Wolverine

"I'm the best there is at what I do, but what I do best isn't very nice."

- Wolverine

Wolverine
Date available	December 8, 2010
Category	Marvel
Based on	Wolverine created by Len Wein, Herb Trimpe, Roy Thomas and John Romita Sr.
Designed by	Zoltan Vari
Plunger mechanism	Straight into orbit
Skill shot type	Plunger strength
Number of return lanes	4
Number of flippers	3
Outlane protection	1 standard kickback, "claw save" blocking center drain
Number of main missions	4
Wizard mode type	Victory multiball
Number of side modes	2
Number of multiball modes	2

Wolverine is one of the first four Marvel pinball tables released in 2010, initially released for Pinball FX2. Based on the iconic Marvel mutant, this table challenges the player to fight against four of Wolverine's deadly adversaries.

Objective

There are four enemies Wolverine must defeat over the course of the game by completing missions, with a Last Page wizard mode qualified for playing them all. Each mission is started differently, and all missions except for Silver Samurai Multiball need to be completed.

Mode stacking is not possible, though if Sabretooth is started during Sentinel, the former mission will take priority over the latter. Sentinel will resume from where it left off after winning or failing Sabretooth.

• The Hand: Shooting the reverse scoop from the upper flipper sends the ball to the left plunger, and starts a mode where the player has to defeat three Hand Ninjas, represented as targets. The player must then use the left plunger to shoot the ball back into play up the habitrail; if they want, they can press the launch button and drop the ball above one of the ninjas to defeat them instantly. The player must hit all three targets in 30 seconds, each target scoring 200,000 points with a timer bonus of either 500,000 or 1 million depending on the seconds remaining.
• Sentinel: Every bumper hit causes the Sentinel to scan for mutants. After 50 bumper hits, it will detect Wolverine, and a hurry-up will start where the player has 10 seconds to shoot either saucer to lock in a value starting at 5 million and decreasing to 500,000 points. When this value is locked in or reaches its minimum, the mission will start proper, where one of the three ramps is lit at a time to score the hurry-up value; to defeat the Sentinel, the player must shoot six lit ramps within 60 seconds. Successfully winning the mission scores 5 million points and lights the bumpers for 1 million per hit for 45 seconds.
• Silver Samurai Multiball: Light locks by shooting the center ramp, followed by the randomly lit saucer within 10 seconds - then lock balls by shooting the left ramp. Lock 3 balls this way to power up the Silver Samurai and start multiball, with the 3 locked balls entering play via Wolverine's pop-up hand in the back table wall. Each ramp scores a jackpot worth 500,000 points, which increases by 10,000 per spinning disc target hit and can be doubled or tripled for 15 seconds by locking balls in the saucers. Collecting all three jackpots lights the reverse scoop for a super jackpot worth a flat 5 million points; collecting the super jackpot resets the jackpot sequence.
• Sabretooth: Shoot the targets in front of the spinning disc to open it up; each lit target shot multiplies the number of days awarded for each target hit in the spinning disc by 1x to a max of 4x. Once 365 days have been collected, the mission will begin. In 90 seconds, the player must defeat Sabretooth by first locking the ball into either saucer, then shooting a ball up the jump ramp to hit each of the four drop targets for 1 million points each. All four targets must be hit once to win the mission, and it is possible to hit two consecutive targets in a single jump ramp shot at certain angles. Completing the mission scores 5 million points and lights the spinning disc to score 1 million points per target for 45 seconds,

Once all four missions are completed, The Last Page will be ready to start at either saucer and all missions will be suspended until the player starts the wizard mode. In this 3-ball victory multiball, all shots score 500,000 points, and locking all balls in play into the spinning disc will award 100,000 points per target hit. Scoring during the wizard mode can be multiplied by up to 3x by completing Adamantium Ball. After the wizard mode ends, all mission progress and the Last Page multiplier will reset.

Side modes

• Fastball Special: Every six shots to the right ramp (+3 per activation of this mode per ball) during normal play begins a 30-second timed mode where all drag on the ball is removed, making it faster and lighter. All lanes score 500,000 points or 1 million points depending on how quickly each shot is fully registered. The time limit can be extended by 10 seconds, even while Fastball Special is already active, by completing FAST at the standup targets. Playing this mode twice in a single ball lights the extra ball.
• Rage Frenzy: Collecting combos at the left and right ramp scores 100,000 x the length of the combo (up to 400,000), and adds a letter to RAGE. During normal play, shooting the right ramp when all four letters are lit begins a mode where the player must collect 3 million points in 30 seconds, with each lit lane scoring 500,000 points. Winning the mode will hold the bonus multiplier if it isn't already held, or award 5 million points if it is.
• Adamantium Ball: Spelling BOND with four shots to the left ramp qualifies Adamantium Ball at the left saucer. The goal of this 2-ball multiball is to charge one of the balls with adamantium by quickly locking a ball into each saucer, with only 10 seconds to lock the remaining ball once one ball hits a saucer. The player must then lock the adamantium-charged ball in the Weapon X tank for 1 million via the left ramp or 3 million via the reverse scoop; this also increases the multiplier for scoring during The Last Page.

Perks

• Skill Shot: Skill shots can be collected at the start of each ball and whenever a ball has been locked for Silver Samurai Multiball. Plunge the ball into either flashing top lane to score 500,000 points.
• Ball Saver: Ball save activates for 30 seconds at the start of each new ball and multiball mode. To prevent unfair drains from the spinning disc, a short free ball saver activates when the ball exits it.
• Kickback: Hitting both targets on the right standup target bank on the right side of the table activates the kickback at the left outlane. Kickback activations stack to no known limit.
• Regeneration Save: Spelling HEAL at the return lanes, which alternate with the flippers, qualifies the regeneration save at the right outlane. If the ball drains down the right outlane when this is lit, the ball will be shot back into play for a time-limited chance to shoot the ball into the Weapon X tank, either through the reverse scoop or the left ramp, to save the ball, score 500,000 points, and keep playing; failure to hit either lane within the time limit will disable the flippers and end the ball. The value for making a successful regeneration save increases by 500,000 points each time HEAL is completed while it is already lit, and making a regeneration save using the reverse scoop lights an extra ball.
• Claw Save: Shooting the left saucer five times to spell SNIKT qualifies the claw save. The next time a ball drains without a ball save active, the claw save will push the ball back into play between the flippers. Claw saves can't be stacked.
• Bonus Multiplier: Completing the top lanes - which don't change with the flipper buttons - increases the bonus multiplier by 2x to a max of 10x. Completing the top lanes when the multiplier is maxed or winning the Rage Frenzy side mode holds the bonus multiplier over to the next ball, and completing the top lanes when the bonus multiplier is held lights an extra ball (if they weren't held the previous ball).
• Claw Strike: During normal play, repeatedly shooting the orbits scores combo points starting at 150,000 points for a 2-way combo + 150,000 per orbit. After enough combos are made this way (2 + 1 per activation), shooting the slowly flashing orbit scores a 1 million Claw Strike, while shooting the rapidly flashing orbit scores a 3 million Counter Claw Strike.
• Amnesia Wheel: Three shots to the right saucer will cause the spinning disc to rotate and reveal an award roulette. Within 15 seconds, the player can shoot the ball into the spinning disc, and whichever award slot the ball is in when the disc slows down will be scored. Wolverine can remember the following:
  • Lighting a lock (for Silver Samurai Multiball)
  • Advancing the bonus multiplier
  • Holding the bonus multiplier
  • Starting Adamantium Ball
  • Lighting the kickback
  • Activating the Claw Save
• Claw Coins: When Wolverine's arm activates at the back of the playfield, one of the lanes will have a claw coin icon above it. Collecting this icon by nudging the ball into the lane scores 200,000 points.
• Extra Balls: Extra balls can be lit at the right saucer by maxing out the bonus multiplier, playing Fastball Special twice on a single ball (the in-game guide mistakenly says this must be started three times), or by completing Regeneration Save with a shot up the reverse scoop.

Tips

• The highest scoring in the game comes from the "winner's award" scoring after completing the Sentinel and Sabretooth missions - particularly the former, which is easier to start and complete. The orbits' Claw Strike behavior takes priority over the far more valuable bumper scoring, but this can be disabled by starting either multiball mode right after defeating Sentinel and repeatedly shooting the bumpers. This strategy can average 100 million points just for hitting the bumpers repeatedly!
• Unless you really want to make it to the Last Page, it's generally best to ignore the Hand mission - in particular, you should avoid sneakily defeating either the center or right Hand Ninja, as this can lead to a dangerous drain. Hold the ball on either flipper and let the mission time out, and remember - you don't need to use the upper flipper if you don't want to.
• There's no reason not to have the Claw Save active; the left saucer is a safe shot from the right flipper, and the feed from the saucer can be nudge passed from the left to the right flipper. Claw Save can make ball times far longer than they would otherwise be.

External links

• Official table trailer
• Table walkthrough by ShoryukenToTheChin (PDF)
• Official table soundtrack on Bandcamp (tracks 7 - 12)