Black Hole (pinball)
| Company type | Pinball machine |
|---|---|
| Industry | Arcade games |
| Founded | 1981 |
| Founder | Gottlieb |
| Products | Pinball machines |
Black Hole is a pinball machine produced by Gottlieb in 1981. It stands out due to its unique design featuring two playfields: a traditional upper playfield and a secondary lower playfield viewed through a transparent window, angled away from the player. This game is not connected to the 1979 movie sharing the same title.
Description
As the pioneer in incorporating a lower playfield visible beneath the main one, Black Hole marked a significant innovation in pinball design. Shortly after its launch, it was promoted as the top-earning pinball machine, partly because it was among the earliest to set the cost at 50¢ per game. However, some contend that Williams' titles like Black Knight and Firepower had already established that price. The game’s synthesized voice effects were created using a Votrax SC-01 speech synthesizer.
Features
- Dual playfields
- Six flippers
- Six pop bumpers
- Four banks of drop targets
- Single spinner
- Animated rotating disc backglass
- Infinity backglass illumination
- Multiball capability
- Speech output powered by Votrax SC-01
Game quotes
- "Do you dare to enter the Black Hole?"
- "Re-entry attempt has FAILED."
- "No one escapes the Black Hole!"
- "Captured."
- "Re-entry success."
- "Extra ball lit."
- "Enter gravity tunnel"
- "Complete bank for re-entry"
Design team
- Game Designers: Adolf Seitz Jr., John Buras
- Artwork by: Terry Doerzaph
Reception
In 1983, Game Machine listed Black Hole as the eighth most successful pinball machine in Japan. Despite receiving praise initially, it was difficult to service and maintain, which limited its appeal among arcade operators.
Appearances in pop culture
- The machine appears in movies such as Les Compères (1983), Strange Brew (1983), and Next Of Kin (1989).
- The phrase from its attract mode, "Do You Dare To Enter The Black Hole?", was etched into the vinyl runout grooves of Hovercraft’s 1997 album, Akathisia.
Digital versions
The game is officially licensed for digital gameplay within The Pinball Arcade on various platforms and is also part of the collection in Pinball Hall of Fame: The Gottlieb Collection.