Features

• It knows what you're thinking!
• Innovative "Artificial Intelligence" game with an exciting new design
• The classic game of 20 Questions captured for the first time in a portable format
• If it reads your mind within 20 questions it wins, if not, you win!
• Can you fool 20Q?

Reviews (78)

Out of this world fun!
When I tested this at the store, I was instantly convinced to bring it home and share with everyone in the family.Everyone was amazed, you can see very surprised facial expressions from most of them, and spooked expressions from others thinking it was possessed (reallly funny!).My Mom began referring to it as "he" instead of an "it" - - it's a very smart little computer. It exactly guessed a carburator, urethra, star, it called love an "emotion", rainbow and on and on.I would say it gets it right 99% of the time. Highly recommend this.

Great machine
A fun, easy to use game that will keep you occupied for hours. A great gift idea or to use at your home/office, this machine asks 20 questions to narrow your choices and is also good for parties. Highly recommend.

very good
this toy is very cool
i just got it yesterday
it is cheap(as in prices)
it is very educational that i brought it to school and my teacher loved it
if you dont have it get it ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Games    2. Board Games    3. Trivia   

Editorial Review

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

Reviews (86)

Deluxe not like the old Deluxe
I purchased the new deluxe Scrabble game for my sister in January and was terribly disappointed in how it was made.We both love to challenge each other in Scrabble matches when we are together and her game really needed to be replaced.I was embarrassed at how cheaply the new game is.For the wonderful game that it is, I do believe they could have made a much better version of the turntable model for the price I had to pay for it.Hope they will improve it soon.

Fantastic fun for those who love words and word play...
This along with the official scrabble dictionary is the perfect gift for those who love scrabble. It has a TURNTABLE, that is all I need to say.The turntable makes this so much more enjoyable as it is so easy to manuever it to view it straight on in front of you. I wish the game were a bit more substantial but it is a vast improvement over a traditional set because of the turntable as you just store everything in the base.

Before you buy this...
Check eBay for a complete older version.This one is poorly made,I remember the old deluxe was deluxe.For the new one the best price is here, that I found.And you can't live without this game ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Games    2. Board Games    3. Family Favorites    4. Classic Games    5. Word Games    6. Learning   

Editorial Review

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

Reviews (58)

AWESOME AWESOME FUN
This game is a dream come true for a movie buff. It has questions from movies that r so random that only a true movie buff wud be able to answer them. If you just enjoy watching movies and see the popular/blockbuster ones that come out...you're gonna suck at the game. But if you enjoy watching movies because of the director who created the movie or the author who wrote the story ..this game is for you.
The only shortcoming is...I played this game till I pretty much exhausted all the scenes and questions so you need to pick up the sequel pack as well if you buy this game. I would highly recommend this game.

Use this Party Game Sparingly, and Have Fun
My wife and I received "Scene It" around Christmastime, and it took us quite some time to play it for the first time.When we had company over one night, we broke the game out and we had a fabulous time, even though I'm a movie fanatic and the contests do tend to be one-sided when a Film-Dork/trivia fanatic like me faces off against people who are just looking for an entertaining game.(I earned a nickname that evening that I cannot mention in public.)

The set-up for the game is quite simple.The board itself is very smart; it is basically an around-the-board first format, but when it is folded, a shorter version of the game can be played.There are two dice, one which tells you how many spaces to move, and one which tells you which category of question you will receive.Depending on your roll, you might have to answer a trivial-pursuit type question, read by an opposing player from a card (three categories of questions), or you might have to go to the DVD player to answer a special on-screen question or puzzle.You might have the question all to yourself, or you might have to play everyone else.

The on-screen DVD questions are quite creative.Some challenges will have you identify a movie from a single frame of the film... but the actor/actress has been erased from the frame.Some challenges might be Wheel-of-Fortune style puzzles where the letters slowly appear and you must be the first to answer correctly.Often, an entire clip is played from a movie, and a question is asked at the conclusion of the clip; it might be as simple as "name the movie" or "name the actor", or it might be something more like "how many times was the word 'friend' said in this clip?"

Now, right away, you will probably say to yourself, "wait!If there are only 150 (or so) clips on a DVD, then I'll learn all of those questions in no time!"What I don't think has been stated in previous reviews is that each clip has several different questions that might be asked, so this number is vastly multiplied.And with the variety of different puzzles on screen and trivia questions, there are more questions than people might first think.We've now played the game about ten times, and we do come across questions each time we play it that we know we've had in the past.

In the version I received, we have two DVDs inside, not just one, so that will include more puzzles and whatnot.But if you are considering purchasing this game, you shouldn't expect to play it like Parcheesi or Sorry with a different result every time.No matter how many different possibilities, there are only a finite number of questions.If one plays it again and again and again, you may exhaust the mystery of these questions in a fairly short amount of time.

Scene It is a game long-awaited for originality, and is an extremely fun game to be played in numbers.My advice is save it to play when friends come over... it is very worth the price for parties, but if you are looking for a game to be played on a frequent or daily basis, look for an old standard.Even though I love the game, I have to say that until Mattel comes out with several more (and much more inexpensive!) DVDs to augment the game, Scene It is really a game that should be kept for special occasions.For those special times, it is very worth it.

Part doesn't work for us
Maybe no one else has run into this, but for us part of the DVD won't work.It plays most of the categories, but every time we try to use "All play to win," the images are garbled to the point where they can't be seen.(Our DVD player is new, bought in January 2005.)We still can play the rest of the game, just have to skip that section or use another part.
... Read more

Subjects:  1. Games    2. Board Games    3. Trivia   

Reviews (8)

Fun and education but too expensive
I played this game with friends and had a great time.It is a lot of fun and it helps you to think differently about money and investing.No, it doesn't fully translate into the "real world", but what does?I would say that it would still be a great game to own and help to teach your kids.However - I couldn't believe how expensive it is.I can't believe anyone would really pay $200 for a GAME.Yes, it teaches you, but it's still just a game.I would like to have a copy of this game.I really enjoyed it, but I will never pay $200 for a game.I think I'll learn alot more about financial wisdow from keeping my $200 and investing it, rather than spending it on a game.

I want ON2U and MYT4U!!!
The game is great when you are still in the Rat Race. Once you get out and enter the Fast Track, the game is towards the end and starts to get less exciting. Cos when you enter the Fast Track, basically you will have almost unlimited cash to spend, even the TAX and Divorce won't cause you a great damage.

However, the idea of writing financial statement is good. Putting the concept in real life can help you understand your financial situation more clearly.

But still, the only way to make money quickly to invest all your money in the stocks ON2U and MYT4U...

I heard that Cashflow 202 introduce a new rule that for every 25 cards draw you have to re shuffle the deck to make the chance more random. I think this is a good improvement and we can apply it to the 101 game as well.

If you want learn????
This game is a good source of education for people who are just beginning to think about that extra income, that cash flow, that new car they have always dreamed about. People in other reviews complain about DoDads, and not having the option to buy or not. Well that's life, the water heater does not ask you if it can break tomorrow or should it wait!, your car does not ask you if it wants to stall on you in the middle of the trip to the Grand Canyon. So DoDads are expenses that spring-up on you unexpectedly and you have to take care of them when they show up, same way some one mentioned that the you get a child and you do not have the option not to have one! OOOHHhhhhh!!! Where are the abortion activists now??? Just kidding... but if you are married or even living together, a child may happen, and its not just your significant other but your niece/nephew/granddaughter/brother-in-law may need you to take them in tomorrow God forbid, then what happens??? Are you going to abandon your family??? If Yes! Then you have the right to gripe about not having an option to get a child.

One major point everyone made in their review is that the game is purely based on luck! YES!!!! Thank God you acknowledge that its luck, and my friend how much LUCK do you think life is based upon. Every motivational speaker will tell you that life is in your hands and you take the wheel in your hands and turn it any which way you want to but they fail to mention the luck part. Simple example, you buy a home by paying everything you got and the next day it is buried under a land slide which is not covered by insurance. What do you do ????

Life throws a dice for you every day, there are opportunities out there every day, it's up to us to grab them, and this game tries to teach you how to recognize the opportunities and how to plan for one if you see it come your way.
I played this game with a friend a week ago and just purchased my own set.
I got out of the RAT RACE in the first 1/2 hour, every time I played in a group of 5 people, but I attribute that to playing smart, not that I got lucky.
BUT I take the lesson this game provides and hopefully will be able to apply the knowledge to get positive Cash Flow!!!!

... Read more

Subjects:  1. Games    2. Board Games   

Editorial Review

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

Reviews (96)

Excellent intelligent game for all ages !!
Games has a simple objective -- get the Red car out of traffice. And boy! it is difficult and changelling at higher level. Set up the *cars* as described in cards and figure out a way to get the Red Car out.The best thing is complexity raange from very easy to very hard. So it captures kids interests and provides the extra incentive to move to the next level !!

Simple rules -- once you have placed the cars on the Grid, you can only move them forward or backward.

A great addition to this game is "Rush Hour 2, 3 and 4 Gift Pack" for less than $12/-. Each set has 40 cards or in total 120 different levels. The highest level is really really difficult. Meant for the "Pros" only !!!

Awesome Game!!
I first encountered this game at a friends house while I was house-sitting, and I tell you...without it, I think I would have lost mt mind!It is basic yet challenging all at the same time...and it really is for all ages!Since I bought it off amazon.com, my niece and my father-in-law have both enjoyed the thrill of playing Rush Hour.I would strongly recommend this game for anyone who thinks they would be too good for this game...cause they won't be!!

Great fun and awesome game!!!
My husband and I gave this game to our daughter for Christmas. When she first unwrapped the present she looked uninterested. Later that day she pulled it out and asked what it was about. We got it out and tried it out. Instantly she was hooked as was I. This game is really a great game, but it is also a wonderful educational product. It truly teaches thinking skills and as a homeschool parent I can truly appreciate that. I highly recommend this for anyone regardless of where or how your children are schooled!!!! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Board Games    2. Family Favorites    3. Puzzles    4. 3-D Puzzles    5. Strategy Games    6. Brain Teasers    7. Activity    8. Games    9. Grid Games    10. Brain Games    11. Learning   

Editorial Review

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

Features

• Construct the customizable 3-D, interlocking-tile board with terrain and terrain accessories - the field and the battle change with each game! Includes 30 detailed miniature warriors 10 game scenarios including 5 ways to build your field, and 10 ways to play.
• Intense, but easy-to-learn game play: heroes actions are governed by stats on army cards indicating movement, range, armor, attack powers and more.
• Eliminate all your enemys pieces to win.
• Collect and build your armies and pit them against your friends armies for endless gaming variety.
• Ages 8 & Up.

Reviews (28)

Excellent Game - Storage system needed
This game is very well made, very intuitive game play and all hand painted characters are well designed.The only negative on this entire game is finding a way to store it when it is not being played.The box it comes in is totally useless and will not easily allow you to put the game back into it once done (although I have come close to getting it all in on a few occasions).My advice is purchase a large plastic container to store it in when you purchase the game, but I highly recomend purchasing the game, you will be glad you did!!

Awesome Interactive Game
This game really brings my son & I together & he's learning so much that he doesn't realize he's learning - like creative problem solving!!!Definitely worth the money.

Great game even for younger children...
Recently I've been searching for more traditional (i.e. board) games for my 5 year old son in an effort to (1) get him away from all the electronic goodies he uses and (2) spend some quality family time with him.I tried some of the common old style board games (Candy Land, Chutes and Ladders, SORRY!, etc...) but they didn't hold his interest for more than a few minutes.Knowing that he's just a year or two from being introduced to YuGiOh or Pokemon or whatever else his peers are into these days, I considered some of those games to try out with him.But being able to understand those games is just too far away for him right now and I couldn't see a way to simplify them so that he could at least get a foot hold on the learning curve.

So, while browsing the game isle at my local Wal-Mart I notice HeroScape.I was pretty sure the little action figures would capture his attention which is the first step in getting him going on any game.After doing some research on the game (www.heroscape.com takes you to a great site with all sorts of demos and information about the game) and after reading all of the reviews here on Amazon, I felt like I couldn't go that wrong trying it out.What made me more comfortable was the fact that there are two modes of play you can use... a basic mode and an advanced mode.So I made the purchase.I knew I made a good choice the first night I showed him the game.He was thoroughly fascinated with all of the little characters (particularly with the dragon and the guy who rides the dinosaur).However, at 5 years old, I knew he wasn't interested in the rules even in the basic mode of play so I simplified things... a lot.I set up the terrain tiles in a simple landscape layout strictly for aesthetic value and scattered some figures at either side of the board.I explained to him that he can choose which character he wants to control and which he wants to attack.No movement rules... just a good guy and a bad guy.Then I showed him that we each role ten dice (use the red or blue but not both as they're different), if he has more "face ups" than I have, he wins and gets to capture my character... if not I win and capture his.If we tie then we roll the 20 sided dice to see who gets the highest number and then that person wins. Those are the only rules in our game.And that is one of the biggest features of this game...you can make it whatever you like.I tell stories as we play that incorporate the characters on the board and his face is just lit up with imagination.

I was pretty sure that if he liked it, this game was going to help teach him creative thinking and strategy (once he evolved out of "5 year old mode") but it really hadn't occurred to me that his math skills would be polished while we play.For the 2 or so hours we played (yeah, see if "Candy Land" can hold a 5 year old's attention that long) he was clearly picking up speed counting his dice, counting mine, and comparing values.I am extremely pleased with this game, and to be quite honest, I too think its fun to play and I'm sure as we move into the more advanced modes it will be even better.

One note about something my wife said when I showed her the game... she was afraid it was going to be like Dungeons and Dragons.In other words she was concerned that it would be too violent or somehow otherwise unhealthy.Well, first of all, I explained D&D wasn't like that (but that's another story) and second, that there is nothing more violent about this game than playing cops and robbers, cowboys and indians, or even little green army men.You get out of it what you put into it.For instance, our characters don't die, they get captured.

I agree with pretty much all of the positive reviews here on Amazon for this game and also agree with the issue of the box being too small to get everything back into once you take it out.Will it all fit again?Yes, but that's no small task and its much easier to get a rubbermaid container and use that with some zip-lock sandwich bags or something for the smaller parts.

In summary, this is a fantastic game that can be adapted to younger players if the parents use a bit of imagination.I think it will grow with the child at the child's pace and rival any game that's on the shelf now.Its expandable as well with new packs of characters coming out from time to time.I hope this helps people considering this game to try it out, I really think you'll be glad you did.
... Read more

Reviews (2)

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

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

Subjects:  1. Games    2. Board Games    3. Trivia   

Features

• Trivial Pursuit 6th Edition is the newest form of the trivia game that will provide all Trivial Pursuit fans (new and old) with the most updated experience. Comes with 4800 all new general knowledge questions in 6 categories -- People/Places, Art/Entertainment, History, Science/Nature, Sports/Leisure and Wild Card.
• Number of Players: 2-6.
• For Adults. From adding machines to laptops... JFK to George W. Bush... Bell-bottoms to bootlegs...beta cassettes to DVD.
• For over 20 years, Trivial Pursuit games have provided endless hours of trivia amusement to millions of people worldwide.
• Get yours today!

Reviews (8)

Back to the Basics, But Tinged With Pop Culture.
TRIVIAL PURSUIT VOLUME 6 is one of the better regular editions of trivial pursuit to come along in several years (the last good regular edition was VOLUME 2). It's the same basic trivial pursuit game that has been played for the past 20 or so years, but with over 5,000 new questions.The categories are the same as in most of the Trivial Pursuit games:People & Places, Arts & Entertainment, History, Science & Nature, Sports & Leisure, and Wild Card.Also, there haven't been any major rule changes as far as I can tell.

Nevertheless, the game does have one major flaw. There is an overabundance of questions relying on popular culture that pop up (pardon the pun) in all of the categories, including the history and science & nature categories.I know that some of the early Trivial Pursuit games made for young people contained many pop culture references, but the original Trivial Pursuit games did not. One of the reasons that the history and science & nature cateogries used to be some of the most difficult categories to win at was because they didn't have any pop culture questions. That isn't the case with this edition.

Still, the game is a lot of fun to play and is a great way to study up on useless knowledge (something that I'm quite familiar with). By the way, what extract of the cinchona tree was once known as "Jesuit bark," for the missionaries who first brought it back to Europe? Anyone know?

A:quinine.

You have to be kidding me . . .
Sorry, but Volume 6 does NOT compare to the classic Genus and Genus II versions of this game.Rather, Volume 6 relies heavily on People Magazine-type trivia -- lots of inane pop culture-oriented questions, for which even die-hard trivia fans will be saying "Who cares?"An example of this is a question about Christina Ricci appearing in a GAP commercial.This was in the HISTORY category!Lame!About 40% of the questions seemed to fall into this category.Another 20-30% were ridiculously easy, a further 20% ridiculously obscure.The creators have also ditched the nuanced questioning style of the original game, by which one could often deduce the answer, even when it was something otherwise unknown.

I think the problem here is that TP is issuing too many versions in too short a period of time.Genus 5, which I DO like, came out fairly recently (I think), and I think TP needs to take some more time to write better questions.Part of the fun of TP has been that you learn from the questions you miss.With Volume 6, you just don't care.

An old classic
If you're unfamilliar with the concept of this game, which I can't really imagine, Trivial pursuit, in all its many incarnations, is a game of trivia, in which you must answer correctly at least one question in each category in order to win.The categories are: Arts and Entertainment, Sports and leisure, Science and nature, People and places, History, and a wild card category.The questions are hard, most of them will be things you probably have heard of and forgotten, since they are trivia, yet you'll always find that question which you know, making the game fun and exciting for every player.For comparison, Most of the questions in this game would be up on the upper levels of the TV show Jeapordy.

If you love random trivia and love even more besting your friends and showing off your knowledge of that random trivia, then this might just be the game that you've been looking for. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Games    2. Board Games    3. Trivia   

Editorial Review

Even electronic toys have gone extreme. Kids love the original Bop It, an electronic toy that challenges response time to pull, twist, and bop different parts of the toy. The Extreme 2 version adds two more tasks, more sounds, and a taunting, smart-aleck announcer who directs the game. As you get better, the game moves faster until you miss a beat and lose, accompanied by a fair amount of noise and ridicule from the toy. People who don't think they'd ever want to play Bop It Extreme 2 won't be able to put it down; it instills a compulsive need to bop till you drop. It can be played in a group and makes a good party game--even for serious adults. --Lynne Sampson ... Read more

Reviews (35)

Addictive
This is a fantastic game! It is a fast and furious challenge of reaction times & can be played alone, with a partner or in a group.Great for bored kids (or adults)!

Wish I could play to a higher score!
This game is very fun. It helps to to clear my mind. The down side is that it stops at 250. I've reached 250 a few times wanted to see if it was just a mistake but nope it only goes to 250. Other than that great for the younger kids helps with listening and motor skills. As far as us adults who play, the game needs to go higher than 250. Overall good fun.

This game is for Christmas - not for Life
Hours of addictive fun for all the family.Best used with some headphones if gran keeps nagging you to eat more cakes at a family gathering; which can be off putting to say the least!
I have stated that "This game is for Christmas -not for life" because it only you allows you to get up to 250ish and then it stops - Challenge over - motivation to play it GONE!
However practising to get up to 250 is great fun.Recommended.
... Read more

Subjects:  1. Music    2. Games    3. Handheld    4. Electronic   

Editorial Review

First published in 1962, Mille Bornes (pronounced "meelborn," French for "milestones") is an auto racing card game whoseobject, for each team of two players, is to be the first to complete aseries of 1,000-mile trips. Each player has a hand of six cards andpicks more in turn from a central pile. There are Distance, Hazard,Remedy, and Safety cards, each with various subgroupings, whichdetermine the course of play. This Collector's Edition reproduces theartwork of the original game. The set includes a car-shaped plasticcard tray, score sheets, instructions, and deck of 110 playing cardswith language in English and French. Bon voyage! --Richard Farr ... Read more

Reviews (47)

Wracked my brain to recall name of wonderful pastime!
In 1962 my brother and his wife played this game with my husband and me.We had more time than money, as young couples often do, so really enjoyed the fun this wonderful game afforded.Although I tried to recall it's name and have been wondering about it since last month, suddenly it popped into my head.Voila!I'll buy 2, one for me and one for my brother, to introduce to our grandchildren!

Nothing
Mille Bornes is a fun game.Great for kids and adults.But there's absolutely nothing special about this special "collectors edition". You're paying $15 for a deck of cards and a flimsy plastic tray.[...]

A Genuine Family Game
Actually first released by Parker Brothers as "Touring" in the 1920s it went through several editions until it was released in 1960 in the French Mille Bornes version. I don't know if it was actually ever played in France, but it's been around in the US for close to 100 years.
A game where children can actually compete with adults on an equal footing - and they can play it on their own. I still enjoy it fifty years after my first game.
... Read more

Subjects:  1. Games    2. Classic Games    3. Family Favorites    4. Cards   

Editorial Review

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

Reviews (131)

The best board game I've ever played
This game is a blast. I've never written an online review before, but I felt like I needed to for Wise and Otherwise. I've had my copy for a few years now, and have probably played about forty games on it. (Each game takes at least an hour or two and is most fun with four to six people with roughly similar verbal skills / creative abilities, so it takes a little effort to get a game going.) It's definitely a little "slow" when you start out playing, but once everyone in the game has played once or twice and understands how to play, it becomes incredibly fun. You don't necessarily have to be a "word" person to like it, or even think of yourself as creative, though imagination helps. A little like Balderdash... but with the potential to be way more fun.

Wise and Otherwise Board Game
This game is GREAT!!!Fun for multicultural groups, as well.I played once with a Canadian, a New Zealander, two Australians, an Egyptian and two Dutch women, and me, an American.Makes for VERY interesting responses and tremendous laughter!You can play without the board.Just take paper and pencils (included) and the cards.We took it to the beach on the Red Sea and played in between snorkelling and sunbathing.

Sounds lame... Really not lame!
My dad had this on his amazon wish list for years before someone finally bought it for him for Christmas.No one would play with him, we all thought it sounded lame.Finally, the next Thanksgiving, we conceded to play this game.We couldn't believe how fun it was.We loved it.

If you're thinking about getting this for someone you know, I would if I were you.Then you can play it... or buy one for yourself.I have it on my wish list now. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Games    2. Board Games    3. Party Games    4. Word Games    5. Trivia    6. Grownup   

Reviews (8)

When It Was A Game
I've been a "Strat Fan" for many years, and this game is unparalleled in its level of fun and enjoyment.I usually play full 162 game schedules with a hall of fame team vs other teams.Granted, the hall of famers usually spank the competition, but its still loads of fun to roll the dice and check the cards.

Each player card is double sided, with one side for the basic game and the other side for the advanced game.I recommend the basic side for new players, while experienced players will probably enjoy the more realistic advanced side.Unfortunately, the hall of famers (i.e. Ty Cobb, Babe Ruth, et. al.) can only be played in the basic mode.Additional eras and teams can be purchased for minimal cost.

One full season's worth of cards is included with the game, and you can re-create your own exciting season.Helpful charts and cards are included to help with rules questions and dice rolls.

Strat-O-Matic baseball has provided me hours of fun for many years, and the game continues to get better and better.Pick up a copy of this fine game and experience baseball when it was a game.

Best game going
Probably the best board game ever. I recently heard a piece on NPR about Strat-O-Matic and my whole childhood flashed before my teary eyes. Somehow, I had forgotten while I was busy growing up, but my dad and I used to play this game all the time when I was a child in the 60s. I never got tired of it. Anyway, my dad's gone and so are my old Strat-O-Matic cards, but I just bought the new version and I'm ready to play ball again. Just a fantastic board game that, in my opinion, beats the heck out of computer games.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Subjects:  1. Games    2. Strategy Games    3. Activity   

Reviews (9)

DISAPPOINTED!! CHEAPLY MADE
I WAS EXTREMELY DISAPPOINTED WITH THIS PATICULAR MODEL OF SCRABBLE. THE PICTURE ON THE BOX MISREPRESENTS THE ACTUAL GAME YOU WILL RECEIVE FOR AN OUTRAGEOUS AMOUNT OF $29.99 + TAX, YOU RECEIVE A SCRABBLE GAME CONSISTING OF PLASTIC, CARDBOARD AND STICKERS. WHAT A JOKE. I WOULD'VE PAID $50.00 IF IT WAS A DECENT SET, MAYBE MADE OF WOOD OR METAL, LIKE THE PICTURE ON THE BOX "MISREPRESENTS". NEEDLESS TO SAY I RETURNED IT, & WE ARE STILL SEARCHING FOR A "ACTUAL" DELUXE SET. HECK THE TRAVEL SCRABBLE SET LOOKED BETTER THAN THIS DID. C-H-E-A-P-L-Y M-A-D-E!!

Lotsa' fun with Super Scrabble
Great Scrabble game ... especially if playing with other couples or several friends.Played it all night at a hurricane party in Florida and had so much fun we forgot the weather outside.

Excellent for the Steady-Handed
Yes, this is a great expansion of the classic Scrabble game, so if you like Scrabble and you have a lot more time to spend on a game (or more than 2 players) this is completely worth getting.

That said, if you don't have a steady playing surface and hand, the tiles will easily get messed up, which is my only complaint, particularly since I am used to the Deluxe and Travel editions of the classic game, which keep played tiles in place.

If this game came in a Deluxe version, this would be a 5-star review. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Games    2. Board Games    3. Word Games   

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 (47)

An EXCELLENT game with real play value!
I'd never seen this game before but it's turned out to be one of my two kids' favorite games. It's fun to play with just the pieces and to make simple patterns for decoration when you're not playing the "official" game, and throwing the lever that dumps the pieces out of the bottom is exciting, noisy and fun. Really a great game with real play value, a favorite! BUY IT!!!

Great fun and there is even a movie about it!!
Connect four has always been a favorite of mine since i was a little kid. It is a simple game with simple rules, but yet it is still a game of stratagey and can stump even most adults. This spring of 2005 Upsidedown square productions will be releasing a new blockbuster hit movie about Connect four Titled "C4 A connect four movie" Check out how this childs game changes young uryans life around at https://www.turnuptheblaarg.tk .

Fun, Easy Game
I had this game growing up and have played it with my children as well.My game from childhood is still in fine shape and was used regularly, but we took care of it and didn't fight over it or drop it.I can see how this game may break if misused a little.Anyway--it's a fun game and easy for little ones to pick up, but as other reviewers have said once you are well versed then it boils down to who goes first.I recommend for age 4 to 8 or 10. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Games    2. Brain Games    3. Board Games    4. Family Favorites   

Reviews (2)

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

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


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

Subjects:  1. Games    2. Board Games    3. Trivia   

Reviews (47)

I'm So Glad I Found It!
My family and I played this game this pass weekend and I have never laughed so hard in my life!This game is too much fun!Not only do you get to learn about the people you are with, but you also get to find out just how witty or clever they are!I'm related to a bunch of comedians!I can't wait to play this with my friends!

Laughed so hard...
My family are avid board game players, and we absolutely love this game.We are a family of smart asses and it feeds right into our sense of humor. You answer the loaded questions (e.g. What is your best body part?What do you wish you never had to hear about again? What rich person do you think doesn't deserve it?) and try to guess who gave which answer. We work inside jokes into the questions and often answer sarcastically or try to throw each other off with answers we think others would give.Sometimes the person reading the answers cannot even get through them for laughing so hilariously.It depends on the group but I've nearly wet myself everytime I've played this.

Wonderful game- full of laughs
This game is perfect for a group of friends.Whether lifelongs friends or new aquaintences, its a perfect way to get to know each other- or test your friends knowledge of you... ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Games    2. Board Games    3. Party Games    4. Trivia    5. Grownup   

Editorial Review

Today’s video games with all their bells and whistles had to begin somewhere, and that somewhere was your living room, in, say, 1982.Remember Asteroids, Missile Command, and Breakout? How about Centipede, Adventure and Gravitar? This TV Games Video System--just a "smart" joystick and nothing else--delivers 10 classic games in all. The joystick has the typical up-down-left-right movements, and single functions to select, start, and reset games. Front-and-center is a big, red fire button ("fire" being the only way to propel or kill things back then). The unit hooks up to your TV via those yellow and white AV output jacks (which should already be on your TV or VCR), and requires 4 "AA" batteries. --Diane Beall ... Read more

Reviews (81)

Awesome
This is great! Al the games are classics! I have had no problems whatsoever! They're all great! All of them for 20 bucks.=That's the best deal I've ever had! Thei is a perfect gift. It's so easy to set up. All you need is 4 DoubleA batteries. The bottom line is, This toy is awesome!

great fun!!!!!!!!!
This toy is awesome! It has great gmes including:CENTIPEDE, MISSILE COMMAND, ASTEROIDS, BREAKOUT, YAR'S REVENGE, ADVENTURE, VOLLEYBALL, PONG, GRAVATAR, and CIRCUS ATARI. I have had no problems. It's so easy too! All the great classics for $20.00! Right there at home! It is not a waste of money at all!

Old flashback classics - did Breakout® get weird?
I was a fanatic of the Atari 2600 - I owned one and I still have preserved it today. Yes, these games reminiscent me to the olden days playin' on me 2600. Even it is also imitating the traditional Atari 2600 controller!

Downside:

Breakout® is a neat conversion though the problems with Breakout® is that the paddle sensitivity is too hard, which means it's too fast. These don't fit well for the Atari controller and it was designed to play on the Atari Paddle, that was another add-on controller that you turn on a scrolling wheel.

Does your Atari 2600 doesn't work anymore? Have you not preserved it? Do you miss those kind of games and want to go flasback style? Then this television game is for you! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Games    2. Electronic    3. Handheld    4. Car Racing    5. Sports    6. Action and Adventure   

Editorial Review

Ever play "Hot Potato" with a spud that ticks and talks? Welcome toElectronic Catch Phrase, the battery-powered (three AAA, not included) blend ofclue deduction and race against the clock. Two teams of two or more players eachalternate turns, guessing the answers to clues in 11 categories, from Food &Drink to Tech & Inventions. Set the timer on the discus-like game unit, and theclue-giving countdown begins; if a team's guess matches the response on thegame's readout, pass the unit to the opponents. Just don't get caught holdingthis potato when the buzzer sounds (after about a minute of increasinglyinsistent beating), as the other team will score a point, possession being nine- tenths of the "Awww!" With its infectious mix of fast, nerve-wracking, high- pressure passing the buck, Electronic Catch Phrase spreads a serious case offun. --Tony Mason ... Read more

Reviews (74)

So much fun!
This game is soo much fun... it really gets you thinking!It really tests how much you know and how fast your brain is able to think.. I love it!

Family Game Night Must Have.
In this game there are teams of two. You Pick a catorgory (like Sports, Food/Drink, History etc.) and useing words or actions you try and get your team-mate to guess the word (Like Shrimp, or Kentucky Derby, or pretty much any word.) And when you guess it, pass it to the other team quickly! Cause if it buzzes when you have, the other team gets a point. !st to 7 points win!

This is a GREAT game to have on the shelf when friends come over for parties. Also it is a very fun way to sit the family down for some fun that you have to use your noggin for.

I highly recromend this excellent game.

Catch Phrase Rocks
Catch phrase is so much fun, My family and I played for 2 hours straight. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Games    2. Electronic    3. Handheld    4. Quizzes    5. Trivia   

Reviews (2)

Best Risk yet!
Well, we have just had our first game of Star Wars Risk: Clone Wars Edition at open gaming day at Dr. No's Comics & Games. The session was very successful and I am very impressed with the game so far. My friend Scott and I took the Separatist army while our new acquaintances Keith and Sara took the Republic. The game lasted a total of 4 1/2 rounds, which is pretty close to a game of Risk 2210. The Republic won, in spite of a last ditch effort to turn the tide via Order 66. Unfortunately, as is the case with games where dice are involved, the dice (or the Force) was not with us. I am not speaking out against dice based games. I like an element of chance. The best laid plans and all that... Unpredictable things happen in wars, especially in Star Wars. Our strategy of holding back defensively and waiting out for a good chance at a sweeping galactic conquest with Order 66 didn't pan out. Even if our dice had been rolled better, defensive is NOT the way to play this game. Play aggressive and ALWAYS invade whenever possible. If you are the Separatists, you have GOT to invade and be successful because you have GOT to get cards and reinforcements. The Republic starts out VERY strong (as they should, since they are the dominant power in the galaxy when the war starts) and if they are allowed to gain inroads into your regions, the Seps cannot mount a strong enough defense with their now limited reinforcements. The bonus cards the Reps get from taking leaders is a brutal advantage. Protect those leaders at all costs! if you HAVE to put one in a forward territory, it better be a 1 pip leader. We were unable to hold a first turn advance by the Republic's red army and had to cough up a total of 5 cards (3 from a 3 pip leader, and one each for both Scott and myself giving up a planet). That turn pretty much set the pace for the game. We were able to stay in it until the fifth position on the Order 66 track, and I called the order at the end of my turn, but our rolls again weren't enough. Order 66 ALMOST eliminated Sara, but one of her strongest planets held firm and was able to take Palpatine on her next turn as we had nowhere really safe to stash him.
Overall, even though we lost, I had a blast with the game. It really does FEEL like Star Wars. While i was a bit disappointed with the unusual looking board at first, I grew to really like it very quickly. Troop placement is simple, there are no questionable areas ("is this a pass through the mountains, or just the artwork?"), and since there are no territory cards there is no need to spend time trying to find the name of some obscure area/region/planet (one of the few downfalls of LOTR Trilogy Risk AND War of the Ring). Never forget that every turn is important. I cannot stress that enough. No matter which side you are, you have GOT to be offensive at all times. Even though defenders gain the advantage in ties, if the invader has ships or Anakin cards that allow re-rolls, the odds are heavily against the defender. The playing time is not at all daunting and can be played in only 2 hours or so ( and a good 1/2 hour of that was set up time), so it could easily be played tournament style, switching sides after a game and playing again best 2 out of 3 or what have you.
One comment I have noticed a lot of people making is that they wish the ship tokens had been plastic pieces rather than cardstock chits. While aesthetically I agree, I believe that for gameplay and ease of use purposes, a chit with a picture on one side and a description of the ship's ability on the reverse side is much more functional than a miniature and a reference sheet next to the board. The less time spent poring through the rulebook for a rule and the more time spent invading worlds and conquering the galaxy, the better.
In my opinion, SW Risk: CWE is the best Risk I have played so far. I have 2210, LOTR Trilogy, and Godstorm (which i have not yet played, unfortunately), but this is my favorite at this point.

A disappointment
I really loved the Lord of the Rings Trilogy edition of Risk, and so I was looking forward to the Clone Wars edition.Physically, the game is about the same quality--overall pretty nice but I'm not crazy about the little plastic pieces, which seem even flimsier than the Trilogy game, and much more likely to tangle up together.But that's not a big issue.It's the gameplay.

First off, in a 4 player game, 2 players are good (Republic) and 2 are evil (Separatist), and you are not allowed to attack your own ally.(Gosh, there goes half the fun of Risk right there!) I've yet to come up with a strategy that lets the good side win.During the game, the Separatists have a one-time opportunity to invoke "Order 66".When this happens, each and every planet (territory) in the Republic is checked against a die roll, and a losing roll means the planet becomes Separatist.In every game I've played so far, this wipes out the Republic.Not only have you lost the territories themselves, but all their troops turn against you.It's maddening to be playing the Republic, building up for a great crushing attack and blip, here comes Order 66, bye bye lovely troops.Once issuing Order 66, the Separatists must then place the Emperor (a special piece) on a planet, where he must remain, and the Republic will automatically win the game if they take this planet.But I have yet to get the Republic to recover enough to strike at the Emperor.

The dark side just has too many advantages to make this game fun to play.In the LOTR Trilogy edition, evil starts out stronger, but with good strategy, good can still win.But I just can't figure out the strategy here to make things even. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

If it worked, I'd rate it higher
I've played the original edition movie many times and loved it.Was really looking forward to this.Don't know what they did wrong, but it sure was something.We have two DVD players, a Toshiba and a Panasonic.The Toshiba is less than 6 months old, and the Panasonic has never failed to play a non-defective disk...until now.

The disk is partially playable on the Toshiba, but you can't stop the game once started except by ejecting the disk.Sometimes it freezes, and you have to start all the way over, going through all those introductions you can't bypass. At final cut, if you say you got the answer wrong, it always freezes, and you've got to eject the disk and lose everything.The Panasonic simply says the format of the disk can't be read.

Screenlife, while polite,basically says, "We're looking into it".So, be forwarned.Be prepared for the possibility that the game is unplayable on your equipment and make sure you save your receipt.I'm not sure what Amazon's return policy is in this situation, whether you get a full refund or not.After all, it is