Who made Circus Charlie?

Circus Charlie was published by Konami, released in 1984.

What kind of game is Circus Charlie?

Circus Charlie is a action game for the Sega Master System.

Can two people play Circus Charlie?

No. Circus Charlie is a single-player game, so it has no two-player mode.

How much data does Circus Charlie load?

The Circus Charlie ROM is 24 kB. It is fetched once when you press play and then cached by your browser, so returning to the game does not download it again.

Which emulators can run Circus Charlie?

Circus Charlie runs on Sega Master System and SMS Plus GX. You can switch between them from the emulator list further down this page if one performs better on your device.

Circus Charlie Game (1984) - Sega SG-1000

Name: Circus Charlie
Availability: InStock
Author: Konami

Action / Button	Keyboard Key
D-Pad (Up / Down / Left / Right)	`Arrow Keys`
Button A	`Z` or `J`
Button B	`X` or `K`
Button X / Turbo A	`A` or `U`
Button Y / Turbo B	`S` or `I`
Select	`Shift`
Start	`Enter`

Gamepad Input	Retro Function	Keyboard Key
D-Pad / Analog	Character Movement / Steering	`▲` `▼` `◄` `►`
Button A (East)	Primary Action / Attack / Fire	`Z` / `K`
Button B (South)	Secondary / Jump / Cancel	`X` / `J`
Button X / Y	Special / Turbo / Extra Fire	`A` / `S`
Select	Insert Coin / Select Option	`Right Shift`
Start	Game Start / Pause Game	`Enter`

Gamepad Input

Retro Function

Keyboard Key

D-Pad / Analog

Character Movement / Steering

▲ ▼ ◄ ►

Button A (East)

Primary Action / Attack / Fire

Z / K

Button B (South)

Secondary / Jump / Cancel

X / J

Button X / Y

Special / Turbo / Extra Fire

A / S

Select

Insert Coin / Select Option

Right Shift

Start

Game Start / Pause Game

Enter

Emulator Core Engine	Technology	Multiplayer	Gamepad	Touch	Ads	Action / Switch
EmulatorJS (Default WebAssembly)	`WebAssembly / JS`	YES	YES	YES	NO	PLAY ⚡
Sega Master System (Recommended)	`WebAssembly / Libretro`	YES	YES	YES	NO	▶ ACTIVE
SMS Plus GX	`WebAssembly / Libretro`	YES	YES	YES	NO	PLAY ⚡

Emulator Core Engine

Technology

Multiplayer

Gamepad

Touch

Ads

Action / Switch

EmulatorJS (Default WebAssembly)

WebAssembly / JS

YES

PLAY ⚡

Sega Master System (Recommended)

WebAssembly / Libretro

YES

▶ ACTIVE

SMS Plus GX

WebAssembly / Libretro

YES

PLAY ⚡

Circus Charlie is a classic action game released by Konami in 1984 for the Sega SG-1000. Players guide the clown Charlie through a series of demanding circus events, testing reflexes and timing. From riding a lion through flaming hoops to tightrope walking over mischievous monkeys, each stage offers a distinct, fast-paced challenge.

How to play

The objective is to successfully complete each act by reaching the finish pedestal without losing all your lives. Timing is critical, as hazards approach at varying speeds.

Arrow keys: Move left or right to adjust speed and position.
Z / X: Jump (used to leap through hoops, vault over monkeys, or jump between obstacles).
Enter: Start or pause the game.

Tips

On the flaming hoop stage, focus on the spacing between the rings rather than rushing; you can move backward slightly to adjust your jump arc.
When tightrope walking, watch the movement patterns of the monkeys—some will leap over you if you time your approach, while others must be jumped over manually.