Sonic the Hedgehog Launches His First Official Pinball Machine, Crafted by a Pinball Icon

After 35 years of Sonic the Hedgehog games, movies, and TV shows, Sega’s iconic blue blur continues to surprise fans. Recently, Sega teamed up with Jersey Jack Pinball to unveil an exciting new venture: a Sonic the Hedgehog pinball machine set to launch on June 23. While Sonic has had his share of “Spinball” experiences and pinball-inspired levels in his side-scrolling adventures, this marks the first official pinball machine dedicated to the character.

To create this new table, Sega and Jersey Jack enlisted the expertise of veteran designer Steve Ritchie, renowned in the pinball community as the “King of Flow.” Ritchie describes Sonic the Hedgehog as “the fastest game I’ve ever made,” thanks to innovative magnetized ramps that propel the ball at breakneck speeds.

Though Ritchie may not consider himself Sonic’s biggest fan, he fondly recalls playing the early Sega Genesis titles with his son in the ’90s. He believes Sonic “might just be the perfect pinball theme.” At 76, Ritchie has kept up with the franchise through its films and realized, “Wow, this is an opportunity to make a very fast game” once the project got underway.

“I enjoy crafting fast, smooth-shooting games,” Ritchie shared in an interview. “Sonic introduces a lot of chaos—not in the sense of Chaos Emeralds, but with the ball zipping around and a more free-roaming style of play.” He emphasized, “The energy is spectacular.”

The Sonic the Hedgehog pinball machine includes Chaos Emeralds and features a roster of beloved characters that casual fans will recognize: Sonic, Tails, Dr. Eggman, Shadow the Hedgehog, Amy Rose, and even Big the Cat and Froggy. Ritchie noted that the game’s levels draw inspiration from classic Sonic themes, incorporating elements like plungers and boosters from the original games, but with a modern twist—no 16-bit graphics here.

With over 6,000 spoken lines from voice actors familiar with the franchise, the design team infused Sonic’s cheeky personality into the game to keep players engaged with fresh dialogue. The machine boasts impressive design elements, such as a golden ring plunger for launching the ball and dynamic figures of Sonic and Eggman colliding above the backglass. A vibrant array of colored LED lights enhances the playfield, creating a dazzling visual experience while signaling gameplay objectives.

Most importantly, Ritchie highlighted, “It’s got good flow,” claiming it might be the best he’s achieved between an upper and lower playfield. His previous designs, including titles like No Fear, Star Trek: The Next Generation, Black Knight 2000, and 2019’s Star Wars, are known for spacious lower playfields and densely packed upper areas. Sonic the Hedgehog follows suit, featuring numerous upper-field objectives, including a floating Dr. Eggman, all aligned with Ritchie’s flow-centric design philosophy.

However, he cautioned, “Sonic is a very chaotic pinball machine,” and “it’s all fast all the time or nearly so,” so players can expect plenty of surprises.

The Sonic the Hedgehog pinball machine is now available for pre-order in three distinct models: Collector’s Edition, Special Edition, and Arcade Edition. Here’s a breakdown of the tech specs and pricing for each version:

Price: $15,000
The Collector’s Edition features exclusive premium finishes and is made-to-order with all the extras.

Price: $12,000
The Special Edition comes with premium finishes and is fully loaded with features.

Price: $9,999
The Arcade Edition offers a more accessible option for fans.