Star Trek (1979 pinball)
| Industry | Pinball machines |
|---|---|
| Products | Pinball machines, including Star Trek (1979) |
Star Trek is a pinball machine released in 1979 by Bally, developed under license from Paramount Pictures. It holds the distinction of being the inaugural pinball game inspired by the Star Trek franchise. Later versions bearing the same title were introduced by Data East in 1991 and Stern Pinball in 2013. It is important to note that a 1971 Gottlieb machine named Star Trek existed but had no connection to the franchise.
The production launch was publicly announced on April 15, 1979.
Design
Initially, the backglass artwork showcased the Enterprise crew donning their original series uniforms; however, this was revised to single-color costumes to coincide with the debut of Star Trek: The Motion Picture. The backglass displays characters Kirk, Spock, McCoy, Uhura, alongside four Klingon D7-class vessels. Despite updates, some design elements remained inconsistent, such as retaining fonts from the original television series rather than those from the film.
The gameplay incorporates two flippers and features three pop bumpers, a kick-out hole, a set of four drop targets arranged in a bank, plus three stand-up targets. Players are tasked with spelling out B-A-L-L-Y by striking designated targets.
Significantly, this machine ranks among the earliest pinball tables to include an attract mode, where the B-A-L-L-Y letters and related lights perform a 20-step animated sequence across the playfield.
Star Ship
The game Star Ship was designed by Bally’s Greg Kmiec, who also developed early licensed titles such as Wizard and Capt. Fantastic, both influenced by Tommy. Although its backglass art resembled the Enterprise, this design was ultimately not produced under the Star Trek license. Instead, it was rebranded as Supersonic, featuring artwork inspired by the Concorde aircraft.
Reception
Roger Sharpe awarded the machine a 3.5 out of 4 rating in Play Meter, commending its visual design and engaging gameplay mechanics.
In July 1979, Starlog provided brief coverage of the game and hosted a contest in their subsequent Star Trek special edition inviting readers to create backglass designs for a chance to win a Bally Star Trek pinball machine.
Legacy
Bally went on to produce three more pinball tables licensed under the Star Trek brand, including Star Trek: The Next Generation released in 1993.
This original table also made an appearance in Rammstein’s 2004 music video for "Amerika," where the band is depicted playing it on a lunar surface.