Best Avatar Pinball Mods

Stern's Avatar from 2010 is one of those pinball machines that has developed a real following over the years.

Based on James Cameron's Avatar, the machine has a strong visual identity, with the world of Pandora, the Na'vi and the movie's blue-and-green colour palette giving it plenty of potential for custom artwork.

And while the original machine already has a distinctive look, the right pinball mods can make it feel much more complete.

Here are some of our favourite ways to customise the Stern Avatar.

Avatar WizBlades

One of the biggest visual upgrades you can make to an Avatar is adding WizBlades.

The inside of the cabinet is a large area that you see throughout every game, but it is also one of the areas that can feel visually empty on an older Stern machine.

Avatar WizBlades extend the artwork down into the cabinet, surrounding the playfield with more of Pandora's atmosphere.

The effect is particularly good on a theme like Avatar. The colourful artwork and jungle-inspired world lend themselves perfectly to extending the visual experience beyond the playfield.

It is a relatively simple modification, but it can make the machine feel considerably more immersive.

Avatar WizPanels

The speaker panel is another area where custom artwork can make a surprisingly big difference.

Our Avatar WizPanels are decal panels, designed to add more of the movie's artwork to the speaker area without changing the original character of the machine.

It is one of those upgrades that works particularly well when combined with WizBlades. Instead of having custom artwork on one part of the cabinet and a plain speaker area above it, the artwork starts to feel like one continuous design.

For a machine with such a strong visual theme, that extra continuity really works.

If you're interested in how speaker-panel artwork has become such a popular part of modern pinball customisation, our Ultimate Pinball Mods Guide takes a closer look at the different types of artwork available.

Avatar WizBats

Sometimes the smallest details are the ones you notice most.

WizBats add custom artwork directly to the tops of the flipper bats, putting another piece of the Avatar theme right in the centre of the action.

Because the flippers are constantly in view during gameplay, this is a particularly nice finishing touch.

They also work beautifully alongside larger upgrades such as WizBlades and WizPanels, creating a more consistent visual theme across the machine.

For more on why these small upgrades can make such a difference, check out our Why WizBats Are One of the Best Pinball Mods article.

Avatar WizAprons – Pro and LE

The apron is another great opportunity to bring more artwork into the machine.

We have Avatar WizAprons for both the Pro and LE versions, giving owners of either model a way to add more personality directly below the playfield.

It's a relatively small area, but because it sits directly in front of the player, it is visible during every game.

The Pro and LE versions have their own dedicated designs, allowing the artwork to fit the specific machine rather than being a generic solution.

Combined with WizBlades and WizPanels, an Avatar WizApron helps make the whole machine feel much more cohesive.

Avatar WizDoors

Finally, don't forget the coin door.

Once you start adding artwork to the cabinet, playfield area and speaker panel, the original plain coin door can suddenly become one of the most obvious areas left untouched.

Avatar WizDoors solve that problem by adding another piece of themed artwork to the front of the machine.

It's a simple finishing touch, but it helps tie everything together and gives the front of the cabinet much more personality.

Complete Your Avatar Pinball

The great thing about customising an older Stern machine like Avatar is that you don't have to change everything at once.

You can start with WizBlades, add a WizPanel later, then finish the machine with WizBats, a custom apron and WizDoors.

The result is still unmistakably the original Stern Avatar from 2010 — it simply feels more like your machine.

If you're looking for more inspiration, our guide to the Best Pinball Machines for Custom Mods explains why some machines are particularly well suited to custom artwork.

And you can explore the complete Avatar Pinball Mods collection to see the available Wizard Mod upgrades.