Alice in Wonderland Pinball Machine – Pinball Rumour Mill

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Alice in Wonderland Pinball Machine – the Pinball Rumour Mill

Knapp Arcade stated earlier this year that Dutch Pinball had their production plans laid out for the next three to four years, with their first project rumoured to be a smaller run of a very high-end Alice in Wonderland pinball machine. More recently Dutch Pinball themselves teased a new brand “Dutch Pinball Exclusive” (DPX) and an upcoming game.

Dutch Pinball Exclusive (DPX)

This new sister company marks an extension of Dutch Pinball’s existing portfolio, focusing on producing limited editions of high-quality pinball machines for collectors. Barry Driessen, founder of Dutch Pinball, in collaboration with Melvin Williams, has initiated DPX to cater to a niche market. DPX represents a commitment to the craft of pinball machine creation, combining the renowned quality of Dutch Pinball with a focus on exclusivity.  So, could DPX’s first offering be a small run boutique Alice in Wonderland pinball machine?

Dutch Pinball Exclusive

Gottlieb 1948

The most notable Alice in Wonderland pinball machine was released by Gottlieb in 1948. One of the so-called “Fairy Tale” games produced by Gottlieb between 1947 and1948 this electro-mechanical pinball machine had 6 flippers, 10 passive bumpers and 2 kick-out holes. It also featured artwork depicting characters and scenes from the novel including Alice, the White Rabbit, the Mad Hatter, and the Queen of Hearts. In addition to the vintage Gottlieb version, there have been several other Alice in Wonderland pinball machines produced since.

Alice in Wonderland & John Popadiuk

When John Popadiuk was a designer at Bally Williams, he created a unique Alice in Wonderland prototype, inspired by Lewis Carroll’s 1865 book and the 1951 Disney film. Later, Popadiuk founded Zidware Pinball, where he faced significant setbacks. Despite designing and accepting pre-orders for several games like Magic Girl and Retro Atomic Zombie Adventureland, none functioned properly or achieved mass production. Amidst these issues, he started designing another Alice in Wonderland-themed game.

Zombie Yeti

According to Knapp Arcade it is rumoured that DPX’s first offering could to be based on the John Popadiuk Alice in Wonderland prototype that he started work on while working at Zidware. The game contained amazing art by Zombie Yeti, so it would make sense for DPX to pick this up.

Alice in Wonderland Pinball Updates

With DPX being created to deliver boutique, top draw pinball machines for the discerning collector, you would have to say that a DPX Alice in Wonderland pinball machine should be something very special indeed – and we at Pinball Heaven can’t wait to see it. So, watch this space for more updates. We will bring them to you as soon as we have them.

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