Tales of the Arabian Nights is made by Williams in 1996. It is a modern game
with a lamp, a genie and a ramp half a mile long as it's most strikingly
features. It's standard multiball has three balls.Tales of the Arabian Nights is made by Williams in 1996. It is a modern game
with a lamp, a genie and a ramp half a mile long as it's most strikingly
features. It's standard multiball has three balls.
The purpose of the game is to release the princess that's held in a bottle by the evil genie. The game play is mode based, there are seven modes called tales, each mode allows you to collect a jewel. After collecting the seven jewels you will have to fight the genie in the genie battle. The battle has two stages, in the first stage you'll have to fight an army of skeletons, sent to you by the evil genie. Having defeated all skeletons, you'll have to fight the genie itself during a frantic multiball. During this multiball you can have up to four balls in play. However, you will have to launch each ball yourself as the game does not have an auto plunger. On my machine, no-one but the player is allowed to launch the balls. This way the genie battle is even more exciting.
For a complete description of the game you might want to visit the Williams site or to read the rule sheet. I assume you are more or less familiar with the game.
Besides the main goal of the game there are quite few other features on this game. Not all of the features can be stacked (played or collected at the same time). For this reason you cannot always work on several goals at one time. This is why tactics play a major role on this game. Lets discuss some of the goals in the game and see how they can or cannot be combined with other goals.
The Harem multiball is a two ball multiball. It can be started by spelling HAREM with the right loop or with Harem sneak-ins. Harem multiball is one of my favorite goals, during this mode every target is worth the same score, the score starts of at 10K or more and can be increased by shooting the jets with 5k for every jet hit. As you can imagine, a Harem multiball might be a very profitable one.
To build up to Harem multiball you'll have to shoot the left loop when Harem is lit. Harem is only lit when none of the loops is lit for tigerball or to lock a ball. So, the best way to get Harem multiball is to get the normal multiball as quick as possible. After this you'll not be bothered by lit lock lights and you'll be able to build up to Harem multiball. But even then you'll have to be patient, whenever you collect one HAREM character, the right tiger loop will be lit, during this time you cannot collect another character. Try to catch the ball on one of your flippers during this time and wait for the lit tiger loop to time out.
It is possible and not too difficult on my machine to shoot for HAREM with a backhand shot from the left flipper. To do this catch the ball first, then release the flipper for a short moment for the ball to roll up the (raised) flipper. Shoot at the right moment. You might not want to use this technique for the last character as the ball might not get enough momentum to complete the loop and be caught by the magnet to start multiball.
If for some reason the ball couldn't be caught successfully by the magnet the multiball will not start, you will have to start all over. Except when you are able to get a secret ball lock under these conditions: I) You didn't lit a HAREM character, II) you have started the ordinary multiball before, III) You're still playing with the same ball. On my machine the magnet fails to catch the ball regularly, on one in ten occasions I guess. It would have been nice if the software did compensate for this. Only very seldom I'm able to get the multiball using the method described here.
After 15 lamp spins you will be rewarded Lightning lamp. During this time each lamp spin is worth mega points (50k the first time, then 75K, up to 200K). Lightning lamp times out after the lamp has not spun for 8 seconds. If you have a wish you can shoot the bazaar during lightning lamp to triple the current lamp score. This way each lamp spin might be worth up to 600K. A good way to get a special or extra ball o points. If, however fireball is also active shooting the bazaar won't help you, as the choice for triple lamp value is replaced by triple fireball value.
Each lamp spin adds 10K up to the bonus value, lamp spins are maintained over balls (to be precise, only multiples of 15 lamp spin are). So if your machine is set to three balls, every lamp spin during your first ball will result in at least 30K of bonus value. This is even more if you have your bonus multiplied or if you managed to get some extra balls. So spinning lamps is a good way to start your game if you're going for the high score.
During lightning lamp you are not able to start a tale, but you can play it and collect the jewel after finishing it. Therefore I always try to have a tale active before starting lightning lamp.
You cannot start lightning lamp during the genie battle. Still you're able to stack both lightning lamp and the genie battle, but you'll have to start lightning lamp first. I do this on good days as the lamp is a pain during genie battle otherwise.
You can start lightning lamp during multiball (or Harem multiball). It is a good idea to do so as each lamp spin will also increase the jackpot value. Shooting the genie to collect the jackpot however might be more difficult when your lamp is spinning franticly.
Fireball is a hurry up. You start it by shooting the ramp, you collect it
by
shooting the genie. During fireball you cannot collect a jewel. In some occasions
you will finish a tale and start fireball at the same time. If this happens a
female voice will instruct you to "shoot the ramp to collect the jewel".
Do not be mislead by this, you will have to collect the fireball first or wait until
it times out before you can do so.
Shooting the ramp or the saucer during Fireball will increase the fireball value with 200K. Sometimes this is added to the current value at once. In other occasions the fireball value goes up slowly until the 200K is completely added. Raising the fireball value again will add the rest of first 200K immediately.
A fireball value will max out at 1000K, if you reach this value go for the genie immediately.
If you have a wish lit you can shoot the bazaar during fireball for triple fireball value. I seldom to this as I save my wishes for jewels for triple lamp value.
A fireball can always be started except during genie battle.
On this game the bonus is multiplied by shooting the lit orbs, the captive balls halfway on either site of the playfield. The multiplier maxis out at 12 X, word goes that you can increase it up to 15 X by getting the add 3X bonus value in the Bazaar. I never managed to do so, as by this time I have one or more wishes lit in most occasions. Lit wishes precede bazaar awards.
Bonus value is built up with lamp spins, each spin being worth 15K, by collecting jewels, 50K each, and by hitting the genie, 10K for each genie hit. Everything carries over from ball to ball. This adds weight to the first ball of your play as its bonus will be counted at least three times.
At the start of each ball both orbs are lit, hitting one will not only add to your bonus multiplier but will also make the orb inactive. So you can start increasing your bonus shooting either orb, after that you'll have to hit "the other orb". If however you manage to lock a ball, both orbs will be relit. For this reason building up to multiball and increasing the bonus value can be combined very well during game play. Also, if you get the increase bonus value as a bazaar award both orbs will be relight. This could also be the case after winning a held bonus value but I'm not sure about this one. Maybe somebody can help me out on this one. My email address can be found in the about section.
During the tale of the Cyclops you'll have to shoot the orbs. During this time both orbs are lit. Despite this the rules described before still apply, so in most cases there is only one orb that will increase your bonus multiplier.
The bonus multiplier cannot be increased during genie battle. If you reach this point make sure to increase it beforehand or afterwards.
Quite often a good bonus with a high multiplier alone will give you enough points to get a special or extra ball on points. Try to master it.
Wishes are earned by spinning the lamp, every 15th lamp spin awards a wish. A wish can be collected by shooting the Bazaar when wish is lit. If you do so two options will be presented on the dot matrix display. You'll have to select using the flippers. The left choice always awards one or two jewels. The right one will be one of the following (in order of appearance):
Two jewels are presented as a choice only when the ruby is lit.
The ruby can be lit by activating both the shooting start when one has at least
one wish stacked. Only one ruby will be awarded during a ball. If the ruby is
lit it will remain so for the rest of the ball until you collect the two jewels.
If you go for the right options the ruby will stay lit, even when you run out of
wishes! In this situation you'll have to get a wish first before you're able to
collect the two jewels.
The best choice for your wish depends on your current goal. If you're working
on your score you might want to select triple lamp value, or triple fireball
value (check the position of the lamp before going for this one as it might
block the genie).
Three tiger loops is a good choice when going for an extra ball. Normally this
is rewarded after 7 tiger loops, shoot it 4 times and collect it once in the
Bazaar will do.
Collecting bonus can reward you with a lot of points, if however this is case,
you'll probably don't need them anymore. I seldom go for this.
I never go for the triple fireball value, under ideal circumstances this gives
you 2M extra, the equivalent of a good lamp spin during lightning lamp or one or
two jackpots.
In most cases you'll go for the jewel as a wish. If you do so, the currently
active tale will be collected, or if there is none, the currently selected tale
will be collected. Under this condition you can, if you are quick enough, change
the selected tale using the right flipper during the dot matrix animation. After
the animation finishes the jewel lights will be lit at random. At this time
there is no way of telling which jewel is selected, hence the need to quickly
inspect the jewel light during the animation.
If you have the ruby lit, the second jewel you collect is always the first non
lit jewel to the left.
The genie battle is, as stated before, a
two stage process. First you'll have to fight an army of skeletons by shooting
the lit golden symbols. Shooting either orb or the genie will also defeat one
skeleton. Try to avoid the saucer, scoop and Harem sneak in during this stage as
new skeletons will be released will the ball is held. The last skeleton to
defeat will always be located in both loops, this allows the machine to catch
the ball before going to the final stage. You'll have to be aware of this fact.
If after defeating the second last skeleton the remaining skeleton is not
located at the loops it will be moved to the loops. Also the last skeleton can
not be defeated by shooting the orbs or genie.
If the machine your playing on has software level 1.2 a female voice will call "shoot the genie" when there is only one skeleton left. This is an bug, shooting it won't help you.
Before going to the second stage you might want to check the position of the lamp. You do not want it to block the genie before your final battle.
During the final battle you'll fight the genie for the princess. You (or your male alter ego) and the genie can be seen on either side of the dot matrix, a bottle with the princess in it is in the middle. Time will move the bottle to the genie, a shot for a golden symbol or the genie, will move it to your side. If the bottle reaches one of you, the battle is over, the winner having the bottle. I have the impression that to win your final shot has to be a genie hit, but I'm not sure about it. Help me out on this one.
When fighting the final battle you may use up to four balls, but you will have to launch them yourself. Drained balls are returned to the shooter lane, there is no risk of loosing them permanently. I prefer to play with three balls having one ready in the shooter lane all the time. There are three reasons for this, first having four balls in play will make it more difficult to hit the targets as the playfield get crowded. Second, you can immediately shoot this ball when another one drains, there is no need to keep track of the number of balls or to wait for the ball to be fed to the shooter lane. Third, if two, or more balls are drained you might be too quick pulling the plunger resulting in to little momentum for the first ball to make it to the playfield and the machine feeding the second one at the same time. You'll end up having two ball in the shooter lane. Pulling the plunger wont help you then, a firm hit might do the trick, but can also award you with a bruised hand.
Balls locked for multiball will be released at the start of the second stage of the battle, you won't have to spent time plunging them into play. You'll have to lock them again after the battle.
Always try to avoid the lamp during the final battle, it will block most of the genie. If it is spinning go for the loops and the ramp and ignore the genie for the moment. As a matter of fact the loops and the ramp are always your preferred shots during battle as a ball returning from either will not be in the way of the other target. They are however more difficult to shoot at compared to the genie.
After winning or loosing the battle the outer lanes will be lit for special and you can have a short break during the animation. During this time you can invoke a software bug, keep the right flipper button depressed and press the left button five times. ( During attract mode this is the sequence to start a fun animation with dancing snakes and funny music. ) Dancing snakes will appear on the dot matrix, all text, including your score, will be hidden for the rest of your ball. The scoop and saucer react funny and might restore the state of the machine.