1971 · Williams
Zodiac / Planets
Known for Spinning disc, Sun button, Moon button and Secret passage. Deep navy-blue star field with scattered white and yellow four-pointed stars, magenta and violet nebula swirls across the middle and lower left, pale yellow arched colonnade with columns behind the central figures and green-tiled floor plane at the bottom.
- Year
- 1971
- Maker
- Williams
- Type
- Electro-mechanical
- Display
- Score reels
- Players
- 2
Known for
- disc
Spinning disc
- rollover buttons
Sun button
- rollover buttons
Moon button
- passage
Secret passage
- Goal
Zodiac signs
2 games under this title
On the playfield
Toy 1
- Spinning disc disc
Shot 1
- Secret passage passage
Magnet 1
- Sun magnet
Lanes 3
- Sun button rollover buttons
- Moon button rollover buttons
- Upper side lanes
Control 1
- Plunge button button
On the backglass
Who and what
- woman Left jester: pale face, white face-paint, long red pointed cap, purple robe with white sleeve cuffs and a fan of white playing cards held up; her gloved hand reaches down towards the 'ball in play' area
- man Right jester: white ruff collar, red-and-yellow striped costume, red cap with a long yellow streamer, face turned left towards the cards, one arm extended outward
- woman Centre figure: blonde hair, red bodice with white ruffled collar, red-and-yellow headpiece, one arm raised above her head and the other bent at the waist, standing in front of the yellow arch
- other Bottom-left corner: cropped jester head with red-and-yellow cap, only head and shoulder visible at the left edge
- other Bottom-right corner: cropped figure in a red spotted cap with yellow trim, only head and shoulder visible at the right edge
Setting
- Deep navy-blue star field with scattered white and yellow four-pointed stars
- Magenta and violet nebula swirls across the middle and lower left
- Pale yellow arched colonnade with columns behind the central figures
- Green-tiled floor plane at the bottom
Text on it
- Williams
- PLANETS
- 1UP
- 2UP
- BALL IN PLAY
- 1 OR 2 CAN PLAY
- ARIES
- TAURUS
- GEMINI
- CANCER
- LEO
- VIRGO
- LIBRA
- SCORPIO
- SAGITTARIUS
- CAPRICORN
- AQUARIUS
- PISCES
How it plays
-
Goals 2
- Zodiac signs
- Planets
Made by
- Design
- Steve Kordek
- Art
- Louis Raynaud
The cast
- Zodiac
Reference
Linked terms
- Sun button also called Sun
- Moon button also called Moon
- Upper side lanes also called A and B lanes
Playfield vision analysis
Written by a machine from the photos, so details may be off.
Playfield Zodiac
- blue
- cream
- red
- yellow
Fingerprint: Huge red five-pointed star with black hole at center surrounded by concentric cream and tan rings, yellow oval disc mid-field reading ADVANCES LET VALUES, crescent-shaped curved lamp arcs scoring up to 15000, row of six small orange rockets at top
The lower-centre target is a big red five-pointed star shot through with a black hole at its centre, sitting inside a target ring of concentric cream and tan circles. A big chrome-tipped yellow oval disc in the middle of the field reads ADVANCES LET VALUES beneath it, flanked by two symmetric crescent-shaped lamp arcs scored up to 15000. The cream target card on the right is headed PEEK A BOO, a phrase repeated diagonally further down the right side. A neat row of six tiny orange rockets runs across the very top of the playfield, framed by a sunburst medallion on the left and a moon medallion on the right.
Setting
- Deep blue starfield with white radiating light rays
- Lower-centre concentric target rings in cream tan and grey
- Arched sky backdrop in tan and red behind the central yellow disc
Symbols
- Large red five-pointed star with a black hole at its centre
- Crescent moon with a face
- Sunburst medallion
- Six small rockets
- Scattered small red and yellow stars
- Magician's wand
- Constellation lines
- Concentric target rings
- Curved arrows
Notable shapes
- Large red star with a black hole at its centre at the lower centre
- Concentric ring target around the red star
- Big yellow oval disc with chrome bar mid-field
- Two mirrored crescent-shaped lamp arcs
- Arched tan-and-red backdrop panel
- Row of six small rockets at the top
Art motifs
- Starburst light rays radiating from the lower centre
- Airbrushed gradients on the tan arch and blue field
- Symmetric left-right mirroring of ramps, lamps and target cards
- Cream and tan arched panels behind the central disc
Themes
- Astrology
- Horoscope
- Space
- Rockets
- Zodiac
- Tattoo
- Fortune telling
Text on it
- ADVANCES LET VALUES
- ADVANCES HOROSCOPE SIGN
- PEEK A BOO
- PEEK
- BOO
- SPECIAL
- HERO TARGET
- BONUS
- MOON TATTOO
- AWARDS
- CELEBRITY BONUS
- TATTOO
- 1000
- 2000
- 3000
- 5000
- 7000
- 10000
- 14000
- 15000
| Kind | Description |
|---|---|
| Other | No human figures. anthropomorphic imagery is limited to a pale crescent-moon face with a profile in the round medallion at the top right and a sunburst medallion at the top left, both reading as decorative emblems rather than characters. |
| Vehicle | Six small stylised orange and red rockets in a row across the top of the playfield, each with a white oval porthole window and a pointed nose. |
A full electro-mechanical playfield dominated by an astrology and space motif, photographed with the whole cabinet below it. The playing surface is deep blue with white radiating light rays spreading up from a large five-pointed red star set inside concentric cream, tan and grey rings at the lower centre, the rings annotated with small numerals. Two long curved ramps or lane guides sweep up the left and right sides, each carrying a vertical row of round cream lamp inserts with score values running from about 1000 up to 15000 printed beside them. A large yellow oval disc with a chrome bar sits mid-field above the words ADVANCES LET VALUES. Cream angular target cards sit left and right, one headed PEEK A BOO, both marked ADVANCES HOROSCOPE SIGN. Along the top edge six small orange and red rocket shapes with white oval windows sit in a row, flanked by a sunburst medallion on the left and a crescent-moon medallion on the right. Scattered red and yellow stars, a crescent moon, a wand, and constellation lines decorate the blue field. Red rubber flippers and red rubber posts frame the lower corners. Below the playfield the cabinet front is cream with a painted grey star and two yellow-on-black backglass-style player panels.
Backglass vision analysis
Written by a machine from the photos, so details may be off.
Backglass Planets
- navy blue
- red
- yellow
- white
Fingerprint: PLANETS in tall red slab-serif capitals, row of twelve hanging triangular zodiac pennants at top each with sign glyph, inward-pointing arrow banners reading 1UP and 2UP, three harlequin-jester musicians in centre before pale yellow arched colonnade, large ringed planet upper-right in orange bands, deep navy starfield, Williams logo in white ellipse
Twelve white triangular zodiac pennants hanging in a row across the very top, each with a different black sign glyph, name and a yellow-and-red figure of that sign, above a huge red 'PLANETS' title. Two oversized black arrow banners reading '1UP' in red and '2UP' in yellow-green point inward at each other from the left and right edges. Three harlequin/jester musicians in red, yellow and purple costumes crowd the centre before a pale yellow arched colonnade, one fanning out a spread of playing cards. A large orange-and-cream ringed planet hangs in the upper right against a magenta nebula.
Setting
- Deep navy-blue star field with scattered white and yellow four-pointed stars
- Magenta and violet nebula swirls across the middle and lower left
- Pale yellow arched colonnade with columns behind the central figures
- Green-tiled floor plane at the bottom
Symbols
- Twelve zodiac glyphs: ram horns, bull, twins, crab, lion, maiden, scales, scorpion, centaur archer, goat, water waves, two fish
- Yellow-and-red figure illustrations of each zodiac sign on the pennants
- Red star-and-sunburst motif at the tip of every pennant
- Large ringed planet, upper right
- Yellow-green banded planet, upper left
- Small red-and-white, yellow and striped spheres
- Four-pointed stars
- Black arrow banners for 1up and 2up
- Pale yellow arched colonnade
Lettering
- Title 'planets' in tall red slab-serif capitals with white inner highlight and thick dark outline; 'williams' in white script inside a black-outlined ellipse; '1up'/'2up' and 'ball in play'/'1 or 2 can play' in plain white or coloured condensed capitals; zodiac names in small plain black capitals on the white pennants.
Themes
- Zodiac
- Planets
- Space
- Jesters
- Harlequins
- Playing cards
- Astrology
Title on it
- Planets
Text on it
- Williams
- PLANETS
- 1UP
- 2UP
- BALL IN PLAY
- 1 OR 2 CAN PLAY
- ARIES
- TAURUS
- GEMINI
- CANCER
- LEO
- VIRGO
- LIBRA
- SCORPIO
- SAGITTARIUS
- CAPRICORN
- AQUARIUS
- PISCES
| Kind | Description |
|---|---|
| Woman | Left jester: pale face, white face-paint, long red pointed cap, purple robe with white sleeve cuffs and a fan of white playing cards held up; her gloved hand reaches down towards the 'ball in play' area |
| Man | Right jester: white ruff collar, red-and-yellow striped costume, red cap with a long yellow streamer, face turned left towards the cards, one arm extended outward |
| Woman | Centre figure: blonde hair, red bodice with white ruffled collar, red-and-yellow headpiece, one arm raised above her head and the other bent at the waist, standing in front of the yellow arch |
| Other | Bottom-left corner: cropped jester head with red-and-yellow cap, only head and shoulder visible at the left edge |
| Other | Bottom-right corner: cropped figure in a red spotted cap with yellow trim, only head and shoulder visible at the right edge |
Translucent-looking painted backglass on a deep navy-blue field dusted with small white and yellow stars and swirled magenta-violet nebula clouds. Across the entire top runs a row of twelve hanging white triangular pennants, each tipped with a red star-and-sunburst motif, each printed with a black zodiac glyph, a name, and a flat yellow-and-red figure of that sign. Below the pennants, at left, a white circular 'Williams' wordmark in a black-rimmed ellipse; centred under it a huge title 'PLANETS' in tall, slightly irregular red slab-serif capitals with white inner highlight and heavy dark blue outline. Left and right of the mid-field sit two big black arrow banners pointing inwards: '1UP' in red block letters on the left, '2UP' in yellow-green block letters on the right, each above a white-framed horizontal reel window with digit boxes. Painted planets float between: a large ringed planet upper right in orange, cream and red bands, a yellow-green banded planet upper left, small red-and-white and yellow spheres scattered. The centre-lower area holds three jester/harlequin figures before a pale yellow arched colonnade. A white banner text at left reads 'BALL IN PLAY'. A yellow two-window display at bottom centre is flanked by '1 OR 2 CAN PLAY'. Two more jesters are cropped at the bottom corners.
Backglass Zodiac
- blue
- red
- yellow
- white
Fingerprint: Colossal slanted red ZODIAC title arcing across starry blue sky, row of twelve hanging zodiac pennants with hand-drawn signs, harlequin couple in fool's caps and star-spangled cloaks locked in embrace, blonde woman kneeling below them, pair of huge black arrow panels labelled 1UP and 2UP pointing inward, yellow arcaded pavilion with green arches on horizon
The dominant memory is the colossal slanted red ZODIAC title arcing across a starry blue sky, with a row of twelve hanging zodiac pennants above it each carrying a different red or yellow hand-drawn sign. Second, the central harlequin couple in fool's caps and star-spangled cloaks locked together in an embrace, with a blonde woman kneeling below them. Third, the pair of huge black arrow-shaped panels labelled 1UP in red and 2UP in green that point inward at each other across the glass. Fourth, the small yellow arcaded pavilion with green arches sitting oddly on the horizon behind the figures.
Setting
- Deep blue night sky with scattered small yellow stars
- A ringed planet upper left and a large orange ringed planet upper right
- Green and magenta swirling nebula bands on the right
- Yellow arcaded pavilion with green arches behind the figures
- Green tiled floor along the bottom edge
Symbols
- Twelve zodiac signs as line-drawn glyphs on pennants
- Small four-pointed and eight-pointed stars
- Two ringed planets
- The aries glyph repeated as a white curving symbol
- Red-and-yellow starbursts at the points of each pennant
- Playing-card-style red and yellow colour blocking
- Five blank rectangular score windows under each 1up and 2up arrow
Lettering
- Large hand-lettered italic sans capitals in red with white drop shadow and yellow inline highlight for the title; small plain black capitals on the zodiac pennants; white cursive script for the williams wordmark; red and green sans capitals on the black arrow panels; white outlined capitals at the bottom
Themes
- Astrology
- Zodiac signs
- Harlequin jesters
- Clowns
- Outer space
- Night sky
- Courtship couple
Title on it
- Zodiac
Text on it
- ZODIAC
- Williams
- 1UP
- 2UP
- BALL IN PLAY
- 1 OR 2
- TAN PLAY
- ARIES
- TAURUS
- GEMINI
- CANCER
- LEO
- VIRGO
- LIBRA
- SCORPIO
- SAGITTARIUS
- CAPRICORN
- AQUARIUS
- PISCES
- MATCH
- GAME ENDS
| Kind | Description |
|---|---|
| Other | Jester/harlequin man, pale face, yellow pointed fool's cap with a yellow pom and red star pattern, purple ruff collar, red cloak covered in white stars, arm around the woman beside him |
| Woman | Woman in a white clown cap and ruff with red accents, head tilted back against the jester, eyes closed, wearing a red star-spangled robe |
| Woman | Kneeling blonde woman in the lower centre, long yellow hair, red dress, white star-spangled shawl over her shoulders, one arm raised |
| Woman | Bottom left corner, red-haired woman in a purple and white costume with a ruff, arm outstretched upward in a reaching gesture |
| Other | Bottom right corner, laughing jester in a yellow and red diamond-harlequin suit with a red and white cap |
A wide illustrated backglass with a deep blue starry night sky and a few ringed planets. Across the top hangs a row of twelve cream tapering pennants, each printed with a red or yellow hand-drawn zodiac glyph and a name in black capitals (Aries through Pisces), each finishing in a red-and-yellow starburst with a small date range beneath. Centred below is the huge main title ZODIAC in tall leaning bright red capitals with a white drop shadow, with the word Williams in white cursive to its left. Lower centre is a jester couple: a pale-faced jester in a red-and-yellow fool's cap, purple ruff and star-spangled red cloak, embracing a white-faced woman in a matching cap and ruff; a blonde woman in a red dress and star-spangled shawl kneels below them. A yellow arcaded pavilion with green arches stands behind them over a green tiled floor. Two black arrow panels point inward, labelled 1UP in red and 2UP in green, each above five white rectangular windows. A red-haired woman reaches in at bottom left; a diamond-suited jester laughs at bottom right. Flat, brightly coloured comic-book airbrush style.