Stars

'Stars' is a 1978 solid-state pinball machine from Stern Electronics, designed by Steve Kirk with artwork by Jorge Obregon. Released as the industry was well into its transition to solid-state electronics, Stars was a commercially successful title for Stern, with over 5,100 units produced.

Gameplay on Stars is built around two flippers and an array of targets, including five standup targets, two 3-bank drop targets, and two spinning targets, plus one pop bumper and two slingshots. A distinctive 'Kirk Post' — a mini-post screw between the flippers named for designer Steve Kirk — adds an extra obstacle for players to navigate. Stars is also notable as one of only two four-player Stern games (along with Stingray) that could be switched to two-player operation via a CPU dip switch, a feature aimed at certain export markets.

The outer-space exploration theme is brought to life through bold, retro-futuristic artwork. As an early Stern Electronics title with strong sales and several documented design quirks, Stars remains a well-regarded piece of late-1970s solid-state pinball history.