#88 Stern Stars - The Classic Pinball Podcast

PodcastJul 26, 2022By George

The Classic Pinball Podcast

1 hr 16 min

Summary

John Day showcases a radical Arduino-modded 1978 Stern Stars with custom playfield and modernized ruleset/sound.

George, Dave, and John Day discuss a deeply customized 1978 Stern Stars pinball machine that John restored for Mike. The restoration involved a custom silk-screened playfield from Beehive Pinball (featuring reimagined artwork blending Galaxy, Stars, and other classic Stern designs), upgraded flipper mechanics, and crucially, a Ballystern OS Arduino-based control system that replaces the original MPU with modern code, sound synthesis, and dynamic lighting: transforming the game from early solid-state to mid-1980s complexity. The episode documents the technical implementation, gameplay improvements, and the broader community of Arduino conversions for classic games.

From the creator

This episode features John Day, a friend and local restorer who built a customized Stern Stars. We talk about the installed arduino and Beehive Pinball alternative playfield. They then play a game. The second part of todays podcast starts at 38 minutes. George and Dave then discuss several topics: Stranger Things repair, Queen, Twilight Zone and Medieval Madness repairs.