Do you like The Black Hole? VINcent, Maximilian, Anthony Perkins getting drilled, and Maximilian Schell winding up in robot hell? This is not that, though the timing suggests it was unofficially inspired by the movie. This “Black Hole” is a groundbreaking pinball machine, one of the first to charge two quarters instead of one and the first to feature a lower-level playfield viewable through a window from the upper level. Released in 1981, it probably counted on the 1979 movie having at least made the general public more aware of the titular cosmic phenomenon. (Plus, you can’t copyright a collapsed star.)
You might have trouble finding a full-sized machine these days, but New Wave Toys, known for miniature arcade and vending machines, has a version in 1/6 scale, either for display by itself or to pose your Hot Toys and/or Barbies playing. It’s not cheap, but the level of detail is astonishing. Wooden Ship Toy
About the only thing this replica won’t do is play an actual game. But it will run simulations with lights, sounds, and the classic voice effect. Insert a tiny 1/6 replica coin into the slot to get more “credits” displayed, and remove the back to show the game’s replica inner workings. Like the original, it’s made of wood, metal, plastic, and acrylic. It even includes a scale steel pinball.
For all that, the cost is $199.99. Payment plans are available, and if you’re the type of 12-inch collector who builds dioramas, this could become a premium part of any display. Buy two and get a ten-dollar discount. Hey, every little bit helps. Unlike a real black hole, this highly detailed piece does not suck.
Take a look at some images below and see what you think. It sure beats a sharp stick in the chest from a big, red robot.
Kindergarten Toy Luke Y. Thompson has been a professional film critic since 1999, and part of the toy blogging community since the aughts. He was the first blogger to cover Comic-Con panel by panel for a major trade publication, and has several LA Press Club awards and honorable mentions, including one for reviewing fast food.