Jersey Jack Pinball· 8 min read
First Look at JJP’s Avatar: Battle for Pandora
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Let’s give a big Kineticist welcome to Mark Seiden! Designer of a brilliant homebrew Metroid pinball machine, Seiden was hired by Jersey Jack Pinball at the end of 2021, and we’re about to get the first fruits of his labor in a lead role (he previously assisted with Elton John).
Avatar: The Battle for Pandora is JJP’s 2024 release, featuring a heavily experimental, ramp-focused layout and the company’s signature theme immersion. Players join the ranks of the Na’vi and are challenged to defend the alien planet of Pandora from the RDA fleets bent on exploiting it, across battles on land, sea, and air.
Read on for an overview of everything we know about the game so far, including rules, notable features, notable release storylines, pricing, and photos galore!
Colin is the chief pixel pusher at Kineticist. He's a lifetime gamer who became enamored with pinball after taking in a family copy of the 1979 classic Joker Poker (the EM version). Since then he's bought, sold and repaired many machines, competed in all kinds of tournaments, and contributes to This Week in Pinball, the New England Pinball League, and Pin-Masters of New England. Previously, Colin spent over a decade working in marketing for agencies and tech startups. He also started and ran a music blog, happy hour website, and wrote a regular craft beer review column for Central Track in Dallas. Once aspired to be an artsy film director.
Avatar has been rumored as a potential theme for Jersey Jack for some time now and last ranked at spot #43 in our Hype Index, which tracks the themes the pinball community is most hyped for.
Site visitors were generally not very hyped for the theme itself, giving it a Hype Level of 43/100.
The release of a new game is typically enough of a story on its own, but sometimes we get releases where there are other points worth noting.
Avatar: The Battle for Pandora will be available in the two price points established with JJP’s prior release: the standard Limited Edition model and a Collector’s Edition ($12,000 and $15,000 respectively). We hear rumblings that the game is already on the line and shipping to distributors and locations soon, but as of publishing that has yet to be officially confirmed.
Collectors Edition games will be limited to a run of 1,000 units with an MSRP of $15,000. The Collectors Edition features a number of extras including:
The planned production run for Limited Edition games will be 5,000 units with an MSRP of $12,000.
Compared to the Collectors Edition, the Limited Edition features a few key (mostly cosmetic) differences:
All JJP models ship with unique features like RadCals (a thicker, glossier type of cabinet decal), RGB LED Hotrails, inner art blades, 27” backbox LCD display, shaker motor, interactive camera, invisiglass, WI-Fi connectivity, Bluetooth audio, an audio equalizer and enhanced backglass illumination.
Avatar: The Battle for Pandora includes a hybrid scoop / ramp shot called a “Scramp.” From what we have seen so far, the Scramp shot contains multiple positions. The neutral position where it feeds the right mini-loop. The up position where it functions as a scoop to access the lower playfields, as well as a jump ramp to send the ball into the wireform below the Banshee, which feeds the right inlane. Additionally, it looks like the Scramp has a kicker which can launch balls into the Banshee wireform, presumably to start a multiball mode.
Another interesting feature present in Avatar: The Battle for Pandora is a mech, or perhaps just an area of the playfield that’s being marketed as a Stageable Kickback. Perhaps this is a mechanism where you can bank your qualified kickback shots or use them more effectively for other gameplay moments.
When the Dive ramp is raised, the shot acts as a scoop to feed balls to the lower playfields. One features a single pop bumper surrounded by targets, while the other one is significantly larger and can be controlled with two of the game’s 6 flippers. Use the flippers to defeat the RDA’s crab suit in a multistage battle!
Hit the center arrow standup targets to light lock, then lock balls in the Mirror from the upper right flipper. The held balls are prominently displayed and released for multiball via the left scoop.
Six ramps are featured on this table, many of which weave across the playfield’s many floating rock sculpts. The ramps can be accessed by the table’s four main playfield flippers and exit in a wide variety of ways, including the right ramp which has a spinner built in for the game's Eclipse mode.
When the lighting dims on this table, hidden UV lighting is revealed on the playfield to further immerse the player and activate the bioluminescent art features.
All editions of the game will feature custom speech by Stephen Lang, who played big bad Col. Quaritch in the movies.
Avatar: The Battle for Pandora Teaser (Releasing September 12, 2024)
Avatar: The Battle for Pandora - Coming September 12, 2024
Avatar: The Battle For Pandora Pinball - Official Deep Dive
JERSEY JACK PINBALL ANNOUNCES THE OFFICIALLY LICENSED DISNEY AND LIGHTSTORM’S AVATAR: THE BATTLE FOR PANDORA PINBALL MACHINE
Cinematic adventure meets pinball mastery.
CHICAGO, IL (September 12th, 2024) – Jersey Jack Pinball (JJP) is thrilled to announce the highly anticipated release of Avatar: The Battle for Pandora Limited Edition and Collector’s Edition pinball machines. Play as one of the Na’vi, joining Jake Sully and Neytiri, in an epic battle for Pandora.
“Avatar is a groundbreaking and beloved cinematic experience. We’re excited to bring the Avatar franchise to pinball with an incredible game that will captivate players of all generations,” says company founder “Jersey” Jack Guarnieri. “This collaboration allows us to create a unique, modern pinball machine for players of all ages and skill levels.”
Experience the magic of Avatar: The Battle for Pandora
Avatar: The Battle for Pandora pinball, features voice-over work by actor Stephen Lang, reprising his iconic role as Colonel Quaritch. Throughout the game, Quaritch guides you with custom narration, intensifying the gameplay experience. The adventure is enriched by memorable scenes from both films and an original soundtrack that blends the harmonious sounds of Pandora with the powerful themes of the Avatar series.
The Avatar Films
The Avatar phenomenon, driven by James Cameron's groundbreaking vision and Lightstorm Entertainment's innovative technology, made an unprecedented impact on the film industry and global culture. Released in 2009, Avatar became the highest-grossing film of all time, setting new records and revolutionizing the use of 3D technology and visual effects. Its blockbuster success demonstrated the power of cutting-edge filmmaking and solidified its place in cinematic history, leading to a resurgence in interest in 3D cinema and inspiring a highly anticipated franchise. The sequel, Avatar: The Way of Water, released in 2022, continues the epic saga by exploring new frontiers within Pandora’s oceans and introducing fresh cultures and characters. Building on the groundbreaking success of its predecessor, Avatar 2 combines stunning visual effects with a compelling narrative, further developing the story of Jake Sully and Neytiri while pushing the boundaries of technological innovation and reaffirming the franchise’s status as a major force in global entertainment.
“We’re thrilled to see the world of Avatar come to life in an entirely new way through this incredible game. It’s exciting to watch the magic of Pandora reach fans in such an interactive and immersive format,” said Joshua Izzo, Executive Vice President, Franchise Development at Lightstorm Entertainment.
Award-Winning designs
Experience the brilliance and intensity of this dynamic, combo-driven playfield, crafted by JJP’s acclaimed design team, led by Mark Seiden.
Jersey Jack’s cutting-edge, industry-leading platform features proprietary technology that captivates players, delivering an immersive experience with stunning light shows, animations, and scenes from the Avatar films.
Collector’s and Limited Editions
The Limited Edition features blue powder-coated armor, exclusive RadCal™ cabinet artwork, UV-reactive (bioluminescent) playfield, back panel, and plastics, a dual acrylic LED-lit topper, an interactive shaker motor for haptic feedback, Invisiglass™, and individually numbered edition plaques. Priced at $12,000, it is limited to 5,000 units.
The highly sought-after Collector’s Edition includes an exclusive hologram topper, arrow shooter knob, industry-first hydro-dipped armor, UV-reactive (bioluminescent) inks, RadCal cabinet art package, Tri-Tone illuminated backglass art, external lighting, and signatures from Mark Seiden and Jersey Jack himself. This model is priced at $15,000 and is limited to 1,000 units worldwide.
Both editions feature 2 lower playfields, 6 flippers (3 full sized and 3 mini), 27” LCD backbox display showing iconic movie scenes from the film, 2 McFarlane sculpts (including 1 of 6 different Banshees), infinity mirror ball lock, animated AMP Suit sculpture, Crab Suit, Ilu & Hallelujah Mountain sculptures, RGB+UV lighting, High definition insert lighting, scoop/jump ramp (Scramp), heavy duty playfield magnet, hand-drawn artwork, and more.
Avatar: The Battle for Pandora pinball machine is available for purchase through authorized distributors and JerseyJackPinball.com.
About Jersey Jack Pinball
From its founding in 2011, Jersey Jack Pinball (JJP) has earned its reputation as the industry leader in collectable pinball machines, creating the most desirable titles in the modern pinball era. Designed and manufactured in the USA at its Chicago headquarters, JJP is led by an award-winning design team. Easy to play, difficult to master—JJP's games both honor the rich history of pinball and lead it into the future, with uncompromising standards of design and engineering that are certain to entertain players both old and new.
Industry-Leading Innovation
JJP introduced several industry firsts, including the use of LCD screens, RGB LED lighting, Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connectivity, camera integration, and other innovative technology. From its first offering, The Wizard of Oz, JJP has continued to revolutionize the pinball experience with groundbreaking releases, including: The Hobbit, Dialed In!, Pirates of the Caribbean, Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory, Guns N’ Roses: Not In This Lifetime, Toy Story 4, The Godfather 50th Anniversary, Elton John, and now, Avatar: The Battle for Pandora.
Learn more about Jersey Jack Pinball:
Watch the official pinball trailer:
Experience the official pinball “Deep Dive”:
SOCIAL MEDIA
Facebook: @JerseyJackPinball
Instagram: @jerseyjackpinball
X: @JJPinball
YouTube: @JerseyJackPinball
Contact(s):
Media: Ken Cromwell, Jersey Jack Pinball, kcromwell@jerseyjackpinball.com 630-423-6556
Sales: sales@jerseyjackpinball.com
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