Mars Trek, a 1977 electromechanical from the Spanish manufacturer Sonic, blasts off into the outer-space themes that captivated the era, and it does so with a layout that’s a little more ambitious than most. Sonic was among Spain’s notable coin-op makers, and Mars Trek shows real flair — a three-flipper field with twin spinners and a sweeping horseshoe lane, all in service of a satisfying bonus-building loop.
The scoring philosophy is right there in the best advice for the game: build your bonus. The left orbit rollover, the top hole, and the loop behind the spinners all stack it up, with as much as 200,000 on offer when you double it by lighting the E and K targets through the inlanes or the center standup. Once the spinners are lit, ripping them rapidly boosts your score in a hurry. There’s a wrinkle worth knowing, too: even with double bonus lit, the right saucer only pays single bonus, so a savvy player plans the collection carefully.
Distinctive, fast, and a step deeper than many of its contemporaries, Mars Trek is a great pick for collectors who enjoy exploring European pinball beyond the big American names. With its space-age theme and rewarding bonus play, it’s a characterful and engaging late-70s Sonic classic.