Editorial Review

This game is sort of like Twister meets Simon Says. Lay the Hullabaloo pads around on the floor about two 'kid's feet' away from each other. The pads are different shapes and colors and have pictures and words on them. Turn on the game console and the cheerful music begins, a happy voice welcomes you to the game and then gives the simple directions you'll need to play. "Jump on a square shape," "Slide over to a red shape," "Hop to a shape with an animal on it" and so on. Then it might tell you to freeze, or to put a body part on one pad, and then a different body part on another. Then, it'll tell you that if you are on a particular pad at the end of that round, you are the winner. We found it to be fun, and easy to understand--though we did wonder how long it might hold a child's interest. --Megan Sullivan ... Read more

Reviews (23)

Non-Stop Fun
I bought this for my two year old's birthday. We played it with her 5,6,11,12,& 13 year old Uncles and cousins. The older kids played it all that night and all day the next day. My two year old thought it was fun to run around on the pads, but she was able to point at her nose when they said "nose" and point at her knee when they said "knee". Even some of the adults got in on the fun. Very fun game for all ages.

IGNORE any bad review! This is AWESOME!
My 3 year old daughter got this game as a gift and she LOVES to play! My 7 year old also LOVES this game! It is really cute and anytime they play - someone is giggling. (...). It is a good oppotrunity to teach children about being a good winner/loser no matter who wins. That said- this game is just plain fun! I've even played this one with my kids and we all have a good time. You can't go wrong with this!

"Winners"also means there are "losers"!
I bought this for my two 4 1/2 year-old grandchildren. They really liked it at first until one child "won" several times in a row and the other hadn't "won" at all. The idea is basically very good, but I don't like the "winners-losers" aspect at all. It's totally inappropriate for this age, and even for older children, there is nothing they can do to "win"- it's all random. In addition, I would have liked it to be a little slower paced for pre-schoolers (more time to "skip to the square" or do a dance between games, etc.). I wouldn't buy another one or advise others to do so.

We love this game!
My children, ages 6 and 3, got this for Christmas and are still playing it regularly. As a mom, I really love it, too, because it's one of very few games they can set up, play and put away all by themselves (great for them, and even better if I need to get something done!).

The battery-operated box was very easy for them to learn, and they get a kick out of the silly things it instructs them to do. Many, many thumbs up from our family! :-)

Very Fun Toy
My kids loved this toy. Even my 2 year old could play. It is a really great family game and changes everytime you play. Lots of fun! ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Amazing toy!
This is a great gift, a great toy. I am amazed by it, and so is everyone whom I have showed it to. It's great!

Lots of fun & full of surprises!
We got this toy as a gift & have just placed an order to send it as a gift as well.
It is as small as a yo-yo but has the artificial intelligence of a sofisticated robot.
This toy is surprisingly wise and witty; it seems to function as a mind reader.
It is great for rainy day recesses at school, parties and long car rides.
Highly recommended. The only negative is that it runs on batteries. ... Read more

Editorial Review

It's still hard to get a triple word score, the tiles are still made of wood, there's only one "X" in the whole box, and family feuds are increasing exponentially. But after 50 years, Scrabble has had a face-lift: a swivel base allows the board to turn so players don't have to work upside down, a plastic grid helps keep tiles in line, and a handy bag stores the letters when they're not in use. The premise hasn't changed at all--two to four players battle it out to make high-scoring words from seven little letters--so choose a dictionary before play begins to avoid ugly confrontations. --Lynne Sampson ... Read more

Reviews (68)

Play Scrabble? Buy This.
Remarkable. Scrabble is cool. Hep. Rad. Outta sight. But Scrabble in this deluxe form is sublime, intoxicating. The pieces stay put, thanks to little walls around each space. You can spin the board so as to not need to examine it upside down. The pieces never slide around. The plastic coating lets you wipe it off, unlike the cardboard version which stains. Nothing is compromised from the original, flat cardboard version, but everything is improved.

OK. Not everything. It still can't help you dump the Q, Z and J at the end of the game without a U. And it is unlikely to assist you in stopping your grandmother's amazing ability to squeeze you out of that triple word score you hoped to grab with a seven-letter word. Take that up with Gram. Just remember who made you the cookies.

Seriously, I recommend this to any family or commited Scrabble player. Families need it for that 'full-body contact' style of play that sometimes happens with children or cats involved. Commited Scrabble players need it for pretty much the same reason!

I fully recommend this game.

Anthony Trendl

A terrific game for the digital age!
Scrabble - deluxe, electronic, regular and travel editions, has been a tradition in our family for three generations. Even as technology becomes ubiquitous in our personal and professional lives, a game of good old fashioned Scrabble anytime two or more family members or friends are gathered is still among the most entertaining activities! It's an occasion for camaraderie, competition and conversation that is likely to remain popular in the 21st century and I highly recommend it for people of all ages.

Don't understand why they made this
I don't understand why this was released as a "deluxe" edition. This board is horrible. It is made of cheap plastic, nothing like you would think for $30. I was very, very, very disappointed in this. If you are looking for a good scrabble board, look somewhere else, because this is not the one. I have an old one that is great, but it is dirty and old, so i wanted somthing new. I am sorry I bought this. I guess it could be good as an occasional toy, but not for serious scrabble lovers.

A great game diminished by cheap construction
Our family enjoys playing scrabble so much so that we decided to buy the 'Deluxe' version to solve some of the common problems we have playing the game on a regular board.
Needless to say I was thoroughly disappointed at the cheap, flimsy, plastic board I received in the box. I have seen other 'Deluxe' brands which my friends and relatives had bought years ago and was shocked at what is now being sold, at over double the price of the regular version. The old one I had looks as if it will outlast the 'Deluxe'.
I reduced the fun rating by 2 stars simply because I hate looking at this board. Save your money and don't buy this one.

About the "Deluxe Edition"
I already reviewed normal scrabble, so this review is just about the Deluxe Edition. I got this as a gift and I appreciated how much easier it was to play because the board spins and the letters are secure.
A must when you are playing on the kitchen table in a crowed house. Worth the extra money in my opinion. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

The Bets Game Out There!
This is the best game ever. We bought this on a recent family trip and we were hooked. Every age range in our family played from grandkids to grandparents and everyone in between. It is fun, strategic and totally addicting. We played every night and could not put it down!

What a great game!
Our family loves to play games together so I am always looking for a new game. This game is our favorite currently. It goes pretty fast and everyone is on the same level. I have a 22, 13, and 11 year old so something that is equal to all of them is a must. They all love this one and usually head out the door with it to a friends house.

Awesome fun for all ages
Being a teen, I wasn't to psyched when my friends opened this game up to play. But, My mind was soon changed. This is a highly addictive strategy game. The cool thing is, theres no one strategy that will win it for you everytime. You constantly have to adjust your strategy to what your opponets are doing. Very fun, definite "Must Buy".

Blokus: fun for all ages
This game came out originally in Europe, so our friends discovered it a couple of years ago. It's the only strategy game I know where a 5-year-old can play against his father and (sometimes) win. Definitely fun, and different every time you play.

Blokus
The game of Blokus is highly addictive! We have had more fun with this game. Everyone we have played with just loves it.We are all so determined to win the next round that we play all night long!

For fun we have even tried to make a solid square or rectangle with the pieces, just laying them on the table.It can be done,with 1 space left over.Try it,you'll drive yourself crazy!

Blokus, get one today! ... Read more

Editorial Review

Scene It? The DVD Movie Game is for the film buff what a double-fudge brownie sundae is for the chocoholic. Players take turns moving around the game board and answering challenges, which usually take the form of trivia questions--about movies, of course. Questions are culled from either a box of cards, much like Trivial Pursuit, or from onscreen prompts that follow movie clips. The included DVD is loaded with snippets from recent movies, although the occasional classic sneaks in too. Multiple questions are asked about each clip--identify the title of the movie, name actors in the scene, recall some minor detail--so that even when the clips begin to repeat, it will take some time before questions do too. (Subsequent DVDs are also said to be in the works.) The game board, which looks like a cross between an accordion and a film reel, can be folded out to accommodate longer games or closed up for shorter ones. Scene It? was definitely built to be a party game, and another advantage of the DVD is that there’s no need to explain the rules. Instead, just press play and hope that everyone simmers down enough to pay attention. Plus, the hokey music and neon "You Are a Winner" screen that ends the game is certain to send those individuals who like winning a bit too much--and you know who you are--into an absolute frenzy. --David Morel ... Read more

Reviews (26)

A lot of fun even if you don't play with the board
I got this for my husband as a gift and we enjoyed just answering the questions from the DVD, by watching video clips and picture clips, etc. It's like Jeopardy meets Wheel of Fortune with pop culture questions and numerous other variety of trivia and visuals to aid the questions (there are some nifty animated clues). We were quite impressed and our friends sat and played this with us for 2 hours and wanted to keep going. Having a portion of the game on DVD brings a different dimension to the regular board game where you're just reading off cards (there's that in the game, also, so the game is part video and part questions from cards).

PERFECT PARTY GAME!!!
I bought this one night when me and a bunch of friends were bored..next thing i know all of us are screaming because the clips are such of old movies and new ones. me and the girls were laughing at the guys because they were the ones who thought it would be a waste of money and they were loving it!!!! so pick up the game!!!!

Scenetastic
I played this game with four buddies last night and thought it was sweet!!!!!
The variety, quality, and ease of use was awesome!!!
Buy it!
Now!

WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR GO GO GO!!!!

Fun movie game for amateurs and connossieurs alike!
Some friends and I played this game one night, and we all had a blast. The game took awhile, about 2 hours with 4 of us, but it was a lot of fun. The same friends played the game about 2 weeks later, and we thought we'd know the questions and do better, but that wasn't the case - they use the same clips sometimes, but the questions are different.. they're either really really hard or really really easy.. I liked the variety of the movies, too. Pick this up - you won't be sorry!

Lots of fun!
I played this at a friend's house last night. I thought the question variety was pretty good. If you have a group of people with varying amounts of movie knowledge, this is a great game because there is a good balance of easy, medium & hard questions.

Personally though, I thought most of questions were really easy - but there were a few that really stumped me and I'm a UCLA film student!!! ... Read more

Editorial Review

Cadoo is the funky fusion of tic-tac-toe, general knowledge, sculptingskill, and scavenger hunt designed for kids by the brainiacs who brought us theleft side/right side frenzy of Cranium. Operating solo or in combo with others,players attempt to line up four of their jack-like tokens on the groovilycolored grid board by fulfilling a myriad of tasks in an array of categoriesfamiliar to Craniacs. Whether attempting to sculpt a taco out of the includedclay or guessing which of Milky Way, Butterfinger, or Twix is longer, cadetsfind that correct answers and successful missions--can you bring back bothsomething smaller than your big toe, and something bigger than your foot, inless than a minute?--put them one-quarter of the way closer to their Cadoo. Withits elements of strategy, its elegantly funny graphics, and some downrightserious silliness, there isn't a lot of Cadon't in Cadoo. --Tony Mason ... Read more

Reviews (56)

the perfect gift for kids
After exploring a variety of educational and fun games for my 11 year old sister's birthday, my mother decided on Cranium Cadoo. Not only did both my sistr and I love it, but my parents did, too. We enjoyed running about the house in order to satisfy the requests of the card and sculpting objects from clay. The game combines traditional "Charades" and "Pictionary" like activities with clay and trivia. One question asked, "Who is the youngest: A)Brandy, B)Christina Aguilara, or C)Britney Spears" (Don't be discouraged by this question. Most are not about teenaged singers). Although Cadoo is wonderful for kids and great for the whole family, teenagers and adults find the questions a little too easy. Highly suggested, more fun than the typical boring board game.

preteens try Conga!
i am in 5th grade and i am 11.i can't use the clay because it is messy. The questions are easy for me and my parents but i have found a game for 10-12 year olds. It's called Conga. My friends and i love that game. i would say Conga is for pre-teens that can't realy play real cranium yet. i tried to play but the questions are too hard. I am an only child but my friend has a little brother that we play Cadoo with. He enjoys the game.<br />

Turn off the tube! Take 30 minutes with your kids....
CC is not the most clever game ever invented, nor is it highly challenging or mentally taxing. I believe my 7 year old son would prefer tackling his dad in chess, but for a quick before-bed family half-hour that followed dessert, this fit the bill. The Brandy-Christina-Brittney question did come up! And Mom and Dad failed miserably -- much to the amusement of the kids. So, we had some fun, a few laughs. Hard to put a price on that.

What DOES impress me is the box. Dad, who still hasn't mastered round pegs/square holes, was tasked with pickup. Everything packs neatly away! And best of all, a fold over flap magnetically seals the handled box. (OK, perhaps it doesn't take much to impress me.)

Bottom line: A good game for the 6-10 year old set when you only have half an hour.

Cadoo + Cranium = fun!
I love this game!! I am 7 years old and just got Cadoo for Christmas. One problem is that it is too easy for my parents. To make it more fair, my parents use the dice and cards from the Cranium game while I use the ones from the Cadoo game. My parents use everything else from the Cadoo game. We have tons of fun this way!

A great therapy tool
I am a Marriage Family Therapist and am always looking for a good came to use with my clients. I have used this game with the children individually and with their families. It is one of the games I am consistantly asked to play. After a year I had to purchase the booster pack the children had played the game so much. This year many of my parents asked where to purchase this game because they wanted to start a game night at home. This is a game that gets people to relax and have fun. ... Read more

Editorial Review

Honk! Honk! It's gridlock and the little red car can't move.The player is a traffic cop in the Rush Hour Traffic Jam Puzzle wherethe objective is to get the red car off the road. To play, pick one of40 challenge cards; solutions are printed on the back of each card.Then set up the cars and buses in a specified pattern on the6-inch-square road grid. Move the vehicles one by one (obey those trafficlaws!) until the red car can escape the traffic jam. There are fourlevels of difficulty. Kids can alternate turns with another player orjust "play in traffic" alone. The game from Binary Arts received anational award from Mensa and is used in elementary school mathclasses. The design includes clear instructions printed on the sturdybox, which can be used both as a playing tray and for storage. The gamecards stow away in a drawer in the road grid. This is a 1999 Parents'Choice recommended toy. --Marcie Bovetz ... Read more

Reviews (89)

Hours of Fun Fun Fun
This is a great puzzle. Since it is a game only one can play at a time, my nieces, ages 6 and 8 and my nephew age 11 took turns getting the red car out of the traffic jams. They even enjoyed watching each other find the solution to each "jam". Incidently the 6 year old is almost through solving the "Advanced" puzzles and I am about to buy both additional card packs. Kids and adults will love this game.

Great "toy"
Add us to the host of folks who love this puzzle toy. I generally consult Amazon ratings before purchasing new items and any item that has this many positive ratings always catches my attention. And it lives up to the promise. My almost 7 year-old son is ADHD and I was AMAZED at the way this toy captured his attention. I expected him to become quickly frustrated and give up. But after a few successes, he was hooked. I coached him a little bit at first (and then I was hooked too!) and before I knew it, he was solving puzzles by himself and doing a better job than me! He did the first 20 in one sitting. I was amazed as I watched him begin understanding which cars had to be where in order for him to get the red car out, then he started working out his plan to get there. You have to think ahead to be successful and he was doing it!

His persistence and concentration surprised me, so if your child is having any problems sitting and concentrating on a task, don't be afraid of this toy! But, alas, as with many ADHD kids, he's also been tested as gifted, so he's already run through the first 3 levels and is now nearly done with the expert level - solving puzzles that I can't do! I have to wait until he goes to bed to even get a chance to play! There's 40 cards in the first pack. The beginning levels are pretty easy to remember the solutions, but as you go higher in difficulty, you could probably do the puzzles more than once and still be challenged. But do be prepared to buy the 2, 3, and 4 Gift Pack (a great deal for $12 on Amazon)

I LOVE the fact that you store the cards right in the bottom of the tray. However,I wish that they would put a more permanent kind of cover on the tray. Also, you cannot replace the cover when you are in the middle of a puzzle, the cars have to be in the tray in a certain way in order for the cover to fit properly. But those are extremely minor drawbacks considering the hours of entertainment my son and I have gotten.

grate!!!
I love this game and so do my familly from ages 6 - 35. you will enjoy playing this game alone at home. the greate part is that even once youv memorized this toy and all the levels (wich you will.) you can buy more cards! it is a grate present for anyone not too lazy to think a bit. everyone has their own level. Also other games such as the one croosing the river from this manufacturer are fantastic! really worth the money!

GREAT GIFT IDEA
We just got this game today and we were all instantly addicted! My 7 year old loved the challenge of the game, didn't get frustrated at all, and wouldn't even think of giving up on trying to solve the puzzles! This is a great gift idea for birthday parties, as it's inexpensive and parents will appreciate the educational value of this puzzle game.

Greatest Game Ever!
I am in the Gifted program in school and it is a lot of fun! I play this everyday. It is very challenging but an awesome game! I would reccomend it to anyone! ... Read more

Editorial Review

Sally, Stevie, Stanley, Sophie, Stewie, and Sid are six colorful, lightweight bowling pins--each with their own personality--that talk to kids while they bowl. Taunts such as "C'mon!Roll the ball already!" get kids started, and phrases such as "Whew!That was close," keep them aiming for the pins. Bells, whistles, and cheers are heard if a spare or strike is bowled. The tan plastic base has six colored circles to hold the pins in place, but it is not required that colors match up for a game to begin. Silly 6 Pins only keeps score one frame (two balls) at a time, so keep a pad of paper nearby if you're playing as a family. Three AA batteries are required, but not included. --Pam Lauer ... Read more

Reviews (67)

Best Kids' Bowling Toy
As a mother of four, I found this toy great for my 2 1/2, 4- and 5-year-olds. It's extremely durable. The kids can set this one up by themselves. My 4-year-old hates playing by himself, but sets this one up for himself to play everyday. We've tried other bowling sets but the pins fall down before they let go of the ball. It can be set up on carpet. It helps my toddler with her colors. It can be played with alone or with others. All the kids laugh hysterically at the pins' talking and teasing. It's a winner!

Great game!
My son recieved this as a present for his 3rd birthday. He absolutely loves it! I also think it is really cute how the pins move and talk. My son has been playing with it non-stop since he got it.

2 year old proof
I bought this toy for my son this past christmas. It is the only remaining toy he has from his presents. He loves it. The only bad thing I could say about it is it needs more phrases. He loves it though, he lines them all up by the colors and then shakes his hiney with it as the pins shake. It really truly is a great toy.

Great toy
I bought this toy for my 2 1/2 year old daughter and she absolutely loves it. She takes turns bowling with her little friends. It's a big hit at playgroup. She says "gutterball" whenever she misses the pins. She already knew her colors and numbers before getting this game but I think it reinforces her knowledge. It has also helps with her coordination. She used to roll the ball from a couple of feet away but now stands at the other end of the room. Overall, I think it's a great toy.

Great toy!
My three year old daughter loves this toy! She sets it up by herself (color coordinated) and has a blast trying to knock the silly pins over with the plastic bowling ball. The pins tease you by wiggling around and talking. They even snore when you take to long to knock them down! Great for counting, turn taking and color recognition as well as eye hand cooridination. Lots of fun for the tots and grown ups too ;-D ... Read more

Reviews (3)

The most fun you'll ever have being horribly annoyed
Full of fabulous facts about the saga, this game is the hardcore Star Warrior's dream....AND worst nightmare. You'll have fun playing it at home but get fits from your friends who bring it out with a big smirk, saying, "Okay, now, let's see how much you REALLY know about 'Star Wars'...."May The Force Be With You, you'll need it! Hee hee

The Best Game I Own, but for Hardcore Fans Only
You better know your stuff before you plan on purchasing this game and make sure you know 2-4 people who know more than they should as well about the Star Wars universe. Some of these questions are extremely tough and there are very few easy ones. I used to play the Decipher Star Wars card game, so my memory of those cards actually helped me a lot with remembering certain characters that were barely mentioned in the films. This is a truly great game that we knowledgeable Star Wars fans finally deserve.

If you're a Star Wars fan, this is fun
There's nothing like getting together with fellow Star Wars fans and play this special version of Trivial Pursuit. It's great! It's just like the old Trivial Pursuit with, of course, questions only about Star Wars. When you try for a wedge, however, you have to resort to one of two DVDs that come with the game for the question. If you don't answer the question in the time limit given, your oponents can shout out the right answer - as long as they don't have the wedge - and possibly steal it from you. If you like the classic Trivial Pursuit and you happen to be a Star Wars fan and you have a couple like-minded friends or family members, this is a lot of fun and definitely worth the money. ... Read more

Editorial Review

Executing a clear and comprehensive crossover strategy between a board game and a set of familiar characters can be a tricky enterprise. But this synthesis of familiar Disney and the increasingly popular board game Scene It works exceptionally well, relying on DVD technology and the familiar faces of Disney's beloved characters to form a consistently entertaining family play experience. Included in the set are a game DVD, a game board, four category reference cards, 30 "buzz" cards, and 160 trivia cards with special sets for kids and adults. The game's designers thoughtfully included some Disney classics for Mom and Dad but there is more of an emphasis on Disney properties of the last fifteen years or so, The Lion King, George of the Jungle, the live action 101 Dalmatians, in order to appeal to the youngsters. Game play between the physical board and the action on the DVD is well executed and we found it easy to understand the rules and have fun. --Charlie Williams ... Read more

Reviews (17)

War, anyone?
The Advanced Mission takes this familiar game to a whole new level. Here is the list of the new weapons and tactics now at your disposal: 2 exocet missles fired from your aircraft carrier; 1 tomahawk missle with a massive footprint fired from your battleship; 2 apache missles fired from your destroyer; 2 torpedoes fired from your sub; two recon airplanes for surveillance; and sonar imaging from your sub! While the older version of this game had some strategy, it was still a mostly guessing game, but with the Advanced Mission you really have to plan your attack and keep track of your available assets. One hint: have your recon planes take off from the aircraft carrier ASAP to avoid them being destroyed if the ship gets sunk. If you play this game with some strategy in mind you will find yourself doing very little guessing, which makes this game much more interesting and NEVER boring!

Very cool...But mesy
I got this toy for Christmas from my grandmother. It is pretty complicated, so I do not really agree with the age ranges. My eight year old neighbor who lives across the street from me tried to play it, and in the process she got very confused after many times of explanation. It is extremely fun, but it is also extremely mesy. What can I say. I love this game and it is definalty worth all that money. Accualy, It is worth a lot more.

Could be fun if pegs fit better
I think this game could be lots of fun. I played with my 6 year-old boy, BUT THE PROBLEM WAS THAT THE PEGS USED TO RECORD HITS AND MISSES EITHER FELL OUT OR WERE SO HARD TO PUT IN, WE HAD TO USE PLIERS TO PULL THEM OUT.

This pretty much ruined the fun. Maybe I got a lemon (bad quality control?). If someone reads this, please tell me if their version did not have this problem. Otherwise I can't see putting my boy (and me) through the agony again.

Fun for the whole family
There is something about hearing the noise that tells you you've score a hit- call it a Pavlovian reponse, but it's lots of fun!! We're getting this for the second generation of recipients this Christmas.

Advanced Mission could be even better..........
I bought this game for my daughter. She has the old version but cheated too much. Of course I cheated too. Believe me, you would never find my patrol boat. I'd just keep moving it around.
Advance Mission puts an end to that. You have to program in your coordinates so it's impossible to cheat. This is a good thing.
Advanced Mission has four different games to be played:
The Classic Mission - each player gets one shot apiece regardless of hit or miss.
The Salvo Mission - each player gets one shot for every ship left unsunk. I really like this one.
The Bonus Mission - each player gets one shot unless they score a hit in which case they can continue on the same turn until they miss.
The Advanced Mission - each ship has special weapons and you have two recon planes, however if you use the recon planes I will defeat you. IMO the recon planes are a bit too much. Deploying them counts as a turn and you don't get to fire a weapon. I never deploy my recon planes. I have never lost, yet.

Another thing that sets this game apart is the ability to play the computer. You don't even need any friends to have a good old fashioned war at sea.
There are also 3 different skill levels to choose from. ...
Of course the game now has sound. You hear the weapons being fired and the explosions from hits.
All that being said I still see room for improvement. On the old battleship you could adjust the top grid for better visibility, much like you would a laptop. On Advanced Mission the top grid is fixed and depending on the lighting can be hard to see.
Unless you are sitting at eye level with direct lighting you will inevitably place a peg in the wrong grid resulting in frustration and possibly a failed mission.
The makers of Advanced Mission should have gone a step further by lighting the grids, at least the top grid. It wouldn't take much to accomplish. It would look really cool and certainly be easier on the eyeballs.
The other thing is the volume, which is relatively low...
Bottomline is it's a fine game but with a few improvements it would really be something. ... Read more

Editorial Review

Step right up, boys and girls, for the greatest game in the living room! Balloon Lagoon, designed by the creators of Cranium, is possibly more fun than the carnival it emulates. After all, there's no sticky cotton candy mess, no nauseating rides…but plenty of entertaining activity for everyone. A noisy musical merry-go-round timer keeps the pressure on while players take turns fishing for letters to spell words, collecting matching snacks at the Snack Hut, pressing levers to spin wheels to unscramble pictures, or flipping frogs back into their pond. Players keep score by collecting little plastic balloons--the first person to fill a mover piece with 15 balloons wins. The game includes game board, timer, four carnival games, four player movers, 72 scoring balloons, and a balloon bag. Three AA batteries required (not included). You can pretty much assume that if it's Cranium, it's going to be a blast! --Emilie Coulter ... Read more

Reviews (2)

You can wait til May 19...
...or you could get this now and see tons of footage from Return of the Sith [sic] a few weeks early. That's really the only reason I bought it, and I was not disappointed in the slightest. Many questions are in the form of a movie clip, and there are quite a few questions on Episode 3. And none of it is from the 11/04 teaser trailer or regular trailer that's been out for months. Though if you really want to see these clips, you're best off just playing the DVDs, rather than actually playing round after round of TP with them...

Okay, so I couldn't possibly have played it yet.But C'MON!
Sure, it's not even out yet and I'm rating the holy hell out of it.But C'MON!Imagine if the original Star Wars Trivial Pursuit and the game Scene It had a kid together...There's no way it wouldn't be great!


Again, I argue...C'MON! ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Much like the Classic
As a person who's rumored to have been playing Trivial Pursuit since she was six years old, I have to admit that version 6 of this game has to be one of the better ones to come along in years. Much like the first Genus edition, the questions have a great range in both subject matter and level of difficulty. However, a problem plagues Trivial Pursuit 6 that has plagued all other recent editions: NOT ENOUGH QUESTIONS. After about 5 full length games, I found myself and my companions repeating the questions! Trivial Pursuit 6 has about half the number of question cards that Genus I (from 1979) had. The new version 6 is great if you're a casual player who won't play it that often, but for any die-hard fans, this game is going to get really old really quickly.

An educational activity that is still enjoyable.
Trivial Persuit is a game that brings something unique and refreshing to the "board game" genre. It is'nt educational in the traditional sense, but it is a great way to learn about specific interests for children and parents alike. A classic game with potential to last for years as childeren grow and share the game with their own families. TP is a neccesity for any person that enjoys games, learning or a stimulating challenge.

Another great edition of a great game!
After several years, this game is still challenging and can keep you guessing for hours. It also makes a great gift, as my brother was excited when I bought this for him at Christmas. Who said random bits of trivia were useless? Get this game and put those tidbits to good use. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

Still the best
Years before "fantasy baseball" became a fad, Strat-O-Matic was giving youngsters the opportunity to manage their favorite major league baseball players. Only those who are baseball fans can appreciate how much fun it is to play a tabletop dice game that accurately re-creates major leaguers' performance so well on so many levels.

The original version of Strat-O-Matic Baseball, which is still around as the game's "basic" version, is pretty simplistic. But beginning in 1972, when the "advanced" version was born, the company has continually added rules and made improvements that make the game more challenging and realistic. The game today also has a "super advanced" version, which re-creates just about every variable that means anything in a baseball game.

You can still play the basic game if you want. But those who grew up with the game, or left it and returned, will find the super-advanced version a fun challenge. Alas, the "fantasy baseball" mentality has robbed the game of some of its innocence; many SOM draft leagues and their general managers take this game a wee bit too seriously.

All teams come with 27 players plus perhaps one to three optional "mixed players" who didn't finish the season with the team. (All 30 major league teams and the mixed players come with the game sold here.) In the bad old days, teams came with only 20 players each, or 24, if one bought the optional "additional players." And if a key player was traded from his original team to the other league, he may not have gotten a card at all. Fortunately, that's no longer the case; in the 2003-season set, for example, Ugueth Urbina has two cards, one each for the Texas Rangers and Florida Marlins.

Gripes about the game are minor. The perforated player cards come on giant sheets that you have to break apart yourself, and this is a real chore. The six-sided dice are small and cheap, and the super-advanced fielding charts are on flimsy, decidedly nondurable paper. (Cardboard charts are available from Strat-O-Matic.) The game rules are long overdue for a new printing; the separate list of rule clarifications, corrections and additions is two pages long, mostly single-spaced.

Despite these complaints, the game is well worth the money, especially through Amazon.com, where the price is surprisingly a bit less than what the game company itself would charge for exactly the same thing. This is all the more reason for baseball fans of virtually any age to give SOM a try.

great game
i loved this game. Especially being a very true baseball fan i was glad to see something other than a video game capture the real spirit of baseball.
in this game you get to call the shots like a major league manager. Cant wait for 2004 to come out.

Best Baseball Game Ever
I've been playing this game since 1970 and have every team that has been issued since. You can't call yourself a true baseball fan without playing it. You get to be a big league manager, make out your lineups, choose your strategies: sacrifice, squeeze, hit and run, steal, position your infielders, hit the cutoff man, its all in there and more. Every player rated and simulated. Play any fantasy lineup you choose. Set up any matchup in history. Its all in there.

The Ultimate Baseball Game
I've been playing Strat-o-matic baseball since 1964; I believe it was first advertised in the back of baseball magazines in 1963. Over the years the game has evolved into an internet game. The original board game has improved. For a baseball fan the world of statistics and probability is opened. It develops problem solving skills as the player acts as a baseball manager. Besides its educational value, the game is also a lot of inexpensive fun. Let's see, I was 12 when I first played Strat-o-matic, and now I'm an avid player at 50! Only now I don't have to "score" the games to compile statistics. The game is played by a computer, three games a night, and all I do is pick the players in a draft and adjust the lineups and strategy. If you love baseball, playing Strat-o-matic is like having your baseball cards come to life.

The Greatest Sports Simulation Game Ever Made
It may even be the best table-top game in history. No kidding. It's that good. You don't even have to like baseball to like it, though I suspect you'll come away with a much greater appreciation of the game. ... Read more

Editorial Review

The Heroscape line of toys is like the all-star game of make believe. While other games might focus on a specific era of history, the age of chivalry, perhaps, or the Jurassic period, Heroscape puts everyone together on one enormous madcap battlefield. Vikings, World War II soldiers, ninjas, mutant monsters, samurais, dinosaurs, dragons, they’re all there, done up as tiny, highly detailed figure. It would be sort of comic if all the players didn’t look so gosh-darn serious. 85 interlocking terrain tiles are also included so you can craft exactly the landscape you wish for all the action to happen on. Multiple dice are featured along with game cards and detailed instructions on how to play. We liked the boundless imagination of this game and the open-minded versatility of its imaginary protagonists. --Charlie Williams ... Read more

Editorial Review

This enchanting activity game will keep younger kids happily distracted, whether it's played indoors or out. A cute, blue elephant blows 30 feathery, vinyl butterflies from its 4-foot trunk into the air. The trunk, made of flexible plastic, stands straight up when the small, quiet motor in the elephant's bottom is turned on. Kids use mesh nets (four included) to capture the most butterflies, same-color butterflies, or just catch 'em period. Requires four C batteries, not included. --Diane Beall ... Read more

Reviews (135)

Not Worth The Money
My son wanted this game really badly. So, he got it for his birthday and it seemed to entertain him for maybe 15 minutes. On the commercial it looks like a lot of fun with the butterflies flying everywhere. Well, when you get your game home and start to play you can go to the kitchen and get yourself a drink and you probably still won't miss a butterfly. The pressure is poor and the butterflies come out 1 every 5 minutes. This game is a big disappointment.

Kids LOVE this game!
I first came in contact with this game at my daughter's preschool, when she was about 3 years old. This was, without a doubt, the favorite of the younger kids (2.5-3) and the older ones (4-5)eventually copuldn;t help themsekves, and joined in too! This game helps them with hand-eye coordination - it's not as easy to catch those fluttering "butterflies" as one might think! Just try to be gentle with the "trunk". After LOTS of use, it can become sort of "bent" and this will prevent the "butterflies" from getting to the top of the trunk. That takes quite a bit of use to happen though, so my only downside would be the bunch oif batteries it takes, which really is not too big of a deal. Cute and fun toy!!

no fun
My daughter wanted this so bad for her 4th birthday, it was such a disappointment. The butterflies barely come out of the trunk! Not at all like they show it. My kids had more fun playing with the nets!

This was a HUGE disappointment and WASTE of $$
This was a HUGE disappointment. I thought it would be an ideal gift for my son, but I've spent more money than I like to think about just to keep fresh batteries in it. As soon as the batteries start to wear down (which is pretty quickly), the fan slows down and the butterflies become stuck in the trunk. I'm sure my almost-four-year-old would give it five stars for fun if it always worked when he wanted to play with it, but because of this game, I've begun to ration my batteries. As other reviewers mentioned, there needs to be a lot more butterflies included. This could be a great game for kids if the manufacturers made a few changes, but as it is, I recommend that parents save their money.

The butterflies refuse to come out!!!
I was so excited to buy this for my three year old daughter. I figured it would reinforce counting and colors as well as eye hand coordination. When we started playing, the butterflies took forever to shoot out. I opened it and mixed them around as the instructions stated but still only one or two popped out. The rest kept blowing around on the bottom. Very disappointing. After a while my daughter said "all done Mommy". She was bored standing there waiting for the butterflies. I dont blame her, I was bored myself. The fan worked fine and the trunk fully extended & I put fresh batteries so Im not really sure what went wrong. Its such a nice idea but Im sad to say its a lemon of a game. ... Read more

Editorial Review

Voted a Best Party Game of the Year by Games magazine, Wise and Otherwise belongs next to Pictionary and Scrabble in your arsenal of fun. This creative, interactive game (read: everybody shouting, flailing, laughing) revolves around 500 cards, each emblazoned with five obscure and long-forgotten sayings from around the world. For example, one old Chinese saying is, "Don't add salt to a boatload of salt fish." One side of the card states, "Don't add salt to..."and it is the job of the players to devise probable endings. "Don't add salt to salty soup," for example. Or, "Don't add salt to the open wound." (The actual endings are listed on the flip sides of the cards.) A player wins points when other players vote for his or her special ending, or when the player guesses the actual ending, so the goal is to finish the proverb as convincingly as possible given the geographic region in question. Each elegant box contains one game board, 500 cards, six writing pads, six pencils, one die, and six player pawns. People who love language, oddly hilarious translations, offbeat proverbs, or just making people look foolish by guessing their very clever answers will adore this game. We predict: The one who plays this game ... will hear the laughter. ... Read more

Reviews (126)

Wonderful game, despite the price.
For some reason, when I first saw this game I thought it was a bit overpriced for the what it was. However, with the amount of phrases on the cards and the enjoyment it has brought to many of our gatherings, this game was well worth the investment.

Just to inventory the contents... you get with the game a game board, 6 game pieces, 6 pads, 1 die, 1 box or cards... and, most importantly, 6 sharpened pencils. ;)

In terms of game play, this game is the best "bluff 'em" type game on the market, hands down. It's very similar to Malarkey or Balderdash, but deals specifically with proverb and sayings from all around the world. Though the box says 2-6 players, after playing it on several occasions, we thought it best played with at least 4 people.

I would definitely recommend this game for the avid game player, who normally find themselves hosting get-togethers with their witty and imaginative friends. Don't be surprised if you find yourself laughing uncontrollable, throughout, at the proverbs your friends concoct.

A really great game for all ages
We've played Wise and Otherwise a number of times now with friends varying in age from 9 to 75, and all have found it very enjoyable. It's surprising how much fun younger players (age 9 to 12) have trying to outsmart the adults--and how funny it can be when they succeed.

The old proverbs are very enticing and stimulate everyone's creativity. The end result is usually raucous laughter. This is a completely non-threatening, enjoyable activity for any family gathering. If there are more than six people you can play in teams, which makes it even better. END

Hysterical!!!
This is a great game, expect hysterics from everyone concerned. If you can manage to retain your ability to speak while you play, you are in good shape. My husband and I played with a bunch of our friends who were also in our wedding party. Our wedding favors were fortune cookies with customized fortunes so we used sayings that our friends had come up with during various games. The guests were confused, but we were amused all the same.

Don't know about the 12 and above . . .
We actually played with six people, three of them being 6, 8 and 9. Talk about real hilarity!!! These kids came up with unbelievable endings we would never have guessed. It was lots of fun. Truly, we cried with laughter at almost every turn!

Laughed so hard we cried!
The first time we played this game, 6 people (grown adults) were in tears laughing at the absurdity of some of our responses! We continued in this gasping for air style of play for about 3 more rounds before we calmed down enough to get into more of the subtleties of the game. It is at times hilarious, thought provoking and insightful of those you play with. How funny or insightful depends on the players' effort, but if you are truly trying to win, you'll be surprised how many people you can fool with bogus phrase endings. I highly recommend this game! ... Read more

Editorial Review

Horses hold a magical appeal for children. This colorfully designed board game provides an exciting fantasy environment for two to six horse lovers. In the first game, players pretend to be wild mustang stallions galloping through mountains and valleys, gathering a herd to protect while facing such obstacles as cougars and bad weather. The first player to round up a herd wins. In two other games, players are ranchers rounding up strays and competing to fill out their herds. Players are sure to enjoy the in-depth educational information about horses and horse breeds that is included. This is a great game to saddle up when it's rainy on the ranch, providing enough challenge to play with parents as well as with friends. --Lee Strucker ... Read more

Reviews (29)

The perfect game for any horse lover!
When I recieved this game as a Christmas present five years ago, my parents did not realize how much I would love playing it! For a horse crazy girl, it was the perfect gift. The idea of being a beautiful, wild mustang fighting to reach safety in a race against other stallions and obstacles was enchanting. Along the way, the player has to build their own herd by collecting unique picture cards of various horses. The cards inform on the horse's breed and personality, including information that is educational and interesting. The two alternative games are also fun to play. All in all, the game's colorful format and imaginative appeal make it a guaranteed favorite for any horse lover!

fun!
this game is adictive,FUN and educational.it is all my 6 year old sister has thought about since she played.

Great Game!!! Worth your money!!
I bought this game for my 8 year old neice in November last year. It was a big hit!! This game is so great. There are 3 ways to play it. The horse cards are beautifully illustrated and have lots of great facts about each horse on them. This game is so much fun for the whole family. In fact, I think I'm going to buy it for my 5 year old son. Every time we visit my neice, that's all he wants to play. It's a really fun game and a MUST for any horse lover.

I LOVE THIS GAME!
It is very fun and interesting to play! Even if you don't LOVE horses you will still really like this game!

Herd Your Horses! probably the best board game in the world!
i got this game 4 my b-day about 2 years ago. i LOVE it!! i have a GREAT LOVE 4 HORSES. they are jsut sooooooooo coool!!
i would recommend this game for ANYONE who loves horses. there are a lot of neat things in the world, and horses are DEFINATELY 1 of them!!!!! ... Read more