Cirqus Voltaire

Pinside rating

This game received 701 approved Pinsider ratings and currently rates 8.382 /10

8.382

Top 100 ranking

This game ranks #46 in the Pinside Pinball Top 100.



Score breakdown

Score breakdown in the 4 main categories:

Game Design: 8.394

Artwork: 8.722

Sounds/Music: 7.788

Other Aspects: 8.343


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 364 ratings (with comment) on this game

There are 364 ratings (that include a comment) on this game.
Currently showing results page 8 of 15.

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5.492/10
9 years ago
Really wanted this game but was underwhelmed, had too many ordinary features and got boring very fast. Dull
9.360/10
10 years ago
A great original theme game, lots of fun. The ringmaster who pops out from the playfield adds a lot to the gameplay, as does the small mini-game built into the backbox. Always liked the idea of the DMD placed at the back of the playfield as well. Rightly commands the high price it carries. 10/10.
8.008/10
10 years ago
I was ok for me. Play field feels really narrow at the bottom. Really choked out, especially on the lower right.
7.940/10
10 years ago
Another fun to own machine with a lot of cool shots and animations. Love the lights on this one too. I think it's rated just a tad bit higher than it should be.
7.748/10
10 years ago
Love the look and cocnept of CV. I do find I get a bt tired of the single main feature being a glorified bash toy, but it is a super creative pin and I think it deserves a spot in any larger collection.
7.331/10
10 years ago
The art is amazing, reminds me of Zaccharia pins. However, the DMD animations are painfully slow and cannot be bypassed. This kills the game dead for me, I could never own it. I got bored of the game after 4 plays because it is always stopping to play 5-10 second animations.
8.864/10
10 years ago
Just a brilliant pinball machine, possibly the best, but the music killed it for me. Regularly played it muted ...Sold it, regretted it, searched again, heard the background music on youtube, and was cured. That is the only downside, big shame!
9.980/10
10 years ago
If the playfield GI gets shopped out with LEDs and the neon tube lighting is fully-functional, this could very well be the best-looking pinball ever made, and one of the best ever made, period. Yes, the coloring is busy, but it's a circus theme, so the green & purple scheme works. Deep ruleset; getting to join the cirqus is a hugely satisfying feeling. At least 5 different multiball modes: neon, strike-an-arc, highwire, juggler, and party....and they all stack!

This J-Pop table has incredible flow, and the Ringmaster is a unique bash toy with amusing callouts. Love the sound effects and the DMD mounted in the playfield instead of on the backglass.

Even though it's currently ranked 14th overall, it deserves a spot within the top 10, and certainly within the top 20. The high price tag is justified. And hey, once you unmask Voltaire, she's pretty cute!
9.320/10
10 years ago
Top game, especially with home ROM. Great music and sounds. Nice artwork. Mad stackability of multiballs.
8.156/10
10 years ago
Solid game with cool toys, but art & theme are not my cup of tea. Disclaimer: I only have about 10 games on it.
6.850/10
10 years ago
I like the colors and lightning, boring to play it
8.980/10
10 years ago
WOW ! just played CV for the first time in years. at Ground Kontrol in portland and this game jumped up my list. so much fun . i was giggling outloud !
7.410/10
10 years ago
Freaky, wild, acid trip of a game. It holds a lot of surprises!
4.590/10
10 years ago
Just cant see all the hype.......I was looking forward to this but was let down by the hype
5.932/10
10 years ago
That's it!!! This one is just WAY over priced! Just don't get it on this one! SORRY!
7.482/10
10 years ago
Very fun shots great theme but the I am the ring master Line starts getting old after a couple games. little repetitive not sayin it's not an awesome game just maybe on the pricey side for what it is. I wanted one till I played it few times then I am the ring master pops out over and over gag me.Neat balloon bumper ,magnet feature, but priced too high IMO
9.720/10
10 years ago
Thé. Post. Beauté full BG. Gréât. Animation. I lové. It
7.137/10
10 years ago
This is a fun game to play, cool layout and great flow with interesting stuff to do. But the theme and the coloring completely kill it for me. It is way too busy and is not easy on the eyes at all. It looks like someone vomited pea soup all over the playfield and back-glass, then threw a PB&J at it for good measure. Circus Volatile.
7.572/10
10 years ago
Cirqus Voltaire has a bizarre and unique theme that allows it to have one of the coolest cabinets in the business. I have never even played but a mate says it looked excellent and played pretty well. He said it looked more exciting than it actually was, but i suggest he didn't play it for long enough. Playfield is so full of toys and ramps and far-out lighting. Impressive to behold. I guess that's why it seems to hold its value so well. The kids must've put coins in this machine faster than they can pick their noses, because this machine is still desireable. This machine is a good example of why Bally/Williams machines were so awesome. I would buy this machine without playing it ... today :)
7.792/10
10 years ago
Not my favorite colors, but this pin is great to play. Ringmaster looks like a creepy Jay Leno. Multiball is fun ans the "boom popper" is my fav. Good ruleset and a unqiue look with the DMD in the cabinet (more should have done this).
Would love one of these in my collection, but I think it is still overpriced.
9.544/10
10 years ago
this game is the top super fun a keeper for sure.
9.240/10
10 years ago
JPop's finest IMHO. Artwork is stunning, music is perfect, play is very good. The high wire, the DMD position, juggler, menagerie ball and ringmaster are all very creative, along with the ratings by random characters (including cats and robots!).
8.256/10
10 years ago
New found appreciation for this pin after finding one with a properly functioning Ringmaster. However, after finishing the wizard mode this pin doesn't keep me interested.

Pros: The artwork of this pin (cabinet and playfield) are tremendous along with the neon lights. The layout of the playfield is very original with a number of shots that can be made from both flippers. In addition, the flow is very good. I also like the fact that it has 8 multi-balls plus and a multi-level wizard mode that is well done. The animation is also very good.

Cons: Although the animation is well done, it started to wear on me after a while because some of it is long and slows down the game. I wish I could hit both flippers to by pass some of the animation. In addition, a number of the features for the "Side Show marvel" get really old like the "Amazing Roonie" video mode where you have to make a Kangaroo jump over objects and "Cannonball Run" where you hit the flippers to fire ping pong balls in the backglass.
7.845/10
10 years ago
Neat game. I'm not a fan of the theme but the shot layout is good and the dots are some of the best from the 90's (maybe the best). The artwork is also too notch. This game would go well with any collection.
9.620/10
10 years ago
I've played JPop's other "greatest hits" - TOTAN and TOM - and they just do not compare to CV. CV is "the machine" - the one in my collection that makes other pinball collectors impressed and jealous every time.

Best bash toy? Definitely. Hitting the ringmaster is every bit as rewarding as hitting Rudy in FH, but much more important as part of gameplay in CV. Also, you can hit him with your main flippers, no need for an upper flipper. Dropping your ball under his head and into the subway is a great way to finish him off. The flow is good, although it can be a bit slow compared to other games. This is a game you get into for the modes and the theme, and not just its basic flow.

The rest of the machine isn't shabby either. The playfield mounted DMD is an idea that should be copied more often. The sideshow modes are awesome (except Copy Cat in the home rom, Copy Cat just sucks). The physical ball locks for high wire and juggler are nice. The light dimming effect is used very cleverly. The neon is awesome, especially in neon multiball.

The music is great, and jumps into different tunes often enough to keep you from getting tired. The speech has a lot of attitude and adds a lot (the speech in TOM just annoys me, to compare). There are so many "easter eggs" in the machine that I keep finding new things many months after buying it.
There are 364 ratings (that include a comment) on this game. Currently showing results page 8 of 15.

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