Our IAAPA 2024 coverage turns to pinball, with Stern Pinball, Jersey Jack Pinball and American Pinball all presenting their current line-ups at the show. Earlier reports covered Raw Thrills, TouchMagix, Amusement Source, Wahlap, Alan-1, Night Heron, Bandai Namco Amusement, Sega Amusements, LAI Games and UNIS. You can find more industry updates in the RETROCADE Arcade Blog.
Every title mentioned here was shipping at the time of the show. Metallica Remastered had only recently entered production, so some buyers may experience delays while units work their way through distribution.
Stern Pinball
Stern occupied a familiar position near Betson and Raw Thrills, with two rows of machines arranged towards the aisles. The main attraction was Metallica Remastered, which had only just missed appearing at Pinball Expo and received a dedicated video tour at IAAPA.
Stern’s complete IAAPA line-up was:
- Uncanny X-Men
- Star Wars Comic Edition
- Deadpool
- Metallica Remastered
- Venom
- John Wick
Beyond Metallica Remastered, there was little that could be described as entirely new. Pinball Expo and consumer technology events such as CES are naturally more significant platforms when Stern is presenting directly to home buyers. Star Wars Comic Edition was a pleasant surprise, however, as it appeared to have left production some time ago.
Jersey Jack Pinball
Jersey Jack Pinball has attended IAAPA inconsistently, including a visit the previous year. In 2024, the company arrived with a considerably larger booth and a substantial product announcement. Rather than introducing another themed table, Jersey Jack worked with Creative Works and Diverted River to unveil a new attraction system aimed at family entertainment centres: Pinball XP.
Pinball XP may initially sound like Jersey Jack’s response to Stern’s Insider Connected, but the concept takes a different route. It includes dedicated hardware and places a stronger emphasis on redemption and competitive progression than on general play features. The press release about Pinball XP outlines the system in more detail.
Pinball XP includes:
- A premium package containing five of the latest Jersey Jack Pinball machines
- 65-inch displays showing live playfield action
- Skill-based digital ticket awards
- An XP progression system with leaderboards
- Integration with major cashless systems
- Full compatibility with Diverted River’s Takoha platform
- Jackpot ticket opportunities for exceptional play
Pinball XP was scheduled to become available to buyers during early 2025. The first installation shown at IAAPA had been sold to Full Tilt Arcade & Pinball in La Porte, Indiana, while much of the remaining Jersey Jack booth content was also purchased.
Redemption-based pinball has been attempted before, including by Jersey Jack, but Pinball XP applies the idea in a different format. Whether that approach encourages more family entertainment centres to adopt modern pinball remains to be seen.
Jersey Jack Pinball’s full IAAPA 2024 line-up was:
- Avatar: The Battle For Pandora
- The Godfather
- Toy Story 4
- Elton John
- Pinball XP
American Pinball
American Pinball was positioned on the outskirts of the Games & Arcade Pavilion, close to UNIS and TouchMagix, which made the booth slightly difficult to locate. The company did not have a brand-new game to launch, consistent with its appearance at Pinball Expo 2024, but the booth still provided an opportunity for a detailed conversation with David Fix.
American Pinball confirmed that it is selling Polycade alongside its pinball machines and has additional games in development. For Australian operators considering maintenance or restoration, RETROCADE’s arcade repair service and arcade parts range offer useful reference points, although no availability claim is made here for these particular machines.
The American Pinball display included:
- Houdini
- Barry O’s Barbecue Challenge
- Galactic Tank Force
- Legends Of Valhalla
- Polycade
Although American Pinball had no new game to reveal, its presence added another pinball manufacturer to IAAPA beyond the two largest exhibitors. The company has typically attended alongside those major players, so it was good to see it represented again.
Three different approaches to IAAPA pinball
Stern used the show to display an established line-up with Metallica Remastered as its newest highlight. Jersey Jack made the biggest announcement with Pinball XP’s operator-focused redemption system, while American Pinball presented its current products and confirmed that further games are in development.
For readers comparing traditional machines with digital alternatives, RETROCADE’s virtual pinball machines provide another avenue to explore. Those looking beyond pinball can also browse the wider arcade machine collection.
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