Curse of the Mummy

"Would you like to see the real ancient Egypt? You can help me with an... exploration. It will pay well if we find any valuables!"

-Explorer

Curse of the Mummy
Date available	March 2022 (early access); Summer 2022
Category	Zen Originals
Based on	Ancient Egypt & archeology; characters created by Zen Studios
Designed by	Anna Lengyel & Peter "Deep" Grafl
Achievement	"The Curse of the Mummy": Complete the wizard mode.
Plunger mechanism	Diagonal onto playfield
Skill shot type	Top lanes; plunger timing (hidden)
Number of return lanes	5
Number of flippers	6
Outlane protection	2 kickbacks
Number of main missions	10
Wizard mode type	Final multiball mission
Number of side modes	1
Number of multiball modes	2

Curse of the Mummy is one of the three Zen Originals that released with the launch of the Pinball FX reboot in March 2022. The table places players in the role of a female archeologist who uncovers the terrifying secret of an ancient Egyptian sanctuary.

Missions

There are several main missions to activate in Curse of the Mummy, each connected to a different shot. All missions that use the main playfield can be "stacked" or played at the same time as each other, and must be won to qualify the wizard mode. Every time a mission is completed, its difficulty level will increase, resulting in tougher shots and higher scores. An extra ball is lit after winning 5 missions.

The status for each mission can be seen in instant info by holding up both flippers and skimming through the LCD display. The 10 scarabs seen on the scoring display indicate how many missions have been completed; colored scarabs represent completed missions.

• Scarab Trouble: This mission starts after 5 shots to the left kicker. Defeat the scarabs scattered across the playfield by shooting the three sinkholes to send them back. Once all three sets of scarabs have been defeated, the Mummy will spawn the scarab queen, which must be shot two times within 10 seconds to win the mission for 2 million points. The value of each shot increases by 1 million per mission completion.
• Tomb Run: After 30 spins of the left spinner, the next shot to the left orbit will begin an "endless runner" video mode where the player has to navigate a tomb by pressing the left flipper button to long jump, and the right flipper button to slide. This video mode scores more points with each completion (1.4 million for level 1, 3 million for level 2, etc.), and finishing the 5th level of the video mode lights an extra ball.
• Mummy Attack: 5 left ramp shots will bring the Mummy to life as it attempts to absorb a soul from a nearby energy source. To win the mission, the player must shoot the yellow flashing shots within 60 seconds. Three shots are lit at a time to defeat the Mummy, and four shots must be made out of four sets to win the mission for 5 million + 100,000 x the number of shots made. Each time the mission is won, the value for winning the mission increases by 1 million, and the value of each shot increases by 100,000.
• Maze Blaze: Shooting the sinkhole behind the waterfall 5 times reveals a secret dungeon, where the player must illuminate torches to find their way. Light up the ball by rolling through any return lanes, then shoot the torches at both orbit shots and the center sinkhole to light them up and escape the maze. Lighting all three torches scores a hurry-up value that starts at 5 million points, which increases by 5 million points each time the mission is won. Just remember - shooting an already lit torch will extinguish it!
• Oasis Rush: Once 5 shots to the right ramp have been made, the player will have to search for an oasis in 60 seconds by shooting the flashing lanes before their water supply runs out. Three orange flashing shots are lit at a time to advance towards the oasis, and 8 shots must be made to win the mission; each shot scores 300,000 points + 300,000 points per mission completion. Once per game, a random shot during this mission will light an extra ball.
• Army of Anubis: Hitting the Anubis mask near the right ramp 5 times will spawn Anubis' army, represented as drop targets that move around the Anubis mask. To win the mission, the player must shoot the hole under the Anubis mask for a hurry-up starting at 5 million + 5 million per mission completion, by first shooting the drop targets and then shooting the mask behind them. Alternatively, making a shot into the Anubis mask while the drop targets are still active scores 15 million points for a flank attack!
• Underworld: Knock down the 5 linear drop targets on the left mini-playfield, then shoot the sinkhole behind them to start a mode under the main playfield. Two of Anubis' minions alternate from top to bottom, as souls drop down from the top of the screen. To win the mission and score a hurry-up value starting at 10 million, the player must use the flippers to capture 10 souls. The minions move quicker as the mode continues.
• Croc Madness: Every left orbit shot feeds the temple atop the Nile River, where each rollover hit adds a letter to CROCOS. Spelling CROCOS begins a 60 second timed mode where collecting 10 bumper hits by shooting either orbit defeats the crocodiles. The value for winning the mission starts at 2 million points, and can be increased by shooting the bumpers before or during the mission.
• Bridge on the Nile: Holding one of the flippers on either mini-playfield will cause the ball to fall into the Nile River and collect a bridge part. Collecting all four bridge parts this way spawns a bridge between the two playfields for 60 seconds, which can be shot for 2 million points.
• Mummy Multiball: The right mini-playfield hides a canopic chest with a deadly curse. Shooting the chest will open the chest up to mummify & lock a ball; this process becomes more and more difficult with each activation, eventually requiring further shots to light the lock, or requiring the lock to be made under a time limit. Locking 3 balls this way will begin Mummy Multiball, where 10 shots must be made to the Mummy to score jackpots worth 500,000 points and defeat him. The jackpot can be increased by shooting either the chest or the target to the right of it. After defeating the mummy, lock the remaining balls in any sinkhole to score 1.5 million points per lock and win the mission.

Wizard mode

Once all ten missions have been successfully won, the next shot to the pyramid will begin the wizard mode.

The Mummy challenges you to complete five missions at once in a 60-second timed 3-ball multiball: Scarab Trouble, Maze Blaze, Oasis Rush, Army of Anubis, and Croc Madness. Bridge of the Nile also remains active during this multiball. A sandstorm rages across the table, sending any balls that approach it flying out of control. Each completed mission scores their respective points and adds a ball to the multiball.

Side modes

• Sphinx Frenzy: Shooting the Sphinx on the left mini-playfield 8 times + 8 per activation begins a lucrative, 30-second timed mode where all switches that would normally score less than 1 million points score 1M.

Pyramid Multiball

Lock 3 balls into the pyramid with jump ramp shots that directly hit the Sphynz to start Pyramid Multiball. Shoot the flashing lanes for jackpots, and the pyramid for super jackpot.

Perks

• Skill Shot: Plunge into the flashing CROCOS rollover lane at the start of the ball to score 500,000 points + 500,000 per skill shot. Alternatively, hold the left flipper, and plunge to send the ball into the open pyramid entrance for a hidden skill shot worth 1 million points.
• Ball Save: Ball save is active for 15 seconds at the start of each new ball and multiball mode. It can be reactivated as a random sun clock award, and also saves balls that drain between the flippers after exiting the bumper area.
• Kickbacks: Complete MUMMY at the return lanes, then shoot either the left or right ramp within 15 seconds to light the kickback at their corresponding outlane. If kickbacks are already lit, shooting the flashing ramp will award 1 million.
• Bonus Multiplier: Every 4 shots to the sideways-facing standup target on the right mini-playfield increases the bonus multiplier by +1x, to a max of 10x. Once maxed, increasing the bonus multiplier again lights an extra ball.
• Sun Clock: 10 spins of the dial on the left mini-playfield will score a random award. These include scoring one of five treasures, activating the ball saver, or lighting the extra ball.
• Treasures: The player can find up to five treasures by scoring random awards from the sun clock. Once a treasure is collected, the player can either cash out the collected treasures with the right flipper, or wait to collect more by pressing the left flipper. The value for cashing out increases with each treasure collected.
• Extra Ball: Extra balls can be lit at the left kicker by winning 5 missions, winning level 5 of Tomb Run, finding a random well during Oasis Rush, increasing the bonus multiplier past 10x, and as a random award from the sun clock. If extra balls are disabled or have already been maxed, extra balls award 1 million points.

Tips

• Look out for the center scoop kickout; if you're not holding the right flipper, the kickout can potentially end your ball. If you have trouble consistently handling this feed, try playing for Scarab Trouble first, while the ball save is still active.
• Keep your kickbacks lit - they are relatively easy to light and maintain on this table.
• Army of Anubis is quite the valuable mission to go for, thanks to the flank attack rule scoring 15 million points. The easiest, lowest-risk way to aim for the Anubis mask is to backhand it using the right flipper. Shots from the left flipper tend to be a bit more dangerous.

Glitches

• After failing or winning at the wizard mode, the LCD display text is barely visible for the rest of the game.

External links

• Official table trailer