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

Your Rating?

You need to be logged in before you can rate pinball machines. No account yet? Registering only takes a sec!

Found 363 ratings (with comment) on this game

There are 363 ratings (that include a comment) on this game.
Currently showing results page 1 of 15.

List options

Ratings sort order

Type of ratings to show in list

Owner status of review

Exclude flagged ratings

Keyword or username search

8.447/10

69 days ago

WIL

gopernoper

Pinside apprentice

Salem, WI

<1y 15,500 1 3 8

Cirqus Voltaire is a game that has certainly earned its reputation. The unique layout geometry lends itself to a very fair gameplay loop, in that the main shots are directionally biased towards each flipper. This reduces the likelihood of random and unpredictable ball drains, making the game punishing but fair such that it always feels like each drain is entirely your fault. The toys and objectives are all very fun and well executed. The only item on the playfield that I feel isn't a great shot is the menagerie ball on the left. It's not intrusive to normal gameplay but it's not something I would ever shoot at intentionally.
Progression through the code is also excellent and while simple, the gameplay itself is challenging enough on its own to keep me invested. I have yet to complete the wizard mode, but it's not too easy and not unreachably difficult to get there.
There's so much I could say about how this game is absolutely one of the greats, but it would be more effective to just find a well maintained CV and give it a try. I went in fully knowledgeable of the hype and still found myself impressed. I can't wait to put in a few more games on one the next time I see one.

2 Pinsiders starred this!

9.860/10

70 days ago

TJK

Beaster

Pinside member

Winnipeg, MB

9y 32,400 34 20 9

This is one of my favorite games I have ever played.

Beaster currently owns this game.

9.420/10

81 days ago

???

Pironnet

Pinside apprentice

Unknown

<1y 6,000 11

Fantastic pinball machine. Popadiuk is a genius. The ToM and the Totan are also fantatstic machines. Out of the 3, the CV is my favorite. The atmosphere is crazy ( really like in a circus or Fancy fair !!! ). Missions are easy to understand but the game like the ToM is not that easy to finish. And the more I play the more I want to go on and on . So terrific but some people won’t like the theme

9.200/10

3 months ago

JIM

Vintage_Vault

Vintage Vault Arcade

East Troy, WI

<1y 23,000 7 10

Wow what an amazing grail of a game. This one is such a blast to play and features a ton of fun packed in a pin. The neon is such a blast to watch as the ball runs along it. Fun theme and a beautiful playfield. Great sound.

Vintage_Vault currently owns this game.

8.216/10

3 months ago

TMM

RadDad247

Pinside member

2y 35,250 10 52

Fun and unique! Everyone should play this at least once.

2 Pinsiders starred this!

5.370/10

5 months ago

NAT

natgreystar

Pinside+ Frequent

1y 51,050 226 9 83 2

Maybe this game was far too overhyped by the time I played it for the first time but two games in I really didn't understand why it has so much fanfare. Right off this was just unappealing. Hit the same things 3 times but some of those shots are slim gaps. Miss a lot until you get your shots down. A few more games in you can sort of get things but then you realize there really isn't much to this game. This to me seemed like a points and planning machine. It's less fun if you're looking for a casual machine stuffed with concepts. It looks like it should be but it just plays very flat. The game has some neat ramps and a lot going on visually but while playing it seems like there isn't much to it. Even the flyer only indicates there's like 2 things to this game.

I would say the artwork is good but I hate it. The music and audio is good, but I find a lot of it obnoxious. I just did not enjoy it and couldn't understand why everyone lately has been talking about this pin. The ball thing on the left is interesting but an annoyance for me. I get how it could feel challenging and interesting to some people but it just felt like a gimmick I didn't understand. The backbox toy playfield thing is neat but it's only fun the first time.

The rear screen placement was a cool idea that I would have liked to seen in a few more pins. I've seen videos of it with a color DMD and it entirely livens up the machine. The only one I've played was original so it was kinda bland. The neon is a good touch but on the one I played it was faded and lost the aesthetic. I really like TOM but this one just didn't work. It's partially I don't like circus themes but I just really didn't like looking at this game while I was playing it. Can't put my finger on why but it just wasn't a pleasing game to look at. I'm glad it doesn't have an overdose of clowns like some other similar theme machines but I still wouldn't want this thing around just because of the music.

From what I've seen LEDs liven up the machine and give it more of a circus vibe. The one I played was incandescent and you couldn't see half the artwork or read many of the inserts. Is it a good machine? I don't know, I think I need to play a better condition one with some upgrades but factory condition this seems overrated. I don't think it lasts, I think the theme integration is decent but it's unappealing.

natgreystar edited previous rating on January 15, 2024.

3 Pinsiders flagged this.

9.316/10

6 months ago

GBT

MrPaint

Pinside member

La Quinta, CA

12y 65,200 49 36 59

John Papduke"s games are so different than any other designers in Pinball. I love all the magnets. too bad he has should a bad reputation. TOTAN is one of my all time favorites. I just finally got a CV. yes they are pricey but so much fun to play and just look at!!!!

MrPaint currently owns this game.

8.235/10

7 months ago

TRN

NielsR

Pinside+ Frequent

3y 32,400 32 34

A classic! Since I am playing pinball machine my mother was talking about Cirqus Voltaire since it was the machine which was in the bar near her place. I always told her that it is a fun machine to play and looked very very nice but that it was to expensive for what you would get. But a project came on my path which made me decide to restore a CV and put it at my parents their house. Before restoration I started playing the machine and I really changed my mind. It is really fun! it doesn't have a very deep rule set but hey! it is a classic machine. Because of this the machine will be in my own game room. I really like the ringmaster which comes up and the awesome artwork in combination with the neon light makes it really stand out next to other machines. A very cool machine to own which a lot of people like

NielsR edited previous rating on September 28, 2023.

8.516/10

7 months ago

DRD

DrDrain

Pinside member

9y 42,900 57 159

Cirqus Voltaire is an absolutely unique game.

The layout is unlike any other and has a lot of flow on the ramps as well as the loops. The most satisfying shot is destroying the Ringmaster. The Ringmaster is a nice feature especially when he inadvertently locks a ball for you. The ramp looks amazing with that neon light and locking the ball with the magnet on the ramp is always fun.

For me this is one of the more difficult WPC-95 games and it makes this game very replayable. The outlanes are pretty dangerous and tend to drain the ball pretty quickly in my experience.

The Highwire Multiball is my favorite feature of the game. Firing the cannon is also fun as it interacts with the backglass. I think the rules on this game are a bit weaker than on the majority of the WPC-95 games. But overall they succeeded in making this game a lot of fun.

All in all, this is an absolute classic and a very fun game. It is one of the more replayable Midway machines as a result of its difficulty. This machine will entertain everybody that likes the theme of circus. It is not too difficult nor is it too easy to play, it is a perfect example why the WPC-95 games are still thought of as highly as they are.

3 Pinsiders starred this!

8.637/10

7 months ago

FIN

FinnThelonious

Pinside member

Gambrills, MD

2y 48,150 41 16 102

I really REALLY like this game, it's a shame it's so rare because in my opinion, it's probably John Popadiuk's best layout. This game is full of toys, and the layout utilizes all of them very well. The theme kinda fits right alongside Theatre of Magic too. Really cool art, and a literal neon ramp? Wild!

FinnThelonious edited previous rating on October 16, 2023.

2 Pinsiders starred this!

10.000/10

7 months ago

JMR

kinggroucho

Pinside member

Troy, NY

8y 31,300 94 12 19

Perfect blend of out-of-the-box thinking and playability. It's a masterpiece as far as I'm concerned! It's like if prog rock was a pinball machine - it's wild experimentation, defying convention, pushing the boundaries of what would be compelling, and somehow still pulling it off. Amazing game all around. They should have made 20,000 of them.

kinggroucho has this game on the wishlist.

2 Pinsiders flagged this.

1.000/10

8 months ago

???

texas

Pinside apprentice

Marseille

<1y 8,000 25

Strongly overated game, boring rules , not for me

1.000/10

8 months ago

???

oldochris

Pinside apprentice

5y 26,250 51

Oldies but not goldies

7.912/10

9 months ago

???

Scooter108

Pinside member

Fallston, MD

10y 32,150 12 13 23

Great looking game and for its time was a very good pin but has been surpassed by the many well done pins of recent years. Music and call outs can get repetitive.

8.828/10

9 months ago

???

Ron06

Pinside+ Frequent

Killen, AL

2y 21,150 7 19

This is one Fun Game to play!

5.565/10

11 months ago

ADM

AMartin56

Pinside member

Austin, TX

1y 53,300 897 7 11

My very first pin purchased in 2010..The poster boy for less is more as to this day I regret not seeking out a ToM like I initially wanted instead.

The cannon ball in the backbox was a waste of space and the solenoid was prone to breaking off the plastic tub it was mounted to. My playfield had ghosting on the inserts. The ringmaster was fun to hit as was rattling the ball into the subway below him. And the high wire ramp is pretty impressive. But the menagerie ball is VERY meh and wasted a lot of space on the playfield.

I had the improved home use only ROM but the game was still way to easy. Plenty of fun pinball moments initially but the bloom is quickly off the rose with little to make you want to repeatedly come back. All style and no substance.

3 Pinsiders flagged this.

9.336/10

11 months ago

???

Outlane-Drain

Pinside apprentice

Unknown

1y 1,000 8

It’s one of the most fun games to play even if the rules and code are nowhere near as deep as contemporary games. It never gets old bashing the Ringmaster.

8.908/10

12 months ago

ZEN

Ollulanus

Pin-Tweak

6y 92,800 1,632 45 2

It's a pretty easy game. Rules are pretty simple, even for the era. It's gorgeous and a blast to play. The DMD placement is brilliant - only game I can watch while playing, plus it makes room for the peak-90s backglass toy!

Also: The sneaky lock animation may be my favorite DMD area scene.

8.720/10

1 year ago

JAK

MagicJack

Pinside+ Frequent

Québec, QC

1y 37,550 146 13

I've been owning this game since 2008. It's a high end restoration from Treasure Cove.

The layout is extremely original. No game as this geometry and layout. It's unique in it's own way. Ruleset is pretty basic but that's not a bad thing. Rules are easy to understand but the game is pretty difficult to beat.

Colors are vibrant and there is some beautiful artwork everywhere. In my opinion, the jugglers ball lock are kind of a waste of space but it's original and well made. It never gets old to trow balls at the Ringmaster face. Some shots are quite hard to make (Acrobat) but that's a good thing. If you like brightly colored games with speed and lots of humor, you're in for a treat. The light show, while not on JJP's level ... is pretty impressive.

Game is pretty reliable but the subway and Ringmaster needs frequent adjustments.

The "Boom" balloon is very original et add a little bit of variation by changing the playfield configuration when it comes out. Lots of great ideas, all is done very well, creative and different layout by the great mind of John Popadiuk. Really hope to see him make a return with one of the modern Pinball manufacturer.

The backglass is boring, not by it's look (it's gorgeous) but by his functionality. There is absolutely no skills required to "shoot the canon". This doesn't prevent this game to be a hit though. Highly recommended. Let's hope that this is the next one that CGC will make a remake of.

MagicJack edited previous rating on April 05, 2023.

8.216/10

1 year ago

DAD

Ivanhoe

Pinside+ Frequent

5y 53,050 136 15 6

Love this game! I wish I had it in my collection. It's artwork sets it aside and it was ahead of its time. The game can get repetitive the more you play but rest assured you'll want to keep wanting to play more. Simple rules and a lot of mechs to keep you coming back. GREAT GAME.

8.136/10

1 year ago

UWU

Thegamerskunk

Pinside member

1y 26,050 58 2 35

A very rare game with great shots and music, the Ringmaster is also very satisfying to shoot!

Thegamerskunk edited previous rating on November 15, 2023.

8.668/10

1 year ago

JAY

VisitorQ

Pinside member

Danville, PA

12y 93,050 3,574 5 62

A bit on the easy side but fun!

VisitorQ edited previous rating on March 20, 2023.

10.000/10

2 years ago

SPY

hitwhatslit

Inactive member

Mattapoisett, MA

3y 18,150 5 6

This game is amazing shoots smooth family fun!

3 Pinsiders flagged this.

8.132/10

2 years ago

SL

stephflipp

Pinside member

Saint-malo

11y 27,050 15 1 12

a very strange pinball (theme and design)but packed with a lot of toys from an other time!
a good fun factor but rules are not very deep and the machine becomes a bit repetitive after a few days.
The one I owned was fit with purple backbox add-on which was very nice!
the playfield is a total beauty from the 90s .

stephflipp has owned this game in the past.

8.922/10

2 years ago

???

troon47

Pinside member

Vancouver, WA

6y 36,650 203 3 34

Beautiful, classic game with fantastic artwork...love the Genie.

Next 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11... 15

There are 363 ratings (that include a comment) on this game. Currently showing results page 1 of 15.

You too can add your own comment by rating this game! Click here to rate this game!

Over the years

Visualizing this game's rating and rank over the years

Hey there! Welcome to Pinside!

Donate to Pinside

Great to see you're enjoying Pinside! Did you know Pinside is able to run without any 3rd-party banners or ads, thanks to the support from our visitors? Please consider a donation to Pinside and get anext to your username to show for it! Or better yet, subscribe to Pinside+!