Description

Williams 1980 Black Knight Pinball Machine Black Knight is a 1980 pinball game designed by Steve Ritchie (who also provides a chivalrous voice) and published by Williams Electronics. [1] Ritchie designed two sequels: Black Knight 2000, released by Williams in 1989, and Black Knight: Sword of Rage, released by Stern Pinball in 2019. [2]

This game is known for its two-stage playground (first for pinball) and introduced the patented “Magna-Save”, in which a magnet controlled by the player is used to prevent external drains. This was the first in a series of four games that were both on two levels and featured magna-saves. Later games (Lord of the Jungle, Pharaoh, Solar Fire, Great Lizard) contain a variable-type magna-save in which the magnet is powered as long as the player likes (up to the time he has earned); on the Black Knight the machine controls the time of the magnet (adjustable by the operator from three to ten seconds).

Magna-save is activated by pressing one of the two buttons located on each side of the cabinet, just above the pinball button. The sequel to The Black Knight abandoned the magna-save variable that had become standard at the time and returned for a time. The balls flowed down the outside, despite the use of magna-save, making the machine laugh at the player, amplifying the theme of the game like an evil knight vs. player.

Black Knight was not the first game to have electromagnets installed – an earlier example is Williams’ Electronics Gorgar (the first game in a pinball game that “speaks”), which contains a play area that holds the electromagnet for a second or two while hitting the ball. plays a voice call. Other notable features of the Black Knight are a loud riding bell instead of the old familiar knock when a special (free game) is won, three balls with multiple balls that should not have hit any previous target before the balls lock, and targets with random results .