Space Riders

Space Riders is a 1978 release from Atari, designed by Gary Slater with art by Gjalt Vanderwyk and George Opperman, and sound/software by Eugene Jarvis. As a Solid State Electronic (SS) widebody machine, it reflects Atari's pinball output during the late 1970s.

The game's futuristic travel and motorcycle theme is brought to life through its gameplay features. Two flippers let players navigate a playfield with seven star rollovers, three solitary drop targets that each protect a messenger ball, three stand-up targets, two kick-out holes, and two spinning targets. Two slingshots add further challenge, and dual inlanes route balls back into play.

One distinctive detail is that Space Riders displays player scores on a playfield card holder rather than in the backbox, a design choice that sets it apart from most contemporaneous machines. Combined with its futuristic theme and array of targets, Space Riders stands as a notable example of Atari's approach to pinball design in the late 1970s.