Lights, camera, stardom — Gottlieb’s Brite Star is an electromechanical two-player wrapped in a show-business theme, and it comes from the legendary team of designer Wayne Neyens and artist Roy Parker, one of the most beloved creative partnerships of pinball’s golden woodrail age. With reel scoring and a scarce confirmed run of just 800, it’s an uncommon and charming early Gottlieb.
The layout is a solid, engaging spread with a distinctive quirk: two flippers, a generous four pop bumpers, a pair of slingshots, three roto-targets, and — the standout feature — left and right triple outlanes, an unusual configuration that ups the drain danger and demands a careful, alert player. Those three roto-targets, the spinning drum targets, add unique mechanical variety, while the four pop bumpers keep the ball lively up top. That triple-outlane setup on each side is a genuinely distinctive bit of design, raising the stakes on ball control and rewarding a player who keeps a sharp eye on the drains, all in service of the glitzy show-business theme.
Brite Star is a lovely showcase of the celebrated Neyens-and-Parker team’s craft, pairing a glamorous show-business theme with a satisfying, roto-target-driven playfield and Parker’s warm artwork. With only 800 built, it’s a scarce find, and those triple outlanes make it a genuinely challenging and distinctive play. For the collector who loves the golden age of EM pinball and its greatest creative teams, it’s a rewarding find. Work those roto-targets, ride the four bumpers, and mind those triple outlanes. Some machines are treasured for their rarity and their legendary makers alike, and this Gottlieb show-biz gem is one of them. Reach for stardom and drop a coin.