Before there were video games the pinnacle of arcade entertainment was the pinball machine and Lego has managed to create one without using any electronic parts.
There never seems to be any limit to the things you can build with Lego but it’s always especially impressive when the models include functional, moving parts. The new Smart Bricks sets are all very high-tech and clever but this new pinball machine works solely through good old fashioned mechanical engineering.
The set is made up of 2,274 individual pieces and is inspired by the retro Lego Space theme from the 70s and 80s. It’s got a spring-powered launcher, two flippers, spinning bumpers, and a ramp bridge – all of which work just as they would on a regular pinball table.
There’s even a little narrative going on, where you’re trying to reunite a baby astronaut with its parent, with both characters decked out in a light blue colour that the minifigures haven’t been in before.
Although there are no electronic elements in the model there is a progress bar that you can reset, to show how well you’re doing, as you try to hit specific asteroid targets to save the baby.
The set is very much aimed at adult fans (do kids today even know what a pinball table is?) with an attempt to make the design look as much like an actual old school table as possible.
Once finished, the model measure 38cm long, 28cm wide and 24cm. The Arcade Pinball Machine (set #11374) is made up of a lot of Lego bricks, so the price isn’t cheap, at £189.99.
It’ll go on sale from July 4, from Lego stores and the Lego website, but if you’re a Lego Insider, which requires only a free sign-up, you can get it from July 1.
The working design is reminiscent of previous Lego arcade sets, such as the ingenious one based on the original Pac-Man coin-op, complete with moving characters and a light-up coin slot.
Lego has recently teased a new Donkey Kong set based on his original arcade game, from 1981, and while it’s not clear what exactly it is yet they’ve already shown a picture of one of the barrels, which suggests it might be something of a cross between this pinball set and the Pac-Man model.
There’s also a Minifigure Vending Machine, that recreates a working gachapon machine, but that’s another expensive adult set.
There are cheaper alternatives though, such as a £34.99 generic Arcade Machine that’s got a really cool interior, and a Creator 3-in-1 set for £17.99 that lets you make a portable console, a gaming PC, or an arcade cabinet.
Alternatively, there are a couple of sets that are both aimed at adults and come at a lower price point, most notably the amazing Game Boy recreation for £54.99 and a mini-model of the Sega Mega Drive for £34.99.
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