What Is The Best-Selling Pinball Machine Of All Time?

There are lots of different pinball manufacturers, with many having come and gone. This means there are thousands of variations on the classic game, and it makes it a commonly asked question as to which is the best-selling pinball machine of all time.

The Addams Family Pinball Machine is the best-selling pinball machine of all time. Midway created this machine in 1992 with some assistance from the famous American designer, Pat Lawlor. More than 20,000 units have been sold worldwide.

There’s more to The Addams Family Pinball Machine than meets the eye. Its fame doesn’t just come from its unique design. Apart from it being a collectible item, there are plenty of other cool features about it including its graphics, sounds, and gameplay that we will discuss in more detail below.

The Addams Family Pinball Machine

Due to the fact that there are a few of them still on sale, this valuable piece is already a collectible item. Even after being offered some serious cash for them, it’s almost impossible for a private collector to part with the Addams Family pinball machine, as it brings a unique air of brilliance to every game room.

2 Variations

There are two variations of this iconic machine. Game enthusiasts estimate that there are only 100 of the regular machines on sale in the US at the moment. The other variant is the Gold Edition, and there were only 1000 of these manufactured. This version had, as you might guess, gold features such as the legs and various accents around the table.

The Goal Of The Addams Family Pinball Machine

The aim of the game is to explore the entire mansion. The grand house is found in the middle of the play area and has 12 ‘windows’ as well as staircase ramps, a revolving bookcase, and the family graveyard. Your goal is to visit each of these windows successfully and score as many points as you can to unearth all the exciting rewards.

Plenty Of Fun

Some of the feats you’ll have to achieve before you can fulfill your goal are to hit cousin It, do the Mamushka (a dance of love performed by the Addams Family), the Tunnel Hunt, and raise the dead. You can score some well-deserved bonus points by doing bear kicks and train wrecks too.

The game isn’t tight-fisted with points either, as in a 2006 competition, player Jim Belsito earned a whopping 1,591,573,470 points. Additionally, the table graces the Guinness World Records 2007 section about pinball high scores too.

A Great All-Round Machine

Aside from the bonus at the end of the windows, the simple game idea appeals to both experts, who love an adrenaline rush by accomplishing missions and facing tough challenges, and rookies, who just love the pinball experience.

The Table Itself

The Addams Family Pinball Machine table has plenty of fun components, such as a magnet in the middle of the play area. This magnet activates every once in a while, jolting your ball off-course in an almost ‘supernatural’ manner.

The Overall Design

The play area has an excellent design, with Uncle Fester occupying the space between the lower flippers. He has a lightbulb in his mouth that comes on when the ball saver is in use. You can also find an electric chair at the center and Thing’s box at the upper right-hand side.

The box contains Thing, who crawls out, uses a magnet to snatch your ball to preserve it for a multiball, then disappears again. There is also an extra flipper at the left-hand side that seems to activate randomly on its own from time to time. When activated, it will send your ball flying to the other side of the playfield.

The Sounds

The late Raul Julia and Anjelica Huston, who played the ghoulish couple in the 1991 Addams Family flick, provided their unmistakable voices as Gomez and Morticia respectively for this pinball machine. This adds something unique to the table, as you will instantly recognize the sounds from the movie itself.

Apart from a lively voice performance, you’ll also hear the theme song and other similar tunes that play at various points throughout the game. The haunted feel of the gameplay and the sounds makes this an excellent table for both adults and children alike.

The Flippers

The Addams Family Pinball Machine has four flippers in total. One of them is the ‘Thing Flips’ which was the first CPU-controlled flipper to appear in a pinball machine. It works through the use of an optical sensor, which allows the machine to detect the speed of the ball for it to gain control of the flipper from the player to hit a shot on the alternate side of the field.

Excellent Graphics

All the main characters are visible on the backboard. The colors used to decorate the backboard are bold and bright, which really captures your attention the first time you use the machine. In addition, all of them – except Granny Frump – appear on the table.

Thing is a special part of the game as he appears on the table twice. First, he is painted on the scene close to the table, and second as the mechanical hand that snatches your ball for some multiball play. You can also see him on the LCD scoring display occasionally alongside Cousin It.

You can also find cool additions such as Bruno and Trainwrecks, as well as the gravestones of Muerto and Cousin Fledge, Marie Antoinette, the family Credo, and Wednesday’s book concerning the Bermuda Triangle.

The Best-Selling Machine

The Addams Family pinball machine is the best-selling pinball machine of all time for many reasons, namely all of the brilliant features noted above. An estimated 20,270 units have been sold worldwide, which is an incredible number for a pinball machine.

When it comes to prices of these pinball machines, there is a lot of variance. Prices fluctuate from store to store, but a Regular version will typically go for around $12,000, while the Golden Edition can go for anywhere between $15,000- $18,000.

Accurate And Durable

All legitimate Addams Family Pinball Machines are inspected by a certified pinball technician and are taken through a point check to make sure that they are always accurate. As for durability, you won’t have to worry about the machine breaking down, as it is manufactured using the strongest materials. Thorough testing went into every machine while it was being manufactured.

Final Thoughts

The best-selling pinball machine of all time is the Addams Family Pinball Machine. The machine was created in 1992 by Midway, with assistance from American designer Pat Lawlor. Worldwide, more than 20,000 Addams Family machines have been sold.