AVATAR: THE BATTLE FOR PANDORA REVEALED

Jersey Jack Pinball today revealed their tenth title, Avatar: The Battle for Pandora, based on the two James Cameron-created and directed movies, Avatar and Avatar: The Way Of Water.

With three more Avatar movies in production over the next seven years starting with Avatar: Fire and Ash which is scheduled for release in 2025, the franchise certainly has a strong future.

This is the first solo design for the company by Mark Seiden who joined Jersey Jack Pinball three years ago. Like other recent Jersey Jack Pinball titles, Avatar: The Battle for Pandora comes in two versions. There is a $12,000 Limited Edition which is restricted to a maximum of 5,000 units built, and the top-end $15,000 Collector’s Edition which has a maximum run of 1,000 machines.

Let’s take a look at them both, starting with the Collector’s Edition.

Collector’s Edition

The art for Avatar: The Battle for Pandora comes from Lea Faske who, since graduation with a Master of Arts in 2015, has been working on assorted video and mobile gaming projects for companies such as Ubisoft and Blizzard. This is her first pinball project.

The cabinet art for the Collector’s Edition features the leading characters Jake and Neytiri and is printed on the high gloss Radcals decals.

The legs, lock bar, shooter rod housing, side rails and backbox hinges are all decorated in a Na’vi design created using a dipping process which makes the pattern on each piece unique , while the shooter rod features arrow fletching matching that on arrows used by Neytiri.

While both editions include a topper, the Collector’s Edition has a three-dimensional cockpit window appearance, complete with a large ultra-wide head-up holographic display from the orbital shuttlecraft.

The display is fully interactive, responding to gameplay events and conveying information to the player and spectators.

Both versions also include individually-numbered plaques, although the Collector’s Edition appears to be missing the apostrophe in “Collector’s”.

The top-end model comes with a signed bottom apron card featuring signatures of game designer, Mark Seiden, and company founder, Jack Guarnieri, who signs as Jersey Jack.

The Collector’s Edition also includes external cabinet lighting effects.

Next, let’s look at the Limited Edition model.

Limited Edition

The Limited Edition cabinet artwork features the Tulkun – a huge but highly-intelligent aquatic creature from the second movie, Avatar: The Way of Water.

The rules card (not yet available) has a magnetic backing, giving the choice to install it or to retain the bottom arch’s artwork in full.

The topper on the Limited Edition is a simpler affair, featuring two flat, bottom-lit printed acrylic panels depicting the aerial battle between an RDA Scorpion gunship and a Na’vi-ridden Banshee.

Music is composed and performed by Grant Henry who goes by the professional moniker of Stemage, while custom voice work is provided by Steven Lang who plays the character Colonel Miles Quaritch who is the primary antagonist in the first two Avatar movies (first in human and then in clone form). Lang also provided custom voice work for the Stern Pinball Avatar game.

Display graphics are created by JP de Win – who has worked on all ten Jersey Jack Pinball games – Mark Molitor and Olaf Gremie.

With the action from the first Avatar movie based on land and air battles, while the second movie features much more underwater combat, the pinball design combines these to create above, on and under playfield action. There are six wireforms carrying the ball above the playfield and three in-playfield windows giving access to two lower playfields and a triple ball lock.

Avatar: The Battle for Pandora is a six-flipper, six ball game. In addition to the main two flippers, there is a full-size upper-right flipper, an upper-left mini-flipper and two more mini-flippers in the Deep Sea Crab Reef Battle lower playfield which features a Crab Suit toy, two standup targets and an orbit lane which are shot using a smaller-sized pinball.

The second lower playfield is called the Pandora Reef and it features a pop bumper to provide the ball action needed to complete the three-bank of standup targets.

The playfield artwork, mechs, sculpts and featureset for the Collector’s Edition and Limited Edition appear to be identical, but the Collector’s Edition has a hidden bonus which isn’t revealed until later in the game.

One of the key features of Avatar: The Battle for Pandora is the extensive use of UV-reactive components across the playfield. That includes playfield and plastic inks, sculpt paints, playfield silicone rings and the flipper bands. At specific points during gameplay, the lighting becomes ultra-violet, changing the look of the playfield and revealing hitherto hidden elements. The regular RGB hotrails which run down the inner sides of the cabinet have been upgraded to add UV capability, as has the back panel lighting, while there are also additional dedicated UV LED spotlights around the playfield.

The Collector’s Edition’s playfield has three different colours of UV-reactive ink which glow red, green and pale blue together with UV-reactive flipper bands, whereas the Limited Edition only has a single pale blue colour UV ink and regular non-UV-reactive silicone flipper bands.

So, as we look around the playfield, we’ll show you how the game looks in regular illumination as well as under UV light.

The bottom of the playfield has a conventional design, with one inlane and one outlane on either side. Both inlanes are fed from wireforms and both feature six arrowhead inserts which add temporary scoring multipliers and are some of the many items and people you need to collect during the game.

Above the flippers are the inserts showing your progress through the game. Several of them have names from the Na’vi language, so don’t immediately trip off the tongue. The line of seven square inserts spell out P-A-N-D-O-R-A, with each having four dedicated RGB inserts for colourful and intense lighting effects.

When the UV lighting is applied the silicone flipper bands and slingshot rings glow, while other hidden artwork elements emerge or change their appearance.

Avatar: The Battle for Pandora features an animated model in the form of the Amplified Mobility Platform or AMP Suit created by the company McFarlane Toys.

This appears to have an articulated left stabbing arm with a slingshot kicker below, but whether there are any other movements is not yet clear.

The AMP Suit has an adjacent UV spotlight covering it and other nearby playfield elements, including the upper left mini-flipper.

The AMP Suit is one of several models on the playfield. Another McFarlane Toys model is the Banshee. There are six different versions of the Banshee used across production games.

Additional playfield sculpts are created by Todd Hone.

On the right side is a model of an Ilu, an aquatic reptilian species.

The Hallelujah Mountains are a range of floating mountains on Pandora. There are two models of them here in the game too.

While we’re looking at the UV lighting effects, let’s take a look at those two lower playfields when lit with UV.

There is a third window to a subterranean feature. This time it’s a three ball lock loaded and released through the game’s subway system.

Let’s see some more pictures from around the playfield.

Here’s a comparison of the features found in the Limited Edition and Collector’s Edition models.

There is also a graphic representation of the games rules showing all the features which need to be completed in order to spell out P-A-N-D-O-R-A and reach the wizard mode of Eywa’Eveng (Na’vi for Pandora).

Flyers have been produced for both models. Here they are:

Collector’s Edition

Limited Edition

There is a new Deep Dive video available showing the game’s many features.

Finally, here’s how Jersey Jack Pinball announced their tenth game:

JERSEY JACK PINBALL ANNOUNCES THE OFFICIALLY LICENSED DISNEY ANDLIGHTSTORM’S AVATAR: THE BATTLE FOR PANDORA PINBALL MACHINE 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 Marrk 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: jerseyjackpinball.com. SOCIAL MEDIA Twitter: @JJPinball Facebook: @JerseyJackPinball Instagram: @jerseyjackpinball YouTube: @JerseyJackPinball Contact(s): Media: Ken Cromwell, Jersey Jack Pinball, [email protected] 630-423- 6556 Sales: [email protected]