It's definitely a game of it's era between the 1983 crash and before the System 9/11 resurgence. The lack of speech, multiball, and essentially a reused layout are all negatives on this game; however it's still an overall enjoyable game. I enjoy it every time I've played it, but it rarely brings me back in for another game or two in a larger collection.

It's a great game to start a collection as it's affordable and has plenty of shots with a quirky non-standard layout.

The kitschy art is eye catching and works well for telegraphing what you need to be doing. The triangle being offset from the two bottom flippers breaks my brain a little. As usual with the early games, speech and music would be nice, but the full early 80s sound set isn't half bad. Gameplay can be a challenge, with some barely perceptible ball times if things go wrong. The progressive drop targets are such a fun feature though, got to love the satisfaction of clearing a rack.

I was first introduced to this pin on a virtual cab. I loved it so much I recently bought the physical pin. (5th in our collection) I absolutely can’t wait to see it in person and play it IRL. :) I love the precise play and 1980s Williams sounds. Can’t wait hear the chime! It keeps me wanting to do better and really control the ball and learn the shots. This will make me a better player all around! The gameplay is exciting and keeps you honest by taking away progress if you make a mistake. The artwork is not desirable by most and the game gets over looked which is unfortunate. It’s a fantastic game. The artwork actually cracks me up. When you know that it was drawn by a women it changes the perspective. Consider games from the 60s and 70s and the back glass designed with girls bowling in short skirts with their cheeks hanging out or playing pool with the girls falling onto the pool table. Dont get me wrong, I can completely appreciate all pinball art, but give a woman the chance to design a back glass and you might get a taste of your own medicine. Lol ;)

The art is bad with a capital B but the gameplay is so good. It will make you a better player. First played it at PPE back in 2011. I love the drop targets, the classic Williams sounds and the touch of EM feel you get from the chime. With better art it would rival Firepower in popularity. Did I mention the art was bad?

Basic but nice shooting 4-flipper game from Williams. Best feature is that it has ALL the classic Williams pinball/videogame sounds, and they're well used throughout the game.

Gameplay is pretty straightforward: collect pool balls and collect bonus multipliers to make them more valuable. Has a neat memory drop target bank that punishes missed shots by resetting targets you already collected.

Backglass art is great, playfield art good but black background makes for a dark game.

Biggest flaws: no multiball, no speech.

Enjoy the challenge of getting far into the game, even though repetitive it keeps the fun due to the challenge.

This machine is a keeper. The games forces you to work on shot accuracy and recovery. I own this game, and love it for the challenge it holds. Simple rule set, music changes with advancing the balls, bell is a nice touch. Overall this game will make you a much better player than most. Simple to maintain and work on for beginners. This game will make you a better player!

I have a hard time rating this pin. Objectively there is not much to it by modern standards yet somehow I keep coming back to play it. The goal of the game is to hit 20 drop targets in order using three bottom flippers and one top flipper. The machine uses a combination of old Bally sounds (think Defender) and a bell when the next drop is hit. Games are fast and there is not ball save. If there is a strategy to the rules I have not found it. But, just the challenge of hitting all the drops before draining the last ball keeps me coming back for more. It would be a great pin to have in my basement for a few months.

Non standard flipper layout, makes for some interesting shots, but feels clunky. Ugly non descriptive cabinet.

Its a fun game with some spinners and a number of drop targets.

This pin really has a lot going for it at the price point. It just falls into the "starter pin" category because there are a lot of better pins to be found (even in it's own era), and it doesn't have anything special to separate itself. Not bad for the price, though.

This is currently my favorite title in my lineup to play. The layout and required shots are well designed. I like everything about the art except the half naked guys. The lighting is not great. There is a large black space in the center and it gets quite a glare from the backglass. I kept #47 bulbs in the head and put leds on the playfield. I did a spotlight in the lane hole where it looks like there was going to be a gate, but it didn't get one. I've only had it for a couple of months, but it is quite fun to play. Love the bell!!

Get those blasted targets in order to hear the chime!

Picked up this game as a project a couple of weeks ago and now that I've been able to work on, and get a buncha games on it, I really enjoy it! I've always enjoyed Alien Poker, and when I saw this one for sale, had to pick it up. The rules are simple, collect the balls from 1-15. The 5 individually controlled drop targets will force you to make accurate shots. Shooting them out of order will set you back! Such a simple, but fantastic rule and will weed out the "flailers" quickly. I have the bar behind the right flipper but will remove it to make it more challenging on the right side. Flipper skills are a must on this game, as it was in AP and other games where "scissoring" was a threat. I also really liked the extra ball ball saver timer. It was a surprise rule that I thought would have been ingenious at the time, but still didn't take away from having to pick down the targets (with wild flailing). Overall, a truly underappreciated game that not enough people know about.

And all those comments about the artwork, well, it's gotten to the point in its life that it's awesomely bad. So get over it and put on a few games on this gem!

SUMMMARY
If I didn’t own Firepower, Cosmic Gunfight, and Barracora, this would be a must-have, other than the fact that it has TEAL in the BG — what gives???

Mofscore: B+

GOOD/VERY GOOD
Action/Per/Minute: very good, four flippers no stopngo
Asymmetry: very good, drop target bank is angled well nothing symmetrical going on here.
Dink Donk: good, it’s funny that the upper right orbit forces a donk on the exit
Drops: good, smart drops that must be dropped in order
Flippers: good, four
Hazards: good, very fair lower PF with the angled bank
Inlane Lane Change: good, you are trying to spell pool upstairs
Nudging: very good - you must nudge these outlanes
Obfuscation: very good - none
Pops: good, they can score or the right one can hurt you out the right outlane
Shotmap Balance: very good, you are trying to complete 1-15
Shots (total): 10
Slap-Saves: very good - it’s a Williams
Spinners: good, one great-sounding spinner
Stop'n'Go: very good, zero pauses for kickouts as there are none

AVERAGE
Brick-Action: good, has standups to score when u miss shots in the lower
Inlane Swoosh: average, has only 1 inlane anyway on left
Innovation: average, any time you have a set of smart drops you have something special, but nothing new on this one
Outlane Fun: average, the right outlane sucks, the left outlane is good
BUT if you remove the playfield wire and the right flipper become a drain, it makes the game so much harder!!!
Ball-time: good, it's really short

FAIR/POOR
MB Fun: none - single ball game
Metal Ramp: none
Orbits (Repeatable): none
Toy/Gimmick: none, but the smart drops are nice
Voice / V. choreography: none, 1984 had no voice in williams
Hurry-ups: none
Skill Shot: none
Taunting: none

UNKNOWN
Lane Change: unknown
Backhands: right can backhand up to 8 ball orbit area

ART (PF/Cab/BG/Inserts): B+ (nice art, but the colors aren’t for me)
MUSIC / SOUND EFFECTS: A (it’s the Williams sound set)
PASSION/INNOVATION: B- — neat layout similar to alien poker, but no innovation that’s for sure
LAYOUT/PHYSICS: A-

Mofscore: B+

An understated masterpiece, IMO. It is not a drain monster. It has what I like: Fast, flipper friendly shots that are mine to lose. It is the kind of pin I like to meet in an arcade. Drop a coin and you get to play for awhile.

People talk about the bell. I like that bell. When I hit the right shot I am rewarded with that bell ringing. Nothing fancy. Just a ring to let know I am doing something right.

I hate under powered flippers. You know those flippers that are so weak that you start hitting the flipper button harder and making extra effort for yourself. Not this pin. Just stand there and effortlessly push the flipper button and those super 50 volt flipper coils kick in and the ball launches in a blur, ricochets off something up top and comes back to the flipper so fast that you hit it by feel.

This is my kind of pinball.

I bought this pin to fix up and sell. But I just got it running a couple of days ago and all I have been doing is playing Laser Cue. It has been a pleasant pinball surprise. I may keep it.

For not being a multi ball machine and stilll having the old system 7, it holds its own. I spent months walking by this machine at the arcade, before i was told to give it a try. I bought it a few weeks later lol. Look past the backglass art and you have a pretty decent pinball machine.

I first played Laser Cue at my first ever “pinball party” around 2001, and I remember thinking “Damn, this pin is fun.” 17 years went by and I never saw another one, until one popped up on Craigslist this Friday. I am SO glad I got past the beefcake artwork and lack of speech. This game absolutely rocks, no saucers to slow it down and some surprisingly great rules. Multiball would be out of place, because this game is all about aim. You can sometimes cradle the ball on the itty-bitty upper flipper, and use it to collect the 8-ball shot. Another cool thing: if you hit 6,7 or 8 when they aren’t lit, you can build up their values to 50k (100k for the 8 ball), and really cash in when it’s their turn to flash at you. The 1-5 shots are easy to aim at, but dangerous. Shoot the right targets with the left flipper, and left targets with one of the right flippers, or else you’ll make a “bank shot” straight to the outlanes. Genius layout.

I thought this was a Mark Ritchie game, and it may as well be. It’s similar to Sorcerer, but more open. The same artist is at work here, and she’s great. You may not like the goofy helmets or the the bared abs, but you can’t deny that her work is worthy of an early 80’s Heavy Metal magazine. The sounds borrow a lot from Joust, and they’re great to me, a lot less repetitive than Black Knight (which I also own). Hearing the bell for a split second on every made shot is satisfying. Get the 8 ball, then make that same shot again to collect the Extra Ball, and everyone within 20 feet will know you got it.

Listen, I’m a Bally guy. I never thought I’d say this, but Williams pins of the same era are just more fast paced. I feel the same way with Laser Cue that I did with Iron Man, it’s an adrenaline rush. It definitely has that “one more game” appeal. You feel like a rock star the first time you pass 1M. I think this pin will be the highlight of my home tournaments now.

The game may be a step backwards in Williams ascension to the top of the pinball heap, but I like the game anyhow. Williams games were capable of speech in this era, but Laser Cue cheaped out and didn't feature any...adding, much like Firepower II, a cabinet bell. So we've got a bell, reminiscent of 1960s electro-mechanical games, but a super-futuristic space theme mixed with a billiards layout. The game is reminiscent of Alien Poker, but the small things they've added to the layout and rules really does it for me. I like the game exponentially better than Alien Poker. I like the cross-playfield feel of nailing the left-hand side 6-ball with the right flipper which immediately sets up a left flipper shot to the 7-ball on the right-hand side. Having to hit the drops in order is a challenge. Being penalized by taking away a target if you hit them out of order is just ruthless (it's a dip switch setting)...and it'll make you a better player. Someone in my travels described the art and theme as “Homoerotic Space Pool”, which is spot on. I love the Pam Erickson art package—its a shame her work was limited to just a handful of production games as her style really gels with the medium of pinball.

I really like the layout. A very good shot variety including the upper flipper and the 3 bottom flippers. The center targets are very risky but needed to complete the racks. The sounds and art package are just Ok - it does have a cool bell sound for the extra ball. This game plays fast and is a great bang for the buck! If you think you have mastered it then remove the guard rail between the double flippers for an added challenge. A solid game that adds nice variety in a mid size collection.

Good game to start out with! If you like a fast machine, this is the game for you! Like everybody has said, the art work is different. All in all great game!

Very simple, but fun ruleset. Art is okay, but gameplay rules on this one. Better have a spinny spinner on this one cause when that lights for 1,000 a spin you want to work it. I am always a sucker for hitting targets in order.

Really like this one.

My first pinball machine that i ever purchased.
Very fast pin, very fun.

Laser Cue is Alien Poker's younger kid.

The Good:
The basic premise of hitting targets and making shots all over the PF is very much in effect with this table. You have to hit those drop targets in sequence or you get punished for your inaccuracy. The same things that made Alien Poker such a good game are all here. Bonus is KING on this deck (20x!). There are 16 shots to be made by the 3 flippers. Yes you can hit the upper 3 standups from the right hand side flippers (and the upper flipper too). This game is a player that requires ball control AND sniper skills! Williams hardware makes sure that the action on this deck is always moving at light speed!

The Bad:
The upper flipper seems like a bit of an afterthought. It's not really bad, it just seems out of place. Where is the multiball? Just like it's older brother Alien Poker, it really needs it!

The Takeaway:
Wax this game up, steepen the angle, open the outlanes and get ready for a fast and furious pinball game. This game was put together by Ed Tomaszewski and Pam Erickson (of Sorceror fame). These guys didn't make too many games, but I like what they did to with this one. Some dudes won't like the art package. But that's what happens when you give a woman an art package for a pinball game. She puts her sexual POV on it! Take that you homophobic pin-boneheads! A solid player that is not that well known to many players. Find it and play it. I think you'll like it. I am very happy to have one in the stable.

Update:
Now that this deck is running nicely, I have to say that I am thoroughly enjoying this deck. Classic Williams Stargate/Joust/Firepower sounds are nicely accentuated with a bell. That's right, this game has a ringer! The shots to the top, especially the right loop to the 8 ball standup are satisfying and to really light this table up, you need to hit every shot on this deck. The rules on this table are surprisingly well balanced. Even the silly bumbling of the ball into the shooter lane is righteous if you have hit your B-A-L-L targets to light the spinner for a nice gimme, but it does not upset the overall feel of the deck. The P-O-O-L rollovers at the top of the game become progressively more valuable once you get up to 10x-15x-20x at the end of the bonuus stack. That's at least 32 rollovers to reach 20x bonus, but what a rush to collect! Personally, I took the ball guide out from the right hand side of the flipper, so this game plays extra nasty and will scissor you faster than Captain Fantastic or even Sinbad! That's right Laser Cue is gonna cut ya'! Setting the rules to tougher settings means that missing a drop target out of sequence will set you back a bit on your progress to your next set of 15. And though you may think those outlanes are small, just like Sinbad, they will eat you up raw like sushi if you are not anticipating what your ball will do. When set up properly, a million+ game will make you do the happy pinball dance. Gameplay will take you on a long and winding road to the 3x15 "racks" x20 bonus multiplier. This is not the most complex game you have ever encountered, but you will enjoy every shot along the way.

This pinball table has that "alright... let's play one more game" quality in spades. Me likey!

Update v.2:
Shooting this game is always a treat. I removed the guard wire between the lower right hand flippers and it makes a huge difference in the skillful playability of this game. Shades of Harlem Globetrotters and Captain Fantastic... you bet! The steepness on this game makes a big difference as the ability to hit the upper orbit to the 8 ball is a killer shot. IF the game is not steep enough, this shot becomes rather easy and well... the gameplay (imho) suffers for it. The theme of this game is interesting to me as I have met some people who will not play this game because they feel it is "too gay".

REALLY?

So here is the real deal. The art pax on this game was done by Pam Erickson. A woman did this art pax and with this in mind she heterosexually described men as many male pinball artists would describe women. Get it? So to all the insecure men out there who won't play this game because it offends their sensibilities, thank you for showing me who you are. Such weakness...

Update v.3:
Get to the top. Spell out P-O-O-L and keep an eye on the B-A-L-L targets as they will complete a P-O-O-L letter as well as light the spinner. Get to 20x ASAP as it holds over through the game (is this operator adjustable?). Now you can focus on collecting the billiard balls to max out your racks in bonus. Rip the spinner and hit the standup lanes for points after that. Simple, but not easy. Big scores require lots of time and can be considered (chopping wood-like) but this game can be nastified to the point of that simple is very difficult. A great game with an alwesome layout that requires you to shoot everything on the design. A true player.

Update v.4:
This pinball game is one of the best of it's vintage. Getting all 3 x 15 ball racks is not easy (software settings can make it even harder as the standard settings give you the first rack after you collect the 8-ball). This game is constantly overlooked by other pinheads and that's a damn shame. Consider other system 7 games from williams:

Warlok
Black Knight
Barracorra
Defender
Cosmic Gunfight
Time Fantasy
Jungle Lord

These are all damn fine games and define pinball for many players. Laser Cue is up there in terms of worthiness. The layout is superb. The rules are more subtle than just completing racks. Do you want to shoot for a dangerous target to advance the rack or do you want to go for one of the B-A-L-L targets to advance that ball? Do you want to complete the last letter in P-O-O-L to complete the last letter in B-A-L-L to advance to the next ball? For a game of this vintage, this game is incredibly well balanced. You got 20 seconds after plunging your extra ball. Gently plunge to the flipper as to not validate the PF and then start dropping those 1-5 / 9-13 targets without a care! drain the ball and back to 5x? shooting the top lanes is where you need to go as 20x is the only way to get the big points! The most valuable shot is the 8 ball. Build to 100k and collect at the 8-ball. The side lanes can get up to 50k as well, but are teritary values. 45k x 20 is 900k. Do you build bonus x? Do you build bonus? Multiple ways to reach that goal effectively is what this game is about. Set your right hand flippers to stage flip and more techniques become available to you to control the game. Be cool Bounce passes are your friends and outlanes are death. This game is a true player. And while not as desirable as other games listed above by many, that is a damn shame. Because this is a damn fine game and is passed over by many. I am very happy to have this game in my stable and it isn't going anywhere any time soon.

A surprisingly robust classic Pinball title where flow and aim are king. The ridiculous space/fantasy theme thrown on what would have otherwise been a Pool themed table represents everything so wrong and so right about the 80s. While the lack of multiball makes me feel like something is lacking, I can't... stop... playing.