Stern's Jaws Pinball Debuts in New Photos and Video Walkthrough

Stern Pinball has just launched a new pinball table based on Steven Spielberg’s classic thriller Jaw. It’s the latest in a long line of licensed film-based games from Stern, which has released games inspired by Jurassic Park, James Bond, Godzilla, Star Wars and Ghostbusters over the last decade.

Jaw – purely based on photos of Stern’s new table; I haven’t played it yet – illustrates what can be great about property customization for pinball. Designed by Keith Elwin, the table includes themes such as the surprise appearance of a great white shark, the excitement of harpooning that shark, and the use of a chum bucket to attract the old great white shark’s attention. Of course, it includes samples of John Williams’ unforgettable score, and Stern even brought back Richard Dreyfuss to record some vocal lines for him Jaw

(e.g. “Shoot again!”).

Here are some of the cooler things about Stern’s new pinball table.

The Bloody Chum Bucket

One of the unique sculptures for Jaw is a chum bucket attached to a Newton ball assembly that, when struck, shakes the bucket to “mix the water.” Stern illustrates this buzzing effect with red LED lights beneath the main playing field; They light up in a pattern that gives the impression of blood flowing through the water.

A close-up of the Jaws pinball table's playfield, with focus on the buddy boat and LED glowing

The shark fin

When the water is sufficiently churned, the shark will make its presence known with a fin target that moves from left to right, which the player must hit. That’s one thing I love about pinball: everything is there solved with the hit of a pinball machine.

A close-up of the Jaws pinball table's playfield, focusing on the

The orca

On the Limited Edition and Premium versions of Jaw – but not on the entry-level “Pro” version – there is a raised platform meant to represent the Orca, Quint’s fishing boat. It has its own mini pinball machine and steering wheel spinner. As a nice design touch, there is also a large, shark mouth-shaped bite from the boat’s stern signage.

The Wave Scoop

One way to throw your ball at the Orca is with this crashing, wave-shaped shovel ramp that launches the ball onto the ship’s deck. (Please also appreciate the fishing reel-inspired horizontal spinner on the right side of the boat.)

There are a lot more details, as Stern’s George Gomez and Keith Elwin point out in the video below. Warning: It might inspire you to drop a few thousand dollars on a pinball table. The Jaws Pro Edition starts at $6,999, while the Premium Edition costs $9,699; The Limited Edition costs a whopping $12,999.