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Pinball Rule Sheets

A repository of rulesheets for pinball machines

The Uncanny X-Men

[Official Rulesheet]

Game Information & Overview:

The Uncanny X-Men is Jack Danger’s third retail pinball machine (second cornerstone game) following 2023’s Foo Fighters and was similarly designed from the ground up as an evolution of prior pinball machines. The machine is based on the “Days of Future Past” story arc from the comics. Players will complete missions and objectives to enable Cerebro for time travel, allowing them to save the future by changing the past.

Rules Overview:

Layout:

Modes of Play:

These modes are accessible by holding both flipper buttons during attract mode until a menu appears. The following options are available:

See below for full rulesheet.

NOT a gameplay mode. This mode operates like a jukebox, allowing you to play the music featured in the machine, including a number of specific playlists.

Not from the gameplay menu, but the following is changed if a Competition Install is performed from the utilities menu:

Skill Shots:

There are four skill shots available at the start of each ball:

Missions:

Hit the lit white shots, then hit any blue shot to start the next mission - the first one lights after just one white shot, but more are needed for every mission completed. Missions can be started at any ramp with a blue arrow: either the midtown center ramp or subway right loop. The corner four missions are easier to complete than the four in between them.

Completing any mission will start the Future, so long as any multiball mode isn’t running; if one is, the center ramp will light after the stack to start the future instead. Defeating 6 Sentinels during this timed challenge lights the center ramp to return to the past and award a perk unique to the X-Men member that the mode focused on, active during both past and future gameplay modes. The respective X-Men members are listed next to each mission name.

Before starting a mission, getting the danger room to level 1 (green) will double all mission scoring. The danger room progress carries over from ball to ball until level 1 is reached.

Extra ball is lit at the right inlane after 3 missions, then 7 missions, have been completed. These extra balls are only lit the first time through the modes.

Modes are listed clockwise.

Tier 1: Easy Missions:

Tier 2: Challenging Missions:

The Future & X-Men Perks:

Successfully completing any of the 8 missions will start one of the two versions of the Future, which are timed mini-modes. Successfully completing the Future earns a “perk” specific to the character and mission.

The Future: Sentinel Mode

Completing any easy mission starts a 40-second timed mode with ball save lasting for its first 10 seconds. If you complete the mission while in a multiball, the center ramp will light to start the Future when the multiball is finished. The game will always attempt to hold the ball when The Future starts.

In the Future, Sentinels have taken over and other modes cannot be started. The player must destroy the Sentinels by shooting the shots they have spawned in front of; shots to the giant sentinel head increase the value for defeating each individual sentinel (in the order white - green - yellow - red, +1x per color change). Each Sentinel occupies 1 shot, and once defeated, another shot must be made to relight the previously destroyed Sentinel. Destroying 35 Sentinels over the course of the game will light the uptown ramp to start berzerker multiball.

Once 6 sentinels have been defeated, the midtown (center) and subway (right loop) ramps will light to escape the future and award whichever perk corresponds to the just-completed mission, before returning the player to the past. If the player runs out of time, fails to defeat enough sentinels, or fails to escape, the player will return to the past without the perk being awarded.

Before starting the future, getting the danger room to level 2 or 3 will help with the mode. Level 2 (yellow) makes the mode require one less sentinel to defeat before lighting the center ramp to escape. Level 3 (red) will make all sentinels count double, rewarding 2x their corresponding value and 2 sentinels towards lighting the escape.

Character Requirement Perk Description
Bishop Complete Rescue the Innocent and escape the future Less left bumper hits are required to light Bishop uses.
Gambit Complete Smuggled Cargo and escape the future Hitting the lit Gambit bumper now multiplies the next shot by 3x rather than 2x.
Professor X Complete Stopping a Juggernaut and escape the future The danger room can now be advanced and affects scoring in the future. A ball save is now given for entering the danger room once per ball.
Wolverine Complete Bitter Rivalry and escape the future All ball save timers during single-ball play, past and future, are extended. First shot to a Sentinel during Sentinel Multiball deals bonus damage.

The Future: Escape Nimrod Mode

Escape Nimrod is a 35-second timed mode with ball save lasting for its first 10 seconds, which starts when any challenging mission has been completed and the player isn’t in a multiball mode. If the player has completed a mode while in a multiball, the center ramp will light to start Escape Nimrod. The game will always attempt to hold the ball when Escape Nimrod starts. Bishop’s action button rule is disabled during Escape Nimrod.

Nimrod is the most technologically advanced Sentinel out there and is incapable of being defeated via normal means. Three red shots are lit, randomly selected from the major ramp shots in the game. Shoot all three red shots within the alotted time. Each red shot made scores a bonus based on the time remaining during the mode. After making 3 red shots, the center ramp and subway ramp will light (blue) on a new 10-second timer to complete the mode, which will award the perk corresponding to the just-completed mission, plus 4 defeated sentinels, and then return the player to the past. If the player runs out of time or drains, the player will return to the past without the perk being awarded.

The perks are dependent on what mission was completed prior to starting Escape Nimrod.

Character Requirement Perk Description
Colossus Complete Mayhem in Midtown and escape Nimrod All multiball ball saves are extended.
Magneto Complete Genosha Under Siege and escape Nimrod All game timers are extended by +10 seconds.
Rogue Complete Sentinel Facility Raid and escape Nimrod Add-a-ball is available by holding the action button during any multiball mode, once per ball. Danger room spinner pauses timer for 7 seconds during Escape Nimrod.
Storm Complete A Fiery Assault and escape Nimrod Bonus damage to all other Sentinels is now dealt with each lit sentinel shot during Sentinel Multiball. Sentinel Multiball will be extended the next time it is played.

Non-Mission Perks:

There are also four perks earned through other methods besides completing missions, each of which is awarded instantly upon completing the applicable requirement.

Character Requirement Perk Description
Beast Advance Beast’s Lab to level 3 Beast’s Lab awards can now be earned in the future.
Cyclops Complete 3 Danger Room levels in one game Increases the combo timers.
Jean Grey 10 X-Mansion ball save target hits Right outlane ball save rule can be advanced during the future. The next level 2 Beast’s lab award will always be “Light X-Mansion Ball Save”.
Nightcrawler Hit purple Nightcrawler targets 20 times Purple targets now count towards destroying Sentinels in the future.

Multiballs:

Multiballs can be stacked with any mission if the mission is started before the multiball. Multiballs cannot be stacked on top of other multiballs, however, and berserker multiball takes priority over all other game features.

Completing Sentinel Facility Raid and then escaping the future will award an add-a-ball that can be used once per multiball by holding the action button while flashing green.

Colossus’ perk, awarded after completing Mayhem in Midtown and escaping the future, will increase the ball saves for all multiballs for the remainder of the game.

Leveling up the danger room before or during any multiball (without a mode currently active) will increase the scores given to every jackpot & super jackpot award.

Sentinel Multiball:

Hit the giant sentinel 3 times (+2 per multi) to spawn it. While the giant sentinel is active, decrease its integrity with more direct hits to it. Eventually, it’s mouth will open up; defeat the giant sentinel by hitting it enough times to start the multiball. Making a Fastball Special combo will advance the Sentinel to its next stage immediately.

During the multiball, all major shots start lit to score jackpots at 1x value (lit yellow). The jackpots can be relit at an increased multiplier by shooting the danger room exit ramp (orange for 2x, and red for 3x); and if a shot isn’t lit for jackpot, it will instead kill 1 sentinel towards lighting berzerker multiball.

After four jackpots have been scored, the super jackpot, worth the total of all jackpots collected during the previous wave, can be scored at the sentinel head (multiplied by 2x with a shot to the open mouth). The super jackpot value resets once scored and more jackpots are required to light subsequent super jackpots, to a maximum of six.

Two perks help with scoring during this multiball:

Save the City Multiball:

Hitting each of the six primary ramp/loop shots on the playfield (X-Jet, Downtown, Uptown, Midtown, Subway and Highway) three times qualifies Save the City multiball. The Midtown (center) and Subway (right loop) ramps will then be lit to start the multiball. Progress towards Save the City Multiball is shown in the upper right corner of the display screen, where one-third of a ramp’s name will turn green with each shot made.

During Save the City multiball, there are five areas of the city that can be lit for jackpot (7M + the shot value from their current level + any increases from qualifying shots) via enough hits to their corresponding shots, listed in the UI:

Each hit to the corresponding targets listed above increases the jackpot value scored at their respective shot, if their jackpot is already lit.

Once all five jackpots have been scored, the X-Jet ramp will be lit. Shoot the ramp to light the danger room spinner for a super jackpot, worth 1M for every spin of the spinner. 15 seconds are given to score as many spinner rips as possible before the process of lighting and scoring jackpots resets, with bounces into Kitty Pryde’s lane adding +10 seconds to the super jackpot timer.

Jackpots can only be earned at each shot once until a super jackpot is scored.

To Me, My X-Men Multiball:

Make Cerebro skill shots, or hit the Nightcrawler targets 5 times to light Cerebro manually, to advance towards this multiball. To Me, My X-Men starts when Cerebro has been lit and collected three times by shooting either the uptown ramp or highway ramp when Cerebro is lit.

Hit six blue lit shots to “summon” random X-Men and score jackpots. The same shot cannot be hit more than one time in a row. Every sixth jackpot lights a super jackpot at the left ramp worth the jackpot total (minimum value = about 5M), and a 2x super jackpot that can be earned at the danger room exit ramp. There is a bonus for summoning all 12 X-Men before scoring a super jackpot.

Berserker Multiball:

This multiball lights at the uptown ramp after 35 Sentinels have been defeated and no other modes or multiballs are active. Sentinels are accumulated over the course of the game and can be earned in various ways:

Berserker multiball is a 3-ball multiball where all major shots (including the sentinel head) are lit yellow to score jackpots starting at 5M per shot. Jackpot shots can’t be repeated until another one is made. After hitting 5 jackpots, shooting the X-Jet ramp will score a super jackpot worth the total of the 5 jackpots collected prior, increase the jackpot by 1M, and briefly light the danger room exit ramp to score a 2x super jackpot. Subsequent super jackpots require one more jackpot to light than before and are more valuable in turn.

Other Scoring:

Danger Room:

The danger room is accessed by hitting the X-Jet shot to feed it, or the ball can fall into it on its own. Exiting the danger room via the ramp also counts as a Cerebro shot (when lit).

Level up the danger room by hitting the various features down there: the spinner, targets, ramp, and bumper. Every shot made increases the progress bar at the top of the display and eventually maxes it out, advancing a level and increasing the scoring for each multiball accordingly. The danger room level resets after each mission played, and each level gives the following perks:

After completing 3 danger room levels over the course of the game, Cyclops will join the fight and increase all combo timers for the rest of the game.

During missions, the danger room cannot be leveled up. Instead, it will increase the danger room bonus, which is added to the mission total alongside the final shot of a mission or future mode. 10% of the total danger room bonus is scored during end-of-ball bonus and is subject to the bonus multiplier.

“Abort” save is lit at the start of the game and can also be earned by hitting the X-Jet shot to access the danger room enough times - the first save lights after three shots. Hitting the “abort” target activates a ball save that saves any balls draining from the danger room or the main playfield for 5 seconds.

The danger room is normally disabled during the future, and during save the city multiball. By completing Stopping a Juggernaut and escaping the future, however, Xavier’s perk will allow the danger room bonus rule to remain active during the future. Xavier will also give the player a ball save the first time they enter the danger room each ball.

Bishop (Action Button):

Hitting the left pop bumper enough times will build up Bishop’s power and up to three Bishop uses can be stacked at a time. When the action button is flashing red, press it to spot the most valuable shot lit on the playfield! Note: Bishop will never spot the Sentinel shot or any danger room shot, and is disabled during Escape Nimrod.

If the Rescue the Innocent mission has been completed, Bishop’s perk will reduce the number of bumper hits required to light the action button.

During all multiball modes, the number of bumper hits required to advance Bishop are doubled, unless the above perk has been scored in which case they act as normal.

Kitty Pryde:

There is a hidden lane below the entrance to the downtown ramp. Shots to this lane that fall in accidentally score a value that starts at 500k and increase by 250k with each shot to the target gating it.

During missions, this lane spots the leftmost lit shot on the playfield when hit, for half of the normal shot value. It will not spot shots if the final shot of a mission is lit.

Combos & Sentinel Attacks:

Shoot lit “X” shots in succession to score combos. The combo value starts at 200k and increases by 200k per combo to a max of 1M per shot. Lit combo shots alternate between the different shots on the playfield to prevent repeatedly shooting the center ramp. Combos increase the level of the next Beast’s Lab award.

After completing 3 danger room levels over the course of the game, Cyclops’ perk will activate and increase the combo timers.

After 6 combos have been scored, the uptown (left), midtown (center), and highway (right) ramps will light to start a Sentinel Attack. This feature can also be started at any shot that feeds the Sentinel hands on Prem / LE. Two red shots - any of the left ramp, center ramp, and right loop - will light to defeat 1 sentinel each and score a hurry-up value starting at 20M and quickly decreasing to 1M, with the second shot starting at 1.5x the value of the first. Every successful round of Sentinel Attack will increase the base value of the next round by +5M. No other modes can be advanced while sentinel attacks are running.

More and more combos are required to light subsequent Sentinel Attacks: 8 combos for the second then it lights at every subsequent 10 combos.

Beast’s Lab:

Hit the captive ball in Beast’s Lab with enough strength to collect a context-sensitive award based on its current level (increased by completing combos.) It can:

Beast’s Lab is disabled in the future unless Beast’s perk has been qualified via scoring a level 3 Beast’s Lab award.

Gambit:

Hit Gambit’s bumper three times to increase the value of the next mode or multiball shot to 2x. Shatzing / alley passing the bumper immediately increases the next mode shot’s value to 2x.

If Gambit’s perk has been qualified, the shot multiplier will be increased to 3x!

Fastball Special:

This 2-shot combo sequence is lit at the right inlane after completing enough sets of standup targets.

When active, a ball return to the right inlane lights a strobing shot up the left ramp. Collect for 500k, ball returns to left flipper then combo into the Sentinel to score 2.5M. Completing the Fastball Special combo will also advance to the next phase of defeating the Sentinel to start Sentinel Multiball; for instance, if the Sentinel has spawned but its mouth isn’t open yet, making a Fastball Special will instantly advance to that phase.

X-Mansion Ball Save:

Shoot the X-Mansion target (located above the Gambit pop) 4 times to light the right outlane ball save and make progress towards qualifying Jean Grey for use in the future.

The X-Mansion ball save cannot be advanced or qualified in the future unless Jean Grey has been qualified with enough shots to the target that lights the outlane ball save.

Extra Balls:

Light extra ball at the right inlane by:

End-of-Ball Bonus:

Bonus is determined by:

All multiplied by bonus X, which is built up by completing the Cerebro Bonus Build targets, near the left flipper

Bonus can be held by hitting the “bonus hold” target directly below the danger room’s mini-flipper, though it cannot be hit intentionally. If bonus is held on the last ball, it will instead be doubled.

Wizard Modes:

Save Senator Kelly (Mini-Wizard Mode):

Light the center ramp and subway ramp to start this mode after completing all 8 missions.

Save the Senator from Mystique with the help of Cerebro. This single-ball mini-wizard mode starts with 40 seconds of ball save and 2 green shots lit. Hitting both green shots will light all three Cerebro shots (uptown, highway, and danger room exit ramps) to advance to the next phase. 3 yellow shots are lit in the second phase, and 4 orange shots are lit during the third phase. During the final phase, all six major shots are lit red and a 60-second timer starts; the player must clear the six shots and shoot Cerebro before time runs out to capture Mystique and complete the mode.

Combos play a vital role in this mode’s scoring. The highest combo multiplier obtained during the mode multiplies the rest of the scoring by the number of the multiplier (for instance, if a 4-way combo was made, all scoring would be multiplied by 4x for the remainder of the mode). Combos don’t advance towards other objectives during this mode.

Master Mold (Placeholder)

Master Mold will appear in a later code update