Laser Ball

Laser Ball is a widebody solid-state pinball machine designed by Barry Oursler and released by Williams Electronics in December 1979. Running on the Williams System 6 platform with a confirmed production of 4,500 units, it features sound and software by Eugene Jarvis, who would soon become famous as the creator of the video games Defender and Robotron.

The playfield is loaded for its era: three flippers, three pop bumpers, two slingshots, ten star rollovers, drop-target banks of four, three, and two, two kickback lanes, two spinning targets, two standup targets, and a kick-out hole. The variety of targets gives the wide playfield a high level of replayability, as players work multiple banks and lanes on each ball.

The game's outer-space fantasy theme hides an amusing origin story. The project began as 'Lanes', a bowling-themed game, and Williams originally wanted the art to feature people from the company. Artist Constantino Mitchell wanted to do something different and pitched the Laser Ball space concept instead, which Williams accepted; he shared art duties with Jeanine Mitchell. The bowling roots survive on the playfield, where the ten star rollovers are still arranged in the shape of a rack of bowling pins. As a final footnote, the style of pop bumper caps introduced here would later reappear on Williams' 1985 'Sorcerer'.