Rules & Strategies
NOTE: The following is based on this particular game set for three ball play. Results may vary.
This game is broadly divided into what I'd call a luck component and a skill component with the luck component being the numbered rollover lanes and the skill component being the drop targets.
The numbered rollover lanes are located at the top arch (4-7) and the upper left area of the playfield (1-3). The numbers 1-7 need to be collected to unlock other playfield scoring features. Rolling through a numbered lane extinguishes that lamp, but lites other playfield features. A good skill shot toward the 4-7 lanes is important. The outer 4 and 7 lanes are set a bit higher on the playfield and are a bit more difficult to get. There's a generous gap to the left of the 4-7 lanes so it's possible to miss the 4-7 lanes altogether. You might think that shooting the gap is a good way to get at the upper 1-3 lanes, but I find that the ball is more likely to be rejected toward the middle of the playfield by the left pop bumper.
I'm calling this the luck component because there's isn't a clear shot toward most of the numbered lanes. Good skill shots and nudging are important. It's possible to shoot the 6 lane from the left flipper. In fact, this is the shot I usually take. Even if I already have the 6, shooting the 6 again might get the ball back to the top arch either directly or from a lucky pop bumper ricochet. It seems like the 5 lane should be accessible from the right flipper, but I never seem to pull it off.
The numbered rollover lanes score 1,000 points lit or unlit. The numbered lanes do not reset. Once collected, the numbers are retained through the rest of the game. The numbers 1-3 are duplicated at the outlanes and inlanes. If the game is set to three ball play then 1 or 3 gives 1 & 3 and 4 or 7 gives 4 & 7.
There are also three pop bumpers in the upper area of the playfield. The center pop bumper moves the 10X light in front of the drop targets and scores 1,000 points if set to three ball play or 100 points if set to five ball play. The left and right pop bumpers score 100 points. All three pop bumpers are always lit.
Upper playfield area showing the 1-7 rollover lanes and pop bumpers.
The middle of the playfield includes seven drop targets with each target corresponding to one of the seven numbered lanes. I'm calling this the skill component because the drop targets are right there in front of the flippers and you can shoot at what ever you want. Each drop target is worth 50, 500 or 5,000 points depending on what's lit in front of each target. Collecting a numbered rollover lites the corresponding drop target and raises its value from 50 to 500 points. The 10X inserts are controlled by the center pop bumper. One drop target will be lit for 10X and the lite moves one place for each center pop bumper hit. The 10X lamp increases an unlit drop target from 50 to 500 points and a lit drop target from 500 to 5,000 points.
Of course the lit drop target has to actually be available in order to score the elevated 500 or 5,000 points. If the 10X lite isn't where you want it, you can shoot the center pop bumper or complete the drop target bank which resets the bank and scores an additional 5,000 points.
Collecting all seven numbered lanes lites the center star insert for Special. Hitting any drop target lit for 10X awards a Special as well as the multiplied score. Special remains lit through the rest of the game.
If the game is set to three ball play there's an additional liberal setting which (I think) causes two adjacent 10X lamps to be lit at the same time. Also, the 10X lamp may occasionally appear to be stuck on 7. This has to do with the multiplier stepper which has 30 positions which is not evenly divisible by 7. The 30 position 10X stepper pattern is...
1234567 12345677 1234567 12345677.
Middle playfield area showing the seven drop targets.
Hit the 4 for Special and 5,000 points.
Around the upper half of the playfield are six yellow stationary targets (yellow inserts) and left and right side lanes (green inserts). The targets are worth 50 points or 500 points when lit. The left and right side lanes score 100 points or 1,000 points when lit. Note that the right side lane includes two rollovers potentially doubling the 100 or 1,000 points. The targets and side lanes are lit by rolling through the numbered lanes. I don't pay much attention to this feature although having a bunch of lit targets can score a lot of points with some good pop bumper action.
Stationary targets and side lanes.
Below is a map of the stationary targets and side lanes showing which numbered lane lites which stationary target and/or side lane. Note that there are eight yellow and green inserts, but only seven numbered lanes. The 6 lane lites both the left side lane and the upper right stationary target. Also note that the map is representative of five ball play. If set to three ball play 1 or 3 gives 1 & 3 and 4 or 7 gives 4 & 7.
Stationary targets and side lanes map.
The game has a conventional lower playfield arrangement with a pair of outlanes and a pair inlanes. The left and right outlanes duplicate the 1 and 3 lanes, respectively. If the game is set to three ball play then 1 or 3 gives 1 & 3. The inlanes duplicate the 2 lane. The outlanes and inlanes score 1,000 points lit or unlit. The numbered lanes do not reset. Once collected, the numbers are retained through the rest of the game. I don't have much luck with the inlanes. If a ball gets near an outlane, it's usually lost.
The slingshots score 10 points per hit. Additional 10 point switches are located behind the drop targets and to the left of the left pop bumper.
Lower playfield.
Sky Jump has a match feature indicated by a random backlit two-digit number on the backglass which illuminates after the last ball drains. This game has no 100,000 lamp so the maximum displayed score is 99,990.
Match on 90.
Sky Jump has no end of ball bonus. This is unique to me and it seems odd to have a machine that simply goes silent after the last ball drains.
A tilt forfeits the game.
I did not experiment with the game set to five ball play. In comparing the instruction cards (see below) there appears to be two differences...
1) The 1 & 3 lanes and the 4 & 7 lanes are not awarded in pairs if the game is set to five ball play.
2) If the game is set to five ball play, the center pop bumper scores 100 points instead of 1,000 points.
Personally I think three balls is a good length of play time.
Three ball instruction card.
Five ball instruction card.