Long-form strategy tutorial
A deep strategy walkthrough showing how feature sequencing and multiplier planning turn into huge scores.
Stern•
2017•
SPIKE 2•
4 players
Star Wars Pro
Pick a character, work the planets, start multiballs, and use the game's shot multipliers to turn ordinary scoring into massive scoring. Fast Steve Ritchie flow makes the rules approachable — surviving long enough to exploit them is the hard part.
Star Wars
Original Trilogy
Character Select
Shot Multipliers
Multiball
The game at a glance
Choose a character. Build a multiball. Multiply the payoff.
Star Wars Pro combines very fast shooting with a scoring system built around character progression, planets, multiballs, and movable shot multipliers. You can play it simply by chasing lit shots and multiballs, but high-level scoring comes from deliberately putting a large multiplier on the shot where your biggest award is about to be collected.
Why it works
The layout is fast and readable enough for casual play, while the rules reward players who plan several moves ahead — character choice, planet order, multiball timing, FORCE progress, add-a-ball, and multiplier placement.
The Pro specifically
The Pro has a simpler physical layout than the Premium and LE. Do not assume every Premium/LE tutorial maps directly to it — especially around Hyperspace hardware. The Pro uses its own inner-loop / lock behavior.
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Main scoring lesson
Starting a feature is only half the job. Star Wars becomes dramatically more valuable when you build a
shot multiplier, move it to the shot you plan to collect, and then cash the feature through that multiplied shot.
New player guide
How to play in five steps
Choose a character.
Before plunging, use the flipper buttons to choose Luke, Leia, Han, or R2-D2. Character choice changes how easily parts of the game progress. For a beginner, pick one character and learn that route consistently.
Before plunging, use the flipper buttons to choose Luke, Leia, Han, or R2-D2. Character choice changes how easily parts of the game progress. For a beginner, pick one character and learn that route consistently.
Work toward a planet objective.
Tatooine, Hoth, Endor, and Death Star progression lead into major scoring features and multiballs. Follow the lit shots for the planet you are working rather than spraying shots everywhere.
Tatooine, Hoth, Endor, and Death Star progression lead into major scoring features and multiballs. Follow the lit shots for the planet you are working rather than spraying shots everywhere.
Start a multiball on purpose.
The most accessible multiball paths include TIE Fighter Multiball, Hyperspace Multiball, and the planet multiballs. Use the extra balls in play to attack dangerous shots and complete larger objectives.
The most accessible multiball paths include TIE Fighter Multiball, Hyperspace Multiball, and the planet multiballs. Use the extra balls in play to attack dangerous shots and complete larger objectives.
Build and place your shot multiplier.
Star Wars allows you to create very large shot multipliers. Move the multiplier onto the shot that will award your jackpot, medal, mode value, hurry-up, or other major collect before taking it.
Star Wars allows you to create very large shot multipliers. Move the multiplier onto the shot that will award your jackpot, medal, mode value, hurry-up, or other major collect before taking it.
Use FORCE and the action button strategically.
FORCE progress can earn an add-a-ball during qualifying multiballs. You can bank that add-a-ball and save it for a later, more valuable multiball instead of spending it immediately.
FORCE progress can earn an add-a-ball during qualifying multiballs. You can bank that add-a-ball and save it for a later, more valuable multiball instead of spending it immediately.
Rules & scoring
What actually matters
Core progression
- Character select: Luke, Leia, Han, or R2-D2 changes your progression advantages.
- Planets: Tatooine, Hoth, Endor, and Death Star form the game's main mission structure.
- TIE Fighter: advance TIE progress to reach TIE Fighter Multiball and its jackpots.
- Hyperspace: the Pro uses its inner-loop / lock behavior to qualify and play Hyperspace Multiball.
- FORCE: complete FORCE progress to earn valuable awards, including add-a-ball opportunities in multiball.
Big scoring
- Shot multipliers: can reach extremely high values and apply to many major shot-based awards.
- Victory Multiball: planet-multiball progression can lead to medal scoring, and the final collect can benefit enormously from a positioned multiplier.
- Banked add-a-ball: an earned add-a-ball does not always need to be used immediately; save it for the multiball where it protects more value.
- Video Mode / hurry-ups: these can also become meaningful when multiplied.
- Jedi Multiball: completing the character objectives opens the game's major wizard-style multiball.
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How to think about multiball
Do not treat multiball as the final goal. Use multiball as protection while you collect valuable shots,
build medals, work character progress, and exploit the multiplier you prepared beforehand.
Competitive play
Tournament tips
Play a repeatable route
- Pick one character route you know. Han and R2-D2 are both commonly used competitive starting points.
- Do not randomly start every planet. Build toward the multiball you actually intend to use.
- Bank an add-a-ball when possible. A safer early multiball can set up protection for a later high-value one.
Multiplier discipline wins games
- Build before collecting. When the ball is controlled, improve the multiplier before cashing the big award.
- Move it deliberately. Put the multiplier where your strategy is about to score repeatedly.
- Do not overbuild. Star Wars is extremely fast; another multiplier step is useless if the setup shot drains.
- Know the scoop and loop feeds. The exact machine setup can change which progress is safest to attack.
★
Simple tournament plan
Pick a character route you understand, reach a multiball, build a useful multiplier, and use the extra balls
to cash the multiplied shot safely. That is a much stronger plan than simply chasing whatever is flashing.
Locally hosted media
Photo gallery
These paths are local on purpose — no third-party image hotlinking.
Star Wars Pro — full machine
Machine
Star Wars Pro — cabinet angle
Machine
Full playfield
Playfield
Death Star
Playfield
TIE Fighter
Playfield
Backglass / cabinet artwork
Artwork
Image source pages are retained in the data array for attribution/reference. Only use images you have permission to republish.
Watch & learn
Video tutorials & gameplay
Tim Sexton tutorial
Excellent explanation of the game's core architecture. It was recorded on early software,
so use it for strategy concepts rather than assuming every scoring value is current.
Resources & community