Data East

Laser War

Pinside Rating

This game received 54 approved Pinsider ratings and currently rates 7.311 _/10

7.311

Top 100 ranking

This game ranks #215 in the Pinside Pinball Top 100.

Score breakdown

Score breakdown in the 4 main categories:

Game Design: 7.462

Artwork: 6.399

Sounds/Music: 7.212

Other Aspects: 7.591

Pinside staff rating

This is how we, the very knowledgeable (wink wink) Pinside.com staff & moderators rate this game. 2 of us have rated this game.

6.345

Your Rating?

You need to be logged in before you can rate pinball machines. No account yet? Registering only takes a sec!

Found 33 ratings (with comment) on this game

There are 33 ratings (that include a comment) on this game.
Currently showing results page 1 of 2.

List options

Ratings sort order

Type of ratings to show in list

Owner status of review

Exclude flagged ratings

Keyword or username search

7.940/10

41 days ago

JJW

JWilberdog

Pinside+ Addict

Nashville, TN

<1y 33,800 63 7 17 3

Played at a friends who was doing some restoration to it and was really surpised. He had the translite off and I looked up on ratings and for pics. Yes…its cheese but a lot of 80’s cheese. I grew up in late 70’s-mid 80’s and stopped playing right before this came out. I think I went to senior prom with one of the laser girls!

Seriously, brings back a lot of memories and plays nice. Cracking nuts with the powerful flippers and a nice flow with challenge but not too challenging. In that group of lower priced games but hold some history- 1st stereo (still sounds good ) and first data east. I am just discovering DE’s and think they offer a great value prop.

If I see one pop up or my friend decides to sell…I will snag!

JWilberdog currently owns this game.

7.942/10

2 years ago

PNF

Heaterguy

Pinside member

Indianapolis, IN

6y 46,650 229 61 16

Played this at a local eatery for the 1st time today. LOVED it! Still dont understand the ruleset but its a great game. As a collector its now on my list.

6.645/10

2 years ago

EJH

ehex9

Pinside member

Saint Albans Town, VT

3y 46,650 5 7 179

This is your standard Space theme game. Some sounds are cool. It's not bad!

7.264/10

2 years ago

AJC

DeprivedFallacy

Pinside member

3y 20,150 23 7 14

Fun old game music is cool an corny not a bad old game drop a few bucks in one if you get the chance she's a classic but we're wanting newer games so didn't last that long around 6months of fun was decent game an buy tho

DeprivedFallacy has owned this game in the past.

6.209/10

3 years ago

MEH

ThePinballCo-op

The Pinball Co-op

9y 115K 1,752 40

I've played it maybe three dozen times.

Pros:
-- Fun ramp shot that gives some nice sound and light show. Very satisfying shot, one of the best in all of pinball.
-- For the year it was made, some of the best sound effects by comparison.
-- I love the different multiball possibilities.
-- The scoring rules are nice.

Cons:
-- I don't love the rules. Get multiball and hit stuff (basically all you do).
-- Lastability is low as a result.
-- Not lit up too well at all.

========================================

I wanted to love this game but I just can't. Once you play one game with multiball, you've played all the games. I once for three ball mutliball and that was fun, but I had zero desire to try to do that again. The red and blue targets on the left and right side are too dangerous to shoot for, so all you do is hit the yellow and red lock shots, or hit the ramp shot and play it safe. It's kind of boring...

6.097/10

3 years ago

HGO

Hugoscollectible

Inactive member

3y 10,500 2 20

I don’t care for this machine. It is hard to understand what you should be doing.

6.800/10

3 years ago

TKM

Daditude

Pinside Moderator

Rockwall, TX

5y 266K 10,116 23 271

I really enjoy the 80s artwork/sounds/cheesiness...which boosts my rating a bit. The spinners are fun, and I like the retro feel of it, but it really isn't anything innovative. I think it would be fine in a newbie collection, but seasoned collectors wouldn't play it much.

Daditude edited previous rating on November 30, 2020.

8.192/10

3 years ago

GTX

gdonovan

Pinside member

7y 185K 13,208 70

My seventh DE pin; Game play generally good and as others have said ruthless at times. Red cannon release can get you a SDTM drain if you are not on your toes and even then its iffy. The lightshow particularly with leds really is first rate and must have been something in 1987 when the game first came out. With leds its is pretty wild!

Most of the sound effects are fine but frankly the voice call outs sound like they were done by random office staff and the background music only so-so compared to other DE titles. Cabinet art is fine and as others have pointed out the translight is period cheese. Enjoyed the gameplay and the light show! Laser War is worthy of a place in the lineup. Don't let the rating fool you, gameplay wise this game is a gem and still in my collection. With a set of Titan elastics it only adds to the sizzle!

gdonovan edited previous rating on July 26, 2022.

7.026/10

4 years ago

JNS

TecumsehPlissken

Pinside member

Longwood, FL

9y 115K 2,558 10 103

I am partial to this era of data east games so naturally I like playing it , great 80's sounds that are cheesy but I like them , fun to shoot , love ripping the spinners on this one ,basic simple rules but the blue team lock shot can be challenging

TecumsehPlissken has owned this game in the past.

8.594/10

4 years ago

CDD

Chazd

Inactive member

6y 17,000 4 9 8

Laser war to me is a totally underrated pin it should be way higher on this list!!

Chazd currently owns this game.

7.913/10

4 years ago

KCM

ArcadeRaid

Pinside member

Excelsior, MN

5y 46,300 293 4 7

One of favorite games. Hitting the ramp again and again is super satisfying and it returns to the flipper instead of the lane which is great. Good sound, great energy on multiball with an actual goal aside from racking up points. I could play this thing all day. Great light show as well.

Rules are simple. There are three "bases" which are ball locks. They are Red, Yellow and Blue bases. There are three colored standup targets next to each base. Hitting all three stand ups will cause the bases to lock the balls and begin multiball. Once you lock one base you get a second ball delivered ton the shooter lane for two ball multiball. Your goal then is to lock both balls at the same time. One you lock one a timer starts and you only have a short time to lock the second. Once two are locked the third ball is delivered to the shooter lane and the two locked balls are ejected.

You are now in three ball multiball. While in three ball, the goal is to hit the ion cannon ramp. Doing so unleashes a sound and light show that is really impressive and the shot is very satisfying.

Aside from that, the other main aspect is repeatedly using the lanes at the top to spell out W-A-R to build bonus.

Sure, the rules aren't deep but is is fun for anyone to play.

The backglass is the worst part, very cheesy laser tag spandex nightmare. Don't get me wrong, it isn't as bad as Monte Carlo but it IS the weakest part of the game.

ArcadeRaid edited previous rating on November 28, 2021.
ArcadeRaid currently owns this game.

6.098/10

4 years ago

ADM

PinDoctor82

Pinside member

5y 77,050 278 6 103

There really isn't anything memorable for me to really say about this game, and I think that says enough.

9.859/10

5 years ago

???

Chromeballs

Inactive member

Unknown

6y 11,000 20

Fantastic machine! This machine has an amazing layout with lots to do! Yes the backglass is cheesy and it looks like the laser guy is taking a dump but come on its the 80's and this machine captures the 80's perfectly! After hearing the music for over a year now I think it goes perfect with the machine and call outs are great! My kids often quote the call outs and music! Ball locks and multiball are wicked! Great ramp! Very satisfying and love how it returns to flipper! Ion cannon is a thumbs up! Light show if one of the best! This should be in everyones line up! "Dang im hit"!!!

6.649/10

5 years ago

BAD

Diospinball

Inactive member

Joliet, IL

6y 74,300 1,336 9 75

This is a very, very simplistic game. First, I'll talk about what I like about it. I like the simple rule set. Its a nice layout with simple goals. The goal is quite simple you have 3 bases, a yellow, red, and blue base. There are three targets for each that need to be hit or lit... Every time you dock in base you light one of the unlit lights for that bases targets. When all three are lit, you can dock and it locks the ball. Then you plunge and multiball begins. The goal is to make it into another base during mutliball. And then I think you want to hit the ramp. That scores big points. I did get the jackpot once on this machine and it was a rewarding sound and light show.
Why I like this game personally is it forces me to nudge as there are certain ways the ball will drain if you don't nudge the machine.
I also love the translite. Its cheesy, but I love it. Lasers and babes in tight 80s spandex. So cheesy, so amazing. Cab art is okay... Playfield art really isn't very good. Its like a bad comic book and its sparse. I'm not saying playfield art is horrible... It is passable, but not enough of it. And I think the game has nice lighting. As I said the playfield is sparse, but I think the way the lights are used and work, really make up for that fact. Not the best light show, but its good enough.
Now, what I don't like about the game. There is no skill shot. I hate games without skill shots. There are no toys. There is a laser tank on the ramp... But, that is all, and it really doesn't do much of anything. The music, callouts, and sfx are okay, nothing great. Not horrible. Just enough to keep you interested.
With all that being said... If one day I get more space to host pinball machines, I wouldn't mind this machine in my house. Its simple, but its challenging, and its fun.

Diospinball has this game on the wishlist.

7.247/10

5 years ago

DIA

mrossman5

Pinside+ Frequent

Warren, PA

6y 197K 3,175 7 253

A pretty good game for being DE’s first game. Art on pf is decent but cheesy on backglass and boring on the cabinet. Call outs are limited but music is pretty good. Decent layout. If you find one cheap, id pick it up for a little bit. Seems a little repetitive and easy though.

7.877/10

6 years ago

BJ

brianj619

Pinside member

Lemon Grove, CA

6y 40,050 21 4 10

I really love this game! It can be frustrating because there is no ball save & if you drain the ball right away, you get no re-do. Also the ball loves to drain straight down the center A LOT. It's pretty ruthless. This game really teaches one the benefits of 'nudging' the machine to keep the ball in play.

The lighting is AMAZING for the time period especially when you get the jackpot. The entire machine lights up as though you just saved the world from destruction. It's extremely satisfying.

Speaking of the jackpot, I love the design of the game. You are required to hit specific targets to open a ball lock. Hitting the ball lock opens a 2 ball multiball. During the 2 ball multiball, You need to lock both balls within a certain time without losing one of your balls to open a 3 ball multiball. During the 3 ball multiball, it's all about shooting the ramp! This is the big payout to increase your score. I like that it's a process to get here and that the whole game is not just about shooting the ramp, shooting the ramp, and then shooting the ramp some more. There isn't a whole lot of depth in the gameplay compared to newer games but you are required to shoot for different spots on the playfield at different times in order to advance the game.

This game has a totally cheesy '80s laser tag theme (which is actually pretty freakin' awesome)! If you don't like cheesy '80s, that will be a downside but the game has tremendous replayability. I definitely recommend picking one of these up if you see it for sale.

brianj619 currently owns this game.

7.464/10

7 years ago

TMK

tk-the-jammer

Pinside+ Addict

9y 101K 379 12 109

Very nice game for being an early Data East. I like the work in the craftsmanship of the game including the designs on the apron and the extra shiny side rails. Although I do find the game kind of cheesy, particularly the Translite. Very rewarding to destroy the ion cannon. It's just a lot of fun to play

5.889/10

7 years ago

DEL

SealClubber

Pinside Moderator

14y 127K 11,060 246

I thought this game was boring as hell. I did well enough to earned a free credit on my first game (not from a match) and yet I don't feel like I was having fun. Ugly BG and the rest of the art is so, so. I just don't see why others like it. Oh, well.

7.113/10

7 years ago

SAP

seshpilot

Pinside member

11y 112K 2,528 169 4

Super fun game where my overall score won't reflect how enjoyable it is. It's just dated now (art and sound), but a truly great starting point for the company!

8.236/10

8 years ago

ZZZ

sevenrites

Pinballer

9y 129K 2,200 97

Simple, yet timeless theme for us 80's kids, who didn't like laser tag? Simple rules, just light 3 of one color, lock a ball, then lock another ball before the timer counts down, nail the ramp for jackpot. But the challenge lies in completing those steps, getting the multi ball and actually hitting the jackpot more than once. Keeps me coming back for more, excellent first game by Data East.

sevenrites edited previous rating on December 17, 2016.

9.429/10

9 years ago

ALX

allicks

Pinside member

Calgary, AB

9y 47,850 48 28 32

I absolutely love this game. This was my second pin I had purchased and it does not grow old. The translite is super cheesy but the playfield artwork and fluidity of the game more than makes up for it. I truly enjoy playing this pin over and over. The sound is excellent for the era and the game is super fast and is rather challenging. I have no plans on ever selling this one. The LEDs when put in really show off the light show. Definitely worth purchasing if you want a super fun pin at an affordable price. UPDATE April 2016 (1 year after above review) I've now owned several pins including brand new top titles and this one is still my favorite. Artwork has grown on me over the year. Superb play and speed. Gets adrenaline rushing. Amazing game for the money.

allicks edited previous rating on May 04, 2016.
allicks currently owns this game.

8.420/10

9 years ago

KID

blowback1976

Pinside member

10y 99,050 1,338 7 40 1

I love this game. And like it's been mentioned before, it has one of the best light shows ever. The backglass is so bad it's good, a product of it's time. The flow feels good and keeps me coming back for one more game. A solid effort from Data East.

blowback1976 has owned this game in the past.

7.604/10

9 years ago

ORJ

Jenk540i

Pinside+ Frequent

Arden, NC

9y 70,300 1,235 12 12

Rarely found pin. Highly enjoyable - one of the best light shows for a game of that time. Not a deep game and not difficult to master. But love the cheesy 80s theme and the flow of the game. If you can find one it should be very affordable and very dependable.

Jenk540i has owned this game in the past.

8.052/10

10 years ago

JAS

pinballcrazed

Inactive member

Melbourne

10y 25,900 11 2 42

Lots of fun, would've been great at launch with the stereo sound etc first.

Looks awesome with leds fitted, great looking pin.

8.142/10

10 years ago

ZUL

Caucasian2Step

Evil McBooty

12y 163K 1,455 51 1011

Laster War is a game that Data East started out with. And they started out with a BANG! This game is a player and collectors are starting to seek it out.

The Pros:
A great layout with 14 shots between standups, ramps, spinners and lanes. I really like the fact that the ramp sends the ball to the flipper instead of the lane. Great angles on the standups mean that to qualify for multiball and the JP, you have to make a number of dangerous shots, and survive! When tuned this game is FAST! The stereo sound system sounds great and the whole package screams cheesy big hair 80's silliness (the BG is so bad, it's good!). Lights are great on this deck too. Make sure to keep hitting the ramp to feed that hungry left outlane kicker lit, otherwise your ball will end right quick. Gitcher' 2 ball multiball and then earn our 3 ball multiball to light the million point jackpot.

The Cons:
This game is not that easy to find... or at least it has only been in the past year that I have seen and played it.

The Takeaway:
Considering the start that this company had... I wish they had kept the gameplay quality up. The rules are not the deepest, but this deck has that awesome "just... one more game" quality to it that speaks of the balance of difficulty and satisfaction in gameplay that is (for me at least) the sign of a great design. We really won't see solid games that play this well and require you to really make strategic decisions for your shots from DE again until R&B, JP, TFtC and Tommy. And that's all I have to say about DE, the one shot (over and over) pinball-wonder company.

Caucasian2Step edited previous rating on November 17, 2014.

Next 1 2

There are 33 ratings (that include a comment) on this game. Currently showing results page 1 of 2.

You too can add your own comment by rating this game! Click here to rate this game!

Over the years

Visualizing this game's rating and rank over the years

Hey there! Welcome to Pinside!

Donate to Pinside

Great to see you're enjoying Pinside! Did you know Pinside is able to run without any 3rd-party banners or ads, thanks to the support from our visitors? Please consider a donation to Pinside and get anext to your username to show for it! Or better yet, subscribe to Pinside+!