Terminator 2: Judgment Day
An early DMD classic where the biggest points come from super jackpots fired out of the cannon. Two viable strategies: multiball jackpots or Payback Time ramp combos. The cannon is the gimmick but also the skill gap.
This is the shot that runs the game. Hit the drop target below the T-800 skull to knock it down, then shoot the saucer behind it to load the cannon. This one-two combo starts multiball, qualifies jackpots during multiball, and lights database awards. It also feeds the ball to the cannon safely — no flipper work required. If you can consistently hit the skull drop from the right flipper and follow up into the saucer, you control the pace of the entire game.
The cannon is what makes T2 special and what makes it frustrating. You don't aim it with the flippers — you fire the ball from a swinging cannon at a bank of five targets using the trigger on the gun-shaped plunger. For regular jackpots the target is stationary, and you'll learn the timing quickly (usually fire when the cannon is on the way up, as the second-from-bottom target lights). For the super jackpot, the target is MOVING while the cannon is also swinging — and your other balls are still live on the playfield. It's a 50M shot that separates good games from great ones. The other challenge: this is a 1991 game, so the rules are simpler than modern machines. There's no ball save on drain during multiball, the outlanes are wide, and every lost ball during multiball is a lost lock opportunity. Ball control matters more than shot variety.
Your Game Plan
Start Multiball, Get Your First Jackpot
BALL 1Skill Shot — Hit the Lit Target Earnable
The ball auto-plunges from the gun trigger. Time it to hit the moving lit target on the left bank — it's usually the 3rd target from the bottom on most machines. Worth 1M and increases by 1M each time you nail it. The target speeds up after each successful skill shot, so the first ball is your best chance.
Hit the Skull Drop → Load the Cannon → Start Multiball Earnable
Trap on the right flipper. Shoot the Skull Drop Target + Saucer to knock down the drop target. The saucer behind it lights — shoot it again to load the ball into the Ball-Firing Cannon. Fire the trigger when the lit target is in the cannon's sights. Hit it and multiball starts with 2 balls auto-launched. For your first multiball, only one target needs to be hit. Later multiballs require more targets and the drop target resets on a timer.
During Multiball — Lock Balls, Score the Jackpot Earnable
During multiball, lock balls at the Database Saucer / Left Eject and the Left Orbit / Escape Route saucer. Then get one ball into the skull saucer behind the drop target to load the cannon. With 1 ball locked = 1x jackpot (up to 10M). With 2 balls locked = 2x (up to 20M). All 3 locked = 3x (up to 30M). Lock as many as you can before the cannon loads.
Go for the Super Jackpot Earnable
After scoring a 2x or 3x jackpot, the super jackpot is available. Hit the skull drop target again while balls are still in play, get a ball into the saucer, and fire at the MOVING target. It's 50M. The timing tip that tournament players swear by: fire the trigger as the cannon swings upward, right when the second-from-bottom target lights up. This works on most properly set up machines.
Advance Ramps Toward Payback Time
BALL 2Shoot the Ramps — Build Toward Payback Time Earnable
Each ramp (left and right) needs 5 shots to advance through 5 security levels (checkpoint → passcode → silent alarm → vault key → CPU lit). The first two ramps can be hit in any order, but then you must alternate left-right. Completing both lights Payback Time at the center — 20 seconds where every ramp and orbit scores 5M. A completed Payback Time is worth 50M+ easily.
Collect Escape Route Awards Earnable
Shoot the Left Orbit / Escape Route hard enough to reach the saucer at the top to collect the furthest lit escape route award. Relight awards by completing the center target bank. Early awards include hold bonus and extra ball — both extremely valuable. After the first full set of awards, the center targets must be completed on a timer to relight the next set.
Chase Loop Millions Earnable
The Right Orbit / Chase Loop is a repeatable loop shot back to the left flipper. Each consecutive shot scores the current chase loop value (builds to 5M) PLUS million-plus bonuses that escalate: 1M, 2M, 3M, etc. After several consecutive loops you're scoring 8-10M per shot. The value resets at end of ball, so cash in while you can. Hold up the left flipper and rip it again.
Chain Super Jackpots or Cash In Payback Time
BALL 3Start Another Multiball — Chain Supers Earnable
Second and later multiballs are harder to start — the drop target resets on a timer and more targets need to be hit from the cannon. But the super jackpot is always 50M. If you can chain even two super jackpots in a multiball, you've likely won the game. Focus on getting balls locked quickly so you have time for the cannon shot.
Cash In Payback Time If Ready Earnable
If you've been building ramp progress, this might be the ball where Payback Time lights. During the 20-second timer, every ramp and orbit shot scores 5M. Spam the ramps as fast as you can — the left ramp feeds back to the left flipper, and the right orbit feeds the left flipper too. Critical: do NOT start Payback Time during multiball — a known bug can cause the timer to expire while balls are stuck behind the drop target.
Protect Your Bonus Earnable
If 'Hold Bonus' is lit from an escape route award, your bonus and multiplier carry over to the next ball. Complete the top lanes to advance the bonus multiplier (up to 8x). Extra ball lights at the skull drop target when you reach 6x or 8x bonus. On your last ball, if Hold Bonus is active, bonus is scored TWICE. Whatever you do: don't tilt.
Stay Alive Out There
- → The Kickback Is Your Lifeline: The three orange standup targets below the plunger lane relight the left outlane kickback. If your kickback is off, work those targets before taking risky shots. On a game this old, outlane drains are frequent and unforgiving.
- → Dead Bounce to the Right Flipper: The database saucer and left orbit saucer both feed the left flipper. If the ball is coming in hot, let it dead bounce to the right flipper rather than panic-flipping. The skull drop is a right-flipper shot anyway.
- → Don't Rush the Cannon: If you don't fire the cannon in time, it auto-fires and almost always misses. But don't panic-fire either. Learn the timing — it's consistent on a well-maintained machine. Take that extra half-second.
- → Auto-Fire Ball Save Exists: After multiball starts, there's a brief auto-fire ball save period. If you drain immediately, the ball comes back. Don't panic in the first few seconds of multiball.
Don't Be a Hero
- ⚠ Database Awards (After Early Game): Database is a random award from the left saucer (lit after hitting the skull drop target). Early in the game you might get useful awards like extra ball or multiball. But once your score is above ~80M, the game intentionally gives you garbage awards. Don't waste shots going for database when you could be working toward multiball or Payback Time.
- ⚠ Video Mode: Lit at the left orbit saucer via the right inlane. It's a cute DMD shooting gallery — you move a crosshair with the flippers and shoot terminators. The points are modest and the extra ball from it is extremely rare. If it starts, play it out, but don't alter your strategy to trigger it.
- ⚠ Stacking Payback Time During Multiball: In theory, Payback Time during multiball is amazing — 5M per shot with multiple balls. In practice, a known mechanical issue can cause balls to get stuck behind the drop target, wasting your Payback Time timer while the game figures out what happened. Keep them separate.
Average games land around 30M. A solid tournament game is 100M+. The best players push into 400-500M territory by chaining super jackpots and completing Payback Time. For league night, consistently hitting 100M puts you in good shape.
T2 is over 30 years old. The cannon motor, drop target, and auto-plunger are all mechanical components that wear out and behave differently from machine to machine. The cannon timing that works on one T2 might not work on another. Always take a practice ball to calibrate your cannon timing before a tournament game. The pitch of the playfield also affects cannon accuracy significantly.
Going for multiball and super jackpots is the higher-ceiling strategy but requires cannon accuracy. Payback Time via ramp combos is more consistent and less machine-dependent. Top players do both — they start multiball early, score jackpots, then build Payback Time between multiballs. For your first few games, pick one and commit.
The Research Pile
Every claim is sourced. Here's where we got our homework for this guide.
Comprehensive tutorial covering all major features, cannon aiming strategies, Noah's preferred strategies, and scoring benchmarks. Updated through March 2026.
Community-maintained rulesheet (note: URL may not exist yet for T2; the Kineticist tutorial serves as the primary rules reference).
Classic community rulesheet covering multiball mechanics, jackpot/super jackpot details, database award list, Payback Time rules, and scoring benchmarks. Written by a player with a 508M high score.
Discussion of super jackpot cannon timing, chase loop strategy, and advanced multiball techniques.
Historical context on the first WPC DMD machine, cannon patent, auto-plunger innovation, and production details.