Iconic License

American Pinball Debuts
Hot Wheels Machine at Expo

American Pinball is coming in hot with its first licensed machine. Following the relatively new pinball manufacturers’ Houdini (2017) and Oktoberfest (2019) pins is Hot Wheels, a vibrant machine that takes advantage of a world-famous brand. Since 1968, Mattel has been making Hot Wheels die-cast cars, which are arguably the most known toys ever made with more than 6 billion sold.

“All of us at American Pinball are incredibly excited about our first licensed pinball theme and, more importantly, how fortunate we are to be able to team up with a world-class company like Mattel and secure the rights to one of their crown jewels,” said Michael Grant, the company’s sales and marketing manager.

The machine made its debut at Amusement Expo in March, and the response was “truly exceptional,” Grant said, adding, “The design approach of a much more intuitive and straightforward game really seemed to strike a positive chord with the many operators and distributor salespeople who stopped by the booth to play.”

American Pinball had already started production and planned to ship the first games at the end of March, but like everyone else, COVID-19 altered that. The Illinois-based company said it’s remaining in compliance with the state’s stay-at-home order, and continuing to provide technical support to customers.

“We’re hoping that once the order is lifted and we are able to go back to work, Hot Wheels pinball machines will be pouring out the door,” Grant said. “Our prayers go out to everyone and we keep our fingers crossed that the entire coin-operated amusement game industry will get through this and come back stronger than ever.”

American Pinball boasts that their new game takes advantage of a “multi-generational franchise” and brings it to life “with dazzling gameplay, spectacular effects and a feature-packed playfield layout that will keep players of all ages racing back to play again and again.”

Players stepping up to Hot Wheels will find themselves in the middle of “Hot Wheels City,” the hit YouTube series now in its fourth season that attracts millions of viewers from all over the world. The design team used the series for much of the footage displayed on the machine’s 15” LCD screen.

The many in-game features include car collecting, races, track building and challenges that showcase it as an action-packed machine.

Those who want to become the “Ultimate Hot Wheels Legend” can jump in the driver’s seat to race to the checkered flag and earn a “Victory Lap Multiball.” They can collect cars for the “Car Chaos Multiball.” Revving the tachometer delivers increased scoring and the ultimate “Redline Mania.”

The game was also designed with operators in mind with its RBG lighting and easy USB code updating. Plus, all coils are strength adjustable and a user-friendly service menu “guarantees the best performance on location.”

To get more information, email [email protected] or contact your local American Pinball distributor.