Line #30 Pinball/BlackKnight


1	[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/blackknightpinballbackglass_3839.jpg]]
2	[[caption-width-right:350:"The Black Knight will slay you!"]]
3
4	->''"I am the Black Knight."''
5
6	''Black Knight'' is a series of {{pinball}} machines, all designed by Creator/SteveRitchie. The first two were released by Creator/WilliamsElectronics in the 1980s, while the third was released by Creator/SternPinball in 2019 (under license from Williams, who had long since left the pinball industry by then).
7
8	The titular character is the main focus of each game's theme, being an antagonistic force the player battles as they play (which is made progressively clearer in each subsequent game). Fittingly, voice clips (provided by Ritchie himself) from the Knight taunt and mock the player frequently. Other staples of the series include a two-level playfield (though ''Sword of Rage'' relegates it to Premium and Limited Edition versions) and the "Magna-Save", a player-controlled magnet that can be activated to prevent draining the ball down the right outlane.
9
10	The games in the series are as follows:
11	* ''Black Knight'' (1980): The original game, with software by Creator/LarryDeMar and artwork by Tony Ramunni. It introduces many of the aforementioned features and became a blockbuster for Williams, with over 13,000 tables sold. The [[SerialNumbersFiledOff game was copied]] for Creator/BroderbundSoftware's [[DigitalPinballTable video pinball game]] ''VideoGame/DavidsMidnightMagic''. An officially-licensed recreation is available in ''Pinball Hall of Fame: The Williams Collection'', and was formerly available as part of [=FarSight=] Studios' ''VideoGame/ThePinballArcade'' before the WMS license expired on July 1, 2018.
12	* ''Black Knight 2000'' (1989): The first sequel, with software by Creator/EdBoon and artwork by Doug Watson. The Black Knight returns, this time in a techno-feudal landscape (eschewing the more traditional, ornate look of the original game). The player must storm the Knight's castle and battle him, while a Choir of Angels provide moral support for the player. It was the first pinball game to offer a WizardMode, and featured a truly memorable soundtrack with Chicago singers Stephanie Rogers and Glo Van Vlack. A digital version was formerly available for ''VideoGame/ThePinballArcade'' until their license to all Bally and Williams tables expired on July 1, 2018.
13	* ''Black Knight: Sword of Rage'' (2019): A full 30 years after the last game, [[LicensedPinballTables Stern Pinball got the license from Williams]] and created another sequel. It expands upon the previous games' premises and pits the player against the Knight's forces of evil (including a skeleton army and several fantasy creatures). It also has music from [[Music/{{Anthrax}} Scott Ian]] and Creator/BrendonSmall[[note]]of ''WesternAnimation/HomeMovies'', ''WesternAnimation/{{Metalocalypse}}'', and ''Music/BrendonSmallsGalaktikon'' fame[[/note]], as well as voice work by [[Music/BarenakedLadies Ed Robertson]].
14	----
15	!!This series contains examples of:
16	[[foldercontrol]]
17
18	[[folder:Tropes applying to multiple installments]]
19	* AntagonistTitle: Every game is named after the Black Knight.
20	* AntiFrustrationFeatures: Two of them:
21	** Every game has Last Chance, which will start if there are two balls locked and the final remaining ball leaves play through either outline. In ''2000'', it will allow the player to try and achieve multiball or the King's Ransom as normal, but is only be lit once per ball. The Premium and Limited Edition versions of ''Sword of Rage'' received an update in June 2019 that added a slightly different version of this feature - the goal is instead to get 3 balls into the Catapult Lock within a set amount of time (during which the player has unlimited balls).
22	** The original game also has Bonus Ball, which is only available at the end of a multiplayer game, and is reached by the player with the highest score. It's a three-ball multiball where the player has 30 seconds to make as many shots as possible.
23	** ''Sword of Rage'' simply has the traditional grace period at the start of each ball.
24	* AutobotsRockOut: ''2000'''s [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ak3Nd7h3ox0 main theme]], composed by Brian Schmidt and [[Franchise/MortalKombat Dan Forden]], is renown to the point of being [[AwesomeMusic/{{Pinball}} Awesome Music]] - to the point where ''Sword of Rage'' uses an even harder-rocking remix for its own main theme.
25	* BlackKnight: Unsurprisingly, the main antagonist is one of these.
26	* BossBanter: The Black Knight frequently taunts you as you play.
27	* CoolSword:
28	** The original game has the player's weapon, prominently featured on the playfield. It lights up as more points are scored.
29	** ''2000'''s backglass shows the Black Knight wielding a double-sided lightning sword.
30	** ''Sword of Rage'' has the titular weapon, which can be powered up and unleashed to enhance scoring during a mode.
31	* CreatorCameo: Steve Ritchie provides the Knight's voice.
32	* ElementalMotifs: ''2000'' and ''Sword of Rage'' has lightning in their designs with both having the lightning wheels. ''2000's'' design ties the motif to the FeudalFuture aesthetic. The Knight in ''Sword of Rage'' has lightning motifs on his armour and shield, with his sword having an electric effect on the Premium Backglass and in one of the animations on the screen.
33	* EvilLaugh: The Black Knight does this frequently (including during ''2000'''s main theme).
34	* EvilSoundsDeep: The Knight, in ''2000'' and ''Sword of Rage''.
35	* FairPlayVillain: The "Last Chance" mechanic is obstensively the Black Knight letting you get up one more time, with ''Sword of Rage'' even showing an animation of him offering a hand to help you onto your feet. Whether its because he respects your potential or because he thinks watching you get beat to the ground again is funny never gets discussed.
36	* HaveANiceDeath: The Knight laughs at you if you engage the Magna-Save but fails to save the ball in the first two games.
37	* HellishHorse: The Knight rides one of these on the backglass of the first two games and the premium and LE ''Sword of Rage'' art packages. It also appears during War Hurryup in the latter game.
38	* MatchSequence:
39	** In ''2000'', two lightning bolts strike and slowly form a pair of digits.
40	** In ''Sword of Rage'', a knight hurls an ax at a skeleton chained to a spinning wheel. The digits are shown after it lands (obliterating the skeleton's head in the process).
41	* NoPlotNoProblem: The first two games have a premise - the player is battling the Black Knight - but not any particular plot.
42	* SpellingBonus:
43	** In both ''2000'' and ''Sword of Rage'', W-A-R starts a hurry-up mode. (In the former, it also awards a million points during either the Double Knights Challenge or the King's Ransom.)
44	** In ''2000'':
45	*** W-I-N increases the bonus multiplier and lights "Advance Ransom" at the drawbridge.
46	*** Hitting the K-N-I-G-H-T drop targets advances B-L-A-C-K, and relights the kickback and Magna-Save.
47	*** B-L-A-C-K lights the Skyway Ramp for 1 million points.
48	*** R-A-N-S-O-M starts The King's Ransom, and is carried over from game-to-game.
49	** In ''Sword of Rage'':
50	*** R-A-G-E lights Mystery.
51	*** K-N-I-G-H-T activates a multiball [[NostalgiaLevel themed after the original game]]; if done twice in one game, it activates [[WizardMode the King's Ransom]].
52	* StormingTheCastle:
53	** In ''2000'', the upper playfield has a drawbridge that must be battered and lowered to start multiball.
54	** In ''Sword of Rage'', the player's ultimate goal is to storm and burn down the Knight's castle.
55	* WizardMode:
56	** ''2000'', the TropeMaker, has "The King's Ransom", where all targets are activated and all balls are in play for 20-30 seconds (depending on the machine's settings).
57	-->EVERYTHING IS LIT!
58	** ''Sword of Rage'' has two:
59	*** "Black Castle", the last of the six main modes, in which the player fights the Knight directly. It is a timed single-ball mode. All three center "knight" shots must be hit, then any one of the outer shots. The sequence repeats three more times, but requiring a different outer shot each time - meanwhile, the flail and shield will hit back harder. Complete all shots to unlock a 6-ball "RAGE" multiball.
60	*** A code update for the Premium and Limited Editions in late June 2019 added a new iteration of "The King's Ransom", lit by spelling K-N-I-G-H-T twice in a single game. It's a 60-second 3-ball multiball (with unlimited ball saver time) where everything is lit, much like the original version; in addition, the screen shifts to a facsimile of ''2000'''s display and a remastered version of its theme plays.
61	[[/folder]]
62
63	[[folder:Tropes specific to the original ''Black Knight'']]
64	* AttractMode: The game occasionally plays an audio clip of the Black Knight taunting you when no one is playing.
65	-->'''Black Knight''': You can't win! [[EvilLaugh Ha ha ha!]]
66	** If the start button is pressed with no credits, the Black Knight will respond.
67	-->'''Black Knight''': No way! Give me your money!
68	* EarlyInstallmentWeirdness: This game is the only one in the series to have Magna-Save on both the left and right outlanes. The sequels swap the left outlane Magna-Save for a standard kickback.
69	* MadLibsDialogue: The Knight's dialogue is composed entirely of [[https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/blackknightwords.jpg a handful of words, with a few extra sounds added that can modify existing words to create new ones]] (i.e. "knight" into "fight").
70	-->"[F][ight] [again][st]... [th][r][ee]... [enemie][s]."
71	* ScoreMultiplier: During multiball, the number of balls left determines the score multiplier (twice or three times the amount of points).
72	* TimedMission:
73	** The many sets of drop targets on the playfield all start a timer when one of them is hit. If the player does not knock down all three before time runs out, they reset.
74	** The Mystery Score is lit for a short period of time under specific circumstances, requiring the player to shoot the center ramp before too long.
75	[[/folder]]
76
77	[[folder:Tropes specific to ''2000'']]
78	[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/black-knight-2000_4666.jpg]]
79	[[caption-width-right:350:"Get ready for battle! Beat the Black Knight!" ''(chorus)'']]
80	* AdvancedTech2000: The title, obviously; it does take place in a more futuristic setting.
81	* BigYes: The choir sings "YEAH!" when you get an [[OneUp extra ball]] or win a MatchSequence.
82	* {{Cap}}:
83	** 1,500,000 is the highest possible score awarded for a Hurry-Up shot.
84	** The bonus multiplier tops out at 5x.
85	** Once a player makes 99 loops and/or 99 U-turns, no more will counted toward the end-of-ball bonus.
86	** The highest possible base bonus is 594,000, making the highest possible bonus worth 2,970,000 after being multiplied.
87	* CherubicChoir: Without the children, but otherwise fits.
88	* {{Combos}}:
89	** The "Ramp-Loop Combo", a variant of Steve Ritchie's signature combo shot.
90	** Enough consecutive shots to the loop on the upper playfield will temporarily light an extra ball, with how long it is lit based on the number of consecutive shots made.
91	* EarlyInstallmentWeirdness: Being the first machine with a WizardMode, letters in R-A-N-S-O-M are held over into subsequent games, similar to how [[ProgressiveJackpot some other machines around that era had a jackpot score that held over into later games]], instead of only being achievable based on your individual play in the game at hand. Meaning you could play and collect the first five letters in your game or a series of games, then walk away from the machine, then someone else in a later game could complete the W-I-N upper rollovers and then shoot into the ball lock ramp on the upper playfield to collect the final letter and start The Kings Ransom with much less effort!
92	* FeudalFuture: Type 1.
93	* GoldenSnitch: The King's Ransom can turn into this in a multi-player game if it is close to being started.
94	* KirbyDots: Common in the game's art style.
95	* HesBack: The flyer for this table proudly reads, "He rides again", alluding to the return of the Black Knight.
96	* MatchSequence: Two lightning bolts strike each other, and the digits roll, and stops at the matching digit. The Choir of Angels sing "[[BigYes YEAH!]]" if any of the digits match.
97	* ProgressiveJackpot: As with many games during this era. Also, "R-A-N-S-O-M" (see [[WizardMode Wizard Mode in the Tropes applying to multiple installments folder]]) is carried over from game to game.
98	* SongsInTheKeyOfPanic: The music intensifies if the player is down to one active ball and the multiball jackpot hasn't been collected yet.
99	* WheelOfDecisions: The Lightning Wheel, which gives out a [[RandomDrop random award]], and is a prominent part of the playfield.
100	[[/folder]]
101
102	[[folder:Tropes specific to ''Sword of Rage'']]
103	[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/black_knight_sword_of_rage.jpg]]
104	[[caption-width-right:350:"Challenge me, and I will show no mercy."[[note]]Premium backglass pictured[[/note]]]]
105
106	* CallBack: There are several allusions to ''2000'' beyond the music:
107	** The Lightning Wheel returns, this time used to track completion of the game's modes.
108	** The main multiball is called the "Triple Knights Challenge", alluding to the "Double Knight Challenge" from ''2000''.
109	** The lanes at the top of the field spell "W-A-R", just like that game.
110	** Several of the Black Knight's quotes either come directly from ''2000''[[note]]"No way!"[[/note]] or resemble ones from that game.[[note]]"Give me more money!", heard upon putting money in the machine that is not sufficient to start a game[[/note]]
111	* ColorCodedForYourConvenience: Each of the main modes cause every shot required for them to change to a specific color - green for the Hydra, yellow for the Sandworm, orange for the Magma Beast, red for the Hell Hand, blue for the Lich Lords, and purple for the Black Knight.
112	* DemBones: The Knight commands a whole army of living skeletons in this game. [[spoiler:It's also heavily implied that he himself is one, too.]]
113	* ExcusePlot: A step up from the previous two games' [[NoPlotNoProblem near-total lack of story]], the instruction card sums it up:
114	--> "The Black Knight and his minions are invading your lands. Use your sword to defeat him, his SKELETON ARMY, his EVIL ALLIES, and BURN his CASTLE!"
115	* EpicFlail: The Knight wields one that is able to block shots.
116	* EvilTowerOfOminousness: The premium and Limited Edition backglass shows two of these in the background.
117	* GameMod: Like most Stern Pinball machines made after 2011, there is a topper available that you can install on the backbox. This one depicts the Black Knight's head and upper torso with two flaming gates at each side of him. The head sometimes interacts with what's going on with the playfield.
118	* GiantHandsOfDoom: The Hell Hand is a particularly demonic example.
119	* GlowingEyes: The Knight toy on the playfield and topper has eyes that glow orange when it speaks.
120	* HydraProblem: One of the main modes pits the player against a five-headed hydra - defeating it requires shooting each lit shot to cut off a head, then shooting it again to seal it before it grows back.
121	* LaterInstallmentWeirdness:
122	** The Pro edition is the only game in the series not to have a second-level sub-playfield.
123	** The [=MagnaSave=] button is now located on the top of the lockdown bar (common placement area of the "Action Button" on many Stern machines, as well as other competing companies' pinball machines, of the current lcd score/display screen era) instead of being a side button(s) near to the flipper buttons.
124	* LuckilyMyShieldWillProtectMe: The Knight's shield is able to reflect the player's shots when it's down.
125	* KillItWithIce: The Lich Lords each take two shots to defeat - one to freeze them, and one to actually kill them.
126	* MagmaMan: The fittingly-named Magma Beast.
127	* MeaningfulName: Bernie is a flamethrower-wielding skeleton.
128	* NintendoHard: The game is rather notorious for requiring quick reflexes; among other things, hitting the prominent Black Knight target can send the ball bouncing quickly and unpredictably (including straight down the gap between the flippers).
129	* NostalgiaLevel:
130	** Knight Multiball (accessed by collecting every letter in "KNIGHT") changes the display to a static picture of ''Black Knight'''s logo and alters the sound effects to those from the original game.
131	** Similarly, the King's Ransom WizardMode alters the display and sound effects to match ''2000''. (Interestingly, while the game already uses an instrumental arrangement of that game's main theme during regular play, a more traditional remix of the theme - vocals and all - plays during this mode.)
132	* NotSoAboveItAll: The Black Knight switches between more traditional threats[[note]]"Stand up and fight, ''maggot.''"[[/note]] and goofier ones like questioning if the player thinks they're "Mr. Badass".
133	--> "''Lo-ser.''"
134	* {{Oculothorax}}: The Hell Hand is a giant demonic hand with one eye and a mouth.
135	* PowerUp: The titular Sword of Rage, charged by hitting a specific target bank, can be used during a battle mode to help boost one's score.
136	* PurpleIsPowerful: The WizardMode (where the player confronts the Black Knight directly) indicates the shots necessary to complete it with purple lights.
137	* {{Pyromaniac}}: Bernie's enthusiastic flamethrower usage all but says it outright.
138	* RearrangeTheSong: The game's main theme is a full-fledged metal cover of ''2000'''s main theme.
139	* TheReveal: [[spoiler:The Black Knight's head is skeletal.]]
140	* SandWorm: One mode tasks the player with killing one of these.
141	* SequelEscalation: Compared to the previous two installments, the theme is more pronounced as you are battling multiple enemies, exploring the world of the Black Knight and you actually get to duel the Black Knight himself.
142	* ShoutOut: Bernie occasionally shouts "[[Music/JerryLeeLewis Great balls of fire!]]" when his spinner is hit.
143	** One of the Black Knight's lines when you hit him is "[[Film/MontyPythonAndTheHolyGrail It's only a flesh wound!]]" Rather appropriate, considering who said the line in the film.
144	* SkillShot: Two of them - the traditional top lane skill shot (which the Premium/Limited Edition changes to hitting a target on the upper playfield), and a "Super Skill Shot" accessed by holding the left flipper button, plunging the ball, and making a Knight shot (also changed for the Premium/Limited Edition, this time to locking a ball on the upper playfield).
145	* SpikesOfVillainy: One of the Knight's shoulder pads has three spikes on it.
146	* WreathedInFlames: The Black Knight appears this way on the bottom of the playfield.
147	[[/folder]]
148	----

Context Pinball / BlackKnight