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Stars


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Stars / IPD No. 2366 / March, 1978 / 4 Players
 
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Average Fun Rating: [ 7 stars - Click for comments ]    7.4/10  (28 ratings/23 comments)        [ Add Your Rating! ]
Manufacturer: Stern Electronics, Incorporated, of Chicago, Illinois,
USA
(1977-1984) [Trade Name: Stern]
Date Of Manufacture: March, 1978
Model Number: 103
MPU: Stern M-100 MPU
Type: Solid State Electronic (SS) [?]
Production: 5,127 units   (confirmed)
Serial Number Database:View at The Internet Pinball Serial Number Database (IPSND.net)  (External site)
Theme: Outer Space - Space Exploration
Notable Features: Flippers (2), Pop bumper (1), Slingshots (2), Standup targets (5), 3-bank drop targets (2), Spinning targets (2), Mini-post screw between flippers.
Design by: Steve Kirk
Art by: Jorge Obregon
Notes: 'Stars' is one of two 4-player games made by Stern Electronics that has a switch setting to convert the game to 2-player operation. This is accomplished by setting CPU Switch 25 to its OFF position. Designer Mike Kubin tells us that there were certain markets that wanted only 2-player games, although he could not recall which countries they were. Because the 3rd and 4th player score displays would be disabled for this, and likely were not even installed, Stern made a special 2-player backglass for these games. We do not know how many games were shipped with the 2-player backglass.

Stern discontinued the 2-player CPU option in subsequent games. The game that preceded this one in production, Stingray, is the other game that had this option, and a 2-player backglass can be seen in that listing.

Interestingly, Service Bulletin #8 states that Switch 27 should be set to ON because when set to OFF it will only put one player up, suggesting trouble-free single-player operation. The game manual lists Switch 27 as Not Used. We don’t know the effect this Switch 27, when set to OFF, has on Switch 25 or on any other game operation.

Stern programmer Alan McNeil told us that the mini-post screw between the flippers was known as a Kirk Post (for designer Steve Kirk).

The Early Production game shown here has a yellow cabinet and uses three bolts, not four, to mount the backbox to the lower cabinet.

Duncan Brown told us that Steve Kirk explained to him that he placed his personal design number on the backglass of every one of his games (in the order in which they were designed). Here are the ones we know:
Stars has SK-1 on the jet wing.
Nine Ball has SK-3 on the wizard’s cap.
Meteor has SK-5 on one of the rockets.
Pinstar's Gamatron has SK-9 on a launching rocket.
The prototype game, Ramp Warrior, has SK-13 on the truck's license plate while the production game, Truck Stop, shows this license plate laying crumpled in the street.
We don't know what games belonged to SK-2, -4, -6, -7, -8, -10, -11, and SK-12.

Manufacturer data for Stars:
Production Start Date: 3/17/78
Production End Date: 6/27/78
Quantity produced: 5127

Photos in: Encyclopedia of Pinball Volume 2External Link, page 218
Pinball 1External Link Illustrated Historical Guide to Pinball Machines Volume 1, page 245
Owners List URL:http://www.pinballowners.com/owners/2366  (External site)
ROMs: 3 KB ZIP Game ROMs [Stern Electronics, Inc.]
  3 KB ZIP PinMAME Romset
Documentation: 2 MB PDF English Manual (with paginated schematics) [Stern Electronics, Inc.]
  180 KB PDF Playfield Parts Diagram
Service Bulletins: 12 MB PDF Service Bulletin #7 - ROM Sets (July 7, 1978) [Stern Electronics. Inc.]
  11 MB PDF Service Bulletin #8 - ROM Sets (October 16, 1978) [Stern Electronics. Inc.]
Multimedia Files: 53 KB WAV Bonus Countdown Sound [Josh Kaplan]
  130 KB WAV Spinner Sound [Josh Kaplan]
Files: 12 MB PDF Engineering Bulletin #9 - Momentary Coil Information Q1 to 14 & Q16 (undated) [Stern Electronics. Inc.]
  2 MB JPG Promotional Photo - Large Size [Stern Electronics. Inc.]
Images:
(click to zoom)
Image # 2247: Stars Backglass
Backglass

511x427
 
Image # 3652: Stars Flyer
Flyer

577x780
 
Image # 5400: Stars Illuminated Backglass
Illuminated Backglass

1024x768
[Tim Maleck]
Image # 5401: Stars Inside Backbox
Inside Backbox

800x600
[Tim Maleck]
Image # 5402: Stars Cabinet - Front
Cabinet - Front

610x631
[Tim Maleck]
Image # 5403: Stars Cabinet - Left
Cabinet - Left

650x768
[Tim Maleck]
Image # 5404: Stars Playfield
Playfield

718x746
[Tim Maleck]
Image # 6685: Stars Backglass
Backglass

720x575
[John Kirby]
Image # 6686: Stars Cabinet - Right
Cabinet - Right

720x540
[John Kirby]
Image # 6687: Stars Playfield
Playfield

720x1234
[John Kirby]
Image # 6688: Stars Under Playfield
Under Playfield

360x720
[John Kirby]
Image # 6689: Stars Lower Playfield
Lower Playfield

720x500
[John Kirby]
Image # 6690: Stars Upper Playfield
Upper Playfield

720x424
[John Kirby]
Image # 20518: Stars Spinner and Lit Inserts
Spinner and Lit Inserts

575x465
[Josh Kaplan]
Image # 20519: Stars Spinner and Inserts
Spinner and Inserts

640x480
[Josh Kaplan]
Image # 20520: Stars Left Spinner Lane
Left Spinner Lane

640x480
[Josh Kaplan]
Image # 20521: Stars Chimes Unit
Chimes Unit

640x480
[Josh Kaplan]
Image # 20522: Stars Backglass - Detail
Backglass - Detail

617x479
[Josh Kaplan]
Image # 62183: Stars Promotional Photo
Promotional Photo

1200x1509
[Duncan Brown]
Image # 78721: Stars Early Production - Illuminated Front View 
(Serial number 1201.)
Early Production - Illuminated Front View*

768x1152
[Gavin Miller]
Image # 78722: Stars Early Production - Illuminated Playfield 
(Serial number 1201.)
Early Production - Illuminated Playfield*

900x1200
[Gavin Miller]
Image # 78723: Stars Early Production - Cabinet - Left 
(Serial number 1201.)
Early Production - Cabinet - Left*

900x1179
[Gavin Miller]
Image # 78724: Stars Early Production - Cabinet - Right 
(Serial number 1201.)
Early Production - Cabinet - Right*

872x900
[Gavin Miller]
Image # 78725: Stars Early Production - Cabinet - Front 
(Serial number 1201.)
Early Production - Cabinet - Front*

1050x900
[Gavin Miller]
Image # 78726: Stars Early Production - Cabinet - Serial Number 
(Serial number 1201.)
Early Production - Cabinet - Serial Number*

1200x756
[Gavin Miller]
Image # 78727: Stars Early Production - Backbox - Serial Number 
(Serial number 1201.)
Early Production - Backbox - Serial Number*

1200x635
[Gavin Miller]
Image # 78728: Stars Early Production - Inside Backbox 
(Serial number 1201.)
Early Production - Inside Backbox*

1075x900
[Gavin Miller]
Image # 78729: Stars Early Production - 3-Bolt Head Mount 
(Serial number 1201.)
Early Production - 3-Bolt Head Mount*

1200x900
[Gavin Miller]
 

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