Star Trek: The Next Generation is a widebody pinball game designed by Steve Ritchie and released in 1993 by Williams. It was part of WMS’ SuperPin series (see also The Twilight Zone and Indiana Jones: The Pinball Adventure) and was based on the TV series. The game uses the DCS Sound System and includes voice clips recorded by the cast of the television series.

The game has a cannon on each slingshot; the ball can reach these through the subway, and they launch the ball using a catapult when the player presses the trigger. I’m not a big fan of some modifications, but adding laser sights to the cannons was a no-brainer. Besides looking really cool, it also really helps you aim better.

Swapping out a playfield on a game like this is not for amateurs; there’s a lot of engineering built into it. All assembly work is performed on a custom-designed rotisserie that allows the playfield to function exactly as it would when installed in the cabinet. This allows you to test things at different stages of the rebuild and fine-tune as you go. The bill of materials on a game like this adds up fast.

The cabinet was also taken all the way, with many hours of preparation spent to ensure a quality finished product. Improvements such as the Color DMD, anti-glare glass, cannon lasers, and LED lighting are just the icing on the cake!