Joe Cicak's StorySNP asked Joe for clarification on how and where the ball was returned to the main level from below. In the photo, it appeared that there was a second channel parallel to the shooter lane, and our assumption was that the ball was returned into this channel from below. SNP asked about the up-kicker mechanism used and if it was via a sloping tube and a pivoted kicking arm, just as BH had in production.
JC: "The photo doesn't show the kickout on the right side to return the ball to the playfield. There's an impact target in its place in the photo. I can't remember whether the version that we sent to Gottlieb still had that feature, but I do remember struggling to get it to work and fit. I may have removed it, thinking that if a player wanted to escape the Black Hole, he had to hit all the targets, then hit the ball up the ramp that dumped the ball to the left flipper on the upper field. It took a good hit and concerted effort to escape the Black Hole. You had to earn it. That made a drain on the lower field just like the upper field, the thinking being that anytime, anywhere a ball went between 2 flippers it should be gone. I played with both schemes, and I'm not sure which was in the final proto."
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