Half a year after debuting their Pokémon machine, Stern Pinball has opened the vault on their next video game adaptation. Albeit, one boosted by a popular live-action adaptation. The hostile wastelands of Fallout will be miniaturized on a wooden cabinet, knocking down ghouls, raiders and Deathclaws with a humble bit of silver.
Based on the post-apocalyptic video game series, the Fallout pinball machine sees a naive vault dweller brave the irradiated world. The table features a ferociously sculpted Deathclaw, spinning Nuka-Cola cap, moving Vault 33 door, functioning PIP-Boy and Fat Man launcher to annihilate targets on an upper playfield.
Most of the source material seems to revolve around the two seasons of Amazon Prime’s successful TV series starring Ella Purnell and Walton Goggins, including original voice clips recorded by mutating co-star Johnny Pemberton. That said, it also appears to include pulls from Fallout 4, especially when it concerns the V.A.T.S. system. Stern’s 2025 Dungeons & Dragons pulled in elements of the tabletop role playing game, and this upcoming machine seems to be conscious of RPG elements as well. According to Stern Vice President (and Spy Hunter creator) George Gomez, the project received input from Bethesda’s Todd Howard as well.
Like most of Stern’s releases, Fallout will be available in Pro, Premium and Limited Edition releases, with slightly different features and price points. And like all pinball machines, it’ll cost you a shiny nickel, with the most inexpensive model running you $7,299 USD. So save up those Nuka caps. The machine was designed by Keith Elwin, who recently gave us Jurassic Park, Jaws and King Kong tables. That back Vault shot screams “the One Ring,” which Elwin’s Iron Maiden machine largely riffed on as well.
Despite being compatriots in arcade halls, very few physical machines have been themed around video game licenses. Before Pokémon this year, the only gaming machines in my life time have been two elusive Super Mario tables and RollerCoaster Tycoon. The only company to survive the arcade crash of the 2000s, and the financial crash soon after that, Stern made their comeback largely with classic rock themed releases and Marvel movies, such as AC/DC and Iron Man. Only now, as the demographic finally emerges from Boomer basements, do we see a slight tweak in direction. Shortly after Pokémon, the juice ran completely come loose from the tube, with rival manufacturer Jersey Jack unleashing their Sonic the Hedgehog table.
The Fallout pinball machine is available to play at PAX West this weekend.