1978 · Hankin
Orbit 1
Deep blue and black space field scattered with coloured planets and small moons, central circular porthole-like ring framing a moon surface, jagged red and magenta mountain range below the ring and red wooden cabinet frame with yellow pinstripe border around the artwork.
- Year
- 1978
- Maker
- Hankin
- Type
- Solid state
- Display
- Alphanumeric
- Players
- 4
Vision analysis
On the playfield
Written by a machine from the photos, so details may be off.
Playfield
- red
- blue
- gold
- cream
Fingerprint: Space astronomy with large golden sunburst radiating from dark blue-black planet disc encircled by cream ring, huge grey cratered moon ringed by sweeping gold orbit band, two cream pop-bumper caps with red-and-gold star emblems, crescent-shaped gold swoosh across field, cream plastic rails
The centre of the playfield is dominated by a large golden sunburst of rays radiating from a dark blue-black planet disc encircled by a cream ring, overlaid with a five-lamp rectangular insert panel. Below it a huge grey cratered moon is ringed by a sweeping gold orbit band. The two big pop-bumper caps are cream with red-and-gold star emblems, and the whole field is crossed by a distinctive crescent-shaped gold swoosh and cream plastic rails rather than plain flat wood.
Setting
- Outer space with star field and green planetary blobs at the top corners
- Large golden sunburst of rays fanning from the centre
- Grey cratered moon surface across the lower half
- Dark ringed planet at centre
Symbols
- Starbursts
- Orange numbered discs (5p, 7, 1)
- Playing-card-suit style inserts
- Sun with radiating rays
- Ringed planet
- Cratered moon surface
- Gold orbital swoosh
- Drop-target lamp bank
Notable shapes
- A large central sunburst of gold rays
- A grey cratered moon disc
- A gold ringed planet logo with a five-lamp insert bar across it
- Triangular blue lane guides
- Arched metal ball guides around the upper playfield
- Scalloped red-and-gold cabinet trim
Art motifs
- Radiating sun rays
- Orbital rings
- Stars
- Airbrushed gradients
- Chrome rails over dark blue field
Themes
- Space
- Astronomy
- Planets
- Moon
- Sunburst
- Retro-futurism
Text on it
- ORBIT PLAYER INSTRUCTIONS
- SPECIAL AWARDS ONE PER PLAY
- RANGING OR 0-8 + 1/2 SCORES 50,000 POINTS
- IF THE LIGHTS SPIN TARGET AND LOWER BALL LANE
- 2 THE LIGHTS SPECIAL LANE
- TRY PENALTY 1 BALL IN PLAY
- GAME OVER
- 7
- 500
- 1
- HANKIN
- L BONUS 200,000
- 5P
- Game only 79P
- Lead Designer: David Hankin
- Artwork: Max Edgerton
- Manufactured date: 2011
- Total Production: 200
- INTERNET BONUS
| Kind | Description |
|---|---|
| Other | No human figures; imagery is astronomical |
| Vehicle | Blue and chrome ball-return plunger/knob on the right cabinet edge, and a chrome pinball plunger rod on the right of the playfield |
| Other | Two white mushroom-shaped rubber posts on the blue apron flanking the coin door |
| Monster | Small painted monster or creature figure near the upper-right playfield behind the metal rails, dark colours, not clearly resolvable |
Full-cabinet view looking down onto a space/astronomy-themed playfield set in a red-rimmed cabinet with a blue apron. The upper two-thirds is a busy playfield of cream, gold and orange plastics, two white starburst pop-bumper caps with red star-and-gold coin motifs, curved metal ball guides, a looped wire ramp on the left and a chrome pinball plunger on the right. A tan cratered moon-like disc fills the mid-lower field, ringed by a golden orbital swoosh, and a large dark planet with a cream ringed disc logo sits above it. Lettered targets are orange discs marked 5P, 7 and 1 beside blue triangular lane guides. The bottom apron is flat blue and carries printed instruction and specification cards, two illuminated coin-door displays, two white mushroom bumpers and a chrome-and-blue ball-return knob. Lighting is dim and warm with a pink LED glow near the drop targets.
On the backglass
Written by a machine from the photos, so details may be off.
Backglass
- blue
- red
- black
- yellow
Fingerprint: ORBIT in chrome-red slanted block capitals on plinth, white astronaut glove reaching from moon-dome inside rainbow-banded ring, red-yellow comet streak with orange-yellow rocket, four score windows with player numerals, glowing planets scattered, deep blue starfield with orange-amber asteroid belt
The single most memorable element is the enormous italic word ORBIT at the bottom, chrome-and-red on a red plinth, with a small blue maker's logo tucked into the bottom right corner just above the frame. Second is the central circular motif: a white-gloved hand reaching out of a grey cratered moon-dome inside a rainbow-banded ring, with a red-and-yellow comet streak whipping across it and a rocket riding the streak at the upper right. Third, the four player score windows arranged symmetrically in the corners with gold numerals 1, 2, 3, 4 and cyan digital readouts. Fourth, the scatter of brightly coloured planets, one with black spotting and one with turquoise craters, floating over a dark blue starfield.
Setting
- Deep blue and black space field scattered with coloured planets and small moons
- Central circular porthole-like ring framing a moon surface
- Jagged red and magenta mountain range below the ring
- Red wooden cabinet frame with yellow pinstripe border around the artwork
Symbols
- Multi-banded circular ring
- Planets including a yellow sphere with black spotting and a turquoise cratered sphere
- Red-to-yellow comet streak
- Starburst flash
- Triangular mountain peaks
- Seven-segment score digits
- Player numerals 1 2 3 4
Lettering
- Huge slanted italic block capitals for the title, chrome-grey with red interior faces and a dark outline on a red plinth; small gold squared-off sans-serif capitals for the instruction text; blue rounded block logo lettering in the bottom right
Themes
- Space
- Orbital flight
- Moon landing
- Rockets
- Planets
- Comet
Title on it
- Orbit
Text on it
- MATCH N°
- CREDIT
- BALL IN PLAY
- HIGHEST SCORE TO DATE
- ORBIT
- game over
- ORBIT - 1978
- LIMITED EDITION - 200
| Kind | Description |
|---|---|
| Other | A white astronaut glove and part of a forearm reaching upward from a grey cratered moon-like dome inside the central ring, fingers splayed, a yellow starburst flash at the fingertips |
| Vehicle | A sleek orange and yellow rocket or spacecraft at the upper right of the ring, angled up and to the right, with a red exhaust flame trailing behind it |
A rectangular, glossy backglass in a red wooden-looking cabinet frame, dominated by a deep blue and black outer field speckled with yellow, orange, red and white planets, dots and small moons. A thick multi-coloured ring (turquoise, yellow, orange, red bands) sits centrally, enclosing a hand in a white astronaut glove emerging from a grey-blue cratered, moon-like dome, with a bright yellow starburst flash beside it. A long, tapering red-and-yellow streak, like a comet trail or flame, sweeps in from the left, curls up and to the right across the ring and past a metallic orange-and-yellow rocket or spacecraft at the upper right of the ring, with red exhaust flame. Below the dome a jagged range of sharp red, magenta and orange triangular mountains rises. The word ORBIT spans the bottom in huge slanted block capitals, chrome-grey upper halves with red inner faces, sitting on a red angular plinth. Player score windows are set in black panels: two upper (players 1 and 2) and two lower (3 and 4), with cyan seven-segment digit displays, gold player numerals, and gold lettering reading MATCH No, CREDIT, BALL IN PLAY and HIGHEST SCORE TO DATE. A small blue blocky maker's logo sits in the bottom right corner.
Backglass
- blue
- red
- black
- silver
Fingerprint: orbit title in chrome-silver letters on blue wireframe grid; enormous upright elliptical ring in concentric light-blue, yellow, orange and red bands; domed grey-blue capsule with white starburst glint centred in ring; red-yellow exhaust flame sweeping from left, grey multi-finned rocket nose angled at the ring; magenta flame tongues rising over grid, planets scattered, deep midnight-blue starfield
The centrepiece is an enormous upright oval ring in concentric light-blue, yellow, orange and red bands, with a tapering red-and-yellow exhaust flame streaking in from the left and crossing in front of it. A grey multi-finned rocket nose enters from the upper right, aimed down the ring's axis at a domed blue-grey capsule with a white starburst glint. The bottom is dominated by a huge chrome-and-silver block-letter logo with dark red inline shading on a blue wireframe grid. Small yellow score captions sit above four numbered reel windows.
Setting
- Outer space / starfield
- Blue wireframe grid plane
Symbols
- Starburst glint
- Wireframe grid
- Cratered planets
- Planetary ring around the green moon
- Pointed yellow player numerals 1-4
- Score reels
Lettering
- Huge chrome-and-silver italic block capitals with dark red inline shading and thin black outline, sitting on a red trapezoid banner over a blue wireframe grid; small score captions in plain narrow yellow sans-serif capitals
Themes
- Spaceflight
- Rocket launch
- Orbit
- Planets
- Exhaust flame
Title on it
- Orbit
Text on it
- MATCH
- CREDITS
- BALL IN PLAY
- HIGHEST SCORE TO DATE
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- ORBIT
| Kind | Description |
|---|---|
| Vehicle | Grey multi-finned rocket or spacecraft nose at upper right, angled down-left into the ring, with a thin red exhaust line |
| Other | Grey-and-blue domed capsule or planet with a pale segmented shell at the centre of the ring, with a white starburst flare |
| Other | Large concentric-banded upright elliptical ring, light blue outer, then yellow, orange and red, standing like a gantry |
A square painted backglass in a bright red cabinet frame, on a deep midnight-blue and black outer space background. A huge upright elliptical ring, banded light blue, yellow, orange and red, stands at the centre like a launch gantry; inside it sits a grey-and-blue domed capsule with a white starburst flare at its lower right. A tapering red, orange and yellow exhaust flame sweeps in from the left, passing behind the ring and narrowing to a point at the upper right, where a grey multi-finned rocket nose points leftward into the ring. Below the ring, jagged magenta and orange flame tongues rise over a blue wireframe grid. Small planets dot the field: a lime-green cratered world with ringed moons at upper left, a pink-and-blue cratered world at right, and green and orange spheres at lower right. The bottom third carries a large chrome-and-silver block-letter logo with dark red inline shading on a red trapezoid banner over a blue grid. Across the top run score reels with yellow numerals 1, 2, 3 and 4, small yellow captions, and pale translucent plastic windows. Daylight and brick-wall reflections streak the glass.