Jersey Jack Pinball has released Elton John, a new machine built around the music and stage persona of the legendary performer. It also marks the first Jersey Jack title designed by Steve Ritchie, one of pinball’s most influential designers.
Ritchie is widely known as the “King of Pinball”, with a design career that includes Black Knight, High Speed, Terminator 2, Elvis and AC/DC, among many other machines. He also provided distinctive voice work for the original Mortal Kombat arcade games.
Jersey Jack confirmed in 2021 that Ritchie would join its design team. After several years of speculation about his first project for the company, Elton John was unveiled ahead of Pinball Expo 2023 in Chicago.
This is only the second pinball machine centred on Elton John. The first was Captain Fantastic, released in 1976. Jersey Jack is offering two versions: the Platinum Edition and a Collector’s Edition limited to 1,000 machines.
Both models have three flippers, several playfield toys and an animatronic Elton John figure seated at a piano. Custom speech from Elton features in the game, while players can select from 16 songs drawn from his catalogue.
The Collector’s Edition adds a laser-projector topper, a special shooter rod and higher-quality “RadCals” artwork with a different art package. Further game details are available on Jersey Jack Pinball’s product page, with an in-depth rules and feature breakdown available in this detailed pinball analysis.
Pricing and location potential
The stated manufacturer’s recommended retail price is US$12,000 for the Platinum Edition and US$15,000 for the Collector’s Edition.
From an operator’s perspective, the machine could attract attention in venues where music-themed pinball already performs well. However, music licences do not automatically outperform film or comic-book themes on location. Recent examples reported as especially strong performers included Godzilla and Cactus Canyon.
The Elton John theme has broad song recognition and plenty of visual movement, even for players who are not dedicated fans. That combination may help it stand out in a busy venue, although performance will depend heavily on the location and audience. Operators weighing a purchase can also compare the practical considerations in RETROCADE’s arcade machine buying guide.
A collector-focused price point?
There is a growing impression that Jersey Jack’s products are increasingly aimed at collectors rather than operators, although that remains an opinion rather than a confirmed company strategy. The pricing is consistent with recent releases such as Toy Story 4 and Guns N’ Roses.
For many locations, a machine costing more than US$10,000 is difficult to justify. Even pinball machines priced around US$6,000–US$7,000 can struggle to earn back their investment, making the higher price tiers a challenging proposition for smaller operators. Those planning a broader entertainment space may also want to explore RETROCADE’s virtual pinball machines as an alternative format.
Where to play it
Elton John was scheduled to appear at IAAPA 2023, where Jersey Jack Pinball had booth #829. That event offered an opportunity for operators and collectors to play the machine and assess its appeal in person.
For home arcade enthusiasts, the choice between the two editions will come down to the added Collector’s features, the 1,000-unit production limit and the substantial price difference. RETROCADE’s arcade blog covers more developments across the arcade and pinball industry.
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