Rules & Strategies
NOTE: The following is based on my particular game set to 5 ball replay mode with mostly liberal game adjustments. Results may vary.
Kickout Saucer and Spinners: The kickout saucer is located at the top center of the playfield. The shooter lane and a pair of orbits feed the top arch area and send balls toward the saucer. Landing in the saucer scores the lit value. The lit value rotates through 1,000, 50, 3,000, 50, and 5,000 points according to any 10 or 100 point switch hit (including the spinner switches). A hard hit on a spinner makes for a nifty little light show around the kickout saucer. Landing in the kickout saucer also advances the end-of-ball bonus. And finally, landing in the kickout saucer awards a double end-of-ball bonus when lit. The double bonus is lit whenever the 1,000 point saucer award is lit. A spinner is located at the entrance to each orbit. Spinners score 10 points or 100 points when lit. The lit spinner toggles with each bonus advance.
Thumper Bumpers and Stationary Targets Three thumper bumpers and three stationary targets occupy the upper center of the playfield. Thumper bumpers score 10 points or 100 points when lit. The lower bumper is always lit. Lit left and right bumpers toggle with each bonus advance. The two upper stationary targets score 100 points. The lower center stationary target scores 10 points or 50 points and a bonus advance when lit. The target's bonus light toggles on and off with each bonus advance.
Click for a larger image of the upper playfield area.
Drop Targets A pair of 5-target drop target banks is the central feature of the game and the main skill objective. Each drop target scores 50 points. Knocking down all ten targets awards 6,000 points and lites the outlanes for extra ball. Subsequent completions of either drop target bank score 3,000 points, award a special and reset both banks.
Night Rider can be maddening because there aren't really any intermediate skill objectives. You either make it to the special or you don't. If you loose the ball, all the targets reset and you start from scratch.
Click for a larger image of the center playfield area.
Slingshots: The slingshots are of the usual shape and location and score 10 points. There are also 10 point rebound switches located to either side of the kickout saucer and 100 point switches behind each drop target bank.
Inlanes: Inlanes score 10 points or 50 points and a bonus advance when lit. Lit inlanes toggle with each bonus advance.
Outlanes: Outlanes score 1,000 points and extra ball when lit.
Flippers: There are two flippers in the usual location.
Click for a larger image of the lower playfield area.
Multiball: None.
Extra Balls: Extra balls are awarded by way of the drop targets and outlanes as described above. Only one extra ball may be earned per ball in play. The only way to earn an extra ball is to loose the ball in play via a lit outlane.
End-of-Ball Bonus: The bonus begins at 1,000 points at the beginning of each ball and has a maximum vale of 15,000 points (which may be doubled by landing in the kickout saucer when lit). The bonus is advanced by 1,000 points each time the ball lands in the kickout saucer, knocks down a drop target, hits the lit center target or passes through a lit inlane. A bonus advance also toggles various playfield features including the spinners, top two thumper bumpers, center target and inlanes.
Specials: Specials are awarded by way of the drop targets as described above.