Lethal Weapon 3 (pinball)

Lore & Background

The game was developed with input from film director Richard Donner, who had a past relationship with Data East. In 1991, Donner had the company produce a custom Joel Silver pinball machine as a gift. Actors Danny Glover, Mel Gibson, and Joe Pesci recorded custom voice call-outs for the game. The game featured a Generation 3 FullView dot matrix display, larger than the industry standard, showing digitized movie clips. A hidden Uzi video mode, activated by a specific button sequence, allows players to eliminate bad guys in a video shootout. The background music consists of original compositions by Brian Schmidt and licensed tracks from the film's soundtrack.

Reader's Guide

Lethal Weapon 3 is significant as Data East's all-time most successful pinball machine by 1994, marking a shift from original themes to movie-themed pinball machines. The game was designed to appeal to both novices and experienced players. Its playfield featured a large Uzi with insert lights, and a unique video mode played with the ball still on the playfield. Players could shoot numbered saucers to display stunt clips from the film series, culminating in a 'Super Stunt' montage. The game received positive reviews, with The Flipside calling it the manufacturer's best pinball machine to-date, noting only minor issues like the unreliability of the skill shot. Data East provided six machines for the film's Los Angeles premiere in May 1992, though the completed game was released several months later. Custom versions were produced for Aaron Spelling and Michael Jordan, with the Michael Jordan edition raising over $35,000 for charity.

Did You Know?

• The game was designed by Markus Rothkranz.
• Joe Pesci owns a Lethal Weapon 3 pinball machine.
• The game features a hidden Uzi video mode accessed via a specific button sequence.
• The soundtrack includes original music by Brian Schmidt and licensed tracks from the film.