Stern

Batman (The Dark Knight)

Pinside Rating

This game received 345 approved Pinsider ratings and currently rates 7.740 _/10

7.74

Top 100 ranking

This game ranks #136 in the Pinside Pinball Top 100.

Score breakdown

Score breakdown in the 4 main categories:

Game Design: 7.842

Artwork: 7.632

Sounds/Music: 7.191

Other Aspects: 7.846

Pinside staff rating

This is how we, the very knowledgeable (wink wink) Pinside.com staff & moderators rate this game. 8 of us have rated this game.

8.052

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Found 193 ratings (with comment) on this game

There are 193 ratings (that include a comment) on this game.
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8.443/10

7 months ago

DRD

DrDrain

Pinside member

9y 42,900 57 159

Batman is one of my favorite Stern games from the SAM era.

I really like the unique layout despite its only having one ramp. It kind of limits the flow of the game. Nevertheless the Joker and ramp shots are satisfying to make. The entire assembly turning around with the wobbling Joker inside looks a bit cheap though.

The rules are very good. All of the multiballs are very good, especially the Bat Signal multiball. I love how you can crank the Jackpots up. The only really annoying thing is the Hurry-Up that's constantly getting in the way of making progress on Lucius Fox.

The artwork is pretty good except for the playfield. It looks typically mediocre for a game of this era. And the animations are alright as well, they only used a few movie scenes.

In conclusion this is an underrated game with good rules, a solid gameplay and interesting shots. It is probably the ideal game for a more casual player or beginner.

4 Pinsiders starred this!

9.500/10

1 year ago

SJB

Schuft

Pinside member

Ridgefield, WA

1y 15,250 4 8

First Pin I ever bought. I play this with my kids all the time and can't see me ever parting with it.
Has several multi-ball modes and some cool shots that I really enjoy.
This one will always be a favorite for me.

Schuft currently owns this game.

6.924/10

1 year ago

RAR

SchematicChaser

Pinside member

Modesto, CA

2y 41,750 1 5 122

I agree with sooperzero, in that the game comes across as bland, do like the crane feature.

8.744/10

1 year ago

DDJ

D_Rock

Pinside+ Pro!

Mccordsville, IN

2y 44,150 46 20 14 2

BDK will always be nostalgic for me, as it was my first pin & got be hook, line & sinker into pinball. I’ll take the very unpopular stance - not that it’s a better game with better code, but I like BDK far more than BM66. I’m not a fan of the transforming disc & I love the theme of BDK a lot more than BM66 - who doesn’t love the Heath Ledger Joker? Replace that terrible toy with a movie realistic one & this game gets twice as good. I wish the upper playfield had more going on, but I love the crane & batmobile shots. Maybe I had something set up wrong on mine, but the right orbit was an automatic center drain waiting to happen unless you nudge during the orbit. I am still sad I sold this & REEEEEALLY wish I had LED upgraded it as soon as it got to my basement - this game is bright and beautiful with a fresh wax job & LED’d. If I had a bigger basement, I would definitely get this back into the collection, but it has a hard time competing for the 8 spots down there when it has to go against Wonka, JP, etc. I will have this again one day & I look forward to it way more than most games I continue to spend twice the money on.

D_Rock edited previous rating on October 22, 2022.
D_Rock has owned this game in the past.

5.928/10

1 year ago

BYC

Sooperzero

Inactive member

Fremantle

2y 17,000 1 2 8

I'll start off saying, not everyone likes the same machines! For me, this game is soooooo bland. The only redeeming factor, is the crane mechanism. The crane is pretty fun, and it leads into a good multiball.. but it seems to be a one trick pony. None of the other game modes are much fun and none of the call-outs actually sound like the movie characters. It just feels like it was slapped together and put a batman name on it, hoping it would sell! I would much prefer a no-name title, but good game play.. rather than a big name title and no substance.

** I really tried to like the game.. I fixed a badly neglected machine, and put heaps of plays on the board. It just didn't do much for me.

7.668/10

2 years ago

???

TwirlingFern

Inactive member

Unknown

2y 7,500 31

Pretty cool game. I love the scarecrow crane arm that you need to hit.

6.082/10

2 years ago

MFA

Mishap

Pinside member

Seattle, WA

2y 27,300 19 6 33

While this could be a copy/paste for a lot of (non-Pat Lawlor) Stern games, the shots all start at about the 2/3 mark of the playfield, there's one theme-specific toy and nothing really stands out beyond the blinding lights. I don't know if I missed a mode or something, but I got so bored of this game so quickly. It felt easy, mainly because you can keep your shot sight-lines in the same part of the playfield, even when hitting the Scarecrow crane ball, the ball speed is slow-medium with little variation, and the multiball has a very generous ball save. Overall, it felt uninspired and joyless to me- but in addition to not liking the standard Stern layout, I'm also not a big superhero or Batman fan, so there wasn't a lot of natural affection for this pin.

Pros: Probably a good beginner pin for someone who likes that iteration of Batman, ball feels easy to control, someone who likes the standard Stern layout would appreciate this more

Cons: did not find anything really rewarding here, shots felt too easy and repetitive, balls were long but tedious.

8.460/10

2 years ago

???

GezTheHealer

Pinside member

Trowbridge

5y 17,250 3 20

I've played this a few time in competitions, and a nice one while it was at our local pinball club. I've fancied a stern for comp practice and just bought one the other day. I have just now managed to learn the rules and what does what. It isn't always obvious - especially for the number of different characters on the board. (There's a good detailed review on Pinball News). Gameplay: there are opportunities for breaks in play to see animations (tumbler ramp and joker lock) though I seem to spend most of my time in this game stacking one fairly furious multiball after the other. I think it works quite well, and you can see out the corner of your eye the tumbler ramp dropping feeding the flipper or the scarecrow up kicker, you can get into a good rhythm with it, with a crane brushing across the board at times to make it trickier! I kinda wish there was a little video mode, and do think that hitting the commissioner gordon stand-up to light the upper play-field is, well, I don't get it. More callouts/guide would make it more complete, there is a nice mod available to have the film soundtrack which adds to the atmosphere of the game. Not been able to get all the way to the final mode yet, so it has some longevity. Multipliers look to be the route to big scores. It's a good game and certainly not half as fun as Batman '66 (which is about twice the price).

9.400/10

2 years ago

???

anthony1965

Pinside apprentice

Montréal, QC

3y 9,500 10

one of the most underated game ..i just love it

2 Pinsiders starred this!

9.000/10

3 years ago

ROD

Familyguyrod

Inactive member

Swansea

7y 27,250 1 14 19

Played it a few years ago and did not know how good it was, played it recently and loved it so much I had to add it to the collection. Three different multiballs and hitting a moving target is frustrating and fun. definately a keeper, the artwork and theme is Batman through and through and Heath Ledger in my opinion was the best Joker. My Rating 9/10

Familyguyrod currently owns this game.

4.075/10

3 years ago

CHO

Choub

Inactive member

Ablancourt

3y 13,500 6 7

On m a prêté ce flip, je n accroche pas du tout. Moche et très lassant, il est la depuis un mois et je me force a y jouer....Multibilles sans arrêt, répétitif

8.018/10

3 years ago

MEA

Wopmike2001

Pinside+ Frequent

Henderson, NV

3y 47,400 71 14 21

This is my first pin. Its been alot of fun and got me addicted to my new hobby.

Wopmike2001 edited previous rating on December 04, 2020.
Wopmike2001 has owned this game in the past.

7.224/10

3 years ago

TJC

sullivanocean

Jim's Pizza and Pasta

Grafton, ON

4y 25,750 2 17

I have now owned this machine for a little over a month. I must say I am pleasantly surprised by how fun it is to play. There are some great shots that are satisfying. The crane offers great dynamic game play. I think for a Stern 2008 this is full of great features you would likely find on a modern Premium or LE. We will see how I feel in another few months and if my opinion changes over time I will come and revisit my review.

sullivanocean edited previous rating on April 22, 2021.
sullivanocean has owned this game in the past.

8.176/10

3 years ago

TKM

Daditude

Pinside Moderator

Rockwall, TX

5y 266K 10,128 23 271

Solid game. Great for comic fans. The more you play the more fun it is.

Daditude edited previous rating on September 05, 2020.

9.116/10

3 years ago

RK

tigzzz

Pinside member

Silverthorne, CO

4y 69,150 118 13 21 4

For the first few games I was thinking I made a mistake in the purchase, but after a few more I started to enjoy the game more and more. The shots are not as easy as I expected based on some comments. So it took a bit of playtime before I started making shots and was able to get into the game. The theme, sounds and overall experience are excellent. There are quite a variety of shots and the crane gives you tons more. I don't see getting bored with this game for a long time and with the crane shots possibly never.

tigzzz has owned this game in the past.

9.416/10

4 years ago

RRB

Triguy964

Pinside member

4y 24,450 2 2 7

As a new player, I was not able to enjoy or dig into the ruleset. Nonetheless, I enjoyed the game for a superficial play and played this a few times with greater enjoyment each time.

9.676/10

4 years ago

DL

dennisthemenace

Inactive member

Unknown

12y 20,250 6 30

OK. This is a LOTR in a different jacket . It's just as good or almost. Yes I like LOTR better but not by this much. It's one of sterns better machines. And with some ad ons a keeper for me

dennisthemenace edited previous rating on November 19, 2019.
dennisthemenace currently owns this game.

9.200/10

4 years ago

DPM

Macman1979

Pinside member

League City, TX

4y 28,150 12 21 13

Great game with the best Joker and arguably the best villain ever in the history of the comic book world. Heath ledger really nailed his role as the joker in this game. The new Batman 66 copied pretty much the entire game design from this play field, I mean, just look at the crain and you tell me where it came from? The game is deep and a lot of fun to play. The more you play it the more easter eggs you find along the way. What a great game that is a blast to look at as well as play!

Macman1979 edited previous rating on July 06, 2020.
Macman1979 currently owns this game.

7.735/10

5 years ago

JAS

pinheadaustralia

Pinhead Australia

5y 40,150 3 81 23

I haven't seen a heap of versions of this game but mine is pretty dark & hard to see all the shots. I think adding pinstadiums to this would be a great addition. straight off the bat this game reminds me of LOTR with the PATD on the other side and the same tower shot in the back right - the multiballs also play out similar. really good game but i would probably like it more if i didnt already have a LOTR.

pinheadaustralia currently owns this game.

6.992/10

5 years ago

???

cyberbear

Pinside apprentice

Glasgow

5y 18,750 43

One of the better Stern efforts, I had to play it considering that Batman is my number one superhero, quite good flow, scoring seems fair, playfield toys seem better built than other Sterns. A nice looking machine.

7.818/10

5 years ago

JIN

Pinasco

Inactive member

Malmö

8y 37,650 81 3 60

Great title from Stern. Sound and playfield layout are integrated well with the theme here and bring a atmosphere that would fit a modern Gotham City game version. Fast play with varied shots and a very entertaining use of a swinging crane arm with a wrecking ball on a chain. Multiball here is a blast and the call-outs from Batman/Joker frame the playing experience perfectly.

I think this table is comparable to many of Bally/WMS best pinball games from the late 90's. My main issue here - the only real one- is the fact that the playfield contains the faces from quite a few actors from the 2008 Batman movie, which I did not like at all. But this cosmetical flaw does not change the overall quality and playing experience. This table would fit well in any 3-6 machine lineup where you want at least one pin with an action theme.

8.920/10

5 years ago

WRA

Skippy2904

Pinside member

Cooks Beach

8y 37,800 183 7 16

Always enjoyed playing this, so when one came up, I grabbed it. Has not disappointed. Came with a different sound package, so I do n have anything to compare it with.
Game play has a deep rule set and is challenging. Easy to get a good score, very hard to get huge score. When it does all come together, it is brilliant.

Skippy2904 edited previous rating on December 08, 2022.
Skippy2904 currently owns this game.

8.578/10

5 years ago

POO

Poopiehead

Bounce Milwaukee

Milwaukee, WI

6y 31,800 32 10

This is a solid game. The Scarecrow’s crane is one of my favorite toys, adding a ton of challenge and replay value. There’s a lot going on above the platform, but without feeling cluttered. Solid.

8.148/10

5 years ago

MCH

Pinkitten

Pinside+ Pro!

Williamston, MI

6y 136K 3,792 14 88

Underrated pin is easy for beginners and guests but deep enough for more experienced players. Shots are fairly easy to make, which may not present enough of a challenge for some. Strong theme, well integrated. The upgraded sound package is a must. Once you have that, the cabinet, dark color scheme, toys, and creative shots make this a fun pin to play or own. Has the original crane toy redone in BM66. Lots of multiball modes (at least 4) keep the action busy. With LEDs, game looks great. Just a very fun, easy to understand pin with cool, dark theme and some cool gimmicks. Music is pretty good and the cabinet looks fantastic. Playfield artwork is so so. Overall, a very good pin somewhat better than its rank because early sound package was pretty bad. Fun mods too. Not to be confused with the "home" version Stern tried to sell at Costco for a whopping $700 discount. They removed 3 of the main toys (the upper playfield, the Batmobile teeter-totter and the rotating biscuit barrel). They only made 48 of those, but I saw one at the Chicago Expo this year. It's much simpler and less fun. That was Stern's solution to the pinball lull of that era, strip down a game and offer it for a few hundred less? Genius.

Pinkitten edited previous rating on July 30, 2020.
Pinkitten has owned this game in the past.

7.432/10

5 years ago

CUZ

mcuzz

Pinside member

8y 117K 500 137

Excelent looking cabinet and translite and soso playfield photoshop art, game plays fast and furiously, the crane is a cool toy that can change the gameplay dramatically. I think alot of space was wasted on the giant joker cylinder and the right side pathway.
Overall a fast fun tournament game that is visually appealing.

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There are 193 ratings (that include a comment) on this game. Currently showing results page 1 of 8.

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