American Pinball has been through a bit of a ride in recent times, but with new ownership and capital, they’re looking to make a bigger impact than ever before. With this new vision, they are also pivoting from what they normally do, which has been mostly non-licensed, original themes, to creating something familiar – or in this case, resurrecting a beloved classic in Cirqus Voltaire.
The Original Cirqus Voltaire
For those who might need a refresher, or who have never played the game, the original Cirqus Voltaire was designed by John Popadiuk, and released by Bally/Williams back in 1997. This was a tough time for pinball, as sales had collapsed from where that had been just a few years prior, but we still got some gems that are held in high regard, like this one. The game is notable for being the first (maybe only) “solid state” (i.e., computer controlled) pinball that has a disappearing pop bumper, and it’s also the only Williams game to have the DMD under the glass and on the playfield. It also had some other fun things like a backbox ball launcher/spinner, a neon light, and some other things that made it a memorable game.
Do you like pinball and pinball history? Check out Saving Pinball, a mini-book that covers the history of how pinball was banned and unbanned. It also has a big list of “Pinball Firsts”
Cirqus Voltaire Reimagined
They’ve been teasing it for a bit, but today American Pinball finally unveiled their “reimagined” version of the game, which will be available in two models, a Classic Edition and a Ringmaster Edition.
The classic edition looks to mimic the original game with some enhancements/upgrades, including the “PinAccess Integration,” which is just launching and is their answer to player profiles and score/achievement tracking; click on that link for more info. It also has a color display instead of an old monochromatic display. Here’s the full rundown of features, which is being listed at $9,989 USD plus freight+tax.
If you want the full reimagined experience though, then you will want to spring for the Ringmaster Edition. This comes with new art, higher quality paints and decals, includes a new topper, a better sound system, anti-glare glass, and “QuickFlip Flipper Technology,” which was first mentioned with the new Galactic Tank Force and is supposed to reduce flipper latency (low input lag for the pinball sector). This comes in at $12,589 plus freight+tax, but it is limited to 772 units.
They have also recreated the animations in 3D that will play on the display, which is still under glass.
With that, this is the highest end product that American has released to date. Due to that, it falls into the same category that I put other $10k+ pins. Whether this means it’s the start of them filling in the void of Chicago Gaming’s remakes, or just a one-off, time will tell.
What are your thoughts on this one and American Pinball’s new direction?
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