1978 · Stern Electronics
Stars
Known for Star targets, Drop target banks and Roaming Special. Mottled deep navy blue with pale blue-white cloud patches, starfield of white and yellow multi-pointed stars and large orange and gold comet swoosh sweeping diagonally across the panel.
- Year
- 1978
- Maker
- Stern Electronics
- Type
- Solid state
- Display
- Alphanumeric
- Players
- 4
Known for
- Target
Star targets
- Target
Drop target banks
- Award
Roaming Special
On the playfield
Bumper 1
- Top bumper
Targets 2
- Star targets
- Drop target banks
Lane 1
- Rollover buttons rollover
Post or gate 1
- Center post post
On the backglass
Setting
- Mottled deep navy blue with pale blue-white cloud patches
- Starfield of white and yellow multi-pointed stars
- Large orange and gold comet swoosh sweeping diagonally across the panel
Text on it
- STARS
- BY STERN.
- HIGH GAME
- TO DATE
- GAME OVER
- BALL IN PLAY
- 1UP
- 2UP
- 3UP
- 4UP
- PLAYER 3
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- © 1980
- STERN
- ELECTRONICS INC
How it plays
-
Awards 3
- Roaming Special
- Double Bonus
- Triple Bonus
Made by
- Design
- Steve Kirk
- Art
- Jorge Obregon
Reference
Linked terms
- Star targets also called star standups
Playfield vision analysis
Written by a machine from the photos, so details may be off.
Playfield
- navy blue
- yellow
- red
- white
Fingerprint: Huge yellow five-pointed starburst covering lower half with red comet-tail arrow running up center through ladder 10,000 to 1000, pale-blue-white arrow outlines flanking star symmetrically, curved ramps arcing across top against navy starfield, cream oval SPECIAL WHEN LIT targets scattered densely
A huge yellow five-pointed starburst covering the lower half of the playfield, with the long red comet-tail arrow running up its centre through the ladder 10,000 down to 1000. Two pale-blue-white arrow outlines flank the star symmetrically, and curved ramps arc across the top against a navy starfield sprinkled with small white stars. The cream oval SPECIAL WHEN LIT targets and orange 500 BONUS ovals are scattered densely across the upper half like confetti. Red-and-white striped fan motifs fill both top corners, and crescent-moon-in-red-triangle inserts sit on each side.
Setting
- Deep navy blue starfield with scattered white four-pointed stars
- Outer cabinet side rails painted dark blue with pale pink and white stars
Symbols
- Five-pointed star
- Crescent moon
- Stylised rocket
- Shooting star with comet tail
- Red arrow
- Four-pointed sparkle stars
- Playing-card style banner ribbons
Notable shapes
- Large yellow five-pointed starburst covering the lower half
- Red comet-tail arrow running up the star centre carrying the value ladder
- Two blue arrow outlines flanking the star
- Triangular red inserts with crescent moons on left and right
- Red-and-white striped fan motifs in both top corners
Art motifs
- Red-and-white striped sunburst fans in the top corners
- Curved cream and yellow ramps
- Concentric target ovals
- Handsilkscreened flat spot-colour look with drop shadows
Themes
- Space
- Stars
- Rockets
- Moon
- Targets
- Score ladder
Text on it
- SPECIAL WHEN LIT
- SPECIAL
- 3 BONUS ADV.
- 500 BONUS
- 7500 BONUS
- 3000 BONUS
- 2000 BONUS
- 7000 BONUS
- 1000 BONUS
- ALL 3 SPECIALS LIT WHEN BOTH SHOT TARGETS ARE HIT
- SPECIAL 4 BALLS WHEN LIT
- SPECIAL REPLAY WHEN ALL LIT
- SPECIAL BONUS WHEN 3
- 1000 WHEN LIT
- TRIPLE BONUS WHEN 2
- SUPER
- 500
- 10,000
- 8000
- 7000
- 6000
- 5000
- 4000
- 3000
- 2000
- 1000
- BONUS
- DOUBLE
- TRIPLE
- SHOOT AGAIN
- 5 BONUS ADV. WHEN LIT
- FLIPPER BUTTON
- FOR AMUSEMENT ONLY
- INSTRUCTIONS
- 3 BALLS PER GAME
- 1 PLAY - QUARTER
- 3 PLAYS - 2 QUARTERS
- 70,000 1 REPLAY
- 110,000 1 REPLAY
- DESIGNED BY Steve
- STERN
- ELECTRONICS, INC.
- CHICAGO, ILLINOIS 60618
- QUARTER
Full-length electro-mechanical playfield photographed from above under glass, in a chrome-railed cabinet with the coin door and two red QUARTER coin windows visible at the bottom. The art is a dense, hand-silkscreened space collage on a dark navy starfield: a big yellow five-pointed starburst dominates the centre-lower area, flanked left and right by white-outlined blue arrow shapes, with a red-and-white striped fan motif in each upper corner. Curving cream/yellow ramps sweep across the upper third. Numerous cream and orange oval targets carry the lettering SPECIAL WHEN LIT and 500 BONUS, with circular pop bumper caps reading SPECIAL and 3 BONUS ADVANCE WHEN LIT. Inset red triangular panels hold crescent moons, stars and rocket shapes. The lower third carries a big yellow star with two round windows labelled DOUBLE and TRIPLE, a central yellow arrow reading SHOOT AGAIN and BONUS beneath a red arrow, and a long red comet-tail arrow painted down the middle carrying the value ladder 10,000 / 8000 / 7000 / 6000 / 5000 / 4000 / 3000 / 2000 / 1000. Blue ribbon banners read FLIPPER BUTTON either side. A white instruction card with a red border fills the lower left, FOR AMUSEMENT ONLY curves under the star, and white cards at lower right give ball and replay settings. Dominant colours: navy blue, yellow, red, white.
Backglass vision analysis
Written by a machine from the photos, so details may be off.
Backglass
- navy blue
- orange
- gold
- black
Fingerprint: Enormous orange-and-gold comet swoosh curving from lower left up right edge terminating in sharp three-pronged starburst at top right, huge arcing STARS logo in yellow block letters with heavy red drop shadow across upper left, four separate red-bezeled score windows each crowned by spiky gold star badge reading 1UP 2UP 3UP 4UP, peculiar orange-brown planet at mid-left sprouting curved flame-like tendrils
The single most memorable element is the enormous orange-and-gold comet swoosh that curves from the lower left up the right edge and terminates in a sharp three-pronged starburst at the top right. Second is the huge arcing STARS logo in yellow block letters with heavy red drop shadow across the upper left. Third, four separate red-bezelled score windows are each crowned by a spiky gold star badge reading 1UP, 2UP, 3UP and 4UP. Fourth, a peculiar orange-brown planet at mid-left sprouts curved flame-like tendrils rather than normal rings.
Setting
- Mottled deep navy blue with pale blue-white cloud patches
- Starfield of white and yellow multi-pointed stars
- Large orange and gold comet swoosh sweeping diagonally across the panel
Symbols
- Four-pointed star
- Eight-pointed star
- Starburst disc
- Ringed planet with flame tendrils
- Three-pointed starburst
- Seven-segment numerals
- Circular player medallions
Lettering
- Large yellow block capitals with thick black outline and red drop shadow, arcing across the top; smaller slanted red-outlined capitals for by stern.; all-caps orange sans-serif on the legend panels
Themes
- Space
- Stars
- Comet
- Astronomy
Title on it
- Stars
Text on it
- STARS
- BY STERN.
- HIGH GAME
- TO DATE
- GAME OVER
- BALL IN PLAY
- 1UP
- 2UP
- 3UP
- 4UP
- PLAYER 3
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- © 1980
- STERN
- ELECTRONICS INC
A rectangular painted backglass with a black border and rounded cream/grey frame line. The background is mottled deep navy blue and pale blue-white clouds of a night sky, scattered with many white and yellow four-pointed and eight-pointed stars, and a few small yellow/orange starburst discs. The title STARS arcs across the upper left in huge block capitals, yellow with red shadowing and a black outline, with the smaller slanted words BY STERN. beneath it in red-outlined capitals. A huge orange, gold and white comet-like swoosh sweeps from the lower left across the panel and up the right side, ending at the top right in a sharp three-pointed, faceted starburst in orange, gold and black. Four rectangular seven-segment score windows with dark red bezels are mounted on the glass, labelled 1UP, 2UP, 3UP and 4UP in white and orange numerals on spiky gold star badges; each displays 22 20. Above them sit separate illuminated legend panels reading HIGH GAME TO DATE, GAME OVER and BALL IN PLAY in orange capitals on blue cloud shapes, plus two small square windows showing 1 and 3. At bottom left, PLAYER 3 in black capitals sits above four circular player medallions numbered 1, 2, 3 and 4. An orange-brown ringed planet with flame-like orange tendrils floats at mid-left. The art is flat, hand-painted airbrush-style with visible panel seams and some surface wear.