Credit: Stern Pinball

The comic-book hero Deadpool’s constant metajokes don’t just break the fourth wall—they slice it up and grind it to dust.

It’s not exactly surprising, then, that the supermercenary’s new pinball game, released this month by Chicago-area manufacturer Stern Pinball, follows suit. While you’re busy flipping a silver ball around the playfield, for instance, a digitized Deadpool tries his hand at his own pinball machine on the machine’s video display. Much of the rest of Stern’s latest is full of that brand of self-referential humor, sometimes to the point of tediousness (I could do without Deadpool mocking me nearly every time I lose).

Luckily the game itself is more than good enough to make up for the minor annoyances. I became addicted after playing five rounds of it early this week at Logan Arcade, which hosts the premiere party for the new game tonight. For the casual player like me, it’s relatively easy to unlock the frantic multiball mechanic and send a ball careening down the katana-shaped ramp. But there’s plenty for more hard-core players to attempt—for example, they can take on virtual X-Men villains like Juggernaut and Mystique. 

The pinball game favors the comic-book version of Deadpool over Ryan Reynolds and the silver-screen version of the “Merc With the Mouth,” as the character’s called, and the cartoonish art—hand-drawn by a freelance artist who goes by the moniker Zombie Yeti—appropriately feels like it’s ripped from a graphic novel. My favorite little touch is a guest appearance by Dazzler, the much-derided but beloved disco-themed superheroine.

If you manage to get your hands on the premium and limited editions of the machines, they feature a mini disco ball with illumination effects. To get your own, you might need Ryan Reynolds’s salary—the premium costs $7,599, and the limited edition is $8,999. Personally, I’ll be sticking to Logan Arcade to play.

Deadpool Pinball Launch Party Fri 9/14, 7-10 PM, Logan Arcade, 2410 W. Fullerton, free