with this last shot awards the Million+ value and starts Frenzy as well.

EXTRA BALLS

Extra balls are always collected by hitting the Hidden Hallway when its Extra Ball light is lit. Collecting an extra ball turns off the Extra Ball light, unless it's "lit more than once" (lighting it more than one way without collecting it in between).

Here are the possible ways of lighting Extra Ball:

  • Mystery Mirror "Extra Ball Is Lit"--you have until the end of the game
  • Steps "Light Extra Ball"--must be collected on that ball
  • Gangway "Light Extra Ball"--you have until the end of the game

DIFFICULTY OPTIONS

There are five standard difficulty settings for FunHouse. The settings of individual features can be adjusted individually, but most operators save time by using one of the standard settings.

Conveniently enough, the clock time at the start of the game indicates the setting in use. If it starts at 8:00, the game is on Medium settings (the factory standard) and this posting should be accurate. If the start time is different, make the following adjustments:

9:00: Your machine is Easy. The Gangway value starts at 200K. Light Extra Ball can be collected from the Steps twice, not once.

10:00: Your machine is Extra-Easy. Let me know where you live. All the Easy adjustments are in effect. You have until the end of the game to collect an Extra Ball lit from the Steps.

7:00: Your machine is Hard. The clock resets to 4:00 after Midnight Multiball, not 5:00. When "Extra Ball Is Lit" is collected from the Mirror, you must collect the extra ball before the end of the ball in play or it's lost. The "MIRROR" award light does not automatically relight at the start of each ball.

6:00: Your machine is Extra-Hard. Take this as a compliment to your playing abilities, or shoot the operator. :) The clock resets to 3:00 after Midnight Multiball. The Hidden Hallway timer after an unsuccessful Midnight Multiball counts down much faster. Mirror "Extra Ball Is Lit"s go away at the end of the ball. You must advance the clock to 11:30 three times, not two, to light the Special. The "MIRROR" light is on at the start of each ball, but Rudy's jaw does NOT relight the Mirror. No lights are lit on the Steps at the start of the game, and Frenzies must be collected before the end of the ball or they are lost.

5-BALL MACHINES

If your machine is set for 5 balls per game, the following changes will have likely been made: The clock will start at 5:00. (Gack!) The Gangway value starts at 100K. Mirror extra balls must be collected before the end of the ball. The Special lights will not turn on until the clock reaches 11:30 for the third time. The "MIRROR" light does not automatically relight at the start of each ball. The Steps ramp starts with no lights lit.

Editor's Notes

  • HTML added by David Gersic dgersic_@_niu.edu
  • E-mail addresses have been expunged to prevent web-bot spamming, and Web links have been updated where possible.

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