Bally

Cirqus Voltaire

Pinside Rating

This game received 697 approved Pinsider ratings and currently rates 8.388 _/10

8.388

Top 100 ranking

This game ranks #44 in the Pinside Pinball Top 100.

Score breakdown

Score breakdown in the 4 main categories:

Game Design: 8.394

Artwork: 8.736

Sounds/Music: 7.792

Other Aspects: 8.35

Pinside staff rating

This is how we, the very knowledgeable (wink wink) Pinside.com staff & moderators rate this game. 9 of us have rated this game.

8.594

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Found 363 ratings (with comment) on this game

There are 363 ratings (that include a comment) on this game.
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9.860/10

7 years ago

CRN

DefDumBlindKid

Pinside+ Addict

Charlotte, TN

7y 69,800 174 31 23

This is only the greatest pinball on earth. Joining the circus is an amazing wizard mode. JPops best effort in my opinion. Beautiful, deep, fun, rare. Wow.

DefDumBlindKid edited previous rating on March 19, 2018.
DefDumBlindKid currently owns this game.

7.232/10

7 years ago

AND

nicknack66

Pinside member

Long Island, NY

8y 50,050 443 6 8

I thought I was going to really like this game having played the video version of it, but when I had the opportunity to actual play the real game in person, it wasn't anything like what I expected. It didn't feel "good" and I felt more like I was just trying to keep the ball from draining than actually playing the game. It has more going for it than say a T2, but at least with the T2 it feels "good" and I felt like there was more purpose to my shots. Maybe I just didn't pick up the game quick enough despite having played it online, but it didn't play like I had hoped.

10.000/10

7 years ago

VGA

nintendo

Pinside member

9y 43,050 386 6

Beautiful pinball machine. It has everything, toys, shots, lights, game modes (if you upgrade to 2.0 which almost everyone has). You cannot walk by this machine without playing it. It's a keeper for me and I'll never sell it. One of the greatest machines of all time!

6.055/10

7 years ago

???

bhwolf

Pinside member

Summerfield, NC

8y 41,650 437 5 7

As a big ToM fan, I was hoping to like this game more -- but it was just kind of flat. Great backglass and interesting color and art. But the gameplay was just not much fun for me.

8.304/10

7 years ago

CAT

Tazpinball

Pinside member

10y 20,750 18 9

probably my least favorite "collectable" machine, but still fun

2021 Did a rebuild on this machine and found alot of issues, made a huge difference to the game play.
am keeping this and selling Totan

Tazpinball edited previous rating on September 14, 2022.
Tazpinball currently owns this game.

9.580/10

7 years ago

BAD

Badfingers

Inactive member

7y 20,250 1 23

One of my favorite tables . [check my avatar?]

Love the sound and his agony/pouting/laughing during the game and of course causing it.

8.460/10

7 years ago

MJH

TimeBandit

redshiftLED.com.au

Sydney, Oz

10y 159K 5,511 3 65

Dazzlingly beautiful machine. Great sound design. Would love to see a makeover of the rules.

TimeBandit edited previous rating on January 11, 2017.

5.374/10

7 years ago

DOK

ziddosi

Inactive member

Magione

12y 26,250 8 81

Flipper very nice but the game is definitely below expectations

10.000/10

7 years ago

???

locksmith

Pinside member

10y 90,300 818 53 1

It's taken me a while to realize this game is the top in it's era.CV is a masterpiece off design and pinplay at it's finest..When I look at the Horseshit games ranked higher than it I realize the rating system means nothing. Let me repeat Nothing. Top 100 is a joke.

locksmith edited previous rating on March 30, 2018.

5.876/10

7 years ago

BW

KingBW

Pinside+ Frequent

8y 116K 3,143 102 1

The game was okay. Played it at 3 shows and 2 locations. Every one of those pins had problems with the ball getting caught up in the ring master and had to wait for ball searches. Twice we had to have someone get the ball from being lodged in that area. Bad design for that? The gimmicks were different but uneventful. Not to fond of the artwork, but that does not weigh high for me. The game play on the display was different, but not too descriptive. After you play it a few times you figure out what you are suppose to do. I'd probably continue to play this at locations because it is a little different and let it try to win me over. Maybe in time and several more plays I would like it better.

4.873/10

7 years ago

GEM

pinlosopher

Pinside member

Winston-salem, NC

7y 36,900 47 3 29

I've tried this machine in five different iterations and I just do not get it, the rule set is not that rich or deep and its shots are fast but the geometry isn't actually that great, but equally important it is fragile and quickly seems gimmicky. Maybe it's just me but I think this game benefits from nostalgia d.b.a. hype.

pinlosopher edited previous rating on November 28, 2016.

8.312/10

7 years ago

RRP

PhantomO

Pinside member

Marlborough, MA

11y 60,050 498 4 48

I don't understand the backglass cannon at all. Some shots are repetitive. The ringmaster toy is fun. The dots are beautiful with a color DMD. A lot of shots are co contracted on the left side of the machine and are tough to make. The sideshow and lock shots in particular are tough and/or awkward.

PhantomO edited previous rating on June 29, 2022.

7.933/10

7 years ago

CSB

klr650

Pinside+ Frequent

7y 93,550 932 161

Beautiful machine, wish I could afford one!

klr650 edited previous rating on November 15, 2018.

5.730/10

7 years ago

EJH

DBLDN11

Inactive member

Audubon, PA

7y 8,400 36 7

Play this all the time at a friends house, but never considered it to have that 'one more game' feel

10.000/10

7 years ago

MLB

mbarreira

Pinside member

Lisboa

8y 37,150 79 10 9 2

Beautiful! In my top 3 for sure. Jonh Popadiuk at his best.

mbarreira has owned this game in the past.

9.188/10

7 years ago

JVE

Jappie

Pinside member

11y 106K 1,069 56

First off: Cirqus Voltaire is one of the most gorgeous pinball machines ever built. A very original theme with lots of creativity in the artwork. This machine is so vibrant, it's just crazy. Add LEDs to really make it pop. A work of art.

Cameron Silver's home rom makes the machine an extremely good player as well. He polished the software to something truly worthy of the great playfield.

I'm in love with this game. One of the games where everything just blends together into a breathtaking experience.

Jappie edited previous rating on December 10, 2023.

8.216/10

7 years ago

TBK

xTheBlackKnightx

Pinside member

8y 128K 4,097 137

"I am the Ringmaster. Defeat me for the Ringmaster marvel."
Who does not get the quote stuck in their head after playing this machine?
Eventually some people will go "$#@%, ARGHHHH, shut up already!"

One of the games new collectors blow serious loads on (outside their pants), but never play before buying the game due to low production availability.
Why?
"It looks so cool."
Simulations did not give a good impression of the complexity of some of the things this game has going on in terms of maintenance.
It is equivalent to buying a new car, but never testing driving the model.
This is the fully gear engaged definition of "pintard".

I give credit to John Popadiuk, who at least pulled some different tricks out of his hat on this game unlike ToM and TOTAN.
Phenomenal music and sound, but it grinds on you over time.
Excellent shot selection and gimmicks, however nothing truly revolutionary.
Even putting the DMD inside the game and using a bell shot in the backglass, could not save the game from being a moderate failure when produced.
An owner that states that a game includes a "real bell" installed in the backbox is a prototype, is LYING to you.

TERRIBLE route machine, due to maintenance requirements on assemblies, on the same level as STTNG and RS.
High wire lock, needs the upgrade kit, or it will just fail even in a home environment.
If you do not know what I am talking about owners, go READ the WMS service bulletins.

Time has been kind to this title, however.

Linda Deal did a great job on the artwork.
The ruleset has a lot of hidden secrets packed into the game, but is not particularly cryptic.

NOTE: It has become a collector favorite for BLY/WMS DMD enthusiasts, but it often does not last long in collections for people that are just looking for a "ticket to ride."
Just like TOTAN, the novelty wear off fairly quickly, and you are left with a machine that people will playing when you have been get togethers. There is a learning point here.

The machine will always maintain a high value for collector quality examples, due to the amount of game specific parts that get trashed on most of the games.
The neon tube may be replaceable, but a lot of the other parts are unobtainium.
Hell, I remember people fighting over a set of plastic purple backbox scrolls.

Some CV owners would give their left testicle for some NOS parts, and rarely share that "things are not working quite right".

Note for thought: If a PinSide member's screen name is related or rhymes with video games, they probably are not particularly experienced with rating pinball machines.

xTheBlackKnightx edited previous rating on March 23, 2017.

5.790/10

7 years ago

DB

whisper

Inactive member

Melbourne

11y 80,550 1,680 6 67

This game bores me to tears. Was really excited to play it an found one in another pinheads collection so tried to spend a bit of time on it but had to walk away , there's not many machines I dislike but this is definatly one of them, it looks really pretty but flat out annoys the crap out of me even the sounds grate on me, the ringmaster pops up way to much an his stupid!!! It just shows that one mans trash is another ones treasure because if I owned this game I would flip it in a second to someone who appreciates it because I really don't . Can't believe it demands such a high price for such a boring game. Definatly for people who love pretty things... The most overrated game in my opinion... But horses for courses...

9.260/10

7 years ago

DAD

trazy11

Pinside member

Boerne, TX

10y 33,400 60 8 10 2

Well thought out and fun game. Dmd display is placed very well and players are able to see the display while playing. Colors are super vibrant. One of the best 90's pins.

trazy11 edited previous rating on May 06, 2016.

9.518/10

8 years ago

RC

Robhorror

Pinside member

Québec, QC

8y 50,650 3 15 53

A real beauty, all is near perfect with this pinball, look,sounds,gameplay,fun factor, etc....

Robhorror edited previous rating on March 05, 2022.
Robhorror has owned this game in the past.

6.152/10

8 years ago

MRH

swedishc

Pinside member

Oakland, CA

11y 50,150 473 10 10

After owning a CV for a few years, it never really grew on me. The sound package is just plain annoying, and the mode progression gets old. It is the the one machine that was in my collection that everyone was excited to play, then no one wanted to play after their first game.

swedishc has owned this game in the past.

8.943/10

8 years ago

RCA

alexanr1

Pinside member

12y 74,550 1,338 85

Overall, is is a VERY fun game to play. I like the attempt to bring the display down lower into eyesight, but I think it didn't work. I don't ding the overall game for this tough. Would love to have one in my collection.

alexanr1 edited previous rating on November 03, 2022.

7.724/10

8 years ago

PSG

PeterG

Pinside member

8y 88,300 2,144 65

I do not like Circus but can see this is a very nice game. Not into all the shots, but appreciate the new elements on this machine. The placement of the display makes this machine unique. The bright colors and the neon makes it an eye catcher. It just is not my theme and game.

10.000/10

8 years ago

KS

faultline760

Pinside member

Bullhead City, AZ

10y 52,000 23 25 31 1

Owned a few games , this one for me top 2.......

faultline760 currently owns this game.

9.620/10

8 years ago

MBS

billyrjse

Inactive member

Rio De Janeiro

11y 21,650 12 4 15

Great game! Good challenge!

billyrjse edited previous rating on December 13, 2019.

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