How to play Midnight Magic online
The whole machine is played with a single joystick. The flippers on each side of the table move together, so one key works both the upper and the lower flipper on that side.
- Launch the ball: hold the down arrow to pull back the plunger, then press Space
- Left flippers: left arrow
- Right flippers: right arrow
- Both flippers at once: down arrow while the ball is in play
- Choose one or two players: F11 (the consoleās Select switch)
- Start a new game: F12 (the consoleās Reset switch) or Space
- Easier or harder table: F4 toggles the Player 1 difficulty switch
- Second player: T/F/G/H and A, on the second joystick
Gameplay
The playfield has five drop targets across the top, bumpers, a spinner, rollover lanes in the upper corners, kickers in the outside lanes and a centre post that can rise between the bottom flippers. Most shots score modest points, but the table rewards you for playing its features in order.
An arrow points at one of the drop targets, and every turn of the spinner moves it along. Hit the target the arrow is pointing at and you earn 3,000 points, the bumpers light up (1,000 points each instead of 100), the centre post rises and the kickers switch on. Knock down all five drop targets and the score multiplier goes up. While the multiplier is on, every score is multiplied by it, and rolling through one of the top corner lanes gives you an extra ball.
| Target | Points |
|---|---|
| Drop target | 100 |
| Drop target under the arrow | 3,000 |
| All five drop targets | 500 |
| Bumper (unlit / lit) | 100 / 1,000 |
| Top corner rollover | 500 |
| Lit bottom lane | 500 |
| Spinner, per spin | 10 |
The difficulty switch decides how much help you get. In position A the centre post and kickers only come on after you hit the arrow target. In position B they are always on, which saves a lot of balls.
Tips
- Start on difficulty B. With the kickers and centre post always up, drains down the sides and the middle are much rarer while you learn the table.
- Arrow target first. It is the single most valuable shot, and it also turns on the lit bumpers and the ball savers.
- Use the spinner to move the arrow. If the arrow points at a target you find hard to reach, a shot through the spinner will shift it.
- Multiplier, then corners. Only go for the top rollovers once the multiplier is on, because that is when they give extra balls.
- Flip one side at a time. Save the both-flippers move for emergencies and flip only the side the ball is on, so you can aim your shots.
History
Davidās Midnight Magic was a 1982 Apple II pinball game from Broderbund. Atari licensed the name for its 2600 cartridge, but Glenn Axworthy built a new table rather than converting the original. The cartridge came out in 1986, during the period when Atari Corporation kept the 2600 on sale as a budget console, although the title screen carries a 1984 copyright date. It was well received: Computer and Video Games magazine gave it 81% in 1989, and the modern reviews collected on AtariAge average around 90%.
