I Traded My Uncanny X-Men Pinball for Black Knight – Big Mistake?

RetroRalph·video·15m 47s·analyzed·Jan 31, 2025

Analysis

claude-haiku-4-5-20251001 · $0.025

TL;DR

RetroRalph trades X-Men LE for Black Knight, questions early-adopter Stern code strategy.

Summary

RetroRalph traded his Uncanny X-Men LE pinball for Black Knight: Sword of Rage, citing flat mission design and code immaturity despite praising X-Men's innovative layout. He explores Black Knight's difficulty, gameplay mechanics, alternative soundtrack feature, and topper functionality while reflecting on whether early adoption of incomplete Stern code is worth the trade-off.

Key Claims

The Uncanny X-Men has beautiful layout design by Jack Danger but missions/modes felt flat compared to game's visual appeal
high confidence · RetroRalph personal opinion based on ownership experience
Trading LE games via operator (Flippin' Out Pinball) results in financial loss compared to private market sale
high confidence · RetroRalph acknowledges this as known downside of convenience trade-in
Stern Pinball games typically receive code improvements over time after launch
high confidence · RetroRalph references this as historical pattern; cites Stranger Things and Bond as examples that improved significantly
Black Knight: Sword of Rage uses Spike 2 technology and features alternative soundtrack by Anthrax
high confidence · Confirmed in video history section and demonstrated in gameplay footage
Black Knight: Sword of Rage topper servo motor has issues during attract mode (twitching/tweaking)
high confidence · RetroRalph's personal experience; contacted Flippin' Out Pinball for replacement
X-Men Pro and LE versions share nearly identical shot layouts and playfield; main differences are Sentinel head, wire form on Beast Lab side, and Beast Lab itself
high confidence · RetroRalph's detailed analysis of Pro vs LE differentiation

Notable Quotes

“the missions in the game or modes just felt flat to me it felt like there should have been more for such a beautiful game”
RetroRalph @ ~1:45 — Core reasoning for trading away high-value LE despite praising layout and aesthetics
“the game is so hard and while the Knight is sort of like insulting you about how terrible your gameplay is it makes you want to play it again it's just one of those weird games for me at least”
RetroRalph @ ~3:15 — Explains psychological appeal of Black Knight's punishing difficulty and taunting AI
“you got to control the uncontrollable which is kind of pinball in general”
RetroRalph @ ~13:20 — Reflects on Black Knight gameplay philosophy and broader pinball design principle
“Stranger Things comes to mind or Bond comes to mind both of those now are games people really enjoy and it was all based on the code improving”
RetroRalph @ ~28:15 — Historical precedent supporting patience with early Stern code; raises question about whether X-Men deserves same treatment
“if it does get better I'll probably get the Pro this time I do like the Sentinel head coming up and I do like the wire form being broken and the finger thingy but the overall shot layout and everything else outside of just I think the Beast Lab is all pretty much the same”
RetroRalph @ ~29:45 — Detailed breakdown of X-Men tier differentiation; suggests Pro offers sufficient value if code improves

Entities

RetroRalphpersonUncanny X-MengameBlack Knight: Sword of RagegameJack Dangerperson Steve Ritchieperson Zachperson RudypersonFlippin' Out Pinballcompany

Signals

~
sentiment_shift: Community skepticism about early adoption of Stern games with incomplete code; precedent of improvement through Stranger Things and Bond examples
high · RetroRalph explicitly addresses whether X-Men deserves patience: 'Stranger Things comes to mind or Bond comes to mind both of those now are games people really enjoy and it was all based on the code improving'
?
design_philosophy: Black Knight: Sword of Rage intentionally designed with punishing difficulty and AI taunting to create 'one more game' psychological motivation
medium · RetroRalph analyzes: 'the game is so hard and while the Knight is sort of like insulting you about how terrible your gameplay is it makes you want to play it again'; 'control the uncontrollable which is kind of pinball in general'
$
market_signal: LE game trade-in through operator results in significant financial loss compared to private sale
high · RetroRalph acknowledges trading LE via operator is 'stupid' financially but chose convenience; aware private market would yield better return
?
community_signal: RetroRalph uses self-aware humor and pre-emptive acknowledgment of criticism to deflect potential community backlash about X-Men trade
high · Repeated statements: 'I know I'm stupid for doing this,' 'you definitely will that I'm stupid for doing this,' 'call me stupid but I already know'; frames decision as intentional trade-off rather than error
$
market_signal: Toppers have increased in price significantly since original release, raising value-for-money questions

Topics

Early adoption strategy for new Stern releases with incomplete codeprimaryX-Men design and code maturityprimaryBlack Knight: Sword of Rage gameplay difficulty and mechanicsprimaryPinball topper functionality and reliabilitysecondaryLE vs Pro tier value proposition and differentiationsecondaryPost-launch code improvement historical precedentsecondarySoundtrack customization features in modern pinballmentionedHome streaming setup and capture technology for pinballmentioned

Sentiment

mixed(0.55)— RetroRalph is enthusiastic about Black Knight despite acknowledging his poor performance; conflicted about X-Men trade (satisfied with decision but defensive about criticism); optimistic about future code improvements but realistic about trade-off economics. Tone is self-aware and humorous about poor gameplay execution.

Transcript

youtube_auto_sub · $0.000

hey guys welcome back to the channel in today's episode I'm going to tell you about something that changed in my game collection that's probably going to trigger many of you and maybe even surprise you and shock you but The Uncanny X-Men is gone but why why would I get rid of such a beautiful game and I had the Le it ridiculous immature half it was beautiful Jack danger did an amazing job with the layout no one would ever say that layout is not cool it's super cool it's Unique the shots are really fun but the thing about it that really just and I know I'm an early adopter of a game when you're an early adopter of any of these games new in box at least from Stern Pinball you can expect that the code is going to develop over time so it's not going to be the most amazing code development in the beginning and often times it continues to get better which is kind of cool for many people that have a game in their collection and they watch it get better over time and they get excited over Stern cat updates but some people don't really like that and in this case I felt like the missions in the game or modes just felt flat to me it felt like there should have been more for such a beautiful game so anyways I moved it on I traded it in to Zack it flipping out pinball now the reason why I did that was more out of convenience it's easy for me to do that I didn't want to sell it on the private Market but you guys know you're going to lose some money that way especially when it's an Le so just know you may put in the comments and you definitely will that I'm stupid for doing this and I know you'll do that but I knew I did a stupid thing see when I do the stupid stupid thing I got to feel comfortable with the stupid thing I'm doing I felt good about the stupid thing so you can feel free to still make those comments in the in in the section and you will just know I already know so you can call me stupid but I already know so anyways what game did I bring in I brought in how far are you allowed to bring it to the garage any chance you could bring it like right there to that patio or for $1,000 yeah any where this rolls Black Knight sword of Rage why why that game repeatedly kicks you in the nuts that everyone knows that the game is super super difficult I don't know I have this weird odd appreciation for the game I think Steve Ritchie did just an amazing job it his voices are in it are awesome the the Knight is taunting you and it's almost like the game is so hard and while the Knight is sort of like insulting you about how terrible your gameplay is it makes you want to play it again it's just one of those weird games for me at least it makes me want to play it again my buddy Rudy and I are just we we're tortured by this game but yet you still want to keep playing it so anyways I added it to the collection but you know I thought it'd be fun because we like montages around here let's do another pinball Montage M my bad don't worry guys I'm starting it [Music] before we dive into game play let's talk a little bit of History the Black Knight pinball series was designed by the legendary Steve Ritchie when the original Black Knight hit the scene in 1980 it shattered expectations with its revolutionary two-level Playfield it raised the bar for what pinball could be dynamic complex and endlessly thrilling then came Black Knight 2000 in 1989 a masterpiece that boldly fused medieval grit with futuristic Vibes delivering heart pounding multiball action and an unforgettable soundtrack that still gets fans hyped today then in 2019 the series came back to life with Black Knight sword of Rage This Modern Marvel harnessed Stern Pinball's latest Spike 2 technology while staying fiercely loyal to the series complete with a heavy Rock and metal soundtrack jaw-dropping visuals on the LCD display and gameplay that challenges even the most skilled players there's no doubt that these games have left an incredible mark on pinball history showcasing The Perfect Blend of innovation add in the dark mythical world of the Black Knight all right guys we are in front of Black Knight sword of rage and we're going to start a game we're just going to play it we're just going to have a good time play it a little bit show a little bit game gameplay Rudy had to leave but Rudy and I did play this for a long period of time I should have had Rudy and eye on stream because man we were getting pissed at the Black Knight but we kept wanting to play that's the thing it's so brutal and it's so hard and he taunts you the whole time so you just want to keep going so anyways when we step up to the game we've got these red blinking shots uh you can get a skill shot up at the top where war is but if you want the more advanced skill shots you can hold your left flipper and you can see these red inserts turn to White we're going to do that I don't expect to actually hit it but you got to be careful cuz it's dangerous here if you end up coming over because now the ball's going to come all the way around the orbit if you don't hold down that left flipper button it actually stops TI around those round War area so it goes halfway around the orbit we're going to hold the left flipper have this go around see if we can get the skill shot I think we did did we I don't think we did we didn't when it did come around we did hit this target right here which opens up the shield where I can lock a ball so we're going to try to do that see if I can hit that's that was a no it's really hard for me to hit it from that from the left flipper for some reason it's easier for me to hit it from the right see if we can there we go we got it okay cool I got it from the left flipper that's cool cuz that doesn't usually happen so we got one ball off I'm going to play more freely now so you're going to probably see me fail here but we're going to try all right there we go that's a really fun shot the one I just hit all right come on that Shield is up so I feel like we're going to we're going to be able to lock another ball nope for some reason I I I don't know that I I there we go okay there's ball two locked but at the same time we just started a mode so the modes are controlled by the by the ring right here and I think it's the middle metal shot which selects which mode you're going to end up on I don't know the game that well yet so just bear with me a little bit damn it but we have two balls locked we can get back in the game have a bit little bit better of a chance if we can get into the mode with a with a third uh with a multiball actually but let's see so I'm going to not focus on the mode so much I'm going to focus on seeing if I can get another another ball locked all right it is open right now there we go okay so now I will have multiball within the mode so this is good oh no wait I only have two balls locked see I was damn it wishful thinking I guess don't get out of control that's the thing with this game you got to you got to control the uncontrollable which is kind of pinball in general okay I thought I was going to drain so I used the Magna save the Magna save is a magnet that grabs that ball so you don't drain like I just did all right we already at ball three this isn't looking that good I I'll admit it this isn't looking very good but we can salvage this game I'm not editing this this is this is what it is all right the The Shield is open let's see damn it okay that's all right that's all right we had a we had a we had a ball save there we're fine we're still in the game we're still very much in the game and I think I can get the ball locked there we go boom three balls locked which which to me is like a win in this game cuz it's so damn hard so hey you get you get three balls locked you're winning oh man I want to hit that middle ramp middle ramp is actually really fun all right let's see what we can do here haven't hit haven't hit dookie there we go okay all right come on we got this we got this I can feel it right now this even though I'm recording myself and usually stuff goes Haywire I can feel it right maybe not I can feel it right now I feel it do you guys feel it at home do you feel it while you're watching are you feeling the me being pumped up or what haven't hit a whole lot ah we lost the ball that wasn't wasn't exactly what I wanted to do and we haven't hit really any of these lit shots so we're doing we're not doing great let's see where we at we are actually it's a halfway respectable score for me recording myself and I think we just got an extra ball or we're going to get an extra ball potentially if I don't do anything stupid super is lit all right okay all right don't do anything dumb Ralph you got this don't do anything stupid don't play erratically hey I told you man you hit the Knight and he's going to he's going to do that to you nine times out of 10 so immediate middle drain not the best game but you walk up you walk up to a black knight and never have played it before 41 million is actually pretty respectable in my opinion but like always in the comments you can tell me how crappy that actually is so my my high score is 113 million so again not great but pretty good for being someone that's a beginner at this game so check this game out on location if if if you have a local arcade bar you can go to pinball map and you can go find one I think you'll have a good time with it I I'm lucky enough that electric bat has one one thing I forgot to mention when we were playing it is I was playing with the alternative soundtrack so just so you know this soundtrack I believe is from Anthrax that did it and if you go to the DJ mixer feature you can hear let's see you can also hear the classic one but this would be the normal song that would start when you uh initially Press Start in the game so this is the original soundtrack that they wrote for this game so if you want to hear it real quick very metal heavy it's it's nice it's good but I actually dig the alternative soundtrack even more than this so I'll just scroll through this is what the tracks sound like I mean they're really badass tracks I'll put it up just a little bit it's good right it's all very like metalheavy kind of go totally goes with the theme though right it's it's it's good so let's say you want to play the game but you want to play it with the alternative soundtrack which is more of a theatrical kind of soundtrack I'll show you how to do that so you go into your your coin box you go into the service menu and then under adjust adust Ms you're going to want to go to Black Knight adjustments if you start from the back over where 100 is I think it's going to be it's 99 so here you can say use alternative soundtrack yes no I put yes on so when I hit start I'm getting the alternative soundtrack which which I just showed you example of so I I would think that's probably knowledge everyone has but if you don't and you want to play the game with a new soundtrack or maybe you've owned it for a while and you didn't know that feature was there I think that's kind of fun I have not had it in a tournament yet so this is kind of nice that I have it at home because maybe I can get good at it and hopefully if I do get that game in tournament I'll uh I'll know how to play it all right well that about wraps up this video guys so what do I feel about Black Knight swort of Rage I love it I love it I love the difficulty of it I love the one more game feel of it now I did get the topper for Black Knight swort of Rage but I had a problem with it it would work fine when it was during game play but during the attract mode which is like when you're just having the game sit there power on uh he was tweaking out he was like tweak tweak tweak his head was like twitching and if you know there's a Servo motor in there so that Servo motor makes noise so I'd just be in the other room and I could hear it moving it was really annoying it worked during gameplay to me it's not working the way it's supposed to so anyways I called up Zach I was like hey man what's going on with this thing he's like don't worry about it just send it back so he's sending me a new one so once I get that I'll probably make some video content of it it's really cool cuz when you shoot the left or right ramps his head moves uh and when he is talking and taunting you his head does move like he's talking so it it's pretty cool it it adds it it's definitely a Topper where I feel like it it gives you that value for the money although the topper has increased in price quite a bit from when it was originally released so I don't know it is pretty expensive nowadays so you you you got to determine whether or not that is something that you want to spend that much money to just be something that's a showcase on top of your game but this one actually does a lot of cool stuff to me that kind of makes it easier to justify the cost of it but anyways uh you can see I still have the streaming rig set up I have eventually have to do a video on that because I've done some pretty cool stuff to this it's not perfect but I think I've taken a little bit of a slightly different approach and tried to use less Hardware versus more Hardware which it's made the convenience of it easy but there's some limitations now because I'm technically not using a computer I'm just using a tablet so I'm using like a tablet and everything's hooked up to that and also when I captured this footage I'm using the HOV that Australian company's capture card and I noticed it's very stable I've not had any issues with it like the geek worm so I'll probably also do a video on that cuz I think it's worth uh for those that want to capture the LCD footage I feel like so far it's probably the best solution out there anyways guys that's about it for this video let me know what you think in the comments below was this a dumb thing like would you have kept X-Men in hopes that the code gets better historically Stern's usually pretty good about constant code improvements I can think of a bunch of games that when they came out people didn't really like stranger things comes to mind or Bond comes to mind both of those now are games people really enjoy and it was all based on the code improving so I hope that The Uncanny X-Men code improves and maybe who knows maybe if it does I'll buy it again but if I do I think I'll just buy the pro this time I do like the Sentinel head coming up and I do like the wire form being broken and the finger thingy but the overall shot layout and everything else outside of just I think the Beast lab is all pretty much the same so if you can kind of if you're okay with the concession of those two things on the wire form the other side of the ramp and the Beast lab then it's really pretty much essentially the same game same layout exactly so they packed a lot into that Pro so if it does get better I'll probably get the pro and then I'll just upgrade all the other stuff and spend just as much I don't know no thanks so much for watching guys put your comments in this I want to know what you think and that's it for now we will see you on the next one [Music] m [Music]