Skee ball
Skee ball (also skeeball, skee-ball and skee roll) is a game of skill that was invented in 1909 by JD Estes in Philadelphia . In 1935 Wurlitzer acquired the rights . It is one of the first so-called redemption games in arcades .
Game description
The game principle is similar to that of skittles or bowling . The front part of the device consists of a narrow, gently sloping track surface that is about three meters long (standard version 10 or 13 feet). At the rear there is a ramp (ball-hop) inclined by about 45 degrees with five holes on top of each other with raised, ring-shaped borders.
The player must, one at a time, roll up baseball-sized balls (officially 3 inches in diameter) and hit one of the holes, with the score ranging from 10 (bottom) to 50 (top). If no hole is hit in the middle, the ball will roll into the lower hole due to the wider border. In the standard version there are also versions with two additional 100-point holes, which are located on the top left and right.
The aim is to get as many points as possible. In Germany you can usually find these games at the fair , and depending on the number of points you receive a corresponding price, for example toys.
variants
There are numerous newer variants, often with acoustic or optical effects; the game principle remains the same. For example
- larger or smaller versions
- Alley Hoops or Basket Fever , with mini basketball hoops instead of holes
- Base Hits Alley , in baseball look
- Bustin balloons , balloons have to be burst
- Dunk N 'Alien , a moving alien must be hit
- Scat cats , cat figures have to be hit
There are also implementations as computer games , for example for Nintendo Wii .
Similar redemption games
- Fascination (straight face, 25 holes)
- Skee Bowl, with three holes
- Air pressure catapult instead of ball rolls
- mechanical horse racing ( steeplechase / derby / camel racing), also with holes and balls
