1980 · Stern Electronics
Star Gazer
Known for Zodiac targets, Upper drop targets, Top spinner and Left drop bank. Deep blue-black starfield with painted white starbursts, fine-line constellation drawings of figures and animals, two gold egyptian-style fluted columns with carved capitals, heaps of gold coins filling both lower flanks and golden rock and treasure mound the figure stands on.
- Year
- 1980
- Maker
- Stern Electronics
- Type
- Solid state
- Display
- Alphanumeric
- Players
- 4
Known for
- Target
Zodiac targets
- Drop target
Upper drop targets
- Spinner
Top spinner
- Drop target
Left drop bank
- Spinner
Lower spinners
- rollovers
Star rollovers
On the playfield
Spinners 2
- Top spinner
- Lower spinners
Drop targets 3
- Upper drop targets
- Left drop bank
- Right drop bank
Target 1
- Zodiac targets
Lanes 2
- Star rollovers rollovers
- Out lanes
On the backglass
Who and what
- woman One central adult female, bare midriff and hips, long auburn-brown wavy hair, gold headband with forehead jewel, large hoop earrings, gold necklace. she wears a sheer yellow drape that falls from one raised arm and red-and-gold puffed bloomers with ruffled ankle cuffs and gold anklets, plus a yellow sash at the hips. head tilted slightly, eyes looking outward, mouth set in a faint smile. one hand holds a golden lyre; the other arm is raised overhead. barefoot, standing with legs apart on the treasure mound.
Setting
- Deep blue-black starfield with painted white starbursts
- Fine-line constellation drawings of figures and animals
- Two gold egyptian-style fluted columns with carved capitals
- Heaps of gold coins filling both lower flanks
- Golden rock and treasure mound the figure stands on
Text on it
- STAR GAZER
- HIGH SCORE
- GAME OVER
- HIGH SCORE WHEN LIT
- MYSTIC
- IN PLAY
- CREDIT
- STARGAZER
- ELECTROMECHANICAL
- 5,248,380
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
How it plays
-
Goals 1
- Held bonus
Made by
- Design
- Brian Poklacki
- Art
- Gerry Simkus
Reference
Linked terms
- Zodiac targets also called Zodiac
- Upper drop targets also called upper-left bank
- Top spinner also called Upper-left spinner also called Variable spinner
- Left drop bank also called Left side drop targets
- Right drop bank also called Right side drop targets
- Lower spinners also called Left and right spinners
- Star rollovers also called star button
- Held bonus also called Zodiac bonus
Playfield vision analysis
Written by a machine from the photos, so details may be off.
Playfield
- blue
- gold
- red
- cream
Fingerprint: Star gazer title, blonde woman in space helmet with outstretched arms and golden hair spreading below, two large golden feathered wings flanking symmetrically, three round pop bumpers with cream-and-gold domed caps and blue stars, orange-red and yellow starburst inserts, midnight-blue starfield with four-pointed stars, hand-painted airbrush fantasy.
The most memorable element is the blonde woman in a space helmet with both arms thrown upward in the lower centre, her long golden hair fanning out beneath her and framed by a pair of large golden feathered wings. Immediately above her, the block-letter STAR GAZER logo with its thick red-orange outline is the dominant title. Three round pop bumpers with cream-and-gold domed caps and blue star decals crowd the upper playfield. The colour scheme of midnight-blue starfield with heavy gold, cream and orange-red accents is unusually rich. Two white instruction cards flank a small metallic logo plaque on the wooden apron.
Setting
- Deep blue-black starfield scattered with yellow and white four-pointed stars
- Cream and gold nebula panels around the upper bumper cluster
- Orange-red and yellow starburst insert shapes
- White instruction cards on a wooden apron at the bottom
Symbols
- Four-pointed stars
- Blue star decals on the pop bumper caps
- Orange-red and yellow starburst shapes
- Wing motifs
- Space helmet
- Score numbers printed along the side rails
Notable shapes
- Pair of large golden feathered wings
- Three domed pop bumpers with blue star caps
- Curved metal ramp rail in the upper right
- Star-shaped target faces in the mid playfield
Art motifs
- Starfield backdrop
- Gold feathered wings
- Outstretched open hands
- Cream-and-gold domed bumper caps
- Red-orange outlined title lettering
Themes
- Space
- Astronomy
- Stars
- Celestial
- Winged figure
Title on it
- Star gazer
Text on it
- STAR GAZER
- BONUS MULTIPLIER
- 3 BALLS PER GAME
- 1 PLAY - QUARTER
- 4 PLAYS - DOLLAR COIN
- SHOOT AGAIN
- SAME PLAYER SHOOTS AGAIN
- TILT
- MATCH
| Kind | Description |
|---|---|
| Woman | Painted blonde woman in the lower centre, long golden hair fanning out below her body, wearing a rounded space helmet with a visible rim, both arms raised with open hands reaching upward, face turned up, bare shoulders and upper chest |
| Other | Two large golden feathered wings flanking the woman, one on each side, forming a symmetrical pair behind her shoulders |
A pinball playfield photographed from directly above through the playfield glass, with gold-trimmed cabinet side rails running down the left and right edges and a wooden lower apron with two white instruction cards across the bottom. The background is a deep midnight-blue to black starfield scattered with small yellow and white four-pointed stars. In the lower centre a large logo reads STAR GAZER in bold block capitals, yellow letters with a heavy red-orange outline and dark shadow, set on a cream banner. Directly beneath it stands a painted blonde woman wearing a rounded space helmet, long golden hair fanning out below her, both arms raised with open hands reaching upward, bare shoulders showing. A pair of golden feathered wings flanks her symmetrically. The upper third is dominated by a cluster of round pop bumpers with cream-and-gold domed caps, each bearing a blue star decal, set among orange-red and yellow starburst inserts, with a curved metal ramp rail arcing across the upper right. Two triangular slingshots with white rubber sit above two white-and-red flippers. Hand-painted airbrush fantasy illustration in gold, blue, cream and red.
Backglass vision analysis
Written by a machine from the photos, so details may be off.
Backglass
- gold-yellow
- deep blue-purple
- red
- orange
Fingerprint: 'STAR GAZER' in yellow-gold block capitals, bare-midriff auburn-haired woman in gold jewels and belly-dancer costume holding golden lyre with yellow ribbon, arm raised to copper high-score sphere, gold Egyptian columns flanking, heaps of gold coins, white starbursts and constellation drawings, pinup fantasy.
A near-nude auburn-haired woman in a belly dancer costume filling the whole centre of the glass, one arm flung up to hold a small copper HIGH SCORE orb that appears to dangle from the title lettering. She carries a golden lyre with a long yellow ribbon streaming from it. Four identical red score windows all display 5,248,380. Two gold Egyptian columns and pyramid-like mounds of coins flank her symmetrically. The whole background is scattered with fine white starbursts and hand-drawn constellation figures.
Setting
- Deep blue-black starfield with painted white starbursts
- Fine-line constellation drawings of figures and animals
- Two gold egyptian-style fluted columns with carved capitals
- Heaps of gold coins filling both lower flanks
- Golden rock and treasure mound the figure stands on
Symbols
- Four-pointed white starbursts
- Line-drawn constellations with named-figure outlines
- Golden lyre
- Long flowing yellow ribbon
- Mounds of gold coins
- Egyptian-style columns
- Copper high score sphere
- Player numerals 1 2 3 4
- Glowing oval game over and high score when lit lamps
Lettering
- Very large arched sans-serif block capitals in bright yellow-gold with a heavy black outline and slight red shading, spanning the top edge; smaller block capitals in yellow on the lamp and legend panels; a small gold serif wordmark logo at bottom left
Themes
- Space
- Astrology
- Fortune-telling
- Goddess
- Adventure
- Archaeology
- Treasure
Title on it
- Star gazer
Text on it
- STAR GAZER
- HIGH SCORE
- GAME OVER
- HIGH SCORE WHEN LIT
- MYSTIC
- IN PLAY
- CREDIT
- STARGAZER
- ELECTROMECHANICAL
- 5,248,380
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
| Kind | Description |
|---|---|
| Woman | One central adult female, bare midriff and hips, long auburn-brown wavy hair, gold headband with forehead jewel, large hoop earrings, gold necklace. she wears a sheer yellow drape that falls from one raised arm and red-and-gold puffed bloomers with ruffled ankle cuffs and gold anklets, plus a yellow sash at the hips. head tilted slightly, eyes looking outward, mouth set in a faint smile. one hand holds a golden lyre; the other arm is raised overhead. barefoot, standing with legs apart on the treasure mound. |
Illuminated backglass with a single full-height central female figure standing on a mound of gold treasure against a deep blue-black starfield. The title 'STAR GAZER' arcs across the very top in huge yellow-gold block capitals with black outline, and a small copper sphere labelled HIGH SCORE sits over the middle letters. The woman has long auburn-brown hair, a gold headband with a forehead jewel, large earrings, a bare midriff, a sheer yellow drape over one raised arm, and red-and-gold bloomers with ruffled cuffs and gold anklets; she holds a golden lyre strung with a long ribbon in one hand and reaches her other arm upward. Behind her are two gold Egyptian-style columns, heaps of coins on both flanks, and small constellation drawings. Four rectangular windows in the corners each show the red seven-segment number 5,248,380, with a small 1, 2, 3, 4 player numeral beside them, plus centre windows reading MYSTIC and IN PLAY. Right edge has lit ovals reading GAME OVER and HIGH SCORE WHEN LIT. Bottom-left carries a small STARGAZER ELECTROMECHANICAL logo with a tiny copyright line. Four dominant colours: gold-yellow, deep blue-purple, red, orange.