Click the play button on the video at the right to see and hear a sample of this game being played!
See the Images section below for detailed images of this game.
Game Description:
Meteor was produced after the motion picture of the same name, and was the first game made by Stern Pinball to feature the new SB-300 sound board, which produced advanced sound effects and background sounds during play, which took pinball to a whole new level of excitement. Meteor was also selected for competition play in the National Pinball Tournament during the year it was released, and still remains a favorite among hard-core players and novices alike.
This game was designed by Steve Kirk, who was one of Stern's top designers, and known for his fast, "on your toes" style of pinball play. Meteor also incorporates FIFTEEN drop targets, so there is plenty to shoot for, and no lack of action with it's THREE flippers, bumpers, spinning target, and big point-scoring bonus features.
Game play features an ominous background sound that increases in pitch and frequency as scoring increases. Target and feature sound effects add to the excitement, along with great colors and lighting on the playfield and backglass.
All of these features combine to offer fast, fun play that will take you back to the arcades of years past. Great colors and classic Stern pinball artwork adorn the playfield and backglass and really make for a great, fun, pinball experience- for beginners and experts alike. Enough to really challenge the best of players, but still straightforward enough, and fun, for novice and "newbie" players, too. After a game or two, we think you'll agree!
Solenoid/regulator board has had a new 5-volt filter capacitor installed to smooth-out power and make it healthy and reliable again, and has also had upgrades/modifications done to it to modernize it and help it run better and more reliably. The solenoid/regulator board in this game is also the correct one for Meteor- factory-modified for use in 3- & 4-flipper games.
MPU board is an original and has a brand new remote-mount memory-backup battery kit installed, with quick-disconnect connector. This relocates the batteries from the original on-board mounting position, to an off-board location, and protects the valuable board against battery leakage damage which can occur should the batteries go neglected for a long period of time (a common cause of major problems in many electronic pinball games).
Sound board is present and fully functional with good quality audio- no static, interference, or other problems present.
Score displays are all in great condition with no flickering numbers, missing digits, or any other problems- all bright and vibrant.
Main Cabinet: Main cabinet is also in outstanding condition all around. A few chips and scratches were present when we acquired this game, most of which have been touched-up during the overhaul, however some signs of past handling/use will always be present upon close inspection on this or any other previously-owned vintage game. The back of the main cabinet has been fully repainted in matching semi-gloss black enamel, and new white nylon gliders have been installed to replace worn original gliders. New leg protector pads have been installed under each leg to help protect against wear/tear on the cabinet. Legs have been fully cleaned and have been repainted in matching silver "hammered finish" enamel, to match the factory original color and finish. New leg levelers and nuts have been installed. Cabinet interior has been fully cleaned out, and all wiring and components inside have also been cleaned.
Fuse/rectifier board in the main cabinet has been fully rebuilt including all new male & female connectors (heavy-duty type for added reliability) and all connector pins have had DeoxIt anti-oxidant compound applied to them, which both protects against oxidation and intermittent connection failures, as well as lubricates the connector pins to reduce stress and strain on the connectors and board when connectors are removed/installed for service. Brand new rectifiers have also been installed, including the hard-to-find small 10A type used for BR1 and BR2, and rectifier diodes used for display high voltage. The solenoid rectifier BR3 has been replaced with a heavy-duty 35 amp unit with heat sink for added reliability, and to supply adequate power to the upgraded flipper assemblies without overpowering the circuitry. All fuses have been checked and replaced as needed. We've also installed a brand new fuse and test-point label on top of the fuse/rectifier assembly for easy voltage and fuse value ID.
Coin door has also been overhauled, receiving a brand new fresh coat of silver "hammered finish" enamel, to match the original factory color and finish. Coin mechanisms, wiring, lamp sockets, and switches inside have been gone through and adjusted/repaired as needed and are fully functional. Door includes fully functional 25¢ coin mechanisms, so game can be operated by coins, if desired (game can also be run on "free play" as well).
Custom Modifications:
Remote-mount battery holder for MPU board added in backbox. Includes quick-disconnect for easy MPU board removal from the game, if ever needed.
Solenoid/regulator board upgraded with new heavy-duty 5v filter capacitor and modifications to help board run better and more reliably.
Fuse/rectifier board rebuilt and upgraded with heavy-duty components.
All-new modern flipper assemblies, coils, and flipper bats installed to replace old worn original/obsolete Stern parts. Adds performance, reliability, and makes future maintenance much easier and less costly.
New set of cabinet leg protector pads added under legs to protect game finish from unnecessary scatches and scrapes.
Playfield- overall view. Overhaul complete and fully reassembled.
Detail- lower playfield and score card holder ("apron") area.
Detail- center playfield area. Playfield is really in great condition on this low-mileage game- no common wear spots like most vintage games have.
Detail- upper right playfield area. M-E-T-E-O-R drop targets and decals are brand new parts. 1-2-3 drop targets are original and have been restored, along with a full rebuild of all drop target mechanisms in this game.
Note the brand new white nylon cap nuts that have been installed on the plastics to keep them in place- a nice finishing touch!
Detail- upper left corner area of playfield. All playfield 'flat plastics' are original to this game and in great condition, with exception of top left piece which has upper left corner cracked off/missing (not easily seen in this picture- solid black area so it is not obvious). A scratch in front of the 'O' drop target, caused by a previous owner, was touched-up during the reconditioning process.
Bumper caps seen here are all brand new parts, with none of the common cracks, chips, burn marks etc. that original used parts typically have- a nice finishing touch.
Under-playfield view- overall. Note the cleanliness of the underside of the playfield- everything on this side of the playfield, too, has been overhauled and reconditioned as well.
Note the brand new upgraded flipper assemblies. Modern Bally/Williams flipper assemblies were installed in this game to replace the old obsolete Stern mechanisms which are no longer servicable due to parts inavailability. These new Bally/Williams units are inexpensive, reliable, work great, and are easy to maintain and service should they ever need it.
Under-playfield view. Slingshot bumpers mechanisms seen here. We have rebuilt these units with a combination of modern Stern Pinball and Williams parts, as the old original Stern parts were worn out and not repairable, or available as new parts. These new units work better, are more reliable, and are easy to maintain and service.
The "1" and "3" drop target bank units are seen here, and along with all other drop targets on this game, have been fully overhauled and rebuilt to look and work like new again!
Under-playfield view. Upper drop target units, pop bumper, and upper flipper mechanism seen here.
Cabinet/Backbox:
Thumbnail (Click for larger view)
Description
Overall view.
Cabinet- left side. Some small nicks/scratches were present on the cabinet sides, most of which were touched-up during the overhaul. As with any previously-owned game, some signs of past use will still be visible on this game upon close inspection.
Metal cabinet side-rails and front lockdown bar have been cleaned/polished for a nice clean, smooth finish. Flipper buttons and button housings are brand new parts. Legs have been stripped, cleaned, and repainted with matching hammered-finish silver enamel, to match original factory finish. Note new cabinet leg protector pads installed behind legs.
Cabinet- right side. Some nicks/scratches from past use are/were also present on this side of cabinet, most of which have been touched up so they are not obvious. A few signs of past use are still present.
Main cabinet- front, and coin door. Coin door has been fully removed, disassembled, parts cleaned, and entire front of door and door frame parts have been repainted with matching hammered-finish silver enamel, to match factory finish. Carriage bolts that hold door frame to cabinet have been cleaned and polished before being reinstalled.
Coin door tags are original parts and in great shape with no cracks or breaks. Door once again has a like-new look and is clean inside and out. Door has fully working 25¢ coin mechanisms, so game can be run on coins if desired (can also be set up for "free play"). A new lock and keys have been installed, along with a brand new round credit button decal.
Some small nicks, scratches, and scuffs are/were present on the surrounding area of the cabinet front, most of which were touched-up during the reconditioning so they are not as obvious. Some signs of past use are still present on this previously-used game.
Main cabinet interior. Interior has been fully cleaned and washed out, removing any dust and debris from past use. All wiring and parts inside cabinet have been cleaned up as well. Lockdown bar latch at front of cabinet has been removed, cleaned, and repainted for fresh clean look. Game manual and schematics (wiring diagrams) included with game (not pictured).
Power supply unit in main cabinet has also been fully reconditioned and upgraded, including removal and refinishing of wood mounting panel, and full rebuild of fuse/rectifier board and wiring/connectors. New heavy-duty connector pins, headers, and connector housings were used during the rebuilding of this board, and new components were installed including diodes, rectifiers, and a heavy-duty rectifier with heat-sink for the solenoid power supply circuit. A new fuse panel decal was installed on top of the unit which helps quickly I.D. voltage test points and fuse values for troubleshooting/replacement.
Another view of cabinet interior.
Backbox- left & front sides. Front "surround" on the backbox has been repainted in matching black gloss enamel for a fresh, clean look. Some very minor touch-up has been done on the sides to fix a few very small nicks from past use.
Backbox- right side. A few nicks have been touched up on this side as well, and a brand new lock & key has also been installed for the backbox.
Back side of game. Rear of main cabinet has been reconditioned and repainted in matching black enamel paint. "Neck" that supports backbox has been repainted in gloss red to match original design.
Brand new white nylon gliders have been installed on cabinet back to replace worn originals. And new leg protector pads have been installed behind all legs to protect cabinet finish.
Backbox insert panel. All light bulbs have been cleaned or replaced as required. New blinking #455 bulbs have been installed along top of panel, to add some lighting animation to the game's title on the backglass while game is running (these bulbs appear off in this shot). All score displays are original units in great condition- bright crisp numbers with no flickering or burned-out segments.
Rear side of backglass. Backglass in this game is original and in great condition- honestly the nicest one we've ever seen in a Meteor game. Only a few small superficial scuffs are present between the #2 and #3 score displays, from handling/use over the years. Otherwise in great shape!
Backbox interior. All circuit boards have been removed and had solder reflowed on the backs of all connector pins. This repairs cracks in the original solder joints which can cause intermittent connections and operation failures. All connector pins have also had DeoxIt anti-oxidant compound applied to them which not only helps prevent oxidation problems that cause bad connections, but lubricates the connector pins and makes removal/installation of connectors much easier, and helps cut down on stress/strain on connectors and the PC boards themselves.
Solenoid/regulator board has had modification upgrades done to it to help it run more efficiently, and also has had a new 5-volt filter capacitor installed to smooth out power and make it run more reliably. A new clear plexiglass protector has been installed over the display high voltage regulator section for protection and good looks.
MPU board has had a new remote-mount memory backup battery kit installed (retains high scores & settings when power is off). This setup gets the batteries off the valuable MPU board so that they won't damage the board if they go neglected and leak (a very common problem in most original pinball games, due to neglect).
All score displays have been removed, cleaned, and had solder reflowed on the backs of all connector pins to repair hairline cracks and intermittent connections caused by vibrations and old age.
All of this work helps improve the health of the circuit boards, displays, and power supply circuits, and helps eliminate common issues that many of these games have when they are original/untouched, including mid-game reset issues and game "lock ups". Most original/untouched vintage games will suffer from these symptoms, but the new parts and modifications we do as part of our overhaul on these classic games helps eliminate these pesky issues.
Like all pinballs we sell, this machine also comes complete with instruction/operation manual and schematics, and fully functional coin door with all parts present and working. For our local customers, this game also includes a full warranty on parts and labor, at no additional charge. For out-of-town customers, we offer our limited warranty.
Pickup is available at our shop, or shipping/delivery are available at additional charge.
Pinball Machines for Sale
Game Video: