The designer behind 11374 Arcade Pinball Machine discusses what went into the creation of the playable LEGO Icons set and how to become a true pinball wizard.
The LEGO Group revealed 11374 Arcade Pinball Machine yesterday, a 2,274-piece 18+ set that’s due for release next month. Based on real-world pinball games of yesteryear, the LEGO Icons model offers a functional arcade machine combined with the Classic Space theme, complete with plenty of details packed into the old-school build.
The process of creating 11374 Arcade Pinball Machine has been revealed in an interview with Design Master Antica Bracanov on the official LEGO website right here, a discussion that covers how the set came together and what’s ultimately required in order to become a true expert with the game.
“I started with the most obvious part of the machine – the flippers,” Antica explained. “I spent probably around a month just exploring how to execute the flippers, testing different options and then figuring out the building flow for that section.
“This is a LEGO take on a classic pinball machine, so while we wanted to make sure the pinball reflects the iconic features and aesthetics of real pinball machines, we also wanted it to be a LEGO pinball machine first, where the model provides hours of great building experience as well as great play experience once built.”
During the initial development phase, Antica and the LEGO Icons design team decided to marry 11374 Arcade Pinball Machine with a familiar classic LEGO theme, a decision that allowed for the inclusion of two specific new minifigures as part of a playable mission.
“A lot of real pinball machines have some sort of a space setting, so the idea to place it in space was there very early on,” said Antica. “We ended up with an astronaut navigating through space to get to the baby astronaut, who drifted too far away while playing.
“This also gave us the opportunity to give a little treat to everyone who loves Classic Space and create the iconic astronaut minifigure in a new colour, together with the baby astronaut.”
11374 Arcade Pinball Machine also includes a number of additional functional features and hidden details that builders will be able to discover once they finally get their hands on the LEGO Icons set.
“My favourite [mechanism] is definitely the one you need to hit an asteroid with the ball, in order to get the astronaut minifigure closer to the baby astronaut,” Antica added. “My favourite [Easter egg] is the sticker on the side of the playfield that reads ‘Thanks for looking here’, as a little nod to similar stickers placed in real pinball machines.”
As it turns out, the only way to truly master 11374 Arcade Pinball Machine will be to put in plenty of quality time with the LEGO Icons model, so enough practice should eventually lead to full pinball wizard status.
“The longer you play with it,” said Antica, “the better you get at sending the ball exactly where you want it to go and performing cool trick shots!”
11374 Arcade Pinball Machine launches for Insiders first on July 1, with wider availability from July 4. The LEGO Icons set will be priced at £189.99 in the UK, $229.99 in the US and €209.99 in Europe, and you can find out more about the model in our full review here.
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