Fascination

Like God, I've always had a weakness for skee-ball, which sounds very similar to the game you like so much.

Skee-ball (another favorite) was kind of similar... except Skee-ball had those concentric circles (is that the right word?) and you acculmulated points. Fascination was slower paced (players sat), too.

But in both of them, you rolled things. :)

I have a fondness for rapper Skee-Lo.

Which of course reminds me of late (at least I think she's late) country singer Skeeter Davis. Which makes me think: "Jeezus. Skeeter???"

Hrm...That does sound familiar. At the arcade I used to work for, we
had a game there called "Light-A-Line" that worked along the same
lines as to what you're talking about. Only on this game, every hole
corresponded to one or two numbers that would light up on the card
(or cards, if you put more than one coin in) on the backglass, trying
to complete a line or another payout combination within 5 or 6
balls.

I know that probably wasn't what you're thinking of, but I hope it
helps.

Josh -- That does sound similar...

Here's one page that mentions Fascination and refers to it as the "Roll the Ball Game" (about halfway down).

I remember playing it as a kid at amusement parks. I think you got tickets when you won, to redeem for prizes. I like the new variety where you roll a golf ball into hole marked with different numbers, that advance a horse up on the wall a certain distance toward a finish line.

That sounds more like a Price is Right game to me. :)

"Roll the ball, light the lights, it's BINGO in electric light! Come on in sit right down, If you've never played, we'll show you how! Only ten cents to play the game, Fascination is the name" I spent many an hour barking these very words. Fascination was my life for the summer of 1996. Old Orchard Beach, Maine had the oldest most decrepit gameboards of them all. I spent two hours a week cleaning telephone relays that made the game work. I don't know if it was the toxic contact cleaner or the fast paced banter that I used to shpeil off that drove me nuts, but one thing is for sure . . . there's no other game like it. Win on the green line, play for free until another player wins on the green line. Win on the yellow line, win double tickets. Win on the red line, win triple tickets. Blue line special prize . . . usually something we normally couldnt give away (we called it the boobie prize behind their backs) white line, share the wealth . . . you and the people on either side of you got equal amount of tickets. We had 42 game tables and could fill them all for hours on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights, what the heck . . . it was only ten cents a game. We would finish a game, have the money for the next game picked up by the second roll and as soon as the game was over hand out tickets . . . all while the sound of the bell indicated the start of the next game. By midnight the girls (game attendants) and I (caller) would be worn out. We would curse the game and swear under our breath because some old lady dropped a dime into a trough, slowing game play and giving the players (mooches) a chance to count just how much they spent . . . most games ended within eight rolls. Solid action for five or six hours . . . but it's gone now. we tore out the game tables at the end of that summer to make way for a night club, (it lasted a month) the game sat in storage for a year until it met a timely demise at the scrap yard. As much as I hated that game at the time, I could appreciate the draw, the action and the urgency it created.
I still keep my hands in the Amusement Industry, guessing people's ages and weights, running the occasional quarter pitch or conning some joe into a friendly game of four ball, but there really is nothing like fascination.

May all your wins be "Red Liners" and all your prizes be reminders, come on back and see us again, we'll save you a seat for just ten cents"
Jim Desrosiers - Old Orchard Beach, Maine

I have a couple of pictures posted of a recent game of Fascination, if anyone's interested.

I loved Fascination and I really miss the game. Is there any website where you can find where Fascination still exists? I know that it's a dead game as far as young people today are concerned, but I love it and still want to play. Thanks for posting this question and let me know if you have information about where I can find this great game.

Thanks.

Kevin -- You can definitely still play at the boardwalk in Wildwood, NJ. I think it's still around in Atlantic City, as well.

This game is still alive and well out here in Sylvan Beach, NY (about 30mins East of Syracuse). You play for $.25 per play but on Wednesday its $.10 per game which is a more popular game and you win tickes to get misc prizes. There are about 30 to 40 machines in play and in fair condition. Its only about 4 miles from my house and I go play $5 worth at least once or twice per week.

I've decided either I'm going to track down a classic set of Fascination games (unlikely) and repair it... or build one from scratch. I know there are newer varieties bet I refuse to buy this plastic crap they use now-a-days. I know plastic type games can be mass produces and WAYYY cheaper to build but it isn't the same. The same goes for Skeeball. There seems to be at least 1 company making new Skeebal machines that seem nice ( SmartBall ) but their balls are solid plastic and just don't have the exact feel & weight of the classic wooden balls. I'm defiently buying a Skeeball machine even if it's a new one and replacing the balls with wooden ones, even if I have to make my own. Lately I'm starting to like the idea of possible re-creating classic boardwalk games but at this point in my life I don't have the free time ( I'm 26 with a long term girl ) nor the money ( at least $10,000 needed just te buy the equipment to make them ).

I have been playing Fascination on the Wildwood Boardwalk for about 40 years. I'm only 50, so you can imagine how many hours I spent there with my mother. She's gone now, but every time I roll the ball, I think of her. After accumulating tickets for a year I won a suitcase and a steam upholstery cleaner last year. Of course, it probably cost me a thousand bucks to accumulate that many tickets (at 20 cents per game), but it's the thrill of maybe "getting a red line" that counts. They have a website. I think it's NJFascination.com.

Ram: Fascination in Wildwood, NJ is very much open and very much running. You can catch a glimpse of it (just to put a picture in your memory) at www.njfascination.com.

The system is the same (20cents per game), only now everything is electronic. No more of the attendants coming around collecting dimes, it takes token's that you purchase ahead of time and load into an electronic tube.

Prizes are some of the best on the boardwalk, with realistic redemtion numbers. None of the 360,000 points for a stuffed monkey the size of your thumb.

You really should get yourself back down there -- Wildwood is still a fun place to vacation, and they are really working on revitalizing the area to make it more eye-catching and appealing.

Sandi -- Thanks for passing that along... great link! If you read through the comments, I also posted a few pictures from this summer at that very Fascination location.

I spend my summers at wildwood with my grandmother fascination is the best. Also was lucky to be able to play in my home state upstate ny. We live on one of the finger lakes, which had a amusment park called roseland fascination was big. The park is no longer. Still have the house in north wildwood go there every summer my kids love it. How can you not.

I worked at the Long Beach, NY Fascination - I was there in 1965 and probably got the job cause i won too often. I was definitely addicted. Sure would like to track down a machine to keep in my game room at home, but it seems they are scrapped when the places close down like at Cedar Point. Anyone hears of one offered please let me know! cpr

Wow... a Fascination game (or a pair!) *would* be quite a fun addition to a game room...

Now you're giving me ideas. :)

Well, I guess that I would be " Mr. Fascination " !

I am the owner and operator of the world's finest Fascination Game located at Young Ave. and Boardwalk, in Wildwood, New Jersey, ( just north of the new convention center ).

As far as I know I am the only person with fascination tables in both of my homes and I also own all of the Fascination equipment from Hershey Park...Dorney Park...Keansburg Amusement Park...Seaside Heights...and both systems from Kennywood Park.

The Fascination game has all but disappeared today mainly because of high operation costs, ( including hourly wages of attendents, high electric bills, high square footage requirements resulting in high rents, and expensive equipment costs and/or maintenance ), plus the required specialized and talented master of ceromonies.

In this world of varried interests, with mega shopping malls, home entertainment centers, and internet websights, the entire amusement park experience has changed shifting its focus to " entertainment " that requires little time spent by patrons while charging a large fee and offering the promise of a quick win on items to lure the patron; the Fascination Game is not that type of operation.

Today I operate Flipper's Fascination at a cost to play of only .20 cents per game, which is the same cost that I gladly paid which I was a kid in the early 70's ! Add that to countless added features and free games given away and it is clearly the best deal found anywhere in the amusement industry.

Fascination is also know in the amusement industry as the hardest game operation by far with the smallest return on investment for the owners.

Amusement parks today look for the most profit for the smallest square footage and effort of operation. Amusement park planners miss the big picture when they do not plan on the guest attendence that is drawn to major entertainment anchors like the Fascination game.

The bottomline profits of the fascination games are seen in the surrounding operations with major increases in guest foot traffic to the area of the park and the ultimate guest purchases of food/drink and gifts items offered.

The problem comes in when the Fascination owners do not own the surrounding operations and therefor do not add to their bottomline by the generated foot traffic to the area.

When the park owners do not give conciderations to the foot traffic generated to other area attractions when they look for rent increases it results in the main draw being priced out of business and this was the fate of many fascination games.

I am not only a Fascination game operator, but I am also a custom amusement game creator specializing in group challenge games of which the Fascination game is the finest example of.

I have customized Fascination games to include a system that can actually run itself and is controled by a life size Audio-animatronic figure who announces all the happenings as the game's master of ceromonies and actually responds to the current events taking place on the game at the time by creating its own responces based on need of the games !

In addition I have coin/token automated the payment systems on the equipment releasing the operation of the collection attendent burden both in cost factor and dependence.

Countless game features have been re-engineered into my Fascination game system which now offers automatic floating free players, flashing line board bonus boards, super stop light bonus boards, traveling light bonus systems, player's choice level of play systems, special feature bonus wins, Add-a-light bonus systems plus a mryid of others as the list goes on !

Yes, although those beloved Fascination games of our memories have passed on, through my personal passion for the game and my unusual talents as the games engineer, Fascination lives on at Flipper's Fascination at Young Ave in Wildwood New Jersey !

And although some people's memories reflect upon " blue haired " ladies playing Fascination, that is not true today. Infact, Fascination is one of the few places that the entire family can enjoy. The game's appeal is timeless and for all ages... " Fun for all, small and tall, as long as you can roll a ball... " !

So if you get the chance, treat yourself to a goodtime.... " be a big shot for a buck ".... come on down and see for yourself and bring your friends !

Flipper's Fascination is open on weekends in March, April, and May...
Everyday in June, July, Augest, and half of September, and Weekends in October, and November. Call for current hours of operation... 609-522-4747.

As for the other great games found in the amusement park arcades from the 50's through the 80's, I currently own the world's largest collection of these memories as well and I am in setting up a " hands on " museum of all those great games in Wildwood in the historic Woolworth's Building at the corner of Wildwood and Pacific Aves. which will be home to hundreds of collectable amusement games and memories from the past and will be opened sometime in the future.

Keep in contact with Flipper's Fascination for infomation on The Goodtime Emporium.

I will see you there !!!!

Randy Senna

Owner: Flipper's Fascination
The Goodtime Emporium
Outstanding Amusements
Randyland Engineering

3210 Pacific Ave.
Wildwood, New Jersey 08260

you can also play the very classic version of fascination with original machines in nantasket, MA....about 1/2 hour outside of boston....its located on the boardwalk...i'm addicted :) i play everytime i go out to visit a friend out there....
just thought id give ya a heads up in case youre ever in the boston area...

Fascination is being turned into a casino video game called Xingo. It's starting out at Hollywood Park and moving across the country. It's being made by a company called UWink.

I played Fascination as a kid in Rockaway Playland! I have been looking to play again for years. Does anyone know of a place near NYC, but closer than Wildwood?

Fascination--practically the only game I've ever played in any amusement park. As a child, I'd always walk by Fascination, wondering what the deal was. It took me until I was 25 to actually get in and play a game at Cedar Point despite at least one trip a year there. All it took was one game, and I was hooked. I'd spend at least $20 every trip to CP on Fascination, and once I got a season pass, I was going around 5 or 6 times a year.

After the 2000 season, as many here probably know, CP unceremoniously dumped Fascination after 46 seasons without any prior announcement in favor of a franchised restaurant which I wouldn't eat at even on the days it looks like it might actually pass a fire safety or health inspection (no, it's not that bad, but I hold grudges). Sure I enjoyed my last game of Fascination at CP, but I would have enjoyed it more if I had known it was going to be the very last time I played it there. At least I can take consolation in knowing that I won my last game at what I considered my lucky table, number 21.

My Fascination urges are now met periodically (once approximately every 2 years) by trips to San Francisco. A Fascination parlor exists on Market Street, between 6th and 7th. This parlor appears to be on its last legs. The number of broken tables seems to increase every time I go there, and it doesn't appear as busy as it was when I went there for the first time in 1997 (when I found it completely by accident). It would not surprise (but would greatly disappoint) me to find out it had closed by the time I make my next visit.

I hear there's Fascination still at Indiana Beach amusement park. It's good to see other Fascination parlors are still in existence (regardless of equipment) and I look forward to visiting them should I ever happen to be nearby. I'm surprised Kennywood, "Park of Things Antiquitous" as I call it sometimes, removed theirs. I didn't even know Kennywood ever had one until stumbling upon this website.

Count me among the numerous fans of the game that would LOVE to have a set of two or four tables (and the ubiquitous starting and ending bell) to include in that basement rec room. Maybe some day--a guy can hope, can't he? It would be nice to turn this dream into a reality.

Wow. I worked at Fascination during the Summer of 1985. But I still have so many memories of working there--and living in the apartment above the games. Any other alumni from 1985, please contact me. But I have one question: WHAT HAPPENED TO MARTY SHAPIRO?????? I hope he is well and enjoying his horses somewhere in Florida.

WILDWOOD '85 FOREVER

I love Flippers' not only for the thrill of beating the smoking cursing lady next to me, but I enjoy sitting down, relaxing, hearing the distant sound of the Great White roaring by, and watching disappointed patrons as I once again win a stack of tickets. If you were to play any other game on the Boards, you would easily drop $2 per game which would last about 20 seconds if you're lucky and you can walk away with your own junky sponge bob doll or some cheesy puppy with eyes that fall off the second you walk into the wind. Flippers is nice because you can spend $5 and stay for an hour if you get floating free plays and win a game that allows you the opportunity to play unlimited free games. My favorite is the cover-all where people turn into ball throwing maniacs, trying desperately to beat their neighbors. screams and shrieks can be heard from players on the upper level as Randy adds to the tension announcing we're down to 3 lights to light. people change. I've seen it. They hit the players choice box for 5X the amount and they smoke 3 cigarettes at a time. Randy remains calm, inviting guests who wander in off the Boards curiously observing this ritual. they seemed perplexed, but soon find themselves calling over the attendee for tokens, they put their junky sponge bob doll down, and boom. they're hooked. I love this game. I plan on visiting Wildwood all summer and seeing my favorite announcer, randy who sounds as though he could be hosting a TV talk show...maybe someday Randy. all must try this once. I promise. You WILL be hooked before too long!

Well I think I've found it. A place to spend my time in Wildwood. The employees of your establishment are always quite helpful as well as pleasant. they make you feel like one of the family. I can assure you that I will highly reccomend your arcade to people that I know are coming to Wildwood. By the way tell Jackie and Sam I'll be back to see them soon!

I found a rejected 10cent Fascination token on the coin counting machine in the Somers Point Acme Sunday PM.
It's from 1597 Broadway(48th St),NYC
The game was going great on the Atlantic City Boardwalk in the '30s and '40s.

What Randy did not tell you from Flippers is that he is the same operator who screwed hundreds of folks out of thousands of dollars of merchandise leaving them stranded when he closed up his games in seaside. Some of those same folks holding tickets trying to redeem them got the story that he does not own flippers well now you see he does. Also he has his workers accepting the real fascination coupons from 26th and Boardwalk and he has the redeeming down there to put prises in his showcase charging folks ten times that.

Save yourself the agony only play real fascination at olympic casino.

As per a reply to Mr. Mehlbaums comment. Shall I call it slander or favoritism? I believe that both are correct. If you have a preference to a particular Wildwood Fascination, you don’t need to try and generate business to a slow dying fascination (yes I checked the guest book from Olympic). I think sir, that you should get all the facts before expressing a negative opinion for one and praising another. I could tell you some things about Olympic, but I am better than rumors and gossip. I have played both, and I am far from the stereotypical "blue-haired" lady. I am 28years old and I like Flippers better. There is more action, you can choose to play or not to play if you have credits in the machine, “cover-all” only costs one token (unless you want more) and $5 bucks last me a whole lot longer. Try that at the other place. Then again that’s my opinion. Judge for yourself.


And may all your lines be BLUE.

Only Flippers players know!!!

Mr. Mehlbaum must work for Olympic Fascination. I have known Randy and have been going to Flippers for the past three years and I love it and so does my entire family. I have been going to Wildwood since I was a child and Fascination has been a game that I have loved and played for all of those years. Because I have always played and loved Fascination I used to play at Olympic Fascination (then the only place to play on the boardwalk). When I bought a summer home in WIldwood, my son and his finance also got hooked on the game. We played there for an entire summer and one night "Mr. Fascination" showed his true colors and made a very rude comment about my son - apparently he had won too many games that evening. We decided to turn in all the tickets we had won there and we started going to Flippers. What a wonderful change we made!! Randy is one of the nicest people we have met and his fascinaton is definitely the best - with free games and all the lights and action you could want in a game. For $5.00 you can play for over an hour. Flippers just celebrated it's third season on the boardwalk and hopefully Randy and Flippers will be there for many years to come!!!!

I remember the game of facination very well. Cover all was fun, but to
get the gold, blue or red line was the
best because you got more points if
you were able to get those color lines
straight across. I played with my grandmother and mother too at Wildwood and Seaside Heights, NJ. My grandmother was the best at this game. She would always win big prizes to take home at the end of our week long stay. I remember toasters and waffle makers, but most of all, I remember my mother and grandmother putting their prize tickets together for a carriage and baby doll for me. We would play into the wee hours of the morning, but of course I would fall asleep eventually with my head on the table where you roll the ball. This summer I went to Wildwood with my daughter and 2 year old granddaughter and introduced them to Fascination. My daughter loved it so much, she would go there at 11 am and stay until closing. The baby enjoyed rolling the ball too. I think Fascination is still one of the better games for all ages at the jersey shore. I wish there were more games of fascination at closer shore points.

I'm here in Long Beach, Ca. and i know not too long ago we had a game called "Light-A-Line" or something like that. I have heard that they moved it to another location nearby but I don't know where. Can anyone help me to find its new location?

as a child in the 50 & 60 my parents and i would go to coney island or rockaway playland there was always plenty of time saved for fasination. my folks got dishes and lots of other great stuff. i would like to find a place close to sacramento ca that had the game. it was the best

I am yet another person to take issue with Bob Mehlbaum's comments. I am one of those individuals who had coupons from Randy Senna's "Lucky's Fascination" at Seaside Heights. When I happened to find Randy's new establishment days after he opened in Wildwood, he proudly told me that he had been the same owner as the Seaside Fascination. He told me he would gladly match and honor any old Lucky's coupons I had without even asking how many I had. I doubt he'd remembered me from my teenage years and he made no attempt to deceive me. In fact, when I told him I used to enjoy the Seaside location, he seemed to welcome me as a long-lost friend. In my opinion, Randy is a brilliant, sincere, creative man with a passion (if not an obsession) for the love of electronics and games, which he demonstrates daily in his dedicated operation of his business. He is not the reason I first chose to vacation in Wildwood, but he is one of the main reasons I return each year.

There is a Fascination parlor alive and well in Upstate New York. It is at a small amusement park in Sylvan Beach on Oneida Lake. You can even print out coupons to play for a mere ten cents a game. Check it out for yourself www.sylvanbeach.org

Real Fascination is played on aged wood not the plastic piece of garbage randy has with his few prizes for outrageous amounts of coupons. I wonder what he did with all his stock when he robbed the customers of there prizes at Seaside. Ive been to flippers everytime you go buy nobody is in there and it costs more money much more money to play then the original

Fascination lives in Seaside, Oregon!

In my post of April 1, I noted that I welcomed the chance to visit any Fascination parlor I possibly could. One such opportunity presented itself by accident this past weekend, when, while visiting Portland, OR, I decided to drive to the coast. In the town of Seaside, just a block or two off the beach on Broadway, was a 40-table parlor! I got to play my fill (around $8.00 at a quarter a game) and even won my final game of the evening at lucky table 21 in the best way to win Fascination--by surprise (working so hard at another opportunity that I won with another, unrelated one).

Hopefully it was just a sign of the off-season, but when I first entered, there was NOBODY in the parlor at around 5 PM on Friday evening. After a visit to the beach and some souvenir shops, I returned. Again, there was no one, but this time I stayed. After a few practice rounds, more people wandered in and I got to hear the sound of the bell that literally gets the ball rolling. At one time there were perhaps around 15 players, but there were not enough at 8 PM to allow the scheduled coverall game to take place, which was disappointing.

This parlor is well-maintained, unlike the one in San Francisco. According to a few other players I talked to, the place does get jumping during the tourist season, which, to me, was a good sign for its survival (as well as the fact that it was part of a larger gaming complex and not a “stand-alone” operation). The entire experience was enjoyable from start to finish, with the friendly staff adding to the atmosphere. I cashed in my winning coupons for a six-in-one travel game case, an “Oregon” magnet and a deck of cards, keeping the ticket from my final win in my possession.

I now treat every visit to a Fascination parlor as possibly the last one I'll ever take. My desire to get even just a few tables for my very own remains as high as ever. While it's unlikely I'll return to Seaside within the next several years, I’ll remember fondly the good time I had there and look forward to my next Fascination visit.

I REMEMBER EDDIES FASCINATION ON CONEY ISLAND-BROOKLYN, NY
AS A CHILD IN THE LATE 60'S & EARLY 70'S. I ALSO REMEMBER THAT THE WINNING COUPON WAS EXCHANGABLE FOR A MONEY PRIZE.
THE 10c GAME WOULD WIN YOU A $1. THE SOPRANOS COULD HAVE A LITTLE FUN WITH A PLACE LIKE DIS!

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My mouth is still agape at the fact that "Fascination drama" has over taken the Ping. Should this be call "mud-pinging," perhaps?

Commenting for this Ping is being disabled, pending legal action.