Moon Mine

Moon Mine is a space-exploration-themed, solid-state electronic (SS) whitewood prototype designed by John Trudeau for Mylstar Electronics, Incorporated (operating under the Gottlieb trade name, 1983-1984). It was never placed into production, and the playfield was later stripped and no longer exists.

By Trudeau's own account, the game invited players to "get down to the mining level to dig up all the points," though budget constraints meant it stayed a single-level design rather than the true two-level game he had hoped for. The ball could travel down through a hole on the left side, then return either by shooting a ramp on the right side of the lower level, or, if lost, via the outhole kicker sending it back up the same path. The machine featured four flippers, five pop bumpers, four 4-bank drop targets, six stand-up targets, and a roll-under spinner.

While it never reached the market, Moon Mine reflects the budget-conscious, iterative approach Gottlieb's designers took when repeatedly reaching for -- and often being denied the resources for -- more ambitious multi-level playfields during this period.