System-J Pinball

Links

Rules:
Tilt Forums Rulesheet (best place to get full rules)
Stern Official Rulesheet (from Stern’s AIQ Homepage)

Strategy:
A Pinside forum thread on scoring.
See also Gem Placing section.

Info:
Pinside: AIQ_Pro, AIQ-Prem, Owners Club Forum

Legend

Note on the right card
Videos: Tutorials
Quick Newbie Strategy
Gem Placing Strategies
Gameplay Videos
Quick Tournament Strategy
System-J Strategy
Gem Quest and Multiball Stacking

Notes on the v2 Right Cards

Important note on the “Right” card (the card with the extra information that I suggest using the right apron slot for):

The “Computer Grid Awards” (aka Drop Target Awards, aka, Bingo Awards) info on these cards (v2.0) are for when the game is in competition mode. When in default mode, these awards are RANDOM and you need to look through the ‘instant info’ screen (Hold a flipper, then hit the other flipper to flip through the info screens on the LCD. One of them will have the current configuration of the Grid Awards. On future cards (v2.1+? (Late 2025 by the soonest) I may change these cards a bit to account for this.

Videos: Tutorial

Quick Newbie Strategy

AIQ is a tough game that can turn a lot of people off: It’s a game where knowing the rules can mean the difference of millions of points for players of otherwise the same playing skills.
That said…
The left ramp is safer than most shots. The middle (gauntlet) ramp can be hit by all three flippers, but because of the design means that a ball that doesn’t quite make it often comes down back the center of the playfield.
Focus on the two multiballs. Thor from the captive ball on the right. 3+ times. Iron Man from spelling the inlanes (the portal spinner moves the letters), then hitting the tower 3 times.
More on Iron Man: Watch if the inlanes are not lit. If not, notice which ramp send the ball to the inlane. You can often get an easy letter this way.
If your gem mode starts with a multiball (means you had a portal lock), look to bring either Iron Man or Thor into it (stack). Very lucrative, especially if you can beat the mode with the multiball still going.
Don’t underestimate the Drop Targets on the left. If only one drop left, it can be worth hitting it. They give you super features and other lucrative bonuses.

General Pinball Skills

If you want to reach a new level of pinball play: Watch Abe’s videos on pinball techniques and practice them:
https://www.youtube.com/@AbeFlips

Gameplay Videos:

Quick Tournament Strategy

The prevailing strategy for average players seems to be:
Portal Locks are key, not will this bring in a Multiball into your Gem Quest, but there is a playfield multiplier with each portal lock as long as you stay in multiball. Progress Thor or Ironman so it’s close to ready after you start a Gem Quest . If you collect the Gem while still being in multiball you get (lucrative) victory laps.

If ball save is turned off the easy skill shot (into the pops) will give you a short ballsave. The other skill shots give you a longer ball save, but they are all are riskier too (and thanks to Stern’s crappy Drops, you can get robbed from a perfect shot to them ….argg! don’t get me started).

This new for 2025 video (15min) explains a basic tournament strat in much more in-depth. He recommends taking Reality Gem Quest into the portal lock/multiball strategy for a quick 100mil:

Tournament Setting

…coming soon

(one of…) My (brief) Strategies. (Or, ‘lets get thinking about stacking super awards with modes and multiballs’).

I’m far from the best player but this is some things I’ve found fun to attempt.

-Have a drop targets strategy:
Like TWD I like to hit one of the drops while the ball save is on. If I already have a portal lock I like to set up for the “Super Ball Saver” if it’s close to being completed. Once you start the Gem Multiball I’ll try to stack one of the other multiballs that are close, then when the initial ball save is expiring, try to finish the drops to start the Super Ball Saver (if the balls haven’t already bounced into them and froze another square). You now have a ton of time to stack the next MB (if you haven’t already) and take some pot shots at your gem shots.
Another popular strategy is to go for a portal lock award early. Depending on your skill level though you may have to pick between this award or the Super Ball Saver since whatever you get first will reset the center bingo square.

Gem Quest and Multiball Stacking

Some players will choose a Gem Quest based on if they have a portal lock or are close to a multiball. The guidelines below are meant as a starting point for thinking about which Quest is a safer choice:

It seems Power is a safer mode to go for if you are not close to a multiball. Some shots might be easier without extra balls getting in the way as well. (By no means a ‘safe mode’ though, just safer IF you can’t stack with multiball or get a ball saver going.

Time, Reality, and Mind are all more riskier due to the need to hit the drops or disc multiple times. These 3 are all going to be safer to tackle with a multiball stack.

Space doesn’t enter the conversation until after you have collected a couple gems. Sorry, I don’t get this far into the game, so I don’t have an opinion on it yet other than to just always avoid it.