The "Galaxy" pinball machine, produced by Stern Electronics in 1980, is renowned for its space-themed gameplay and distinctive artwork. Designed by Harry Williams with art by Bob Timm, this solid-state machine features a combination of three pop bumpers, a four-bank drop target, a rollunder spinner, a kick-out hole, and a kickback lane, creating a dynamic and engaging playfield. It is also notable for being one of the first machines to incorporate computer-controlled general illumination, enhancing the visual experience.
Quickie Version:
Spinner all day from the left flipper, drop target bank all day from the right flipper.
Go-to Flipper:
Right
Risk Index:
High for targets, Medium-High for spinner; shots into the Galaxy collect chute will exit towards left side return lanes, it’s critical to see what they do - hit a return lane divider? Drop cleanly into a lane?
Full Rules:
Pretty simple: from the right flipper, shoot the left drop targets all day to score planets until the bonus multiplier is at 5X. One set gives 2X, two gives 3X, four gives 4X, six gives 5X. You get planet value awards along the way, too, 10K the first time and increasing by 5K each time up to 40K for Pluto. Once bonus X is maxed, or at any time earlier when you have the ball cradled and the center spinner is lit, shoot the spinner. At 1000 per spin, it’s worth it, since it also gets the ball up top to do some point damage while there. Your base bonus is built up from various lanes and the star rollovers; don’t worry about actively trying to build it, just keep shooting drops and up top and it will come. The Galaxy Lane at the upper left is generally not worth shooting unless you have most of the Galaxy letters; its value is 2K plus 3K per letter. I do find, though, that it’s often useful to shoot it as a ball control strategy: if you’re unable to get to a cradle and or want to take a brief pause, shooting the galaxy lane gives you a chance to refocus yourself while the ball is in the chute. It usually comes out in a controllable manner, and you can then figure out what you want to do next in a more relaxed manner. The top saucer is mildly useful, so try to Skill Shot into it on the plunge. As for the Galaxy letter lanes, again, mildly useful but not worth actually taking shots at.
via Bob's Guide