Newsletter June 2026
- 2 hours ago
- 11 min read
Welcome to our monthly newsletter!
In this edition, we take a look at some exciting new additions to the arcade, spotlight our Machine of the Month, and share how we’ve been preparing for the Kiwi Capital Silver Ball Tournament.
This month’s newsletter is inspired by Williams/Bally’s legendary Cirqus Voltaire. So step right up, take the plunge, and join us under the lime green and yellow top…
NEW MACHINES IN THE ARCADE
We’re excited about the new Pokémon game!
It’s here! The official launch party will be on Saturday June 13th, and will be in a tournament on Sunday June 14th.
Banzai Run has made it to the arcade! Star Trek and Game Show are also new in the arcade.
Keep an eye out for a an older electric-mechanical machine too…Fantastic…
Released in October 1997, Cirqus Voltaire had a production run of approximately 2,704 units. Despite its comparatively limited production numbers, the machine remains a well-known title among players and collectors. It is frequently discussed as part of the late 90’s pinball era. Cirqus Voltaire was the product of a talented creative team working during the final years of the Williams pinball era. The machine was designed by John Popadiuk, whose previous titles included Theatre of Magic and Tales of the Arabian Nights. For Cirqus Voltaire, Popadiuk developed a circus-themed game centred around the Ringmaster. This interactive playfield toy rises from beneath the playfield and plays a key role in the game's objectives. The machine also features a playfield-mounted dot-matrix display that allows players to view animations, scoring information and game instructions closer to the action.
The game's distinctive visual identity was created by artist Linda Deal, whose outstanding artwork helped establish the colourful and theatrical atmosphere of the fictional circus. Complementing the design and artwork was software by Cameron Silver, who developed a ruleset built around the nine marvels of the Cirqus and the ultimate objective of joining the circus itself. Through the integration of mechanical features, animation, sound and game progression, the creative team produced a machine that remains one of the most collectable titles of the late Bally and Williams era.
Cirqus Voltaire is generally regarded as a challenging machine, particularly due to its fast flow, demanding shots and the risk of sudden drains. However, experienced players often note that the game's objectives are clearly structured, making it approachable to learn despite its difficulty to master.
Like many Williams pinball machines of the era, Cirqus Voltaire contains some easter eggs and in-jokes hidden throughout the game. These range from unusual software features and hidden modes to references embedded within the artwork itself. Designer John Popadiuk also makes a cameo appearance within the backglass artwork as one of the circus performers, providing a subtle connection between the machine and its creator. Such details reflect the playful culture of Williams’ pinball development during the 1990s, where designers, artists and programmers frequently included hidden references for players and enthusiasts to discover.
Each month we interview a pinball player.
Patrick Fisher-Evans
Kia ora Patrick!
Please give a brief rundown on when you first started playing pinball.
I owe it all to Sam Stonell, a former YOPS employee. She was best friends with my partner, Charlotte. We’d all ended up down here from Taranaki for university, and Sam kept telling Charlotte, “You have to bring Patrick to Ye Olde Pinball Shoppe!”
At first, I kind of ummed and ahhed about it. I’d walked past the place a few times and thought, it looks cool. Then one day I finally made the plunge and had a game on The Lord of the Rings. From that moment, I was pretty much hooked.
That was around mid-2023. Not long after, I entered one of Ash’s Pin Golf competitions. I did absolutely terribly- came either last or second-last and thought, I’m not letting that happen again. That’s when I really started learning how much there was to understand about every machine, and just how deep the rulesets actually are.
Do you remember the first machine you liked?
Lord of the Rings was the one that really grabbed me. I loved the way they integrated all the film assets into the game. Each mode corresponds to a vignette from the movies, so there’s real replay value to it. There’s still a wizard mode I haven’t reached yet - the Valinor Wizard mode. Maybe one day I’ll have that mythical game and finally make it all the way to the end.
Dune is one of my favourites too. I think it’s a massive step-up from Labyrinth, which was already a cool game. The way Dune flows, the shot layout, and the recent code updates have all been really impressive. They’ve even added the final wizard mode now.
What machine do you think deserves more appreciation?
Dungeons & Dragons: The Tyrant's Eye hasn’t had a massively warm reception from the pinball community, but I really like it. It has some really interesting shots, and the way they’ve integrated the whole Dungeons & Dragons system into the game is pretty cool.
I think one of the criticisms people have made is that you can save your game progress. That’s both a good thing and a bad thing. In competition mode you’re back to square one and can’t use your saved characters anyway.
I think Stern first started experimenting with that idea in Venom, which is another game I think is under-appreciated. It gets a level of hate that feels unnecessary. I played it a lot when it was on location at Midnight Espresso, and I really enjoy playing the Pro version of it.
What’s going through your head during a high-pressure tournament game?
I try to stay under control and keep that zen state of mind. That’s easy enough when you’re playing casually, but in competition you can start overthinking your decisions, and that’s usually when I run into trouble.
I had that happen recently on Johnny Mnemonic. I had multiball lit on the right orbit and probably should have just taken it, but I got greedy and tried to set up super Spinner as well. I went for the left ramp to trigger the rollover switch, half-ramped it, and watched the ball drain straight down the middle.
What keeps you coming back to pinball?
At this point, I think it’s mostly the community that keeps me coming back. Competitive pinball attracts a really interesting mix of people, and it’s a genuinely cool group to be around. I’ve made some great friends through it.
That said, there’s also a real sense of satisfaction when you’re playing solo. The other day on Dune, I finally reached and completed the final wizard mode. There’s something really rewarding about gradually working your way around a machine, learning all the rules and shots, and eventually making it to that final stage.
Any thoughts on our game of the month- Cirqus Voltaire?
It’s got a really interesting layout. You can immediately recognise John Popadiuk’s fingerprint as a designer — the curvy plastic ramps, the flow, the artwork. You can see similarities with games like Tales of the Arabian Nights and Theatre Of Magic.
I also love all the little Easter eggs hidden throughout the game. At the end of Ball three, when the judges give you your score, one of the judges resembles Rincewind from Terry Pratchett’s Discworld series. Those kinds of creative touches from the people doing the code were really cool. Games from that era had such a strong sense of humour and personality running through them.
The wizard mode is actually pretty accessible too. You mainly have to complete the diamonds on the playfield, and I discovered that the different phases of the wizard mode carry across balls. So if you drain during Phase one on Ball one, Ball two will start you straight back at Phase two where you left off. You also get unlimited multiballs for a while, which is pretty wild.
What members of our pinball community say about Cirqus Voltaire…
Phil
It’s a fun game, different, haven’t seen it before, but whenever I come into the arcade there’s always something new here.
Emelyn
It’s a good game for beginners. It’s easy to follow, the call-outs are cool, and I also like Theatre of Magic and Tales of Arabian Nights that the designer has done.
Raf
I’ve played Cirqus about five times, it’s fun, the magnets are fun- the ringmaster and the boom balloon. I prefer the left-hand side of the game because I tend to drain on the right side!
Danny
It’s a cool game, and I’m excited to see it. I have played it in a digital format previously.
John
I think it is good fun; the game draws you in. It’s hard for beginners. The multiballs are all different.
Hamish has been working on something truly exciting and game-changing! Hamish has developed a new contactless crediting system called Gametoken. Players will be able to use their phones, printed qr codes, or NFC cards to add credits on pinball and arcade machines.
There are two hardware components: a relay board installed inside the machine that interfaces with the coin mechanism and a Gametoken scanner/reader that the customer interacts with on the apron of the machine.
Operators can choose between traditional pay-per-credit play or time-based access (for example, unlimited play for one hour)
Gametoken will be placed in every game here at Ye Olde Pinball Shoppe. Ultimately, it will also work in arcade machines, vending machines and other coin-operated equipment.
Hamish will market it to operators in both NZ and Australia. He will present Gametoken in a seminar in Australia in July.
Exciting!!
Hugo, our excellent in-house photographer, has been busy with social media accounts and getting recognition, too, by such luminaries as Steven Bowden, who is a star player and a very prominent figure in competitive pinball. Hugo’s mission statement:
I want everyone to try pinball at least once in their life. Not just locals, but everyone around the world who stumbles across our social media. If these videos can be an invitation for someone to go to their local arcade and realise that pinball isn't just an ancient game of a bygone era, that's mission accomplished.
Check out Ye Olde Pinball Shoppe Instagram and our Facebook page.
Simon has been preparing games for KCSB, as well as bulletproofing Banzai Run and Game Show, which are now in the arcade. He’s put in many hours of preparing and proofing machines for the KCSB, including three Terminator 2 machines and a Terminator 3 just for sheer spectacle.
Wellington musician, Jack Bromwich, in conjunction with Strawberry Jam Promotions, filmed a music video in our arcade!
Check out the entire song here: Strawberry Jams Field Sessions - Jack Bromwich "Dust".
Preparing for the Kiwi Capital Silver Ball
With the Kiwi Capital Silver Ball just around the corner, we caught up with tournament director Ashley Burke to find out what goes into organising one of New Zealand's biggest pinball weekends.
How challenging is it to regulate numbers for KCSB, considering the restraints of YOPS?
It has always been a challenge to balance large events with the small capacity of Ye Olde Pinball Shoppe. This year, for the main Kiwi Capital Silver Ball tournament, we’ve limited tickets to 40. This keeps the arcade from becoming overcrowded and allows for a comfortable, social day of high-level competitive pinball.
More attendees usually mean higher-value tournaments, which is why we’re also running the Kiwi Capital Best Game Open. This event offers unlimited tickets and allows players to submit scores for a selection of games at any time during the qualifying period. I’m expecting this tournament to match, if not exceed, the value of the main event, so it’s definitely one not to be missed.
We can only cram about 30 games into the arcade, so we partner with The Lanes Bar and Bowling each year. They run separate evening tournaments, which helps us manage capacity.
How have you decided which games are suitable for the event?
Fortunately, Ye Olde Pinball Shoppe already has a very suitable lineup for events like this. We’ve got games from a wide range of eras and manufacturers, spanning from Charlie’s Angels (1978) through to Pokémon (2026). That variety keeps the tournament fresh and exciting, and offers a good mix of shorter and longer-playing games.
Reliability is also a big factor. The games at YOPS are played constantly, every day, and we try to stay on top of issues that arise. On top of that, Simon has an excellent archive of machines, and events like this are the perfect excuse to bring out some real gems.
For the Best Game Open, I’ve picked a list of ten reliable games that represent different eras, play relatively quickly, and are just genuinely fun in a tournament setting.
How do you make KCSB entertaining, as well as a 'pro-circuit' event?
Anyone who has played pinball events overseas knows that New Zealand has a really special pinball community. People get along, and the environment is positive and welcoming. Simply having everyone together, hanging out and playing pinball already makes the event enjoyable.
From there, it comes down to the quality and structure of the tournaments. A strong variety of well-maintained games is key. At YOPS, we’re lucky to have a lineup that plays consistently well, which helps keep competition fair while still being fun.
Although this year’s Kiwi Capital Silver Ball isn’t part of the Pro Circuit, next year’s will be. Even so, this is still the final large-scale pinball event in Wellington for 2026, so it’s taken seriously and carries strong competitive value.
Putting on high-stakes events like this requires many players and careful scheduling over multiple days. It’s not easy to balance, so we’ve structured the weekend with two large tournaments and four medium-sized ones. That way, there’s plenty of value, flexibility, and opportunities for players to get involved at different levels.
Strategy for Cirqus Voltaire
Cirqus Voltaire presents an unconventional layout where about 90% of accurate shots don’t result in a safe or consistent return to your flippers. You have to be very deliberate with every single shot you take, as it could easily be your last.
One of the safest shots is the Ringmaster bash toy at the top of the playfield. Hit the yellow “WOW” targets a few times to raise the Ringmaster. A direct shot into him will usually absorb the ball’s speed and drop it back down toward your flippers, with very little side-to-side danger. He’s a massive target and can be hit reliably from both flippers, so there’s really no reason not to go for him. After enough hits, he’ll raise fully, opening up the shot beneath him and completing the phase. Completing two or more Ringmaster phases will quickly lead to a multiball, and Ringmaster multiballs can be started during other multiballs.
Ringmaster Multiball is cool; it’s best used to complement an existing multiball. My personal choice is Juggler Multiball. This involves repeatedly shooting the left orbit. Your first three shots will loop all the way around and come flying back at your right flipper. A live catch is a great way to kill that momentum. After three shots, your Juggler locks will be set on the left orbit. Successful locks will divert the ball either under the right side of the main ramp or send a new ball into the shooter lane. Three locks to start multiball
Try to have your second Ringmaster phase nearly complete before starting Juggler. Starting Ringmaster during Juggler will give you an add-a-ball, a short ball save, and access to jackpots from both multiballs at once.
If you’re stepping up to your third ball and you’re not close to starting Juggler, shift your focus entirely to the Ringmaster; it’s simply the safer option.
And one last thing: avoid the left ramp. Cirqus is such a unique game that every machine plays a bit differently. At Ye Olde Pinball Shoppe, I’ve learned not to be tempted by the left ramp or the targets around its entrance.
That ramp will kill you.
You’ve been warned.
Easter egg: On all copies of Cirqus Voltaire, if you flick through the screens during attract mode, local player Mike Burke has his initials featured as one of the Cirqus members.
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Mid-winter Christmas party season has arrived!
Trade the office small talk for multiballs.
I once played Star Trek TNG pinball at Te Papa at the end of the official exhibit. I played so well that Picard said "the crew have performed admirably in dispatching the Borg Threat" LOL. And if you interrupt Data when he tells you off, you get more points!