Goonies Pinball Machine – The Pinball Rumour Mill

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Goonies Pinball Machine - The Pinball Rumour Mill

Goonies Pinball Machine on The Pinball Rumour Mill. Hear it here first.

The Goonies were the central group of characters in the 1985 adventure–comedy film “The Goonies,” directed by Richard Donner and produced by Steven Spielberg.

In the story, the Goonies are a gang of kids from the Goon Docks neighbourhood of Astoria, Oregon who are facing the loss of their homes due to a planned development project. When they discover an old pirate treasure map in the attic of one member’s house, they set out on a wild adventure to find the fabled fortune of the legendary pirate One‑Eyed Willie, hoping it will save their homes from destruction. Along the way, the group is pursued by the criminal Fratelli family, leading to traps, puzzles, and dangerous encounters in a series of underground tunnels.

Surely such a plotline, with the original soundtrack including music from Cyndi Lauper, Phillip Bailey, Maurice White, The Bangles, REO Speedwagon and Joseph Williams of Toto fame, lends itself perfectly to an immersive and engaging pinball design.

Goonies:  No Official Pinball Machine – Yet!

Despite the enduring popularity of the 1985 film, no official Goonies pinball machine was ever produced by major manufacturers like Williams or Bally. However, the gap was filled by Orlando-based enthusiast Mike Johnson, who built a custom Goonies machine to mark the movie’s 30th anniversary. Using a 1991 Gottlieb Cactus Jack’s as the donor, the six‑month project featured powder‑coated “banana yellow” trim, Pioneer speakers, a custom power supply, and over 100 movie quotes, plus background music and multiball tracks. Authentic props, including Chester Copperpot’s wallet, the Spanish doubloon, skeleton key, and One‑Eyed Willie’s eye patch, were all integrated into the playfield to help create some immersive theming.

Best Custom Machine

Mike Johnson’s custom Goonies won “Best Custom Machine” at the 2015 Texas Pinball Festival, earning praise for its craftsmanship and attention to cinematic detail. Alongside the physical build, a virtual adaptation was created for Future Pinball/Visual Pinball, featuring themed modes like Fratelli challenges, Sloth timers, and skill shots.

This Goonies project stands as a showcase of the modern custom pinball scene, where fans bring unlicensed themes to life with high-quality builds. It remains a celebrated example of how passion and technical skill can create a collector’s item that feels as though it really should have existed in the golden era of ’80’s pinball.

The Goonies Custom Pinball Table

Stranger Things – Code Name “Goonies”

An interesting piece of pinball trivia to note here is that Stern Pinball has long used misleading or playful codenames during game development, as a way to obscure true project identities and discourage leaks. While Stranger Things was in development, the code name used by Stern Pinball for the project was “Goonies”. So did Stern pick this code name because Goonies is not a theme they would ever consider, or could it be the perfect double bluff?

Goonies Pinball Machine – It Could Be Spooky!

Spooky Pinball is rumoured to be considering The Goonies as a possible future project, and it has been mentioned on Pinside that Spooky might already have the rights in place, though fans express more hope than certainty about its realisation. So will a production Goonies pinball machine actually see the light of day?

As of July 2025 there is no confirmed official Goonies pinball machine in development, either from Spooky, Stern or anyone else, but if we do hear of anything more substantive, we will be sure to let you know.

Goonies pinball machine news – hear it here first on the Pinball Rumour Mill.

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