November 3, 2021 — In a pair of separate announcements, Arcade1UP, a leading provider in at-home arcade entertainment, and Stern Pinball, the name in commercial pinball cabinets, revealed two exciting machines – an at-home Terminator 2 cabinet and an Anniversary Edition Elvira (Mistress of the Dark) pinball machine.
It’s always a good day in gaming news when two blasts from the pasts step out of their proverbial time machines to reintroduce us to something we’ve loved and lost. Well, in this case, only one stepped through an actual time machine.
Pulling from the annals of horror history and a beloved sci-fi film sequel, the two machines may serve two separate audiences, but both will delight their targets in the same fashion.
Elvira Celebrates 40 Years with ‘House of Horrors’
For 40 years, Elvira, Mistress of the Dark, has delivered schlocky freights for those not too fixated on her more notable assets. To celebrate, the queen of scream and Stern pinball have revisited a classic pinball cabinet, ‘House of Horrors’. Originally released in 2019, ‘House of Horrors’ has received a celebratory update to honor Cassandra Peterson’s 40th year in the role of the busty character.
The 40th Anniversary Edition Elvira ‘House of Horrors’ pinball machine will be limited to only 199 units around the world. As expected, the special edition unit is chock full of upgrades, including:
- Updated 40th Anniversary logo
- Custom Paranormal Purple Sparkle powder-coated armor and legs
- 40th Anniversary cabinet artwork on hyper-chrome embossed surface
- Upgraded audio system
- Numbered Anniversary metal plaque
Anyone that buys one of the 199 pinball cabinets will receive a custom Elvira Dagger Shooter Knob, autographed copy of Elvira’s Yours Cruelly, Elvira: Memories of the Mistress of the Dark autobiography, and an exclusive autographed trading card. The cabinet will come with a QR code for Stern Insider Connected access and connectivity.
While the cabinet may look a little different, the antics within remain the same as Elvira sets out to leave her decrepit mansion behind. As the ‘For Sale” sign goes up, classic creatures from Elvira’s campiest movies come to life and wreak havoc. Elvira played an active role in creating the game, even recording dialogue and filming custom scenes.
The 40th Anniversary Edition of ‘House of Horrors’ will be on display at the Pinball Expo in Chicago from October 27 through Halloween. Pricing was not provided with the announcement, but seeing how the original 400-unit Limited Edition still sells for $9,599, one can assume the 40th Anniversary cabinet won’t be cheaper.
Skynet Reactivates With ‘Terminator 2’ Arcade Shooter
When Skynet’s neural network sends a troop of murderbots down on humanity, it takes a trained soldier to prevent the eradication of mankind. Or, at the very least, two arcade gamers at the helm of Arcade1UP’s new Terminator 2: Judgment Day cabinet.
In 1991, James Cameron released the Terminator sequel that helped launch a franchise and inspire a memorable arcade shooter from Midway. As the 30th anniversary of the game’s release approaches, Arcade1UP scaled the classic cabinet down to join the company’s line of at-home entertainment.
The new unit will feature the original game, which brought back Arnold Schwarzenegger, Robert Patrick, and Edward Furlong in their iconic roles. Film-accurate artwork adorns the front and side panels, and each unit is outfitted with a red and blue gun, built with force feedback. The unit also comes with:
- WiFi leaderboard access
- Light-up marquee
- Custom Terminator 2 riser
- Adjustable volume
As with all Arcade1UP home units, Terminator 2 is sized perfectly for most spaces, measuring 39” x 19.72” x 65.52” when assembled.
The 30th anniversary of the original cabinet’s release is October 31, just a day before Pre-orders are slated to open. As of the announcement, Arcade1UP hasn’t provided a price point.
