"I'm Black Rose, queen of the high seas!"
- Black Rose
Black Rose is one of the three Williams pinball tables released in the second volume of Zen Studios' Williams pinball collection. This table puts the player in the role of a pirate crew member commanded by Captain Black Rose, challenging the player to sink as many ships as possible.
Like several other early 90s Williams / Bally pinball machines, Black Rose is a "score attack" table where the primary goal is to get the highest score possible by going for a variety of objectives. The primary objectives in this game are to sink ships by spelling SINK SHIP (through either cannon shots or multiball), and going for all seven Broadside awards to light the jackpot at the left ramp. The rules related to spelling SINK SHIP will be discussed first, followed by the rules for the Broadside awards.
Sinking Ships[]
The SINK SHIP inserts are located directly above the cannon. At the start of a new game, SINK S will be lit, as seen here.
At the start of the game, all four letters in SINK will be solidly lit, but the four letters in SHIP will be unlit. There are several different ways to collect SINK SHIP letters; some of the Broadside awards can spot a letter, but the easiest ways to get letters are by going for cannon shots or by playing Multiball. Once all letters in SINK SHIP are lit, the side ramp will raise for a final cannon shot to sink an enemy ship, described in further detail in the SINK SHIP Jackpot subsection.
Loading the Cannon[]
There are four ways to raise the side ramp for a cannon shot:
- A successful skill shot
- Shooting the side ramp 3 times in a row (+1 for subsequent attempts)
- Completing all three sets of equipment standup targets
- Scoring a 3-Bank Ricochet, hitting all three target banks in only one flip
Once the side ramp has been raised and the scoop under the ramp is shot, the player will be able to press the launch button to fire the ball from the cannon directly above the flippers. All shots marked with gems will be solidly lit, but every time the cannon is loaded, a few shots will be flashing; making any shot from the cannon will award a SINK SHIP letter, but making the flashing shot will score a bonus award that changes every time the cannon is loaded, and advance to the next award level.
If the player misses a cannon shot, they will have 15 seconds to reload the cannon by shooting the scoop again; otherwise, they will have to relight the cannon manually. Cannon shots stack - if they have been qualified in multiple ways, the cannon shot will be available again directly following the currently qualified shot.
The awards that can be granted from the cannon sequence are:
- Level 1 - Double Broadside: Started by hitting any of the standup target banks or the Broadside. This is a valuable, 30-second timed mode where the player can shoot the Broadside repeatedly to score exponential points; the first shot is 2M, then 4M, then 8M, etc. to a maximum of 32M per shot.
- Level 2 - Video Mode: Started by hitting either the Pirate's Cove lock or the Broadside. Awards one of the 3 video modes that can also be awarded from the Broadside award sequence.
- Level 3 - 5 Million: Collected at either the left ramp or the yellow standup targets. Scores 5M.
- Level 4 - 2x SINK SHIP Letter: Collected at any standup target banks or the Broadside. The amount of SINK SHIP letters collected with this cannon shot are doubled (ie. if the player hits all 3 standup target banks in a single shot, they will collect 6 letters instead of 3).
- Level 5 - Instant Multiball: Started by hitting either the Pirate's Cove lock or the Broadside. Instantly starts multiball by sending a second ball to the plunger. If the lock was lit before this award was collected, it will remain lit after multiball ends.
- Level 6 - Jets At Max: Collected at the right orbit. For the rest of the ball, all pop bumper hits are worth 15k and all right orbit shots are worth 1M.
- Level 7 - Extra Ball: Collected at the Broadside. Instantly awards an extra ball.
The player can repeatedly go through the cannon award sequence, and each time, the 5 Million award granted from Level 3 will increase by 5M.
Lock a ball at the Pirate's Cove to start 2-ball multiball.
Multiball & Hidden Treasure[]
Multiball can be started by spelling LOCK at the return lanes, which cycle with flipper button presses and slingshot hits; LOCK letters can also be collected by shooting the Pirate's Cove, which spots 1 letter in the word, and multiball can be instantly started from the "Instant Multiball" award given by several game features. Once the word has been spelled, one shot to the Pirate's Cove lock will send a new ball to the plunger for a 2-ball multiball mode.
All ramp shots and broadside shots will score 1M and add a letter to SINK SHIP, seen directly above the cannon; however, shooting the Pirate's Cove with 2 balls in play will temporarily lock the ball, and shooting another ball into the Pirate's Cove within 20 seconds will start a 3-ball multiball where all ramp shots score 2M and 2 SINK SHIP letters.
Hidden Treasure is a frenzy mode that can be started by collecting six of the eight flashing gems in front of the indicated shots; on subsequent attempts, all eight gems will be required to start the mode. Each ramp or Broadside shot collected while Hidden Treasure is running will score 500,000 points, and all other gem shots will score 250,000 points. The total score collected during Hidden Treasure is awarded during end-of-ball bonus, and is not multiplied by the bonus multipliers.
Multiball and Hidden Treasure both end when the player drains down to a single ball.
"Now send 'em to Davy Jones!"
SINK SHIP Jackpot[]
Once all eight letters in SINK SHIP are collected through any method, the side ramp will raise for one final cannon shot to sink an opposing ship. The only target lit for this cannon shot will be the Broadside, but the player has unlimited opportunities to reload the cannon until they make the cannon shot.
Each sunken ship scores a value starting at 20M + 10M per ship sunk, to no known limit. Sinking the second ship in a session will light the Pirate's Cove and right orbit for special for 10 seconds; if the special isn't collected, it will relight the next time the player sinks a ship. Once a ship has been sunk, the progress towards spelling SINK SHIP will reset - however, if the player collected more than the maximum of 8 SINK SHIP letters, the letters will be held over for the next completion of the two words (ie. if they collect 8 SINK SHIP letters while the first SINK SHIP Jackpot is already lit, the second one will be made available right after it has been collected).
The seven, strobing Broadside award inserts. Shoot the Broadside to collect them.
Broadside Jackpot[]
The seven inserts in front of the Broadside will be quickly flashing from bottom to top at the beginning of a game. The award collected from the Broadside is determined by the insert that was flashing when the Broadside was shot. Once all seven Broadside awards have been collected in a session, the Jackpot will be made available. It can also be made available as a random award described in the Perks subsection.
To relight the Broadside awards, the Broadside must be shot within 10 seconds; the shot will also collect whatever remains of a hurry-up value starting at 2 million points, decreasing to 500,000. Hitting the coin standup target during this timer will act as a Broadside shot as well.
The seven awards that can be collected from the Broadside, from bottom to top, are as follows:
- Polly: Collects one of the random awards described in the Perks subsection.
- Knife: Starts the Knife Throw video mode. A pirate on the display is seen about to throw a knife; press the launch button at the right time to throw the knife directly at the target and score a random award. Every time the video mode is played, the timing will become more strict.
- Instant Multiball: Locks the ball and sends a new ball to the plunger to start 2-ball multiball.
- Walk the Plank: Starts the Walk the Plank video mode. A pirate is thrown overboard on the display; press the launch button and / or flippers to quickly escape the pursuing shark for a random award. Every time the video mode is played, the timing will become more strict.
- Treasure: Random points award, between 2M and 4M.
- Rigging Swing: Starts the Rigging Swing video mode. On the display, a pirate is about to swing from a rope onto another ship; press the launch button at the right time to leap onto the ship and score a random award. Every time the video mode is played, the timing will become more strict.
- Millions: Starts the Ramps Worth Millions mode. Every ramp shot made during a 30 second timer scores 1M + 1M per each time any ramp shot was made. If the mode is carried over into multiball, the values of each shot will be doubled.
Once all seven Broadside awards have been collected, one last shot to the Broadside will light the Jackpot at the left ramp. The jackpot value starts at 5M and can be increased up to 30M through normal play. Once the Jackpot has been collected or the ball drains when the Jackpot is lit, the progress towards collecting Broadside awards will reset.
Perks[]
- Skill Shot: Plunge the ball into the yellow standup targets or make them as the first shot during a game to score 500k and enable the cannon shot. Alternatively, plunging the ball at full strength often results in spotting a side ramp shot.
- Ball Save: Active for 5 seconds at the beginning of every new ball, or if less than 3 unique switches have been hit.
- Bonus Multiplier: Spelling LOCK at the return lanes when the lock is already lit or multiball is already active will increase the bonus multiplier by 1x to a max of 9x. The bonus multiplier only applies to the switch bonus, and is only good for the current ball.
- Random Awards: The video modes, when completed successfully, and Polly score a random award selected from the following:
- Points (500k, 1M, or 2M)
- Spot SINK SHIP letter
- Light Jackpot
- Light Lock
- Extra Ball
- Whirlpool Millions: Shots to the right ramp collect the currently flashing point value seen in front of it: 100k, 200k, 300k, 400k + light extra ball, and extra ball. Once the extra ball from the right ramp has been collected, further shots to the right ramp on the same ball when the fifth insert is lit will award 1M.
- Bumper scoring: Shots to the right orbit increase the bumper value by 1k per shot to a maximum of 15k. "Jets At Max" from the cannon award sequence will maximize this value instantly.
- Combos: Various combo shots are available in the game; shooting the right orbit or left ramp will light the back lane for a 2-way combo for 500,000 points, and completing the 2-way combo sequence followed by the right orbit again will score a 3-way combo for 1 million points. The side ramp scoring can also be multiplied by shooting it as a combo off the left ramp.
- Special: In Pinball FX, special scores 10M + the current Jackpot value, and can be collected by shooting either Pirate's Cove or the right orbit within 10 seconds of sinking the second ship. If it isn't collected, it will relight when another ship is defeated.
- Extra Ball: Extra balls can be awarded from shooting the right ramp five times to advance through the Whirlpool Millions sequence, or as a random award from either Polly or any of the three video modes.
- End-of-ball bonus: Bonus is calculated from switch hits; each switch hit adds about 5,000 points to bonus, which is all multiplied by the bonus multiplier. Scoring from Hidden Treasure is awarded on its own after calculating the multiplier and is added to the total bonus.
Tips[]
- Black Rose is one of the toughest Williams recreations in FX3, even outside of Classic Single-Player mode, thanks to the tight drains that can result from flailing the ball at the standup targets or even the bumpers. The least risky, highest scoring way to play the game is going exclusively for Multiball by repeatedly shooting either the Pirate's Cove or the right ramp, both of which are safe, reliable shots. Multiball itself rewards SINK SHIP letters far more willingly than the cannon shots.
- The right ramp also progresses towards an extra ball after 5 shots; this extra ball is fairly easy to get and you can make progress towards lighting the lock as well, so make sure to go for this if you haven't already collected an extra ball.
- Double Broadside is a tough mode, but a very valuable one if you can start it. If you don't focus on the cannon awards at other times during play, at least try to start Double Broadside, as a well played mode can result in scores over 100 million.
References & Easter Eggs[]
- A weak shot to the left ramp that rolls back down the side ramp entrance will score a Sneak Attack worth 5 million points.
- When the Polly award is collected off of the Broadside, Polly will appear on the display; hit both flippers repeatedly to "kill" Polly for an additional 2M.
- Several cows can be seen in the game; a back lane shot will sometimes produce a herd of cows moving from right to left on the display, the sword fighter display animation when the pop bumper shots will sometimes be replaced with cows in the proper attire, and Ramps Worth Millions will occasionally have cows replacing the "MILLION" graphics on the display, with cow moos accompanying each ramp shot.