For over eight decades, The Addams Family has woven a captivating tapestry of eerie charm. Originating as a single-panel cartoon in The New Yorker in 1938, Chas Addams’ peculiar clan has left an indelible mark on pop culture, spawning a myriad of entertainment adaptations. From a brief 1960s TV series and two adored ’90s live-action movies to recent animated features, books, collectibles, and a Broadway musical, the Addams phenomenon persists. However, for gaming enthusiasts, one gem stands out among the diverse Addams Family repertoire—the iconic Addams Family pinball machine.
Launched in March 1992 by Bally Games, inspired by the 1991 live-action film, The Addams Family pinball machine remains an unparalleled success, holding the title of the most popular and widely sold pinball machine of all time. Surpassing 20,000 units sold is no small feat, considering that other top-tier games of the era typically ranged between 8,000 and 14,000 units, predominantly sold to arcades or coin-op distributors rather than private collectors.
The question arises: What made The Addams Family pinball machine an extraordinary hit? While the film adaptation performed well at the box office, grossing around $113 million in the US, cinematic success doesn’t guarantee triumph in the gaming realm. Even more widely acclaimed films of the time, like Terminator 2, failed to inspire the same fervor among pinball enthusiasts.
“It checked all the boxes,” notes Clay Harrell, proprietor of the Ann Arbor Pinball Museum in Michigan. “The timing of the release and movie, the thematic resonance with those who cherished the original TV series, and the thriving pinball market at the time contributed to its success.”
However, there’s an additional crucial factor—the machine itself is devilishly entertaining. Crafted by renowned game designers Pat Lawlor and Larry DeMar, artist John Youssi, and sound designer Chris Granner, The Addams Family pinball machine introduced innovations that set it apart from its contemporaries. With magnets under the surface creating a haunting ball movement, voiceovers from Anjelica Huston and Raul Julia (Morticia and Gomez in the 1991 film), a mechanical hand (aptly named Thing) emerging from a box to snatch a player’s ball, and autonomous-moving flippers, the machine offered a unique and captivating experience that resonated with players.
“Pat had never worked on a licensed game before, but he’d done some magnificent work on a game called Banzai Run,” explains Roger Sharpe, the former head of marketing and licensing at Williams Bally who brought The Addams Family’s creators together. “His design for the game was exceptional, not only because of some of the advanced technology but because it was like, ‘Wait a minute, there’s a hand coming out from underneath the play field to grab the ball?’ Stuff like that had never been done before.”
