Also known as LW
1987 · Data East
Laser War
Known for WAR top lanes, Red targets, Yellow targets and Blue targets. Dark blue-to-violet night sky, vertical pale blue light tubes or columns, pale grey planet or moon, receding roadway with dashed centre line, horizontal light streaks suggesting speed and dark angular spacecraft shape.
- Year
- 1987
- Maker
- Data East
- Type
- Solid state
- Display
- Alphanumeric
- Players
- 4
Known for
- Lane
WAR top lanes
- Target
Red targets
- Target
Yellow targets
- Target
Blue targets
- Lane
Red base
- Multiball
Two-Ball Multiball
- Multiball
Three-Ball Multiball
On the playfield
Targets 3
- Red targets
- Yellow targets
- Blue targets
Kickback 1
- Left kickback
Lanes 4
- WAR top lanes
- Red base
- Yellow base
- Blue base
Lights 1
- Ramp Multiplies Scores insert
On the backglass
Who and what
- woman Left, large curly red hair, dark sunglasses, red crop top, black trousers and black gloves, holding a black rifle diagonally across her chest, standing front-facing
- woman Centre, dark mask or goggles over the eyes, tight dark bodysuit with white trim and belt, kneeling on one knee on the roadway, both arms extended firing a weapon with a bright muzzle flash
- woman Right, shoulder-length dark hair, pale grey-white outfit, leaning inward with one arm stretched out to the left
Setting
- Dark blue-to-violet night sky
- Vertical pale blue light tubes or columns
- Pale grey planet or moon
- Receding roadway with dashed centre line
- Horizontal light streaks suggesting speed
- Dark angular spacecraft shape
Text on it
- Laser
- KISS
- TM
- BALL IN PLAY
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 00
- 10
- 01
How it plays
-
Multiballs 2
- Two-Ball Multiball 2-ball
- Three-Ball Multiball 3-ball
-
Goals 1
- Base-number awards
Made by
- Design
- Joe Kaminkow
- Art
- Margaret Hudson
- Art
- Kevin O'Connor
- Software
- Lonnie D. Ropp
- Software
- Richard Ditton
- Sound & Music
- David Thiel
Reference
Linked terms
- WAR top lanes also called War also called W, A, or R lane
- Red targets also called Red color bank
- Yellow targets also called Yellow color bank
- Blue targets also called Blue color bank
- Ramp Multiplies Scores also called Ramp Multiplier
- Three-Ball Multiball also called Two-base relock
Playfield vision analysis
Written by a machine from the photos, so details may be off.
Playfield
- black
- yellow
- red
- white
Fingerprint: Huge red-and-white eight-pointed star RETURN TO BASE plaque dead center, jagged yellow lightning bolt explosion covering middle, upright rocket-shaped arrow drop targets left climbs, four ARROW BONUS labels RED BLUE LOCKED COLLECT, chrome wireform ramps thicket black starfield upper, diagonal value discs 2K 4K 6K 8K 15K 20K, grey arrowed banner COLLECT ARROW BONUS, black-yellow-red-white-blue comic airbrush palette.
A huge red-and-white eight-pointed star with a RETURN TO BASE plaque sits dead centre, exploding on a jagged yellow lightning bolt that covers the whole middle of the playfield. A row of upright rocket-shaped arrow drop targets in red, white and yellow climbs the left of centre. Four 'ARROW BONUS' labels (RED, BLUE, LOCKED, COLLECT) ring the middle. The upper playfield is a thicket of chrome wireform ramps over a black starfield.
Setting
- Black outer space starfield with scattered stars
- Painted rockets and spaceships flanking the mid-field
Symbols
- Eight-pointed star
- Yellow lightning bolt
- Droplet/arrow shaped targets
- Upward yellow arrows
- Star bursts
Notable shapes
- Central red eight-pointed star with return to base plaque
- Jagged yellow lightning-bolt explosion covering mid-field
- Upright arrow-shaped drop targets
- Domed clear habitrail over the upper left saucer
Art motifs
- Comic-book starburst
- Space race arrows
- Value discs
Themes
- Space
- Rockets
- Arrows
Text on it
- RETURN TO BASE
- LOCKED ARROW BONUS
- BLUE ARROW BONUS
- RED ARROW BONUS
- COLLECT ARROW BONUS
- 2X
- 4K
- 6K
- 8K
- 15K
- 20K
| Kind | Description |
|---|---|
| Vehicle | Painted rocket/spire drop-target shapes, red white and yellow, standing upright in a row left of centre |
| Vehicle | Grey arrowed banner reading collect arrow bonus spanning the upper playfield |
| Vehicle | Painted rocket/spacecraft illustrations on the upper left and upper right lanes |
A steep top-down photograph of a modern solid-state playfield with a black outer space starfield background. Dead centre sits a large red eight-pointed star burst with a white border and a white star field, containing a red plaque reading RETURN TO BASE. Radiating outward from it is a jagged yellow lightning-bolt explosion shape covering the mid playfield, with the words BLUE ARROW BONUS to its right and RED ARROW BONUS to its left. A line of upright arrow-shaped drop targets runs up the left-centre, each a red, white and yellow rocket/spire shape, with yellow value discs around them marked 2K, 4K, 6K, 8K, 15K and 20K. Two painted rocket/spaceship illustrations climb the upper-left and upper-right, with a large grey arrowed banner near the top reading COLLECT ARROW BONUS. The upper playfield is crowded with chrome wireform ramps and rails, clear plastic habitrails, four round pop bumper caps (one red, one black with a cream ring, one gold) and a cluster of yellow, green and clear lamp inserts. Lower right holds a bank of blue circular bumpers and a red round target lamp. Dominant colours are black, yellow, red, white and blue, in flat comic-book airbrush art.
Backglass vision analysis
Written by a machine from the photos, so details may be off.
Backglass
- blue
- black
- red
- silver
Fingerprint: Laser Kiss: chrome block band logo overprinted by hot red-orange neon cursive word slashing across, masked gunwoman kneeling mid-road on receding highway with dashed centre line, three women warriors including one with huge curly red hair and sunglasses, blue neon-lit futuristic space setting.
The chrome block logo is overprinted by a hot red-orange neon cursive word that slashes across it in long looping flourishes. A masked gunwoman kneels mid-road on a receding highway with a dashed centre line, muzzle flash flaring off her rifle. Three women warriors, one with huge curly red hair and sunglasses, flank her in a blue neon-lit futuristic space setting. A pale planet hangs in the dark sky behind the central figure.
Setting
- Dark blue-to-violet night sky
- Vertical pale blue light tubes or columns
- Pale grey planet or moon
- Receding roadway with dashed centre line
- Horizontal light streaks suggesting speed
- Dark angular spacecraft shape
Symbols
- Chrome block band logo
- Neon cursive script overlay
- Planet or moon
- Spaceship silhouette
- Dashed road centre line
- Seven-segment score windows
- Chrome player numerals
- Muzzle flash
- Guns and rifles
- Small tm trademark mark
Lettering
- Chrome extruded slab-serif block capitals with a red-orange glowing neon cursive word overlaid in long looping script; small red condensed sans-serif capitals on the score panel
Themes
- Science fiction
- Space
- Action heroines
- Laser
- Futuristic roadway
Title on it
- Laser kiss
Text on it
- Laser
- KISS
- TM
- BALL IN PLAY
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 00
- 10
- 01
| Kind | Description |
|---|---|
| Woman | Left, large curly red hair, dark sunglasses, red crop top, black trousers and black gloves, holding a black rifle diagonally across her chest, standing front-facing |
| Woman | Centre, dark mask or goggles over the eyes, tight dark bodysuit with white trim and belt, kneeling on one knee on the roadway, both arms extended firing a weapon with a bright muzzle flash |
| Woman | Right, shoulder-length dark hair, pale grey-white outfit, leaning inward with one arm stretched out to the left |
Illuminated backglass with a large chrome-and-silver block logo at top centre spelling a four-letter band name, over which a glowing red-orange cursive word is written in looping neon script. The art shows three women in a dark, futuristic blue-violet setting of vertical light tubes. Left: a woman with big curly red hair, dark sunglasses, a red crop top, black trousers and gloves, gripping a black sci-fi rifle diagonally across her chest. Centre: a masked woman in a tight dark bodysuit with white trim, kneeling on a receding roadway marked with a dashed centre line, firing a weapon that throws a bright yellow-white muzzle flash; a small dark angular spacecraft shape sits behind her. Right: a dark-haired woman in a pale grey-white outfit, leaning in with one arm extended. A pale planet or moon and horizontal light streaks fill the background. The lower third is a dark blue score panel with four green seven-segment windows, chrome numerals 1, 2, 3, 4 and small red text reading BALL IN PLAY.