Big Ben pinball rules and strategy
Strategy summary
The goal
Big Ben has letter-collection awards on the main playfield and a separate miniature playfield at the lower left. Spelling the words on the backglass and completing the miniature field’s letter groups earn replays.
Spot a letter: Send the ball into either of the two adjacent center holes. Each scores 500,000 points, collects the lit letter from the circle around the center bumper, and sends a ball into the miniature playfield.
Complete a word: Collect the letters for TWO, THREE, FOUR or TWENTY to earn two, three, four or twenty replays respectively. Watch the backglass words to see which letters remain.
Build miniature-field awards: Roll through the miniature field’s A–D rollovers. Completing A and B lights two targets for replays; A, B and C lights four; all four letters light six targets and the A–D rollovers.
Collect lit awards: Hit a main-playfield target or roll through a miniature-field A–D rollover while it is lit for Special to score one replay. The lower-left kicker on the main field also sends a ball into the miniature field.
Need to know
- Title letters
- Completing BIG BEN awards one replay and lights the top hole for another replay.
- 1954 edition
- Williams’s 1954 Big Ben has a miniature playfield at the lower left.