Ball launching guide assembly for an amusement game device

An amusement game, comprising:

• a game cabinet;
• an inclined playfield mounted within the game cabinet wherein a surface of the playfield comprises a game play area having one or more elements to be interacted with by a ball and a ball launching alley from which the ball is moved into the game play area;
• a ball launching device having a ball striking component for launching the ball from the ball launching alley into the game play area;
• and
• a ball launching guide assembly comprising a pair of spaced apart rails and disposed within the ball launching alley, a bottom portion of each of the spaced apart rails disposed flush upon the surface of the playfield, wherein a first portion of the ball launching guide assembly is arranged to provide a separation between the ball and the surface of the playfield in at least a portion of the ball launching alley that is positioned adjacent to the ball striking component of the ball launching device and a second portion of the ball launching guide assembly is arranged to gradually reduce the separation between the ball and the surface of playfield as the ball moves away from the ball striking component and towards the game play area,
• wherein the pair of spaced apart rails that form the second portion of the ball launching guide provide a pair of ball supporting surfaces that are inclined towards the surface of the playfield for gradually lowering the ball towards the surface of the playfield and for gradually raising the ball from the surface of the playfield and returning the ball, when launched off of the ball launching guide assembly with a force insufficient to place the ball onto the game play area, to the area adjacent to the ball striking component of the ball launching device, and
• wherein ends of the pair of spaced apart rails pass through holes formed in the surface of the playfield, the ends of the pair of spaced apart rails are provided with threads, and corresponding threaded fasteners having a surface for engaging an opposite surface of the playfield are used to attach the ball launching guide assembly to the surface of the playfield.