James Bond 007
A mode-based game where the real scoring comes from stacking modes with multiballs and cashing in Bond Women for playfield multipliers up to 7x. The Italian bottom will eat you alive if you're not careful.
The upper loop sits below the pop bumpers and is fed most reliably from the upper flipper — shoot the center loop from the left flipper to get to the upper flipper, then an early flip sends the ball through the upper loop. When it's flashing, it collects a Bond Woman. Once you've collected enough women, press the action button (when flashing pink) to activate a timed playfield multiplier — each woman adds 1x, up to 7x. That 7x multiplier applied during a multiball or mode is what separates 200M games from billion-point games. Every time you're on the upper flipper, check if the upper loop is flashing.
This game has an 'Italian bottom' — wide outlanes with a narrow gap between the slingshots and flippers. Balls that kiss the slingshot rubber will bounce sideways into the outlane before you can react. Hit the Dragon Tank Target target a few times to light the outlane ball save, but be careful — the dragon tank is in a dangerous spot near the center loop and ricochets off it can drain you. The other challenge is the sheer number of modes and features. There are 6 villain modes, 6 henchmen modes, 6 SPECTRE weapons, 6 Q Branch gadgets, Bond Women, two multiballs, and a wizard mode. You don't need to understand all of them. Focus on the loop: start a mode → play it during multiball → collect Bond Women → cash in the multiplier.
Your Game Plan
Start a Mode and Begin Multiball Progress
BALL 1Super Skill Shot — Side Ramp or Left Eject Earnable
Hold the left flipper up during the plunge for super skill shot options (purple lit shots). The best two: the side ramp (instantly starts your first henchmen mode and awards a smart missile) or the left eject (lights Jetpack Multiball at the left ramp and awards a smart missile). Both give you a huge head start. Each unique super skill shot awards one smart missile, but only once per game — vary your picks across balls.
Start a Villain Mode — Shoot the Right Ramp Earnable
Two shots to the Right Ramp (Villain Modes) starts the currently lit villain mode. The Goldfinger target or bumpers change which mode is lit. For your first villain, any mode works — just get one started. Follow the lit arrows on the playfield to complete it. Completing a mode awards a smart missile.
Work the Drop Targets Earnable
The three Bird 1 Drop Targets & Rocket in front of the Bird 1 rocket need to be completed to light ball locks at the center loop. You don't need to complete them all on Ball 1, but every drop you knock down is progress. Shots to the SPECTRE standup targets behind the rocket also increase Bird 1 jackpot values and light SPECTRE weapons.
Collect a Bond Woman If Lit Earnable
Bond Women light at the Upper Loop (Bond Women) based on various playfield activities (bumper hits, spinner shots, completing features). If you see the upper loop flashing, get the ball to the upper flipper and shoot it. Don't activate the multiplier yet — bank women for a bigger multiplier on Ball 2 or 3 during multiball.
Start a Multiball, Stack It With a Mode
BALL 2Light and Start Bird 1 Multiball Earnable
Complete the Bird 1 Drop Targets & Rocket if you haven't already, then lock 3 balls at the center loop to start Bird 1 Multiball. When it starts, you get three shots from the upper flipper to extend the multiball — make as many as you can. When you drain to two balls, it auto-restarts with the remaining balls. Shoot lit jackpots, then the rocket for the super jackpot.
Start a Mode During Multiball Earnable
If you can start a villain or henchmen mode before or during multiball, the mode shots become much safer with multiple balls in play. Completing modes during multiball also banks smart missiles for later use. SPECTRE weapon hurry-ups cannot run during multiball, so focus on villain/henchmen modes instead.
Use Smart Missiles Wisely Earnable
The action button behavior toggles between smart missile (blue) and Bond Women multiplier (pink) — use the flippers to change it. When the action button is blue, pressing it collects whatever shot is currently lit. Save missiles for hard-to-reach mode completion shots or dangerous targets like the left eject. Don't waste them on shots you can make reliably.
Cash In the Multiplier, Push for the Wizard Mode
BALL 3Activate the Bond Women Multiplier During a Multiball Earnable
This is the money shot of the whole game. Start Jetpack Multiball (shoot the Left Eject (Jetpack Qualifier) to light the left ramp, then shoot the left ramp), and as soon as multiball begins, press the action button (when flashing pink) to activate your Bond Women multiplier. Every jackpot you score during the timed multiplier window is multiplied. A 5x or 7x multiplier during Jetpack is where billion-point games happen.
Qualify Bond, James Bond Earnable
If you've completed at least 1 villain mode, 1 henchmen mode, and started both multiballs, the right ramp and left eject light for the mini-wizard mode. It's a timed 2-ball multiball where you must complete every shot twice and then the side ramp for a super jackpot and extra ball. Tough but worth pursuing if it's available.
SPECTRE Weapons — Pick the Left Three Earnable
Complete SPECTRE targets to light hurry-ups at the Goldfinger Target. The weapon cycles — wait for one of the three left-side weapons before shooting, as they require multiple shots and award better perks. The best perks extend mode timers and ball save timers for the rest of the game. The right-side weapons are single-shot hurry-ups with weaker rewards.
Stay Alive Out There
- → Respect the Italian Bottom: The gap between the slingshots and flippers is wider than on most modern Sterns. Balls that hit the slingshot rubber can deflect straight into the outlane. Don't nudge aggressively near the slingshots — a gentle save nudge is better than a hard one that feeds the outlane.
- → Light the Outlane Ball Save Early: Hit the dragon tank target a few times to light the outlane ball save. But be careful — the dragon tank sits near the center loop in a dangerous spot. Only shoot it deliberately when you're confident, or wait for mode shots that naturally target it.
- → Center Loop → Upper Flipper Is Your Safety Valve: The center loop from the left flipper feeds the upper flipper reliably. From the upper flipper you can access the upper loop (Bond Women), the side ramp (henchmen modes), or the bumper lane. When in doubt, shoot the center loop.
- → The DB5 Eject Can Surprise You: The ball launches off the roof of the Aston Martin DB5 and can come back fast and unpredictably. Be ready with both flippers after any shot that feeds the DB5.
Don't Be a Hero
- ⚠ Q Branch Gadget Modes (Early Game): Q Branch modes light after various playfield completions (bumper counts, spinner hits, etc.). Some transition into 2-ball multiballs if completed, which is cool but hard to achieve. They're distracting on Ball 1 when you should be building toward Bird 1 or Jetpack Multiball. If one starts incidentally, play it out, but don't pursue them.
- ⚠ The Dragon Tank (Unless Mode-Required): It lights the outlane ball save, which is nice. But the target sits in a terrible spot where ricochets can send the ball straight down the middle. Unless a mode specifically needs it, leave it alone and get your ball saves from other means.
- ⚠ Completing Every Mode: There are 24 modes across villains, henchmen, SPECTRE, and Q Branch. You will not complete them all in a league game. Focus on completing 1 villain and 1 henchman to qualify the wizard mode, and cherry-pick SPECTRE weapons for their perks. Breadth over depth is a trap.
Scoring runs lower than other Sterns of this era. A good tournament game breaks 200M. Great games push past 1 billion — but those require stacking the Bond Women multiplier with a multiball. For league, consistently hitting 200-400M keeps you competitive.
The Pro model (sometimes called 'Dr. No' based on its backglass) has a simpler Jetpack Multiball: shoot the center loop to lock in the value, then hit lit shots for jackpots. The Premium/LE has a physical jetpack mechanism where the ball rides across the playfield — you wait for it to reach the dragon tank position before shooting for the super jackpot. Core strategy is identical across all three models.
The action button alternates between smart missile (blue, collects a lit shot for free) and Bond Women multiplier activation (pink, starts the timed playfield multiplier). The flippers toggle which mode is active. This is easy to forget in the heat of the moment — check the color before pressing. Using the wrong one at the wrong time can waste a multiplier window or a missile.
The Research Pile
Every claim is sourced. Here's where we got our homework for this guide.
Comprehensive tutorial covering all villain and henchmen modes, both multiballs, SPECTRE weapons, Q Branch, Bond Women multiplier strategy, and Noah's advanced strategies including 7x multiplier timing. Updated through March 2026.
Community-maintained wiki rulesheet with detailed rules for all modes, SPECTRE weapon perks, skill shot values, wizard mode qualifications, and code version tracking.
Official game page with model comparisons, feature lists, and Insider Connected details.
Owner discussions covering code updates, gameplay strategies, the Swipe-A-Ball rule addition, and machine-specific tips.
Quick rules overview, game specifications, and designer credits.