Created by Stern, the official Jaw pinball machine features a shark, chum bucket, and pictures of Richard Dreyfuss and Robert Shaw. It looks magnificent.
It’s almost 50 years since Jaws first terrorised a generation of would-be swimmers, but incredibly, there’s never been an officially licenced pinball machine based on Steven Spielberg’s killer shark thriller.
That is, until now. As reported by IGN, the Chicago-based manufacturer Stern has unveiled a toothsome and entirely official Jaws pinball table.
Its features include a video screen that shows clips from the 1975 movie alongside helpful hints (“Shoot the fin!!”), airbrushed likenesses of actors Robert Shaw and Richard Dreyfuss (though no Roy Scheider, oddly), a motorised shark fin, and a chum bucket that tips over when struck by your silver ball.
It also includes newly-recorded soundbites from Dreyfuss himself, as well as samples of John Williams’ unforgettable durr-durr-dunnnn score.
Stern is also manufacturing three versions of the Jaws table, with prices to suit most budgets – well, assuming you have a few thousand dollars to spend on a pinball machine. The entry-level Pro model will set you back $6,999; the Premium edition costs $9,699, while the top-end Limited Edition is $12,999.
Those fancier tables feature a great white shark that bursts out of the play field, upending a little mechanical Orca boat in its way.
Brilliantly, the machines even get their own trailer, in which Stern chief creative officer George Gomez and designer Keith Elwin talk would-be customers through the tables’ features.
Jaws is the latest in a string of film and TV-themed pinball machines from Stern. Others designed by Elwin include include Godzilla, Jurassic Park and James Bond 007.
Interestingly, the trailer above tells us that Stern’s pinball table showcases clips not just from the original Jaws, but also its sequels. Does it include the infamous shark roar from 1987’s Jaws: The Revenge? We sincerely hope so.
You can find out more about Jaws pinball over on Stern’s website.
