Black Knight (pinball)
Encyclopedia
Black Knight is a 1980 pinball
game designed by Steve Ritchie
and released by Williams Electronics
.
This game is known for its two-level playfield (a first for a pinball game), and introduced the patented "Magna-Save", in which a player-controlled magnet is used to prevent outlane drains. This was first of a series of four games that were both two-level and featured magna-save. The later games (Jungle Lord
, Pharaoh, Solar Fire) feature a variable type magna-save in that the magnet is energized as long as the player likes (up to the time they have earned); on Black Knight the machine controls the magnet time (adjustable by the operator from three to ten seconds). The sequel to Black Knight abandoned the variable magna-save which had become standard at that point and reverted to a fixed time. Balls drained down the outlane in spite of using magna-save caused the machine to laugh at the player, reinforcing the theme of the game as an evil knight vs. the player.
Black Knight was not the first game to have electro magnets installed - an earlier example is Williams' Electronics Gorgar
(the first "talking" pinball game), which features an area of the playfield that when hit, holds the ball on an electromagnet for a second or two while a speech call plays.
The game appears in episode 7 of season 1 of The X-Files.
Pinball
Pinball is a type of arcade game, usually coin-operated, where a player attempts to score points by manipulating one or more metal balls on a playfield inside a glass-covered case called a pinball machine. The primary objective of the game is to score as many points as possible...
game designed by Steve Ritchie
Steve Ritchie
Steven Scott Ritchie is an acclaimed pinball and video game designer. He has been called "The Master of Flow" by pinball aficionados due to the emphasis in his designs on ball speed, loops, and the like....
and released by Williams Electronics
Williams (gaming company)
WMS Industries, Inc. is an American electronic gaming and amusement company based in Waukegan, Illinois. The company's main operating subsidiaries are WMS Gaming and Orion Gaming. WMS traces its roots as far back as 1943, the Williams Manufacturing Company, founded by Harry E. Williams...
.
This game is known for its two-level playfield (a first for a pinball game), and introduced the patented "Magna-Save", in which a player-controlled magnet is used to prevent outlane drains. This was first of a series of four games that were both two-level and featured magna-save. The later games (Jungle Lord
Jungle Lord (pinball)
Jungle Lord is 1981 pinball machine that was produced by Williams Pinball. It featured simple speech, a Tarzan influenced theme, a multi-level playfield and a magnetic ball saver . The Early Production of this game had a red cabinet...
, Pharaoh, Solar Fire) feature a variable type magna-save in that the magnet is energized as long as the player likes (up to the time they have earned); on Black Knight the machine controls the magnet time (adjustable by the operator from three to ten seconds). The sequel to Black Knight abandoned the variable magna-save which had become standard at that point and reverted to a fixed time. Balls drained down the outlane in spite of using magna-save caused the machine to laugh at the player, reinforcing the theme of the game as an evil knight vs. the player.
Black Knight was not the first game to have electro magnets installed - an earlier example is Williams' Electronics Gorgar
Gorgar
Gorgar is a pinball machine manufactured by Williams Electronics, now known as WMS Industries. Among many of the William's company's firsts, Gorgar was the first 'talking' pinball machine. With a vocabulary of seven words, the words could be combined together for different phrases. Such as "Gorgar...
(the first "talking" pinball game), which features an area of the playfield that when hit, holds the ball on an electromagnet for a second or two while a speech call plays.
Black Knight 2000
In 1989, Ritchie designed a sequel to Black Knight, called Black Knight 2000. It featured the voice of Chicago singer Stephanie Rogers.The game appears in episode 7 of season 1 of The X-Files.