Adam analyzes...
I like to call Iron Man Stern’s BSD because it’s a simplistic game that is all about one big payoff although less so in the newer revisions of the software. This is one of those games where it kicks your ass and you keep saying “One MORE game!” It’s a pretty simplistic layout but implemented very well.
You have your bogey mode off the ramps which award a value starting at 200,000 and will double if you make the left and right ramp in a combo. So the first shot would be 200,000 and then 600,000 if you made the next shot in a combo. Once you get to 400,000 the next shot will start bogey which is a timed mode for 25 seconds with all shots lit for points at an increasing value. I forget where the value starts but it tops out at 1 million a shot which can be very lucrative.
Then there are the Iron Man stand ups on the left and right side with 3 modes associated with those. They are awarded every time you completed the standups.
The modes are:
Fast Scoring
This is a switch scoring mode and good to use in a stack for mulitball because hitting the stand ups will raise the value of each switch hit.
Double Scoring
This one is pretty self-explanatory as all your scores are doubled on the playfield and a great mode to stack with anything that gives you some decent points.
Iron Man Scoring
This mode is pretty lame and the same as fast scoring except the only thing that scores points are the Iron Man stand ups (yea like I’m going to spend my time actually trying to go after them for points)
Getting to Iron Man scoring will get the Iron Man insert flashing and then you have the main features of the game:
Iron Monger
Shoot the spinners (not the loops) to spell Iron Monger as most people think it’s shoot the loop but if you graze the spinner you also get credit for a monger letter.
Once you spell Monger it will then come up from under the playfield and you bash on him to spell Monger again to start multiball.
Then in multiball smash him again to spell Monger to light Super Jackpot on the center spinner and that will get the monger insert flashing.
War Machine
The blue standups of death all over the machine are lit for drones and after surviving hitting them a number of times you light War Machine multiball.
War Machine multiball is an important one since it has an add-a-ball for most of the multiballs. Anytime you see the War Machine shot flashing during the multiball it means it is lit for an add-a-ball You need to hit the stand ups to collect the single jackpot value. Once those are completed you hit all the shots on the playfield for double jackpot values that will then light the Super Jackpot on War Machine. Collecting it will get the War Machine insert flashing. To get the drone insert flashing you need to complete and light War Machine multiball 3x which is insane!
Whiplash
This one is simple enough, keep bashing the Whiplash targets to start multiball. In this mode all shots are lit for a value, you Hot Enough shot lights double Super Jackpot on whiplash. Hit him twice and it lights the shots again. Complete a number of shots again, then Super Jackpot will light on Whiplash and now collect the Super Jackpot to get the whiplash insert flashing.
So now that I have talked about everything on the playfield let’s start talk about stacking. There are some stacking opportunities in Iron Man but they are very specific. Bogey will stack with any multiball but it must be started before the multiball is. Ironman stand ups will also stack with a multiball but again you need to do it before the multiball starts. Both these will also stack at any time so you can get double scoring on Bogey which is great. Monger and War Machine will stack as well but you must have the Monger raised and you must start War Machine first. If you get to Monger multiball your first stacking opportunity is gone. So those are your stack opportunities and the whole point of all of this is to build toward the 3 wizard modes:
Jericho
To start Jericho you need to complete all of the MARK modes which are represented by the Iron Man symbols in the middle of the playfield.
To gain a MARK you need to complete a number of things:
1) Complete the roll over in the upper roll overs and onlanes/outlanes. By doing this will also award a Bonus X, Advance the MARK level but this will only advance MARK once and you can’t advance MARK again with this.
2) Start all of the multiballs (Whiplash, Monger, War Machine) will also award a MARK level and pretty sure starting them again will add another MARK level but I could be wrong.
3) Complete the Iron Man stand ups any number of times will also add a MARK level.
4) Starting Bogey will also add a MARK level
Once you get the MARK 6 lights Jericho. This is a great mode where everything on the playfield is lit for a base value that can be increased via the spinner or bumpers.
You need to complete each of the items on the playfield. So spelling Monger, shooting War machine, completing the Drones, getting Bogey, completing the inlanes/outlanes, Iron Man standups and whiplash. Each time you complete an item you get a cool animation and an increasing value of like 1 million I think. There is no timer on the mode so you either drain or finish. I have yet to finish to but it is allot of fun to play.
Do or Die
Do or Die is where I think Iron Man feels like BSD because it all builds up to this. You have to complete all of the inserts in one ball and you don’t need them flashing just lit and they are lit just by starting them. If you drain you lose all of your progress and have to start all over again. Once you have them all lit you start Do or Die on the center spinner. Earlier revisions of the software this was a 50 million hurry up, latest software has brought he value down to 35million which I think has devalued the mode a bit but still it’s a rush to try and gain control and make that center shot again. Also if you are ballsy you can also try and start double scoring before Do or die and the try and double your do or die.
Do or Die Multiball
Last is the Do or Die multiball and if you can get there you’re a better player then me. I have yet to ever make it there and I don’t know anyone that has. Completing the drone targets 3 times is just insane as those targets are death and anytime you actively trying to go after them you end up draining. It also doesn’t help that the slingshots are angled to send the ball into the outlane so you are constantly battling to keep the ball in play just during regular play.
At the end of the day I love Iron Man and it’s a quick, fast and brutal game with some really good payoffs. It is like I said it’s one of those quick games that kicks your ass but keeps you coming back for more which makes doing well oh so much sweeter
I like to call Iron Man Stern’s BSD because it’s a simplistic game that is all about one big payoff although less so in the newer revisions of the software. This is one of those games where it kicks your ass and you keep saying “One MORE game!” It’s a pretty simplistic layout but implemented very well.
You have your bogey mode off the ramps which award a value starting at 200,000 and will double if you make the left and right ramp in a combo. So the first shot would be 200,000 and then 600,000 if you made the next shot in a combo. Once you get to 400,000 the next shot will start bogey which is a timed mode for 25 seconds with all shots lit for points at an increasing value. I forget where the value starts but it tops out at 1 million a shot which can be very lucrative.
Then there are the Iron Man stand ups on the left and right side with 3 modes associated with those. They are awarded every time you completed the standups.
The modes are:
Fast Scoring
This is a switch scoring mode and good to use in a stack for mulitball because hitting the stand ups will raise the value of each switch hit.
Double Scoring
This one is pretty self-explanatory as all your scores are doubled on the playfield and a great mode to stack with anything that gives you some decent points.
Iron Man Scoring
This mode is pretty lame and the same as fast scoring except the only thing that scores points are the Iron Man stand ups (yea like I’m going to spend my time actually trying to go after them for points)
Getting to Iron Man scoring will get the Iron Man insert flashing and then you have the main features of the game:
Iron Monger
Shoot the spinners (not the loops) to spell Iron Monger as most people think it’s shoot the loop but if you graze the spinner you also get credit for a monger letter.
Once you spell Monger it will then come up from under the playfield and you bash on him to spell Monger again to start multiball.
Then in multiball smash him again to spell Monger to light Super Jackpot on the center spinner and that will get the monger insert flashing.
War Machine
The blue standups of death all over the machine are lit for drones and after surviving hitting them a number of times you light War Machine multiball.
War Machine multiball is an important one since it has an add-a-ball for most of the multiballs. Anytime you see the War Machine shot flashing during the multiball it means it is lit for an add-a-ball You need to hit the stand ups to collect the single jackpot value. Once those are completed you hit all the shots on the playfield for double jackpot values that will then light the Super Jackpot on War Machine. Collecting it will get the War Machine insert flashing. To get the drone insert flashing you need to complete and light War Machine multiball 3x which is insane!
Whiplash
This one is simple enough, keep bashing the Whiplash targets to start multiball. In this mode all shots are lit for a value, you Hot Enough shot lights double Super Jackpot on whiplash. Hit him twice and it lights the shots again. Complete a number of shots again, then Super Jackpot will light on Whiplash and now collect the Super Jackpot to get the whiplash insert flashing.
So now that I have talked about everything on the playfield let’s start talk about stacking. There are some stacking opportunities in Iron Man but they are very specific. Bogey will stack with any multiball but it must be started before the multiball is. Ironman stand ups will also stack with a multiball but again you need to do it before the multiball starts. Both these will also stack at any time so you can get double scoring on Bogey which is great. Monger and War Machine will stack as well but you must have the Monger raised and you must start War Machine first. If you get to Monger multiball your first stacking opportunity is gone. So those are your stack opportunities and the whole point of all of this is to build toward the 3 wizard modes:
Jericho
To start Jericho you need to complete all of the MARK modes which are represented by the Iron Man symbols in the middle of the playfield.
To gain a MARK you need to complete a number of things:
1) Complete the roll over in the upper roll overs and onlanes/outlanes. By doing this will also award a Bonus X, Advance the MARK level but this will only advance MARK once and you can’t advance MARK again with this.
2) Start all of the multiballs (Whiplash, Monger, War Machine) will also award a MARK level and pretty sure starting them again will add another MARK level but I could be wrong.
3) Complete the Iron Man stand ups any number of times will also add a MARK level.
4) Starting Bogey will also add a MARK level
Once you get the MARK 6 lights Jericho. This is a great mode where everything on the playfield is lit for a base value that can be increased via the spinner or bumpers.
You need to complete each of the items on the playfield. So spelling Monger, shooting War machine, completing the Drones, getting Bogey, completing the inlanes/outlanes, Iron Man standups and whiplash. Each time you complete an item you get a cool animation and an increasing value of like 1 million I think. There is no timer on the mode so you either drain or finish. I have yet to finish to but it is allot of fun to play.
Do or Die
Do or Die is where I think Iron Man feels like BSD because it all builds up to this. You have to complete all of the inserts in one ball and you don’t need them flashing just lit and they are lit just by starting them. If you drain you lose all of your progress and have to start all over again. Once you have them all lit you start Do or Die on the center spinner. Earlier revisions of the software this was a 50 million hurry up, latest software has brought he value down to 35million which I think has devalued the mode a bit but still it’s a rush to try and gain control and make that center shot again. Also if you are ballsy you can also try and start double scoring before Do or die and the try and double your do or die.
Do or Die Multiball
Last is the Do or Die multiball and if you can get there you’re a better player then me. I have yet to ever make it there and I don’t know anyone that has. Completing the drone targets 3 times is just insane as those targets are death and anytime you actively trying to go after them you end up draining. It also doesn’t help that the slingshots are angled to send the ball into the outlane so you are constantly battling to keep the ball in play just during regular play.
At the end of the day I love Iron Man and it’s a quick, fast and brutal game with some really good payoffs. It is like I said it’s one of those quick games that kicks your ass but keeps you coming back for more which makes doing well oh so much sweeter
