UK Machine Record
Doodle Bug
Williams · 1971 · at 2 UK venues.
Doodle Bug is an early Williams electromechanical machine with a wonderfully unusual premise. Instead of the elaborate stories found on modern tables, the game is built around a simple insect- themed objective and a collection of mechanical scoring features.
Its charm comes from the physicality of electromechanical pinball. Relays, switches, scoring reels and mechanical devices do the work that software handles on a modern machine.
Playing Doodle Bug is therefore as much about experiencing the machinery as chasing a score. Forget modern rules for a moment and enjoy the fact that every point is being physically earned inside the cabinet.
Written by Silverball
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No guide to Doodle Bug yet
Guides here are compiled against the machine’s published rules, credited to what they were built from, and dated. That makes them slow: the machines standing on the most UK floors get one first — but anyone who plays this machine can write their own.
Strategy tips written by players on PinTips , not by Silverball. Best-voted first.
General10 tips
- General
Shoot the Ctr standup to start the under-playfield ball scoring. It continues until drain or Stop Doodle Bug is hit.
- General
Shoot the lit standup targets to increase the value of the under-playfield captive ball mech from 10-100-1000-10000.
- General
Hit center target to start doodle bug, which will score points continuously until you hit a side lane, upper rubber, or drain.
- General
Complete 1-4 by hitting targets or going in eject hole to increase doodle bug scoring
- General
Dipsy Doodle: 1-4 targets are worth 1k on their own, which adds up
- General
Side lanes raise center puck, starting doodle bug or hitting rubbers below 1+4 targets drops it
- General
"Stop Doodle Bug" is worth 1,000 points, along with the 1-4 targets. Sometimes, constantly stopping the Doodle Bug is more lucrative!
- General
If the post is up, use controlled flips to pick off 1-4/Stop Doodle Bugs. Watch out for the flipper-sling gap!
- General
There is a gap between the flipper and the sling so don't try to trap up the normal way. If a ball is going in the hole, mash the flipper!
- General
Dipsy Doodle: "Stop Doodle Bug" switches are worth 10x less than Doodle Bug (100 vs. 1000), making the Stop Doodle Bug strategy not viable on Dipsy.
Skill shot2 tips
- Skill shot
Pops and upper rubbers around eject hole cycle advance hole value. Far right (red) award is 5000 points, which can win games
- Skill shot
Plunging and cycling the top awards can lead to lit pop bumpers or 5k. The saucer also advances the 1-2-3-4 progression.
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.
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Where a machine sits is Pinball Map’s work, not ours, find Doodle Bug near you on their map. Ratings, tips and tournament results here are ours.