I didn't think I'd like it at first, but was most impressed in how fast and fun this game is.

The best pinball machine i have ever seen.

I have to say when this pin landed I did have a dose of buyer’s remorse. I played the PRO at Allentown and thought it kicked ass but when I got one home, I was like, “meh.” But! I gave it a chance and in my opinion this is a player’s pin. Maybe not intuitive for the novice. In order to eke the most out of this game you really have to know the rules. Sometimes you don't have to be rule savvy to enjoy a pin; this one it is a must. Once I got a handle on what I needed to do it quickly became and remains a favorite. The Black Knight retro mode is cool and the multi-balls are fast and furious. If you can stack Knights Challenge with Catapult then you are in for a mb treat.

As far as art goes, well, I hope you like red because it is a dominant color. I actually like the art package on the PRO better than on my Premium. The upper playfield is worth having, although I think the PRO plays well without it. Catapult multi ball is a lot of fun and you can earn a lot of points on the UP loops and stationary target (which also will help you complete a mode faster).

The graphics are OK, I guess. They are functional for the modes. I don’t have a problem with the placement of the magnetic save button but if given a preference I would have liked a second “flipper” button on the right side to activate the save. It’s not a show stopper. I also have a Grand Lizard and just used to having the magnetic saves as buttons on the sides of the cabinet. The music has a heavy metal vibe.

Steve Ritchie does lay on the taunts but no profanity that I can recall. You can lower the insult intensity if you want. Me, I like when Steve reminds me that my skills are at best pedestrian.

Black Knight had a very brief flavor-of-the-month-heyday before Stern released Jurassic Park and then Elvira, and soon Stranger Things. I think it sort of became yesterday’s news way too fast. It is an excellent pin and remains an absolute blast to play.

Shots are too tight for me.

I played this before I played the original Black Knight.
I love the call outs, the theme and the gameplay.

Whatever you do don't forget to lock that ball!

Man, I really want to LOVE this game. I just don't LOVE this game. It's fun. The knight toy is amazing. It's fast. The music is awesome. The modes are great. The animations and voice work is excellent. Somehow, for me, it just doesn't come together in a comprehensive way that makes me want to keep coming back, and I can't put my finger on exactly why that is. Maybe it's because the upper playfield is kind of a waste? Which for a BK game makes me sad. Not sure. Good game, just not what I was hoping for.

I played the premium at Pintastic and was hooked. The game is very fast and flowy, and the fan layout is traditional but fun to aim at and shoot. The upper playfield was challenging, especially the 3-ball lock shot. The mode monsters range from Dungeons & Dragons to Dune to Ray Harryhausen movies. The animations are stupendous, in the tradition of Iron Maiden, but with more variety. The theme is adversarial, fighting opponents, and the game makes you feel that you are battling these guys -- lots of rage and danger and a dash of humor, with fantastic light shows. There is also a cool retro moment that takes you back to the original Black Knight (art and callouts). The rotating flail shot provides a lot of variety, since it spins both directions under its won power and at different speeds. It takes the ACDC bell shot to an all new level. Magna ball save on the right outlane is a nice feature, if I could only remember to use it. The game provides some mercy ball saves, but it is not a drain monster by any means. Color coding for the mode shots helps a lot with completing modes. Today I was lucky enough to play a game with King Steve Ritchie. Our best balls were both #3, but his was 100 million better than mine!

I got this game after seeing some videos come out. I put my deposit down and then figured I'd decide down the road if I'd be getting this, based on everything else I heard. Most people seem to love it. There are some outliers that don't like it, and want the world to know they don't like it...... Over and over. I'm here to say that so far it is freaking awesome.

The games shots are tough and unforgiving. You can't just wildly flip and expect to accomplish your goals. Stacking the catapult and 3 knights multiball is insane and also very challenging to collect the massive points. The upper playfield is necessary on any black knight. Some say it slows the game down but I actually love it. You MUST learn to nudge or you will never accomplish anything upstairs. This is making me a better player. The actual modes, along with the animations, are great. I'm not a heavy metal type of guy but I still think the custom soundtrack is perfect for this high speed game. Most of the time there is so much going on so fast, that the pace goes right along with the music. It is a great combination. I also reached the retro mode. That was a nice touch. I've always been a fan of the black knight games so that was a nice add to this game. Build quality seems very strong. Are they using newer cabinets? Everything is solid and I only had one issue with setting up. The upper flipper wasn't moving freely. That was an easy fix. As far as playability, I really have to force myself to stop playing at night. This game makes you keep wanting one more game. It gets your adrenaline going and I usually can't fall right asleep after playing it. I'll report back in a few months but don't believe the haters on this one. I got my Monster Bash Remake LE two weeks prior and Im not even playing that game much. To each their own but I recommend going the premium/le' s a lot of play. Learn the rules and learn to nudge. This game is freaking great and will probably keep getting better! I highly recommend.

UPDATE - I still really like this game, but since jurassic park premium came home, it's not getting much play. It definitely is not as good as jurassic park but is still a solid game that people ock to at my house. I have adjusted my rating.

The first part of this review is based upon the pro version of this game. The second part specifically deals with the preem/LE.

Black Knight v.3 is fast and furious. What didja expect? It's a Steve Ritchie game!

The Pros:
This game is FAST. All shots flow and the center ramp is surprisingly easy and smooth. Backhanded shots are king to the ramp and the 180 degree lock saucer. The rules are going to make this game. So far, they are pretty good. The sound and animations on this game are way sweet! From the first plunge, the game is FAST, furious and true to Steve's philosophy.

The Cons:
Not the most creative fan layout designed. Feels like No Fear v.2 meets Got v.2. Narrow shots missed absolutely punish less accurate shooting. No mercy to the point of no return. The center standup that has to be hit is a purposely dangerous shot to The point of being cheap.

The Takeaway:
A solid playing game that has benefited from iMaid with its less deep/moar wide ruleset. Do not be fooled. This game is not for the timid or the SJW-love-peace and treefrogs crew. This is a manly man's man of a man... man's game. Play better or lose.

NO WEAK DICK SHIT ALLOWED! PLAY A REAL GAME. PLAY PINBALL!

Update v.1:
Yeah, already. And unfortunately not for the better. The layout is becoming less endearing to me. All raised lanes lead to the right inlane. I am sure this will change with the preem/LE, but for now this lopsidedness is disappointing. Can't wait to play this game with the upper PF now. Two spinners on adjacent lanes is not something seen too often and the VUK where the lefto orbit normally would be is interesting but also feeds to the right flipper. Rinse and repeat. Artwork on the translite looks muddy. That works with the theme, but I expect better from this team. The animations though... Incredible!

Respect must be given to the TimBawlz application of the Elwin'd "breadth" of rules as compared to "depth" of rules that are still clear and not confusing. The OG BK sound mode is a total hoot, sounds awesome and is the highest point opportunity in the game. Spinners ripping, YAY! Unbalanced scoring... not so hot.

We shall see what happens in the future with this game. Once again, this is only going to get better as time goes on. I look forward to the day when the rules of this game exceed the quality of the pinball layout. Scores reduced accordingly.

Preem/LE addendum:
THIS is the game that should have been EVERY BKv3. While most Stern Pros have as much if not even more game in it than preem/LE's, this game (just like the other two) has an upper playfield. This upper PF is not complex, but it is very well designed. The entrances from the lower PF become evident in relation to the reductive choices SR had to make for the BOM of the pro to exist.

I get it. This is part of Stern's business plan.

But for me, THIS is the BK v3 to play! The game plays and flows as it should. Starting a multiball and then stacking another one on top of it FROM THE OTHER PLAYFIELD, is what Black Knight is all about. you can start a multiball with 3 flips from the upper pf. Learning how to nudge the rubber on the left hand side of the upper pf means that you are manipulating this game from the work GO!

The rules, almost the same
the shots on the lower pf, almost the same
the upper PF makes this game.

This version is the one to get!

Update v.2:
Why do I get the feeling that see Richie designs premium games and then reduces features to make the bill of material for the pro? I don’t know, that’s just what it feels like to me. The game doesn’t feel complete unless it has the playfield, just like all the other black knight games. While I understand the need for a less expensive option that is reliable on location, I don’t believe the design process should be a reductive one. Not only that, but why Mr. bean counters win? Why can’t the best selling designer of all time design games as he deems fit the play the way that they should? I understand that this business decision is not mine to make, but whenever I play the pro version of this game, I feel like I’ve been shorted as compared to I’m playing the game with the full experience as it was intended. I feel strongly enough about this that I don’t even want to play the pro. I’m going to have fun playing the premium/LE. But not the pro. A strange contrast for me between this game and Game of Thrones.

The third Black Knight in the series stays on theme and offers a deep dive into the magical world of the Black Knight. The upper playfield is a must on any machine with the black knight name so I can not recommend the Pro version of this title. Don’t get me wrong. The Pro is fun, but it’s missing a key component in the upper playfield.