# How to Become Ringmaster of Cirqus Voltaire Pinball by [solar_espeon](/author/solar-espeon) · September 23, 2026 · [Pinball Tutorial](/news/category/pinball-tutorial) > Bally released Cirqus Voltaire in 1997, and American Pinball's remake begins shipping this October. Here, solar_espeon runs through the nine Marvels, the Ringmaster multiballs, Join the Cirqus wizard mode and the 2.0 code. The Cirqus returns! The self-proclaimed “greatest pinball on Earth,” designed by [John Popadiuk](https://www.kineticist.com/people/john-popadiuk) and [Cameron Silver](https://www.kineticist.com/people/cameron-silver) and originally released by [Bally](https://www.kineticist.com/manufacturers/bally-manufacturing-co) in 1997, is getting [a remake from American Pinball](https://www.kineticist.com/news/american-pinball-cirqus-voltaire) that begins shipping soon. The remake promises an all-new topper, refreshed artwork, the first official release of Cameron Silver’s own 2.0 homebrew code from 2002, and more. [*Cirqus Voltaire*](https://www.kineticist.com/games/pinball/cirqus-voltaire) is one of the deepest and most colorful games of the 90s, in every sense — here’s what you need to know about how to play now that it’s back in the spotlight. ***Editor's note:** This guide covers the original 1997 rules plus Cameron Silver's 2.0 code updates. The new rule set available on the American Pinball remake is not covered here.* ## Playfield Overview ![Cirqus Voltaire: Playfield Overview](https://media.kineticist.com/b3a77d85-667f-49e3-90cc-7270ccc7bd9c.png) Cirqus Voltaire is a 2-flipper game whose shot design and playfield art can only be described as psychedelic. Going from left to right around the playfield, the major features and their names include: - The Menagerie, a ball hanging from a circular cage in the lower left that records switch hits as it spins - The Juggler left orbit shot - The left ramp and the standup targets on either side, which give progress toward Strike an Arc and Highwire multiballs - The center loop, which includes a spinner on the right side, and arcs around… - …the Ringmaster, the game’s main toy. It can be in three positions: all the way down, where its top is level with the playfield and the WOW targets behind it can be hit; partway up, where a ball can hit the Ringmaster’s face; and fully up, where a ball can be shot underneath the Ringmaster’s head, falling under the table like a scoop. - The Acrobat right orbit shot - The Boom Balloon, a fully retractable pop bumper that appears when spelling Volt by pressing the rollover buttons around the game The color of the Menagerie ball and the neon strip adorning the left ramp’s exit habitrail vary randomly from copy to copy. Cirqus Voltaire was released after the massive score inflation reset that designers adopted around 1995-96. Instead of scoring in the billions regularly, Cirqus Voltaire often has replay scores in the 7-8 figures, with scores above 20,000,000 often being very strong. If you exceed 100 million points, the DMD will “roll” the score, showing only the digits less than 100,000,000 but include a small tag reading “100 MILLION” in the corner of the DMD, not unlike the 100,000 light on some later electromechanical games. That DMD, by the way, is not in its usual position in the backbox — it’s under the playfield glass, on the back panel of the game. Only Cirqus Voltaire and the often-forgotten [*Flipper Football*](https://www.kineticist.com/games/pinball/flipper-football) by [Capcom Coin-Op](https://www.kineticist.com/manufacturers/capcom-coin-op-inc) put their displays under the glass in this way prior to [Barrels of Fun](https://www.kineticist.com/manufacturers/barrels-of-fun-pinball) revisiting the idea on [*Labyrinth*](https://www.kineticist.com/games/pinball/jim-hensons-labyrinth-2023) in 2024. ## Abridged Tutorial ![Cirqus Voltaire: Abridged Tutorial](https://media.kineticist.com/4db36e74-cc0a-4c80-aa05-e960ccef3f00.png) - Hit the WOW targets in the top right to raise the Ringmaster, then hit him 5 times to defeat him. A free multiball is given for the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th defeats; defeating 4 Ringmasters is the most time-consuming requirement for Join the Cirqus wizard mode. - The left ramp gives progress toward two different multiballs: hitting the standup targets on either side of the ramp lights locks for Highwire Multiball, while shots to the unlit ramp progress towards Strike an Arc Multiball. - Two further multiballs are potentially available at the left orbit: Juggler Multiball for repeated left shots, or Neon Multiball from the Side Show mystery award. The latter is lit by hitting standup targets on either side of the Ringmaster. - Completing the 9 “Marvel” tasks shown near the flippers qualifies Join the Cirqus wizard mode. Marvels are earned by playing Highwire and Juggler Multiballs, defeating all 4 Ringmasters, and making repeated shots to features like the right orbit, Menagerie ball, and right spinner. ## Skill Shot The skill shot is a precise-power plunge just a little less than a full plunge, which scores 200,000 the first time it is made and an additional 200,000 on subsequent successes, up to a maximum of 1,000,000 points. Be careful of a full or close-to-full plunge in this game, though, as bounces off the skill shot target and the surrounding area are liable for center drains. If your manual plunge gets ball-saved, the game will autoplunge the second attempt, potentially leading to a ball that’s further out of control or at risk of a house ball drain. ## The Nine Marvels of the Cirqus ![Cirqus Voltaire: The Nine Marvels of the Cirqus](https://media.kineticist.com/ca0a94b4-cf58-48a0-bb53-5dab1d057b22.jpg) There are 9 marvels collectible around the game. Most of these will be discussed in more detail in their own sections later in the guide. Progress on the Marvels carries over from ball to ball. Lighting all 9 of them starts Join the Cirqus wizard mode. - **Ringmaster Frenzie**: play the multiball associated with defeating the 2nd Ringmaster - **Side Show:** receive a mystery award from the Side Show at the left orbit, which is lit by hitting the standup targets on either side of the Ringmaster enough times - **Highwire Multiball**: lock three balls at the left ramp (light locks with the targets on either side of the ramp) - **Juggler**: start Juggler Multiball with a total of 6 shots to the left orbit - **Defeated All Ringmasters**: start the Ringmaster Special multiball by defeating 4 Ringmasters. On some prototype versions of the game, this Marvel was Visit Ring 3, earned by reaching 4x bonus multiplier at the lower left and right standup targets. - **Acrobats**: shoot the right orbit 4 times - **Menagerie**: hit the switch behind the floating Menagerie captive ball in the lower left of the game 5 times - **Boom!**: raise the Boom Balloon pop bumper with the red rollover buttons, then hit that bumper once - **Spin**: shoot the spinner just to the right of the Ringmaster a couple of times consecutively (2 or 3 usually suffices) so that the spinner spins for long enough to spell Spin on the playfield. On some prototype versions of the game, this Marvel was called Crank, and counts rollover switch hits within the center loop instead of the spinner. Reaching various thresholds of Menagerie hits over the course of the game — with 15 usually being the first one — lights the left ramp for Spot Marvel. This will collect an entire remaining Marvel for you at random, but it will never spot Defeated All Ringmasters unless you already have all 8 other Marvels. ## Defeating the Ringmasters The three yellow targets in the back of the game spell Wow. Hitting any of the targets 3 times (or just once for the first Ringmaster of the game) summons the Ringmaster himself, a toy caricature of a green-skinned man. Defeat the Ringmaster by hitting him 5 times to make him rise further, then shoot the ball at him again to make it fall into the table. Successfully completing a Ringmaster scores 1,000,000 points times however many Ringmasters have been defeated in the game so far (or since Joining the Cirqus), and starts a unique multiball mode for any Ringmaster after the first. When a Ringmaster round begins after spelling WOW, the ball sticks to a magnet on top of the Ringmaster toy’s head as he rises, then the magnet fires the ball in a random direction. There is a brief ball save turned on during this time in case he fires the ball directly down the middle. What he can also do, though, is send the ball behind him onto the habitrail, which scores a Sneaky Lock toward Highwire Multiball! Finally, if for some reason the magnet lets go of the ball early, there's a brief window where the ball can be shot underneath the Ringmaster before he settles in hit-me-5-times position, and doing so scores a 100,000-point Ringmaster Hideout. **Ringmaster Frenzie:** the multiball that begins after the 2nd Ringmaster is defeated. By default, this is only a 2-ball multiball, but it can be played with as many as 4 balls by stacking it with other multiball modes. During the Frenzie, the Ringmaster will be raised all the way up so that balls fall into the table underneath him. Shoot a ball into this hole for a 250,000 point Ringmaster Jackpot. If a second ball is shot into this hole before the animation for the 1st one ends, an additional 500,000 points are scored. The third and fourth balls to make this hole in very quick succession score 750,000 and 1,000,000 points on top of all previous awards, so a "four way combo" into this hole scores a total of 2,500,000 points. Marvel #1 is awarded when Ringmaster Frenzie ends. **Ringmaster Razz:** the 3rd Ringmaster's multiball. It's played the same as Frenzie, except the Jackpot base value is not always 250,000: instead, it is determined by a hurry-up that starts at 500,000 and counts down to 250,000. The first hit to the Ringmaster during this multiball locks in the jackpot value for the rest of the multiball, and it cannot be raised further. Double, triple, and quadruple jackpots are available just the same as they were in Frenzie, but also like Frenzie, Razz is just a 2-ball mode unless it runs concurrently with another multiball. On default settings, starting Ringmaster Razz lights an extra ball at the left orbit. **Ringmaster Special:** the 4th Ringmaster's multiball. Despite the name, there are no Specials involved, at least not relating to the name of the conventional pinball award. This time, the Ringmaster Jackpot starts at 500,000 points, and it cannot be collected until hitting the Ringmaster 5 times. During this time, each spin of the right spinner or each hit to the Ringmaster himself adds 7,110 points to the jackpot. After the Ringmaster is hit 5 times, he will be fully raised, and jackpots can be made by shooting into the hole underneath him as before. Collecting the first Ringmaster Jackpot during this multiball locks in the jackpot value, and it cannot be raised any further. This is once again a 2-ball multiball, with stacking and multiplied jackpots available in the same way as Frenzie and Razz. When Ringmaster Special multiball ends, Marvel #5 (Defeat All Ringmasters) will be awarded. **Ringmaster Battle:** a special multiball for defeating a 5th Ringmaster that the game never really tells you about outside of a single callout saying "try to go beyond my Ringmaster Special!". It's only available if Defeat All Ringmasters was *not* the last Marvel required to light Join the Cirqus. Ringmaster Battle is a mini-wizard mode with some similarities to Rescue the Princess from [*Tales of the Arabian Nights*](https://www.kineticist.com/news/tales-of-the-arabian-nights-tutorial). It's a 2-ball multiball with an unlimited ball save until someone wins. Each hit to the Ringmaster himself or to one of the yellow standup targets on either side of him scores 1,000,000 points. It takes 10 hits to defeat the Ringmaster in this duel. However, the Ringmaster will periodically take away credit for hits: initially, this will happen about once every 5 seconds, but as the battle goes on longer, progress will be taken away more frequently. The Ringmaster also takes away a hit if one of the two balls drains. When someone wins, the flippers will lock up and the balls will be allowed to drain, before a new ball is served to the plunger and the same player can continue. If you're the one who won, this comes with a 10,000,000 point super award, a lit extra ball at the left orbit, and a fantastic light show and animation! It is theoretically possible to farm this mode for 1,000,000-point hits to the Ringmaster, intentionally not winning the Battle to let the mode continue — it’s up to you and your skill in ball control to determine if avoiding the win is worthwhile. If Ringmaster Battle was failed, defeating yet another Ringmaster from Wow → 5 hits will restart the Battle, but if the Battle was won, no further Ringmasters can be played until after Join the Cirqus is started. Marvels can be collected during Ringmaster Battle, but other multiballs cannot stack with it, and if the final Marvel is collected during Ringmaster Battle, Join the Cirqus will not begin until the Battle ends. ## The Side Show ![Cirqus Voltaire: The Side Show](https://media.kineticist.com/6d778ba5-8d79-45cd-a8aa-ff6b5f651381.jpg) Marvel #2, the Side Show, is a feature at the end of the left orbit. It is lit at the start of the game, and again by hitting the yellow targets on either side of the Ringmaster the number of times shown on the DMD (usually 4). The Side Show is a mystery award that can give any of the following: - **Big Points**: 250,000 or 500,000 - **The Amazing Roonie**: a video mode, somewhat similar to the Dalek Chase video mode on [*Doctor Who*](https://www.kineticist.com/games/pinball/doctor-who-1992). Jump over all the obstacles by pressing both flippers at once. Complete it for 2,900,000 points. - **Cannonball Run**: a backglass interactive mode. Press the flippers as many times as you can to fire cannonballs. If you're lucky, they'll go through a certain lane on the backglass that scores 250,000 the first time and an additional 250,000 each subsequent time. This lasts 10 seconds and is largely a game of chance. - **Go for the Hat Trick**: shoot 3 balls into the Ringmaster within 20 seconds. They score 500,000 - 500,000 - 1,000,000 points. The Ringmaster cannot be hit or defeated while this is running. - **Popcorn Mania**: it's popcorn time! A 20-second frenzy mode where every switch in the game scores 30,000 points. Hit 20 switches to fill the DMD with popcorn and score a 500,000 point jackpot. Subsequent jackpots within the time limit score 100,000 more than the previous. - **Neon Multiball**: a 3-ball multiball begins where the only thing to do is shoot the Wow targets. 10 hits lights an extra ball at the left orbit, and every 10 hits after that awards 1,000,000 points. During this multiball, all playfield lights except the neon tube turn off. There is a generous ball save when Neon Multiball starts and when all the playfield lights turn on after it finishes. This is functionally similar to Strobe Multiball from [*Attack from Mars*](https://www.kineticist.com/games/pinball/attack-from-mars), but with significantly less flashing (and, accordingly, significantly less eye strain). - **Light Spot Marvel**: on the left ramp. - **Light Lock**: also on the left ramp. This is specifically a lock toward Highwire Multiball. - **Extra Ball**: only awarded on ball 3 of a game with very low scores or very low ball times, as consolation. Collecting just one Side Show award also lights the Side Show Marvel (#2). ## The Left Ramp: Strike an Arc and Highwire Multiballs ![Cirqus Voltaire: The Left Ramp: Strike an Arc and Highwire Multiballs](https://media.kineticist.com/1346c926-a6c1-4553-9e0f-5f9b4ae081a3.png) Any shot to the left ramp counts towards Strike an Arc Multiball. It takes 5 total left ramp shots to start the first Strike an Arc, and subsequent plays of this multiball each require 5 more ramp shots than the previous one. Strike an Arc is a 2-ball multiball. Any switch in the game adds power to the arc: when the arc is struck, a jackpot is scored. For the first jackpot, any switch in the game adds 10% power to the arc, and the jackpot is worth 500,000 points when the arc power is 100%. For successive jackpots, each switch adds 1% less power (to a minimum of 4% toward the 7th jackpot and on), and each jackpot scores 100,000 more points than the previous one. Strike an Arc can be stacked with Highwire Multiball or any Ringmaster multiballs other than Battle. Hitting the standup targets on either side of the left ramp (or receiving Light Lock from the Side Show award) lights this ramp for a lock toward Highwire Multiball. Sneaky locks are also available if the Ringmaster throws the ball backwards off the magnet in his hat, or if the left ramp is shot just poorly enough that the ball falls into the lock habitrail instead of coming down the neon side on the right. When three balls are locked via any of these methods, Highwire Multiball begins. During Highwire Multiball, the two orbits and the left entrance of the loop around the Ringmaster score 1,000,000 point jackpots. At first, all three jackpots are lit, but after collecting a certain number (adjustable), only one will be lit at a time. Highwire Multiball can be stacked with Strike an Arc or Ringmaster Frenzie/Razz/Special multiballs. When Highwire Multiball ends, the Highwire marvel (#3) is awarded. To play Highwire Multiball more than once, you may need to hit each of the Light Lock targets multiple times, or they may need to be hit within a certain amount of time as the other. Having the Highwire marvel spotted for you does not instantly start Highwire Multiball. After any time where there were multiple multiballs running (Juggler, Highwire, Strike an Arc, and any Ringmaster multiball except Battle), the left ramp will award Voltaire's Multiple Jackpots during the 5-second grace period after single ball play resumes. Voltaire's Multiple Jackpots scores one jackpot for each multiball that was just running in the previous stack. ## The Juggler Left Orbit ![Cirqus Voltaire: The Juggler Left Orbit](https://media.kineticist.com/8dcb3215-9d0d-415a-af5e-7d2bac7481c0.png) Shoot the left orbit 3 times to light the Juggler, then shoot the left orbit 3 more times to lock 3 balls and start Juggler Multiball. During Juggler Multiball, the jackpots are on the orbits, with a base value of 500,000 points. Making a jackpot holds the ball in the back of the game for about 10 seconds. Shooting another orbit during this time scores a 1,000,000 point double jackpot and restarts the 10 second timer. A third orbit shot during this timer scores a 2,000,000 point super jackpot. When the timer runs out or when all balls are being held in the orbit, they will all kick back out near the Skill Shot target and the jackpot value will reset to 500,000. Starting Juggler Multiball awards marvel #4, the Juggler. Having the Juggler marvel spotted for you does not instantly start Juggler Multiball. Juggler Multiball can stack with Strike an Arc, Ringmaster Frenzie/Razz/Special, or Neon multiballs. ## Other Marvels ![Cirqus Voltaire: Other Marvels](https://media.kineticist.com/b38b446f-64e2-41b1-8199-fbc50144755d.jpg) - **Acrobat:** The right orbit is the Acrobat. A strong shot makes it all the way up a rather long ramp that feeds to the left flipper, and a weaker shot falls out of the Juggler's kickout. The switch for the Acrobat is pretty close to the entrance to this shot, so don't worry about needing to shoot it perfectly to get credit. 4 shots to the Acrobat orbit turns the spinners into Super Spinners worth 10,000 points/spin for the rest of the ball, and also awards the Acrobat marvel (#6). - **Menagerie:** A Menagerie hit is awarded for hitting the wall switch just behind the dangling Menagerie ball, or the white standup target nearby. 5 Menagerie hits awards the marvel (#7); 15, 100, and 150 hits light the left ramp for Spot Marvel; 50 hits lights extra ball; 200 hits awards “big score”, which is known to cause some versions of the software to crash. - **Volt and the Boom! Balloon:** Spell Volt by pressing the rollover buttons in the in lanes and the middle of the table to start the Boom Balloon round (just 1 completion needed the first time, 3 completions needed for all other times). The Boom! Balloon is a retractable pop bumper that only appears when the round is running. A post blocks a direct flipper shot to the Boom Balloon, so it can only be hit via the left orbit, the left loop, or a ricochet. Hitting the Boom Balloon even a single time lights the Boom! Marvel (#8). The Boom Balloon scores 100,000 points, plus an additional 5,000 for each hit to the two regular pop bumpers scored throughout the game. An extra ball is available after 15 hits to the Boom! Balloon, which can occur across multiple rounds. - **Spin!:** Going through the center loop in either direction causes the right spinner to spin, advancing the Spin marvel. Keep the spinner going with 2 or 3 consecutive shots to this loop in either direction to spell Spin on the playfield, which lights the Spin marvel (#9). The right spinner also increases the value of hitting a Wow target, and increases the jackpot in Ringmaster Special multiball. ## Join the Cirqus Wizard Mode ![Cirqus Voltaire: Join the Cirqus Wizard Mode](https://media.kineticist.com/6ed6019a-1c58-4214-afa6-ca27081c00eb.jpg) After all 9 Marvels are lit and any multiballs are ended, the two orbits will light for Join the Cirqus, the game's wizard mode. There are 4 parts to Join the Cirqus. For the first three levels, the mode does not end if the game returns to single ball play, and the wizard mode is not forfeited if all balls drain after the ball save expires — instead, the next ball will just start the current level over. Also, when any of the first 3 levels complete, the flippers go dead and are allowed to drain. However, for level 4, the game returns to normal, non-wizard-mode gameplay as soon as single ball play resumes, so don't let the last ball drain — keep playing. - **Level 1: Spell Cirqus.** This is a 3-ball multiball with about 20 seconds of ball save. The object is to hit the 6 shots in the game corresponding to the letters in Cirqus. Completing this scores 10,000,000 points and allows all balls to drain before starting level 2. - C: the Menagerie - I: left orbit (Juggler) - R: left ramp (Highwire) - Q: the loop around the Ringmaster (either direction) - U: any of the Wow targets - S: right orbit (Acrobat) - **Level 2: Unmask Voltaire.** Again, a 3-ball multiball with about 20 seconds of ball save. Shoot the Ringmaster, then shoot the left ramp. Alternate between the two until the Ringmaster has been hit 5 times in proper sequence. Completing this scores 10,000,000 points and allows the balls to drain, again. - **Level 3: Meet the Cirqus.** This is just a 1-ball round at first. One of the three jackpots will be lit: either the left orbit, right orbit, or left entrance to the Ringmaster loop. Make a jackpot to add another ball to the playfield (maximum 4) and change which jackpot is lit (purely random). There are about 10 seconds of ball save at the start of level 3, and whenever a jackpot is made, a new ball is autoplunged to the playfield. Make 6 lit jackpots to score 10,000,000 points, complete the round, and allow all balls to drain one last time. - **Level 4: Party Time Multiball.** A 4-ball multiball with a very long ball save (about 30 seconds). For as long as multiple balls are in play, every shot in the game is lit for 1,000,000 points, with all pop bumpers scoring the Boom! Balloon value. When Party Time ends and the game returns to single ball play, everything is reset and marvels can be collected again, with no big award or animation or auto-ball-drain. ## End of Ball Bonus ![Cirqus Voltaire: End of Ball Bonus](https://media.kineticist.com/2bf8fcf0-f977-46bf-a046-5fe906ad1b5c.jpg) A set of three judges is given for hitting any WOW target, starting Juggler Multiball, or starting Highwire Multiball. Each judge gives a rating of 0-10 based on how well you did in its respective discipline on that ball. The first part of the bonus is 50,000 points times the average of all judge ratings you get, plus 500,000 points for each perfect 10-10-10 set you receive. The second part of the bonus is 20,000 points per Cannonball fired. Cannonballs are awarded for collecting a marvel, hitting the Boom! Balloon, collecting a jackpot in any non-Ringmaster multiball, or going down a lit out lane. These two parts of the bonus are added together and multiplied by the Ring multiplier. The Ring multiplier is increased by spelling Ring via two hits to the wall switch behind the Menagerie ball and two hits to the lower right standup target. The maximum Ring multiplier is Ring 3 (4x bonus). ## Changes in v2.0 Code ![Cirqus Voltaire: Changes in v2.0 Code](https://media.kineticist.com/8e3f0124-f784-40cb-ad06-3c82ee3d7372.png) The final version of Cirqus Voltaire’s code officially released by Bally was version 1.4. In 2002, original software designer Cameron Silver anonymously released a “director’s cut” version 2.0 code for the game. In addition to a selection of new mech settings for operators, version 2.0 includes some of the following rule updates and additions: - A “complex skill shot” is added, replacing the flat points award with 5 options that the player chooses from with the flippers before shooting. Awards can be various point values, instant Ring 3 (4x bonus), or progress toward any multiball. - Two new Side Show awards: Quick Jackpot, which lights at either orbit or the center loop, and Copy Cat, a pattern memorization video mode like the old Simon electronic toy with the ability to earn big points or an extra ball. - Two new levels of Join the Cirqus wizard mode: an Acrobats Spin mode requiring 100 spins of either spinner, and a mode requiring scoring 3,000,000 points from roving hurry-up shots around the game. These levels can be added to all Join the Cirqus modes, the second Join the Cirqus played in one game, or randomly. - Adjustments that remove Highwire and Juggler physical locks, making them virtual instead. This 2.0 code is expected to be playable on the upcoming American Pinball remake of Cirqus Voltaire. ## espie’s Recommendations ![Cirqus Voltaire: espie’s Recommendations](https://media.kineticist.com/b89f4f7e-caf2-4202-9ab5-b5e8b926862b.png) - Always know which multiball is closest and play for it. Most multiballs can be stacked as long as they are not Ringmaster multiballs; once a Ringmaster multiball is running, no more can be added. - Keep track of when Spot Marvel is lit. Try to collect easy marvels like Side Show, Menagerie, Spin, and Boom! before redeeming a Spot Marvel, so that the spot goes toward something that’s harder to reach. - Practice how to nudge a ball back into play off the low posts in the in/out lanes whenever possible. ## Related - Game: [Cirqus Voltaire](/games/pinball/cirqus-voltaire) --- _Canonical URL: https://www.kineticist.com/news/cirqus-voltaire-tutorial_