Reviews (2)

Random Character Control -- Best Feature
My kids, aged 7 and 4, are Kim Possible fans, and they both love this game.

Since there is almost no information given in the product description, I will write about how the game is played. This will give you an idea of what you're buying.

There are two versions of the game you can play: The Basic version for younger children and beginners, and The Advanced version for children wanting more challenge. In the Basic version, each player is given "A Mission" to complete. To win the game, you must complete your mission, obtaining four cards from four different regions of the board, and then capture Dr. Drakken.

The best feature of the game is this: You do not have a single playing piece throughout the game. The players must use a spinner to determine whether they will be using Kim, Ron, or Rufus on each turn. On one turn, you might be able to move the Kim Possible piece next to a card you need for your mission. On your next turn, you might spin Ron and not be able to use the Kim piece -- or perhaps another player will spin Kim and move her away. Meanwhile, if you spin Dr. Drakken, you can move him to random spots on the board, keeping him away from other players who might be ready to capture him.

In the Advanced version, walls are added to the board, so that you cannot move as freely from region to region. Also, the cards are not as easy to acquire. Once you have found a mission card, you must roll a specific number on a die in order to keep it. Kim has the die with the best numbers; Rufus has the weakest die. In the end, you must roll a 4 to capture Drakken. (If you are trying to get him with Rufus, good luck!) Moving more than one piece into the space with your mission card or Drakken improves your chances, since you can add up the dice rolls, but remember, the other players will be "stealing" your players on their turns, possibly moving them away from where you want them.

I have rated the game a 4 on educational value, because the advanced version requires some good strategy. Overall, I'm glad we got the game; we have a lot of fun playing it.

So Not The Drama!
I got This at Target one Sunday with 2 Kim Possible Puzzels,I collect anything with My Heroine/2nd Role Model/2nd Idol on it,If Your Daughter/Niece likes Kim Possible,or If YOU like Kim Possible this is the game for you!You can be a superheroine catching the Supervillian,Dr.Drakken. ... Read more

Editorial Review

Checkers has never been the same since Connect Four. Now there's even more of a challenge with Electronic Hand-Held Connect Four. Here, you're going up against a machine. Play the traditional game of trying to get four in a row--horizontal, vertical, or diagonal--while blocking the computer opponent. Add more of a challenge by choosing Game 2: the checkers disappear, and it takes memory and strategy to win. The arrow keys keep you in complete control of the game, and you can even shut off the sound to better concentrate. There are three different skill levels to keep things interesting, or if it's too hard, the computer will offer hints with the press of a button. --Lynne Sampson ... Read more

Reviews (7)

FUN FOR EVERYONE
This little game is the best. My grandmother loves it, my mother loves it, and I love it to death. We only have one so we are usually fighting over it. And the thing is, i have had it for years. So not only is it soooo fun, you dont have to change batteries every 5 min. I would Highly recomend this product to ANYONE big or small old or young This thing is the best!

very good
i saw this toy online than i got it at the store. its really fun i play it everday. even my brother that is 26 likes it. he plays it a lot to. i give this toy 5 stars.

EXCELLENT!!!
i bought this almost two years ago for myself, play it EVERY day, and only replaced the battery once. I just bought three more for my grandchildren (10, 7 & 5) because they can't keep their hands off it when they come to visit me, and fight over whose turn it is to use it ne×t!

classic fun!
I bought this for my 8yr old nephew for Christmas and he's had a lot of fun with it. The graphics are basic and the goal is easy. The computer opponent can be sometimes tough to beat though. Both the kids and adults of our family enjoy this game. I keep thinking I should have bought one for me when I bought my nephew's!

ustomers Review
This is a good game but sometimes the opponent is too hard,even on Skill One. ... Read more

Editorial Review

All of your favorite Disney characters are featured in classic Monopolystyle for a family game that everyone can enjoy. You already know how to play,so nothing has changed--except a few things that actually make this versioncollectible. Solid pewter moving pieces feature Snow White, a coupled Lady & TheTramp, Cinderella, Pinocchio, Dumbo, Alice, and Baboo. Property is representedas a cottage and the Prince's well-known castle. Scrooge McDuck, naturally, isfeatured on all Monopoly money in place of Rich Uncle Pennybags. --DianeBeall ... Read more

Reviews (12)

A little visit to Disney without leaving home!
This is a wonderful game for the family to play - it's a mental visit to Disney World for all of us. The kids are learning about numbers and money while having fun! Landing on a particular spot, Space Mountain as an example, brings up memories and stories. Our entire family looks forward to playing this version of an all-time classic game!

Greatest version of Monopoly
Disney monopoly is played almost exactly the same way the original Monopoly is. Except instead of the usual car, hat, and iron tokens, there are Sleeping Beauty, Snow White, and Dumbo, etc. And instead of hotels, Cinderella's Castle. The board is much prettier to, you buy movies, instead of properties, and instead of Chance and Community Chest there is Magic Moments and Picture Time. It's a great first Monopoly for kids since they would be much likelier to want to put down $400 for The Lion King, instead of Boardwalk. The one bad thing about the game - wasn't around when I was little.

The MOST requested game at our house!
When ToysRUs had a pre-Christmas sale on games (buy one get one free) I started reading Amazon's reviews. I bought Disney Monopoly based on the reviews here and cannot say THANK YOU enough to all who rated this game highly.

I'm playing it with 3 kids (age 6,7,8) and they are learning a TON about counting money and adding/subtracting. They all want to be the banker and I've told them they can as soon as they can make change well.

The board is wonderful and child appealing. The play is fast paced and engrossing. Kids just LOVE buying anything Disney. We had tried regular monopoly at our house but it bombed out. I hadn't played since I was a kid and had forgotten that Monopoly actually has A LOT of rules. The kids are all learning them though through the Disney version.

Another reviewer had said it would be a good game to use to teach 5-8 yr olds how to play Monopoly. Originally I had thought "naaa--they won't get it" but its TRUE! I am amazed.

In an age where I detest many of the "new" games this one is a great twist on an old favorite. HIGHLY recommended.

p.s. The only negative I have is that when we went to open the board up it was really tough. It turned out that someone at the factory (or some machine I guess) got GLUE happy and when we did get it opened up there were small tears in the board from the glue sticking. I have emailed Hasbro about this but haven't received an answer but I expect them to replace the board.

Simply elegant
Monopoly! One of the greatest board games ever made. This special Disney edition makes the game much more interesting. You can buy properties from many different Disney movies and build cottages on them. The cottages are from the white rabbit in Alice in Wonderland. The other exiting feature is the replacement of the original hotel with the enchanted Disney castle. The board is shiny and has almost all of your favorite Disney characters. The movers are all very shiny and beatifully made. There is Pinnochio, Peter Pan, Alice, Aurora, Mowgli, Lady and Tramp, Dumbo, and so many other pieces. The Disney edition could also be very educational for young kids ranging from 5 to 8 years old. They will learn Monopoly and have fun with all of the properties and characters from their favotite Disney movies. If you like Monopoly and you love the enchantment of Disney, then you will absolutely love this edition of Monopoly. BUY IT! You'll love it and have fun with your friends and family and if your a collector, buy it and add it to your collection. HAVE FUN!!!!

This is so awesome!
I just love this monopoly board because of its colors and also because of its game pieces. It is very enjoyable to play this with young children because it will keep them interested, including all the adults. ... Read more

Editorial Review

In this electronic adaptation, the hangman is a cowboy in a Western town. There are 11 chances to correctly guess the word from a memory bank of 8,000 words arranged in 10 categories. The game fits in the palm of a hand, and there's much to control. Select the skill level and word length (even whether or not to have sound effects play a victory tune when the cowboy is saved from the rope). Only Level 1 allows the player to pick from categories like Animals, City, Music, and Wild West. Otherwise, it's as random as traditional Hangman. Game 2 scrambles the letters, so it's even harder to guess which letter to pick from the lot and to guess the word. It comes ready to play, keeps score, and has an automatic shutoff. Great for long road trips. --Lynne Sampson ... Read more

Reviews (8)

It's Ok!
This Electronic Hangman Game is fun. I'm not sure how educational it is but it's a great for kids to play with in the car on what they would call long boring road trips and the size is small and can fit in pockets and even a handbag.

Best Ever = um... BUY!!!!!!!!
THIS IS THE BEST GAME EVER, HAS OVER 100,000 WORDS. YOU CAN SELECT YOUR CATIGORY AND HOW MANY LETTERS. EACH TIME YOU GET THE WORD RIGHT YOU GET POINTS, AND THEY GET HIGHER AND HIGHER, AND IF U GET IT WRONG IT GETS LOWER. ...

It's Fine????
This is an okay game, though it sometimes gets a little boring. This game can teach kids different words. There are 8 categories to choose from, plus you can choose how many letters you want in the game. You get 11 guesses to guess what word they are giving you.

This One's A Winner!
I gave this hangman game last Christmas to my fifth grade daughter (a great stocking gift) and nearly a year later she's still playing with it and enjoying it. A terrific function of the game for me is that the user can *mute* the sound while playing it.

GETTING THE HANG OF IT
THIS IS A FUN TOY. HANGMAN IS A GREAT GAME ANYWAY AND THIS ELECTRONIC VERSION, COMPLETE WITH VISUALS OF THE HANGMAN AND THE EXTRACTION OF HIS VARIOUS LIMBS, IS FUNNY AND ENJOYABLE. A VERY ENTERTAINING TOY. ... Read more

Reviews (21)

My new favorite word game!
Having grown up on Scrabble, I was a little wary of the game at first. But I soon found that the strategies I loved to use in Scrabble (adding endings, squeezing a word in between two others, etc.) were just what was emphasized in Upwords. Although the scoring seems low after playing Scrabble, there is a terrific sense of satisfaction gained when changing words. I encourage my children to play, since the word play is fabulous for their development as readers. (word families can play a big part for those just starting out.) I wholeheartedly recommend it.

Scrabble leaves big shoes to fill.
Loving Scrabble, I thought I would try Upwords for some variety. It was challenging, but not in the same way as Scrabble. It is like playing Scrabble toward the end of the game when it's tough to make small words in the few spaces left...not testing your brain to come up with unique, long, high-point words. I felt it became more a game of chance (based on what letters you got) than of skill. Upwords was fun, but it doesn't have the longevity or variety of Scrabble. We played a few rounds and then went back to our old favorite.

Not what I hoped for
I'm an avid Scrabble player, and Upwords was billed as, and appeared to be, a more complex version of Scrabble. I should've known better; you don't try to remake a classic. Because the board is smaller, players are more limited. Because new words are just variations (of spelling) on early-placed words, the players are limited. The addition of the third dimension to the board has appeal -- from a distance. The end result is a smaller, limited version of Sxcrabble, that gets old fast.

Disappointing!
I had expected a game even better than Scrabble, but Upwords is not! Games fizzle out in no time due to the small board and dullness of having to change words instead of create new ones. Unlike Scrabble, there is no real vocabulary challenge. I don't recommend this one at all.

Interesting variation of the classic word game
As with so many closely related products, it is unfair to compare Upwords with the its classic predecessor, Scrabble. Both games are based on letter tiles and crossword puzzles, but the similarity ends right there.

In most respects, Upwords is a simpler game. Scoring is much easier, as each letter tile only counts for either one or two points, depending on how it is used. (There is, of course, one exception.) The game board itself is more restrictive, with the 10 by 10 square size forcing players to build vertically, whether they wish to or not. However, among two or more evenly matched players, the strategy can be just as demanding and the competition just as fierce as in Scrabble.

The downside to Upwords is in the physical quality of the product. The game board is of rather light construction, as are the letter tiles. The letter trays are a bit too small to properly hold the tiles. In fact, most of the little quality touches that one generally expects from Parker Brothers products are conspicuously lacking in Upwords, to the point of the game not even having a storage bag for the letter tiles. It seems that, in the effort to hold down costs, Parker Brothers unfortunately crossed that fine line from inexpensive to cheap.

That said, Upwords is a lot of fun. It teaches three dimensional thinking and forces players to plan well ahead of their next move. The game is an excellent way to turn a fun family evening into a vocabulary and spelling lesson, without the students even realizing it.

Considering that Parker Brothers did manage to keep the price very reasonable, Upwords is a true bargain in the world of family and table games. ... Read more

Editorial Review

Baby boomers and Gen Xers who are stumped by questions in the main edition of Trivial Pursuit may find this SNL Edition right up their alley. This edition follows the premise of the original game, where players roll the die and move around the board answering trivia questions to score a "wedge" of a pie. The object is to score a wedge from each of the six category areas to complete the pie and win the game. However, the less dry SNL Edition requires players to answer questions about the Emmy-award winning late-night show Saturday Night Live rather than testing their knowledge of random factoids. Players can choose from eight different playing pieces, which are cleverly shaped as some of the most recognizable comedic characters on the show, such as Molly Shannon playing Mary Katherine Gallagher, Dan Ackroyd as a Conehead, or John Belushi as the Samurai Deli owner. The game includes over 2,000 questions in six different category areas, which includes 450 interactive questions located on the accompanying DVD. This game makes for a hilarious night of reliving favorite sketches, impressions, and mock commercials from this 30-season show. --Cristina Vaamonde ... Read more

Reviews (8)

Clue FX Review
This game plays exactly like the original Clue, except there are more suspects and more weapons. Also, it talks to you! The butler gives tips and encouragement, THOUGH IT CAN GET REPETITIVE. Also, this time around you're not playing as a suspect, you're playing as a detective. There are only 4, to my disappointment. However, now you can play Clue with 2 players.

FINAL WORD:
If you're a casual game enthusiast, Clue FX might be worth a look. However, if you are a serious Clue fan, this is an awful product that is not worth your time or money.

Fun Game!!!
I read the reviews to this game and was not sure if I would like the game. I love the original clue game and was somewhat skeptical because of some of the reviews. My husband and I then began playing the game and loved it. It is a quick game that you can play over and over again. In one night we played four games. This game is very similar to the original game with fun twists. I recommend this game to anyone who enjoyed playing the original clue game.

No one needs a clue to love this game
Although I had never played the original Clue game, the talking version appealed to me. Clue FX is a fun game that is educational in two ways. It uses problem solving and listening skills which improve everyday skills as well. It says "more mystery" on its cover and it is true to its word. It has more suspects than the original game. To summarize: If you took the best features from every single game I ever played, plus added a few of your own that you never saw before, Clue FX adds up to that.

Clue FX is The Best!
I would say Clue FX is the best game on Earth! You have to listen very carfully were the suspects and the inspector are.Your listning skill will probly increse. You should have teams the first time around because noteing what information the suspects have. I would not recamend having a 6 year or youger player play on hiselfs/herselfs own. It gets very anoying haveing them play on there own. This is the best game because anybody can play it and you can play with your family or friends.

Clue FX is fun, fun, fun!
My 8 year old daughter played this at a friend's house and had to have it! Her father, sister and I love to play this game together. It promotes good listening skills and helps learn to use strategy. It's a good idea to play in teams for the first few times because keeping track of everything could get confusing. The electronic board keeps the game interesting, because you never know where the suspects are going to be. It's a different game every time you play. ... Read more

Editorial Review

What food gives Popeye strength? What country calls its native inhabitants "aborigines"? What street sport sees cuts and scrapes from falls called "munchies"? Answer correctly and you just might score a wedge in the junior version of the wildly popular Trivial Pursuit. Using the same game play as the adult edition--players move their pieces around the board, answering questions in hopes of collecting all six scoring wedges--this kid-friendly format includes categories just for the 8-and-older crowd. Young trivia buffs will be challenged and entertained by this lively game of wits and memory. But the real fun comes when adults try to join the game. So, Pop, what are Wakko, Yakko, and Dot better known as? The game, for two to four players or teams, includes a 20-by-20-inch folding gameboard, question-and-answer cards, dice, four tokens, and 24 scoring wedges. Oh, yes, Wakko et al. are Animaniacs! --Emilie Coulter ... Read more

Reviews (15)

An awesome game for kids to play
I have played Trivial Pursuit and couldn't get my hands off it! Its fun, cool, and best of all the questions are just right for kids.Buy it now, and make you kids smarter!

Great for the Family!
My 7-year-old daughter and I love to play this game together. She is learning so much from it! We've played it so many times that we really need new questions, though.

Okay for very young ones
(I'm writing from the perspective of a 35 year-old.) You don't get a whole lot of questions (two small decks), and we have come across a few that do not match the category they are supposed to represent (e.g., a question about painters in the "games" category). The game seems to have been put together quickly and cheaply. You don't get plastic "pie" pieces as in the adult version, you get cardboard slices that you set on top of pictures of the pies that are drawn on the corners of the gameboard (not a major complaint but the colors of the drawings exactly match the colors of the cardboard pie-slice markers, making it hard to see them). The questions include multiple choice answers, so it's accordingly easier to get them. Of course you can simply omit the choices when reading the questions if you want to increase the level of difficulty. It's not a bad game, but it's not an excellent game either. Middle of the road. Probably best for kids under 12.

FUN GAME
This is a very fun game. No offense to anyone, but the person that said that these questions are for five-year-olds is definetely wrong, unless that person is a genious. Most of the questions are NOT very easy. OK, some are kind of simple, but most are pretty hard. There are all kinds of different questions, that some people who are watch football and baseball all day would probably know. I highly reccomend this game. It's a fun way to get smart.

Awesome game to play with your kids!
This game is really nice for families. We play on teams, and even my little four year old can help out. When I answer, I don't get the multiple choices, to make it fair. It's a blast!! ... Read more

Editorial Review

Sometimes you can't help but wonder about the original meeting where the idea for a toy was first introduced. Because in order to get Operation Brain Surgery produced, someone must have sat down in a room somewhere and explained that they were proposing a game based on brain surgery. And that they were serious. As strange as that meeting must surely have been, the game is actually a lot of fun in a bizarre kind of way. In fact, its very strangeness probably makes it even more fun. The patient (same big-nosed guy from the original Operation game) gives encouragement and ribbing to players throughout the game. The object is to remove objects such as a bird (for "bird brain"), train (for "train of thought"), and egg (for "egg head"). As in Operation, it takes a steady hand to avoid upsetting the patient and win the game. --John Moe ... Read more

Reviews (16)

My three year old & I have fun together playing this game!
I bought this for my three year old daughter. When we first started to play, I had her just take out the pieces from the top of his head as fast as she could before the buzzer went off. Then, I introduced the playing cards and shortly after that she caught on to the concept of matching the pieces from inside the head to the cards she had in front of her. If they didnt match, she threw them back in and quickly grabbed for the next piece. It promotes matching, turn taking and fast thinking! Since its a fast pace game, we have fun each time we play! She'll even sit and play alone sometimes but of course its more fun to play with mommy ;-D

bought for my 5 year old!
I bought this for my 5 year old for Christmas and he wasn't impressed with it. He got bored with it real quick and even my 2 year old didn't seem to happy playing it. It has been sitting in the box untouched for months. Honestly I liked the old style of operation better, it does more to keep the attention of the kids where as this one is kinda boring.

Fun
My 4 yr old got this for Christmas. She really seems to like it. It is a challenge for her to find the right shapes. Even my 20 month old enjoys pulling pieces out. However, the buzzer never goes off because we are too rough trying to find the right shape. I even took it back and got another, and still, the buzzer only goes off when we run out of time. We still like it a lot.

Not much fun
Not much fun in my opinion and I guess, my 3 year old sons. He likes reaching in the head, but that's about it. It's not educational by any means and it really has no point.

My child is so scared of this toy
My 2 year old saw the commercial for this toy on Nick Jr and ran out of the room screaming. Then on a trip to [a store] she saw in in the toy dept. Now everytime I go to [that store] my 2 year old keeping repeating "we go home now". I really think this game has scared my child ... Read more

Editorial Review

Ready ... aim ... Crossfire! This shootout game gets the adrenaline pumping as two players fire small metal pellets across the board, blasting their opponents' pucks ever closer to their goal. Plastic shooters attach to each end of the Crossfire board. Players load 'em up with pellets from a tray. The pucks spin and move easily on bearings as pellets hit them from each player. The trick is to load quickly and shoot accurately to hit and push your puck into your opponent's goal as often as you can. With a setup time of only minutes, Crossfire is instant fun and there's no need for batteries or electricity, so it can travel and be played anywhere. Game level can be adjusted quickly by changing goal guards. The playing surface is less than 2 feet long, making it a great tabletop game. --Lee Strucker ... Read more

Reviews (23)

awesome
I used to have this back when I was within the boundaries of the recommended age. I think I'm going to go get a new one, even though I might be too old.

AWESOME
This game is the best I stayed up for hours until the blisters on my hands could not take it any more! Its a number one game in the world!!!!!!

The best
This game is the best game ever. My all time favorite, it gets your adrenalin running through your veins and puts the white on your knuckles. Its fun for all ages and it works great if one person loads the marbles for you while you fire and try to get the star and triangle to the other persons side.

Simply Delightful!!
Where do I begin with this most exquisite game; ahh yes the commercial. The ripe young men gathered around a table, engaged in an enthralling match of crossfire in which one of the youngsters is vanquished by his formidable adversary. The ensuing five seconds are utterly tantalizing when the victorious player rises out of his chair and celebrates his impressive victory while the now famous theme song climaxes in the background. "Crossfire, you'll get caught up in the... CROSSFIRE!!) Now, on to the game itself, there are many stimulating moments to be had with it. The first time I played I was playing with me neighbors son. We were totally engrossed by crossfire's addictive gameplay that he spent the whole night at my house playing with me. In the morning, when it was time for little Timmy to go home, I continued playing the fantastic game well into the afternoon hours. When sleep finally overcame me, I dreamt about the aforementioned session of crossfire. I re-lived my whole first experience with the game and Timmy. Now, I am in an absolute love affair with this game and my romance life suffers because of it. Crossfire is a definite must buy!

Evan Smith: BEST GAME EVER IN THE WHOLE GALAXY... EVER!
Who are the freakin' morons who said that this game isn't educational? Milton Bradley is a genius if I ever knew one. And as far as the commercial song goes, it is clearly, "You've been caught on the run: Crossfire, Crossfire, (falsetto) CROSSFIRE!.... yeah, Yeah!" I didn't much approve of the fire of Hades in the Background and one kid laughing at the death of his opponent but hey fire sells. This is a great game if you're feelin down and want to take your mind off things by shooting metal balls onto a small painted table. Its a great way to... shoot... the breeze. HAHAHA! Hey, Chris, learn how to spell. Last time I checked "blastic things" was incorrect. ... Read more

Editorial Review

You can't yell, "You sunk my battleship!" at your opponent in this version of Battleship, because the adversary is a palm-size computer. There are 5 ships--just like in the standard full-size game--to position strategically on the tiny but remarkably easy-to-see display. Choose auto or manual positioning and skill level, then bombs away! Hits and misses are tracked alternately on the 9- by 10-inch square grid for you and your electronic rival. Three different games require different naval maneuvers to score the most points. Just see if you can stay afloat and sink all of the computer's battleships at skill level 3. --Lynne Sampson ... Read more

Reviews (8)

Torpedoes & broadsides
In a state of nostalgic glee, I recently grabbed this portable one-player LCD game to see how it compared to the original. I found it to be a great diversion during those times when I don't have a human opponent to go up against. Which seems to be quite often nowadays, but let's not get into that; time for me to give this product a proper review. And to do so, I've decided to follow Amazon's toy ratings format and break this down into the three big ratings factors...

FUN: Although the entire unit is quite small (about 5" by 3.5"), the game screen is big enough to be able to make out all the action, which is definitely an advantage. I found each of the three different game settings (the traditional alternating shots, one shot for each active ship, keep shooting until you miss) reasonably challenging on level one. It's levels two and three, however, that REALLY makes these little battles a tough outing for me! If I somehow manage to survive on L3, I usually have only one vessel left, and one shot to go before sinkage! You can also either have the computer choose how you want your vessels arranged with selections you can scroll through, or you can rotate 'em and place 'em down yourself.

The only thing I miss somewhat when I play this is the sounding out of the grid coordinates and hearing 'miss' or 'it's a hit!' Y'know, the classic things you hear and say when you're playing the original Battleship™ with a good friend-or complete stranger for that matter. Instead, all you'll hear here is the beeping of the shot cursor as you select a square to fire upon, as well as the dropping of the bomb and (hopefully) the hit. Then there's the playing of 'Taps' after a defeat, or a victory tune if the opposite outcome transpires. If you wish to keep your little simulated vessel combat scenarios discreet, however, there is a 'sound on/off' button. This feature is especially helpful at keeping folks from road-ragin' on you during those long cross-country road trips!

DURABILITY: So long as you don't touch the LCD screen, drop it on the ground too many times, or throw it into a body of water in utter frustration, this handheld game should bring you many a happy year of playing enjoyment. Oh yes, it might help to replace the large button-cell battery every once in a blue moon or so. Fortunately the game has an auto shut-off when left idle for a minute or so, which of course means longer battery life.

EDUCATIONAL VALUE: I find the fun in Battleship™ to be more diversionary than educational. Well, unless you consider the strategic spacing of your shots to get a better chance of hitting an enemy ship to be a high point of scholastic achievement that is. Otherwise, I don't think electronic Battleship™ will help you grab top honors in vessel combat tactics & strategy at the naval academy. Class dismissed!

'Late

Electronic games are sweet!
This Electronic Handheld game is a great game. It is a great part in my game collection. Instead of lugging around the regular game, this one fits right in your pocket! My family owns these electronic games: Yahtzee, Uno, and Battleship. I've played them all, and I have to say that they have addvantages that the regular games don't. Yahtzee: Instead of keeping track of the dice, cup, papers and pencils, it's all in a pocketsized game. Uno: Ever had a problem with all those cards such as shuffling, puting away, or just keeping track of. Well, in this pocketsized game it keeps track of all of that stuff. And Battleship: The regular game can be played electronicly, but there's still all those small pegs. With the electronic game, all of the pegs aren't needed. Just a simple dot on the screen tells you where you have shot. The only problem (which isn't much of a problem at all) with electronic handheld games is the batteries. They will wear out, but a simple replacement will put you back in the game. So when your shopping for a present, or just a fun toy or game, consider electronic handheld games.

A 47-year-old kid loves this game...
I love Battleship. OK, maybe because I was in the Navy. Who knows. But I enjoy the regular game and I really enjoy this hand-held version. I slip it into my briefcase and turn it off and during boring seminars I very subtly take it out and play away. It's also great for when I have to go to the doctor. I hate waiting and waiting for in the doctor's office, and this helps pass the time. My doctor is so used to seeing me playing battleship that when I visited him the last time and was reading a magazine, he asked me if I'd lost my Battleship game! The batteries last forever and even these weary 47-year-old eyes have no problem with the image on the screen...What more can any overgrown kid ask for?

THis toy sucks
it has know fun. no education. and is a wayst of time.

This is Great!
I have looked at some other hand held electronic games, and this is one of the best. It's small, durable and, for anyone who used to play the regular game when they were younger, this is a LOT of fun! The computer is quite hard to beat, I should add. It seems to get a lot of "lucky" breaks. All in all a good and inexpensive game! ... Read more

Editorial Review

Children learn about taking turns and matchmaking in this game as they try to make pairs of elated elephants, panting puppies, smiling suns, and other familiar objects. The 72 (cardboard) cards have lively, colorful drawings that make them easy to remember and a tray for storing them. Played alone, Original Memory is a quiet activity for developing concentration and memory. With more players, it's even more of a memory challenge to remember where the cards are that have already been turned over. And you have to wait your turn, which is sometimes harder than anything. The printed rules in the box set the tone for this child-friendly game: the youngest player always goes first. --Lynne Sampson ... Read more

Reviews (7)

This is not the "Original Memory".
I had the original Memory game. This isn't it. The play of the game is the same, but mine had really cool pictures. This has silly cartoon pictures. It's not as nice.

Classic games stand the test of time
You can't go wrong with most of the classic games & this one is no different. Great fun & makes them THINK!

My own childhood game
I had this game when I was a child and I LOVED it. I never forgot this game and now I want to share it with my own children and relive the experience again.

Simple Game/Great Test of Memory!
With 72 cards (36 pairs)I think this is a little more than most 3 year olds can remember. I suggest using only part of the cards and gradually increasing the number of cards as the child gets older--otherwise, they may become frustrated and give up. I agree with the reviewer who suggested that the cards should be laminated. I am not sure how long they will hold up if used much. The pictures are all familiar objects that preschoolers will readily identify, and it's a great game for spending time together.

a classic game for preschoolers
This is the Memory game you remember from your childhood, with updated pictures. My kids love it and have fun just playing with the bright and sturdy cards. No bells or whistles, just classic fun for the youngest set. ... Read more

Reviews (9)

Essential for preschoolers
PROS: Great hands-on game to motivate/aid your preschooler in learning to identify simple objects, view their word spelt on the card and then to match the letters, one at a time, into words. My daughter gets Boggle Jr. out on her OWN and plays with it quite often and we've had it since Christmas 2003. We also play with it together sometimes. She has improved greatly in both her fine motor skills and her focus/attention span playing this game. Both are Essential skills needed to be ready for kindergarten. And of course, knowing the alphabet and being able to make words and sound them out--which is the first step to reading.

CONS: All the letters to the words are capitals so it would be nice if flashcards of lower case letters were included and/or incorporated. Also there should be more than eight dice because sometimes rolling for the letters takes too long. It could be funner if there was an applause button and/or lights that went off when she spelt the word correctly. When I'm watching/helping I do that but when she plays on her own I'm sure that ONE additional feature would be so encouraging to her that she'd want to play/learn even more!

A waste of money
This is NOT a game. At most, it is a manipulative teaching tool for letters and how, when assembled in a particular order, they form words. We were VERY disappointed. We thought we were buying a game that would provide us with a fun way to incorporate learning of letters and words. All this does is have the child look for the letters that match those in the word on the card. No game, no fun. We used it once. It now collects dust on my shelf. I should have immediately returned it for a refund. Don't waste your money! As a homeschooling mom, trust me, it's a waste.

Maybe educational, but boring
My son has played this game exactly once - it is just not a fun or interesting game. He just turned four and ran through all the cards the first time he played it. All you do is match the letters on the dice to the letters on the card. I can see where there is some educational value to the game (I am a former teacher) but why bother, when there are so many other more fun ways to learn the same skills. I like the suggestion of the earlier reviewer to just buy a regular Scrabble game to do the same activities.

We all love Boggle Jr.!
My 3, 4, and 7 year olds all get good use out of this game in different ways. (Also our 1 year old helps by stacking up the cubes.) I would recommend it to any family with preschoolers up to early second grade (older kids play with the words always covered). My kids have been able to play it by themselves with very little teaching. Other reviewers have complained about Boggle Jr's lack of buzzers, music, timers, and competitiveness, as well as the fact that their kids actually had to look on the cubes for the letter they needed-- these are all plusses if you ask me! This game has promoted concentration and focus in my kids, and the sound of busy, thinking kids emanating from the dining room is far sweeter than electronic noises any day.

For pre-readers this is a great toy!
This is a wonderful item to encourage pre and beginning readers to grasp the concept of identifying each individual letter's shape (through matching) and that when put together in different ways, they form words for favorite objects.

This is so important to preschoolers and those on the verge of reading. Once you get the game and see it, you'll find various ways the game pieces can be used to help your child at whatever prereading level he or she is on.

One of the most underestimated games for this age. ... Read more

Editorial Review

VIDEONOW Jr. is the first full-color, personal video player designed specifically for preschoolers. And while the player itself is very impressive, with oversized buttons that make it easy for little hands to operate and rubberized bumpers designed to withstand the day-to-day bumps and rough handling that only preschoolers can dish out, the best thing about this portable media player is the wide variety of high-quality programming you can purchase for theplayer in the form of the VIDEONOW Jr.personal video discs. Featuring some of the most highly regarded early learning programming on TV, including Dora the Explorer, Blue's Clues, The Wiggles, Barney, and Sesame Street, all of the personal video discs for the VIDEONOW Jr. player are designed to educate while they entertain. This personal disc contains scenes from the popular TV show Blue's Clues. Designed exclusively for VIDEONOW JR.or VIDEONOW COLOR Players, all VIDEONOW Jr. personal video discs are interchangeable. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

3 1/2 yr old loves it!
our 3 1/2 yr old loves this. loves that the owl talks to her and she loves to sing along with the owl as they sing the alphabet song. i have to sit with her though because the owl doesn't really know if she picks up the right letter when asked...but it's still real fun and she learns the letters with my help. ... Read more

Editorial Review

We're groovin', we're movin', we're boppin'! This hilarious game requires speedy reflexes and a rhythm section in the brain!Musical and spoken commands instruct players to "Twist it! Pull it!Bop it! Pass it!" Electronic impulses move the random play faster and faster; players have to keep up or risk the disappointment-filled recorded scream: "Aoowww!" Played alone or with a group, Bop It keeps score and keeps the beat. All the players have to do is keep on bopping, pulling, and twisting the button, knob, and ratchet! Cymbals crashing, bass drum booming, whistles shrieking ... who can resist?The 15-inch turquoise, black, purple, and yellow toy requires 3 AA batteries (not included). For one or more players. --Emilie Coulter ... Read more

Reviews (84)

Bop It - Is it a game or is it real?
So, I'm minding my own business, doing my work, when my boss runs up to me with Bop It. "You've got to try this!" he demands, a maniacal look in his eye. I gingerly take the odd plastic toy. It looks like some tribal weapon, a misshapen club. My boss smacks the large "Bop It!" button, and immediatly the thing starts emitting a drum beat. Convinced it's possessed by some ancient god, I'm about to cast it away when it yells, "Bop it!" I instinctively hit the button. The drums continue. "Pull it!", the toy barks. I desperately yank on one end. The drums continue. "Twist it!" is the next command. Twist what?! I panic, then make a grab for the little twister device on the other end. "AAAaargh!!!" yells the machine, like a man falling off a caldera into molten lava. I was too late! The drums stop.

My hands shaking, I put the toy down.

Teacher excited about Bop-It
Bop-It has been an excellent addition to my first grade classroom. This game is in high demand each morning as students actually wait in a line to play! What's most exciting is while students think they're simply playing a fun game, they are also enhancing their eye-hand coordination as well as their auditory skills. This is a game that parents and children can play together and both enjoy! Bop-It, a durable and relatively inexpensive toy, is one I would highly recommend to game lovers of all ages.

Great game for many ages
Bop-it is a very fun game for many people. It tests your reflexes in a fun way. It's also nice it has so many different games to play.

Bop It For Road Trips!
I had no idea Bop It was so much fun. I am a mom of 4, my oldest is a nine yr old boy. He got this for Christmas last year.We went on a 9 hour road trip over the summer. My son decided to bring Bop It. I thought it might distract my husband while he was driving, the only distraction was that he wanted to play.I couldn't resist myself. We ended up having a contest to see who could get the farthest. My son won with a score of 99. It is a great toy for concentrating and motor skills.Even my 5 year old played, though he was a little young for it. It was an absolute blast. We played with it for hours. I should mention that my kids chose to play this over there game boy advances for almost the entire trip!

It never dies !
We have had this toy for 4 years--same batteries mind ya'...it just went for a new set. Ths thing is great fun for everybody, kids & adults. Play it in the dark- you'll crack up. THe best toy invented for the money !! ... Read more

Editorial Review

This classic game has been around for nearly half a century and is just as fun as ever. The bugs' faces are a bit goofier than before, but the object remains the same: to be the first to create your own Cootie. Just arrange the bug parts on the fold-out board and roll the die to win the parts you need. (Roll a 1 and pick a body, roll a 2 and select a head, roll a 3, etc.) Body parts are made of hard plastic and come in various mix-and-match colors. Small pieces are a danger to young children, so supervision is recommended. Instructions in English and Spanish. --Tom Keogh ... Read more

Reviews (13)

A Classic - remade cheaply as is all to common these days
My kids 4 & 6 got this for Christmas. It is a classic game, but the parts, box and board are all much cheaper & flimsy than they used to be. The bugs are hard to get to stand up. It was somewhat frustrating for the kids if you followed the rules and had to roll a 1 and then a 2 with the dice to get started building the bug. When the 4 of us played it, some had their bug practically built and others were still waiting to even start and had not rolled the first required number. It doesn't always seem "fair" to the younger ones to see others so far ahead, strictly based on luck & roll of the die. There is no real skill or learning here in succeeding in playing the game and winning.

Not as fun as other similar games
It gets frustrating for my 3 year old to roll the dice and not be able to add to his bug. He prefers to play with it as a bug building toy and not as the game itself.

My son likes bugs.
My son who is 4 years loves this game, he likes to count all the pieces that come with the cooties and always likes to make them look different.

Ick! I gave my neice Cooties!
Okay, perhaps this game too, like Don't Break The Ice (another favourite of ours), is a metaphor for life.

How many of us, when we were children, regardless of which side of the Atlantic we were on, were terrified, mystified, or even mildly interested in (in a purely scientific frame of mind, of course) in the phenomenon known as Cooties? Girls had them, of course, unless one was a girl, then, boys had them. It was not a pleasant prospect to rub up against a member of this plague-carrying monster and thus become infected oneself! Of course, no one I knew ever knew what the symptoms and consequences were of catching Cooties. We just knew to be afraid, be very afraid.

Until adolescence, that is. But that is another story.

Of course, most of the 7-8-9-year-olds who are so worried about cooties rarely remember the game of their toddler stage, with the same name, Cooties. I very vaguely remember having one of the big colourful bugs myself as a very small child, and I am certain that I lost most of the pieces to it over time, as I tended to do with everything until I reached the Lego stage (at which time I became a miserly hoarder that would have put Scrooge to shame).

When searching for a gift for my 3-year-old niece which fit within the strict parameters (commandments, with dire consequences for disobedience attached) my sister set forth -- no noise, no batteries, no marking capability, etc. -- I came across very little in the toy aisle that would have fit this description.

Happily, however, the toys and games of my toddler- and childhood are in some cases still being manufactured, and, remembering the good times I had with them, and believing these to be better stimulants of the imagination than higher-technology toys which 'do everything' for the child, I purchased for my niece a Cootie.

She loved the Cootie. She played with it at breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Taking the colourful bug apart and reassembling in various ways made her giggle and squeal with delight when praised for her ingenuity and originality.

The game was functioning properly. It was teaching manual dexterity as well as creative innovation.

So much for such a low-tech, non-beeping, non-moving toy. And how in keeping with those toys which have proven to be classic. When the power went out at my sister's house, by candle light and flashlight my nieces were able to play with Cootie and Don't Break the Ice!. Of course, the video games, CD players, and various other things would not work.

Kudos for this game! May we all be infected with Cooties for many generations to come. May we never develop an immunity.

Cootie - favorite when I was little
basically it is a game where you have to put all of the body parts on to the bug. It is a great game for little kids. Encourages counting and creativity. It was one of my favorites when I was little. ... Read more