When you go to an arcade, the one universal game you will always find is skee-ball, a classic, go-to arcade game that you can never go wrong with. Skee-ball is one of the very first arcade and redemption games that you could play and sell as it was invented in the early 20th century by a man named Joseph Fourestier Simpson.
Simpson always wanted to invent something that would have a long-lasting effect, but none of his other inventions were as popular as skee-ball.
Skee-ball is a modified form of bowling that allows players to throw a skee ball over a bump and into a hole with a pre-assigned point value. The name skee-ball was named after the skee (ski) hills including the ski jumps.
It isn't just a kids game, though, as the adults indulge in it as much as kids do, showing how it presents entertainment for all ages. You can find them in arcades, entertainment centers, bars, colleges, and right here in Valparaiso at Zao Island. More and more places keep adding this classic game to their establishment.
Remarkably, the game has not changed much in the past 110 years. Today's skee-ball machines still resemble Simpson’s early concept designs as the objective of the game has not changed much: throw the ball and hope you get it in the highest-scoring hole.
Skee-ball even has league teams around the country that are always welcoming new players to join. You may find it frustrating at first and struggle just like learning anything new, but practice makes perfect, so head down to Zao Island to get that practice in so you can perfect your skee-ball skills.
While the concept of the game is simple, the popularity of the game originates from how you can acquire skills to achieve high-scoring rolls. Regardless of your technique, the game can often surprise you and help almost anyone to a win.
For most skee-ball games, the available points per skee hole vary and include 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, and 100 points per ball. The lower the hole, the fewer points it awards, making it more difficult to score higher points.
Today, Skee-Ball is owned by Bay Tek Entertainment and remains a staple in gaming locations around the world. It is difficult to find a public arcade without one of these machines featured inside.
While the history of skee-ball is interesting, the citizens of Valparaiso lucked out as their own Zao Island holds skee-ball machines for all to use. Challenge your friends and family at a duel to see just who the best skee baller is. Whoever scores the most points might just win themselves a prize from Zao Island’s exciting prize room selections.
Adults who may be looking for a bit of nostalgia can always stop in Zao Island for a game or two or twenty. Even if skee-ball isn't for you, Zao Island has over 60 other arcade games that you can indulge in. But who doesn’t love a good game of skee-ball?
If you want to know more about Zao Island and its classic games like skee-ball, visit zaoisland.net or head to the entertainment center in person at 1050 Horse Prairie Avenue in Valparaiso.