A Fantasy Come True

flynn54321

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Ok... so this is an interesting one.
As some of you know I am a big fan of Rock-Ola games.. Eyes, Warp Warp, Pioneer Balloon, Jump Bug, Nibbler, etc.
Well I have always wanted a Fantasy... and a while back I was able to grab a board. Then came the marquee, and eventually I found a NOS cpo. I ended up wiring the game up in my living room and got it to work. All I needed was a cabinet. Well here is the rest of the story.

I have collected a few games like Eyes, Warp Warp and Nibbler and have a few extra cabinets that and the parts to build a Jump Bug and Pioneer Balloon. (although I need a board for the Pioneer Balloon yet) The problem was that I wanted to have a Fantasy with side art on it.

I ended up picking up a Nibbler that was very minty. A few weeks back my buddy Don1400 and I were looking over this Nibbler cabinet and he noticed something about the side art. There seemed to be something underneath. I immediately recognized what he saw - it was Fantasy side art under the Nibbler side art. Obviously the cabinet was originally a Fantasy and some Nibbler side art was slapped over the side at the factory and sold as a Nibbler.

My wheels started spinning and I decided I was going to try and remove it... well it worked.
I was able to remove the Nibbler art (without damaging it) and converted this cabinet back to the way it originally was at the factory. I could easily apply the art I removed to one of the cabinets that I have in my garage and make that into a Nibbler.

Anyway - I finally have a Fantasy in my collection - today is a good day!

Here are some pics.
 

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Thats funny because I just picked up a Warp Warp today for free. The game plays blind but is in pretty nice shape. I know it's not exactly the most popular game out there but I will still try and get it working so I can check it out.
 
There was a fantasy for sale here in the NW for a while. I thought the game looked lame so I never bothered. Another collector bought it and I finally got to play it as his place. It's alot of fun and I kicked myself for not buying it when I had the chance. Nice game - Barry
 
That sure as hell doesn't happen very often. Good story - and nice sideart!
 
Thats funny because I just picked up a Warp Warp today for free. The game plays blind but is in pretty nice shape. I know it's not exactly the most popular game out there but I will still try and get it working so I can check it out.

Very cool - I have a nice warp warp with side art etc. The game is a bust though... very boring. But then again - Fantasy and Pioneer Balloon are pretty boring Rock-Ola games as well.
 
Very cool indeed! That cabinet looks stunning. Fantasy is a pretty neat game, though it takes a while to get used to.
 
that is an awesome story. so, is fantasy a fun game to play? never heard of it until now...

The one thing I can say about it - is that it has a variety of levels... several different scenarios that you go through to succeed. Plus during one of the levels the background music is a version of the classic hit "Funkytown."

I also love the native sound effects and the gorilla noises.
 
are all these games Control Panels just a Screen Printed overlay?

My Thrundercade used too be one of these I can see the Rock A Rolla on one of the sides through the black Paint.

Seems like the Cab was blue? You can still see the blue on the inside and kinda peeking out on the outside... Does that make it a BugJump?

I would love too convert mine back but parts are hard too find for these.
 
are all these games Control Panels just a Screen Printed overlay?

My Thrundercade used too be one of these I can see the Rock A Rolla on one of the sides through the black Paint.

Seems like the Cab was blue? You can still see the blue on the inside and kinda peeking out on the outside... Does that make it a BugJump?

I would love too convert mine back but parts are hard too find for these.


Let me see if I can clear this up.
The Rock-Ola games all came in the same shape cabinet. There were the games that had a blue theme and the games that had a green theme.
The control panels all looked the same with the exception of Warp Warp (which had a different layout of the controls) and Demon - which had a different color scheme than the others. Demon also had a custom monitor bezel and color overlay for the monitor (which is horizontal rather than all the other Rock-Ola games which have the monitor vertical)
Also (as far as the control panels) Jump Bug and Fantasy had an instruction card insert on the left side of the control panel.
The green games were Nibbler and Fantasy. The blue games were Eyes, Pioneer Balloon, Jump Bug and Warp Warp.
Here are some pics of my Warp Warp, Eyes, and Nibbler (which now has been turned back into a Fantasy and the Nibbler parts will be used for the Rock-Ola cabinet I have in my garage).
 

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There was a fantasy for sale here in the NW for a while. I thought the game looked lame so I never bothered. Another collector bought it and I finally got to play it as his place. It's alot of fun and I kicked myself for not buying it when I had the chance. Nice game - Barry

i'm glad i picked it up, and at a pretty nice price too. now if i could find a good grommet for the joystick i'd be really happy.
 
I was a Fantasy master when i was 10, i think. It was the only game within walking distance of my house. I played it all the time.

Someday I may find one, and be able to afford it at the same time...
 
I was a Fantasy master when i was 10, i think. It was the only game within walking distance of my house. I played it all the time.

Someday I may find one, and be able to afford it at the same time...

That's definitely interesting. I have to wonder how many of them were made. It is a very primitive game... but I love how it actually talks!
 
I know at least one local member has (or had) one.

I remember I used to have the balloon patterns memorized so I could zip right through them with no problem.

BTW - that game was located in Harlan, IA, at the time, probably around 81-82, which would've made me 12-13...
 
A toast to whoever at the factory put the sideart on over top of the Fantasy art, it looks like it's in absolutely gorgeous shape! Congrats on the find, great looking game.
 
TY for responding.. I still need too know if these control panels where overlays? or Kits? I'm again asking this becouse the Turndercade cp wondering if this was the cp from the cab or was it in a Thurdercade kit?
Let me see if I can clear this up.
The Rock-Ola games all came in the same shape cabinet. There were the games that had a blue theme and the games that had a green theme.
The control panels all looked the same with the exception of Warp Warp (which had a different layout of the controls) and Demon - which had a different color scheme than the others. Demon also had a custom monitor bezel and color overlay for the monitor (which is horizontal rather than all the other Rock-Ola games which have the monitor vertical)
Also (as far as the control panels) Jump Bug and Fantasy had an instruction card insert on the left side of the control panel.
The green games were Nibbler and Fantasy. The blue games were Eyes, Pioneer Balloon, Jump Bug and Warp Warp.
Here are some pics of my Warp Warp, Eyes, and Nibbler (which now has been turned back into a Fantasy and the Nibbler parts will be used for the Rock-Ola cabinet I have in my garage).
 
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