The Addams Family Gold, released by Bally in 1994, is a special gold-trimmed edition of the best-selling solid-state pinball machine of all time — Pat Lawlor and Larry DeMar’s 1992 masterpiece, dressed up with distinctive gold accents to celebrate its phenomenal success. The original moved an astonishing 20,000-plus units, and this Gold edition gives that legend an extra touch of class, complete with updated software and the same beloved, personality-packed gameplay.
The machine still revolves around its unforgettable toys. Thing — an animatronic hand — pops from its box to magnetically snatch the ball and spirit it below the playfield, while a computer-controlled mini-flipper learns to make a tricky cross-playfield shot on its own. The signature feature is “The Power”: hidden magnets beneath the playfield that grab and fling the ball unpredictably, conjuring the family’s supernatural mischief at the worst moments. Savvy players cradle up and wait the magnet out rather than fight it.
The game flows through the mansion’s stackable modes, started at the chair, while spelling GREED at the optical bookcase lights locks for multiball, and Bear Kicks on the center ramp light extra balls and spot mansion rooms toward the Tour finale and its 50-million payday. Funny, fast, and endlessly re-playable, The Addams Family Gold is a gleaming tribute to a machine that didn’t just sell — it defined what a licensed pinball could be. For collectors, it’s the most luxurious way to own an all-time great. They’re creepy and they’re kooky, and they’re golden.