Editorial Review

Connect Four is like vertical tic-tac-toe. Unlike tic-tac-toe, however (as the name suggests), youmust get four checkers in a row. One player has red checkers; the other has black checkers. To play,alternate turns at dropping one of checkers down a slot at the top of the upright grid. The first player to getfour checkers lined up in a row in any direction--horizontal, vertical, or diagonal--wins the game.--Alison Golder ... Read more

Reviews (39)

*The* Game for a Rained-out Recess
If it was raining outside when the recess bell rang, it was important to get to the Connect Four game as quickly as possible! A line would ensue, and, of course, the winner got to play the next person in line...

This game was most fun until age 10, just like its traditional cousin, tic-tac-toe, although because Connect Four requires 4-across, -up, or -diagonally, it held its challenge a few years longer than the old standby.

Of course, part of the fun of this game is the blue and yellow plastic frame into which you drop the red and black plastic tokens. A sliding bar at the bottom holds the pieces in while playing, and releasing the bar at the end of the game for the satisfying clatter of the tokens spilling back into the box (if you're planning ahead, and you should -- losing the pieces means raiding the old checkers game for new ones!) was always a vied-for task.

Strengths and weaknesses
I work in a mental health clinic foor children, and we've found that many children find it easier to discuss difficult topics if they can do something else at the same time. Hence, we have a collection of games, including "Connect Four".

Strengths:
1. the game goes quickly and several games can be played in a half-hour
2. some strategy and lanning are needed, which are valuable skills for children to practice
3. some children really enjoy this game, and it's not too boring for adults
4. as regular checkers are used, replacing lost pieces is not difficult

Weaknesses:
1. once a player becomes skilled, the determining factor in who wins often boils down to who goes first
2. the framework will seem durable at first but, with frequent usage, it falls apart within a year; however, i see the game get VERY frequent usage, and this weaknesses might be one families never see
3. other than some strategy and planning, there is minimal educational value

Connect Four
This is like tick tac toe.
Buy it for ages 6-12.
I got it when I was six.
But now i'm almost 9
that's in the age range.
Why do they have sides?
The sides go of when
you start playing.
Do not use the sides!

Overall i'm very happy.
Can't they stop making
sides? HAPPY KID!
O

Ten years later, and Ten times the fun!
Ten years ago, my sister and I would play this game ALL THE TIME, unless we were playing UNO of course. Well, she came into town a week or two ago (now 25, myself 20) and I pulled up this faithful favorite. What made it some much more fascinating was how one relives how MUCH strategy goes into playing this game, how within three moves, YOU HAVE LOST! We even found ourselves stating that, "I win in 5 moves." Sometimes we play it out for fun, other times we rush to the next game. Our patents saw us in our heated combat and actually called dibs on NEXT GAME! I digress though, my point is this game is great for developing logical and spatial thinking, and simply put...IS LAYERS OF FUN!

*REMEMBER, LIFE IS NOT A DRESS REHEARSAL, HAVE FUN!!*

Pure strategy
Taken to an extreme, this game would be the same as tic-tac-toe and wouldn't be fun at all. However, because most of us can't think like a super computer, this game is plenty of fun due to the fact that you're bound to screw up.

Because I got hooked on the hand held computer version once, I can consistantly kick the butts of my young nephews and my neice, so at some point the game loses it's flavor.

What is good about this game is that, like chess or checkers, it doesn't have anything to do with rolling dice or getting a lucky card or draw, it's pure strategy. That makes it a timeless and fun game and good for the mind.

The two drawbacks are that it's just a two player game and if the skill level is too skewed between players, then the fact that luck is not a factor makes it quickly boring.

Highly recommended game all around and fun to play. ... Read more

Editorial Review

Round and round she goes. Hi Ho! Cherry-O is the counting game in which players race to be the first to have 10 cherries in their basket. A spin of the arrow determines your fate. It will instruct you to pick one, two, three, or four cherries from your tree and put 'em in your basket. That is, of course, if you don't land on the bird or the dog, requiring you to take two cherries from your basket and return them to the tree. And try not to land on the spilled bucket or--you guessed it--spill the contents of your basket or you start over. --Alison Golder ... Read more

Reviews (25)

This is a great game for teaching turn taking and counting.
This was my daughter's first "real" game. She was 2.8 years old when we purchased it. She was immediately able to play the game. There is no reading involved and focuses on the skills of turn taking, counting, and organizing the playing board. I recommend this as a first game for parents teaching their children how to take turns and count to 10, as well as manipulating small objects on the cherry trees. (I have fun playing this game too).

A favorite for years...and still going strong
I never played this game as a child so it was new to me too when my three year old received it for his birthday. It quickly became his favorite game and still ranks highly among his favorites at age 5! We found that it was perfect for our young child because it could be played relatively quickly and was easy to understand. Playing this game regularly helped perfect his counting skills and taught him about basic game etiquette.

A fun classic!
Hi Ho Cherry-O is a game I enjoyed when I was young, and now my son loves it too! It's a great way to teach counting, and also introduce addition and subtraction. If your spinner lands on a picture of cherries, it tells you how many cherries to put in your bucket - 1-4. But watch out for the bird, dog, or bucket! They make you put cherries back on your tree! The first person to get all their cherries in the bucket wins!

I have 2 small complaints. The buckets are very tiny and even my 4 year old has a hard time picking the cherries out.

Also the game didn't come with any "extra" cherries, so you'll have to be extra careful not to lose any.

I believe this game will be a family favorite for many years to come.

Great Game For all Ages!
Santa brought this game for my 2 year old daughter. (She will however be three in Feb.) She loves it. The first game was the learning game and she had a tough time putting back her cheeries on the second spilled bucket! But now two weeks later she is a real champ about that! She even 'comforts' her daddy when he spills his bucket!

I remembered this game as a child and since my daughter was trying to count everything I thought this game would be good for her. My four year old son loves it too.

It doesn't inluded any extra cherries but there is a way to order 40 more. I plan to prder them nad keep them as extra's for when we lose cherries.. We haven't lost any yet but I am sure it will happpen!

A FUN and educational classic
I bought this game for my daughter on her 4th birthday. The whole family has enjoyed playing it. My nine and seven year old boys even request to play it. It does it's job at teaching my little girl to count. She is even learning to add and subtract a little bit and she doesn't even know it. The good thing for me is, the game doesn't take long, so even if I am busy, I can usually squeeze in a couple of games each day. The only drawback is you only get exactly enough cherries so if you lose one, you have to improvise. I think they should include a few extra cherries. ... Read more

Features

• Folding poker table
• Padded vinyl armrest
• Ten playing positions
• Ten built-in drink holders
• Table folds in half and has steel folding legs

Editorial Review

How's your tolerance for puns? You'll need some for Pass the Pigs, asimple game of chance built around a pig theme. Instead of dice, you roll twocute pink piglets, and you gain or lose points depending on how the crittersland. For example, if both land on all fours, called a "double trotter," you get20 points; if they land lying opposite each other, called a "Pig Out," you gainno points and cede your turn. There are a number of other rules as well as avariation called "Hog Call." This would be a good travel game (the pigs,instructions, and scoring pad fit in a small, tidy box) or a fine present forsomeone who's, well, into pigs! --Elisa Murray ... Read more

Reviews (54)

Better to start with experienced players
When I got this game and played with my family, I did not think it was much fun because it takes a while to learn the piggy positions. I played again with a fun group who knows the positions well and I really got into it. The more players, the better.

Pig out on fun with these piggies!
A babysitter showed up with this game to amuse my 3 children, ages 10,8 and 5, and our children have been addicted every since. The game is fast, fun, and just kooky enough to keep you hooked. To make things even better, scoring reinforces math skills including adding in one's head, which is often skipped in schools these days. Great for planes, vacations and visits to the grandparents and doesn't dent the wallet.

Cute little piggies
It tests your ability to read and process results and make a decision based on that because the best way to get a momentum going is for everyone to take their turn rather quickly. In the meantime, the absurdity of observing pigs' landings after being "rolled" just hits your funnybone every now and then. The score sheet fits easily in the case but it is rather small. A good compact game for traveling. And the pigs are cute!

Awesome game
This game is a hit with any crowd. I went to 4 stores looking for it, (sold out), and then had to buy it on-line. It's great for all ages.

pigs rock
I went camping afew days ago for the weekend. I played pass the pigs more than anything else the whole time. It is the most fun game I have ever played. I sat for hours just playing that game. BUY IT !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ... Read more

Editorial Review

Furrowed brows and hearty laughter are the most likely outcome of this fun but challenging game from Game Development Group. Just like its elder edition, the object of Stare! Junior is to be the first to reach the end of the game board. "Been there, done that," you're thinking? But in this game, looking hard and paying attention to detail are two things that will help players move forward. Individuals or teams stare at an image on a card for 30 seconds (more challenging games can be played by shortening the time) and then answer questions about what they saw. It's not easy--just try to remember what color socks the person next to you on the bus was wearing this morning, or how many people were reading magazines. Of course, you weren't staring... --Rachel Radway ... Read more

Reviews (15)

Fun all around
My daughter gave this game to a friend as a birthday present, and they ended up playing it at the birthday party. We then picked up a copy for our children and they have been playing with their friends every since. Both my 10 year-old and my 6 year-old can play together, which is a relief. The youngest is given more time to look at the pictures on the cards, and the questions are easy to read and understand. The pictures themselves are very appealing to the kids, and the gameplay is simple to follow (the kids got the hang of it right away). I have played with the kids (under the 'Parents version of the rules') and the balance works well. There are too few games out there like this.

Innovative and Fun
Stare! Junior is one of the best kids games out there. I was pleased to see my daughter and her friends enthralled for an entire Saturday afternoon. The object is for the kids to stare at the game cards and then answer as many questions as possible listed on the game card about the image correctly. Kids really love this type of challenge. They also all get to participate because the kids must determine by re-examining the image whether the answers given are correct. The images on the game cards are delightful and the kids get a kick out of staring at them. Towards the end of the afternoon, I joined in and the girls only allotted me half the time that they have to stare at the cards. Needless to say, it became a great adult-kid challenge. Innovative and challenging fun!

Terrific family game
This is a great game! This one is fun for everyone in the family (it's always nice to find one that the parents can actually enjoy playing with the children). Players take turns studying the details in pictures, then answer questions about them. When we play, my husband and I give ourselves only half as much time to study the picture, to level the playing field. We also let our nine-year-old study the picture herself, but talk through the picture details with our 6-year-old. It is a "game-night" favorite of all of us.

Fun! Fun! Fun!
I got this game for my kids for Christmas and we took it to all our holiday gatherings including New Years Eve. What a hit with the kids and adults! I consider myself pretty observant and even I was getting stumped on some of these. A great game to build memorization skills for all ages. A couple of cons-some questions(not many) where you are asked to remember the color of something, there were some people who had different ideas about what the color actually was. The other was if you roll the same number on the dice again then your turn is over :o( I'm sure there are different ways to get around that. All in all we were very pleased with this game.

This is a keeper
As parents we go through buying ALL of those junkie toys that end up piled in boxes. I had to buy 2 of these because it was such a hit over the SUMMER with our company they took it back up north with them. My kids are 17,13,6 and 3. While the 17 year old prefers the regular version of STARE!,the rest of the kids play constantly! My 3 year old son teams up with someone older and we are AMAZED at how much better he does than we do! The whole idea is to stare at a picture for 30 seconds and then answer questions about the picture. i.e.: How many mice were on the table? What color was the table cloth? You get to move your piece for each right answer and it is a WONDERFUL family game!This one won't end up in a toy box anytime soon! ... Read more

Editorial Review

With touches of canasta, rummy, and poker, this game could easily become aFriday-night favorite. The object is to get a "sequence," meaning a row of five poker-likechips on the game board. The board itself depicts lines of face-up playing cards. Playersplace their "crowning" chips on top of the card pictures, and can form sequences by usingstrategy and knowing which Sequence cards to keep or discard. Since forethought, luck,and backup plans are the keys to winning, this game is probably too sophisticated forchildren under 7 years old. (But young ones can team up with adults.) Included are 104playing cards and 50 crowning chips in each color: red, blue, and green. --GailHudson ... Read more

Reviews (53)

Easy game to learn - hard to master
I was first introduced to this game while my daughter was in the hospital. It was a game that always had players, players of all ages, and everyone enjoyed it.

While playing the game, the situations can change quickly - just when you have a plan, someone will play a jack and remove a crutial token, or will play a jack and take a crucial spot.

One rule - no table talk to coach your partnet, can give rise to various coversations, for example if you want your partner to play the 2 of hearts, my daughter came up with a conversation about how she LOVES her TWO dogs. Each of these tangents brings up a new converation for the players.

This has become a family favorite, and for every occasion it is set up and played by all who are there.

Adults and children can play on the same level, kids are sometimes the most brutal, they don't feel bad about taking your "place". While adults may think ahead more, the kids come up with cleaver methods to foil the adults.

I would highly recommend this game to any family or group as a fun way to spend the afternoon.

GREAT strategy game
At a glance, Sequence doesn't look like much, but it's one of those games that you can pull out any time and play over and over again for hours on end. We do, anyway! At every family holiday, we get the board going and people rotate in and out of Sequence all day long. One of the best things about it is how easily you can adapt the game to 2 to 6 players. It's quick and easy to learn and you can play fun and relaxed or competitive and serious. If you like Rummycube, you'll like Sequence.

Sequence vs Cranium

You don't have to be a game person to like this game, which plays easily from two to four people. It's got a playing board, poker chips, and uses two decks of cards. But you don't have to figure a lot out, or do a lot of math, or hold a lot of cards (just six at a time). It's part luck, part thinking and, with four persons, part teamwork. Not as thorny and infinitely long as chess, nor as obvious as checkers, not a strategic all-nighter like Risk, or a major undertaking like Monopoly. Not a way-too-educational game you got instead of a toy for your birthday (to your dismay). If you like all those games, you'd probably enjoy Sequence also. But if you're not a game person, and don't like all of the above, this might be the one game you would like. It's like hearing a clean joke that's actually funny, or finding non-alchoholic beer that tastes good. The odds are stacked against it, but Sequence may have beaten the odds. The only other game I like this much is Battleship, but if you hate Battleship, you may still like Sequence. If you've already got Cranium, empty the box out and put the Sequence pieces in the Cranium box. Then you've got the best of both worlds: a great game and great Gary Baseman box art.

Fun for all ages!
Sequence is a board game and card game all in one! It doesn't take long to understand how to play - but good luck wanting to stop! My family has had this game for a year now - and it has never hit the bottom of the pile of games! My 5 & 4 yr old daughters love it too! They play by themselves or team up with Dad & I.

The game consists of a board with 2 decks of cards printed on it. 2 decks of cards are used to play the game, along with 3 different colors of chips. 2-12 players can play - tho I recommend keeping it to 2, 3 or 6 to be the most fun. You are dealt approximately 6 cards (depends on the # of players) and you use those cards to put your chips on the board. The goal is to get 5 chips in a row (a Sequence!)and get the most Sequences on the board before it is full. There are wild cards to throw some guessing into the mix too!

This is a wonderful family game! I highly recommend it. This one won't disappoint even the youngest or oldest of players!

Cool
This summer I worked at a kids camp, and this was the new game in the closet. I played it the first night and played 4-8 times a day for the whole week! We got addicted (and we are adults!). I had so much fun, and I think it is a very challenging game, because you are playing against teams. I can't wait to buy this game for my personal use. One of the ladies at the kids camp bought the game for her house a couple of weeks ago, after she taught her husband how to play, he got addicted too and started bringing the game to bed with them, "Come on Honey, one quick game!" ... Read more

Amazon.com

If parents like the original Scene It? Game--the main requirement being an obsessive love of movies, TV, sports, and the like--it's a good bet their kids will like this Jr. version of the well-known game. Of course one learns new things from playing Scene It?--it's trivia--but the Jr. version emphasizes the engaging of memory, logic and knowledge skills to play successfully. The objective is the same as the original game: answer the most trivia questions within a 30- or 60-minute period, using real DVD video clips as visual aids. There are up to 700 on-screen challenges, 480 trivia cards, and over 250 past and current pop stars featured in the game. The only things needed are an opponent (groups can play as two teams), a TV, and a DVD player--neither of which is included in the box. Diane Beall ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Great Game!
My family played this game with some friends, and we all enjoyed it. I have a 12-year-old and a 9-year-old. They both loved the game. Usually the Jr. games are too easy for my son, and he wins every time. With this game, my daughter answered just as many questions as he did. I enjoyed it just as much as they did. I highly recommend this game for your familie's game night! ... Read more

Editorial Review

The wildly popular and award-winning Cranium board game has revved its engines and gone turbo! As in the original game, players in teams race around the board, sculpting, humming, spelling, or drawing answers to clues. But the Turbo edition is enhanced by 1,000 new cards and adds six outrageous activities to the 10 originals, including Odd Couple (determine which two things don't belong in a list), Zooma (identify objects shown in close-up), and Mindmeld (read teammates' minds to come up with the same words on a given topic). An electronic Turbo timer lights up and blasts music to keep the momentum going, as if watching your teammates sculpt "hot pants" or turn each other into puppets isn't energizing enough! Includes the Cranium board, 1,000 cards with 16 activities, a tub of clay, an electronic timer (requires three "AA" batteries [not included]), pencils and pads, and four game pieces. One of the best games around, with something for everyone! --Emilie Coulter ... Read more

Editorial Review

Lucky Ducks is a sound-and-motion version of the typical color-matching game. An adult will need about 15 minutes to prepare the game (installing batteries, labeling ducks, and punching out cardboard nests), and then it's time to start selecting lucky duckies. A quacking sound effect is heard as the motorized board moves the 12 ducks around the pond. The first player to pick three ducks with colored stickers, which match the color of their nest, is the winner. The game has a couple of drawbacks: there is no volume control, so kids must figure out where their ducks are by watching the previous player replace them on the pond, and there are no game variations. --Pam Lauer ... Read more

Reviews (40)

Great for all ages!
I bought this toy 2 years ago for my son's 3rd Christmas, and we still play this game. My other son just turned 2 and now he can play also. Besides teaching colors, it also helps teach sharing as everyone has to wait his/her turn. My husband and I also enjoy playing with the boys, although after a few games the "quacking" may get annoying. But that's when the boys play by themselves, and learn cooperation. I think it's a great game for kids and adults. It's easy for kids to pick up the concept and as they get older they learn to watch who picks up their ducks and where they are on the pond. And it's a quick game, so it doesn't go on forever.

@#$% this game
(...). it is the worst game in the world. i bought this for my 3 year old son and he hates it!!!!!! (...). my 3 year old already knows algebra 1 and earth science. we paly many games like stratego and risk. now this game u collect ducks . the first person to get the matching color of 3 ducks wins!!? (...). if u want a good game for your 3 yearold get History of the world. me and my son play that all the time. it is the best!

Loudest, Most Annoying Toy I've Ever Heard
Don't let the cute duckies deceive you!!! Although this game is kind of fun, I highly recommend staying away from it until they come up with a volume control. It is the loudest toy I've ever heard, and believe me, I've heard a lot of them. You can clearly hear the game in our home if you are in the basement with the door closed and the game is on the second floor of our two-story home. Even with tape over the speakers on the bottom. And it plays the same "Quack Quack" sound over and over. There is no variation or music. It gives everyone a headache, including my 4 year old son, whom it was bought for. And if you take the batteries out to get rid of the sound, then the game doesn't work. If you are thinking of purchasing this product, run, don't walk, in the opposite direction!

If Hasbro fixed the quacking/volume problem, it would be a fun game.

great
i have 2 little sisters that are 4 there twins named abigal and nora my name is lily and i am 12 i hate two play with them but this is the best game i ever played with them ever. even when i babysit i bring it with me the kids love it and it teaches them colors in a way. i can waite till my little brother damyon gets older and i can play this came with him to he's only 3 mos old but i know it will last because some of the brats i baby sit for jump on it and it still dident even brake nock on wood

bottom line: best toy for tots ever

Loud, annoying, but my son still loves it
I agree with the other reviewers: the loud, constant quacking is extremely annoying and the slightest touch to the top of the box will set it off, BUT, my son absolutely loves the game. Still. Two years after he got it. The 3 star fun rating is an average between his enjoyment of the game and my limited tolerance for the sounds. ... Read more

Editorial Review

The aMAZEing Labyrinth uses a clever board design to create aseries of ever-changing mazes that one to four players must movethrough. The object of the game is for each player to collect asquickly as possible all seven treasures depicted on their individualtreasure cards. To add to the challenge, players know what the nexttreasure is only after they find the one before it. Before each turn, amaze card is pushed into the maze in a strategic place, helping theplayer make his or her way to the prize. This means that the entiremaze shifts and changes on each turn, confounding some and helpingothers. Players will need to think ahead to choose just the right spotto shift the maze in their favor. This is an excellent game to get lostin. A simpler version can be played by younger children. --LeeStrucker ... Read more

Editorial Review

As one of the winners of Dr. Toy's 10 Best Games award, theSurvival/Extinction Dinosaur Game will be a hit with playfulpaleontologists everywhere. Players in the game learn about dinosaursfirsthand by themselves becoming the creatures. Each of the 16player-dinosaurs must make his or her way through the prehistoric world insearch of food and struggling for survival. Winning the game meansgetting to the finish with at least one food token. To do this, playersmust remember his or her dinosaur's habitat, sources of food,intelligence, speed, and size. Natural disaster cards also teach thehazards associated with everyday dinosaur life. Players will learnabout these giant creatures with every fateful step of this creativeboard game. --Lee Strucker ... Read more

Reviews (17)

highly educational and fun at the same time!
My students of 2nd through 4th grades loved this game.Survival And Extinction is a very unique game which gives the child the perspective of being a dinosaur who faces so many challenges for his survival. The child has to make intelligent decisions and understand the characteristics of the dinosaur he represent at the time. I found this game to be highly educational and fun at the same time It is one of the few games my students ask to play over and over again. Highly recommended for teachers and parents alike!.

Awesome educational game!
My 4 year-old, now 5 year old, loves this game. There is a lot of reading required for the game but that doesn't hinder my son's enjoyment. The game challenges him to make good decisions and he likes choosing which dinosaur to be. I cannot recommend this game highly enough. Excellent.

Illustrations by Rick Spears
...make this a game worth snapping up. Spears injects life and behaviors into his paleo artwork, so kids imagine how the prehistoric beasts lived and died. The game is a little complicated, but in that respect it has more lasting value because the boredom factor doesn't slip into place too soon. And kids learn real science as they play. Fun game, great illustrative contributions by Spears.

Boring
My son's are 9 and 12 yrs old. This game couldn't hold their attention, nor mine. It's incredibly boring, slow and unimaginitive. Small pieces got lost and mangled. When we moved, I threw this game in the trash! Please don't buy this item. There are so many other choices for family fun time.

Dinosaur game
My family use this game on the weekends instead of watching TV, great fun for a family get together ... Read more

Editorial Review

Abracadabra! Now kids can mystify an audience with MagicRainbows, Rabbit and Rings, Tricky String, Mystery Tube, MagnetizedWand, and more. My First Magic Set holds 12 fun tricks, complete propsand secrets for presenting them, and the carrying case to take the showon the road. All magicians need is the cape and top hat. Actually, the4-to-8-year-olds for whom this set is intended probably also need adulthelp in reading the well-written and illustrated, 16-page "SecretInstruction Booklet." Parents and kids get together doing the lightassembly necessary (such as separating the perforated sheet of cards,folding cardboard to form the magic box, applying a sticker) to four ofthe tricks. Then pore over the step-by-step pictures and instructionsbefore the little magician goes off to perfect the sleight of hand. Forextra help, every trick's instructions are accompanied by a "Secret"that summarizes and explains the key to the trick. (Example: "Thehidden finger hole allows you to secretly reach in and 'untie' thestring.") A sure-fire hit--better start sewing that cape and top hat.--Ava Natov ... Read more

Reviews (4)

AbraCadabra!!
A first Magic set for my 5 year old, he loves it!! He and his friends have created magic acts for each other and have laughed all the way. The tricks are easy enough for their age to try, and remember how to do. The directions come with pictures, so they can figure them out if the wording is too comlplicated. The set itself is durable enough fot most tricks to be done over and over. The blocks take some reshaping and the rabbit ring trick does not really fit right, but overall, a good first set. It definately was the hit of a rainy Sunday!!

Perfect for the beginner magician
This is an easy to understand and simple to set-up magic kit for the first time magician. If your child is a reader, then they are capable of presenting most of the tricks independently. A plus! My seven year old enjoys demonstrating his magic tricks for family. His four year old sister loves to watch, and if allowed, to be an assistant. A great buy!

Lots of fun!
My son got this kit as a gift. The durability is as good as that of the next. It must be taken care of. It's not a rough and tough item. We've had many magic shows...and it is still around 3 years later because it is put away in the box and up on the shelf when not being played with. It is magical fun for the little magicians and builds confidence too. In our house one adult helped "learn" the tricks while all others were in the audience at the big show.

Disappointed
This item was not at all what is seems to be. The box was the only durable part of the toy. I unfortuantely purchased 3 of these as Christmas gifts for 3 different boys ages 5 & 6 years old. After seeing them open and what was in the box, I was very disappointed. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

SCENE IT IS THE BEST GAME EVER
As a sixteen year old teenager, I have to say that Scene It is one of the greatest games on the market. My friends and I get together and have Scene It parties where we divide up into teams and play each other! I think that if every family had a Scene It in their household, drug useage and crime rate would drop drastically and we could help get kids off the streets. If you enjoy Scene It, I also reccomend buying Trivial Pursuit DVD Pop Culture. I promise that you will not be dissapointed by Scene It!!

Great for family time!
It is a great game for the whole family. It is also addictive - once you start playing it is hard to stop. ... Read more

Reviews (63)

A Classic!
I had this game when I was little, I'm 30 now and still love this game. The object is to collect money for every successful operation you perform. The one with the most money wins. If you can't perform the operation, then the person with the specialist card appropriate for the operation gets a chance to get even more money. My five year old really loves this game because she wants to be a doctor, but the buzzer is a little too loud and scares her, so often she is too afraid to perform an operation when she really wants to so bad! So we have to leave the batteries out. When you are really concentrating, the loud buzz can give you quite a jolt! But that is half the fun, at least for me (not for my five year old) and is good for a laugh. The game is actually very good for my daughter for her dexirity as this game forces her to take her time retrieving very small objects with a pair of tweezers. Her teacher suggested similiar exercises to help her with her printing. The down side, it can be very easy to lose the pieces, so after you are done with the game, it is probably best to put all the pieces back into their little body parts. This makes a really fun game on a rainy day or for those would be doctors in the house!

a great game
this is the best game in the whole world. it's soooo much fun how it buzzes when you touch something. i love it!!!!

Operation & Cavity Sam - The Same Today As In Yesteryear...
When I read all of the bad reviews for this Gen X classic board game, I just laughed! Especially the review about the young child that played this game and got so nervous because of the buzzer that he/she threw up! Then... I wondered about the world we live in... Who would have thought that a simple game like Hasbro's Operation could make a person question the social decline of the next generation?

Firstly, Gen Y parents... This is a game for 6 to 12 year olds. it's called "reading the front of the box before you buy".

Secondly, the pieces and the cavities that the pieces fit in are the EXACT same size, made of the EXACT same plastic, and is an EXACT duplicate of the game board I owned in the 70's, so stop your GEN Y whining!

The object of the game is to practice, have a steady hand and beat your opponent. It ISN'T SUPPOSED TO BE EASY! Just like the Gen Y's offspring is being taught today - if it's too difficult, too scary, too loud, too ANYTHING, then it's just OK to throw it down and give up. What a wimpy generation we soon will have running this country in 25 to 30 years.

I had three kids, ages 6 to 12 over to our house and got out this game for them to play with. I helped the 6 year old some but all three ABSOLUTELY LOVED IT! Obviously, they are the exception to the rule among the children being raised today...

Cavity Sam is the patient and you are pitted against your opponent with "doctor" cards that describe what part of the body to operate on and if successful, get paid. If your oppponent isn't successful, you get the next shot at the same body part but with a "specialist" card. Specialist, of course, get more money for operations than do doctors. If you touch the sides of the body cavity with the tweezers, Sam's nose lights up and a loud buzzer sounds. The person with the most money in completed operations wins!

This also teaches kids about body parts, reading, and to establish some great hand/eye coordination. Much more than, oh... let's say a Game Boy or an X Box would. Great family fun! Two "D" batteries not included...

Happy Playing!

Possibly the worst toy ever concieved
I bought this when my daughter was about four-and-a-half years old. And the couple of times I tried to play it with her, it made her throw up. It was impossible to get anything out without making it buzz. Somehow, Milton Bradley has found this magical resonant frequency at which the game buzzes and vibrates, to make my daughter throw up. I had to put it out of her sight, because it upset her so much. Every few months, I would point to it and ask her if she wanted to try it again, and she would get real scared and start crying hysterically, pleading with me not to get it out. Now my daughter is 6. We take the game out and make it buzz, and she doesn't throw up anymore, but she still hates it. We all hate it. It's so annoying. But it's an icon of American culture, so we keep it.

They Are Missing A Piece
I have to say, I was disapointed with this game.
With a name like "operation" and the goal to take out peoples organs, I thought this was a pretty safe Gore-fest.
Unfortunately, this is a very cleaned up and sanitized version of the real thing. For one thing, you don't get to perform on an actual person, a huge dispointment to me and my kids.
And rather than at least include something live (like maybe a rat with a bad liver or something) they instead give you a goofy looking picture of a person with a bunch of holes in it.
Also coming with this game is a buzzer capable of creating the most annoying noise known to mankind.
After the first use, it became painful obvious that clearly, the only thing you need to play this game is a sledgehammer, which is the only thing that gave us any satisfaction at all with this piece of garbage. ... Read more

Editorial Review

Count on Trivial Pursuit to keep up with new millennium trends. This tremendously popular game has been updated with a fun DVD feature that allows players to view TV clips, songs, commercials, movie scenes, and more tidbits from pop culture. As in the original Trivial Pursuit game, two to four adult players (or teams) pose questions to one another in six categories, in this case TV, Fads, Buzz, Music, Movies, and Sports & Games. As they correctly answer questions, players move around the board, collecting colored wedges. To win a scoring wedge, though, players must answer an on-screen question with a variety of visual cues. So rev up those pop culture engines and get ready to come up with the name of Big Star's first record or the candy Ronald Reagan favored. The game includes game board, DVD, 400 question-and-answer cards, one die, four cute tokens (lava lamp, mixed tape entitled "Awesome Mix/Makeout Tunes," cell phone, and joystick), 30 scoring wedges, and instructions. Note: although the game features over 2,000 new questions, only a few hundred of them are DVD questions, leading to inevitable repetition. --Emilie Coulter ... Read more

Reviews (43)

Worst Trivial Pursuit Game to Date
Big dissapointment. Trivial Pursuit is our favorite game and we love to keep up with pop culture, but we will probably never play this game again. The questions are really off the wall and you can't play twice without getting the same video questions. Played with several groups of people - parents (in their 50's) and friends in their 20's - no one liked the game.

Best Trivial Pursuit Game Yet!
I purchased this game baecause it looked so fun...especially with the DVD included. I played the 20th century Trivial Pursuit Game and did not like it at all. Game took way too long and most of the questions were from another planet. This game is SO fun! It's updated with new and fresh questions, and the DVD with additional questions..all about pop culture makes this game perfect for generations X and Y! Definitely worth the money!

Fast & Fun!
Great fun for adults & teens in the family, older generation coudln't quite keep up. Fast-paced game, DVD is the highlight with the "All Play" feature keeping everyone's attention. Highly recommended, great gift for anyone.

Its a good game!
When i bought this game i was excitied to play. Right away my family started playing the game and we had a great time, but after playing it for so long it got kind of boring! If you use the DVD it will repeate questions after playing it more than once. We have used the cards but it is more fun with the DVD! I would recomend it if you looking for something to keep people busy!

Trivial Pursuit At It's Fullest
Why is everyone harping on the fact that the DVD repeats questions??? I mean, it does, but if you want to, you can play the game like regular Trivial Pursuit and not use the DVD. But personally, I think that it's well worth the extra ten or so dollars to have the DVD. Personally, I could sit and play with the disc alone for almost and hour. Actually, sometimes when my family's lazy, we do just that.

Think of what you're getting for that extra ten dollars.....

*You're getting the cooler game pieces. (A cell phone, a cassette, a joystick and a lava lamp)

*You're getting the DVD, which for the questions, shows clips of movies and stuff like that.

*You're getting the pop culture questions

and there may even be some things that I can't think of, though I don't think so.

Even though the DVD DOES repeat, the game is well worth it in my opinion. In some cases with a game like this, I would recommend you play it somewhere first, before you buy it, but in this case, I don't think that is necessary. ... Read more

Editorial Review

Furrowed brows and hearty laughter are the most likely outcome of this fun but challenging newgame from Game Development Group. The object is to be the first to reach the end of the game board."Been there, done that," you're thinking? Look again. In fact, stare hard--because that's the only way you'llget anywhere. Players (individually or in teams) must stare at an image on a card for 20 seconds. Actually,that's the "challenging" version. Depending on the relative level of masochism at the table, you can opt forthe "almost impossible" version--stare for 10 seconds--or the "general" version, stare for 30 seconds (best ifthere are kids playing), and then answer questions about what you saw. It's not easy folks--just try toremember what color socks the man next to you on the bus was wearing this morning, or how many peoplewere reading magazines. Of course, you weren't staring.... --Rachel Radway ... Read more

Reviews (51)

Hooked from the very first stare!
This is a great game. You can't help but be challenged with this game. The game comes with a box full of great image cards. On one side of the card is a color image (a comic, work of art, old advertisement, etc.). On the other side of the card are 6 questions about the image. During your turn, you have 20 seconds to stare at the image and try to remember as much detail about the image as possible. For instance, what color is the woman's hat? Is the man using his left or right hand? What time is it?, etc. When the timer runs out of sand, your opponent snatches the card from you and you roll the dice to see which question you will be asked. You keep progressing on the board until you get a question about the image wrong. There is always one 'question' on the card which instructs an opponent to make up a question about the image. This is where your opponents gets down right mean - making up questions which are...well let me just say innovative. You can not help but really enjoy yourself playing this game. Everybody had fun in my group and everybody was pretty much evenly matched, except one person with a photographic memory. We all decided to give 'Mr. Recall It All', only 10 seconds to stare at the image. Here's 'staring' at you....

A game everybody can play.
It is rare to find a game everybody enjoys playing. Stare! is one of those games, because everyone has the talent of 'recall'. Therefore, everybody playing was well challenged. We threw some of our own rules into the game. There is an element where an opponent is instructed to ask the question about an image (rather than reading one of the questions asked on the back of the game card). If the opponent asked too obscure of a questions, then all the players voted and the player had to move his/her pawn back 2 spaces. This was a great social aspect of the game because everybody participated in looking at the images. The images are fantastic and the selection definitely keeps the game interesting. Stare! is an addictive challenging and fun game. You really can't go wrong with this one.

Stare should be named Bored!
At first, I was excited to play a new game, and upon reading the instructions, the game seemed fun. Oh, to the contrary! The game consists of a team of people staring at a tiny card with tons of details, just to be asked some obscure question about the picture your team just looked at.

The game dragged on. It needs to be re-vamped. Nobody dare talk during the opposing stare team's turn, or it causes frustation and lack of concentration. It's not a very fast-paced game, nor is it something that helps your eyesight.

I would give the educational stars a 2, because I learned the name of a few famous portraits/paintings that I had otherwise only heard about, and not seen. Unfortunately, that is all this game is good for. :-(

Confessions of a Stare! Addict...
I have two confessions to make. First, I am a born skeptic who does not like fads. But seeing this game everywhere (!!!), and having had an incessant co-worker try out cards on me by the water cooler (betting me for every correct answer I could give), I finally succumbed to the inevitable. Maybe it was the cute smiley logo that stared out at me, or because it seemed so different (funky cards!), or just because I like the color purple...

My second confession: I am now ready for Stare Addictions Anonymous, if such a self-help group exists (if not, I am starting an inaugural petition). The card box sits open invitingly in my living room within easy grasp of my clutches when my eyes start to twitch and I get the urge to stare. Invite your neighbors (those you like), your slow-witted husband or any restless offspring and satisfy your visual cravings. Stare first, answer questions later. And then stare some more, and more, and more, and more....!!!

Fabulous!!! (however u spell it)
I luv the game Stare! it is the most interesting and family fun game i have played in a while. I would of never have thought a game like this could be this fun. It is so enjoyable!! I luv playing it and some advise for u all is to go and buy this game!!!!!!! (a.s.a.p.) ... Read more

Editorial Review

UNO, America's No. 1-selling card game, has a whole new twist. You'll still encounter all theelements that make UNO so unpredictable and challenging, but add to that a motorized card launcher thatshows no mercy and you've got UNO Attack. The object of the game is still to get rid of all your cards. TheUNO command cards direct the game by telling players when to trade hands, discard, reverse the playingorder, or skip a player. Beware the dreaded Hit command, though, as this translates into a game of Russianroulette. You never know when the card launcher is going to fire off a stream of UNO cards just for you! For2 to 10 players. Requires three C batteries (not included). --Alison Golder ... Read more

Reviews (87)

The Ultimate Card Game
This is the ultimate card game. Our 3 year old son was introduced to the basic UNO game which emphasizes their knowledge of colors, numbers and strategy. We recently purchased UNO Attack and he positively LOVES it. He likes it when you press the launcher and receive either no cards or up to 10 cards at a time (generally 3 or 5 cards). You never know what is going to happen. UNO is a game of wit; however, the UNO Attack Game also adds in a bit of luck because you never know how many cards you may receive if you have to hit the launcher. The new HIT Fire Wild Card, ALL Hit Wild Card, Hit 2 and Trade Hand Cards take the game to a whole new level of excitement. We play this game at least 5 times a day per my 3 year olds request. We are UNO addicts. We shared this game with our extended family and everyone loved it. Needless to say, they are all purchasing one. If you want a game for a preschooler that will keep their interest and yours, this is the game for you.

Easy, Fun, and Improved
This is a great and fun twist to the original UNO game (very similar to crazy 8's). There are a couple of new cards, like trade hands, but the main difference is a shooter. Sometimes if you press the button, nothing happens, and others cards fly out (about 1 / 3 times). Any number may fly out, but generally between 2 and 5. You press the button when someone plays the right card, you forget to call UNO, etc. This is a good family game for people of all ages and I recommend it especially for UNO lovers.

A GREAT game made BETTER!
This game takes the already great game of Uno and makes it into an even better game for the whole family. I like this better than regular Uno because the card despinser adds an extra twist because you don't know if you are going to get 1 card or 10 cards. I think this is a GREAT game for the family!!!

Not so good for singles
I heard that this game was really fun and great so I was excited to try it but I live alone and it's not so fun to play by yourself. It was funny when the cards shot out of the machine but if there was a reverse card I had to just play again the same as I would have anyway and when I got the exchange hands card I couldn't really do that either. So as you can see it's a better game for people who have lots of friends. I bet then it would be pretty good. I am so lonely.

uno attack
this game is fun and exciting for all ages. Its a learning experience for children to match and learn colors. ... Read more