Fascination - Soon To Be Completely Extinct?
After the big hull-a-baloo made awhile back about CP removing Fascination I realized a lot of people really enjoyed it. Then, Saturday, at SFWOA, I noticed Fascination was also gone there, and replaced with a make-shift arcade. Anyone else see this? After these two parks removal of the game, who is next, or shall we say, who has still has it? And what is the main removal reason?
Kappa
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You affect me, you infect me...
Kappa
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You affect me, you infect me...
I think that one of the main reasons for Cedar Point was the inability to find parts for it. The machines are getting old and I don't think that parts are easy to find. At SFWoA I know that they did need an arcade over in that section because there was none in that area anymore in the event of rain. Also, I know that a few years ago Fascination at that park was barely turning a profit. Yes, it was losing popularity.
I like Fascination... it's cheap & fun... and if there's not a lotta people playing it, you have a better chance of winning!!
But anyway, over at Six Flags Darien Lake, the game is still going strong there.
There is no signs of it closing, converting to a gift shop, or just demolishig it altogether...
I hope it does stay. It's a decent place to head to when the heat index beats over 100 degrees off of the hot pavement!!!
But anyway, over at Six Flags Darien Lake, the game is still going strong there.
There is no signs of it closing, converting to a gift shop, or just demolishig it altogether...
I hope it does stay. It's a decent place to head to when the heat index beats over 100 degrees off of the hot pavement!!!
mechatech said:
"I was thinking about that also. Indiana Beach still has fascination, they better not remove it. It's a fun game, gives the old folk something fun to play while the kids go ride the rides(something my grandma always said)."
Yup, they still have their's. I love the sign for it at night, how it changes colors. I didn't realise that both arcades were called "Fascination". Didn't think you could ever compare Indiana Beach and Cedar Point! It is a huge arcade...and I make sure to stop there every time I'm at the beach (love the Jurassic Park simulator game!)
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-Glitchey
Who was at BGW on April 28th.
Glitch01 says:
Thats it? Just a big arcade? Who came up with this name? Why arent we just saying the disappearance of the arcades? I have never heard it termed that way and I used to frequent arcades alot when I was younger.
Yes, I do have plans to visit Indiana Beach this year. I love big arcades so that will be a focal point for me.
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"SAVING THE WORLD BEFORE BEDTIME" Powerpuff girls
Fascination...it's just a huge arcade. I think that's all that to it...maybe someone has more history to it.
Thats it? Just a big arcade? Who came up with this name? Why arent we just saying the disappearance of the arcades? I have never heard it termed that way and I used to frequent arcades alot when I was younger.
Yes, I do have plans to visit Indiana Beach this year. I love big arcades so that will be a focal point for me.
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"SAVING THE WORLD BEFORE BEDTIME" Powerpuff girls
Fascination is a, roll the rubber ball game. I don't know exactly how to describe it. At IB Its a room with about 15 or so whatever they're called, ball rolling stations. After the ball rolls down a slight slope it will fall through 1 of 20 holes, when it falls through the hole it lights up a light up above the holes. The object of the game is to light up a row of lights either vertically horizontally or diagonally. You play against other people, first one to complete a row of lights wins a ticket, the tickets can be collected and used for prizes.
Fascination is best described as BINGO with lights... you roll a rubber ball down an alley, and it will fall into one of 24 holes that are arranged 5 x 5 (the center hole doesn't really exist, it is a freebee). Your "results" are displayed on an illuminated board directly above your alley. As mechatech said, you can win by getting 5 lights in a row- horizontally, vertically, or diagonally. The fascination games I have played also run "Cover-All" games every hour or so, where you must light up all 25 lights in order to win.
I vacation in Wildwood, NJ every summer, where fascination is quite popular in the Olympic Casino arcade across from Morey's Pier (home of the Great Nor'easter). On weekend and hot summer nights, there is a 15-minute wait for an alley (there are about 100 alleys in the arcade)... fascination in Wildwood is definitely not going anywhere!
I vacation in Wildwood, NJ every summer, where fascination is quite popular in the Olympic Casino arcade across from Morey's Pier (home of the Great Nor'easter). On weekend and hot summer nights, there is a 15-minute wait for an alley (there are about 100 alleys in the arcade)... fascination in Wildwood is definitely not going anywhere!
Knoebels still has Fascination, and Americana has a room full of alleys collecting dust (along with everthing else there). Now that you mention it, I don'r recall seeing the game at Kennywood last summer.
I doesn't surprise me that SFO took theirs out, I mean there was no one playing it last year, and they were charging 50 cents which is steep for Fascination.
But I guess we'll loose the game to lack of replacement parts. Shame too, simple game from the near turn of the century that has a loyal following insome spots. I am a bit surpised no one has built a modern replica of the game. (I guess we'll need a park that makes big money off the game to commision it)
It seems right up Bob's Space Racer's alley, I mean they already build the Racing Derby rolldowns, so they have the technology, BSR could also add an audit system to the game and more midway flash. Compare some of BSR's older games to their newer games, a lot of them are the same basic game, just with more midway flash. Also if I recall the orginal Fascination had no audit system, to count players and thus calculate how much money the operators should have, nor the ability to hold the balls for a more equal start.
Again, it will probably take a park that is still seeing a good revenue off Fascination to run out of spare parts and commision BSR or some other vendor to manufacture the game again.
On a side thought: I wonder if the NAPHA archives were able to obtain a Fascination machine (or two) from a park who dismantled the game.
They truly are part of park history. It's a game that I've only played at amusement parks.
I doesn't surprise me that SFO took theirs out, I mean there was no one playing it last year, and they were charging 50 cents which is steep for Fascination.
But I guess we'll loose the game to lack of replacement parts. Shame too, simple game from the near turn of the century that has a loyal following insome spots. I am a bit surpised no one has built a modern replica of the game. (I guess we'll need a park that makes big money off the game to commision it)
It seems right up Bob's Space Racer's alley, I mean they already build the Racing Derby rolldowns, so they have the technology, BSR could also add an audit system to the game and more midway flash. Compare some of BSR's older games to their newer games, a lot of them are the same basic game, just with more midway flash. Also if I recall the orginal Fascination had no audit system, to count players and thus calculate how much money the operators should have, nor the ability to hold the balls for a more equal start.
Again, it will probably take a park that is still seeing a good revenue off Fascination to run out of spare parts and commision BSR or some other vendor to manufacture the game again.
On a side thought: I wonder if the NAPHA archives were able to obtain a Fascination machine (or two) from a park who dismantled the game.
They truly are part of park history. It's a game that I've only played at amusement parks.
OHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH....ok. I was totally in the wrong direction for Fascination. I thought it was just an arcade...but I thought back of the Indiana Beach boardwalk and remembered that the sign was right above the rubber ball bowling thing NOT the arcade. Sorry about that Chitown, I wasn't remembering the right area for Fascination. I've never played it, but it's in a nice air condititioned building adjacent to the board walk and shops (right across from the bumper cars) :)
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-Glitchey
Who was at BGW on April 28th. *** This post was edited by Glitch01 on 5/7/2001. ***
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-Glitchey
Who was at BGW on April 28th. *** This post was edited by Glitch01 on 5/7/2001. ***
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