The Thing

The Thing
Date available	November 28, 2023
Category	Pinball M
Based on	The Thing (1982)
Designed by	Daniel "Dolby" Vigh
Achievement	Complete wizard mode; complete video mode; start whiteout frenzy
Plunger mechanism	Enters right orbit
Skill shot type	Timing
Number of return lanes	5
Number of flippers	6
Outlane protection	2 kickbacks
Number of main missions	5
Wizard mode type	Final mission / victory laps
Number of side modes	8
Number of multiball modes	2

The Thing is one of four original tables that released alongside the late 2023 launch of Pinball M. Based on John Carpenter's seminal 1982 film, the player must defeat an alien organism with the power to assimilate other species, including the researchers they arrived with.

Missions

Shoot the center lane under the researchers' home base to light the next mission. The first mission only requires 1 shot to light, but subsequent missions require one additional shot to a max of 3. The center lane will then lower - shoot the hole behind it, and use the flippers and launch button to select the next mission. Complete three missions to light extra ball.

From left to right, the five missions are:

• Man's Best Friend: The "Thing" first takes the form of an assimilated dog. Defeat the Dog-Thing by shooting the tentacles that spawn in front of random shots for 500k each. Once six tentacles have been hit, the player must set the ball on fire with a shot to either the left or center ramp for 250k, then attack the Dog-Thing directly with three shots to the U-turn ramp for 1M a shot. The final direct hit scores 3M and completes the mission.
• It's Bennings!: One of the researchers has been attacked by the Thing and must be saved. Make four orbit shots to warn the others of the Thing's presence and score 250k per shot. A hooded figure target will then spawn on the playfield, moving from left to right on the front row, then on the back row. The player must shoot this moving target six times to chase down Bennings, with each shot scoring 150k. Bennings, however, has already been killed by the Thing and turned into one of its victims. Shoot the victim's target three times to pour fuel on it for 250k, 500k, and 1M; then finally shoot either the left or center ramp to light the victim on fire for 5M and complete the mission.
• Lockdown: The crew must lock down their home base in order to prevent any further ambushes from the Thing. This mission is split into three objectives that run concurrently, and all must be finished in order to complete the mission for a 3M bonus. The generator must be destroyed with two vari-target hits, equipment from the helicopter must be sabotaged with three shots to the left ramp (scoring 1.25M each), and five huskies in front of random shots must be killed for 125k each.
• Blood Test: MacReady deduces that the Thing might have already infected one of the researchers. Collect blood samples from the five researchers by shooting both orbits, the left and right ramps, and the center sinkhole for 100k each; then set the ball on fire at either the left or center ramp and test the samples by shooting the U-turn ramp. If negative, the player scores 100k and must shoot the U-turn ramp again; if positive, the Thing will be revealed to have assimilated the blood, and the impostor must be burned with direct shots to it at the U-turn ramp for 1M each. Make three shots to the impostor to defeat it and complete the mission.
• The Norris-Thing: Norris has suffered a heart attack and must be defibrillated by making four shots to the U-turn ramp to pump his chest, each shot scoring 100k, 250k, 500k, and 1M. The fourth shot reveals that Norris has, in fact, been taken over by the Thing, and his corpse must be burned with shots to the three ramps for 500k. 2-ball multiball then begins, where the player must defeat Norris' decapitated head by hitting its target in front of the right ramp, center ramp, and left ramp for 750k, 1.5M on the final shot. If multiball is still running once Norris has been finished off, jackpots worth 1M + 500k increment can be scored at the reverse scoop and U-turn ramps until multiball ends.

Man is the Warmest Place to Hide (Wizard Mode)

Once all five missions have been completed, the center lane will instantly be lowered to start the wizard mode.

Realizing that the Thing thrives off the Antarctic cold, MacReady is forced to rig the home base with TNT and detonate it in a last-ditch effort to finish the Thing off, even if they don't survive. 2-ball multiball starts, and the player must shoot all 9 lit lanes to plant TNT for 500k, while a fissure slowly moves around the playfield - interrupting the trajectory of the ball if the two collide. The player doesn't need to keep 2-ball multiball alive to complete the wizard mode; it serves only as a utility to help complete the first two phases.

Once all the TNT has been planted, the Thing will emerge in its final form, the Blair-Thing, as a large target in the dead center of the playfield. Defeat the Thing once and for all by shooting it with the ball five times for 1M a shot, with the final shot ensuring its demise. Finally, blow up the base for 5M by shooting the center lane, completing the wizard mode.

Following the completion of the wizard mode, wizard jackpots are available at all 9 major lanes for 1M each. A super jackpot is made available at the center sinkhole, worth 19,820,000 and relighting the wizard jackpots, if all of them have been collected.

The wizard mode ends once the multiball ends. All game progress is then reset, allowing the player to attempt another run of missions to reach the wizard mode again.

Side modes

• Whiteout Frenzy: Six flare targets surround the left, center, and right ramps, which turn off if one is shot while its flare is already on. Once all six flare targets are on, whiteout frenzy will start for 30 seconds. A blizzard sweeps in across the table, causing ball movement to either slant to the left or right on 5-second intervals. All scoring is doubled while whiteout frenzy is running.
• Fire Frenzy: Four shots to the left orbit will start fire frenzy, spawning flames in front of the left and right orbit shots. In 20-second intervals, the flames spread to the next shot near them that isn't already on fire. Extinguish all the flames by shooting their respective shots. Once they have all been extinguished, the displayed value is scored, starting at 500k but increasing up to 20M depending on how many unique flames were put out.
• Video Mode: Shoot the reverse scoop five times, then shoot under it to start the video mode. The video mode pays homage to the display showing the Thing's assimilation on the dog cells. Use the flipper buttons to move the direction of the cursor, and press the launch button to fire projectiles that neutralize the Thing's cells, while preventing 100% assimilation. Completing the video mode scores 6M. Video mode can only be started during normal play.
• Thule Station: Three shots to the left ramp will allow the crew to research the previous inhabitants of Thule Station. For 45 seconds, every ramp shot (including shots to the reverse scoop and U-turn ramps, but not the center ramp) finds a clue and scores a value starting at 250k, incrementing by 250k per shot. Thule Station can only be started during normal play, but can be brought into missions.
• Rec Room: Lit by shooting the center sinkhole four times, the player must use the four mini-flippers to shoot six targets on the rec room mini-playfield before shooting the exit on the right side. The first time rec room is completed during a game, extra ball is lit.
• Ashes to Ashes: Starts after hitting 30 bumpers. The bumpers score 20x their normal value for a short time (shown by the orange bar on the display), which can be increased with every bumper hit. Maxing out the orange bar ends the side mode for a 10M bonus.
• Who Goes There: After shooting four right ramps, hooded figure targets will spawn in front of random shots, and disappear 10 seconds after they spawn. Shoot any target to score 100k + 100k increment. The side mode ends once 10 hooded figures have either been defeated or disappeared otherwise.
• Blackout: Shooting the right orbit four times dims the lights on the playfield and lights the vari-target for a quick hurry-up starting at 10M and decreasing to 3M. Shoot the vari-target quickly to lock in and collect the value.

Multiball modes

• Impostor Multiball: Every three shots to the U-turn ramp during normal play locks a ball for impostor multiball, which starts after locking 3 balls. All shots are lit for 500k jackpots, with a super jackpot at the center ramp worth 5M and relighting the jackpots available once all nine jackpots have been scored.
• Buried in Ice Multiball: Shoot the ice coffin target twice to reveal a hidden sinkhole for 15 seconds, then shoot the sinkhole to lock the ball and temporarily close it. Lock three balls in this sinkhole to start Buried in Ice multiball. Repeatedly loop the left, center, and right ramps to score jackpots worth 250k, which increase by 250k with every ice coffin target shot.

Other scoring / perks

• Skill Shot: The MAC top lanes flash two times each, and the lit lane moves from left to right and back automatically. Plunge the ball into the lit lane (the "M" lane) for 1M + 1M per skill shot.
• Ball Saver: Each ball and multiball mode starts with 15 seconds of ball save. A 30-second ball saver can be awarded from a random booze award, and a long, 45-second ball saver can be activated at the vari-target if both kickbacks are already lit. This long ball saver only expires once time runs out - others expire once they have saved a single ball.
• Kickbacks: Make two maximum strength shots to the vari-target (when the lockdown mission isn't running) to light the left, then the right kickback. If both kickbacks are lit, making these two shots will start a long ball saver.
• Bonus Multiplier: Spell MAC to increase the bonus multiplier in 2x increments, up to 10x. Hit the target near the left bumper exit three times to hold the bonus multiplier. Extra ball is lit upon maxing out the bonus multiplier.
• Booze Award: Spell BOOZE at the return lanes to light booze award at the far left sinkhole. Booze awards include: small score (200k - 600k), big score (5M - 8M), light impostor multiball lock, 30-second ball save, light kickback, hold bonus multiplier, and light extra ball.
• Extra Balls: Maxed out at 2 per game. Score 1M if disabled, and can be lit at the left sinkhole from...
  • Completing three missions
  • Completing the rec room side mode for the first time
  • Maxing out the bonus multipliers
  • As a random booze award

Tips

• Scoring on The Thing is quite well balanced, with no features scoring overwhelmingly more than any other. Get a handle on the shots - especially the kickback vari-target - before you determine what strategy works best for you.
• Thule Station can score decent points, especially if brought into a multiball mode. The best shots to focus on during this side mode are the left ramp, using the nudge pass technique, and the right ramp, with the nudge-to-sling technique. The right ramp is generally easier as a backhand from the right flipper than a direct shot from the left flipper.
• Booze awards can also be quite substantial, especially during the early game when kickbacks and ball saves are more sparse, and considering that the extra ball from booze awards isn't percentage based. Shots to the left sinkhole return very safely to the left flipper, removing any risk from shooting for them.
• The rec room side mode can be surprisingly deadly and is thus worth ignoring, or if you do go for it, prioritizing exiting out the right side of the mini-playfield. The left side exit is designed to drain out the lane surrounding the center sinkhole and can often result in quick drains.