Star Gazer is a 1980 pinball table designed by Brian Poklacki and released by Stern Electronics. The gazer in question is a Hot Gypsy Woman who uses her powers of prognostication to guide players to a high score. Hit the lower drop target banks to raise the bonus multiplier, then collect the twelve signs of the Zodiac to advance the Star Bonus and get a chance at the Extra Ball. Collect the various Stars on the playfield to lock the Spinner values, but beware of the semicircle scoops feeding each flipper, as they are capricious and unpredictable.
Star Gazer is considered a classic solid-state game from Stern, with extremely fast action and a challenging set of shots wrapped in a lovely and timeless package. Fewer than 900 tables were made, making this a hard game to find anywhere.
Trivia buffs will note that this is the pinball that appeared in the boys' firehouse loft in the original Ghostbusters.
The Star Gazer pinball demonstrates the following tropes:
- Cow Tools: What does a hula hoop have to do with astrology? Your guess is as good as ours.
- Creepy Crows: An ominous-looking raven sits on the playfield.
- Crystal Ball: The Star Gazer's scrying tool of choice.
- Gotta Catch Them All: The player must hit the targets for all of the signs of the Western Zodiac.
- Fictional Constellations: The playfield is littered with various constellations; simplified versions of the Western Zodiac are mixed with assorted fictional figures, including a beaver, a swan, and a pegasus. (The later two are real non-zodiac constellations, Cygnus and Pegasus, but there’s no constellation of the beaver.)
- Hot Gypsy Woman: Played painfully straight with the Star Gazer; her only significant deviation from the conventional portrayal is her light skin tone.
- Nude-Colored Clothes: The Star Gazer wears a tan-colored bikini top that makes her appear topless at first glance.
- Stripperiffic: Who knew astrology required such scant clothing?
