Star-Jet

The Star-Jet, designed by Ted Zale with art by George Molentin and manufactured by Bally in December 1963, is a notable electro-mechanical machine with an outer-space fantasy theme. It holds a genuine claim to fame: it is the first pinball machine to feature 3-ball multiball, though the term "multiball" was not yet in use — Bally's flyer instead touted it as the "sensational new Blast-Off extra balls feature."

Gameplay-wise, the Star-Jet features two flippers, three pop bumpers, two passive bumpers, two slingshots, and five standup targets. Its signature mechanism uses two numbered kick-out holes: balls landing there remain locked until a ball hits the correspondingly numbered "Trigger" target, releasing them into play together. Unreleased, locked balls even carry over from player to player and game to game, adding an unusual layer of strategy. The machine's maximum displayed score is 1,999 points per player, and its replay wheel maxes out at 25.

The Star-Jet also debuted Bally's new universal transformer and motor, which worked on both domestic and export machines, eliminating the need for separate motor versions — a manufacturing innovation first used on Bally's earlier 1963 release, Hootenanny. With 1,050 confirmed units produced, the Star-Jet stands as a genuine pioneer of pinball's multiball concept, decades before the feature became a genre staple.