Heat Wave pinball rules and strategy
The Strategy
Heat Wave uses lit rollovers and the A-B swinging targets to advance the center target from 100 to 500. Stop at 500, knock down the center target for points before another advance changes it to Special, then complete A-B to relight and repeat it.
The goal
Roll over lit buttons and hit A-B to raise the center target to 400 or 500. Collect it before the next advance changes it to Special, then rebuild and repeat.
Check whether Special awards points before the first ball.
Read the center target value and the lit rollover buttons.
Use lit rollover buttons to advance the center target when the upper route is open.
Hit the A and B swinging targets when those advances are available.
Stop advancing the center target at 400 or 500.
Shoot the center drop target to collect its displayed point value.
Hit both A and B again to raise and relight the center target.
Repeat the build and collect route while the center rebound remains survivable.
Alternative route: Strong-flipper upper route
Use this plan when the flippers reach the upper playfield reliably and target rebounds are worse.
- Send the ball toward the upper playfield without hitting a bumper face.
- Use lit rollover buttons to advance the center target.
- Score the top bumper when its lit face is reachable through natural upper play.
- Repeat the upper route while the flippers remain strong and accurate.
- Collect the center target before another advance changes 500 to Special.
Need to know
- Center target
- The center drop target starts at 100 and can rise to 500 in 100-point steps.
- Target advances
- Lit rollover buttons and hits on the A-B swinging targets raise the center target value.
- A-B reset
- After the center target drops, another A-B completion raises and relights it.
Heat Wave raises the center-target value through lit rollovers and A-B hits; the lit top bumper provides the other major scoring route. Reach 500, collect the center target before its next advance becomes Special, then complete A-B to raise and relight it. Repeat the 500-point collect and use an outlane only as a salvage collect.
The goal
Roll over lit buttons and hit A-B to raise the center target to 400 or 500.Collect it before the next advance changes it to Special, then rebuild and repeat.
- Check whether Special awards points before the first ball.
- Read the center target value and the lit rollover buttons.
- Use lit rollover buttons to advance the center target when the upper route is open.
- Hit the A and B swinging targets when those advances are available.
- Stop advancing the center target at 400 or 500.
- Shoot the center drop target to collect its displayed point value.
- Hit both A and B again to raise and relight the center target.
- Repeat the build and collect route while the center rebound remains survivable.
Builds toward: Repeatable 500-point center target
- Advance the center target with lit rollovers and A-B hits.
- Stop when the display reaches 500.
- Collect the center target before another advance.
- Complete A and B to raise and relight the target.
- Repeat the 500-point collect.