Past Times Pinball History Ep 7: Black Knight

TL;DR

Black Knight (1980) pioneered multi-level playfields and MagnaSave in solid-state pinball.

Summary

Key Claims

• Black Knight is the first solid-state pinball game with an upper playfield/multi-level playfield

  high confidence · Past Times Arcade host, stated as historical fact about the game

• Steve Ritchie designed Black Knight and also performed the voice work on the game

  high confidence · Past Times Arcade host, presented as 'lesser known fact'

• Black Knight introduced the MagnaSave feature

  high confidence · Past Times Arcade host, demonstrated in gameplay

• Black Knight was the first game to feature jeweled inserts (diamond-shaped rather than flat)

  medium confidence · Past Times Arcade host, visual demonstration provided

• Artwork for Black Knight was done by Tony Ramuni, who also did artwork for Bally Electra (released a year later)

  medium confidence · Past Times Arcade host, stated as interesting connection between two games

• Black Knight features three playfields: upper, regular, and lower

  high confidence · Past Times Arcade host, described as historically significant feature

Notable Quotes

• “A lesser known fact is that Steve Ritchie actually did the voice on this game too.”

  Past Times Arcade Host@ 0:14 — Highlights an overlooked contribution by legendary designer Steve Ritchie

• “Why this game is historically significant mainly is because it is the first game solid-state game with upper playfield or multi-level playfield that you see here.”

  Past Times Arcade Host@ 0:19 — Establishes Black Knight's primary historical significance in pinball evolution

• “It also introduced the MagnaSave on the side here which we can demonstrate.”

  Past Times Arcade Host@ 0:30 — Introduces a signature mechanical feature that became industry standard

• “So how you actually activate the MagnaSave is by clearing a set of drop targets here.”

  Past Times Arcade Host@ 0:34 — Explains the gameplay mechanic that earns the MagnaSave feature

• “There a magnet underneath. And I can shoot it here.”

  Past Times Arcade Host @ ~1:45 — Demonstrates the actual MagnaSave mechanic in action during gameplay

• “This is actually the first game to feature jeweled inserts. So they're not your standard flat inserts.”

  Past Times Arcade Host@ 1:12 — Highlights innovation in visual presentation of playfield inserts

• “The artwork was done by a gentleman named Tony Ramuni. And what's interesting about that is he also did the artwork on a game, Bally Electra, which came out a year later.”

Entities

Signals

• ?

  design_innovation: First implementation of jeweled inserts (diamond-shaped rather than flat), advancing visual design of playfield presentation

  medium · Host identifies 'jeweled inserts' as first-in-class feature, noting they are 'not your standard flat inserts' and have 'a little bit of a diamond shape'

• ?

  design_philosophy: Black Knight introduced multi-level playfield as a significant design innovation, representing expansion of playfield complexity in solid-state era

  high · Host emphasizes that Black Knight is 'the first game solid-state game with upper playfield or multi-level playfield' and notes it has three separate playfields (upper, regular, lower)

• ?

  technology_signal: Introduction of MagnaSave magnetic save feature represents significant mechanical innovation in pinball hardware

  high · Host demonstrates MagnaSave mechanic, describing it as activated by clearing drop targets and using magnet underneath to catch and redirect ball