# What Happened to the Capcom Pinball Kingpin Remake?

**Source:** Knapp Arcade  
**Type:** article  
**Published:** 2022-03-30  
**Beat:** Pinball

**URL:** https://www.knapparcade.org/what-happened-to-the-capcom-pinball-kingpin-remake

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## Analysis

Circus Maximus announced plans in 2018 to remake the rare 1996 Capcom pinball game Kingpin, originally targeting 2019 release. The project has since gone silent with no updates since 2017, and the original Bally Circus remake project appears abandoned. The article speculates whether Kingpin is dead or under NDA with a major manufacturer, citing the strong current market for classic pinball remakes.

### Key Claims

- [HIGH] Kingpin was designed by Mark Ritchie and was the last game produced by Capcom's pinball division in 1996 — _Historical fact about the original game's provenance and rarity_
- [HIGH] Only nine units of the original Kingpin were produced before Capcom shut down its pinball operations — _Documented scarcity metric for the original game_
- [HIGH] Circus Maximus' original timeline was to have Kingpin remake for sale by sometime in 2019 — _Stated project goal that was not met_
- [HIGH] Circus Maximus' website 'News' section hasn't been updated since 2017 — _Verifiable through direct website inspection_
- [MEDIUM] The original Bally Pinball Circus remake project appears to be dead in the water — _Author's assessment based on lack of updates; speculative but based on evidence of silence_

### Notable Quotes

> "Back in 2018, a group of individuals who called themselves Circus Maximus announced their intention to bring the shelved Capcom gangster-themed pinball machine Kingpin back to life."
> — **Article author (Knapp Arcade)**
> _Core premise of the article; establishes the timeline and scope of the project_

> "There has been complete silence from the Circus Maximums team for years."
> — **Article author (Knapp Arcade)**
> _Key observation driving the investigation; establishes the mystery/concern_

> "Is the project completely dead OR does the group have an agreement in place for a major pinball manufacturer, such as Chicago Gaming Company or American Pinball to manufacture their planned Kingpin machines for them with an NDA in place that prevents them from providing any updates right now as some rumors have suggested?"
> — **Article author (Knapp Arcade)**
> _Articulates the two competing theories about the project's status; introduces NDA speculation_

> "I'm personally leaning towards the theory that the project is just dead, but I can't help but hold out a sliver of hope that this cool machine might indeed be lying in the weeds ready to pop out unexpectedly."
> — **Article author (Knapp Arcade)**
> _Author's assessment and emotional stance; balanced skepticism with hope_

### Entities

| Name | Type | Context |
|------|------|---------|
| Circus Maximus | company | Remake/reproduction company founded to bring Kingpin and Bally Circus back to production; announced 2018, website last updated 2017, currently radio silent |
| Kingpin | game | 1996 Capcom pinball machine designed by Mark Ritchie; only 9 units produced; subject of remake attempt by Circus Maximus announced 2018 |
| Capcom | company | Original manufacturer of Kingpin in 1996; shuttered its pinball division after this game |
| Mark Ritchie | person | Legendary pinball designer who designed the original Kingpin for Capcom in 1996 |
| Bally Pinball Circus | game | Classic Bally game; only 2 units ever produced; original project Circus Maximus was founded to remake; appears abandoned |
| Dave Christensen | person | Former Bally artist commissioned by Circus Maximus to create new translite artwork for Kingpin remake |
| Chicago Gaming Company | company | Major pinball manufacturer mentioned as possible manufacturing partner for Kingpin under hypothetical NDA scenario |
| American Pinball | company | Boutique pinball manufacturer mentioned as possible manufacturing partner for Kingpin under hypothetical NDA scenario |
| Knapp Arcade | organization | Author/publication investigating Kingpin remake status |
| Texas Pinball Festival 2018 | event | Public venue where Kingpin remake was displayed and playable |
| Free Play Florida convention 2018 | event | Venue where Circus Maximus team presented the Kingpin project |
| Southern Fried Gaming Expo | event | Event where Kingpin gameplay footage was captured |

### Topics

- **Primary:** Kingpin remake project status and delays, Classic pinball machine remakes market and demand, Circus Maximus team silence and communication blackout
- **Secondary:** Possible NDA manufacturing partnerships with major publishers, Supply chain issues impacting pinball production, Bally Circus remake abandonment
- **Mentioned:** Capcom's historical pinball division and rare game preservation

### Sentiment

**Mixed** (-0.3) — The article expresses skepticism and concern about the Kingpin project's fate while maintaining cautious optimism. The tone is investigative and somewhat frustrated by the lack of communication, but hopeful that the machine might still emerge. The author leans toward believing the project is dead but acknowledges it could be under NDA.

### Signals

- **[business_signal]** Potential acquisition or partnership arrangement between Circus Maximus and major manufacturer (CGC/American Pinball) under NDA preventing public updates (confidence: low) — Article speculates this as one theory; author notes this is rumor-based; no confirming evidence provided
- **[market_signal]** Strong current market demand for classic pinball remakes (Fathom, FunHouse, TOTAN, Medieval Madness, Cactus Canyon, Monster Bash) suggests Kingpin would be commercially viable if released (confidence: high) — Article cites multiple successful remake projects currently selling; indicates healthy market appetite
- **[product_strategy]** Circus Maximus Kingpin remake delayed from 2019 target to unknown/possibly abandoned status; complete communication blackout since 2017 (confidence: high) — Original timeline was 2019, no updates since 2017, website news section inactive, multiple years of silence
- **[rumor_hype]** Unverified rumors suggest Circus Maximus may have confidentiality agreement with major manufacturer preventing public communication (confidence: low) — Author notes 'as some rumors have suggested' but provides no sourcing or detail on these rumors
- **[sentiment_shift]** Community expectation management: project that was visible and playable in 2018 has disappeared entirely, potentially dampening industry enthusiasm for small independent remake efforts (confidence: medium) — Stark contrast between 2018 public appearances at festivals and current complete silence; suggests project failure or opacity damaging community trust

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## Transcript

Back in 2018, a group of individuals who called themselves Circus Maximus announced their intention to bring the shelved Capcom gangster-themed pinball machine Kingpin back to life. Kingpin was the last game designed by Capcom's shuttered pinball division all the way back in 1996. Only nine units of this Mark Ritchie-designed game were produced before Capcom pulled the plug on its operations, making the game super rare today. When Circus Maximus announced their plan to remake Kingpin, their original timeline was to have it for sale by sometime in 2019. Obviously that didn't happen. I'm sure that the initial delays in the project were compounded a thousand times by the pandemic. The project that the group was originally created to work on, reproducing the legendary Bally Pinball Circus game, appears to be dead in the water. The question is, what is the status of the Kingpin project, which seemed to be much further along than the original project? There has been complete silence from the Circus Maximums team for years. The "News" section of the company's website (http://www.circusmaximusgames.com/blog) hasn't been updated since 2017. As evidenced by the white hot market for remakes of classic pinball machines right now, Fathom, FunHouse, TOTAN, Medieval Madness, Cactus Canyon, Monster Bash, and on and on, a Kingpin remake makes a lot of sense to me. I bet that it would sell really well if it was done right. Is the project completely dead OR does the group have an agreement in place for a major pinball manufacturer, such as Chicago Gaming Company or American Pinball to manufacture their planned Kingpin machines for them with an NDA in place that prevents them from providing any updates right now as some rumors have suggested? I'm personally leaning towards the theory that the project is just dead, but I can't help but hold out a sliver of hope that this cool machine might indeed be lying in the weeds ready to pop out unexpectedly. Even though there's a huge backlog of pinball machines that have been designed but not manufactured yet because of the massive supply chain issues right now, I personally think that it would be smart for an existing manufacturer to bring Kingpin to life. Fingers crossed! I reached out to the Circus Maximus team this morning via the contact form on their website, but have yet to hear anything back. I will provide an update if I hear anything. Are there any fresh rumors on this game out there? If so, I'd love to hear them. A picture of Capcom's original translite for Kingpin. A picture of the "New" Limited Edition translite that the Circus Maximus commissioned the former Bally artist Dave Christensen to make for the new game. The original cabinet side art for Capcom Kingpin. The new side art for the Limited Edition Kingpin. A shot of the Kingpin remake's playfield. A Kingpin remake being played at the 2018 Texas Pinball Festival. The Circus Maximus team. A picture of Bally's The Pinball Circus, one of only 2 units ever produced. A presentation that the Circus Maximus team made at the Free Play Florida convention in 2018. Kingpin gameplay from the 2018 Southern Fried Gaming Expo Pictures are courtesy of the interesting pinside thread "Capcom Kingpin is being built..info here": https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/capcom-kingpin-is-being-builtinfo-here

_(Acquisition: raw_text, Enrichment: v1)_

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*Exported from Journalist Tool on 2026-04-13 | Item ID: 72858eda-a371-4919-a462-842cb90884cc*