The "Stars" pinball machine, produced by Stern Electronics in 1978, is notable for its engaging and straightforward gameplay. Designed by Steve Kirk and featuring art by Jorge Obregon, this machine offers players a mix of drop targets and spinners, each increasing in value as targets are hit. Its space-themed playfield requires players to hit five star targets to activate a special mode, enhancing the game's strategic depth. Despite its simplicity compared to modern pinball machines, "Stars" is celebrated for its fast-paced action and skillful shot requirements.
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Quickie Version:
Get all five star standup targets; one will then light red for special - - shoot it! Then right spinner all day. From the right flipper, shoot the drop targets once you’ve collected the star on the left side.
Go-to Flipper:
Balanced
Risk Index:
High
Skillshot(s):
Hit the white or green star target near the top bumper, whichever is not lit. [The game spots you one random star at the beginning of each ball; it will already be lit when you plunge.]
Full Rules:
Settings and game condition matter a lot here! There are three common settings for Stars: no points for specials; 100K for specials, but only one special per ball; and unlimited 100K specials. Which you’re dealing with will determine the best strategy. If unlimited 100K specials are on, getting them outranks everything else on the machine. Get all five stars, then shoot the lit red star as many times as you can before the ball drains; which star is lit will change with switch hits. If specials are on but you can only get one per ball, get that first special. What’s next depends on how good the right spinner is. If you get lots of spins per shot, do right side spinner all day after that special; it will be worth 1000 per spin then, since you have all five stars. If you don’t get many spins, go for the drop targets to build your bonus multiplier and raise the value of the left spinner. If specials are off, or if one or more of the star targets proves difficult to hit or reluctant to register anything but a perfect hit, it’s drop targets all day. Drop target banks raise your bonus multiplier, and the target value goes up once you’ve completed them enough times. Get either three-bank of drop targets to advance your multiplier to 2X; once you have 2X, get both banks for 3X. Bonus is built via the return lanes, star stand-up targets, and the two small button rollovers, one at the machine’s top, the other in the center. Lit bottom lanes award 3 bonus advances instead of just one. Base bonus maxes at 19K for a total max of 57K. The spinners start off worth 200 per spin; the right one goes up 200 per star, so all five stars makes that 1K per spin. The left spinner goes up in value when you complete the drop target banks. Check to see if the center post has been left intact in your game; it may be there with rubber on it, it may be there with no rubber, or it may have been removed. If it’s there with rubber, you may be able to transfer the ball from one flipper to the other by just letting the ball roll down the end of the flipper, bounce off the center post and roll just a bit up onto the opposite flipper.
via Bob's Guide
