Medieval Madness Pinball: The Williams Original vs the Remake, and What to Check

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Medieval Madness comes with a question that most classic pinball titles never raise: which one is it? Williams built the original in 1997, and the Internet Pinball Database (IPDB) records 4,016 units. Since 2015, Chicago Gaming Company has built a licensed remake with the same playfield design and different electronics. If you are shopping for a Medieval Madness second-hand, the first job is working out which one you are looking at, because the answer changes what you inspect, what can go wrong and which company can help when it does.

This guide sets out what IPDB, Chicago Gaming Company and PinWiki's repair notes say about both versions, then turns that into a checklist for buying one. It is built from those published sources rather than from first-hand repair work, and every figure below is attributed to whoever published it.

Medieval Madness at a Glance

Sources: IPDB entries for Medieval Madness (IPD No. 4032), Medieval Madness (Remake Limited Edition) (IPD No. 6264) and Medieval Madness (Remake Standard Edition) (IPD No. 6263), read via Internet Archive captures of 21 August 2026 and 23 February 2026.

Chicago Gaming Company's current version is the Merlin Edition, model 11000-ME. Its product page lists an XL display of 19¼ inches, an HD color display upgrade, RGB general illumination, a King of Payne topper, cabinet side mirrors and a shaker motor, all included (checked September 2026).

The original is a big machine to move. IPDB quotes the manufacturer's flyer at 355 lbs uncrated, 75 inches high (55 inches with the backbox folded), 22 inches wide and 52 inches deep. That folded height is worth knowing before delivery day, and our home game room planning guide covers the doorway and floor questions.

What Makes It Tick

According to IPDB, the game has two flippers, three pop bumpers, two ramps and an autoplunger, plus the three features that define it:

• The catapult. A left-side catapult throws the ball airborne into a habitrail.
• The trolls. Two pop-up trolls rise out of the playfield during "Trolls!" mode.
• The castle. IPDB lists the exploding castle as the game's toy, and PinWiki's repair notes cover its towers and its drawbridge mechanism.

Design was by Brian Eddy, art by John Youssi and Greg Freres, and software by Lyman F. Sheats Jr., per IPDB. The remakes keep the same design and art credits.

Original or Remake? How to Tell

IPDB is specific about the differences, and they are the quickest way to confirm what a listing actually is:

• Branding. The remake "carries no Williams logos or branding," and its translite carries additional copyright wording. Chicago Gaming Company's page states that the game is manufactured under license from SG Gaming, Inc.
• Model number and electronics. The original is model 50059 on Williams WPC-95. The remakes are 11000-series machines on Chicago Gaming Company's own controller and operating system.
• Display and lighting. Chicago Gaming Company says the remake adds features "not available on the original game," including modern electronics, a fully adjustable color display, all-LED lighting and a class D digital audio amplifier.
• The playfield. Planetary Pinball Supply, which the remake was made for, told IPDB that the playfield itself is the same as the original's, apart from some different holes for mounting the new electronics boards and LEDs.
• Which remake. The Limited Edition has a plywood cabinet bottom, finished backbox edges, one of three trim options and a serialized plaque on the cardholder. The Standard Edition has an MDF bottom, unfinished backbox edges and silver trim, with a shaker motor as an extra-cost option.

Both games show "Medieval Madness" on the backglass or translite and "Ye Olde Medieval Madness" on the cabinet sides, according to IPDB, so the name alone settles nothing.

Buying it second-hand

A second-hand Medieval Madness is judged in three steps: confirm which version it is, prove that the castle, drawbridge and trolls work, then check the software and paperwork.

Confirm which machine it is. Match the model number, the control system and the branding against the table above. An original should carry Williams branding and model 50059; a remake should have no Williams logos, and a Limited Edition should have its serialized plaque on the cardholder. Every IPDB entry for the game, original and remakes alike, links to the Internet Pinball Serial Number Database (IPSND), which is worth checking when a seller quotes a serial number.

Work the drawbridge and castle hard. PinWiki describes two drawbridge faults. The pivot points get peened by ball hits and can distort and bind. And the motor can run while the bridge will not raise or lower properly, which produces an error flagged by a credit dot; PinWiki traces that to broken teeth on a plastic gear in the mechanism, a part that can be ordered and replaced from under the playfield. On the castle itself, worn parts make the towers lean, and PinWiki warns that spares are hard to come by. Run the drawbridge from the solenoid test menu, watch it through a full cycle, and look at the towers from the side.

Make both trolls work for a living. PinWiki notes that gravity can loosen the collar from the troll carriage's cage and cause binding on the way up or down, and that a broken wire on the troll head target is another common problem. Start "Trolls!" mode during your test game, watch both trolls rise and drop cleanly, and hit each troll head to confirm it registers.

Fire the catapult. It is one of the game's signature shots, so make sure the ball reaches the habitrail the way IPDB describes rather than falling short.

Ask which software it runs. IPDB's original entry lists game ROM V1.0 from Williams. It also records an unofficial "L1.09 - Home, Free Play Only" ROM and unofficial "profanity" ROMs, both removed from the site at Planetary Pinball's request. On a remake, Chicago Gaming Company's site carries a software update page, so ask a seller whether the code is current.

Check what has been added to a remake. Chicago Gaming Company sells an HD color display upgrade for the Limited and Standard editions and lists other kits as not currently available, so a remake may have been upgraded since it left the factory. Ask for a list of what is fitted. If warranty cover matters to you, read Chicago Gaming Company's limited warranty rather than assuming it passes to a second owner; the current Merlin Edition listing gives 24 months on electronics and 12 months on mechanical and other components.

Judge the description by what it can show you. "Original" should come with Williams branding and a WPC-95 board set. "Limited Edition" needs the serialized plaque, plywood bottom and trim that IPDB describes. "Fully working" should come with a video of the castle, drawbridge, both trolls and the catapult in action. Before you pay, run the general checks in our first-machine buying guide: playfield wear, inserts, the cabinet interior and a full game played.

After you buy one. Give the playfield a proper clean with a playfield cleaning and wax kit, following our cleaning and waxing walkthrough, and replace old, pitted balls with a fresh set of pinballs. For more home-game gear, see our top picks.

Sources

• Internet Pinball Database (IPDB), "Medieval Madness" (IPD No. 4032), read via the Internet Archive capture of 21 August 2026.
• IPDB, "Medieval Madness (Remake Limited Edition)" (IPD No. 6264) and "Medieval Madness (Remake Standard Edition)" (IPD No. 6263), read via Internet Archive captures of 23 February 2026.
• Chicago Gaming Company, Medieval Madness Merlin Edition product page (features, model number, warranty, upgrades and license notice), chicago-gaming.com, checked September 2026.
• PinWiki, "Medieval Madness" (page last edited 8 April 2012), read via the Internet Archive capture of 7 December 2022.

FAQ

How many original Medieval Madness machines were made?

IPDB records 4,016 units of the Williams original, a confirmed figure. It says a limited run of 1,000 was forecast for the Chicago Gaming Company remake Limited Edition and gives no production figure for the Standard Edition.

How can I tell an original Medieval Madness from the remake?

IPDB says the remake carries no Williams logos or branding and its translite has additional copyright wording. The original is model 50059 on Williams WPC-95 electronics; the remakes are 11000-series machines on Chicago Gaming Company's own controller, with a color-adjustable display and all-LED lighting.

Is the Medieval Madness remake licensed?

Chicago Gaming Company's product page says the game is manufactured under license from SG Gaming, Inc. IPDB adds that the remake was made for Planetary Pinball Supply, Inc.

What usually goes wrong on a Medieval Madness?

PinWiki's notes cover castle towers that lean from worn parts, drawbridge pivots that bind, a drawbridge gear that loses teeth, troll carriages that bind and broken wires on the troll head targets.

How heavy is Medieval Madness?

The manufacturer's flyer, as quoted by IPDB, gives 355 lbs uncrated, with a height of 75 inches, 55 inches with the backbox folded, a width of 22 inches and a depth of 52 inches.