players have cited Data East's The Simpsons as a game that helped increase the popularity of pinball. The pinball market had been dead by the end of the 1980s, following the surge of the video game market, but it rose in popularity at the beginning of the 1990s. Tom Henry of The Tampa Tribune wrote in 1991 that pinball games became popular again because they started emphasizing themes: "The artwork, targets and sounds work together to create a story, manufacturers say. The computer unveils the subplot differently, depending on skill levels and the sequence in which shots are made." He cited the Simpsons pinball game as an example of this—a "game with a strong theme." A second Simpsons pinball machine, The Simpsons Pinball Party (designed by Stern Pinball, the successor to Data East Pinball), was released in 2003. References External links IPDB listing for The Simpsons Recent Auction Results for The Simpsons Simpsons Pinball machines based on television series Data East pinball machines 1990 pinball machines Pinball