Starting this thread for all of us to express our love for that Gottlieb swan song that was Stargate. Let's post stories, pictures, mods, resources and anything else we can think of related to this great pin!

Stargate was the first pin I ever purchased earlier this year. This was a favorite of mine back in college and I always liked how different it played from all the Bally/Williams/Data East/Sega pins. It always felt very mysterious and definitely more serious than other pins I played. For some reason, it always kept drawing me back for more. The first time I saw the pyramid open was epic and the mechanics of the Horus guards were something I had never seen before (or since). I liked how deep the game was and always wanted to own one. That time was this year when I decided to finally do it and don't regret it one bit. I think the gameplay is even better in a home environment.

Nice work on that restoration! Both of my machines (Stargate and LOTR) were player's machines I got for a great price, but do need some tlc. Luckily, both of the playfields are in great shape with little to no signs of wear. Stargate was a re-import and I would eventually like to replace the coin doors. Unfortunately, the cab decals are wrinkled on the left side and the front. The sides of the backbox and right side are perfect. Luckily, the decals are mostly black, so it is not very noticeable.

Anyone know a good way to polish the pyramid? Any known mods (other than LED's)? I think it is hard to do some, as there is not much space, but would like to see what others have done.

Marlboroa - nice collection, by the way. Do you ever make it to any of the DFW pinball events?

Pretty exciting! Let us know once you get it.

Oh, I see the Neo-Geos in the background. Nice choice! I have a 4-slot one (minus the side art), although I'm considering selling it, as I don't have room for it and my New Net City.

I'll have to agree with you on the multiballs for SG. I love the fact that you only start with 2 and have to earn additional ones by hitting the jackpots. I've always felt that this machine attracts novice players with the multiballs. However, that also seems to be a turn-off to some of the more seasoned pros, who feel that is all the game is about. You definitely have to spend some time figuring out the rules, as there is a LOT do do in this game!

You should listen to your second throughts! A lot of people that sell their Stargate end up missing the game, as it really does not have any other games that play similarly to it. I know a guy in Austin who sold his twice and bought it again for a third time!

Thanks for the info on polishing the pyramid. I'll leave it alone, as it still looks good. I still have not made it to any local events in DFW. I know pinside member Bakushan has taken the lead in organizing a few of them. I'm really looking forward to the expo in Frisco, TX on March.

That is one thing I love about it. The fact that you can "gamble" and pass up on some things to collect more quartz and go for light extra ball, Sandstorm, 50 million points, or advancing jackpots. I love going for the 50M points or extra ball, as those are relatively easy to attain.

Well, don't forget the speaker covers, backbox, etc. Nowadays, you have to do custom mods to have any speaker covers on your games. As for the backbox, I don't think I've ever seen another light show on the backbox like the one on Stargate.

My only gripe regarding the art package has always been the glider toy. I feel like it should have had more detail/better paint job. Compared to the Horus guards (which are absolutely amazing, by the way - I actually had to touch them to be convinced they weren't metal), the glider toy did not get as good of a paint job. I'm seriously considering making that a mod. I want to repaint it, but not a single color. I want to give it much more detail, so I'll probably be looking for some models of the glidercraft from the movie and see what I can come up with. I'll post my progress here as I do this.

Welcome aboard! It is definitely one of the best bang for your buck games. Sadly, I used to feel that it would climb the rankings, but I only see it dropping on both Pinside and IPDB recently. We have to get more pinheads to try it, and help them with the rules when they do. It really is a machine that needs the rules to be understood to be fully appreciated. I really do feel that if you've seen the movie, it all makes sense (save Sari, quartz trading, transporter, rebellion, etc). I can see how people that have never seen the movie would be confused by what to do and objectives progression.

Here is what we got for a glider toy:

stargate_glider.png

Wouldn't it be great if something this detailed came out of the pyramid?

SG Model.jpg

I don't know if it is the mechanics of the game or the layout, but it really does feel so different. I love the fact that they went with something other than the recycled fan layout. So many games have used that layout, that it really does feel tired. Sometimes I feel that Gottlieb gave the Stargate design team similar freedom to what Lawlor had with TZ. That is why it had so many features that would be considered LE extras by today's standards.

Congrats! It seems like I get my best scores if I do well on both Battle and Rebellion modes. There is nothing better than the feeling of nailing all those alternating shots in battle mode!

Interesting tidbit for you Stargate lovers out there. Stargate designer Ray Tanzer also designed the following Gottlieb/Premier games: Bone Busters Inc., Class of 1812, Super Mario Bros., Street Fighter II, Waterworld, Tee'd Off, Wipeout, Strikes 'n Spares, and Freddy Nightmare on Elm Street.

After that, he went over to Stern pinball where he did the mechanics for LOTR, TSPP, POTC, and T3. As you can see, he worked on some very innovative pins as far as mechanics. As you can also tell, some of these are also considered some of the deepest games out there (LOTR, TSPP, and Stargate).

Where is Ray Tanzer now? He left Stern to become the VP of Manufacturing and Engineering for Namco of America.

That is awesome! Did you actually go meet him, or just on the phone? I would have loved to hear some stories from his Gottlieb years!

I have never seen a Waterworld or Freddy in the wild and I would definitely like to play both. From seeing some gameplay videos, the multiball, revolving ship, and hex VUK in Waterworld look like fun features.

Try The Pinball Resource, as they are the authorized dealer for Gottlieb parts (http://www.pbresource.com/). Try giving them a call if you don't find what you need on their website, as I have heard that they have more parts not listed there. I have not tried them myself, but everyone says they are the best place for Gottliebs.

Anyone want to share their scoring tips for Stargate? The only one I've heard that has been useful for me is shooting the left horus guard repeatedly to advance the horus bonus before going into battle mode. Any other good scoring techniques? Is it worth trading quartz to advance the Super Jackpot award, or should I save my quartz and just advance it off the transporter award? I usually only trade my quartz for Flash Extra Ball, 50 Million points (I always say no to the 10 mil), or Sandstorm. I'd love to hear what works best for all of you.

Let us know how it works out. Sounds like you're doing a whole lot of work!