I thought Pinball Circus from Python had done this already? Maybe it was less or more than 4? Seemed like a bunch in the cube.

A drill bit and some extra wire could go a long way to fix this atrocity... and I envision the Mod Couple, or Lermods, or any maker with an iron and some velcro will come up with a temporary button you can put on the cabinet side. That or a chin post and strap for your head, and this brings up an interesting question, if you used said chin post and strap, would that be considered cheating in a tournament?

Other than stacking Zap jackpots?

Ok, you called down the lightening, are you ready for the thunder? That is a VERY bold statement to make without flipping a machine. Even I won’t trash a machine on flow without flipping it first. I will trash a theme, artwork, sound, or even animations if I have seen or heard them, but to look at a playfield and say “this is going to suck” is like saying your date is going to suck when she first opens the door. Both statements may actually be true, but you won’t know how bad or good until the end of the date. Shroedingers pinball I guess.

BK2K was always a favorite of mine to find in the wild, and I was 18 when the OG Knight started kicking my ass and laughing at me in late 1980. My older brother has the OG, so I think it is time for little (yeah by title not stature) brother to get his Knight game on. I am in for a Premium at least. That is if my MBrLE ever- OH FFS! WILL YOU STOP IT ALREADY!!!

No hard feelings, but so am I. I just don’t mess with SR flow fans as boldly and ballsy as you did was my point.

No, that was the joke

Right now is the time I like to sneek barbs into a thread and hope the press of posts buries it quickly enough that only true hard core Pinsiders ever read back through it and upvote them quietly and hope it doesn’t blow up immediately in my face like saying “BK2K was the biggest piece of shit that was ever designed by Steve Ritchie, and I have played a Stellar Wars” just to watch my up/down ratio bounce back and forth for a few days.

This is kind of a no-brainer for me. However, this would be the first Stern Spike game for me, and I am not super thrilled about that.

I have owned a Stern SAM FGY for 10 years. Minimal maintenance with a fair amount of play. No experience with SPIKE, but there is a lot of node board anxiety floating around here to make me only a cautious believer in the board set. But you got to buy one to know, so this may be me jumping into the new Stern pool with a life preserver that has a hole in it.

If you want to know how good Steve Ritchie is, just ask his brother Mark... they are a real pair when they are near each other. Mark really likes it when people ask him to sign his brothers stuff. He thought I was going to ask him to sign my TGA:HSII coaster, but it was just sitting on top of my Fish Tales key fob in my stack of promo plastics which is what I did have him sign.

Ok, then maybe I should have said it this way-

Despite the negative things people have posted on the SPIKE system and node board issues here on Pinside, BKSR is a title that would make me ignore all that and purchase a NIB Stern.

Or how else do you want me to express a cautious change in my opinion of SPIKE? Sorry I didnt drink the koolaid as fast as Jim Jones would have liked me to, but I did say I want to drink it.

You have to give people a little credit for reading, understanding, and researching a potential $9000 purchase, and expressing a reluctance to move to the SPIKE boardset after owning a SAM system is not heresy, but cautious optimism.

Why turn over this rock looking for a fight, when I already said Stern won?

Ok, anyone else think this? Stern... why even try on Pro models? Why not create a standard PRO playfield with a fan layout, 2 ramps with vacuformed returns, One bash target/toy/magnet, a set of 4 standups, a 3 bank of drop targets, one scoop, one spinner, 3 jets, and a 3 lane rollover. Now every PRO really IS the same, you don’t change the rules, you just change the artwork, callouts, and sounds/music. So the price is the same, the features never change, but the casual player wont care, he’s getting too ducking frunk trying to get the bar maid to give him her number. Does anyone else think Pro models are the Gottlieb wedgeheads of the new millennia?

Wait, this is what they really do... isn’t it? my bad.

I agree, they work, and are getting better and I agree with the thinking behind the architecture, but there is room for improvement. And no hard feelings.

Well, my only problem with Pro machines is they lend themselve to be “the common denominator” of pinball. They take out the costly features, but that only leaves the exact BOM on the table for every PRO. They try and do as much as possible with that BOM, but I have to admit, when paying and playing, I look for Premium titles, and “settle” for a Pro if that is all you got to offer me at your pin playing establishment.

There are instances of a Pro being better than a Premium, and the difference is usually flow related, GOT is like that for me. So Stern is trying to offer choices and that is great, but they need to realize that between title to title, the PRO machines need more diversity in the underlying mechanics.

I don’t want the phrase “Damn, it’s just another Stern Pro...” to become part of my pin playing lexicon like “Damn, its just another Gottlieb wedgehead...” entered mine back in the early seventies when we were getting hooked on Bally and WMS titles, and left the wedgeheads to the “old timers” to play. Apologies to wedgeheads and old timers, of which now I am a fan and a memeber, respectively.

And custom screened/printed artwork mods on it as well.

I promised to keep my long ass MBrLE Laments there, yes, lol. But my opinion on Pinball? No way...

Mine was not a character assasination of all Pros, but my observation that back in the day, if you wanted more of the same, you played a Gottlieb wedgehead, and if you wanted something really new and different, you played Bally or Williams. This was just how we experienced paying and playing back then.

Fast forward to today, if I want more of the same, I play a Pro, I want something new and cutting edge, I play a Premium/LE. It is just a feeling I get from Stern today, and how I choose a title to play on site.

People tend to think “settling” to play a pro is a negative way of thinking, and that we should be glad we have any pinball at all, and I agree with that, I am glad we are getting new pins to play, and Pros don’t suck, but because they are the least expensive, they tend to be “the common denominator” of pinball is all I am saying.

I know, aren’t first world problems a drag?

This title gives me hope that they put out MORE sequals to some of the old B/W “Franchises” like Pinbot, who goes around scaring the children screaming at people- “Pinbot unhappy with Jackbot... Must eradicate... Sterilize! Sterilize!”

BK: Sword of Richie... Hopefully going to be my favorite BK... but it took a while to forgive the sin of the left kickback in BK2K instead of a MAgna-save and only one ramp up to the upper playfield. BK had three ramps and the plunge. BK2K had one ramp, one VUK, and plunge. And now we get more ways to top pf than BK2K and yet people complain?

Has anyone theorized yet that PPS and CGC might want to get in on this game via Cactus Canyon and completing the game code as their stepping stone to doing more sequals to popular B/W themes? I know if I were them, that is what I would do, but maybe go with DTS playfields instead of silk screening them... I don't have a clue why I would say such blasphemous heresy about NOT screening a playfield...

All pinballs are not the same. Some are carbon steel, some are chrome steel. Both about the same in price in large quantities.

I have this, but I have never ordered from them...

https://bearingballstore.com/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=82_95&zenid=fd7ganfrr7mv6lplus5d3jvfc0

and this...

https://bearingballstore.com/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=1_194&zenid=fd7ganfrr7mv6lplus5d3jvfc0

Oh and this is on there too...

https://bearingballstore.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=249&products_id=1991&zenid=fd7ganfrr7mv6lplus5d3jvfc0

Catapult

They called it SoR so internally calling it SR unlicensed pin made more sense.

He has just defended your (players) sword blow, the sword has been knocked loose in his grip. You are just about to de-sword him... that is my story and I am sticking to it.

The f*cker is old... got to be in his 50’s now I’d say...

Ok, this guy just sold 600 LE’s with this post.

I was looking in all the wrong spots for something “gynecological”, then I reread it and looked again and spit boubon all over my Ipad...

Look at left guys left hand... measure from his wrist to tip of fingers... laugh.

I heard they had to tie Steve Richie down to a chair before telling him the Pro had to loose the upper playfield. Even then, 2 interns lost 3 theeth and an eye before they got him calmed down.

Now, now, now, lets not bicker and argue over who kilt who... we are talking about “THE” Black knight, a very brave and influential knight, if you kinow what I mean... we certainly wouldn’t want to, like, piss him off or anything, right?

Not sure if this is up there with throwing raw meat to the dogs, but it comes close. People have been dying for 13 seconds more of game play and they palpitate the hearts of SR and Stern fans with a tease like this on AFD and we mere mortals need but to shrug it off as a “Whoo-ha-ha!” from the Black Knight himself? I am wondering if they harvested his steel balls to build the first flail prototype?

Anyone who wants to know how to clear up lexan haze, PM me, I have solution.

More industrial and dangerous, but the results are stellar.

And I thought I wanted my MBrLE bad... but I agree, this one makes me giddy as hell as well. And if we are lucky it will satisfy my craving for BK2K too. Orherwise it will send BK2K prices through the roof. My brother has an OG BK, though, so at least we have some BK blood in the family.

Listen, strange women, lying around in ponds, distributing swords is no basis for a system of government... but damn if I don’t look at the Premium and say “there is just enough BK2K DNA mixed with OG BK DNA” in that upper playfield, the flail ramp that takes me to the upper playfield like old OG used to through the spinner, plus you give me at least one set of timed drop targets to shoot for, a WAR lane, three bank of bumpers... lower Shield ball lock in the same place as OG lower lock shot, but now with active shield mech, poppers, and mechanical locks... new LCD animations, updated acid metal soundtrack, a more retro Fantasy stylised art package, and ask yourself, why are you not pulling a back muscle right now in your haste to grab your phone and call your distributor and put one on order?

A great night in Bangkok?

this is the best bet. Polycarb is a stable enough substrate to vapor deposit clear transparent metal coatings onto, and it will last really well as long as there isnt any ball bearings bouncing around on it... oh wait, damn. Ok, well uncoated Lexan is pretty durable too...

Arent these pads made of energy absorbing rubber like Sorbothane? Seems to me that stuff comes in any color you want as long as its blue.

I think for the money, for the nostalgia, and for the not having to own 3 machines, but just one cool one, why not this one? I have flipped my share of the first two, more than my fair share. This one looks like BK 1.0 + BK2.0K = BKSoR and if the “nostalgia” mode is anyways close to BK2K’s 3 ball multiball, count me satisfied. Besides, what do you want for Premium prices these days, a Munsters, a DP, a BM66, a GOTG, IMDN, another music pin, or The Black Knight? “Whoo-ha-ha!”

There have been a few of us stuck on a lonely island of a single pinball machine on site at his favorite lunch spot for MONTHS and it just so happened to be Tee’d Off. Now, not a GOAT, but not a snoozefest either. It can be fun once you learn how take it on a walk in the park.

This has been the only machine I have been secretly wanting and plotting to buy without telling my wife, but swinging LE levels of slush funding around to cover a non authorized LE pinball purchase is not easy. I am liquidating some of my other hobby assets as fast as people will buy them on CL, but high $$$ Lego sets are not something you can liquidate quickly like selling a pinball machine, but pinball machines leave pinball machine sized empty spots in your gameroom, so it’s hard doing something with one without her noticing.

I thought the nostalgia mode up top was the premium/le mode that would not be on the pro, or did I just hear something and think this?

Which is why I would go Premium/LE if it is missing in the Pro. I want some of that old black magic if you know what I mean.

Ok, well for those in the market for the Pro, that is good news. I am a “missiing upper pf is blasphemous in a BK title” card carrying member and want a Premium so bad I can taste it. How much is plasma going for per pint these days? I need to call the sperm bank, anyone need a kidney?

Ok that was...

EF3B47EA-A57F-4073-8819-A1D0F2CFE3CC (resized).jpeg

Ok, why does every critical discussion thread devolve until we start getting more and more posts like the one quoted above?, including the follow up post that I am currently typing, and then the ongoing shit storm of all the meta posts about post complaining about posts?

I have actually been on other non-pinball forums where they retain some civility of the name “forum”, but on here, like the post from frunch points out, this always ends up with the back and forth and pages of “discussion” that ends up being another Coke vs. Pepsi vs. RC Cola sodargument, or even worse the dreaded “cargument”, which the the mere mention of is a moderatable offense. This is the reason I only stick my head into these threads after they get 40 or more posts in a day then skip throught the chaff and glean the seeds of wisdom from the people whe actually seem to know some “insider” info, but I never hold my breath waiting.

“The Black Knight detects money in your pocket- “
“The Black Knight knows a Pussy when he sees one-”
“Buy The Black Knight Sword of Rage- You wife will never find out”

“Get Ready for Battle- You think you can beat me?!? No way!!!”
“I got your Sword of Rage hanging right here Mother F<bleep>kers!”
“Your mama sure liked her some Black Knight’s Sword of Rage last night, Mmm Mmm”

“Once you’ve gone Black, there’s no Turning back!”
“You don’t have the steel balls to defeat me!”
“I am sure there are ‘Good People’ on both sides of the flippers, both sides-“

“I Flail my steel balls in your general direction, you sons of a silly person-”
“Forget the Sword of Rage baby, here come my Balls of Steel!”
“The Black Knight will slay you... please tip your servers... Try the veal, I am here till next Thursday...”

“Can’t we just be friends?!?”

I am not yet convinced I want to listen to the thuppida thuppida thuppida drums and squeeling guitar riffs the entire time I play the game, that feels like it could get old fast. I like the new take on the old BK2K theme, but the new soundtrack was getting on my nerves pretty quick. Brutal? yeah to my ears... I liked the game flow, the animations were cool, the flow through the machine nice, a lot of BK DNA is in the mix on the LE/Prem. The Flail reject is brutal from right flipper, but so is the shield from left. Short table game better be on point. That upper pf works just like the old BK2k, bumping it as it comes around from the left to pitch it into the flipper... the six ball MB was cool, I would be shooting for that all the time.

Nice game, I like the design, but the music went just to too far off the BK2K rails for me. Maybe I will pick up a Premium on the secondary market when someone gets tired of the heavy metal meltdown soundtrack.

Maybe it needs an adjustment in the menu for music...My Little Pony, Easy Listening, Hard Rock, and the default Face-melting Heavy Metal Ear Canal Nuclear Assault...

If that is true, that would be how I would play it. Is that selectable by operator only or by the player? I would give it to the player at game start with a double flip cancel for default then keep that mode as long as there are credits on the machine. Ask once after a power cycle? Many ways to do that. And not much differnt that IMDN or name the music pin...

I thought the KNIGHT inserts are qualified as you complete a Boss mode... you have to defeat each mini boss to get a letter?

I hate to say this, but I think somebody is about to get some chocolate in Steve’s BKSoR peanut butter...

Although this machine is a good sequel to BK2K, it’s not much more than that. The Flail is an interesting take on a bash toy, and the shield is well integrated into the theme, but where is this Sword of Rage you speak of? (Rhetorical Question) Not anywhere on the playfield- would this not confuse inexperienced players? The “build up sword energy for maximum scoring potential” aspect is ok, relevant, maybe, but a bit anti-climatic. The Flail was an appropriate toy for this title... Because up against stiffer competition, it looks like Stern and Steve are “flailing” to stay relevant. Fix the music. We shall see how this plays out after MGC.

Is this so it hurts less as Stern dry humps us with “cost savings”? I am not seeing the value in this title above going out and finding a nicer BK2k and saving 3 grand. Please prove me wrong, because I wish I was.

The problem with the ball save kickback is the arrow shape of the orange insert with it pointing back towards the playfield... it looks like a kickback insert, but it really is a ball rescue... kind of a visual bait and switch.

I am ok with it because unlit kickback lanes are the spawn of Satan and do not give you a chance to try and shake your ball out of the outlane against a post and rubber, but instead are a speedway for an instant drain when unlit. I have a love hate relationship with kickbacks.

This machine is haunting me, I watched the stream and I put myself in the players heads and when anyone was lighting it up, and not really making it do things like complete bosses, but just blindly went after 6 ball multiball and got it going-

And then you keep it going... that was the hard part. Steve needs to remember we like tucking balls back in locks and multiplying our jackpots until we lock 5 balls and shoot the Chuck You Black Knight Quintuple Super Jackpot with the sixth ball and walk away a GC... if our Sword is charged all the way of course or does anyone remember those kinds of rulesets? Now I miss the jp shot and you make me fight all your minions to light locks to build back to 6 ball MB and I will play it all day. Let me trade qualified magnasaves for instant Sword Charge but only for the current ball and only for a relative amount of time per magnasave traded. Give me a Mystery Award that gives me the chance to make a choice and deal with the devil himself... Now that would be a nice easter egg mystery award to give out once in a blue moon.