Reach for the stars — Gottlieb’s Alien Star is an outer-space fantasy solid-state four-player designed by the prolific John Trudeau with art by Larry Day, and with a confirmed run of 1,065 it’s a comparatively scarce early-’80s Gottlieb. An alphanumeric display, a two-ball multiball, and a clean, spinner-driven layout give it a satisfying cosmic character that rewards a player who learns its multiplier tricks.
The strategy is genuinely rewarding. Spelling ALIEN across the right standups arms the lock at the left saucer to begin multiball — the centerpiece of any strong game. The clever wrinkle is the spinner’s role in your scoring: it cycles through the lit playfield multipliers at the left scoop, so when you start multiball the value lands on two-times, three-times, or five-times depending on where things sit, meaning a savvy player times things to maximize the multiplier before the balls fly. The right inlane lights a short-timed spinner for extra points, and spelling both ALIEN and STAR opens up awards at the top lanes, giving you a second objective to weave in alongside the multiball chase.
Alien Star is a smartly designed, slightly under-the-radar Gottlieb that packs real strategic depth into its cosmic package. The interplay between the spinner and the playfield multiplier gives a thoughtful player something to optimize, and the multiball provides the big-scoring payoff. Trudeau’s design instincts and Larry Day’s art make it a handsome, engaging machine that deserves more attention than its modest production numbers might suggest. Spell out ALIEN, time that multiplier, and light the multiball for a cosmic score. It’s a scarce, satisfying star worth reaching for. The galaxy rewards the player who plays the multiplier game.