Stardust

Stardust, manufactured by United Manufacturing Company in 1956, is a Bingo-style electro-mechanical pinball machine. Bingo machines were a distinct category of coin-operated game popular in this era, blending pinball mechanics with a card-matching, gambling-adjacent style of play, and Stardust's presence in collections today is a testament to its place in that history.

One of the standout features of Stardust is its extensive use of trap holes - a total of 27 were incorporated into the design. Rather than using flippers, players launch balls via plunger, with the ball settling into trap holes that correspond to positions on two playing cards; a Double Roto mechanism adds further complexity, and a strong result can award up to 8 balls on the next game. This combination of chance and card-matching made Stardust a popular style of game in its day.

Unfortunately, there is limited information available about the machine's design, art, or theme. It appears that United Manufacturing Company did not release official documentation or promotional materials for Stardust, leaving many aspects of its creation shrouded in mystery. As such, enthusiasts will need to rely on close observation and empirical study to uncover more about this intriguing EM pinball machine.