Planets

Planets, designed by Steve Kordek and manufactured by Williams Electronics in 1971, is a widebody electro-mechanical pinball machine with an astrology theme. It features four flippers, four slingshots, eight hanging targets, two stop magnets, rollover buttons, and a spinning post, creating a rich and dynamic playfield.

Planets' unique features include a center ball shooter that can be activated by pressing a button on the lockdown bar, eliminating the need for a traditional oscillating shooter. When players hit either the sun or moon target, a magnet freezes the ball in front of the hit target until bonus points are counted down. The machine's sound design is simple, featuring a single bell and knocker to emphasize key events.

The game's backglass features an astrological theme, complete with "cufflinks" monogrammed with the initials "N.C." and "S.K.", likely referencing Norm Clark and Steve Kordek. Notably, Planets is closely related to Williams' 1971 Zodiac; some evidence suggests Planets units were converted from Zodiac production, with the replay mechanism disabled and the backglass swapped to create an add-a-ball game, sharing the same model number as Zodiac.