The Jaws Pinball Machine Is Getting a 50th Anniversary Premium Edition

What’s different about this new version? The playfield artwork has gotten a glittery glow-up, and the cabinet is now outlined in a vivid “Passion Red” armor kit. The 50th Anniversary Premium Edition also comes with an exclusive translite, new cabinet decals, and a 50th anniversary hologram sticker that you won’t find on any other model. It also arrives alongside “new content enhancements” that will be sent out to all Jaws pinball machines. (If you haven’t played pinball in the last decade, machines now have wi-fi and get regular patches and code updates like video games. It’s weird and cool and sometimes frustrating but also, y’know, the future.)

The game’s code is also getting an update. Team Play and Co-op modes are being added, and two new wizard modes will make the game tougher for even the best players. So although the 50th Anniversary Premium Edition is largely a cosmetic update, every edition will be getting some game upgrades in honor of the big guy’s birthday.

If you haven’t played the Jaws machine yet, it’s worth hunting for. It’s one of the best Sterns in recent years, with a layout and game design that subtly echoes the tone and pacing of the movie. It also makes smarter use of its many video clips than a lot of recent pins. It’s one of the best games yet from designer Keith Elwin, who also designed the excellent Iron Maiden machine and Stern’s recent Godzilla game; Jaws actually gives that giant lizard a run for its money as modern Stern’s high water mark. If there’s a Jaws machine on location near you, it’s worth checking out; and if you’re got the dough, the new 50th Anniversary Premium Edition would probably look mighty nice in your gameroom.