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Black Hole


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Black Hole / IPD No. 307 / October, 1981 / 4 Players
 
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Average Fun Rating: [ 8 stars - Click for comments ]    7.8/10  (114 ratings/77 comments)        [ Add Your Rating! ]
Manufacturer: D. Gottlieb & Company, a Columbia Pictures Industries Company (1977-1983)
[Trade Name: Gottlieb]
Date Of Manufacture: October, 1981
Model Number: 668
Common Abbreviations: BH
MPU: Gottlieb System 80
Type: Solid State Electronic (SS) [?]
Production: 8,774 units   (confirmed)
Serial Number Database:View at The Internet Pinball Serial Number Database (IPSND.net)  (External site)
Theme: Outer Space
Specialty: Widebody [?]
Mechanical Backbox Animation [?]
Notable Features: Flippers (6), Pop bumpers (6), Slingshots (3), 5-bank drop targets (1), 4-bank drop targets (2), 3-bank drop targets (1), Kick-out holes (2), Kick target (1), Horseshoe lane (1), Spinning target (1), Rollunder (1), Cellar hole (1), Right outlane ball detour gate. Score display in playfield. Backglass animation (rotating disc, non-export only). First machine to offer a lower playfield sloped away from the player with the flippers at the backbox end. Multiball and speech (non-export only).
Design by: John Buras, Shing Lam
Art by: Terry Doerzaph
Notes: 'Black Hole' was considered a high-maintenance game when released and wasn't popular with operators as a result. The multiball is one of the hardest around to get but rewarding when you do as it is possible to have 3 balls going in total on two different levels.

Speech generated by a Votrax SC-01.

A Hollywood movie "The Black Hole" came out in 1979.

Click here for an interesting article with photographs about the origins and prototypes for Black Hole.

Photos in: The Complete Pinball BookExternal Link, pages 225-226
The Pinball Compendium 1970-1981External Link, page 201
Mike Pacak's Pinball Flyer Reference Book A-F
Arcade TreasuresExternal Link, page 115
Pinball (Ciuffo), pages 196-197
Owners List URL:http://www.pinballowners.com/owners/307  (External site)
ROMs: 12 KB ZIP PinMAME Romset (Availability limited by copyright)    
  2 KB ZIP PinMAME Romset (Rev. 2) (Availability limited by copyright)    
  3 KB ZIP PinMAME Romset (sound only) (Availability limited by copyright)    
  12 KB ZIP ROMs (Availability limited by copyright)     [D. Gottlieb & Co.]
Documentation: 16 MB PDF English Manual (Availability limited by copyright)     [Gottlieb Amusement Games]
Multimedia Files: 343 KB MPG Backbox Animation Movie (Availability limited by copyright)     [Craig Hassell]
  344 KB MPG Vortex Movie (Availability limited by copyright)     [Craig Hassell]
Files: 343 KB MPG Entering the Black Hole (Availability limited by copyright)     [Craig Hassell]
  2 MB JPG Scan of Spinning Disc (200dpi) (Availability limited by copyright)     [Kevin Wayte]
Images:
(click to zoom)
Image # 3705: Black Hole Pinball Machine
Pinball Machine

600x766
[Craig Hassell]
Image # 5049: Black Hole Flyer, Front
Flyer, Front

884x1150
 
Image # 5050: Black Hole Flyer, Back
Flyer, Back

884x1150
 
Image # 6020: Black Hole Backglass
Backglass

1000x929
[Mark Gibson]
Image # 6021: Black Hole Playfield
Playfield

948x1500
[Mark Gibson]
Image # 6600: Black Hole Lower Playfield
Lower Playfield

1000x1410
[John Kirby]
Image # 6601: Black Hole Lower Playfield Exposed
Lower Playfield Exposed

1000x812
[John Kirby]
Image # 16389: Black Hole How To Play, Page 1
How To Play, Page 1

800x1062
[Ken Ostromek]
Image # 16390: Black Hole How To Play, Page 2
How To Play, Page 2

821x1062
[Ken Ostromek]
Image # 16391: Black Hole How To Play, Page 3
How To Play, Page 3

820x1062
[Ken Ostromek]
Image # 16845: Black Hole Lit Machine
Lit Machine

620x688
 
Image # 22485: Black Hole Behind Backglass
Behind Backglass

400x300
 
Image # 22486: Black Hole Card Holder Removed
Card Holder Removed

400x300
 
Image # 25902: Black Hole Export Backglass 
(This exported backglass has no infinity effect or rotating disc.)
Export Backglass*

280x375
[John Smout]
Image # 27378: Black Hole Backglass - Reverse
Backglass - Reverse

623x546
[Eric Avedesian]
Image # 27500: Black Hole Export Backglass 
(This exported backglass has no infinity effect or rotating disc.)
Export Backglass*

1000x1003
[Doug Fox]
Image # 28177: Black Hole Illuminated Backglass
Illuminated Backglass

1024x833
[Philippe Thibault]
Image # 31309: Black Hole Export Full View
Export Full View

1024x1519
[Pascal Pensa]
Image # 33237: Black Hole Under Export Playfield
Under Export Playfield

912x1364
[Franck Allimant]
Image # 33238: Black Hole Under Lower Export Playfield
Under Lower Export Playfield

1024x1365
[Franck Allimant]
Image # 33239: Black Hole Inside Export Backbox
Inside Export Backbox

1024x768
[Franck Allimant]
Image # 33240: Black Hole Inside Export Cabinet
Inside Export Cabinet

1024x768
[Franck Allimant]
Image # 33549: Black Hole Bare Lower Playfield
Bare Lower Playfield

1024x768
[Ian F. McKinnon]
Image # 38555: Black Hole Export Front View with Topper 
(The backglass has no infinity effect or rotating disc.)
Export Front View with Topper*

532x760
[Eric Chaudier]
Image # 50781: Black Hole Infinity Effect
Infinity Effect

1024x768
[Maxime Racette]
Image # 53897: Black Hole Backbox - Left
Backbox - Left

692x1600
[Jean-Pierre Renault]
Image # 53898: Black Hole Cabinet - Left
Cabinet - Left

1024x359
[Jean-Pierre Renault]
Image # 53899: Black Hole Cabinet - Front View
Cabinet - Front View

991x1600
[Jean-Pierre Renault]
 

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