Led Zeppelin Pinball Machine: Pinball Rumour Mill

Led Zeppelin Pinball Machine

There has been speculation about a Led Zeppelin pinball machine since before the start of the Millennium, however since the early part of this year rumours have started to increase. So, is a Led Zeppelin pinball machine soon to be on the way and if so, what will it look like and who will be producing it?

Homebrew Led Zep Pinball

There currently appears to be a groundswell of support for a Led Zeppelin themed game, with an impressive homebrew Led Zeppelin pinball machine, based on Bally’s 1976 Freedom, appearing on the scene just 12 months ago.

Custom Made Led Zeppelin Backglass

As a development from Freedom, the pin featured a brand new skill shot and 360 degree pop bumper, custom made Led Zeppelin backglass and the playfield and cabinet decorated with the Led Zeppelin symbols created by the band in 1971, each of which represents a particular band member:

  • Jimmy Page’s Zoso symbol is taken from a sigil, or ritualistic sign for Saturn
  • John Paul Jones’ symbol is a non-interlaced triquetra overlaying a circle, taken from page 33 of Rudolf Koch’s 1930 book “The Book of Signs”, where it is annotated as a sign to exorcise evil spirits
  • John Bonham’s symbol comprising three intersecting circles, is from page 32 of the same book, denoting an early sign for the holy trinity
  • Robert Plant’s feather symbol is most likely a simple merging of two symbols from the Feather Symbol of Truth illustration on page 105 of James Churchward’s 1933 book “The Sacred Symbols of Mu”

So, as well as featuring images of the band, any new pinball machine would have to prominently feature the four mystical Led Zeppelin symbols.

Led Zeppelin Pinball Machine

Stairway to Heaven Bonus Play

And what self-respecting Led Zep pin would miss out on a Stairway to Heaven raised ramp, skill shots into the two front doors of the Physical Graffiti terraced houses and a Presence obelisk planted in the dead centre of the playfield just for the pure mystical hell of it? Surely these must be Led Zep pinball givens.

Led Zep Licencing

Reaching a licence agreement with a brand such as Led Zeppelin may not be a simple task. However, with the release of the first ever Beatles machine last year, it may well be that Stern Pinball are in prime position to perform an encore with Led Zeppelin. And furthermore, given that the Beatles was a modern take on Stern Electronics’ 1980 Seawitch, it could be that Led Zeppelin would also a modern take on another old classic, such as Quicksilver, which immediately followed Seawitch in 1980.

Led Zeppelin Pinball Machine – You Heard it Here First!

So a Stern remake of Quicksilver featuring Jimmy Page, John Paul Jones, John Bonham and Robert Plant, a Stairway to Heaven ramp, Physical Graffiti skill shots, the mighty Presence obelisk, plus a liberal smattering of Led Zep mystical symbols and produced by Stern as a modern take on Quicksilver; all of a sudden our new Led Zeppelin pinball machine is starting to come together…

And with Stern’s excellent video projector technology beaming concert highlights directly onto the playfield, complemented by an uprated, multi-speaker sound system, a Stern Led Zeppelin pinball machine is really starting to sound like a whole lotta love.

Now where’s my Brandy & Coke?

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