I've been waiting for what feels like an eternity for this review. Now that it's finally out I can see it was definitely worth the wait. Mark you never disappoint.
Mark, don't ever stop doing this. You're a legend and an inspiration to many by now (including myself), I'm sure. You're my favorite RU-vidr and easily the best reviewer I know of. I highly respect that you go out of your way to review not only console titles, but the actual consoles themselves, cabinets, machines, accessories, packaging, etc! CGR4EVER! From a long-time fan, Chris
Thanks for the review. Farsight's Pinball Arcade knocked long-standing Attack From Mars out of its position as my favorite pinball ever in favor of Black Hole and I wanted to know if it's equally as awesome in real life as it is on the computer. I did track down a Black Hole on eBay for only a thousand bucks, which is a nice catch for a pinball table, and I've promised myself that if I ever get rich enough instead of buying a fancy car I'll be sticking one of these in my house. Maybe in the foyer so I can lure people on the way in.
My boss, a guy named Jim Capp actually invented this machine. He sold it to gottleib decades ago and used it to start his own unix open source company. So long story short, this pinball machine is the reason I have a job XD
I have one of these machines too! I put blue LEDs in mine which make it look more like it's in the far reaches of space. I recently installed the pascal circuit board and now it's even better with options like chance ball added.
Dear cabo wabo, I saw the machine at my local pinball repair store! It was being fixed, but hey! this game and haunted house are Quiet neat, i own Black Jack.
I just played this game at the Michigan Pinball Expo last weekend and it was one of my favorites there! I also have the game in Pinball Arcade on iPad and its recreation is pretty much spot-on! I'm from Michigan, so I'll have to check out The Game Room Guys someday!
I just noticed mark keeps his Black Hole machine next to a Frenzy cab, which both have that old robotic voice synthesis :D It would be neat to have mark put up a video where both of them just talk it out :)
I've played this table in the Gottlieb collection for my PS2, its one of my favorites from that collection but it does get difficult when playing the upside down portion, but its pretty fun for a simpler pinball table from a simpler time.
Hey man, great review! To be honest, I like all of your videos. Not just because I love games (pinball especially), but also because of your highly original sense of humor. That makes your videos really enjoyable, no matter what the subject is. TX tx tx ... tx tx TX! Hilarious. I even bought a TX-Sector after watching that video. Keep it up! For those of you that are in doubt about buying a Black Hole pin: do it! If you're not convinced yet after watching this video, check out my gameplay video of Black Hole as well! You can find it on my RU-vid page.
Hey Mark, just outside of Las Vegas is a "Pinball Hall Of Fame". Basically, its a building with row after row of machines dating from modern times (such as Tron Legacy) to tables from the 60's. You should check it out. And bring a huge bag of quarters.
There are still pinball machines being made (only by one company though.) The problem is that no one buys them anymore, and usually store owners/operators don't take care of them anyway.
Just picked this up for XBLA (i know not even close to the real thing). Pinball arcade on XBLA comes with Arabian Nights®, Ripley's Believe It or Not®, Theatre of Magic®, and Black Hole™. Over the next few years, downloadable classics like Monster Bash®, Medieval Madness®, Creature from the Black Lagoon®, Funhouse®, Attack from Mars®, Black Knight®, Space Shuttle®, Pin•Bot®, Circus Voltaire®, Big Shot®, (and many others!)
You should definitely check out Gottlieb's Haunted House, which was released a year later and is the spiritual successor to Black Hole with a lower playing field and an elevated playing field on the top-right corner (no cool robotic voice though :( .)
It's also a one-baller which is a bit of a let-down too, but that game had 3 playfields rather the 2 in black hole, so it's reasonable for HH to be without multiball.
great now everyone is going to become an astronaut just so they can go into a black hole and get a vectrex, only to never be heard from again. thanks a lot mark.
