Alien (Heighway)

Released in 2017, the Alien pinball machine by Heighway Pinball is a widebody table rooted in the sci-fi horror atmosphere of the first two films in the franchise, Alien and Aliens. Designed by industry veteran Dennis Nordman and finalized by Dave Sanders, the game stands out for its immersive, moody tone and a series of structural and technological innovations. It was built using Heighway’s signature modular cabinet system, which was designed to allow players to completely swap out the playfield and artwork packages with other Heighway titles in just a few minutes.

The gameplay is notably split right from the start, requiring players to choose between playing through the narrative of Alien or its action-heavy sequel, Aliens. Each path locks the player into five distinct modes inspired by memorable scenes from that specific movie, shifting the table's lighting, video clips, and soundscapes to match. To achieve the ultimate wizard mode, "All Out War," players must survive the mini-wizard modes of both cinematic paths while collecting various weapons and managing a complex series of multi-ball rounds.

Physically, the table features four flippers, a drop-target bank, and several interactive toys that capture the terror of the movies. The centerpiece is a striking, mechanical Xenomorph head that physically reaches down to grab the pinball with a magnet and pulls it away. Other notable features include color-changing Xenomorph egg pop-bumpers and a physics-defying jumping facehugger toy. The table also integrated a unique aesthetic choice by utilizing hidden inductive sensors beneath the playfield instead of visible mechanical switches, creating a sleek, unbroken surface art package. Additionally, it features an embedded lower-playfield LCD screen so players can track mode status and animations without having to look up at the main backbox display.

Despite the praise for its atmosphere and mechanical ambition, the table is incredibly rare due to the turbulent history of its manufacturer. Heighway Pinball faced severe financial hardships and went into liquidation in 2018, resulting in a very limited production run of roughly 185 units. Because of the high demand for the design, the rights and assets were later acquired by Pinball Brothers, who re-engineered and re-released a refined version of the table years later