If you buy TOTAN you will play it a little, make it a little nice and sell it for a profit. You will then buy a CV and do the same thing. You will buy a TOM with your profit money and keep that a few weeks. After all that it will be September.

Interesting question. Over the years I've had all three titles in our collection more than once. The thing is, none of them seem to have the staying power to prevent them being sold. ;( That's not to say that they aren't a lot of fun, they definitely are, but always seem to be on the low end of the totem pole when it comes time to sell something.

TOM: Great flow. Such a smooth, flowing pin that it's a blast to play after not having one around. Fun effects like Tiger multiball, combos, Midnight madness stuff, etc. VERY good looking, especially with CT Superbright LEDs under the dark inserts in the playfield. Running saw mod and marquee mod are great touches. Very nice cab art that lends itself to a brass plated hardware setup. The drawback to TOM is that the modes just aren't that compelling, especially the wizard mode. If anything they're too easy. I've now had three TOMs, it seems to be the one I gravitate back to but then get bored with after a few months.

TOTAN: Still high on my list for the best *looking* artwork of any pin around. Finished off with brass hardware it's just drop dead gorgeous. Very good flow, fun toys but again, modes seem too easy, picking up gems is too easy in default setup (not bad once changed in software to hard) The outlane ball save "cages" are much cooler looking than just the magnets that TOM uses. Disappearing ball trick in front of the genie is slick, ramps are great fun on this title. Getting to the wizard mode is again, too easy and the sitar music sound at the end of every ball drives me nuts! That's probably the main thing I dislike about this title, that damn sitar music.

CV: Funky, wierd, yes, the Ringmaster *is* female. Of the three this one tends to divide people up the most. You either love it or it creeps you out. Fun shots, great flow just like the other two but you have to like purple and green or the artwork doesn't do much for ya. Once again, getting to the wizard mode is just too dang easy and it becomes a game where you are trying to see how many times you can Join the Circus on the same game. Cute effects like the rising pop bumper, the Ringmaster toy (though it tends to damage the playfield behind it a lot) Rollovers, the Juggling saucers, etc.

Of the three, if I were going to hang onto just one, I would probably lean towards Cirqus Voltaire. It's just wierd enough to have an edge on the other two and it does tend to draw people's attention when you have guests over. It also seems to be the one that collectors are hanging onto most IMHO, as you really don't see them come up for sale nearly as much as TOM. (Totan would be 2nd most desirable I think) But for the price needed to get one of these, there are a lot of other BW pins I would *rather* have.

CV with the home rom, is one of my favorite pins of all time, and in my opinion, head and shoulders above TOM and TOTAN (and I do own all three). CV has an unusual layout, with a fast inner loop around the ring master, it has a neat outer loop with diverters, and a nice set of ramps. It also has 3 magnets which do neat things, and 2 physical ball locks, and the unique Boom Balloon rising pop bumper.

A lot of people complain about bashing the Ringmaster over and over, but really, that doesn't seem to be a problem for me. It is always fun to try and hit him with a skillful shot that can be recontrolled quickly (or not quickly - part of the challenge). The Ringmaster is a cool bash toy that is designed well, and has 3 unique positions. The lower position flings the ball around with the magnet, like the genie in TOTAN. The mid position serves as a fun bash toy, and the up position exposes the sub-way for the jackpot shots. Cool design and engineering!

The home rom allows you to stack multiballs (WAY FUN!) and has 2 different Join the Circus wizard mode step sequences available.

The art.. .some can take it or leave it due to it's gaudy colors. I love it. It stands out in a line-up.

There you go. TOM and TOTAN are certainly no slouches either, but I absolutely love CV.

CV, the only one of the 3 with a great rule set . All are beautiful games but CV is the only one that is the complete package. Like the neon and great use of the ringmaster.

Tough question!! None of them are keepers in my mind. I know you never keep a game more than a month or two, so that is not a problem. Go through all three of them one at a time. I'd start with CV then ToTAN and then ToM.

It would be a problem though. Your not gonna buy any of those games in excellent condition on the cheap these days. That being said,when selling it your market and profit margin are very thin.

Forget all three. Get TSPP, SM, or LOTR.

CV because it has the deepest ruleset.

All three are very playable games. Second in line for me would be TotAN. ToM is my last choice.

I've owned all three but CV is the only one of them that remains in my collection.

If you are looking for the gameplay depth you get with the newer Stern games these won't necessarily compare. But that's what I like about CV. It has a great and balanced ruleset and you can get through a game in around 30 minutes.

Mike O.

I've had all three and each is unique. So the only correct answer is "whichever one YOU like" but since you're looking for opinions...
ToM was a stunning game. All done up with LEDs and some nice powdercoat, it looks amazing. Callouts are great. Gameplay was "meh" after a while. It became the game people loved to look at and not play.
ToTAN was a great game. I'm a big fan of magnets in games. The theme is great, but in my opinion the lamp was kind of annoying and the upper playfield was so crowded. Making the jets was rare.
CV was also tops. Out of the three this was the one I'd love to get back. Theme is fantastic. Magnets, neon, ringmaster...home ROM, this is the game to have and keep! Only reason I got rid of mine was for an AFM.

TOTAN does it for me.
All are great, but I love the immersive quality of TOTAN and all its sounds and effects.
With it being a little easy, you'll definitely want it in a larger collection with a few other machines for greater depth.
I'm not a huge fan of bash toys and the genie seems less integral than the TOM trunk or ringmaster in CV.

I've had all three and TOTAN is still here and not leaving.

Totan looks great, but lacks in rules. CV is odd for sure, but a great fun stacker, with superior finale stages that get even better the second time through.

TOM is a really fun game with lots to do, but the finale needs a little more hoopla after you win it. I like TOM and CV the same, don't have a TOTAN and likely never will. I don't like how you can jewel yourself through too fast, and I don't like the modes carrying over.

It cracks me up that the ringmaster being a chick is such a huge problem with CV for some people. I don't get that at all.

I love the final stages of CV, the playfield DMD, the unique layout. I like TOTAN and TOM just fine, too, but CV is my favorite. Not just of these three, but of pretty much anything I've played.

CV. Then I would go TOM and then TOTAN.

I've still got TOM (Feb 2012), TOTAN (July 2012) and only kept CV for a short period time (Nov 2012-Jan 2013) as it was used for trade bait towards a really nice HUO SM (red) which I enjoy playing much more. It would be a tough call between TOM or TOTAN for me and glad I can just keep both

The answer is still WCS, JPOP's best game. The other 3 are OK, but none of them had staying power here.

None of those 3 are keepers, but you might want to trade with a friend for a month or so just to get your fill of them.

All the pins mentioned would happily be added to my collection. ToTAN because I have played it most, AFM since it plays so similar to MM. CV, just because it could be my ringleader any day.

_{Post edited by balbers : typo}

I'm going to agree with what seems to be the majority here in voting for CV.

All of JPop's designs have some very satisfying shots, but I think CV has more satisfying shots than any of his other designs. The Acrobats shot is extremely satisfying. Love the way that it loops all the way around from the right to the back and around to the left and back to the flipper. The Juggler shot is also very satisfying, as are the ramp and loop (spin) shots (which is similar to the one on TOM).

I personally love the theme on CV. Great artwork and over the top colors.

As others have mentioned, CV also has the best ruleset of the JPop pins (with the possible exception of WCS). People say that getting to Join the Cirqus is easy, and it is, but what do you do when you get there? And with the home rom, you have to join a *second* time in the same game to get to the additional stages that are available. Open up the outlanes a bit, and believe me, this is NOT easy to do. I love the various stages that you have to complete once you join the cirqus.

This pin is definitely in my top 7 or 8 favorite pins.

CV gets my top JPOP vote. But all three are very solid.

Owned all three over the years and CV is the one that is staying.

Just sold TOM and she won't be missed.

i have to go with circus voltaire, dmd on the back of the playfield, makes perfect sens, love the artwork and theme.
totan is a close second for artwork.
tom is fun game and i'd like to have one in my collection.

I'm keeping my ToM. I like the way it looks, plays, sounds, and feels. The other two not so much.

For me it would be TOTAN. I like the sounds and the theme far better then the other 2. CV would be my second choice.

CV all the way for me, mine is never leaving. I would love to get a TotAN someday, so that would be my second choice. I loved ToM forever back in the days and played it a lot, then I bought a PM and there is really no comparison. Would I own a ToM? Sure.....would look cool next to PM but at the prices they go for these days NO WAY it has no staying power IMO!!!!! Get the CV or TotAN you wont be disappointed......SHOOT THE TRUNK WILL DRIVE YOU INSANE!!!!! LOL

Joe(acejedi)

TOTAN

CV or TOTAN for me.

CV

Your only saying that so you can be the next owner Josh. Only kidding

CV, owned all 3 and CV was the only one that I regretted selling and had to have another one.

Well kid all you want that's why I'm saying it! I wouldn't mind any of them though so he can get what he wants!

cv has lasted for 4 years, totan going on 2 years, tom I was ready to get rid of within a month. Sold it to make room for x-men. Totan a great game and I will not sell, but CV with the home-rom is right there with it.

CV by a mile and I'm a fan of all three. Joining the circus might be easy, but once your there it's one of the best modes in pinball imho

TOTAN by a mile and a half Love that game!

I agree. ToM is always fun to play and a pleasure to just look at when turned on--and the best light show of almost any game thrown in for extra points.

CV wins this one....ToM is 2nd and a close 2nd at that

CV, TOTAN, then TOM for me

Can we end this now?

Why fight it, this exact thread comes up every month almost, but I always have to weigh in each time

CV - game is amazing!