Williams

Black Knight

Pinside Rating

This game received 328 approved Pinsider ratings and currently rates 7.713 _/10

7.713

Top 100 ranking

This game ranks #142 in the Pinside Pinball Top 100.

Score breakdown

Score breakdown in the 4 main categories:

Game Design: 7.876

Artwork: 8.057

Sounds/Music: 6.739

Other Aspects: 7.82

Pinside staff rating

This is how we, the very knowledgeable (wink wink) Pinside.com staff & moderators rate this game. 5 of us have rated this game.

7.383

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This title is part of group: "Black Knight"

Black Knight

Black Knight Limited Edition

Found 181 ratings (with comment) on this game

There are 181 ratings (that include a comment) on this game.
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9.282/10

11 years ago

MOF

mof

Mof Pinball

San Francisco, CA

11y 149K 13,303 25 94

Summary:

Epic Classic.
There are a few solid state pins that have a classic feel thanks to the artwork. This one of those few games.

Great artwork. Cool sounds. Taunting Vocals. Chrome Ramps that are sharp like a guillotine, and cut you down fast if your reaction isn't perfect. This game demands your best play. Novices should run screaming from this one. It's a complex puzzle that takes REAL time to solve and learn the best approach. Unlike other games in my collection -- it took me weeks to earn a free ball on the machine. I have so much respect for Steve Ritchie for this one.

Getting multi-ball going on two playfields at once is GOOD for your brain. You play the PF with 2 or more, and then switch when it changes. Very cool stuff. You want to maximize your bonus multiplier on the lower PF during MB.

Cons: weak skill shot, right outlane a but cramped. Lower playfield a bit cramped. No orbit shot. Entering multiball is too easy.

* Asymmetry: Very good.
* Backhands: Very good.
* Ball Control/Hazards: Excellent. Lower PF is almost too hazardous. Play with care.
* Ball Time: Low. But this is ALL dependent on being at 6.5° -- game is much more fun and playable at 5.5° or so.
* Drops (Sweepable): Fair. Not really a sweeping drop game.
* Flasher Blinding: The game goes dark during launch of balls during multiball, which isn't fun.
* Flow/Stop n Go: Very good. Only the ball lock stops it.
* Fun/Lastability: Excellent. Has plenty of JOM (just one more) to keep you coming back.
* Inlane Flow: Decent. Left lane is open for a swoosh, right lane is a bit cramped for it.
* Lateral movement/Nudging: Good, but the game is a bit FAST-paced with the two cramped playfields to do too much nudging.
* Multiball - entering: POOR: Way too easy. Almost a safe-gimme.
* Multiball - enjoyment: Excellent. One of the best ever. Go for (all drops) and a free-ball, or go for 2x-3x-4x-5x which is a very un-safe shot...
* Orbit Shots: NONE.
* Originality: Excellent. So good, its 2-level style was copied many times over. Pharoah, Jungle Lord, etc.
* Outlane save-ability: Excellent. They put magnets there. There you go. That's one way to save the ball. Otherwise, left is very saveable, with an open ceiling, and the right is tougher.
* Ramp/Orbit Re-entry Speed: Excellent. This means the ramp from top PF to lower PF is fast and tough. You tense up every time the ball comes down the "Steve Ritchie Expressway"
* Pop bumpers: Decent. It only helps you.
* Scoring Balance: Very good. No issues.
* Skill shot: Decent. You use the plunger to not over-shoot the top PF. Shoot as weak as possible.
* Sound/Callouts/Voice: Excellent. Great sounds, and a great taunting laugh.
* Spinners: Very good - one sweet one on left
* Theme/Art/Lights: Breath Taking red/yellow/blue/green/black/orange. Looks classic.
* Toys/Gimmicks: Excellent. Magnets are very cool - split playfield very cool.

mof edited previous rating on June 02, 2018.
mof currently owns this game.

5.666/10

11 years ago

PEZ

pezpunk

iScored

Bristow, VA

11y 103K 7,008 4 20

This was a poor choice for that computerized monotone voice emulation. why would a medeival knight talk like a robot? This machine also features some of the most annoying music and sound to ever emit from a pinball machine.

the dual playfield is interesting, but there's really not a whole lot to shoot at on this table. locking the balls and then keeping multiball going as long as possible is the only real goal.

5.526/10

11 years ago

SAP

seshpilot

Pinside member

11y 112K 2,529 169 3

I'm just not a BK fan. I think the sounds are absolutely dreadful and annoying. The shots aren't that great either. Cool for it's time I suppose, but has not aged well at all IMO

4.927/10

11 years ago

CCA

catkins

Pinside member

11y 24,400 6 1 11

First game with a split-level playfield and magna-save (player-initiated, outlane protection) feature. Excellent ball flow and speed. Game blighted with highly annoying sound effects, though they are useful to convey immediacy of time-outs for drop-down bank resets, an integral part of the game rules.

7.238/10

11 years ago

TSM

tmort

Pinside member

Swift Current, SK

11y 33,800 220 10 13

This was a game-changer for pinball. My buddies and I found this in an arcade in Saskatoon in 1980 and were blown away. Compared to the great games from the past 20 years
The BK doesn't compare but it set the standard for the great ones.

8.492/10

11 years ago

LER

Lermods

Lermods Pinball Co.

11y 201K 10,854 58

I owned this game in the 80s and most of the 90s. It was not a particularly reliable machine and ultimately sold it when the voice gave out. When it was working, it was an amazing game, never got tired of it and during its heyday was the machine to own. Would love to own it again if it were more reliable. Multiball, multilevel play field and manga save were ground breaking, especially when you consider the games of just a few years earlier such as Atlantis and Volley, which I also owned at the time.

8.464/10

11 years ago

ZAC

L_satan

Pinside+ Frequent

Minneapolis, MN

11y 50,150 427 26 14

Has a "chunky" play to it.
Can be punishingly hard, but multi-ball, and multi-player multiball gets the added feature of the 30+ second round which is extremely satisfying. Shots are much harder than they appear. Strong flipper solenoids a must.
The upper and lower playfield layout is quite brilliant. One of the easiest games to learn split focus on several balls during multiball.

L_satan currently owns this game.

7.282/10

11 years ago

SPZ

dieseldogpi

Pinside member

Mount Sinai, NY

12y 35,400 501 1 12

Classic Williams pinball at it's best!

dieseldogpi has owned this game in the past.

8.781/10

11 years ago

ZUL

Caucasian2Step

Evil McBooty

12y 163K 1,455 51 1011

Black Knight was a landmark game is many different ways. Steve Ritchie and his team did a brilliant job on making this game "work". Today it may seem simple, but it is rarely easy. BK is the game that is to many, the epitome of what a 80's pinball game should be. There are a few reviews stating that this game is overrated, all dmd's are better or BK 2000 is better. That's fine, your opinion is yours, it's just that you're wrong. You can say what you want to, but you're wrong. If you still believe the above statements, I believe that there is an AM talk radio station out there that is willing to take your call after Rush is on.

The Pros:
Where do we start... The theme is incredibly well executed. I usually do not care for Ramunni's artwork, but this is very well done. I personally like the pf a bit more than the BG, but that's just me. The Dual PF design flows as a Ritchie game should. The shot from the lower right flipper to the upper left flipper to the lock takes a figure 8 around the PF and reminds me of something that Ted Zale would have thougght of. Multiball is great. The ringer screams at each million points scored. Stealing locked balls from your opponent is always a treat. For the amount of memory in the ROMS , Larry DeMar did a an amazing amount of work with 30kb.

The Cons:
Launching the ball and not hitting it with the upper right flipper can lead to an instant drain. This only happened a few times though. I guess Mr. Ritchie was trying to teach me a lesson. The lower loop can send the ball into the outlanes if not adjusted properly.

The Takeaway:
A game for the ages. These games in good condition can be expensive. Fortunately new PF's and BG's are floating about and with some time and care, you can have a great BK in your collection with a bit of sweat equity! Sometimes people will say that this game is too easy. I say your game is not set up hard enough. Pay attention to function #37. When this is turned on, the multiball lock has to be lit by rolling over the bonus multiplier loop on the lower playfield. Then gitcher' self back up to the upper PF and lock your ball. Try it and see how "easy" this game is now. There are other options to make this game more difficult as well. So wax it up, steepen the angle, freshen your rubbers and make sure that this game is snappy as it should be. Finally, I know that some people will disagree, but this game is the 2nd best out of the Williams double level Fabulous 4. Solar Fire still is a more challenging game for me.

The Black Knight will thhhhlayy you!

Update:
The best Black Knight game made. 3k could be played with one hand only and the Stern version suffered from rule balance/feature removal. I mean... really. Who wants to play a Black Knight pinball game with only ONE level?

Caucasian2Step edited previous rating on August 20, 2021.

8.366/10

11 years ago

DAD

Drumdink

Inactive member

Sacramento, CA

11y 21,150 30 3 22

Great split playfield. Played this one a lot at The Pacific Pinball Museum. One of my favorites there.

7.975/10

11 years ago

MDM

papazit1963

Pinside member

Merced, CA

11y 62,900 1,076 9 12

This was THE game to play back in the early 80's. I spent many a day and many a quarter on this Pin. Great sound! Great lighting! And of course my favorite feature: Magna-Save. When I first saw this I fell in love with Black Knight. I said "you mean I now have a chance to save my ball from draining on the sides?!" Love the early speech on these Williams Pin's too! A great classic. Pick one up if you ever get the chance.

papazit1963 has owned this game in the past.

6.828/10

11 years ago

ZUN

pinBilly

Inactive member

Mission Viejo, CA

11y 59,400 398 21

For its year, incredible game. However, ease of acquiring multiball and magna saves make it difficult to make it a tournament machine. Also, multiball isn't very tactical. Controlled play is unrewarding due to timed drop targets everywhere. Not a "player's" game, great newbie's game.

7.535/10

11 years ago

ATE

AdamTheGamer

Pinside member

11y 56,150 270 2 133

Black Knight is a definite classic in Pinball, and is totally worth playing. That being said, there isn't a whole lot to do, so I don't recommend purchasing it unless you are very attached to the game. It's very fun for what it is, however. There are some great shots, and it has that Steve Ritchie flow.

AdamTheGamer edited previous rating on November 17, 2012.

2.661/10

11 years ago

NEO

CaptainNeo

Playfield restorations

Burlington, WI

11y 148K 22,440 37 77 1

so damn annoying to listen to. Can't stand it. Want to kick it down a flight of stairs every time. If your soundboard is broken on this game, do yourself a favor and never ever fix it. EVER!

CaptainNeo has owned this game in the past.

8.591/10

11 years ago

NGP

Gnatty

Pinside member

East Aurora, NY

11y 80,100 2,307 2 12

A true Steve Ritchie masterpiece. Game was way ahead of its time. Upper playfield, drop targets, multi ball, last chance timer, magna save. Awesome game.

Gnatty has owned this game in the past.

8.394/10

11 years ago

ARN

Acampero

Pinside member

Thousand Oaks, CA

11y 47,900 1,027 6 8

Great machine. Classic. The sounds are fantastic although after a few games gets repetitive. Magna save is a cool gimmick but not integral to the gameplay. This is a pin that everyone should own, if at least for a while. Holds up remarkably well, especially for being over 30 years old!

8.568/10

11 years ago

TAW

TWeaver

Pinside member

Nappanee, IN

12y 37,900 67 14 11

I was fortunate recently to pick up a beautiful example of this game. The backglass is stunning, and the playfield also presents very well. Just a gorgeous game. Play is very different from the 90s dmd games, but I was looking for some diversity. It's a classic for a reason. With everything dialed in, I enjoy playing this as much as my 90s games.

TWeaver currently owns this game.

8.692/10

11 years ago

???

finance1

Inactive member

Longwood, FL

11y 3,000 1 9

The magnetic save feature and "interactive" sound made this game really cool! It was different, and for a while, better than the rest. Today, it seems a little gimmicky (probably because the gimmicks have flown by with time), but at the time it was really cutting edge and a lot of fun!

7.452/10

11 years ago

DMG

dgpinball

Pinside member

Abbotsford, BC

12y 88,900 1,661 147 72

Despite the fact that this is an undeniable classic, I just can't connect with the gameplay, perhaps it's the constant hurry-ups from the 4 drop target banks that annoy me the most, but there is just something that doesn't work for me. Love the backglass, and overall it's a very good looking game, just not one I really enjoy playing.

dgpinball currently owns this game.

7.567/10

11 years ago

BB

Blackbeard

Pinside member

12y 106K 12,106 6 20

Black Knight is such a classic... you gotta have it or at least play it a bunch.

The magnasave is such a cool feature that I wish survived moreso today. It adds a lot to the game I feel.

The playfield is great being two levels.. and LEDs are a MUST with this game. I can't stress this enough! Backglass, if found in nice shape is amazing.

I love that the Black Knight has a sense of humor too. It's great when he laughs at your poor magnasave abilities.

FIGHT AGAINST 3 ENEMIES!

Blackbeard has owned this game in the past.

7.847/10

11 years ago

KRK

Spudgunman

Inactive member

Seattle, WA

11y 52,900 1,299 9 24

I love this game took a bit to get it in my collection. I always find it challenging, this game always makes me happy. Just wish it had the 2k music!

Spudgunman has owned this game in the past.

8.380/10

12 years ago

MLV

Pinball-is-great

Pinside member

Lafayette, LA

12y 147K 5,016 3 102

Black Knight is a good example of a classic pinball machine. Backglass artwork is pretty cool. Cabinet and playfield artwork is fine. Flow and action during gameplay is pretty good to me, and it has 4 flippers, multi-ball, ramps, drop targets, spinner, & magnets. Sound quality not the best. Talking pinball in 1980 = cool. I give this game the thumbs-up!

9.048/10

12 years ago

HNJ

haumana

Inactive member

12y 10,650 6 3 6

It is, and will always be - one of the classics. I launched a new generation of play field design.

6.984/10

12 years ago

TPK

Kneissl

Pinside member

12y 126K 3,866 7 121

Solid game, great theme.. J-Lord is same era and much better gameplay (but also very ugly)

Kneissl edited previous rating on March 23, 2013.

8.224/10

12 years ago

MAN

Babbelman

Inactive member

Payson, UT

12y 13,500 31 6 7

Fun game to play, love the upper deck. Has a good feel as you play it. Is a bit challenging at times.

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