P.T. Barnum's Acrobats!

P.T. Barnum's Acrobats! is another clone of Bally Midway's 1978 arcade game Clowns.

Three rows of colored balloons are displayed at the top of the screen, moving back and forward: a blue, a yellow and a red row. The players control two acrobats jumping over a teeter, moving it in order to avoid the acrobats from crashing into the ground. Once an acrobat lands at one side of the teeter, the acrobat on the opposite side will be launched in the air, toward the balloons. The farther from the opposite acrobat the jumping one lands, the higher the opposite one will be launched. As the acrobats reach the balloons, they'll pop them, bouncing to pop other balloons before falling. Once a row is completely popped, it will be replaced by another one. Each game consists of a ten jumps series.

The players score 2 points for each blue balloon, 4 points for each yellow balloon and 6 points for each red one. They'll additionally score 15 points for a complete blue row, 20 points for a yellow row and 25 points for a red row.

The game has a total of 18 possible variations, including one and two player games:

• Single player variations:

  1. (Press 0) Moving balloons with no shield.
  2. (Press 3) A stationary shield will be displayed at the center of the screen. If the acrobats hit the shield from the upper side, they'll bounce up, if they hit it from the bottom side, they'll fall to the ground faster.
  3. (Press 6) A shield will appear and disappear at random times and random positions.
  4. (Press 9) Stationary balloons with no shield.
  5. (Press C) Stationary balloons and stationary shield.
  6. (Press F) Stationary balloons with random shield.

• Two player variations:

  • Version I: players take turns every time an acrobat crashes into the ground.

    1. (Press 1) Moving balloons with no shield.
    2. (Press 4) Moving balloons with stationary shield.
    3. (Press 7) Moving balloons with random shield.
    4. (Press A) Stationary balloons with no shield.
    5. (Press D) Stationary balloons with stationary shield.
    6. (Press G) Stationary balloons with random shield.

  • Version II: players take turns after each jump.

    1. (Press 2) Moving balloons with no shield.
    2. (Press 5) Moving balloons with stationary shield.
    3. (Press 8) Moving balloons with random shield.
    4. (Press B) Stationary balloons with no shield.
    5. (Press E) Stationary balloons with stationary shield.
    6. (Press H) Stationary balloons with random shield.