[Ok, I got everything down I have far. Still not good enough for 1.0 I
think... still need help in filling in the blanks! Thanks so far! - Lee]
RULES SHEET: CONGO
Revision 0.9
- Last Modified: April 19, 1996
- Written by Lee Van Doren (lvd@lucent.com)
- Congo, Williams, Multiball, and a declectable assortment of
other words in this document are trademarks or registered
trademarks of WMS Electronics, Inc. Batteries included. Coins not.
Under Construction
This is my first attempt at a rulesheet... please bear with me!
Help Welcome!
Note: Areas I am unsure of are tagged with ?? double question
marks. Search them out and send input! I am mostly weak on award
sequences and the scoring end of things...
Rule Sheet format stolen from Whodunnit Sheet written by Mark
Phaedrus (phaedrus@halcyon.com)
Special Mention to the FSPA (Free State Pinball Association) and
especially our germinating Towson, MD League, where Congo is our
best machine right now (be that good or bad!).
Thanks to the Congo at Towson State University for being the
guinea pig.
Special Thanks to Dan Yochelson and Dustin Manning who will be
diligently helping to go through the machine and take notes on
details.
Additional Input from RGP folks:
Karl Brostrom
Christian Magnusson
Rodney
Jim Schelberg
David Gersic
Recent Changes
0.1: 4/15/96: Document Born
0.2: Various improvements including formatting.
0.9: 4/19/96: Much input received and research done but still
MANY unknowns.
Summary
Congo is based on the movie of the same name. This machine is
notorious for being released so far after the movie release it was
almost on video. I haven't seen the movie yet but a friend who
plays it did and she said it does a good job of reflecting the
movie.
I personally feel that this is a very good machine. It may not be
exciting to wizards but it is fair (unlike most recent
Williams/Bally machines) in that it is not a drain hog (unless
your saucer kicks are misaligned) and is not really bouncy or have
post-cluttered shots. Overall I give it a B+. It would get an A-
if it didn't have the sticky flipper syndrome.
A special note of interest from Jim Schelberg (pinGame Journal):
Congo marks the end of pinball production at the Williams
California Avenue plant. That same plant was also home to the
very first Williams game, Suspense. The production space is now
filled slot machines :-( Games after Congo are being built in
the new facility in north-east Illinois. The design teams,
admistration and the construction of the first few test games are
still there, but most everything else pinball is gone. :-(((((
Background
Rent the movie...
Playfield
Here's the various playfield parts, starting from the plunger lane
and working clockwise. (* = Diamond Shots, explained later)
- Plunger
Dual plunger; the manual plunger is used for skill shots, and
an autoplunger is also there for ballsavers and Multiballs.
- Right Outlane
Lights a ZINJ letter if not lit. Tucked away in such a way
that a ball that gets in here does NOT come back out!
- Inlanes
Lights a ZINJ letter if not lit.
- Flippers
The usual two, in the usual places. No center post. Congo
suffers badly from the "sticky flipper syndrome".
- Slingshots
Standard, just like the flippers.
- Left Outlane
Kickback here, also your target for a super skill shot.
Kickback active for super skill even if not lit and it is not
used up when "autofire" (aka ballsaver) is active.
- Kickback Targets
Three targets. Light all to activate kickback. If kickback
is lit, you can accumulate targets towards next kickback, but
targets unlight when completed.
- Upper Flipper
Standard size
* Left Orbit
Feeds to rollovers, lock, and extra ball collection. A post
is here that holds the ball in the lane for certain modes.
* Left Ramp
Collects M-A-P letters. Each score ??. Ball normally fed to
right inlane except when MAP completed, ball is diverted to
left flipper to set up shot to MAP saucer.
* GRAY Lane
Collects G-R-A-Y letters. Each score ??. When completed,
ball is held in left orbit while you play the lower
playfield. See GRAY Attack below.
- Satellite Targets
Two targets, each scores (??). After (??) hits, Satellite
Transfer begins (see below).
* Rollovers and AMY Saucer
3 rollovers labelled A-M-Y. Standard flipper cycling of lit
lanes. Completing AMY adds 1x bonus and starts Amy mode (see
below). Ball drops in saucer below rollovers and is fed into
pop bumpers or backwards along the gorilla's arm to left
orbit during Amy mode.
- Lock
Past the rollovers is a lock that opens at the appropriate
time to lock ball.
* Upper Upper Orbit
Feeds to saucer under rollovers. Can be lit for Mine Hunt or
used to score Amy.
* Upper Orbit
Can be lit for lock (fed to same lock area as above) or
looped for 5M+5M (max??) a loop.
- Bumpers
A triangular pattern of three bumpers, in the middle right of
the playfield; fed from the AMY saucer or from the right
orbit. Each hit adds a H-I-P-P-O letter in the HIPPO lane
which adds 1M to the HIPPO bonus when completed. HIPPO bonus
is collected if all letters are lit and the ball falls
through a lane on the far right edge and back out to the
playfield, or triple bonus collected at volcano ramp.
* Volcano Ramp
Accessed via right orbit through pop bumpers. Each ramp
scores 3x HIPPO Bonus or adds 1M to HIPPO bonus if at 0M. 3
ramps to light extra ball at this ramp (apparently this value
reflexes over time). Subsequent extra balls lit at 55(!)
ramps. Balls for multiball kicked out of volcano. Ramp
feeds right inlane.
- Right Orbit
Feeds through pop bumpers and up right ramp.
- HIPPO Lane
As described above in Pop Bumpers.
* MAP Saucer
Collects MAP award, collects Jungle/Ghost Tribe Jackpots, and
starts Skill Fire when appropriately lit.
* Mystery Saucer
Collects Mystery (complete ZINJ to light), starts Video Mode,
or collects Ghost Tribe Jackpots.
- Perimeter Defense Target
Awards 5M when lit by GRAY lane.
- Heiroglyphic Targets
Accumulate 3 pieces of a picture that says "We are watching
you". Complete all 3 targets to start picture and all 3
targets 3 more times to complete (total of 4 completions of 3
targets). When completed, it lights Video Mode.
General Rules
No novice/expert mode (at least not by default settings).
Tournament mode can be started by holding both flippers a few
seconds before starting (see below for specifics).
Buy In is disabled in default settings, otherwise you can buy up
to (??) extra balls (one credit each); there is a separate buy-in
high score board.
Software Changes: None known at this time...
In general, CONGO is a simple game and probably "the best DE/Sega
game Williams ever made". I agree with that statement. It plays
a lot like a DE game and the rules are similar. I think it is
most like Jurassic Park. Generally you collect letters all over
the place, start modes, and collect diamonds.
Skill Shot
Shoot the kickback targets for standard skill shot. Awards:
10M+5M (for game) if lit target hit. If all are flashing, score a
fixed 10M. The cycling of lights speeds up as more skill shots
are collected. Super skill shot is shot into the left outlane for
25M. If you are lucky, you can get the Kickback Combo out of it.
NOTE: If you don't hit any switches, ball saver is not activated
and you get another free shot, so let it drain! If you do hit a
switch, ball saver is activated (but skill shots are still active
if only a slingshot is hit!), so play the ball and take a shot at
the skill shot if you want. Skill shots are active any time the
ball is delivered to the plunger after a lock as well. Note some
locks do cause a ball to be kicked out of the volcano if it is
full from previous player locks.
Collecting Diamonds
One of the game objectives is to collect diamonds. Number of
diamonds required for each lock at each multiball level is 4, ??,
10, ??, ... Diamonds are collected either by making lit diamond
shots or by completing various objectives. Diamond shots are re-
lit when all are completed or via other awards (e.g. MAP, Mystery,
Mine Shaft, etc...). Completing certain modes can give diamond
rewards (e.g. AMY mode, GRAY Attack, etc.). Once you collect 100
diamonds you start the Super Multiball.
Super Multiball
This is the wizard mode: All balls ejected (4) with lower
playfield active. Jackpots at ramps and lower saucers for (??).
Super Jackpot for defeating gorilla in lower playfield for
50M(??). Relight Super Jackpot by scoring a Jackpot. Mode ends
when one ball remains.
Combos
- M-A-P Completed in a Row: 20M
- Kickback to Mystery Saucer: 5M??
- Loop Combo: GRAY Lane -> Upper Orbit: 20M
- GRAY Lane to Perimeter Defense target: 5M
- Upper Loop repeat: 5M+5M
Multiball
The standard multiball is started after locking three balls. Once
that is done, the three balls are ejected from the volcano and fed
to the right flipper. The left and right ramps are lit for
jackpots. Jackpots stay lit for the whole multiball and score
(??) each. The Super Jackpot must be lit by shooting a ball into
the AMY saucer. The ball will then be fed back to the upper
flipper with the Super Jackpot lit for approximately 20 seconds.
Score the Super Jackpot for 2 x Jackpot back at the saucer.
Scoring the Super Jackpot resets the timer.
M-A-P Awards
Shoot the left ramp to collect M-A-P letters. Once three letters
are collected, the shots to the ramp are diverted to the left
flipper for a shot at the MAP award saucer. If you collect all 3
letters in subsequent shots, you collect the MAP Combo for 20M.
If MAP is lit at the saucer, you may collect additional letters
but if you complete they will be lost. Her are the MAP awards in
order (need help here!??):
- 25 Million
- Re-light Diamonds
- ??
- Light Extra Ball
- Jungle Jackpot
- Light Skill Fire
- Diamon d Hunt Multiball somewhere...
- Most awards after this are trivial: diamonds, points, or
diamond relights...
- There is at least one ? on the map by the volcano, wonder
what it awards?? Rumor is, it is only 5 diamonds... or it
could be a mystery award.
Diamond Hunt Multiball
This mode is started as an award at Mystery or MAP. You get 1
diamond for starting and all diamond shots are lit for 2 diamonds
each. This is a 3 ball multiball with play continuing until 1
ball is left. A good way to collect diamonds towards your 100
diamond goal.
Jungle Jackpot -> Ghost Tribe Multiball
This mode is started from a MAP award. The ball is released and a
countdown from 20M is started. Collect the Jungle Jackpot by re-
shooting the MAP saucer. Once the countdown reaches 5M it stays
until timed out. If you collect the Jungle Jackpot, you start
Ghost Tribe multiball. This is a 2 ball multiball where either
MAP or Mystery saucer scores the Jungle Jackpot. Scoring both
saucers at the same time awards a bonus of 40M.
Skill Fire
This is a very unique mode and the most valuable mode of the game
(other than the "wizard" mode). Skill Fire is lit at the MAP
saucer by a MAP award. Once the MAP saucer is shot, Skill Fire
begins. Normal game play ends, flippers die, and the ball is
ejected and drained. You have 20?? seconds to shoot as many skill
shots as you can. Shoot for the super skill shot obviously. Each
skill shot scores 20M+20M up to 100M. If you miss at this point
it goes down to 50M. (Need more input about specifically what
happens on a miss: divide by 2??) With a perfect run you can
score 1B+ on this mode alone!! Note that the software does not
expect this and has trouble displaying a 1 Billion score at the
completion of this mode. I usually score 1B on a perfect but I
have scored 1B missing one shot so I think it is possible to score
one more. After the mode times out, the machine waits until all
the balls settle in the trough before restarting your ball and
allowing you to start the ball off with yet one more skill shot!
Our machine has a problem in that sometimes the game refuses to
serve another ball and effectively ends your mode prematurely,
anyone else have this problem?
A-M-Y Mode
Completing the rollovers lights the saucer for AMY mode which the
ball will drop into next. A countdown is started at 25M and the
ball is delivered to the holder in the left orbit to be fed to
your left flipper for a shot at the upper upper orbit back to the
saucer. If you collect via the upper upper orbit you get Super
Score (double). If you collect the award, Amy will say something
nice to you and start another countdown. If you collect 3 awards
you get 15 diamonds for completing it. If the countdown times
out, the mode is over.
GRAY Attack
Once you complete G-R-A-Y at the GRAY lane, the ball is held at
the holder in the left orbit and the lower playfield is activated.
You use the flippers to have the gorilla bat the ball with his
hands at 5 C-O-N-G-O targets. Score 10M a target and complete
the targets for an award before the timer runs out (20 seconds??).
Awards in order:
- 20 Diamonds
- Multiball
- 20 Diamonds
- Light EB (Left??, Right??)
- 50M (from then on...??)
Once you get to the 4th level, a letter scored stays lit for only
about 5 seconds so you have to act fast!
Note that the mechanics are a little strange. There are 3
positions to the gorilla: hands parallel, left hand back/right
hand forward, right hand forward/left hand back. So in order to
move the right hand back, you need to hit the left flipper to move
the left hand forward. This gives you a better angle shot at the
corner targets. Don't just bat wildly, think a little about what
you are doing and you should score it every time. If you don't,
you are a loser ;)
"Watch out for the HIPPOS!!!"
You steer a boat, avoid rocks (1st wave), Hippos (2nd wave),
etc... as follows (scoring unknown??):
1st Wave: Rocks
2nd Wave: Hippos
3rd Wave: Rocks and Hippos
4th Wave: Rocks (collect diamonds)
5th+: ??
Watch out for this video mode, the boat moves in a sluggish manner
when you initially move it but speeds up as you hold the flipper
button so you need to develop a sweeping type of motion, because
you are a boat in water! Video mode scores ??M for each object
avoided and (20 diamonds??) for completing. Video mode is lit by
completing We are watching you via heiroglyphic hits (see
above).
Mine Shaft
This is lit at the upper upper orbit by (??). Scoring it puts you
in a really really stupid video mode where you simply choose an
entrance and get an award. No skill here whatsoever. You go
through different stages. The first has 2 choices, 2nd has 3, 3rd
has 4, 4th has 5, and (5th has 5??). Choosing an entrance will
give you either 5 diamonds, a snake biting your head off, a bear
mauling you, or N * 10M for completing stage N. If you get the
point award you move to the next stage and continue. If you mess
up, you continue at the same place the next time with previous
choices boarded up. If you complete the whole 5 stages you get 15
diamonds and next time you start over with a new pattern.
I BELIEVE there are a small number of fixed patterns. I mapped
one once and I see that same one repeated, so the actual maps of
the mine will be listed here as they become available if you want
to memorize them(!). [Actually, memorizing them would give a
serious competitive advantage!]
Satellite Transfer
You hit each satellite target to light a panel on the satellite.
You need to complete both targets 4 times to start Satellite
Transfer mode. Each hit to the targets scores 10M. There are
different images on the screen for each hit. This is a timed mode
lasting 20?? seconds.
From RGP: The first six or seven hits will get you various
pictures of gorillas, diamonds and the like. The eighth hit gives
a cow that mooohhs at you. The next hit gives a duck that quacks,
I believe it to be the peking duck from Shadow. After that comes
the picture "move your car" from CFB, with the appropriate
sampling. Then follows the "Here's Your Hotdog" picture without
the original sampling, a picture I do not remember, and after that
it wraps around and goes from the beginning.
Bonus
At the end of the ball, bonus is 500K a diamond, thats it!
This bonus is then multiplied by the current bonus multiplier
which is not held.
Extra Balls
There are many ways to collect extra balls in this game:
- MAP award lights left orbit
- 3 Volcano Ramps lights Volcano Ramp
- Mystery lights left orbit
- GRAY Gorilla Defeated Award #4 lights (left/right??)
- Complete Bonus 5x lights (left)
- (...others ??)
Tournament Mode
Like most Bally/Williams games, Congo can be switched into
"Tournament Mode" by the operator. Like the last few
Bally/Williams games, the player can also do this; just insert the
money, then hold down both flippers, wait for "TOURNAMENT MODE
ENABLED--PRESS START" to pop up on the display, then press Start.
Only thing we have noticed so far is that random awards are given
in a fixed pattern every time. That pattern will be printed here
when available. Extra balls are still awarded!
Strategy
This game has a remarkable linear scoring pattern to it. That is,
there are no BIG POINTS areas (except for Skill Fire and maybe the
Wizard Mode), so you have to just keep plugging along and slowly
edge your score up. This makes competition more fun I think
because one person can't just break through. The skill fire does
unbalance the game because the super skill shot is too easy.
So the idea is -
1: Get the extra balls! They are easy to get, so get them!
2: Get MAP awards while locking balls along the way.
3: Play multiballs as they come.
4: Keep your kickback lit!
That's all there is! Seriously, if you just do that, you do as
good as you can (that's why most wizards don't like this game).
One trick I use is to collect 3 MAP letters to set the diverter to
the left flipper, then shoot the volcano ramp repeatedly to get
the extra ball while the ball is always delivered to your left
flipper for repeated shots. Collect the extra ball, then move
back on the MAP bandwagon... it's easy safe shots.
That's about all for now... Please post additions to RGP or email
them to me!
