Cirqus Voltaire Pinball Tutorial & Gameplay (Bally Williams 1997)

Gameplay starts at: 6:20
Hello Pinball fans and welcome back to the Majestic Pinball KZbin Channel. Today we will be taking a good look at one of my all-time favourite games - Cirqus Voltaire which was designed by John Popadiuk, produced by Bally Williams and released in 1997. This circus themed machine was released sadly towards the end of Bally/Williams life with only a few other titles releasing after this one. It is my mission to help teach you the essentials needed to learn and master real-life pinball tables as well as providing a little bit of their past history too. Be sure to subscribe as we upload a new Pinball Tutorial & Gameplay video every single Monday!
For pinball machine service, repairs or restorations please checkout my website via www.MajesticPinball.co.uk

[@sw4p0n]

one of the best machine ever made, It was a real pleasure to play with it

[@MajesticPinball]

Totally agree it has always been a personal favorite of mine too! Thanks for stopping by and commenting ☺️

[@rmick5173]

Happy we grabbed one, it's a blast to play. Light show rocks, and added Pinsound with a custom sound pack. Was underrated at release, now it's high demand.

[@MajesticPinball]

@@rmick5173 Yeah it's amazing, plus it has to be one of the most beautiful machines ever made too 🤩 Thanks for watching!

[@tavinmj]

I absolutely love this table, one of the best of all time. So much love went into it, it really feels like an event to play it.

[@MajesticPinball]

@@tavinmj Me too it's always been one of my all-time favorites! It really does feel like a big production/show. Thanks for watching! 😁

[@CocktailsWithEdgar]

I love when it stops to say “now watch this… *drum roll* Ball one is locked!!! Haha gives me chills

[@MajesticPinball]

The callouts are great on this game, really immersive. Thanks for watching! :)

[@SoftwareAgentsTV]

Good job having a matching menagerie ball and neon tube! The restoration job looks good as new!

[@MajesticPinball]

Ah you noticed, took me a while to find a blue menagerie ball :D Thanks for your kind words

[@SoftwareAgentsTV]

@@MajesticPinball I might have to use a screenshot of your table for a project. Or footage, if that's fine with you. Your game is in such outstanding condition.

[@MajesticPinball]

@@SoftwareAgentsTV No worries at all, what is the project?

[@SoftwareAgentsTV]

@@MajesticPinball Something about Cirqus Voltaire and some other SS era games

[@adamstar7516]

Nice overview James. I used to own this and was always surprised that there isn’t any artwork between the flippers. So strange considering how nice it looks to have that big expanse of plain wood down there. Such a nice machine and like the addition of the colour dmd 👍🏻

[@MajesticPinball]

I've never really paid much attention to that but now you mention it yeah it is really weird, not sure why they decided to leave the flipper and outlane area totally blank. Not sure how I've never noticed it before haha

[@noizreduxion2888]

I have neither really paid attention to it until I red your comment. I bet they left the natural wood on the outlanes to keep the contrast of the two blue canons, and then did not find a better way to harmonize with the flippers area. I really like those outlanes with the wood and beautiful hand-drawn canons. They give an old school vibe to the game like the old electromechanical area playfields. Such a beautiful game, it can get a bit chaotic or frustrating some times but trully a piece of art.

[@claudev.k2]

Played it today, it's great fun 😅 There is also a sneaky high wire shot, when the ball goes up the ramp slow enough to make it over the edge and drop in the multiball lock directly.

[@MajesticPinball]

There is indeed, very satisfying if you can pull it off. Thanks for watching! 😁

[@democlips1]

Thanks, great instructions. You’ve earned yourself another subscription.

[@MajesticPinball]

Thanks for checking out the channel, welcome to the Majestic Club! Glad you enjoyed! :D

[@tonydavis562]

Williams pinball brought me here but I think I do seeing this at my local arcade. In the early 2000s

[@MajesticPinball]

Thanks for stopping by :D

[@ENM-RE]

Do you happen to know where those bumper car mods are from? They look fantastic!

[@MajesticPinball]

I actually won them at a seaside arcade on a 2p coin pusher 😂 didn't know what to do with them but thought they sort of fitted with Cirqus Voltaire theme 😁 Thanks for watching!

[@ENM-RE]

@@MajesticPinball that’s super neat haha I can’t find them anywhere!! I’m finally getting a CV later today and can’t wait! Thanks for the reply. (:

[@theguy3112]

This game is gorgeous and the sounds are fantastic. Did anyone else find the flow/gameplay to be lacking on this table?

[@MajesticPinball]

It is very pretty, I cant fault the flow really, lots of nice smooth orbits & ramps, gameplay isn't really mode based so I would understand why you might say it's lacking but I've always enjoyed it none the less. Thanks for watching! :)

[@martinjh999]

There is a digital version for the Playstation and PC in Pinball FX.....

[@MajesticPinball]

There is indeed, this was also recreated on the Pinball Arcade years ago but got taken down when they lost the license for the Bally Williams machines. Thanks for watching! :D

[@diegomeritano525]

Hi, I want to get one for my house. If you had to rank the best pinball machines from 1 to 5, which ones would you name and which ones are available of course? Thanks.

[@MajesticPinball]

@@diegomeritano525 everyone's top 5 is completely different, you need to find yours if you want to buy a game yourself. I'd recommend finding a place near you with pinball or going to a show and experiencing as many machines as possible to discover what you like. 👍🏻

[@pinballreviews1363]

Very pretty game.

[@MajesticPinball]

Absolutely! Got to be one of the best looking games out there, attention to detail in the playfield artwork is incredible. Thanks for watching Luke :D

[@andyb6120]

Thanks ever so much for this. .My Favourite pinball of all time. I cried when the Pinball Club I'm a member of sold it without offering it to a Club member. as would of bought it & kept it in the UK I play it on Zen pinball FX. Not quite the same as the real thing but still very good. Quick question on Zen If you keep pressing the flippers fast when the ball is around Wow it moves the ball around and your more likely to light it presume it does it on the real table but you didn't mention it.

[@MajesticPinball]

My pleasure, is that Pinball Republic you're speaking about? Can't say I've ever noticed that trick with the WOW targets, as far as I'm aware the flippers don't power that magnet when the ball is up there on the real machine but I'll double check when I next can.

[@andyb6120]

@@MajesticPinball Yes. I think I know who you are. I'm The tall bloke with glasses that has a smoke outside & you fell out with Neil . PS if so SNAP me too! .

[@MajesticPinball]

@@andyb6120 Haha nope not me, I've never fallen out with Neil, I'm the engineer, usually wearing a Majestic Pinball hoodie say hello if you see me :D

[@andyb6120]

@@MajesticPinball I have just challenged Neil to a bet! Last time I went last week loads of tables out of action & Neil has said only 2 which is a very big Lie. £20 on it . Awaiting if he will put his money on it! Please don't spent all day fixing them so I loose the bet!

[@MajesticPinball]

@@andyb6120 Last Thursday there were only 2 out of action out of 60+ machines (I know this because I'm the one who marks them out of order) ACDC & Junkyard which failed as I was attempting to leave. If there are any other issues you may find please either let me or the host know :)

[@kenny9648]

What sound system do you have installed? It sounds fantastic, full of bass! 👍 It's difficult to find a woofer who fits under the ring master. 🙁

[@MajesticPinball]

All standard Williams factory parts, nothing fancy in this one, it could just be that my camera captured the bass nicely perhaps. Thank you for watching! :D

[@jillsmith3937]

I love it

[@MajesticPinball]

Glad to hear that, thank you so much for watching!

[@lukeloop]

how do you light the cannons

[@MajesticPinball]

Do you mean the cannon in the backbox?

[@lukeloop]

@@MajesticPinball When the ball drains down the sides it says Fire the cannon.. how do you increase its value?

[@MajesticPinball]

@@lukeloop It's juat a random award for going down the lit outlane, there's no way to influence the value it awards sadly

[@RundlesRestos]

One day I'll have this machine... one day.

[@MajesticPinball]

Its a great machine that's for sure, one of the best wizard modes of the era too in my opinion. Good luck in your search!

[@Kajinku]

I love this game. Is this a LED ColorDMD?

[@MajesticPinball]

Its one of my favourites for sure. Yes thats right, only LED ColourDMDs fit in Cirqus Voltaire as LCD displays are too big. Thanks for watching!

[@ankui6031]

I always played the version with just all orage display, why is this in full colour? Is it the actual true version perhaps?

[@MajesticPinball]

This one had a LED ColorDMD installed instead of the original old plasma dot matrix display

[@ankui6031]

@@MajesticPinball Ah, wait, I actually some of these in the Visual Pinball emulation, it's cool, are these full colour displays made by fans perhaps?

[@andyb6120]

PS how much would you sell it for?

[@MajesticPinball]

It's not for sale I'm afraid, but thanks for watching! :)

[@andyb6120]

@@MajesticPinball OK, how about leaving it to me in your Will if you snuff it before me? LOL🤣🤣🤣

[@MajesticPinball]

@@andyb6120 The way I'm going that's probably quite likely haha :D