Operation Desert Storm

Operation Desert Storm, produced by Data East Pinball in 1991, is a solid-state, four-player machine built around a modern warfare theme tied to the Gulf War. Rather than an entirely new design, it is the same game as Data East's 1991 'Checkpoint' released with different graphics and theming - a common practice for quickly getting a topical, licensable theme to market. Only a single unit is confirmed to have been produced, making it exceptionally rare.

Gameplay is built around two flippers and a mix of targets, including three pop bumpers, a 4-bank and a 3-bank of drop targets, a single drop target, and a spinning target that rewards precise timing.

Designed by Joe Kaminkow and Ed Cebula with software by Rehman Merchant, Operation Desert Storm's rarity - as a confirmed single-unit production run and a rebadged version of Checkpoint - makes it a notable curiosity for Data East collectors rather than a landmark design in its own right.