"Laser Ball," released by Williams in 1979, is a solid-state, wide-body pinball machine featuring three flippers and no ramps or multiball options. Designed by Barry Oursler with software by Eugene Jarvis, it has a space-themed design and digital scoring displays.
Quickie Version:
UTAD.
Go-to Flipper:
Balanced
Risk Index:
High; watch for how shots with the upper flipper at the S-E-R targets rebound
Skillshot(s):
Any needed number lane; don’t let the ball roll down the right orbit.
Full Rules:
The game revolves around the 10 numbered lanes and rollovers. The top lanes score one or two numbers – two if you need both of them, as on your first plunge. There’s no lane change, so after that, you need to nudge towards numbers you lack. The other way to get numbers is individually by hitting the 10 bowling-pin-pattern star rollovers in the middle. Each time you complete all 10 numbers, your “AE” value, which starts at 10K, goes up by 10K to a possible 60K. AE value is scored by completing the B-A-L-L drop targets in the upper right. The game has the usual 29K base bonus and 2X-3X-5X multipliers. Base bonus comes from top return and outlanes, the standup target on the left and the BALL targets. Bonus X is advanced by either the bullseye target or the saucer, these each just outside and below the top 1-10 lanes. The left bullseye is the harder shot, up a somewhat narrow chute. Once the bonus multiplier is at 5X, one more hit lights the spinners for 1000. The L-A-S-E-R drop targets are here mainly to produce extra balls and specials. Completing Laser scores 5K the first time and goes up 5K per set until it reaches 20K. The outside bottom kickback “collect” arcs score 1000 for each star lit up to 10. Best to ignore them, though. Sadly, even though this is a wide body game with room for lots of features, it’s not worth doing anything but shooting the two orbits to the top. You can get all your bonus and all your AE advances up there, and balls falling through the top lanes into the bumpers will randomly rack up the BALL target sets and the right advance bonus X saucer eventually. The Laser targets and center star rollovers aren’t worth risking shots at due to center and right rebound drain risk. Avoid using the upper right flipper if possible; if you can hold it up so that the ball deflects off it safely, do that rather than flip.
via Bob's Guide