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1980

Flight 2000

Quick Overview

Flight 2000 is Stern Electronics' futuristic, space-themed pinball machine from 1980. The massive wide-body playfield and space-age artwork are striking on their own, but the real spectacle begins when the countdown starts. One of the game's central features is a dramatic, multi-stage ball-locking and launch mechanism. The player locks three balls for launch, and after a successful countdown comes BLAST OFF — and three-ball multiball begins. On top of that, Flight 2000 is a historically significant machine: it was Stern Electronics' first pinball machine to use speech.

Flight 2000

Basics

  • Release1980
  • ManufacturerStern Electronics, Inc.
  • DesignerHarry Williams
  • ProgrammingBill Pfutzenreuter
  • ArtDoug Watson, Gerry Simkus
  • SystemStern M-200 MPU
  • GenrePinball
  • ThemeSci-fi / space travel
  • Players1–4
  • FormatWide-body
  • Flippers2
  • Bumpers2
  • Drop targets8
  • Multiball3-ball
  • Speechyes
  • Units produced6,301

Creators

Harry Williams – designerBill Pfutzenreuter – programmingDoug Watson – artGerry Simkus – art

Standout features:

Three-ball lock-and-launch mechanismCountdown sequence and BLAST OFF multiballStern Electronics' first pinball machine with speechEight drop targets

Play It Live!

Get ready for launch! Lock all three balls, start the countdown, and experience BLAST OFF multiball on the 1980 Stern Flight 2000 pinball machine in person at Arcade Museum Budapest.

Insert Coin

Game Objective

Flight 2000's gameplay is built around preparing a rocket for launch. The goal is to complete the BLAST OFF sequence: lock the balls and ultimately trigger three-ball multiball. To do this, the player has to complete various rollovers and targets while building up the countdown. One of the machine's most spectacular features is the ball-lock mechanism in the upper-left of the playfield. Balls are captured there one after another, visibly staged for launch rather than simply hidden away. Once everything is ready, the countdown begins. 5… 4… 3… 2… 1… BLAST OFF! The locked balls are released into play, and three-ball multiball begins.

Fun Facts

  • Flight 2000 was Stern Electronics' first speaking pinball machine.
  • The machine got its own dedicated speech panel and speech chip.
  • Flight 2000 was created by Harry Williams, one of the defining designers in pinball history.
  • The cabinet is wide-body — wider than a standard pinball machine.
  • The machine features three-ball multiball.
  • Its special ball-lock mechanism can hold and stage three balls at once, preparing each one individually for launch.
  • The countdown is tied to a special drop-target mechanism with its own memory.
  • The playfield has eight drop targets in total.
  • The machine uses seven-digit plasma displays, plus a separate display for game status.
  • A center post between the two flippers can also help save the ball.
  • 6,301 units of Flight 2000 were produced.

Why Is It Special?

One of the best things about Flight 2000 is that its theme and its mechanics genuinely work together. It's not just rockets painted on the cabinet. During the game, you're actually preparing a launch: you collect and lock the balls, work through the countdown, and then the machine comes alive. And when BLAST OFF sounds, all three balls enter play. In 1980, this was paired with speech as well — a serious technical spectacle for its time. Flight 2000 is a great example of an era when pinball machines were already electronic, but their biggest attractions still came from real, dramatic mechanical devices. No video. No animation. The machine itself performs the rocket launch.