UK Machine Record
Chicago Gaming · 2017 · at 3 UK venues.
Attack from Mars is one of the great examples of simple pinball design done exceptionally well. Brian Eddy took the idea of an alien invasion and reduced it to a wonderfully clear objective: destroy the saucers, defeat the Martians and eventually Rule the Universe.
The ying saucers and central UFO provide obvious physical targets, while the ramps and Martian features gradually build the game towards its bigger objectives. Almost every major shot has a purpose, making the table remarkably easy to understand while still offering considerable depth to players who want to optimise their progress.
The comedy is deliberately ridiculous, but the game underneath is anything but careless. Shoot the saucers, but pay attention to what those shots are setting up next.
Written by Silverball
Silverball guide · Attack From Mars · written on a 1995 Williams original
Six things light the wizard mode, and two of them are things a strong player can miss for a whole game while beating the machine everywhere else. Nothing here expires, so the checklist is the plan.
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Strategy tips written by players on PinTips , not by Silverball. Best-voted first.
During video mode, the launch button works as a smart bomb once. Hit it to destroy all saucers on screen.
Use the flashing Launch button during Martian Attack to use a Martian Bomb and take out a martian. Useful to start MB if ball is going out.
Shooting a second ball into a saucer right after you destroy it, so the target wall traps it lets you one-shot the next as a "Dirty Pool"
Only use super skill shot to hit the center bank. If the bank is already down when launching just do a regular skill shot.
If game does not have Super-Bands on flippers, you can do "hop-over" after Lock: raise left flipper, nudge to feed right, re-shoot Lock.
In Total Annihalation shoot for orbits or lobster/cow ramps to increase jackpot, jackpot is collected at the inner left ramp (lock ramp)
Always open the forcefield before starting Multiball, because you can't during Multiball. Easy to rack up saucer damage during Multiball.
Hold left flipper button while launching ball. Shoot any shot within a few seconds to complete that lane or start Saucer Attack Wave.
Shoot each ramp and orbit 3 times to start Total Annihilation 4-ball multiball where all shots are worth big points.
Bring down the visor before starting a multiball. You can then use your multiball to destroy the saucer safely.
Shot all 4 main shots without shooting the visor to start Total Annihilation AND get a 1 billion point hurry up collect. Don't super skill.
Shoot the lane to the left of the saucer to light locks for multiball. More shots are required to light locks for subsequent multiballs.
Tips belong to the players who wrote them. Read them all, vote, or add your own on PinTips, a Match Play project.
Community tutorials on YouTube, not made by Silverball.
Attack From Mars Pinball Tutorial & Gameplay (Bally Williams 1995)Majestic Pinball · 2025 · on YouTube
Attack from Mars Pinball Tutorial - Mobile VersionPAPApinball · 2014 · on YouTube
Attack From Mars Pinball TutorialPAPApinball · 2014 · on YouTubeVideos from YouTube, curated from channels we rate. They belong to their creators, who aren’t affiliated with Silverball; links open on YouTube so the view counts for them. A creator who’d rather not be listed can get in touch and we’ll remove it.
How Attack From Mars was sold to operators — Chicago Gaming, 2017. The back is the feature list the manufacturer led with, which is a fair record of what the machine was meant to be famous for.
Flyer scan via the Internet Pinball Database. The artwork is Chicago Gaming’s.
Nobody we follow has reviewed this one
Same short list of channels as the tutorials. A machine with no review here has not been passed over — it simply hasn’t been covered by anyone we list.
Where a machine sits is Pinball Map’s work, not ours, find Attack From Mars near you on their map. Ratings, tips and tournament results here are ours.
