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Phantom of the Opera

gameactive12 mentionsFirst seen Jun 22, 2015Last seen Oct 31, 2025

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Phantom of the Opera is a Data East pinball game licensed from the classic Andrew Lloyd Webber musical. The game features artwork by Paul Ferris, an alphanumeric display with semi-translucent backglass, and red ramps as prominent playfield elements. It has generated significant debate within the pinball community regarding its quality and design, with some considering it among Data East's best work while others rank it among the manufacturer's worst.

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Recent Mentions (12)

  • Data East machine from late 1980s; owned by Tom; boards interchangeable with Playboy era Data East games

    #81 Data East Marilyn Playboy - The Classic Pinball PodcastApr 5, 2022
  • Referenced as example of standard ramp integration in licensed pinball machines

    The Pinball Show Ep 156 BONUS: Can We Really Compare Old Games To New Games?Jul 3, 2024
  • Data East machine financed by Scott through American General Finance at ~24% interest; purchased for approximately $2,300

    Episode 14 – An Evening With Scott C.Oct 13, 2016
  • Pinball machine with Paul Ferris artwork; features major story scenes from the movie; Bug rates S-tier

    Backglass Tier ListJan 27, 2024
  • Pinball machine mentioned; Jack notes it's a crazy game

    The Simpsons (Data East1990) 06/19/15Jun 22, 2015
  • Offered to Tony as trade for Sharky's; Dennis notes it has dad's best art package but poor gameplay and annoying scream

    Episode 99 - A Blizzard of Expo NewsOct 20, 2019

Contradictions

  • Existing: Data East game described as 'best Data East game of all time' candidate (Episode 2)vsConflicting: Data East game cited as worst in the manufacturer's catalog (Episode 3)
    Resolved
    kept_existing · Mar 2, 2026

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Data East pinball machine with frustrating wizard goal design (per FarSight implementation), tight time constraints, challenging left ramp shots

Teeny Tiny Isn’t Always a Bad ThingOct 13, 2015
  • Data East game with Paul Ferris art; wins Most Unnecessarily Horny Game award; features low-cut female character design; hosts acknowledge controversial artistic choices in retrospect.

    Episode 90 - Pinball Hindsight Awards 1990Jul 7, 2025
  • Data East pinball game cited by hosts as worst in the manufacturer's catalog; described as terrible game that hosts invite someone to defend

    Episode 12 - Die on this Hill: WWF Royal RumbleJan 8, 2024
  • Data East game with art by Paul Ferris; alphanumeric display with semi-translucent backglass; features red ramps; described as 'best Data East game of all time' candidate

    Rare Game Roundup | Harry Potter | Pinball Expo Recap!Oct 31, 2025
  • Licensed title David Van Ness purchased as teenager driven by theme connection rather than location profitability

    We Are Pinball #48 BOF CEO David Van Es Joins WAP!!Oct 30, 2025
  • Data East game criticized for unbalanced scoring and exploitable organ shot strategy

    Episode 108 – LIONMAN!!Sep 9, 2019