Protect the President — Data East’s 1988 Secret Service is a spy-and-police thriller of a machine, and its playfield is a proper Washington power set: a model of the Capitol building commands the center while a White House model sits to the left, with five drop targets hidden beneath it. Designed by Joe Kaminkow with Kevin O’Connor and Margaret Hudson art and a David Thiel sound package, this confirmed run of 2,741 sports synchronized music and light effects, digital stereo speech, and a big flash-effect box atop the backbox for real arcade drama.
The layout is aggressive and well-appointed: three flippers, three pop bumpers, a pair of slingshots, twin spinning targets, a Ball Eater target, a five-bank of drops, a kick-out hole, and an up-post between the flippers to help fend off a center drain. Those White House drop targets and the Ball Eater give the game a distinctive character, while the dual spinners offer the kind of high-value, repeatable shots a scoring-minded player loves to work. The synchronized sound and light show, cutting-edge for its moment, makes every big shot feel like a genuine event, wrapping the espionage theme in real theatrical flair.
Secret Service is a fun, characterful late-’80s Data East that pairs a memorable White-House-and-Capitol playfield with the company’s flair for presentation. The up-post and the spinners reward a player who learns the machine’s rhythms, and that flashing backbox topper adds a jolt of excitement to every game. Guard the President, work the spinners, and blow the lid off the conspiracy. It’s a spirited slice of Cold-War-era pinball theater, built to make you feel like the last line of defense. The nation’s counting on your flippers, agent.