Circus

The Circus pinball machine, manufactured by Brunswick in 1980 as a non-commercial home model, is a solid-state electronic game built around a circus/trapeze theme. Its playfield includes two flippers, a pop bumper, a slingshot, five standup targets, and a spinning target, with a single score display on the plexiglass backglass shared by all four players. This version has a red cabinet; Brunswick also produced the same game with a different model number in a woodgrain cabinet.

The gameplay on Circus is both challenging and rewarding, with a focus on precision targeting and strategic flipper control. Players navigate a colorful, carnival-themed playfield while attempting to score points by hitting the standup targets, the spinning target, and the pop bumper. With only two flippers and a single shared score display for up to four players, the game rewards efficient, focused shot-making.

The Circus cabinet design is distinctive, with its bright red finish and plexiglass backglass carrying the circus/trapeze theme throughout. Although the machine's designer remains uncredited in available records, the game stands as an example of Brunswick's solid-state output as the pinball industry transitioned firmly into the electronic era at the start of the 1980s.