Game on with the New LEGO® Icons Arcade Pinball Machine!

There’s something magical about an old-school arcade: the flash of lights, the clatter of steel on bumpers, the satisfying click of flippers beneath your fingers… Your trusty arcade may be gone, but the new LEGO® Icons Arcade Pinball Machine will take you right back there.

Because once you finish assembling this detailed working pinball machine set, you can use the flippers to spin the bumpers and try to reunite the astronaut with the space-roving baby. Just like the good old days, but without needing a pocket full of coins.

To find out more, we spoke with the Design Master on the LEGO Icons team, Antica Bracanov, who was responsible for creating this set.

Building a classic

Pinball machines have been a staple of arcade culture, captivating generations of players with their blend of skill, chance and pure fun.

Given her background as both a librarian and active member of the AFOL community (Adult Fans of LEGO), Antica understood exactly what fans would love about a working pinball machine.

We started by asking Antica about the design process.

“I started with the most obvious part of the machine – the flippers,” she says. “I spent probably around a month just exploring how to execute the flippers, testing different options and then figuring out the building flow for that section.”

Once that was resolved, the model grew from there. But what sort of research does it take to design something that looks and plays like a real pinball machine?

“We have a pinball machine in the building, so we spent a lot of time playing real pinball and understanding the mechanics and features,” she mentions. “We also have some pinball buffs in the office who provided a lot of knowledge during the development. As well as engineering experts, like my building buddy Hoang, who helped everything click into place.”

Given this is such a nostalgic piece with so many associated memories, we were wondering what the design focus was.

“This is a LEGO take on a classic pinball machine, so while we wanted to make sure the pinball reflects the iconic features and aesthetics of real pinball machines,” she says.

But there’s more to it, “we also wanted it to be a LEGO pinball machine first, where the model provides hours of great building experience as well as great play experience once the model is built”.

A mission set in space

Ever since we’ve heard this machine had a space theme, we were eager to know the reason behind it.

“A lot of real pinball machines have some sort of a space setting, so the idea to place it in space was there very early on,” she explains.

Despite being a common subject on arcade pinball machines, it was still necessary to think about the story and the elements that could support it.

“We ended up with an astronaut navigating through space to get to the baby astronaut, who drifted too far away while playing,” she says. “This also gave us the opportunity to give a little treat to everyone who loves Classic Space and create the iconic astronaut minifigure in a new color, together with the baby astronaut.”

Play it like it’s 1980!

We love everything about this set, but if we had to pick one thing, it would be the playable mechanism. So, we couldn’t wait to ask Antica about what her favorite part is.

“My favorite [mechanism] is definitely the one you need to hit an asteroid with the ball, in order to get the astronaut minifigure closer to the baby astronaut,” she says.

A brand-new gear element was used for this, as its mechanism operates on gravity. Which makes it even more fun, given the theme.

Speaking of fun, we had to ask Antica if there are any hidden details or Easter eggs that she’s particularly excited about in this set.

“My favorite one is the sticker on the side of the playfield that reads ‘Thanks for looking here’, as a little nod to similar stickers placed in real pinball machines,” she explains.

These stickers could only be uncovered by taking the machine apart, while cleaning or performing maintenance. Which makes it such a special detail!

Before we go, we just wanted to share a tip that Antica gave us: “The longer you play with it, the better you get at sending the ball exactly where you want it to go and performing cool trick shots.”

We think fans will love mastering this machine. Now, if you’ll excuse us, we’ll be at the office corner, perfecting our technique!

Thank you, Antica!