We would say that society appears to be approaching a “Weird Al” Yankovic renaissance, but that would imply that the past thirty-plus years haven’t been one giant, extended Weird Al Golden Era. The man is a national treasure, a light in these dark times, an accordionist of the highest caliber. Nonetheless, 2022 is already shaping up to be a great year for Yankophiles... for everything else, not so much.
First, we got wind that a “Weird Al” biopic of sorts is in the works—what’s more, in an inspired bit of casting, a biopic starring Daniel Radcliffe. Then we got a teaser image of Mr. Radcliffe as Yankovic that somehow exceeded our expectations. And now...now we have been gifted an official “Weird Al” Yankovic pinball machine. Gaze upon its glory:
Built by Multimorphic, “Weird Al’s Museum of Natural Hilarity” looks, quite simply, pretty goddamn amazing to be honest. Featuring a soundtrack of 17 classic “Weird Al” songs and 2,000 custom Yankovic soundbites, the game genuinely looks like an incredibly solid pinball setup.
Of course, the machine is also chock-full of “Weird Al” nostalgia (this is billed as a “museum,” after all). A UHF camera controls the multi-ball action, there’s a “Little Hungry One Cafe” second-level playing area, and a spiral staircase framed by a motorized hamster wheel. Give it to us now, please.
Speaking of which, “Weird Al’s Museum of Natural Hilarity” will be available for pre-order beginning February 28 at 9am CST. A standard edition will set fans back $3,000, while a limited edition run of the kit will cost an additional $1,800. We are ready and willing to review one of these things, by the way.
Most likely, however, we’ll simply have to admire these things from afar. But a website can dream, right?
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