Harry Potter and the Pinball Dreams

By Jeff Patterson

When I think of the top moments in my life, I think of the day I graduated college, the day I got married, probably the day I was born, though I don’t remember that.  Well those were all clearly topped when I heard that a Harry Potter pinball machine was ACTUALLY GOING TO HAPPEN.

The story of how this seemingly impossible pinball license was (allegedly) secured is likely very interesting, but I am much more interested in the game itself at this point.  If the rumors are true, that this license was just secured recently, and that they haven’t developed much of the game yet, this leaves a very exciting situation – the pinball community can share on forums and podcasts and such their ideas on what should be in the game, and the ideas might actually get implemented!

In a perfect world, there would be seven machines, one representing each book/movie (ignoring the last movie being a two-parter), but obviously that is not going to happen.

In a near perfect world there would be 2-3 machines, but realistically that is extremely unlikely as well.  So let’s assume one game – what should be in the game?  What toys, modes, structure, sculpts, features, callouts, music?

Here are a few random ideas in no particular order:

• The flippers are your wand, and you cast spells during modes by hitting particular shots.  Shots can correspond to several different spells depending on which spell is lit so they can change depending on the mode.
• A diverter on one of the ramps, representing a moving staircase.
• Mad-Eye Moody’s eye that follows the ball around the playfield.
• Department of Mysteries lights for the Mystery awards.
• For a mode with dementors, have all lights dim and the playfield lights go dark grey and move slowly towards the flippers, then there is one shot lit needed for Expecto Patronum.
• Physical ball locks, then shoot the Alohomora shot to unlock and start multiball.
• Have the Put Outer (Deluminator) be a feature that turns off all the lights, make it look like they’re being sucked down into the drain, when the modes over have them re-populate from the drain hole.
• Have a Weasley’s Wizard Wheezes area and when you hit that shot, something funky happens with the game:
  • The twins cast Muffliato and it turns the sound off
  • The twins cast Confundo and it makes the flippers switch (left button controls right flipper and vice versa)
  • The twins cast Lumos and it turns all the lights on bright
  • When revealing what the twins are going to do, scroll through Weasley products that never get picked like Skiving Snackboxes, Nosebleed Nougat, Puking Pastilles, etc.
• Time Turner to save a ball, or maybe the Resurrection Stone.
• A Professor Umbridge bash toy would be satisfying.  But I don’t need her giant head on the game.
• Ball enters an area and the ball disapparates and a staged ball comes out instantly from other side of playfield (knocker sounds when ball disapperates).
• Sculpts/areas of playfield:
  • Hogwarts duh
  • Diagon Alley / Gringotts
  • Forbidden Forest
  • Hagrid’s Hut
  • Platform 9 ¾, Hogwarts Express
  • Quidditch
    • Though I would argue that Quidditch really doesn’t need to be in the game much at all (because lets be honest, the scoring of Quidditch makes no sense).
• Daily Prophet relays some type of info, maybe as the info screen when you hold the flipper
• Other items that can be creatively implemented:
  • Marauder’s Map
  • Invisibility cloak
  • Deathly Hallows
    • You collect the unbeatable Elder Wand, then you can use it once to cash in / collect everything lit on the playfield?
  • Horcruxes
  • Polyjuice potion
  • Pictures/paintings that move
  • The Tri-Wizard Tournament
  • The Sorting Hat
  • Hogwarts Express
  • Muggle jokes

This is just touching the surface of all the features and items that could be in this game!  This game cannot possibly live up to the hype (can it?) and seems impossible to make something that will meet expectations.  But I am very excited that JJP ended up with this license as they will throw the kitchen sink into it.  My fingers are crossed it is the Godfather Team that gets this – Eric Meunier, Keith Johnson, Christopher Franchi, and Jean-Paul de Win.

It is going to be an exciting couple years of speculation!!

Accio Harry Potter Pinball!!!

Written by: Jeff Patterson

Disclaimer: Any articles, interviews, or mentions of pinball manufacturers or pinball products is NOT an endorsement.