# MERLIN’S ARCADE REVEALED

**Source:** Pinball News Website  
**Type:** article  
**Published:** 2025-03-19  
**Beat:** Pinball

**URL:** https://www.pinballnews.com/site/2025/03/19/merlins-arcade-revealed

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## Analysis

Turner Pinball announced Merlin's Arcade, their second pinball title designed by Jon Norris, featuring an Arthurian legend and classic arcade games mash-up theme. The game launches in two editions: Legendary Edition ($8,995, up to 500 units) and Arcade Edition ($6,995, unlimited production), with summer 2025 shipping target and debut at Texas Pinball Festival.

### Key Claims

- [HIGH] Merlin's Arcade will be available in two versions: Arcade Edition and Legendary Edition (limited to 500 units) — _Official Turner Pinball announcement with detailed pricing and specifications provided_
- [HIGH] Games scheduled to ship in summer 2025 — _Stated explicitly in order information section_
- [HIGH] Turner Pinball acquired rights to Merlin's Arcade from Deeproot Pinball assets after Deeproot's business collapse — _Article states Turner acquired former Deeproot assets including this Jon Norris design_
- [HIGH] Legendary Edition priced at $8,995 with exclusive features including custom sculpts, premium sound, and RGB lighting — _Official detailed specification list provided_
- [HIGH] Arcade Edition priced at $6,995 with black powder coating and flat plastics instead of sculpted toys — _Official specification list detailing cost-reduction measures_

### Notable Quotes

> "Challenge the Knights of the Round Table, the evil sorceress Morgan Le Fay, and the wizard Merlin in a variety of arcade games in this wild, uproarious adventure!"
> — **Turner Pinball (official description)**
> _Official game pitch emphasizing the core Arthurian legend + arcade games hybrid concept_

> "Our machines are crafted with meticulous attention to detail. We've prioritized quality, reliability, and serviceability."
> — **Turner Pinball (official description)**
> _Manufacturer positioning on quality differentiation strategy_

> "The playfield layout and game ruleset were both designed by renowned pinball designer Jon Norris."
> — **Turner Pinball (official description)**
> _Crediting designer and signaling design pedigree_

### Entities

| Name | Type | Context |
|------|------|---------|
| Turner Pinball | company | Boutique pinball manufacturer based in Texas, maker of Ninja Eclipse and now Merlin's Arcade |
| Jon Norris | person | Pinball designer who created Merlin's Arcade playfield layout and ruleset; previously worked on designs at Deeproot Pinball |
| Merlin's Arcade | game | Turner Pinball's second title, Arthurian legend + arcade games hybrid theme, two-tier product (Arcade/Legendary), shipping summer 2025 |
| Ninja Eclipse | game | Turner Pinball's first title with limited 100-unit production run |
| Deeproot Pinball | company | Previous manufacturer; collapsed, with assets acquired by Turner Pinball including Merlin's Arcade IP |
| Texas Pinball Festival | event | Major pinball event where Merlin's Arcade will make its first public appearance |
| PinAccess | product | Software platform for high score tracking and electronic payment system included in both Merlin's Arcade editions |

### Topics

- **Primary:** New game announcement and reveal, Two-tier pricing model (Arcade/Legendary Edition), Turner Pinball manufacturing quality and features
- **Secondary:** Deeproot Pinball asset acquisition, Game design and ruleset (Jon Norris)
- **Mentioned:** Multimorphic P3 platform

### Sentiment

**Positive** (0.85) — Announcement presents comprehensive details of well-designed game with strong feature differentiation between tiers. Positive framing of designer pedigree and manufacturing quality. No criticisms or concerns raised in official announcement content.

### Signals

- **[business_signal]** Turner Pinball expanding production ambitions from 100-unit first game to 500-unit limited edition + unlimited Arcade Edition strategy (confidence: high) — Comparison between Ninja Eclipse (100 units) and Merlin's Arcade (500 LE + unlimited Arcade), showing manufacturer scaling
- **[event_signal]** Merlin's Arcade debut scheduled for Texas Pinball Festival this weekend following no-advance-teaser surprise announcement strategy (confidence: high) — Article states 'announced with no advance teasers or trails' and 'first appearance is expected to be at this weekend's Texas Pinball Festival'
- **[announcement]** Turner Pinball officially announces Merlin's Arcade with full specifications, pricing, and summer 2025 shipping timeline (confidence: high) — Comprehensive official announcement with detailed product images, pricing, feature lists, and shipping information
- **[product_strategy]** Merlin's Arcade implements clear two-tier strategy: Legendary Edition ($8,995) with custom sculpts/premium features vs Arcade Edition ($6,995) with flat plastics and virtual ball lock (confidence: high) — Detailed specifications showing feature parity on core hardware with LE differentiation through sculpts, sound system, and cosmetics
- **[technology_signal]** Turner Pinball continues proprietary manufacturing innovations: removable glass frame with integrated RGB lighting, dual flipper buttons with Finesse feature, connectorless lighting design (confidence: high) — Article highlights 'Removable Glass Frame w/ Std Size Tempered Glass', 'Connectorless RGB Lighting', 'Dual Flipper Buttons w/ Finesse Feature™', carried forward from Ninja Eclipse

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## Transcript

Turner Pinball has announced the company’s second title with their reveal of the Jon Norris-designed game, Merlin’s Arcade. ![The translite image for Merlin's Arcade](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/games/merlins-arcade/002-merlins-arcade.jpg) The translite image for Merlin’s Arcade Turner Pinball first title was Ninja Eclipse, of which only 100 units were produced. For Merlin’s Arcade the company has greater ambitions. The game will be available in two versions – Arcade Edition and Legendary Edition. The Legendary Edition is a limited run of up to 500 units, while the Arcade Edition has no restriction on production. ![The Legendary Edition of Merlin's Arcade](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/games/merlins-arcade/001-merlins-arcade.jpg) The Legendary Edition of Merlin’s Arcade The title is a mash-up of Arthurian legend and a classic amusement arcade games. There are knights, magic, a round table and battles with foes, but also video game, table football (foosball), darts, air hockey, pool, and other arcade elements. ![The playfield for Merlin's Arcade](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/games/merlins-arcade/003-merlins-arcade.jpg) The playfield for Merlin’s Arcade The game was announced with no advance teasers or trails. The timing means its first appearance is expected to be at this weekend’s Texas Pinball Festival. ![The display/speaker panel from the Legendary Edition](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/games/merlins-arcade/004-merlins-arcade.jpg) The display/speaker panel from the Legendary Edition The Legendary Edition is priced at $8,995 and includes the following exclusive features: Premium Sound + RGB Speaker Lighting Yellow Powder Coating for Legs and Glass Frame Merlin Figure with Moving Body and Arms Mordred and Morgan Figures with Glowing Eyes Huge Foosball Knight Super Spinner Two Additional Super Spinners Light-up Arcade Machine Toy Pop Bumper Bobble Head Toys Barrel Physical Ball Lock with Subway Sculpted Castles and More! Anti-Reflective Glass Illuminated Topper ![The upper part of the playfield of the Legendary Edition](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/games/merlins-arcade/006-merlins-arcade.jpg) The Edition The cost-reduced Arcade Edition removes the custom sculpts and is priced at $6,995. It includes: Black Powder Coating for Legs and Glass Frame Virtual Ball Lock for Multiballs Flat Plastics in place of Toys/Figures ![Morgan Le Fay - one of the sculpts from the Legendary Edition](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/games/merlins-arcade/007-merlins-arcade.jpg) Morgan Le Fay – one of the sculpts from the Legendary Edition ![Another of the sculpts from the Legendary Edition](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/games/merlins-arcade/008-merlins-arcade.jpg) Another of the sculpts from the Legendary Edition The theme and layout is one game designer Jon Norris has been promoting for several years, and it was slated to be one of Jon’s games produced during his time at Deeproot Pinball. Turner Pinball acquired the rights to many former Deeproot Pinball assets when the whole Deeproot business collapsed. ![The entrance to the castle](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/games/merlins-arcade/011-merlins-arcade.jpg) The entrance to the castle Both the Arcade and Legendary Editions come with the removable playfield glass frame with integrated RGB lighting, as seen on Ninja Eclipse. They share the same high-quality cabinetry too, which even includes a clearcoated bottom panel. ![The barrel ball lock](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/games/merlins-arcade/009-merlins-arcade.jpg) The barrel ball lock Besides designing the layout and mechs, Jon also created a comprehensive ruleset for the game. This includes: Eight Light Knight Battles Eight Dark Knight Battles Four Duel Boss Modes Special Multiball for Each Knight (Light and Dark) Merlin Multiball Two Wizard Modes ![Some of the RGB-lit playfield inserts](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/games/merlins-arcade/012-merlins-arcade.jpg) Some of the RGB-lit playfield inserts The knights and ladies you need to defeat in the arcade are: Sir Lancelot, master of pool! Lady Percival, duchess of darts! Sir Galahad, lord of air hockey! Lady Gawain, video game champion! Sir Bedivere, guardian of shuffle alley! Sir Kay, ruler of the court! Sir Tristan, the pinball wizard! * Sir Dagonet, foosball player extraordinaire! ![As you defeat them, their inserts light on the playfield and the back panel](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/games/merlins-arcade/005-merlins-arcade.jpg) As panel Here’s how Turner Pinball describe their Merlin’s Arcade game. | | | --- | | Challenge the Knights of the Round Table, the evil sorceress Morgan Le Fay, and the wizard Merlin in a variety of arcade games in this wild, uproarious adventure! All our models feature the same amazing cabinet, which is crafted like a piece of fine furniture. We use 13-ply 3/4″ plywood finished with black laminate inside and out. Even the 9-ply 1/2″ bottom of the cabinet is beautifully finished with a UV clearcoat. Our machines are crafted with meticulous attention to detail. We’ve prioritized quality, reliability, and serviceability. Here are a few features that make our machines unique: – Removable Glass Frame w/ Std Size Tempered Glass – Connectorless RGB Lighting on Glass Frame – Dual Flipper Buttons w/ Finesse Feature™ – Abrasion Resistant Playfield Surface Whether you’re just diving into the world of pinball or have years of flippers expertise, our game aims to provide an unmatched experience tailored to every skill level. The playfield layout and game ruleset were both designed by renowned pinball designer Jon Norris. Welcome, brave squire, to Merlin’s Arcade! The merry wizard Merlin dares you to challenge the mightiest knights of the realm in a variety of games of skill. But beware! The femme fatale sorceress Morgan Le Fay and her brutish henchman, Mordred, have crashed the party! She will bewitch your noble friends, turning them into dark knights, and steal the Holy Grail! Can you defeat every knight, win the duels against the forces of darkness, and rescue the Grail—and Merlin’s Arcade—from evil’s clutches?! Let’s see if your legend lives up to the hype! Merlin himself might even take you on… | | | ![One of the game's spinners](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/games/merlins-arcade/010-merlins-arcade.jpg) One of the game’s spinners Merlin’s Arcade games are scheduled to ship in summer 2025. A $1,000 non-refundable deposit is required to secure your order, which can be made with Turner Pinball themselves or through their distributors. ![The game's pop bumper area](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/games/merlins-arcade/013merlins-arcade.jpg) The game’s pop bumper area Both versions also come with PinAccess installed, which allows high scores and achievements to be stored, and also integrates with an electronic payment system to remove the need to coin-up. Look out for more information on Merlin’s Arcade at this weekend’s Texas Pinball Festival and check out or show report for all the latest news.

_(Acquisition: raw_text, Enrichment: v1)_

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*Exported from Journalist Tool on 2026-04-13 | Item ID: 731ac927-fd6a-4acb-814f-79f8de634971*