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Bonus Episode - Best Game Ever: Black Knight Sword of Rage

Wedgehead Pinball Podcast·podcast_episode·22m 12s·analyzed·Jul 6, 2026
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claude-haiku-4-5-20251001 (batch) · $0.018

TL;DR

Connor argues Black Knight Sword of Black Knight Sword of Rage (Pro) is the best game ever for its replayability, flow, and elegant design.

Summary

Connor from pinballranker.com delivers a passionate defense of Black Knight Sword of Rage (Stern, 2019) as the best pinball game ever made, focusing specifically on Black Knight Sword of Rage (Pro) model. He argues the game excels through fast, replayable gameplay with simple but elegant rules, strong art direction by Kevin O'Connor, excellent sound design by Jerry Thompson with music by Scott Ian and Brendon Small, and a superlative topper. Connor positions the game as a gateway title despite its difficulty, praising Steve Ritchie playfield design and Tim Sexton rule programming while dismissing criticism from collectors who prefer the upper playfield in Premium/LE models.

Key Claims

  • Black Knight Sword of Black Knight Sword of Rage (Pro) model is the best pinball game ever made

    medium confidence · Connor, speaking as guest host; opinion framed as the episode's thesis

  • Black Knight Sword of Rage (Pro) model's lack of upper playfield is a massive positive, unlike Premium and LE models which include it

    high confidence · Connor explicitly states this design choice preference with reasoning

  • Black Knight Sword of Rage has only a single ramp and requires left flipper passing skills

    high confidence · Connor describes playfield layout mechanics

  • The game has relatively shallow code compared to modern Stern games but compensates through replayability

    high confidence · Connor acknowledges limited rule depth while arguing this is not a weakness

  • As of June 13, 2026, Black Knight Sword of Rage ranks #6 on Pinball Ranker and #53 on Pinside (LE version)

    high confidence · Connor cites specific rankings with recording date timestamp

  • Scott Ian from Anthrax composed the soundtrack alongside Brendon Small

    high confidence · Connor documents music composer credits

  • Steve Ritchie designed Black Knight Sword of Rage with programming by Tim Sexton

    high confidence · Connor credits game designers

  • Black Knight (1980) sold 13,075 units and Black Knight 2000 (1989) sold 5,703 units

    high confidence · Connor provides sales figures for predecessor games in the trilogy

  • The game is a strong gateway title for new players despite its reputation for difficulty, because rules are easy to understand

    medium confidence · Connor's design philosophy argument about accessibility vs. skill barrier

Notable Quotes

  • “When I say Black Knight Sword of Rage is the best game ever, I am specifically talking about Black Knight Sword of Rage (Pro) model.”

    Connor @ ~mid-episode — Key disclaimer establishing Connor's specific focus; addresses the Pro/Premium/LE model split that divides community opinion

  • “I don't like upper playfields. Frankly, I think they suck. So not having an upper playfield on Black Knight Sword of Rage (Pro) is a massive positive.”

    Connor @ early — Controversial design stance that contradicts traditional Black Knight trilogy expectations and likely source of online criticism Connor addresses

  • “It's metal and I love it.”

    Connor @ art section — Repeated emphasis on aesthetic appeal; reflects personal passion for the art package

  • “Toppers are the most important aspect of any pinball machine... It the best fucking topper ever.”

    Connor @ topper section — References 'Alex the Waterboy' as prior authority on topper importance; shows community in-jokes and interpersonal dynamics

  • “The hardest part for new players is just being confused. What do I do? What's the goal?”

    Connor @ rules accessibility section — Core design philosophy argument: accessibility to rules matters more than shot difficulty for onboarding new players

  • “No modern game will make you a better player faster than Black Knight Sword of Rage.”

    Connor @ playfield design section — Superlative claim about skill development value; positioning the game as educational for players

  • “An alternative path is to focus on replayability. This is where I think Black Knight Sword of Rage really shines.”

    Connor @ replayability argument — Core thesis alternative to rule depth; frames game philosophy as speed/replayability vs. complexity

  • “I have never had an incredible game on Black Knight and not wanted to immediately come back and play again.”

Entities

ConnorpersonAlanpersonSteve RitchiepersonKevin O'ConnorpersonJerry ThompsonpersonScott IanpersonBrendon Smallperson

Signals

  • ?

    design_philosophy: Connor articulates a design philosophy debate: shallow, fast, replayable games vs. complex, deep rule sets. He argues modern pinball over-emphasizes complexity while losing engagement and suggests Baldur's Gate 3 vs. Balatro analogy as framework.

    high · Connor: 'An alternative path is to focus on replayability... I'd like to see more pinball machines take the approach of creating something that's fast and fun and infinitely replayable.'

  • ?

    gameplay_signal: Black Knight Sword of Rage Pro features single-ramp, left-flipper-pass-dependent layout that Connor claims accelerates player skill development and creates tight one-on-one battle feel with the central Black Knight mech.

    high · Connor: 'No modern game will make you a better player faster than Black Knight Sword of Rage' and describes needing 'to master some passing skills to consistently take that shot'

  • ~

    sentiment_shift: Significant community split between Pro model advocates (Connor) and Premium/LE defenders. Connor addresses negative Pinside reviews dismissing Pro as incomplete without upper playfield, signaling design philosophy conflict within player base.

    high · Connor cites Pinside reviews: 'I'm sorry, but the pro version of this game is just terrible' and directly counters: 'Wrong. These people are just wrong. The upper playfield detracts from the game.'

  • ?

    product_concern: Pro model rated substantially lower on Pinside than Premium/LE versions despite Connor's advocacy, suggesting potential market segmentation issue or value perception problem for entry-tier variant.

    high · Connor: 'The Pro is currently rated lower on pinside than either the premium or LE versions' and it ranks #53 LE-based vs implicit lower Pro ranking

Transcript

groq_whisper · $0.015

0:00
Hello everybody, this is Alan, your normal host of the show. Just popping in to introduce another edition of our Best Game Ever series, which is a user-generated episode. This is another bonus episode slotted in between our normal release schedules. This one's from my buddy Connor, creator of pinballranker.com. I hope y'all enjoy it. It's a good one.
0:21
I'm not conceited, I'm just convinced. I'm the greatest of all time. You are arrogant, hot-tempered, entirely to roll. I like that.
0:35
Greatest genius who ever lived. I'm the smartest businessman in the world. King Kong ain't got shit on me.
0:48
Sometimes my genius is almost frankly. And that's the bottom line, the stone cold tips. I am the greatest one in the world. Well, Dek, here's the deal. I'm the best there is, plain and simple. I mean, I wake up in the morning, I piss excellence.
1:07
Touch a thing would be greater than all the magic and all the treasures in all the world. I am the greatest intercontinental heavyweight champion that ever lived, and I am the greatest professional wrestler that ever lived.
1:20
Perfection being measured by its own relentless logic. But I'll say one thing, I am for one very, very good reason. The best there is, the best there was, and the best there ever will be.

Connor @ replayability section — Personal play experience testimony; contrasts with other games like Godzilla

  • “It's got replayability, and I think that's something that's lacking in a lot of modern games.”

    Connor @ modern game critique — Broad industry criticism; suggests sector-wide trend toward complexity over engagement

  • “The only way to convince you that Black Knight Sword of Rage is the best game ever is for you to play it.”

    Connor @ conclusion — Final rhetorical flourish; acknowledges the subjective nature of 'best game ever' claims

    • Tim Sexton
    person
    Larry DeMarperson
    Ed Boonperson
    Tony Ramunniperson
    Doug Watsonperson
    Brian Schmidtperson
    Dan Fordenperson
    Alex the Waterboyperson
    Black Knight Sword of Ragegame
    Black Knightgame
    Black Knight 2000game
    Godzillagame
    Wedgehead Pinball Podcastorganization
    pinballranker.comproduct
    Pinsideproduct
    ?

    gameplay_signal: Connor identifies Black Knight Sword of Rage Pro as effective gateway game due to simple, intuitive rules despite shot difficulty. Argues accessibility of goals (not shot execution) is primary barrier for new players.

    high · Connor: 'I think the hardest part for new players is just being confused. What do I do?... I think it's a lot easier for someone to know what they have to do and then understand that they just don't have the skills yet'

  • ?

    design_innovation: Black Knight Sword of Rage Pro uses central animatronic Black Knight mech (flail and shield) to block ramp and scoop access, creating novel spatial dynamic. Connor frames this as creating intense one-on-one battle feel and narrow shot window.

    high · Connor: 'Dead center in the playfield is the upper torso of the Black Knight... there's this real feeling of an intense one-on-one battle'

  • ?

    content_signal: Wedgehead Pinball Podcast uses 'Best Game Ever' bonus episode format with guest community members (Connor via pinballranker.com). Shows emerging podcast model for community engagement and grassroots content creation.

    high · Alan: 'This is another bonus episode slotted in between our normal release schedules. This one's from my buddy Connor, creator of pinballranker.com'

  • ?

    gameplay_signal: Tim Sexton's code for Black Knight Sword of Rage intentionally avoids complex rule stacking and memorization. Main progression is battling minions (hydra, sandworm, hellhand, lich, magma beast) before final Black Knight battle, with each minion battle featuring unique shot sequences.

    high · Connor: 'Compared to a lot of modern games, it doesn't have the deepest code. But I don't think that's a bad thing... It doesn't try to trick you. It doesn't try to make you memorize tons of rules.'

  • ?

    competitive_signal: Black Knight Sword of Rage shows divergence between community ranking platforms: #6 on Pinball Ranker (Connor's site) vs. #53 on Pinside, suggesting different methodologies or player demographics rating different game aspects.

    high · Connor: 'As of this recording on June 13, 2026, Black Knight Sword of Rage is sitting at number 6 on the pinball ranker. And it's also sitting at number 53 on the pinside rankings'

  • $

    market_signal: Connor argues Black Knight Sword of Rage works equally well for home collectors and location operators, contrasting with games like Godzilla that he found less replayable. Suggests market opportunity in designing for both segments simultaneously.

    high · Connor: 'The great thing about games like that are they're perfect games for both the home and on location... I played it for years on location and I just kept coming back to it'

  • ?

    design_philosophy: Black Knight Sword of Rage Pro layout intentionally echoes classic single-ramp, pass-dependent design from earlier eras, representing throwback to pre-modern complexity philosophy while using modern manufacturing and sound/art.

    medium · Connor: 'Something that I think is pretty special about the layout for Black Knight Sword of Rage is that it almost feels like a throwback design. There's only a single ramp...'

    • 1:42
    Hello Wedgehead Pinball Podcast listeners. My name is Connor and I'm a pinball fan and member of the Wedgehead Discord based in Seattle. You might remember me from a recent episode where I discussed a new site I've been working on called Pinball Ranker. Well today I'm going to talk to you about the best game ever, Black Knight Sword of Rage. Alan and Waterboy have graciously allowed me to rant and rave about this game in front of a microphone in my very own basement studio. But before I can do that, it's my job to pass along a message from our regular hosts. Give me your money. That's right. Alan and Waterboy want you to give them your money by donating to the Wedgehead Pinball Podcast coffee account. By donating to the coffee account, you get access to the Discord where you can chop it up with Alan and Waterboy and a bunch of the coolest people in the pinball community, including myself. Gagal, Dune, Medieval Madness. And at the last minute, I let the ball go down the middle. It builds their confidence. If I didn't let him win at every game, he would never have sex. In 1980, Williams released the first game in this trilogy, simply named Black Knight, designed by the legend himself, Steve Ritchie, Larry DeMar on programming, and art by Tony Ramuni. Black Knight was notable for a few key features. It introduced MagnaSave, a feature that allowed players to magnetically catch a ball as it was headed out the out lane via a dedicated button. Black Knight was also the first solid state game to ever have a multi-level playfield. So you'd have your main playfield where you're playing your game as usual, but then there was another level on top of it that the ball could go up to, had its own flipper and stuff you could do up there. This game was very successful and sold an impressive 13,075 units.
    4:02
    Nine years later, in 1989, Williams released Black Knight 2000, a name which is a true relic of the time when people were foolish enough to be optimistic about the 21st century.
    4:14
    Steve Ritchie returned to design, this time with Ed Boone on programming and art by Doug Watson. Also, this time is really worth mentioning the fantastic work done for Sound and Music by Steve Ritchie, Brian Schmidt, and Dan Fordham. Black Knight 2000 introduced the iconic Black Knight theme, which would return again in Sword of Rage.
    4:50
    Black Knight 2000 sold 5,703 units and saw the return of Magnus Aved and the upper playfield seen in its predecessor. Where am I? You're in the Ministry of Defense. It's 1997. You've been cryogenically frozen for 30 years. It would be another 30 years between the release of Black Knight 2000 and the 2019 release of Black Knight Sword of Rage but the wait was worth it Steve Ritchie said that he wanted you to feel like you were battling the Black Knight And that is more true than ever in Black Knight Sword of Rage Dead center in the playfield is the upper torso of the Black Knight himself using his flail and shield to stop the ball from accessing a ramp and scoop respectively The goal of the game is simple, defeat the Black Knight's minions before facing the menace himself in one final battle. As you'd expect from a Steve Ritchie game, Black Knight Sword of Rage is fast and flowy. Well, it is if you're playing the pro. Let me get something out of the way right now. When I say Black Knight Sword of Rage is the best game ever, I am specifically talking about the pro model. While all models of Sword of Rage see the return of Magna Save, only the premium and LE models include the upper playfield seen in the previous two games. I don't like upper playfields. Frankly, I think they suck. So not having an upper playfield on the Pro is a massive positive. I've played the premium and LE models in the past, and while I would not say they're bad games, I wouldn't be making this episode right now if the Pro didn't exist. So with that little disclaimer out of the way, let's dive into the game, starting with the art. The art package was done by the legendary pinball artist Kevin O'Connor. It's metal and I love it. The art package is a colorful take on dark fantasy. The translate features the Black Knight swinging his flaming flail, flanked on each side by purple skeletal warriors. The playfield artwork is on I'm not going to say it's a perfect art package, but I like what it does. It's metal, it's metal, it's metal, it's metal, it's metal, it's metal. It's fun. It catches your eye. But Black Knight Sword of Rage doesn't just catch your eye. It also catches your ears. Let's talk about sound and music. Jerry Thompson helmed the sound package and did a hell of a job of it. Every monster roar and battle sound feels just right. It's a fun sound package that doesn't take itself too seriously and delivers where it needs to. Another important aspect of the sound package that I need to mention is the fantastic callouts featuring Steve Ritchie providing the voice of the titular character. As you play, the Black Knight taunts you relentlessly. Tons are the only sounds you'll be hearing as you play. Sword of Rage also has a superb heavy metal soundtrack. The music brings the energy the game needs. It's fast, hard, and fun.
    8:47
    Gagin' on the other side. The soundtrack was composed by Scott Ian and Brendan Small. Some of you may know Scott Ian as the bald guy with a really long goatee from VH1's I Love the 70s, I Love the 90s, I Love the 90s, Part Deux, I Love the 80s, 3D, and I Love the 70s, Volume 2. But did you know he is also the guitarist for a metal band called Anthrax?
    10:04
    Television viewers might also be familiar with Brendan Small. He created the Adult Swim series Home Movies and Metalocalypse.
    10:14
    And you fellow Venture Brothers fans might also know him as the voice of Action Johnny and several other characters.
    10:36
    Okay, I know what you're saying. Music and art, who cares? What about the topper? However as has been established as fact by Alex the Waterboy on this very podcast many times toppers are the most important aspect of any pinball machine So does Black Knight Sword of Rage have a good topper It the best fucking topper ever An animatronic bust of the Black Knight watches the ball as you play with his glowing red eyes taunting you all the while You know how I know it the best topper It the only one you going to see at Wedgehead It rules
    11:17
    Speaking of rules, let's talk rules. This game's got them. This time, programming was handled by Tim Sexton. Personally, I think it's his best work. The rules of Black Knight Sword of Rage are themed very appropriately around the idea that you are battling the Black Knight. That means the main modes of the games are about fighting his various minions with the ultimate goal of fighting the Black Knight himself. His minions consist of hydras, sandworms, a hellhand, liches, and a magma beast. You enter each of these battles with the minion by first hitting the Black Knight and then shooting up the ramp and then shooting behind his shield. Each battle with one of these minions is unique. Obviously, this is pinball, so mostly you're going to be shooting lit shots. But each of these battles has their own little unique twists on it. It makes some of these more challenging than others, and that adds to the excitement for each game. Sometimes you'll be battling one of these minions and it's something that you can blow right through easily. Obviously, other times, you'll find yourself struggling to hit a single shot, just kind of clunking around and not actually making progress. If you do, if you manage to defeat these minions, eventually you get to fight the Black Knight himself. Now, there are a lot of other things you can do in the game, but honestly, compared to a lot of modern games, it doesn't have the deepest code. But I don't think that's a bad thing. One of the things that I like about this rule set is that I actually think it makes Black Knight Sword of Rage a very good gateway game. For some of you that might sound a little weird because Black Knight Sword of Rage has a reputation as being a hard game.
    13:00
    Well, it's true. It has hard shots. It's kind of a tough game. But the rules are very easy to explain to a new player. For them to understand it kind of intuitively for what they have to do. I think generally the biggest barrier to getting new people into pinball isn't that the game is too hard in terms of actually hitting the shots. I think the hardest part for new players is just being confused. What do I do? What's the goal? How do I get points?
    13:27
    Marge, I'm confused. Is this a happy ending or a sad ending? It's an ending. That's enough. I think it's a lot easier for someone to know what they have to do and then understand that they just don't have the skills yet to accomplish it Than it is for someone to come up to something, have no idea what they're supposed to do, drain three balls very quickly, and then decide pinball just isn't for them. What amplifies these relatively simple rules is the excellent playfield design from Steve Ritchie. With the large Black Knight mech in the middle of the playfield, there's this real feeling of an intense one-on-one battle. A single missed shot can lead to a quick defeat, so you need to be fast yet strategic with your shots. The challenge isn't figuring out what to do, it's in the executing.
    14:16
    Something that I think is pretty special about the layout for Black Knight Sword of Rage is that it almost feels like a throwback design. There's only a single ramp in the game, and unlike most modern games, there's only a safe return to the right flipper. If you want to take a shot off the left flipper, you need to master some passing skills in order to consistently take that shot. No modern game will make you a better player faster than Black Knight Sword of Rage.
    14:57
    Now, before I wrap up, explain why I think Black Knight Sword of Rage is the best game ever, I thought I'd talk about the general perception of the game. As of this recording on June 13, 2026, Black Knight Sword of Rage is sitting at number 6 on the pinball ranker. And it's also sitting at number 53 on the pinside rankings. It's worth noting that those pinside rankings are actually based off of the LE version of the game, not the Pro. The Pro is currently rated lower on pinside than either the premium or LE versions. Some examples of some of the reviews the game's gotten on Pinside include... Great art and sound package though.
    16:06
    And another example. I'm sorry, but the pro version of this game is just terrible. Feels like the demo version of a game. The entire game is near the flippers and there are so few shots I was bored within a few plays. Nice looking game, but needs the upper play field. Otherwise incomplete and not compelling at all.
    16:31
    Wrong. These people are just wrong. The upper playfield detracts from the game The game is at its best when it fast and tough and challenging but rewarding It doesn try to trick you It doesn try to make you memorize tons of rules or the exact order in which you should stack things It gives you a simple goal and asks you to get good.
    16:57
    Now, the name of this episode is Best Game Ever. and I've been arguing this whole episode that Black Knight Sword of Rage is the best game ever. That also means it's the best modern game and the best Stern Spike 2 game. And as I just mentioned, the rule set doesn't have the depth that you would expect from a lot of modern Sterns or just modern games generally.
    17:19
    A lot of people, especially collectors, like to complain about the depth of rules. To some extent, I understand that. If you're buying a game for your home, you're probably going to want something that you can spend a lot of time on. Rule depth is certainly a way to get that. It gives you a lot to explore, but it comes at a cost. It means seeing everything in the game requires marathon sessions. You might be playing a single game on a machine for over 30 minutes. What I would argue is that that's not the only way to ensure players spend a lot of time on a game. An alternative path is to focus on replayability. This is where I think Black Knight Sword of Rage really shines. It's fast, it's hard, but you want to keep playing every time. I finished a game of Black Knight and I just want to go again. I can't say the same thing for some of the other games I own. For example, I think Godzilla is a fantastic game and I'm a massive fan of the Godzilla franchise. But if I put on a really good game on Godzilla, I end up spending a lot of time playing that game and as soon as I'm done, I don't want to play anymore that night. I'm not coming back to it. I have never had an incredible game on Black Knight and not wanted to immediately come back and play again. It's got replayability, and I think that's something that's lacking in a lot of modern games. The idea is that a game doesn't have to be deep. It has to be fun and replayable. In video game terms, it's like how there are two ways you can spend 100 hours on a game. You can have an incredibly deep game like Baldur's Gate 3 or some other big RPG.
    19:01
    Or you could have Bellatro and you just play it over and over again. I'd like to see more pinball machines take the approach of creating something that's fast and fun and infinitely replayable. The great thing about games like that are they're perfect games for both the home and on location.
    19:20
    Black Knight Sword of Rage is exactly that kind of game for me. I played it for years on location and I just kept coming back to it. So when I had the space and I was thinking about what pinball machine would I love to have, Sword of Rage was an obvious answer. Even now with one in my house, it's still fun to play on location. I will break you.
    19:44
    I'll give you one last chance. We need your help, champion. Well, I've said my piece. I could go on, but at this point, I think the only way to convince you that Black Knight Sword of Rage is the best game ever is for you to play it. So, open up the pinball map and find the nearest machine near you and go play it.
    20:07
    And as always, good luck. Don't suck. I want to know if he's flying I want to know if he's flying Oh, how I miss his loving Ooh, what can I do? Black night, black night Black night, so lovely and blue Black night, black night Always so lonely and blue Gave in the cold on the fire Something to keep me warm Wishing his arms were around me Peaceful and safe from heart Black night, black night Black night, black night Black night, black night, black night, black night, black night, black night, black night, black night, always so lonely and blue Gagal industry.
    21:50
    Gagal.