In 1962, an Ohio businessman named Larry Patterson started producing and distributing a version of a German game called table soccer. He renamed the game foosball and by the 1970s, it was one of the most popular non-video arcade games in existence. The premise was simple – two or four players controlled a series of rods that had rows of plastic figurines attached, all hovering over a soccer field with a goal on each end. When a ball was dropped into the playing surface, the rods were spun to kick the ball towards the opponent’s goal or defend their own. It was loud, lively and a major hit in bars, restaurants and arcades around the country, with high stakes tournaments organized nationwide.

And thanks to its enormous success, it wasn’t long before game manufacturers were toying with the idea of other sports that might work well with a similar format. The most successful alternative by far was Chexx, which brought the sport of hockey into the realm of table games. Much like foosball, it could be enjoyed by two or four players, both of which arrangements being equally popular.

Chexx had a similar cabinet design, but with some notable differences. First, the rods didn’t rotate; they moved the figurines around the playing area, giving the illusion that the “players” were actually skating across the ice. Another major alteration was the oval-shaped, Plexiglas dome that completely enclosed the game’s playing surface. And then there was the inclusion of some wonderfully realistic sound effects, allowing the crowd to enthusiastically respond to the action with a hearty chorus of cheers or boos, depending on the circumstances.

Chexx, introduced by Innovative Concepts in Entertainment (ICE) in 1982, soon found its popularity rivaling foosball in arcades and bars across the country. Thanks to its enormous success, ICE developed cabinet-based games for other sports, such as Kixx, which was their own take on table soccer and two basketball games that would prove popular – Full Court Fever and Street Fever. For all those retro toy fans out there, ICE also created a coin-op version of Hungry Hungry Hippos in the mid-90s.
 
And in keeping with their roots, they also created a popular sequel to Chexx, called Super Chexx, complete with working scoreboard and enhanced sound effects. These machines have found success, not only in bars and arcades, but also in the home market. With over 20 years of successful games in their history, they continue to introduce unique games into the market, but perhaps none as well remembered as the Chexx series, which have spawned tournaments around the world and remains popular, especially among collectors, to this day.