Stardust

Stardust, released by Stern Electronics in 1971, emerged during a transformative period in pinball history when space and cosmic themes were particularly popular due to the ongoing Space Race and recent Moon landing. The machine captured the public's imagination with its stellar artwork and space-age aesthetic that was characteristic of early 1970s design.

The playfield layout featured a classic fan-style arrangement of targets and bumpers, decorated with cosmic imagery including stars, planets, and ethereal space scenes. As an electro-mechanical machine, it utilized relay-based scoring and chimes that created the distinctive sounds that pinball enthusiasts associate with this golden era of pinball manufacturing. The backglass artwork typically displayed a cosmic scene with dramatic lighting effects and bold typography characteristic of the period.

While not as widely known as some other machines of its era, Stardust represented the continuing evolution of pinball design during the early 1970s, bridging the gap between the simpler games of the 1960s and the more complex solid-state machines that would emerge later in the decade. The machine's release coincided with a period when pinball was still a dominant form of commercial entertainment, particularly in arcades, bars, and other public venues.