 | |
| Manufacturer | Data East |
|---|---|
| Release date | January 1990 |
| Design | Joe Kaminkow, Ed Cebula |
| Programming | Lonnie D. Ropp |
| Artwork | Paul Faris |
| Music | Kyle Johnson |
The Phantom of the Opera is a pinball machine released by Data East in 1990. The game is based on the 1910 French novel The Phantom of the Opera by Gaston Leroux, [1] but not based on the 1986 musical by Andrew Lloyd Webber or movie of the same name, although released around the same time. [2] The game was designed by Joe Kaminkow and Ed Cebula. [3]
The game does not have very deep rules. Game rules are similar to other 1980s pinball machines. There are no modes to complete, the goal of the game is to try to score as much as possible. [4]
Gameplay features include the Catwalk Ramp, a Magic Mirror, a Trap Door and an Organ that opens for Multi-Ball. [5] The Phantom can be unmasked to reveal his true face on the backglass. [3]
The art, music and lightshow give the pinball machine its fitting atmosphere. The Music uses Data East's stereo system. [4] The richly detailed playfield was produced by art designer Paul Faris. [6] Faris' daughter is the model for the character, Christine Daaé, on the backglass. [1] Faris and his wife were previously the models for the backglass of the pinball machine Lost World . [7]
The Phantom of the Opera is available as a licensed table in The Pinball Arcade and Stern Pinball Arcade . Data East logos are removed due to licensing issues.
Pinball games are a family of games in which a ball is propelled into a specially designed table where it bounces off various obstacles, scoring points either en route or when it comes to rest. Historically the board was studded with nails called 'pins' and had hollows or pockets which scored points if the ball came to rest in them. Today, pinball is most commonly an arcade game in which the ball is fired into a specially designed cabinet known as a pinball machine, hitting various lights, bumpers, ramps, and other targets depending on its design. The game's object is generally to score as many points as possible by hitting these targets and making various shots with flippers before the ball is lost. Most pinball machines use one ball per turn, and the game ends when the ball(s) from the last turn are lost. The biggest pinball machine manufacturers historically include Bally Manufacturing, Gottlieb, Williams Electronics and Stern Pinball.
Stern is the name of two different but related arcade gaming companies. Stern Electronics, Inc. manufactured arcade video games and pinball machines from 1977 until 1985, and was best known for Berzerk. Stern Pinball, Inc., founded in 1999, is a manufacturer of pinball machines in North America.
Checkpoint is a 1991 pinball machine released by Data East. It featured the first dot matrix display (DMD) ever incorporated into a pinball game. For Checkpoint, Data East used a "half-height" DMD. By way of comparison, Williams later produced machines with standard DMDs that were twice the height. Checkpoint also features video mode minigames on its display.
Back to the Future: The Pinball is a 1990 pinball machine designed by Joe Kaminkow, Ed Cebula and released by Data East, based on the Back to the Future film trilogy.
Star Trek is a 1979 pinball game developed by Bally. It was the first pinball machine based on the franchise of the same name. A second pinball machine of the same name was released in 1991 by Data East. A third pinball machine of the same name was released by Stern Pinball in 2013.
The Williams Pinball Controller (WPC) is an arcade system board platform used for several pinball games designed by Williams and Midway between 1990 and early 1999. It is the successor to their earlier System 11 hardware. It was succeeded by Williams/Midway's Pinball 2000 platform, before Williams left the pinball business in October 1999.
Taxi is a pinball machine designed by Mark Ritchie and Python Anghelo. It was released in 1988 by Williams Electronics.
Game Plan was a pinball manufacturer that produced pinball tables from 1978 to 1985. Game Plan was a subsidiary of AES Technology Systems and was located in Elk Grove Village, Illinois. Game Plan's president was former Chicago Coin table designer Wendell McAdams.
The Party Zone is a crossover solid-state pinball machine released in 1991 by Midway designed by Dennis Nordman and programmed by Jim Strompolis. It is in a single playfield format and collaborates characters from previous pinball machines. It is the second pinball machine released after the Bally-Midway division was sold, yet still operated under the "Bally" name.
Zaccaria, was an Italian company of pinball and arcade machines that existed in Bologna from 1974 until 1990. The factory was sold to tecnoplay.
Harley-Davidson is a Sega Pinball pinball machine released in September 1999 and was the last machine released by this company. It was designed by Jon Borg and Lonnie D. Ropp.
El Dorado City of Gold is a pinball machine designed by Ed Krynski and released in 1984 by Gottlieb. The game features an El Dorado adventure theme.
Cyclone is a pinball machine released by Williams Electronics in 1988. It features an amusement park theme, Coney Island, and was advertised with the slogan "It'll blow you away!". Ronald Reagan and Nancy Reagan both appear in the backglass shown riding the rollercoaster.
Sorcerer is a 1985 pinball machine designed by Mark Ritchie and released by Williams Electronics. The table is placed in the "Internet Pinball Data Base Top 100 Rated Electronic Pinball Machines" chart.
Lost World is a pinball machine released by Bally in 1977. The game features a fantasy theme. It should not to be confused with the pinball machine Escape from the Lost World from 1987.
Eight Ball Deluxe is a pinball machine designed by George Christian and released by Bally in 1981. The game features a cue sports theme and was so popular that it was produced again in 1984.
Ghostbusters is a pinball machine designed by John Trudeau and released by Stern Pinball in June 2016. It is based on the Ghostbusters films of the same name. Ernie Hudson provided custom speech and guides the player into becoming the latest member of the Ghostbusters team.
WWF Royal Rumble is a pinball machine designed by Tim Seckel and released by Data East in April 1994.
Lyman F. Sheats Jr was an American pinball champion, game designer and coin-operated game operating system software engineer who had worked for Bally, Williams, and Stern Pinball, among other companies.
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