Reach for stardom — Williams’ Big Star is an electromechanical single-player wrapped in a music-and-singing theme, celebrating the dream of the spotlight, designed by the legendary Steve Kordek with art by the great Christian Marche. With reel scoring and a confirmed run of 1,130, it’s a handsome woodrail-era piece from a genuine master of the craft.
The layout is elegantly focused in the classic EM tradition: two flippers and four pop bumpers. It’s a lean, clean design, and that quartet of pop bumpers is the heart of the game — those four bumpers promise a wildly bouncy, energetic ball that caroms across the playfield, demanding active nudging and quick reflexes to keep in play and rack up points. There are no drop banks or spinners here, just the pure, chiming pleasures of the bumpers and the challenge of keeping the ball alive, the kind of stripped-down, bumper-driven design that captures the elemental fun of the electromechanical age.
Big Star is a fine example of Steve Kordek’s design craft and Marche’s showstopping artwork, pairing an aspirational music theme with a lean, bumper-focused playfield. Kordek was a genuine legend whose innovations echoed across decades of pinball history, and Marche’s illustration brings the star-studded theme to life. For the collector who loves the golden age of EM pinball and its foundational figures, it’s a rewarding find. Ride those four bumpers, keep the ball alive, and reach for stardom. Sometimes the simplest, most elemental machines are the most charming, and this Kordek-and-Marche gem captures the pure bounce of the era. Take the stage and drop a coin.