Stern Electronics’ Meteor, released in 1979 and designed by Steve Kirk, captured the late-70s craze for science-fiction disaster cinema in one of the company’s biggest early hits. A fast three-flipper machine with multiple drop-target banks — including a six-bank with memory — and a lively spinner, it sold in strong numbers and remains a fondly remembered cornerstone of classic Stern solid-state design.

The scoring is built around the spinner and the bonus. The pro move is to complete as many METEOR drop targets as possible without finishing the word, which lights the spinner for huge points — and the value peaks when only a single middle letter remains standing. The first three drop banks build your “rockets,” which serve as your bonus, paying off enormously once the multiplier is stacked, and that bonus multiplier carries over ball to ball. A handy era-specific trick: aim for the edges of the drop banks, since Stern targets of this vintage can often be swept down all at once with a well-placed shot from the side.

Brisk, punchy, and riding a perfectly-timed sci-fi theme, Meteor is a defining early Stern machine and a favorite among classic-solid-state collectors. For players who love a great spinner game and the satisfying clatter of memory drop targets, it’s an essential slice of 1979 that still streaks across the playfield with real speed.