As I watched other players, I noticed that they were using an alternate and safer technique to pass the ball called a bounce pass.  Essentially, you let the ball drop onto your flipper without hitting it and the angle of the flipper and momentum of the ball alone causes it to transfer to the other flipper.  Simple right? Well, not really.  Pinball is an exciting, fun, and often fast-paced game; you have to think quickly and this often means doing all you can to keep the ball from draining down the middle or getting into the outlanes.  What I never understood as a player is that you have to think slightly ahead of the ball, while at the same time, relax and play with the machine instead of against it.

Video of the bounce pass:

I had noticed in my observations that there were two safe ways to get the ball to the left flipper, (1) shoot the left STEPS ramp to swing it around (though the ball will be coming fast and will need to be shot on the fly) and (2) shoot the ball into the scoop and allow the ball from the scoop to create a drop pass on the right flipper and subsequently, lift and crade with the left.  Once I learned how to accomplish this feat a little later, after pumping in a multitude tokens and watching other more skilled players attack the machine, it became fun to me and I could understand what others were raving about.

Funhouse has arguably the best toy in all of pinball, and his name is Rudy.  Rudy is a fairly creepy animatron ventriloquist dummy's head located at the upper right side of the playfield.  He has a moving mouth and eyes, and he likes to ridicule and taunt you throughout the game.  Rudy is also helpful in that he calls out shots that you need to hit to maximize your point total and complete specific bonuses and features.  I have to admit that I was always drawn to this aspect of the game and it's really what makes Funhouse a special.

[img width=700 height=525]http://videoengine.com/pins/fh/fhpix/rudycrazed.jpg[/img]

Another feature that you may instantly notice about Funhouse is that it has both left and right plungers.  The right plunger, like other games, puts the ball into play, while the left plunger is used to obtain bonuses in another portion of the game.  There are 5 targets on the playfield which spell out S-T-E-P-S.  Once these targets are activated, Rudy will tell you to "Go play on the steps."  Shooting the left ramp at this time will not take you to the left flipper, but instead, you will be diverted into the left ball trough.  The ball can then be plunged up a ramp to score an additional "STEPS" bonus, or start a lucrative Frenzy mode as determined by what hole your ball settles into.

Funhouse is not a machine made for beginner players and as such, the 3-ball multi-ball feature is very difficult to obtain.  Lighting the ball locks is accomplished by hitting ramps, loops, the pop bumpers, and other such shots to move/light the hands of the clock in the center of the playfield.  Once your reach 11:30, the left of center lock area will light and must be hit from the left flipper (hence, my early frustration with the game and the importance of getting the ball on this flipper).  After one ball is locked the clock moves to 11:45, you plunge the next ball onto the playfield and shoot for the lock area again.  Upon locking two balls, the clock strikes midnight and Rudy announces that the Funhouse is now closed; he yawns, his eyes shut, his mouth opens, and he begins to snore.  You then plunge the next ball and the object is to get the ball to the upper left flipper and shoot it into Rudy's mouth to wake him and start multi-ball.  The best way  to accomplish this is to plunge soft so that the ball swings around the back loop slowly, or shoot the ball into the lock area so that it slowly swings around to the upper flipper for a more accurate shot.  Once multi-ball starts, the jackpot shot is located at the trap door loop under Rudy's head; it is only accessible from the right upper flipper.

There is also a 2-ball multi-ball in the game that is activated by the upper center scoop, as well as other fun and exciting features and modes.  If you can succcessfully hit the loop around Rudy's head consecutive times from the upper left flipper, a trap door will open on the playfield and capture your ball for a great bonus.  The main playfield loop also activates the "gangway," which upon quick and successful targeting, produces another great bonus.

Funhouse is a wonderful and classic game and one of the last made by Williams in the pre-dot matrix display era.  There are even rumors that it was suppose to be their first dot-matrix pin (instead credit goes to Terminator 2).  If you ever find one, be sure to try it out.  If your a beginner, you'll more than likely have a short and frustrating game, but you will be amazed by and have a laugh at/with Rudy.  Though it's a difficult machine, I can honestly say that Funhouse was the machine that made me make adjustments to my game and become a better pinball player.

Obligatory Funhouse pinball tutorial from PAPA: