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A little history on Data East

Data East Pinball was founded in 1986 as a subsidiary of Data East Corporation, a Japanese video game company known for arcade hits like BurgerTime and Karate Champ. Seeking to expand into the pinball market, Data East purchased the pinball division of Stern Electronics, which had ceased operations in 1985. This acquisition allowed Data East to enter the industry with an established foundation, and they quickly became known for producing licensed-themed pinball machines, capitalizing on popular movies, TV shows, and franchises.

Throughout the late 1980s and early 1990s, Data East Pinball released several successful machines, including Back to the Future (1990), Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1991), and Jurassic Park (1993). The company was also one of the first to introduce dot-matrix displays (DMDs) to pinball, enhancing the visual and interactive aspects of gameplay. Data East became a strong competitor to Williams and Bally but faced financial challenges as the pinball industry declined in the mid-1990s. In 1994, the pinball division was sold to Sega, which rebranded it as Sega Pinball, marking the end of Data East’s pinball operations. Despite its short lifespan, Data East Pinball left a lasting impact on the industry with its bold, action-packed themes and innovations in pinball technology.

Data East logo

Pinballs:

Michael Jordan_1992 01 01

Michael Jordan

Michael Jordan was manufactured by Data East and was released 1992-01-01
Star Wars_1992 01 01

Star Wars

Star Wars was manufactured by Data East and was released 1992-01-01
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles_1991 06 01

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles was manufactured by Data East and was released 1991-06-01
Checkpoint_1991 02 01

Checkpoint

Checkpoint was manufactured by Data East and was released 1991-02-01
Star Trek_1991 01 09

Star Trek

Star Trek was manufactured by Data East and was released 1991-01-09
Batman_1991 01 01

Batman

Batman was manufactured by Data East and was released 1991-01-01
Back to the Future_1990 06 01

Back to the Future

Back to the Future was manufactured by Data East and was released 1990-06-01
King Kong_1990 01 04

King Kong

King Kong was manufactured by Data East and was released 1990-01-04
Phantom of the Opera_1990 01 04

Phantom of the Opera

Phantom of the Opera was manufactured by Data East and was released 1990-01-04
The Simpsons_1990 01 01

The Simpsons

The Simpsons was manufactured by Data East and was released 1990-01-01