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Rules & Strategies

NOTE: The following is based on my particular game set to replay mode with mostly liberal game adjustments. Results may vary.

Skillshot: There are two features at the top of the playfield that can be made with a good skillshot. There's a spread of four small rollover buttons each with an associated insert. One insert will be flashing. Each of the four rollovers buttons corresponds to one of the four drop targets. Hitting any button scores 1,000 points. Hitting the flashing button scores an additional 500 points and knocks down the corresponding drop target. Below the rollover buttons is the top kickout saucer. Rebound rubbers funnel the ball toward the saucer so the saucer is easy to make with a bit of nudging. A perfect skillshot will hit the flashing rollover button and find its way to the kickout saucer. The rebound switches score 30 points.

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Click for a larger image of the upper playfield skillshot area.

Top Kickout Saucer and Multiball: Xenon is the first Bally solid state game with multiball (2-ball). The top kickout saucer is located near the top center of the playfield. The saucer is accessible via the shooter lane, the thumper bumpers and the left orbit. The left orbit is the best way to get to the saucer during gameplay. Each time the ball lands in the saucer, 10,000 points are scored, the Xenon bonus is advanced, and an X symbol is awarded. The Xenon bonus is displayed between the flippers. The X symbols are displayed below the middle thumper bumper. Collecting three X symbols lites the tube shot to lock a ball. Collected X symbols remain lit from ball to ball. The lock also remains lit from ball to ball until a ball is locked. Shooting the tube locks the ball in the left kickout saucer and a second ball is served to the shooter lane. Three more X symbols are required to start 2-ball multiball. Note that an additional two X symbols can be collected after lock is lit, but before locking the first ball. In other words, five X symbols can be collected before locking the first ball. In that case, only one more X symbol is needed to commence multiball.

If three X symbols are collected during multiball, the outlanes are both lit for special. A special is awarded each additional time three X symbols are collected during multiball. The spinner is also lit for 1,000 points during multiball and remains lit until both balls are lost. Any X symbols collected during multiball count toward reliting lock.

Note that the tube shot is still available after a ball is locked in the left kickout saucer. The second ball will replace the locked ball such that the formerly locked ball becomes the current ball in play. This ball swapping process can potentially confuse the game if the second ball doesn't hit the tube switches just right. Problems are rare. Nevertheless, I tend to avoid the tube shot after I have a ball locked. If the ball in play is on the left flipper I'll shoot for the drop targets. If the ball in play is on the right flipper I'll shoot for the left orbit and more X symbols.

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Click for a larger image of the X symbols.

Thumper Bumpers: Xenon has a somewhat unusual arrangement of four thumper bumpers in the upper-center of the playfield. All four bumpers are always lit and always score 100 points.

Spinner: The spinner is located at the entrance to the left orbit and is worth 10 points. During multiball the spinner is lit for 1,000 points. Once lit, the spinner remains lit until both balls are lost.

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Click for a larger image of the upper playfield area.

Tube Shot and Exit Chamber: The elevated tube shot is the most prominent playfield feature and transports the ball from the middle-right side of the playfield to the middle-left side of the playfield. The tube directs the ball to the "Exit Chamber", which is the middle-left kickout saucer. The ball is ejected toward the right slingshot. Each time the ball passes through the Exit Chamber, the exit value is collected and advanced. The exit value is indicated in front of the Exit Chamber. Exit values range from 5,000 points to 90,000 points and the value is cumulative from ball to ball. This is a huge (if repetitive) scoring opportunity. At 90,000 points the Exit Chamber is also lit for the "MOTA Special". The next tube shot collects the 90,000 points and the special. After the special is collected, the Exit Chamber resets back to 5,000 points. I have not been able to determine the significance or meaning of the word (or acronym?) "MOTA" except that it's "atom" spelled backwards. The Exit Chamber also serves as the ball lock as noted above.

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Click for a larger image of the Exit Chamber and MOTA area.

Memory Drop Targets: A four-target memory drop target bank is at the middle-right side of the playfield. Each drop target scores 1,500 points. When a complete bank of four targets is knocked down, an additional 10,000 points are scored, both inlanes lite for 10,000 points, the exit chamber value is advanced, the targets rest and the lit drop target award is collected and advanced. Drop target awards include 2X (Xenon bonus), 4X (Xenon bonus), 25,000 points, extra ball and special. Six or more completions earn additional specials. The drop target award resets to 2X at the beginning of each ball, but the position of each of the four targets is remembered from ball to ball. Drop targets can also be knocked down via the top rollover buttons as noted above. As much as I like drop targets, I don't give them much attention on this game unless the Xenon bonus has been built up to a high value and I want the multipliers. If I have the ball on the left flipper I usually shoot for the easier tube shot and the cumulative Exit Chamber points. Also, the memory feature seems underutilized. The drop target bank needs to be completed several times per ball to make a big scoring impact. A few "free" targets at the beginning of a ball make little difference.

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Click for a larger image of the drop target area.

Stationary Targets: There are two yellow stationary targets at the middle-left side of the playfield. Each target has an associated yellow arrow. A third arrow is on the right side of the playfield by the drop targets. The lower left arrow is lit at the beginning of each ball. Hitting that target advances the Xenon bonus and lites the upper left arrow. Hitting that target advances the Xenon bonus and lites the right arrow. Hitting any one drop target advances the Xenon bonus, re-lites the lower left arrow and starts the whole process over. Each stationary target always scores 700 points.

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Click for a larger image of the center playfield area.

Xenon Bonus: The end-of-ball bonus is called the Xenon bonus and can range from 2,000 to 58,000 points or up to 232,000 points with a 4X multiplier. The bonus value is advanced by way of the top kickout saucer and lit yellow arrows as noted above. Accumulating 20,000 bonus points lites the 20,000 super bonus which is remembered from ball to ball. Accumulating another 20,000 bonus points advances the super bonus to 40,000 which is remembered from ball to ball. Advancing to 40,000 also lites the Xenon bonus special. The next and additional accumulations of 20,000 bonus points award a special. Multipliers reset at the beginning of each ball. A 2X or 4X multiplier is earned by way of the drop targets as described above.

Slingshots: The slingshots are of the usual shape and location and score 30 points per hit.

Inlanes: The inlanes score 1,000 points or 10,000 points when lit by way of the drop targets as described above.

Outlanes: The outlanes score 1,000 points. The outlanes award a special when lit by way of the multiball feature as described above.

Flippers: There are two flippers in the usual location. There is a center post tucked under the apron. I suspect the post is there to help prevent outhole jams should both balls drain at once. But the post is sometimes useful for bouncing balls back into play. There's also an extended biff bar by the right flipper that may bounce a ball back into play. Never give up on a ball headed toward the drain. This game seems to have a unusually high percentage of seeming lost balls bounce back into play.

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Click for a larger image of the lower playfield area.

Extra Balls: Extra balls are earned by way of the trop target bank as described above. Only one extra ball may be earned per ball in play.

Specials: Specials are awarded by way of the multiball X symbols and outlanes as described above. Specials are also awarded by way of the drop target bank as described above. Specials are also awarded by way of the Xenon bonus as described above. That's a lot of specials!

Xenon Vocabulary; (M) = Male voice; (F) = Female voice:
"Enter Xenon"(M) - start of game
"Welcome to Xenon"(F) - 1st X symbol
"Xenon two"(F) - 2nd X symbol
"Try tube shot"(F) - 3rd X symbol; lock lit
"Ahh"(F) - lock
"Xenon; Exit one; Exit two"(F) - begin multiball
"Xeeeeenon"(F) - tube shot
"Ahh"(F) "Aow"(M) "Ahh"(F) "Aow"(M) - bumper action
"Xenon"(M) - Xenon bonus
"Try Xeeeeenon"(F) - attract