Yeah this theme, art package and sound package makes me want a very fast game. Watching the live stream made going with the Pro a simple choice but that's just my preference. I'll enjoy the Pro for a while then eventually sell it and move on to something else, I don't see the point in stressing over this kinda stuff.

It aint a good thing.

appears 3 deep, for sure at least 2 deep.

I was told there will be 60+ new Sterns getting unboxed this year for the show.

With the CGC, JJP, Spooky, and others, I am counting over 100 brand new games this year at MGC! This is awesome!!!

Just curious what the risk is on the gameplay side? I'm not talking about the theme, the art - where is the innovation, what is the ball doing in this game that truly wows you? It looks born out of GOT and the knight, although cool looking doesn't really interact as much as I would have hoped for. Magna save has been done a thousand times (WCS looking at you) - and it's stern's typical move of doing something "magical" by using a cheap mech (magnet). The light show doesn't even come close to a JJP and I guess for stern is fine, but the bar isn't high.

Seriously though - gamplay/layout only....what exactly gets you excited about this game vs every other stern?

Yawn, we need games to ship so this thread can flip to unboxing and game play instead of bitching, moaning and arguing.

I am still not totally sold on this game and will wait for more reports but to criticize the knight? Sry but this is the kind of toy I am waiting for a long time in pinball. Your enemy, the final boss and one of the greatest myth stands right before you on the playfield ready for battle, he taunts you, blocks multiple ways and fights back with his flail and shield. He is not only decoration or ball lock. The shield alone could block your way, or let you lock balls, or it could kick the ball back, his left hand alone could interact in three ways. He is the star of this game! There are many things I am unsure about this game. Is it to hard? Will the music get annoying over time? Is there enough to do on the upper playfield. Is there enough content to be a keeper?
But for me the Black Knight toy looks like one of the best toys in pinball history. Beside the Crane in Batman Dark Knight I don't know many more interactive toys. Could you please call better toys?

give it 12 hours

Pretty sure you will see lots of unboxing pics at MGC later today!!!!

Does it have to be quantifiable what individuals find "fun"?

If someone likes it, they like it, do they have to convince anyone else of that? Maybe just let them enjoy their game?

No I totally get that if he/she didn't already provide their feedback so they are obviously interested in convincing others like me that think this game is a borefest as to why it's fun.

I love the guys on here that go oh man, bitch fest about a new stern game - well sorry, some just don't take whatever stern decides to give us.

It's not that I don't like it at all - it's sculpted vs Stern's kmart toys which is nice to see (although that's happening now b/c of people on these forums calling them out). I do like how in interacts - I just want more I guess. It's like saying the lightning guy on DI is amazing - which he def is not. Yes he blocks the player, is interactive, lights up, wears dad jeans with a tucked in shirt, but he's def not a top tier toy.

Charging 9k+ for any game is criminal

I'm excited for every new pin that comes out from any company. Can't wait to flip it.

Hell, I even can't wait to play some more Oktoberfest after it's completed. Just because I don't want to PURCHASE one doesn't mean it doesn't make me excited to play it. Even the less exciting recent releases like Rob Zombie still make me go "wow! take my quarters!" I think Munsters was the only game in the last several years that did not pique my interest.

Automated Services has 15 Stern games in stock 4 JJP games and 3 CGC game yet everyone always needs the latest game http://pinballs.com

Good distributor. Bought all my games there. Now gameless but I’ll be back someday.

Im not sure why everyone is bagging on the kickback. Nobody ever said there was going to be one, its just something you wished for. Have you ever owned games with kickbacks? Because I find that most of the time the kickback can be just as bad. It kicks it back then goes SDTM or back down the kickback as soon as it times out with no way to save it. I would much rather have it be a ball save.

Real Playas Play Pros (TM)

Iron Maiden has virtual kickbacks. But theyre called revive. Iron Maiden is also heavy on the super shots (spinner, ramps, pops, etc)
Stop calling it constructive criticism when youre just nit picking every little thing.
Im looking forward to all the feedback from average players this weekend.

Not true - I just bought an Iron Maiden - that's old news today, right?

I would strongly disagree about lighting. JJP has done some really cool affects but in general no one lights a game better then stern does. Not sure how you can say that stern has a low bar for lighting.

I'm very excited about the brutal gameplay. Stern hasn't made a really tough shooter since GB. I greatly prefer a brutal in your face game that has short ball times to a long story adventure. I'm also very excited about the knight toy as it's new, close to the flippers and has multiple ways to interact with the ball.

This JJP vs Stern stuff is getting old. I get it, you Stern fan boys and JJP fan boys wana duke it out. Take it elsewhere. Plenty of people appreciate all pinball and we don't need you crapping up these threads. So bye

+1

i'm in love with some STERN, and absolutly not with some others...
perfect same way about JJP (as now DI being my top pin of the moment)
and i'll admit i'm now also looking what AP is doing

if a pinball is good, no matter who build it ! just enjoy

Synopsis is good, but conclusion is bad...

The problem is the pro has no upper playfield, and the premium has a bland upper playfield. It's not that the pro is better, it's that the upper playfield doesn't add enough.

The proper conclusion is that both need some kind of upper playfield that add more value:

Pro would be okay with an unsophisticated upper: maybe just a cool orbit shot with a spinner and a cheap virtual lock.

Premium/LE would add a lot more value with small additions: a spinner on the orbit shot, and at least a 3-bank of stand ups.

Not sure if this was posted to me but I'm critical of both and appreciate both. No fan boy here of either as each had it's own strength. Just bc someone is critical of a Stern doesn't make them a fan boy of the other company. Sorry this thread isn't called black knight let's kiss Stern's ass.

As for lighting jjp Hobbit, WoZ set the bar for light shows. Not sure how anyone can consider Stern a player in that category. In fact their recent offerings have been extremely dark...

How can you mention WOZ as setting the bar then turn around and say sterns are dark? WOZ might have the worst GI lighting of any modern game. The insert lighting is beautifully done with some very nice affects. You cant see anything other then the inserts on that game in a dark room. So that's a really strange comparison to me.

Ah, did I hurt your feelings dirtbag66 those downvotes just cut right through me like a knife.

ACNC has some pretty dark GI also.

I think it looks like a good game. I could see myself getting a premium at some point. I do wish the lock on the upper playfield acted as a ramp as well and that shot had flow to it.

I was a little underwhelmed with the stream...hard to put my finger on why...but I walked away thinking great art, great music (too repetitive, but hopefully they will fix that) cool light show, black knight toy is cool, shots and layout are ok and the upper playfield is ok)

I don't want to start a JJP vs Stern thing...I love both companies and my collection reflects that, but the hype of Wonka took my by surprise and has me really intrigued. I haven't been following that at all, but as I was watching the Black Knight stream I was thinking about their reactions to Wonka and comparing my reactions to the Black Knight.

Anyway, to sum up I think the Black Knight will be a good/fun pin and owners will be happy with it...but so far it doesn't blow me away.

Can we talk for a moment about how awesome illuminated flippers are?

Real props to Ritchie and Stern for recognizing there's an issue being solved by lighting mods that can easily be implemented in the factory. Such a simple thing but will (hopefully) be included on all games moving forward. It makes a huge difference in the bottom 1/3 of the playfield.

I didn't even notice that. Sweet. I'm trying to decide if it will need Pinstadiums. They completely changed the game for my Maiden.

Excited to see it in person! Unfortunately for me that means waiting till my LE is delivered. But we should be getting a lot of feed back about it this weekend! Lots of pics and game play videos? Bring it on!

There will surely be a couple on route in Denver if you can't hold out, just a short drive to the north! There's a launch party/tournament at 1Up Lodo on May 5: https://www.facebook.com/events/288279355418094/

Our local Pinball arcade just got BKSOR in. Well, I should say he picked it up at Stern today and drove it back to Indiana. He's going to the Classic this weekend, so it looks like Sunday night will be my first chance to play it. Can't wait to try it out!

Yes! And all RGB inserts for a Pro. Hopefully this also is standard going forward.

That's a fair point regarding it's GI. I was talking about the light show that's attached to the gameplay which I think you agree with too. Hobbit really great too.

Agreed - Automated is a great company. Mike and crew are awesome. I bought my first pin (TWDLE) from ThePinballCompany but the remaining nine I've bought from Mike and would buy again from him in the future no questions asked.

All rgb inserts? Not the case.. it has about half . I really wish both models had all rgb inserts as it really gives off a nice light show.

Perfectly said sir. This is exactly my take away so far.
Also, while the clear upper playfield is nice I can't help but miss the lighted inserts, saucers and drop targets.

The insert lighting on WOZ was revolutionary for it's time. The attract mode 3d effect is pretty amazing and the green pulse when you melt the witch is great. The terrible GI lighting drags the total package down a little though. TH while it has good GI lighting the insert lighting does not compare to WOZ. It's not bad, the fire is cool, everything else is fine. Honestly for my tastes AS premium or LE has the best light show in pinball. Opinions will differ, but that one is hard to beat for me. BKSOR had some pretty cool stuff lighting wise so I'm hopeful that it is going to be really good also. No one will really know until stern gets a lot further in the code on it.

You know what REALLY gets old? People bitching about people loving/criticizing/hating the game. Let people have their opinion. Disagree with them and debate with them if you like, but stop bitching about people debating. What else is this forum for? If you want a circle-jerk, label the thread "Circle Jerk about Stern's newest game!" and 90% of us will keep away.

Just watched the stream, damn the soundtrack is awesome.

Did I miss something or did the premium knight never try to block you from the ramp? I saw it open and close, but never saw it spin.

So after logging time on the machine, what is the consensus on how it plays?

How about when Deadflip switched the audio to direct feed. And the music came in with the new rendition of "you got the power, you got the might" it sounds so damn cool. The machine is a hype beast, not for a single pin collection but its going to go perfectly in between BK2K and Iton Maiden.

But...aren't you bitching right now?

irony !! Bitching about people bitchin, which is opinions ,which could be mistaken for bitchin ,but is only opinion !

Quoted from Tranquilize:
You know what REALLY gets old? People bitching about people loving/criticizing/hating the game. Let people have their opinion. Disagree with them and debate with them if you like, but stop bitching about people debating. What else is this forum for? If you want a circle-jerk, label the thread "Circle Jerk about Stern's newest game!" and 90% of us will keep away.

I was told mine shipped today ! so one will be at Rock Fantasy next week

Now now... I sense somebody is trying to start a fight

Pro is fun to shoot! Seriously!
Got 4 games in and watched ten more.

Art and light shows are really top notch. Two spinners is so much fun cause I love spinner shots!

The knight is cool but he needs more call outs and heckling to bring in some personality. Awesome toy if Tim can execute on the player insults and more variety of call outs. The knight needs to really feel alive !

First assessment is that if you like BK2K and GOT then you will like this game. There is no doubt that the pro is the way to go on this one. Upper pf is not as good as BK2K IMHO so I see no reason for it.

BK3000 pro will be a game that many buy and love is my guess. I was smiling big time and looking forward to what comes of the code on this. As always code will decide the fate in the long term, but this game has one of the best foundations of any game in the past five years from stern.

Art
Cool toy
Great recognizable theme and character
Cool custom tunes ( these are too metal for me but still neat to see and I know lots of metal heads buy and play pins)
Fun things to shoot with good physical challenges
Awesome light show

A few pics

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9CF3B00A-D7B7-4C52-86F8-E4DC2ABFF6D5 (resized).jpeg

F11B04A9-E748-417E-A5E0-841E7780C4EF (resized).jpeg

Oh yeah, the fire effect is great!

I can't wait for the $30 Multi-color feather mod . . .