MY
STORY
Around 1997, it seemed like the only place in Erie, PA to find "new" pinball games was at Sportland. Sportland, which closed for good in 2001, had GoKarts, batting cages, miniature golf, a driving range, and a decent sized gameroom. If it had not been 30 minutes from home, I would have visited more often.
While I was busy playing Medieval Madness, a new game showed up during one of my Saturday afternoon visits. It was a very unique looking pinball with a bright green cabinet, a neon strip down the right side, a longer backglass than usual with missing dot matrix screen (strategically placed below), and a bizarre green head sticking out from under the playfield. It was Cirqus Voltaire (CV).
I didn't know what to think about this game at the beginning. Before putting coins into the slot, I just admired the playfield. It had an "elegant" look that I had never seen before. It was definitely eye-candy.
And then I started a game. It was fantastic. It had a unique feel to it that can't be described. The Ringmaster grabbed the ball and threw it at you. A "boom" balloon popped up from the playfield. There were a handful of magnets stopping your ball in its tracks. The backbox had a cannon ball that shot out during various points of the game. The lightshow was unmatched. It was a blast. And, I noticed all of this before even realizing that your main objective was to collect marvels. Now that has to say something about good first impressions.
I loved CV from the start. Not only was it the most
unique and "elegant" looking game I had ever seen, but the rules were just
busy enough to keep you enthralled. I knew CV had to be a part of my
collection. Since the game had recently gone on close-out at a cheap price, I
figured this may be a
possibility.......
My story continues with information and pictures from my
previous Cirqus
Voltaire game HERE
