Data East’s Star Wars, released in 1992 and designed by John Borg, brings the original trilogy to a fast, blaster-happy playfield — and gives it a signature flourish few machines can match: an up/down shifter mounted on the front of the cabinet that you use to launch the ball instead of a traditional plunger knob. With a Death Star bash toy, a TIE Fighter video target, and a heap of standups and drop targets, it’s a crowd-pleasing celebration of the saga that long predated Stern’s later take.
The scoring centers on the Death Star and spelling STAR WARS. Bashing the Death Star opens it up, and landing a ball inside starts Tri-Ball, with jackpots scored by shooting the Death Star and then the ramp. The center ramp spots STAR WARS letters, and completing the phrase awards ten million, repeatable when you need a top-up. There’s a great risk-reward feature in Yoda, lit on the lane right of the Death Star, who hands out excellent rewards like a fifty-million Death Star hurry-up.
The table rewards a player who learns its timing — study the TIE Fighter’s pattern and fire just before it’s in the crosshairs, mash the launch button as your turn starts to nail the skill shot, and listen for the paired “whooshing” sounds to time the trigger. One nice quirk: the ruleset shifts meaningfully between code versions, so knowing whether you’re on the old or new ROM changes your strategy. Loud, fun, and packed with iconic sound, the Data East Star Wars is a beloved early-90s tribute — may the Force be with you.