It’s Payback Time: Learn to Play the 1991 Classic Pinball Machine, Terminator 2

The introduction of the dot-matrix display, or DMD, in 1991 led to innovations in the pinball industry. Rulesets became more involved and complex, and the displays allowed more thematic and story integrations than before. However, the first machines to use the DMD were slightly different from later ones, with simpler rulesets comparable to the alphanumeric machines that were released just a year prior. One early DMD machine that set a template for many machines to come was Steve Ritchie’s first DMD release, Terminator 2: Judgement Day.

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A major difference between DMD and alphanumeric machines is that there is often more than one “valid” way to play the machine for high scores. Terminator 2 demonstrates this by having two main methods of scoring: playing for multiball & super jackpots or shooting the ramps to start Payback Time. Alongside the two features are escape route awards at the left orbit and chase loop awards at the right orbit, often scored while working on the game’s primary two objectives. Keep your reflexes sharp as you learn to best handle the ball-firing cannon and time your ramp combos.

Quick Facts on Terminator 2 Pinball

Terminator 2 is a pinball machine based on pre-release materials for the 1991 film Terminator 2. Load up the cannon to start multiball and take down Skynet security at the ramps to start Payback Time. Learn more on the Kineticist game detail page. 

• Manufacturer: Williams Electronics
• Year: 1991
• Design: Steve Ritchie
• Code: Dwight Sullivan
• Mechanics: Carl Biagi
• Art: Doug Watson
• Animation: John Vogel, Scott Slomiany
• Music / Sound: Chris Granner

Playfield Overview

Terminator 2’s playfield is a trendsetter in many ways. The farthest shot to the left is the database saucer, used to lock balls during multiball, and collects database awards when lit after hitting the drop target under the skull. Shots like this would become commonplace on later Steve Ritchie machines like No Fear or Led Zeppelin and like on those later machines, deposits the ball safely onto the left flipper where it can either be caught or dead bounced over to the right.

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The left orbit serves as another lock shot, and feeds a saucer at the top right of the playfield above the bumpers. Strong shots to this orbit collect the furthest lit escape route award, which can be relit at the center target bank, and typically feed the bumpers but can sometimes be sent around the left orbit entrance. Video mode is also started when available at the left orbit saucer. A bank of targets used exclusively for the auto-plunge skill shot and cannon shots gates the left orbit off from the entrance to the left ramp, used to complete security levels and feeding the ball to the left flipper in the process.

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The skull drop target / saucer are the most important shots of the game. Hitting the drop target lights the saucer behind it for a cannon shot (on a timer for later multiballs). The saucer feeds the ball to the cannon on the far right of the playfield and sets up a shot at the flashing target to start multiball, activated via the trigger on the gun plunger. The number of targets required to start multiball increases with every multiball played. If a player fails to launch the ball from the cannon, it will fire automatically and negate any chance at hitting the lit target(s). The skull drop target also collects lit extra balls after advancing the bonus multiplier enough.

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The bumpers are located at the top-center of the machine and can only be reliably fed with strong left orbit shots that enter the saucer at its apex, though weak right orbit shots can enter the bumpers as well. Above the bumpers are three top lanes with green triangles above them; these lanes increase the bonus multiplier once completed and can be toggled with the flippers. In front of the bottommost bumper is a bank of three targets used to light escape route awards at the left orbit; later escape route awards require these targets to be completed on a timer.

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The right side of the playfield is roughly symmetrical to the left side, but lacks the skull drop target / saucer. This area includes the right ramp, which is steeper than the left ramp to accommodate for a U-turn at its top, and the right orbit, which sends the ball flying back around to the left flipper for consecutive chase loop shots and collects the hurry-up award when lit. Directly below the entrance to the playfield from the auto-plunger are three orange standup targets that relight the left outlane kickback if it isn’t currently lit.

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Scoring on Terminator 2 established a trend towards slightly higher-scoring machines than the years prior, as DMDs allowed higher scoring to be shown. Average players can expect good games above 30M, but great scores would be above 100M, and the best can go far beyond that into 400M or 500M territory!

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Getting Started with Terminator 2

• Skill shot: hit the moving white target from the plunger (typically 3^rd, sometimes 4^th from bottom to top). The speed increases with every successful skill shot.
• Hit the drop target to light the cannon shot & database award at left eject, then hit the saucer to send the ball to the cannon. Use the auto-plunge trigger to launch the ball at the flashing target and start multiball.some text
  • During multiball, lock up to two balls at the left orbit and database saucer. Send a ball into the skull saucer before time runs out and nail the flashing target from the cannon for jackpot.
  • With the balls that remain after scoring a jackpot, 50M super jackpots can be earned. Hit the skull drop target to light the saucer, then hit the saucer and make a precise shot from the cannon at the moving target for super jackpot.
• Shoot the lit ramps 5 times each to start payback time. The first two ramps can be hit in any order but then must be alternated. During payback time, all ramps and orbits score 5M for 20 seconds.
• Shoot the left orbit saucer to score the furthest lit escape route award. Light more escape route awards by completing the center target bank, on a timer for late-game escape route awards.
• Shoot the right orbit to increase the chase loop award up to 5M. Repeated “looping” shots to the right orbit score millions plus, 1M + 1M per subsequent shot, alongside the lit chase loop value. The chase loop value resets at the end of the ball.
• Database award is lit at the left eject after hitting the skull drop target. In the early game these awards can be worth going for, but the frequency of good awards heavily drops as scores increase.
• Light extra ball at the skull drop target by reaching 6x or 8x bonus or earn one as an escape route award.

Terminator 2 Skill Shot

Instead of the typical plunger, Terminator 2 has a gun-shaped auto-plunger where balls are sent into play via the trigger. This allows multiballs to start without having to lock balls like on many other machines of its era and keeps the action as fast as possible.

The skill shot involves timing the auto-plunge to hit the moving white target on the left target bank, for 1M + 1M per skill shot made. On most copies, the auto-plunge will send the ball to either the 3^rd or 4^th target (going from bottom to top), typically the 3^rd. Also, keep in mind that the speed of the moving target increases with every successful skill shot, so time your plunges accordingly!

Multiball & How to Aim the Cannon

Multiball is where the most substantial scores on Terminator 2 will come from for experienced players. Starting multiball is as simple as hitting the drop target under the skull, then hitting the saucer behind it to feed the cannon; and lastly, hitting the lit target from the cannon using the auto-plunge trigger to fire the ball. Later multiballs reset the drop target after a timer expires and increase the number of targets that must be hit.

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As soon as the required lit targets are hit, multiball will start with two balls being sent from the plunger lane onto the playfield. To qualify the first jackpot, the player must re-lock balls at three different saucers: the left eject, the left orbit saucer, and the saucer behind the skull drop target. The left eject and left orbit saucer locks are on timers, but the skull lock lasts as long as the player keeps the remaining balls alive. Then, to score the jackpot, the player must hit the flashing target from the cannon. The jackpot is multiplied by however many balls were locked, and increases as saucer shots are made throughout the game (the value resets as soon as a jackpot is scored or the game ends).

After scoring a jackpot, get back under control, because super jackpots are in your sights and these can put the hammer down on opponents more than anything else in the machine. Hit the skull drop target to light the saucer, then hit the saucer to feed the cannon like you did to light the multiball. This time, however, the target will be moving from top to bottom and back, and one or two balls will still be on the main playfield! With some trial and error, players will be able to find consistent timing for hitting this difficult moving target and can score 50M super jackpots with ease.

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Aiming the cannon is an important skill to learn and players will approach this in different ways. Some players, including myself, like to move their head and look at the targets from the cannon’s perspective. This is especially useful for if the difficult top or bottom targets are lit for jackpot. If you’re used to how your local copy’s cannon works and any of the middle targets are lit, however, trusting your gut instincts is the way to go.

Payback Time

Payback time is a good secondary option for players who might struggle with the ball control tactics that multiball enforces. At the start of the game, both ramps are lit to advance the security level, shown by five lights in front of each ramp. Afterwards, the ramps must be alternated to advance security levels, though comboing left and right ramps will score 1M per combo. Once the final security level is completed, the player will obtain Skynet’s CPU and payback time will start.

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During payback time, all ramps and orbits are lit to score 5M for 20 seconds, alongside the skull drop target and bonus multiplier lanes (if completed). The best way to approach payback time for score is to simply keep hitting the ramps like you were doing before, or if you’re adept at hitting the right orbit, hitting that shot repeatedly to score chase loop values alongside the 5M payback time awards.

Escape Route Awards

The left orbit starts each game with the bottommost insert (security level) lit. Every time the center targets are completed, another award will be added to the inserts at the left orbit. Only one escape route award can be earned per orbit shot and repeats of the same award can only be scored if the player collects all six escape route awards.

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After the fourth award (multiball) is lit, subsequent center target banks must be completed on a timer. The timer then decreases even further after a full set of escape route awards have been collected.

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From bottom to top, the escape route awards are:

• Security level (advances the ramp inserts for payback time by 2 lights)
• Hold bonus (end-of-ball bonus & multiplier are retained after the ball drains, scores bonus again if lit on the last ball)
• Light return lanessome text
  • The left inlane lights the right orbit for hurry-up. Starts at 15M and decreases to 3M over 15 seconds.
  • The right inlane lights the left orbit saucer for video mode. Use the flippers to move the trigger and fire at moving Terminators. Vehicles score bonus points and extra balls can rarely be spawned. 5M bonus for killing all Terminators.
• Multiball (starts multiball, but will not lower the skull drop target unless it has already been lowered prior to scoring this award)
• Extra ball
• 10 million (also resets the escape route sequence)

Chase Loop Awards

The right orbit is a “classic” right orbit that sends the ball to the left flipper no strings attached and is a great way to practice repeated orbit shots. Shoot the right orbit to collect & advance the currently flashing chase loop award and score million plus if the shot was made quickly enough (scores an additional 1M + 1M for each shot, alongside the lit chase loop award).

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The awards are given as follows and are advanced by hitting the right orbit:

• 250k
• 500k
• 750k
• 1M
• 3M
• 5M

Chase loop awards are a riskier scoring method than many of the other scoring methods listed, but the 5M value can be substantial as it lasts for the rest of the ball! However, right orbit shots are only recommended if you have put enough time into your local copy to know that the right orbit is a consistently makeable shot.

Database Awards

The most infamous part of Terminator 2 by far is the left eject and its behavior towards the mystery awards it gives out. Database is lit there by hitting the skull drop target, so it lights while you’re making progress towards multiball.

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When the lit left eject is shot, a screen showing 8 options will be displayed and a “random” award will be chosen. “Random” is in quotations because the award is actually determined by how long the current player has been playing, or if the game feels a poorly-performing player needs a boost.

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The most common awards are points awards (100k, 500k, 1M, 3M). Slightly rarer are utility awards (security level, bonus X, chase loop advance, light kickback, autofire). Rarer than those are the two return lane awards and multiball (video mode, light / start hurry-up, multiball), and rarest of all are light / award extra ball and light / award special.

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Generally, database awards are not worth going for in the late game, but if you’re doing poorly and need a chance at getting big points during a competition game, there’s no harm in aiming for the left eject and trying your luck.

Noah’s Strategies

• Weigh your options accordingly. If you’re skilled at ball control, go for multiball and take escape route awards as they become available. If you’re a flow player, go for payback time and maximize scoring from it by shooting the two ramps as many times as possible. Or try both if you’re up for a challenge!
• When multiball starts, cradle up to save as many balls as possible. This isn’t an issue for the first multiball as autofire (ball save) is on, but later it disappears and forces the player to play more carefully than before. And when the super jackpot is available, try to get one ball cradled on each flipper and use the right flipper to shoot for the skull, holding the other ball on the left, to hit the moving target as comfortably as possible.
• Actively consider the shots you’re best at making. If the right orbit feels as smooth as butter to hit, going for 5M loops can be beneficial. If recovery from the center targets is consistent, then rack up as many escape route awards as you can. There is no wrong way to play this machine for score, so long as you have the skill to do so.
• Database awards aren’t worth going for if you’re pursuing any of those strategies. However, even database has its place in the rules as a last-ditch effort if none of your strategies are working.