# SONIC THE HEDGEHOG GETS HIS FIRST OFFICAL PINBALL MACHINE AND IT'S DESIGNED BY A LEGEND

**Source:** Jersey Jack Pinball News  
**Type:** article  
**Published:** 2026-06-24  
**Beat:** Pinball

**URL:** https://jerseyjackpinball.com/blogs/news/sonic-the-hedgehog-gets-his-first-offical-pinball-machine-and-its-designed-by-a-legend

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## Analysis

Jersey Jack Pinball and Sega announced Sonic the Hedgehog, the first official pinball machine adaptation of the franchise, designed by legendary pinball designer Steve Ritchie. The game launches June 23 and features magnetized ramps, 6,000+ spoken lines, Sonic characters, and Chaos Emeralds, with Ritchie describing it as "the fastest game I've ever made" and emphasizing flow-based design principles.

### Key Claims

- [HIGH] Sonic the Hedgehog is the mascot's first legit pinball machine — _Article states this explicitly, distinguishing from past Spinball adaptations and pinball-inspired game levels_
- [HIGH] Game features magnetized ramps that accelerate the ball at Sonic speeds — _Direct quote from article describing key mechanical innovation_
- [HIGH] Steve Ritchie, age 76, designed the game — _Article explicitly states Ritchie's age and role as designer_
- [HIGH] The game features more than 6,000 spoken lines from Sonic voice actors — _Stated in article as a content specification of the machine_
- [HIGH] Ritchie calls Sonic the Hedgehog 'the fastest game I've ever made' — _Direct quote from Ritchie attributed in article_
- [HIGH] Game has an upper and lower playfield with flow-based design — _Ritchie quoted: 'Probably the best I've ever done between an upper and a lower playfield'_

### Notable Quotes

> "the fastest game I've ever made"
> — **Steve Ritchie**
> _Ritchie's core design philosophy for Sonic—speed and flow are central to the machine's identity_

> "Sonic might just be the perfect pinball theme"
> — **Steve Ritchie**
> _Designer's assessment of the IP's suitability for pinball, emphasizing thematic alignment with speed and chaos_

> "I like making fast, smooth-shooting games. And Sonic, it introduces chaos big time... just a lot of free-roaming [play] rather than being so controlled."
> — **Steve Ritchie**
> _Explains design philosophy—balancing Ritchie's known flow-based approach with Sonic's chaotic energy_

> "Sonic is a very chaotic pinball machine and it's all fast all the time or damn near it"
> — **Steve Ritchie**
> _Sets expectations for gameplay intensity; differentiates from Ritchie's previous spacious-lower-playfield designs_

> "The energy is spectacular"
> — **Steve Ritchie**
> _Designer's overall assessment of the game's energy and player experience_

### Entities

| Name | Type | Context |
|------|------|---------|
| Sonic the Hedgehog | game | Sega franchise; subject of new official pinball machine by Jersey Jack Pinball, designed by Steve Ritchie, launching June 23 |
| Jersey Jack Pinball | company | Pinball manufacturer partnering with Sega on official Sonic the Hedgehog pinball machine |
| Sega | company | Owner of Sonic the Hedgehog IP; partnered with Jersey Jack Pinball on official pinball adaptation |
| Steve Ritchie | person | Legendary pinball designer, age 76, known as 'King of Flow'; designer of Sonic the Hedgehog pinball and previous titles like Star Wars (2019), Black Knight 2000, Star Trek: The Next Generation, No Fear |
| Dr. Eggman | game | Sonic franchise character featured on Sonic the Hedgehog pinball machine, includes animatronic figure that smashes into Sonic above backglass |
| Tails | game | Sonic franchise character featured on Sonic the Hedgehog pinball machine |
| Shadow the Hedgehog | game | Sonic franchise character featured on Sonic the Hedgehog pinball machine |
| Amy Rose | game | Sonic franchise character featured on Sonic the Hedgehog pinball machine |
| Big the Cat | game | Sonic franchise character featured on Sonic the Hedgehog pinball machine |
| Froggy | game | Sonic franchise character featured on Sonic the Hedgehog pinball machine |
| Chaos Emeralds | product | Sonic franchise game mechanic integrated into Sonic the Hedgehog pinball machine gameplay |

### Signals

- **[announcement]** Official announcement of Sonic the Hedgehog pinball machine by Jersey Jack Pinball and Sega (confidence: high) — Article is an official news piece announcing the machine's reveal on Tuesday, with launch date of June 23
- **[design_innovation]** Use of magnetized ramps to accelerate ball at 'Sonic speeds' represents novel mechanical approach (confidence: high) — Ritchie explicitly states magnetized ramps accelerate the ball at Sonic speeds, framing this as a key design innovation
- **[design_philosophy]** Designer balances Steve Ritchie's signature 'flow' approach with Sonic's chaotic energy; intentional departure from controlled play style (confidence: high) — Ritchie discusses introducing 'chaos big time' and 'free-roaming play rather than being so controlled,' contrasting with his previous methodical designs
- **[gameplay_signal]** Game designed around sustained high speed and intensity; 'all fast all the time or damn near it' (confidence: high) — Ritchie describes Sonic as 'the fastest game I've ever made' and states it's 'all fast all the time'
- **[licensing_signal]** Significant IP licensing deal between Sega and Jersey Jack Pinball for official Sonic adaptation (confidence: high) — Article explicitly states this is the first official Sonic pinball machine, distinguishing from past Spinball adaptations
- **[product_strategy]** Sonic the Hedgehog offered in three models: Collector's Edition, Special Edition, and Arcade Edition (confidence: high) — Article states machine 'is available for pre-order now in three models' with pricing details to follow
- **[product_launch]** Machine is available for pre-order immediately; official launch date June 23 (confidence: high) — Article states 'Sonic the Hedgehog is available for pre-order now' and launching 'on June 23'
- **[design_innovation]** Over 6,000 spoken lines from Sonic voice actors integrated into machine dialogue and engagement mechanics (confidence: high) — Article states machine 'features more than 6,000 spoken lines from voice actors who have worked on Sonic games' and notes Ritchie used 'Sonic's wiseguy attitude to keep players engaged'
- **[design_innovation]** Golden ring plunger and animatronic figures of Sonic and Dr. Eggman provide premium physical design elements (confidence: high) — Article describes 'a golden ring plunger for launching the ball, and Sonic the Hedgehog and Eggman figures that smash into each other above the table's backglass'

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## Transcript

Even after 35 years of Sonic the Hedgehog games, movies, and TV shows, Sega's blue blur is still capable of doing new things. On Tuesday, Sega and pinball maker Jersey Jack Pinball revealed Sonic's next game, an all-new Sonic the Hedgehog pinball table launching on June 23. While Sonic has dabbled in "Spinball" in the past, and pinball-inspired levels are a common feature in the hedgehog's side-scrolling games, Sonic the Hedgehog is the mascot's first legit pinball machine. To bring Sonic to life, Sega and Jersey Jack Pinball tapped veteran designer Steve Ritchie, known to pinball enthusiasts as the "King of Flow," for their new table. Ritchie calls Sonic the Hedgehog "the fastest game I've ever made," thanks to magnetized ramps that accelerate the ball at Sonic speeds. While Ritchie says he isn't Sonic the Hedgehog's No. 1 fan, he did play the early Sega Genesis games with his son in the '90s and contends Sonic "might just be the perfect pinball theme." Ritchie, now 76 years old, says he's watched the movies and "after we got rolling, I realized, 'Wow, this is an opportunity to make a very fast game.'" "I like making fast, smooth-shooting games," Ritchie told Polygon in an interview. "And Sonic, it introduces chaos big time. Not in terms of Chaos Emeralds, but just the ball flying around and just a lot of free-roaming [play] rather than being so controlled." He added, "The energy is spectacular." The Sonic the Hedgehog pinball table does feature Chaos Emeralds, of course, and virtually every Sonic character that a casual fan could think of: Sonic, Tails, Dr. Eggman, Shadow the Hedgehog, Amy Rose. And, yes, Big the Cat and Froggy are here too. Ritchie said that the pinball machine's levels are based on classic Sonic the Hedgehog themes, and the game itself is heavily inspired by the plungers and boosters that feature in classic Sonic games. But the presentation is modern; the game doesn't use 16-bit-style graphics. Sonic the Hedgehog features more than 6,000 spoken lines from voice actors who have worked on Sonic games. Ritchie said the design team utilized Sonic's wiseguy attitude to keep players engaged with newly recorded dialogue. The machine itself is full of impressive design touches, like a golden ring plunger for launching the ball, and Sonic the Hedgehog and Eggman figures that smash into each other above the table's backglass. The game uses a large array of colored LED lights to make the playfield look dazzling and to convey current gameplay goals. Most importantly, "It's got good flow," Ritchie said. "Probably the best I've ever done between an upper and a lower playfield." Ritchie's previous design work on games like No Fear, Star Trek: The Next Generation, Black Knight 2000, and 2019's Star Wars is known for its spacious lower playfields, with upper playfields that are dense with ramps and targets. Sonic the Hedgehog is similarly designed, with plenty of upper-field objectives, including a floating Dr. Eggman, that align with his flow-based design principles. But, he says, "Sonic is a very chaotic pinball machine" and "it's all fast all the time or damn near it," so fans of Ritchie's work should expect the unexpected. Sonic the Hedgehog is available for pre-order now in three models: Collector’s Edition, Special Edition, and Arcade Edition. The tech specs and pricing for each version follow.

_(Acquisition: web_scrape, Enrichment: v5)_

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*Exported from Journalist Tool on 2026-08-04 | Item ID: afab1e10-4a93-4384-9370-ceea40099bc2*