BookmarkAll About Chexx Bubble Hockey
The best name in bubble hockey entertainment
Ask anyone who's passionate about bubble hockey and they'll tell you: Chexx bubble hockey is the game to own. Manufactured by Innovative Concepts in Entertainment, or ICE, Chexx bubble hockey tables and Super Chexx bubble hockey tables are the most popular and highest quality bubble hockey tables you're going to find. Other bubble hockey tables may be cheaper, but Chexx bubble hockey tables offer the highest quality and most realistic game play around.
A history of ICE hockey
ICE was started in Buffalo, New York in 1982 by Ralph Coppola and Jack Willert. ICE had only one product at that time: the first Chexx bubble hockey table. American hockey fans were still flush with their 1980 Olympic victory over the Russian team, and ICE tapped into that fervor by setting the action of Chexx bubble hockey between the USA and the USSR.
Even though the gaming scene of the early 1980s was dominated by arcade games such as Pac-Man and Donkey Kong, ICE's Chexx bubble hockey tables were a commercial success. ICE sold 5,000 Chexx bubble hockey tables in their first year of operation. Since the fall of the Soviet Union, ICE's 1990s and contemporary bubble hockey tables, known as Super Chexx bubble hockey, have featured Canada versus America or home versus away teams.
Super Chexx bubble hockey design
What sets the Super Chexx bubble hockey table apart from the competition is its quality and technological features. Super Chexx bubble hockey tables measure 52 inches long by 51 inches high by 37 inches wide and weigh 125 lbs. A sturdy polycarbonate dome or "bubble" covers the playing surface.
Directly beneath the dome are an overhead light and an electronic scoreboard that records goals, shots on goal, period of play, and running time (period times can be adjusted for longer or shorter games). The Super Chexx bubble hockey table can be set for coin-operated or free play, making it suitable for arcades, bars, and home rec room or basement use.
The design features of the Super Chexx bubble hockey table add a great deal to the realism of play. For example, a crowd's excited "OOHHH!" noise follows shots on goal. A "Boo!" button is also available, and the Super Chexx bubble hockey table features both the Canadian and American national anthems for pre-game patriotism.
Adding further to the excitement is the sudden death feature. The Super Chexx bubble hockey table does not permit ties. If a game is tied at the end of regulation time, play continues until a goal is scored.
Buying a Chexx bubble hockey table
The Super Chexx bubble hockey table typically sells for right around $2,600. If you think you'll have trouble fitting your Super Chexx bubble hockey table through any doors, go with the split base option, which includes an unfolding hinged base for easier moving access.
The Super Chexx bubble hockey table comes with a limited warranty. Spare and replacement parts can be ordered through the ICE website (www.icegame.com). A service manual can also be downloaded from that site as a PDF file. The most common problem you might have with your Super Chexx bubble hockey table is stripped or worn gearboxes used for player control. Replacement gearboxes are available from ICE for $13.95 each.
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