Duke Nukem's Big Shot Pinball

Duke Nukem's Big Shot Pinball
Date available	November 28, 2023
Category	Pinball M
Based on	Duke Nukem 3D
Designed by	Gergo "Rockger" Ezsias
Achievement	defeat the first four bosses with unique weapons; start 6-ball Ready for Action; Shake It, Baby super jackpot
Plunger mechanism	Manual, enters right orbit
Skill shot type	Flipper timing
Number of return lanes	5
Number of flippers	2
Outlane protection	2 kickbacks
Number of main missions	3
Wizard mode type	Final mission / victory laps
Number of side modes	4
Number of multiball modes	2

Duke Nukem's Big Shot Pinball was one of four original tables that released alongside the late 2023 launch of Pinball M. This challenging table inspired by the influential first-person shooter, Duke Nukem 3D, challenges the player to find three keycards and defeat four different bosses before they can shut down the Cycloid Incinerator once and for all.

Keycards

To light the left sinkhole to find a keycard, DUKE must be spelled at the right ramp. The first keycard only requires one shot to the right ramp to light, but subsequent missions require one additional shot, to a maximum of four.

Keycards are divided into two parts. First, the player must complete one of three missions that can be selected using the flippers and launch button, as described below. Then, the player must complete a round of Mess with the Best and defeat a boss to obtain the keycard for good, though the bosses are played in the same order every time.

Missions

The player is given a choice of three missions to play:

• Alien Bastards: Defeat three waves of aliens by shooting their targets with the ball. The first wave starts with two alien targets active, then three for the second, and finally, all four for the last wave. Completing the mission scores a total of at least 3M, with large bonuses scored for each wave defeated.
• Kick Ass and Chew Bubble Gum: Video mode mission. Use the flippers and launch button to defeat 8 aliens outside of the cinema - one will spawn every 10 seconds or so, and will deal damage to the player if not defeated, removing between 5-10 health units. After defeating the first wave, the player must defeat 12 more aliens inside the cinema to complete the mission. Scores a total of at least 3M when completed.
• We're Gonna Fry Your Ass: Duke has been captured! Shooting the drop target in front of the center lane will lower it for about 15 seconds, allowing the player to shoot the standup target behind it for a limited time. Within two minutes, make six total shots to the standup target, then shoot the left sinkhole, to free Duke for a total of at least 3M.

Mess with the Best / Boss Battles

After completing any mission, Mess with the Best will start. The player must charge the keycard they found with a total of 20 spins of the left spinner, each one adding 5% to the value shown on the display, then shoot the left sinkhole to advance to the boss fight.

During each boss battle, first defeat the targets surrounding the enemy, then shoot for the boss either directly with the ball or by using a weapon at the left sinkhole, which can be changed with shots to either the left or CO target banks. The player has a total of 100 health - the boss gradually deals damage to the player over time, though this can be reduced with the random atomic health and armor pickups, and the player can restore 10 health if below 100 by completing the COOL targets.

Once the player has dealt enough damage to the boss, they will be in a critical state. This means that the player can either use melee attacks to finish it off, or shoot the left sinkhole to finish the boss off using Duke's current weapon.

There are three different bosses to defeat, all of which are played in the same order:

• Battlelord: Requires 8 hits to defeat w/ two small enemies in front. Will spawn nukes that affect the ball's trajectory, sending it in wildly different directions.
• Overlord: Requires 12 hits to defeat w/ four large enemies in front. Will shoot explosive rockets at 20-second intervals that affect the ball's trajectory.
• Cycloid Emperor: Requires 16 hits to defeat w/ two small enemies in front & two extra large enemies behind. Will shoot explosive rockets at 20-second intervals that affect the ball's trajectory.

The player has access to four different weapons, with three more powerful ones being found by completing the Secret Room... Where Is It? side mode. Each weapon has a different effect when used:

• Pistol: Standard weapon, available from the start of the game. Deals 1 unit of damage.
• Shotgun: Deals 2 units of damage to randomly determined targets in the row closest to the player.
• Shrinker: Shrinks a random enemy close to the player, which can be rolled over with the ball for an instant execution. Cannot be used on bosses until in a critical state.
• Devastator: A deadly rocket launcher that deals 4 units of damage to any enemies in the row closest to the player.

If the player drains at any point during Mess with the Best or a boss fight, they must complete DUKE at the right ramp and then shoot the left sinkhole to start charging the keycard again.

See You in Hell (Mini-Wizard Mode)

The fourth mission will always be See You in Hell. Duke must enter the Alien Queen's lair, and defeat the many Octabrains that inhabit it.

• Phase 1: The player must raise the water tank by shooting two of the three randomly chosen lit lanes, followed by defeating the Octabrain target that spawns. The third lit lane will reveal the entrance to the water tank at the center sinkhole. Shoot the center sinkhole to begin the boss battle.
• Phase 2: A standard boss battle against the Alien Queen follows, starting with one large enemy in front & two extra large enemies behind. The Alien Queen takes 20 hits to defeat, can summon a field that causes the ball to freeze in its tracks when active, and can revive enemies that have been defeated in 30-second intervals.

Roasting Nuts (Wizard Mode)

The fifth mission will always be Roasting Nuts. Duke finally returns to Los Angeles and must defeat the Cycloid Incinerator, the machine responsible for unleashing the aliens upon Earth and ruining his vacation in the process.

• Phase 1: Any balls that were held in the building (for Ready for Action multiball) will be released, and the player must shoot the two ramps, then the center sinkhole, to raise the two trapdoors again. The player must then lock the ball at the right orbit. Once all three balls have been locked, shoot the sinkhole to begin the final boss battle.
• Phase 2: The final boss, the Cycloid Incinerator, spawns alongside two large enemies in the front row and two extra large enemies in the back row. While the Incinerator only takes 16 hits to defeat, it can spawn nukes, revive enemies, and has a flamethrower that rapidly sends balls back to the player's flippers when used.
• Phase 3: Once the Incinerator has been defeated, the player must make a well-timed shot to the exit door between three rotating columns. Making the shot will finish off the aliens for good as their home base is destroyed, for a mode total of at least 15M.
• Phase 4 (Victory Laps): After detonating the base, 4-ball Shake It, Baby multiball will start, behaving the same as the normal multiball outside of the increased number of balls. The multiball (and the mode) ends once the player drains down to a single ball, at which point the player can attempt to play through another cycle of missions with the weapons they collected from the previous cycle.

Side modes & items

Completing any of the first three side modes awards a random item: atomic health (increases health to 150), armor (increases armor to 100, reducing all incoming damage by 33% in the process), or pipe bomb (can be used to access the Secret Room... Where Is It? side mode).

• Eat Shit and Die: The SHIT standup targets surrounding the table's ramps light up when hit, but unlight if shot when already lit. Light all four targets solid to start the Eat Shit and Die side mode. Aliens will randomly spawn in toilet stalls near the left and right ramps - shoot either flashing ramp within 20 seconds, without missing three shots, to defeat one for 100k x aliens defeated. The mode ends in success, and a random item will be gathered, after 5 aliens have been defeated.
• Attack of the Bleached Blonde Biker Bimbos: Spell CINEMA with six shots to the center sinkhole, then shoot it again to start a video mode. Defeat 8 aliens inside the cinema by using the flipper buttons to move and launch button to shoot, without taking too much damage. If the player defeats all 8, they will score a bonus averaging around 700k, gather a random item, and complete the mode.
• I'm the Cure: The radioactive symbol at the apex of the center ramp either sends balls to the bumpers, or to a hole below the symbol. Shoot this sinkhole six times, and Duke will enter an alien nest. Collect 60 nest target hits (behind the left spinner) to spawn four Octabrain targets, only one of which is raised at a time. Defeat all four to score a bonus averaging around 500k, gather a random item, and complete the mode.
• Secret Room... Where Is It?: One of the items that can be gathered from the side modes described above is a pipe bomb. If the player currently has one, they can shoot the OL targets on the lower right of the playfield to lower them, revealing a hidden right sinkhole on a 30 second timer. Quickly shoot the sinkhole to send the ball to the mini-playfield. The player must hit the flashing targets and defeat the alien targets that spawn to determine the password and unlock the secret room - normally, all four will be flashing, but holding the ball on a flipper will eventually reveal the correct combination. Every secret room shot increases the main mode multiplier by +.1x, collects the next weapon (secrets 1 - 3), refills the player's health (4 - 9), or lights extra ball (10).

Multiball modes

The jackpot value for each multiball starts at 700k, and increases by 50k after enough bumper hits. The required hits increase as the jackpot value increases.

Scoring a super jackpot during any multiball and keeping it running for at least 2 minutes will light extra ball once the multiball ends.

• Ready for Action: Lock balls for multiball by first lowering the trapdoors by collecting 30 spins at both spinners; then, cooling them down by completing the COOL targets within 30 seconds; and finally shooting the right orbit within 15 seconds to lock the ball. Once the player locks 3 balls at the building, they can either start the multiball, or continuing locking balls to start a 6-ball multiball. All shots are lit for jackpots once multiball starts, with a super jackpot worth 2x lighting at the left sinkhole after every 5 jackpots collected.
• Shake It, Baby: After completing the left target bank during normal play, shoot the bumpers within 15 seconds to find the strip club and allow the bumpers to progress towards this multiball. Collecting 15 bumper hits while active will start the 2-ball multiball, where one random shot is lit for jackpot. The jackpot can be upgraded to a 2x super jackpot by collecting 15 more bumper hits while multiball is running, which will also increase the playfield multiplier by +.1x once per multiball.

Other scoring / perks

• Skill Shot: Plunge the ball at maximum strength to send the ball to the upper platform, then quickly use the flippers to allow the ball to pass through the two trapdoors. The skill shot scores 600k and increases by 300k each time it is scored.
• Ball Saver: Each new ball and multiball mode starts with 15 seconds of ball save. Otherwise, it only activates for a short time if the player shoots a boss enemy during a boss battle and the ball drains between the flippers immediately.
• Kickbacks: Spell NUKEM at the return lanes, which cycle with the flippers, to light kickback activation at either the left or right ramps (for the left and right kickbacks, respectively). Spelling NUKEM while both kickbacks are lit increases the value for activating one by 5k.
• Bonus Multiplier: If the ball falls into one of the segments of the radioactive symbol quickly enough, it will add a letter to DUKE shown above the symbol. Spell DUKE to increase the bonus multiplier by +1x, to a maximum of 10x. The bonus multiplier can be held from a secret award and is also held by default if the player tilts.
• Other Multipliers: Duke Nukem's Big Shot Pinball features multipliers for all major game features, that are increased in the following ways:
  • Playfield multiplier: Increases by +.1x every time a super jackpot is lit during Shake It, Baby. The playfield multiplier can only be increased once per multiball.
  • Skill shot multiplier: Increases by +.1x every three times the trapdoors are closed (see Ready for Action).
  • Main mode multiplier: Increases by +.1x each time Secret Room... Where Is It? is completed (permanent), or by +.1x by spelling DUKE at the right ramp while a mode is already running (temporary).
  • Side mode multipliers: Increase by +.1x by completing their activation method while a mode is already running.
  • Mini-playfield multiplier: Increases by +.1x every 10 shots to the left ramp.
  • Ball lock multiplier: Increases by +.1x every 5 shots to the right orbit.
  • Shake It, Baby multiplier: Increases by +.1x every time the left target bank is completed while a mode is already running. The target bank must be completed without hitting any already lit target.
• Secret Award: Shoot the left sinkhole 10 times during normal play to light the center sinkhole for a random award. These can include: awarding a random item, increasing any multiplier, or lighting extra ball.
• Extra Balls: Maxed out at 2 per game. Score 1M if disabled, and can be lit at the center ramp from...
  • Hitting 100 nest targets during normal play
  • Making your way through 10 secret rooms
  • Keeping a multiball mode alive for 2 minutes, and scoring a super jackpot during it
  • Maxing out the bonus multiplier at 10x, then completing DUKE again
  • Rare secret award

Tips

• Duke Nukem's Big Shot Pinball is easily one of the toughest Zen original tables ever made. The only true "safe" way of scoring points is by repeatedly shooting the center sinkhole to spell CINEMA and start the video mode there, but that can be a slow & repetitive grind; or by repeatedly playing Shake It, Baby and increasing the playfield multiplier, which can be inconsistent due to the positioning of the left target bank and bumpers. Missions, comparatively, are tough to complete and score less than one would might expect for completing them.
• The danger starts as soon as the ball enters the bumpers, as the only exit from them sends the ball flying across the playfield from right to left. To reduce the risk of this feed going to either a slingshot or straight down the left outlane, nudge the table upwards as soon as the ball is about to exit the bumpers to reduce its speed. This can also redirect the ball to the normally tough-to-complete left target bank.
• If you're considering going for missions, first, reconsider your strategy, and second, memorize the safest target angles for each alien target during the boss battles as some angles can lead to straight-down-the-middle drains. The right flipper is best used to shoot the two targets on the left of the front row, and vice versa; don't waste your time with backhands on them. For the back row, backhands are a top priority. The boss enemies are generally safe because of the ball saver awarded for hitting them - just make sure you wait until their explosive rockets are used up before shooting them, as they can also lead to quick drains.
• On the secret room mini-playfield, the same logic applies. Only aim for the two center targets from their opposite flippers, and backhand the outer targets. The alien targets should only ever be forehanded.
• We're Gonna Fry Your Ass can be an especially brutal mission, as shots to the standup target can deflect straight down the middle even with precise shots. Practice the slap save maneuver by nudging the ball to the closest flipper possible after shooting the target, or reduce the risk by using alternating flippers to shoot for the target.
• Above all, keep the kickbacks lit! The drain on this table is purposely designed to prevent death saves at all costs, and some feeds (including the ones from the bumpers and slingshots, or the OL targets required to access secret rooms) can result in quick outlane drains. Thankfully, the ramps that access the NUKEM return lanes are easy to shoot for, with minimal risk, and the ball can be nudged just below either slingshot to slow it down for a cradle.