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Date	*Name (Click to display that game)*	MFG	Type	Prod.	Pl.	Model	Pics	Rating
1987-05	Laser War	Data East	SS	2,569	4p	500-5501-01	18	7.8
1986-07	Road Kings	Williams	SS	5,500	4p	542	25	7.5
1994-01	The Who's Tommy Pinball Wizard	Data East	SS	4,700	4p	500-5528-01	81	8.0

Laser War / IPD No. 1415 / May, 1987 / 4 Players

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Average Fun Rating:

7.8/10 (51 ratings/40 comments) [ Add Your Rating! ]

Manufacturer:

Data East Pinball, Incorporated (1986-1994)

Date Of Manufacture:

May, 1987

Model Number:

500-5501-01

MPU:

DataEast/Sega Version 1

Type:

Solid State Electronic (SS)

Production:

2,569 units (confirmed)

Serial Number Database:

View at The Internet Pinball Serial Number Database (IPSND.net) (External site)

Theme:

Fantasy

Notable Features:

Flippers (2), Pop bumpers (3), Spinning targets (2), Kick-out holes (3), Ramp (1), Left outlane kickback. 2- and 3-ball multi-ball, lane-change, digital music and speech, Stereo 2.1 channel sound system. The first and second player displays are 7-digit-alphanumeric.

Toys:

Laser-gun turret above ramp with internal light show.

Design by:

Joe Kaminkow

Art by:

Margaret Hudson, Kevin O'Connor

Music by:

David Thiel

Sound by:

David Thiel

Software by:

Lonnie D. Ropp, Richard Ditton

Notes:

First machine from this manufacturer. First pinball machine from any manufacturer to feature stereo sound and 2.1 channel (stereo plus subwoofer) sound.

Joe Kaminkow explained at the Chicago Expo 2012 that he and Gary Stern made this game using parts from Williams' 1986 'Road Kings' and that it was designed on Thanksgiving Day 1986 (November 27, 1986).

We previously listed the Manufacture Date as March, 1987.
This game was produced from May 1987 to February 1988.

The manufacturer flyer shows a trapezoidal backbox topper with a spinning LED board to create an optical effect during game play. Joe Kaminkow told us that the light itself came in a square black box, approximately 12 by 12 inches (sold as the Lyte Sound Visualizer manufactured by Clyde Industries America Inc.). Data East added a custom trapezoidal housing around it for mounting on the backbox using screws and connected it to the sound board. Joe said the topper was too expensive and was discontinued during the production run of this game. He guessed about 500 of the earliest machines came with this topper. In this listing we link to a video of this topper reacting to the sounds of game play.

If anyone has a Laser War with this factory-installed backbox topper (not retro-fitted), please contact us with your photographs.

Photos in:

Pinball Trader, Vol 2 No. 1, September-October 1987, page 7
Mike Pacak's Pinball Flyer Reference Book G-R

Owners List URL:

http://www.pinballowners.com/owners/1415 (External site)

Additional Media:

Backbox Topper During Game Play (at YouTube) [01:28] (External site)

ROMs:

126 KB

ZIP

PinMAME Romset (8.3)

19 KB

ZIP

ROMs V E09.0

[Data East Pinball, Inc.]

126 KB

ZIP

ROMs V1.00

Documentation:

11 MB

PDF

English Instruction Manual (with paginated schematics, better resolution)

[Data East Pinball, Inc.]

7 MB

PDF

English Instruction Manual (with paginated schematics, some blur, right half missing for page 32)

[Data East Pinball, Inc.]

83 KB

PDF

Instruction Cards

[Data East Pinball, Inc.]

3 MB

PDF

Settings and Operations Manual (German)

[Stella Electronic Spielgerate GmbH]

Files:

82 KB

PDF

Instruction Card

[Data East (Stern)]

Images:
(click to zoom)

Backglass 398x433	Playfield 354x538 [Russ Jensen]	Flyer, Front 602x787	Flyer, Back 596x721	Cabinet - Front View 864x1152 [Mike Messersmith]
Backglass 400x300	Backglass - Reverse 400x300	Playfield 1024x1365 [Stefan Ordelman]	Upper Playfield 1024x768 [Stefan Ordelman]	Lower Playfield 1024x768 [Stefan Ordelman]
Under Playfield 960x1280 [Daniel Alvarez]	Whitewood Playfield* 821x1600 [Joel Shprentz]	Backglass 1024x726 [Jean-Pierre Renault]	Backbox - Left 622x1600 [Jean-Pierre Renault]	Cabinet - Left 1024x459 [Jean-Pierre Renault]
Cabinet - Front 1024x696 [Jean-Pierre Renault]	Cabinet - Front View 748x1600 [Jean-Pierre Renault]	Illuminated Backglass 1200x853 [Jean-Pierre Renault]

Road Kings / IPD No. 1970 / July, 1986 / 4 Players

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Average Fun Rating:

7.5/10 (42 ratings/34 comments) [ Add Your Rating! ]

Manufacturer:

Williams Electronics Games, Incorporated, a subsidiary of WMS Ind.,
Incorporated (1985-1999) [Trade Name: Williams]

Date Of Manufacture:

July, 1986

Model Number:

542

Common Abbreviations:

MPU:

Williams System 11

Type:

Solid State Electronic (SS)

Production:

5,500 units (confirmed)

Serial Number Database:

View at The Internet Pinball Serial Number Database (IPSND.net) (External site)

Theme:

Apocalyptic - Motorcycles

Notable Features:

Flippers (2), Pop bumpers (4), Kick-out holes (3), Drop target (1), Multi-ball. Entrance to center ramp is blocked by the drop target. Once drop target is lowered, the ball reaches the center ramp by looping upwards along a track to a simple redirect mechanism that routes the ball alternately to the center-left or center-right ramp outlets. Upper ramp lowers to allow ball to access it and reach a kick-out hole. When ball is locked in kick-out hole, this ramp elevates to allow ball to roll underneath it to reach the first switch in the mega-score switch series.

Design by:

Mark Ritchie

Art by:

Tim Elliott

Music by:

Bill Parod, Chris Granner

Software by:

George Petro

Notes:

According to The Pinball Compendium 1982 to Present, this game started out with three other names and two other themes, as "Samurai", "High Noon", and "Gunslinger". Designer Mark Ritchie chose a new theme based on the "Mad Max" movies of the preceding years.

The playfield will show the left inlane insert is #4 and the right inlane insert is #3, or it will show the left insert is #3 and the right insert is #4. We don't know the reason for this difference, but we note the lamp and switch matrix tables on pages 24 and 26 of the Manual in our Files Section have apparently been superceded by an unnumbered page at the end of that manual where the two tables are repeated, except the asmts for #3 and #4 have traded places.

'Road Kings' is one of three Williams games that went into production using System 11. All three games have incorrect schematics showing the same error by depicting placement of the flipper end-of-stroke switch on the wrong side of the coil. As far as we know, all games left the factory correctly wired for EOS. Only the schematics were incorrect. No Manual Amendments or Service Bulletins have been found that acknowledge or correct this error. For a correct drawing of EOSS placement, consult the schematic for Williams' 1986 'PIN�BOT' or subsequent Williams games.

Marketing Slogans:

"Burnin' up the charts!"

Photos in:

Pinball Memories External Link

, pages 164-168
Pinball: The Lure of the Silverball External Link

, page 89
The Pinball Compendium 1982 to Present External Link

, pages 76-77
The Complete Pinball Book External Link

, page 32
Mike Pacak's Pinball Flyer Reference Book G-R

Owners List URL:

http://www.pinballowners.com/owners/1970 (External site)

ROMs:

140 KB

ZIP

Game ROM L-4

[Williams Electronic Games, Inc.]

Documentation:

5 MB

PDF

English Manual (with paginated schematics and lamp/switch tables supplement)

[Williams Electronic Games]

Images:
(click to zoom)

Backglass 416x429	Playfield 408x544 [Russ Jensen]	Flyer, Front 879x1141	Flyer, Page 2 879x1141	Flyer, Page 3 879x1141
Flyer, Back 879x1141	Illuminated Backglass 1024x870 [Christopher Wolf]	Illuminated Playfield 1024x1365 [Christopher Wolf]	Playfield 480x640 [John Gray]	Upper Playfield 640x480 [John Gray]
Lower Playfield 640x480 [John Gray]	Instruction Card 640x480 [John Gray]	Cabinet - Left 640x480 [John Gray]	Cabinet - Right 640x480 [John Gray]	Backbox - Left 453x640 [John Gray]
Backbox - Right 436x625 [John Gray]	Under Upper Playfield 480x640 [John Gray]	Under Lower Playfield 640x480 [John Gray]	Inside Cabinet 480x640 [John Gray]	Inside Backbox 640x480 [John Gray]
Backbox Insert - Reverse 612x480 [John Gray]	Backbox Insert - Front 629x480 [John Gray]	Backglass - Reverse 494x471 [John Gray]	Cabinet - Full View 425x596 [John Gray]	Cabinet - Front 1030x899 [Jason McNally]

The Who's Tommy Pinball Wizard / IPD No. 2579 / January 08, 1994 / 4 Players

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Average Fun Rating:

8.0/10 (109 ratings/67 comments) [ Add Your Rating! ]

Manufacturer:

Data East Pinball, Incorporated (1986-1994)

Date Of Manufacture:

January 08, 1994

Model Number:

500-5528-01

MPU:

DataEast/Sega Version 3

Type:

Solid State Electronic (SS)

Production:

4,700 units (confirmed)

Serial Number Database:

View at The Internet Pinball Serial Number Database (IPSND.net) (External site)

Theme:

Celebrities - Fictional - Licensed Theme - Musical

Notable Features:

Flippers (3), Pop bumpers (3), Multiball (6). Flipper blinders extend from under metal apron to cover flipper area from player's view. Unlimited buy-in balls per player (operator option).

Toys:

Captain Walker's airplane, Raising/Lowering mirror.

Design by:

Joe Kaminkow, Ed Cebula, Lonnie D. Ropp, Lyman F. Sheats Jr.

Art by:

Kurt Andersen, Markus Rothkranz

Dots/Animation by:

Kurt Andersen, Jack Liddon

Music by:

Brian Schmidt

Sound by:

Brian Schmidt

Software by:

Lonnie D. Ropp, Lyman F. Sheats Jr., John Carpenter

Notes:

10 pre-production prototypes were made for promotional use in conjunction with the off-Broadway productions. These prototypes had six pop bumpers. The game made its debut at the Hard Rock Cafe in Dallas in October of 1993, one of these games fell off the truck and was destroyed. Another was used in the 1993 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, this special machine was rigged for "autoplay" and had no backbox, electronics were cabinet-mounted. Reportedly, these prototypes may have had EM chime units.

Pictured in this listing is a game with 3 pop bumpers and which has a playfield matching the one in the manufacturer�s flyer, showing the Union Jack with fat white stripes and the hard-to-read Acid Queen inserts, two details that were changed for production games. The entrance to the VUK has two unused drilled holes not found in production. The inside of the cabinet is tagged �S/N P7.103� and the upper playfield has a plain white airplane with markings on it. We contacted Eric Winston, one of the Data East tech engineers who brought Tommy to life, for his comments. He did not specifically recall this game or the white airplane but he did say that the 'P' on the airplane meant 'prototype' and the 545-5483-00 is a part number, and the signature below it would be Ed Cebula who would sign off on the part. He did not know if the serial number P7.103 meant a prototype but after seeing the bare metal habitrails on this playfield instead of chromed production ones, he offered his best belief that the serial number was a 'cabinet prototype number'. Considering also the white airplane, the Acid Queen inserts, and the pre-production Union Jack, Eric said that everything points to believing this is a prototype game. We note the manufacturer sticker on the back of the game shows a serial number 103046 which is early in the run but not the earliest number. The green tag on the cabinet front may be from an operator. This tag carries Dutch language and a date of '07 februari 1994'. The game is located in the Netherlands. We have categorized this game with its 3 pop bumper design as a prototype.

Another 3 pop bumper prototype game presented here (serial number 102959) and located in Germany shows its upper left flipper mounted higher than in production games. The owner states a second hole is underneath the flipper to accommodate the flipper shaft if relocated. Like the aforementioned prototype game, the entrance to the VUK has two unused drilled holes not found in production. This game has a white flipper blinder instead of black. The Date of Manufacture sticker is stamped as Jan 07 1994, a day earlier than the start of production as indicated on a company document that we have. On this sticker, we see an earlier date of Jan 04 1994 had been present.

Production games can be found with one of two different color schemes on the playfield surrounding the VUK hole. One version shows unpainted wood just below the hole and white paint just above the hole. The other version shows black paint both above and below this hole.

We previously listed the Manufacture Date as January, 1994 (no day specified).
This game was produced from Jan-8-1994 to Apr-9-1994.
We previously indicated a production run quantity of 3,500 units.

Marketing Slogans:

"See it, feel it, touch it, play it, BUY IT!"
"Tommy, a name that means pinball."

Photos in:

The Complete Pinball Book External Link

, pages 57, 113, and 125
Mike Pacak's Pinball Flyer Reference Book S-Z

Rule Sheets:

The Who's Tommy Guide Vaerion 1 (Mar/2/1994), by Dave Stewart

Owners List URL:

http://www.pinballowners.com/owners/2579 (External site)

Easter Eggs:

Available at Cows and Easter Eggs (External site)

Additional Media:

Example of Prototype Game Play (at YouTube) [14:24] (External site)

ROMs:

260 KB

ZIP

PinMAME Romset (3.00 Holland)

2 MB

ZIP

PinMAME Romset (4.00)

2 MB

ZIP

ROMs

Documentation:

6 MB

PDF

English Manual

3 MB

PDF

Manual (Preliminary)

[Data East USA]

Files:

170 KB

PDF

Instruction Card

[Data East (Stern)]

192 KB

ZIP

Reproduction Instruction Card

[Volker]

Images:
(click to zoom)

Backglass 452x437	Playfield 336x544 [Russ Jensen]	Flyer - Front 606x791	Flyer - Back 606x791	German Flyer - Front 592x831
German Flyer - Back 587x834	Playfield 640x853 [Casey Davis]	Upper Playfield 640x480 [Casey Davis]	Middle Playfield 640x480 [Casey Davis]	Lower Playfield 640x480 [Casey Davis]
Cabinet - Front 640x480 [Casey Davis]	Cabinet - Right 640x480 [Casey Davis]	Backbox - Right 640x853 [Casey Davis]	Cabinet - Left 640x480 [Casey Davis]	Backbox - Left 640x853 [Casey Davis]
Under Playfield 640x853 [Casey Davis]	Inside Backbox 640x480 [Casey Davis]	Cabinet - Full View 1024x1268 [Christopher Wolf]	Playfield 1024x768 [John Hoge]	Illuminated Backglass 1024x768 [John Hoge]
Playfield Mirror 1024x760 [IceWarm]	Playfield - Detail 1024x1379 [IceWarm]	Illuminated Lower Playfield 1024x1207 [IceWarm]	Union Jack 1024x1076 [IceWarm]	Upper Playfield 1024x616 [IceWarm]
Original Painting For Prototype Backglass* 449x392 [Harold Balde]	Blank Playfield 762x1600 [Mark Clayton]	Blank Playfield - Upper 1024x768 [Mark Clayton]	Blank Playfield - Middle 1024x843 [Mark Clayton]	Blank Playfield - Lower 1024x680 [Mark Clayton]
Prototype - Backglass 576x620 [Mike Nogle]	Prototype Playfield - Six Pop Bumpers 1024x1365 [Mike Nogle]	Prototype - Upper Playfield 1024x768 [Mike Nogle]	Prototype - Upper Playfield 1024x768 [Mike Nogle]	Prototype - Middle Playfield 1024x768 [Mike Nogle]
Prototype - Lower Playfield 1024x768 [Mike Nogle]	Prototype - Six Pop Bumpers 1024x768 [Mike Nogle]	Prototype - Under Playfield 788x1364 [Mike Nogle]	Prototype - Under Upper Playfield 1024x768 [Mike Nogle]	Prototype - Illuminated Backglass 922x768 [Koi Morris]
Prototype - Upper Playfield 1024x768 [Koi Morris]	Prototype - Lower Pop Bumpers 1024x768 [Koi Morris]	Prototype - Illuminated Front View 1024x1365 [Koi Morris]	Flipper Blinder Assembly 1200x900 [Jim Sousae]	Flipper Blinder Assembly - Detail 1200x900 [Jim Sousae]
Flipper Blinder Assembly - Detail 1200x900 [Jim Sousae]	Backbox - Right 800x1200 [Mauro Ferreyra]	Cabinet - Right 556x600 [Mauro Ferreyra]	Cabinet - Front 800x600 [Mauro Ferreyra]	Playfield - Light Shield Removed 1200x1600 [Damian Parrino]
Playfield - Light Shield Removed 1200x1600 [Damian Parrino]	Playfield - Light Shield Removed 1200x1600 [Damian Parrino]	Playfield - Light Shield Removed 1200x1600 [Damian Parrino]	Playfield - Light Shield Removed 1200x1600 [Damian Parrino]	Playfield - Light Shield Removed 1200x1600 [Damian Parrino]
Backglass 1200x1013 [Jean-Pierre Renault]	Illuminated Backglass 1200x1007 [Jean-Pierre Renault]	Cabinet Side 1200x693 [Jean-Pierre Renault]	Cabinet - Front 1200x852 [Jean-Pierre Renault]	Illuminated Front View 684x1600 [Jean-Pierre Renault]
Cabinet - Front View 724x1600 [Jean-Pierre Renault]	Cabinet - Rear 786x1600	Cabinet - Full View 1027x1600	Prototype - Backglass 1200x1607	Prototype Playfield - Three Pop Bumpers 1200x1793
Prototype - Upper Playfield 1200x803	Prototype - Lower Playfield 1200x803	Prototype - Lower Playfield - Downfield View 1200x803	Prototype - Airplane Detail 1200x977	Prototype - Airplane Detail 1200x803
Prototype - Cabinet - Left 1200x1160	Prototype - Cabinet - Front 1200x959	Prototype - Operator Sticker 697x374	Prototype - Manufacturer Sticker 1200x666	Prototype - Inside Cabinet Serial Number 1200x803
Prototype Playfield - Three Pop Bumpers* 675x1200 [Florian Wittenberg]	Prototype Playfield - Higher-Positioned Flipper* 675x1200 [Florian Wittenberg]	Prototype Playfield - Extra Post Holes* 675x1200 [Florian Wittenberg]	Prototype Playfield - White Flipper Blinder* 1200x675 [Florian Wittenberg]	Prototype - Manufacturer Sticker* 1200x675 [Florian Wittenberg]
Prototype - Manufacture Date* 1200x675 [Florian Wittenberg]

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