Ramps

Elevated tracks that carry the ball up and over portions of the playfield, returning it via wireforms or molded plastic guides. Ramps transformed playfield design beginning in the early 1980s, adding a vertical dimension to a game that had been essentially flat. A successful ramp shot — the ball climbing the incline with just enough speed to crest the top and glide down the return — is one of pinball’s most satisfying moments. Ramps enabled loop shots, combo sequences, and the complex multi-shot rule sets that defined the Dot Matrix Display era.