Turner Pinball has announced the company’s second title with their reveal of the Jon Norris-designed game, Merlin’s Arcade.
Turner Pinball first title was Ninja Eclipse, of which only 100 units were produced. For Merlin’s Arcade the company has greater ambitions.
The game will be available in two versions – Arcade Edition and Legendary Edition. The Legendary Edition is a limited run of up to 500 units, while the Arcade Edition has no restriction on production.
The title is a mash-up of Arthurian legend and a classic amusement arcade games. There are knights, magic, a round table and battles with foes, but also video game, table football (foosball), darts, air hockey, pool, and other arcade elements.
The game was announced with no advance teasers or trails. The timing means its first appearance is expected to be at this weekend’s Texas Pinball Festival.
The Legendary Edition is priced at $8,995 and includes the following exclusive features:
- Premium Sound + RGB Speaker Lighting
- Yellow Powder Coating for Legs and Glass Frame
- Merlin Figure with Moving Body and Arms
- Mordred and Morgan Figures with Glowing Eyes
- Huge Foosball Knight Super Spinner
- Two Additional Super Spinners
- Light-up Arcade Machine Toy
- Pop Bumper Bobble Head Toys
- Barrel Physical Ball Lock with Subway
- Sculpted Castles and More!
- Anti-Reflective Glass
- Illuminated Topper
The cost-reduced Arcade Edition removes the custom sculpts and is priced at $6,995. It includes:
- Black Powder Coating for Legs and Glass Frame
- Huge Foosball Knight Super Spinner
- Two Additional Super Spinners
- Virtual Ball Lock for Multiballs
- Flat Plastics in place of Toys/Figures
The theme and layout is one game designer Jon Norris has been promoting for several years, and it was slated to be one of Jon’s games produced during his time at Deeproot Pinball. Turner Pinball acquired the rights to many former Deeproot Pinball assets when the whole Deeproot business collapsed.
Both the Arcade and Legendary Editions come with the removable playfield glass frame with integrated RGB lighting, as seen on Ninja Eclipse. They share the same high-quality cabinetry too, which even includes a clearcoated bottom panel.
Besides designing the layout and mechs, Jon also created a comprehensive ruleset for the game. This includes:
- Eight Light Knight Battles
- Eight Dark Knight Battles
- Four Duel Boss Modes
- Special Multiball for Each Knight (Light and Dark)
- Merlin Multiball
- Two Wizard Modes
The knights and ladies you need to defeat in the arcade are:
- Sir Lancelot, master of pool!
- Lady Percival, duchess of darts!
- Sir Galahad, lord of air hockey!
- Lady Gawain, video game champion!
- Sir Bedivere, guardian of shuffle alley!
- Sir Kay, ruler of the court!
- Sir Tristan, the pinball wizard!
- Sir Dagonet, foosball player extraordinaire!
Here’s how Turner Pinball describe their Merlin’s Arcade game.
| Challenge the Knights of the Round Table, the evil sorceress Morgan Le Fay, and the wizard Merlin in a variety of arcade games in this wild, uproarious adventure! All our models feature the same amazing cabinet, which is crafted like a piece of fine furniture. We use 13-ply 3/4″ plywood finished with black laminate inside and out. Even the 9-ply 1/2″ bottom of the cabinet is beautifully finished with a UV clearcoat. Our machines are crafted with meticulous attention to detail. We’ve prioritized quality, reliability, and serviceability. Here are a few features that make our machines unique: Whether you’re just diving into the world of pinball or have years of flippers expertise, our game aims to provide an unmatched experience tailored to every skill level. The playfield layout and game ruleset were both designed by renowned pinball designer Jon Norris. Welcome, brave squire, to Merlin’s Arcade! The merry wizard Merlin dares you to challenge the mightiest knights of the realm in a variety of games of skill. But beware! The femme fatale sorceress Morgan Le Fay and her brutish henchman, Mordred, have crashed the party! She will bewitch your noble friends, turning them into dark knights, and steal the Holy Grail! Can you defeat every knight, win the duels against the forces of darkness, and rescue the Grail—and Merlin’s Arcade—from evil’s clutches?! Let’s see if your legend lives up to the hype! Merlin himself might even take you on… |
Merlin’s Arcade games are scheduled to ship in summer 2025. A $1,000 non-refundable deposit is required to secure your order, which can be made with Turner Pinball themselves or through their distributors.
Both versions also come with PinAccess installed, which allows high scores and achievements to be stored, and also integrates with an electronic payment system to remove the need to coin-up.
Look out for more information on Merlin’s Arcade at this weekend’s Texas Pinball Festival and check out or show report for all the latest news.
