January 2010 Notable Toys — General Games

In Mouse Match, mischievous mice race through tunnels to chase their cheese to victory. For two to six players, the game includes a board, six mice, cheese slices, a bag and instructions.
— Mouse Match was a top-10 best seller at RoundTable Toys in Winterville, N.C., at the end of 2009, according to David Davis, owner.

This combat card game with a martial arts theme contains 54 cards and is for two or more players. Participants can choose to use one or more deck for this fast-paced game of attack and defense that simulates the discipline of martial arts sparring. Opponents may spar cooperatively or competitively. Players can expand play with an add-on deck, and fly, spin, duck and dodge their way to victory. It includes rules for single-round play through a six-belt tournament, and there are special rules for beginner, intermediate and advanced play. Launch date: December 2009.

Anomia is a  game where common knowledge becomes uncommonly fun. Anomia plays off the fact that our minds are positively brimming with all sorts of random information: things to eat, pop songs, websites, etc... Sure, under normal circumstances, it's easy enough to give an example of a frozen food, or a dog breed; but you will find that your brain works a little differently under pressure. Easy to learn, fun to play over and over again, Anomia will have any group of friends, family, even perfect strangers, shouting and laughing out loud as they try to beat each other to the punch. It can be your turn at any time and anyone can be your opponent.  For 3 to 6 players. One round lasts about 30 minutes. Launch date: Fall 2009.
—  They sell "15 to 20" Anomia games per month at Magic Box in New Orleans, said manager James Dello Stritto in early 2011.
—  Four of 12 retailers who attended ASTRA 2010 named Anomia as one of their favorite products at the show.
—  “Anomia is really great; I’ve been told for the last year to get it,” said Kristen Pollard, owner of Mudpuddle Toys in Marblehead, Mass., in summer 2010.
— In an August 2010 survey, nine percent of 43 retailers said Anomia is a card game best seller. Barbara Fineblum, owner of Barston’s Child’s Play in Baltimore, Md., told TDmonthly the same month that her store sold 89 Anomia games in one month.

A family card game set in feudal Japan during the era of the Samurai which depends on skill, strategy and planning. It is a time where bandits roam the countryside stealing the precious rice from villages. Yours is one of those villages. Defend your rice with Samurai and Ronin, use bandits and Ninjas to steal other villages’ rice and eliminate their Samurai, and plead with the local Shogun to conscript help for you. But be warned, for the other villages are doing the exact same thing. Launch date: 2010.

This multi-dimension, multi-player version of the strategy game Pentago accommodates two, three or four players. Two players can play using one or two colors each, and in games with additional participants, players can choose to play as individuals or in teams.  Launch date: March 1, 2010.
— A top pick, retailer Kate Tanner, owner of Kidstop Toys, informed TDmonthly at Toy Fair 2010.

This pocket-sized story generator is designed to provide hours of imaginative play for all ages. With Rory's Story Cubes®, anyone can become a great storyteller and there are no wrong answers. Players simply roll the cubes and let the pictures spark the imagination. "Rory's Story Cubes is unique because of its simplicity, small packaging, low price point and endless story possibilities. It's a great learning and writing tool that can be played with one person or a large group as a party game," Emily Nichols, marketing coordinator for Gamewright, told TDmonthly. Launch date: March 2010.
Awards: 2009 Dr. Toy’s 10 Best Games of the Year; 2010 Major Fun Award; 2010 Parents’ Choice Gold Award, Creative Child Magazine Seal of Excellence Award, iParenting Media Award, Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Gold Award.
— As of 12/17/2012 this product had 4.6 out of 5 stars from 306 reviews on Amazon.com. Pros: Helps develop story telling ability; promotes cooperative play; creative; affordable. Cons: One reviewer said they were bored with it after playing a few times, but that it is very affordable.
— Stacy Kalisz of The Old Schoolhouse Magazine “absolutely loved” using the Story Cubes with her family as they came up with a variety of games. One of their favorite play variations “is to tell a group story, with each person using one die on his or her turn.”

It's all about keeping the most money. Game includes 6 oversized 3/4" (20mm) Dice. For 2 or more players. (Choking hazard: Not for children under 3 years of age)

ThinkFun a-ha! Brainteasers are designed to inspire special a-ha! moments for novice and seasoned problem solvers alike. A player will need all his brainpower for this one. The goal is to fit all four cubes into the box so they sit flush with the rim. Expert, Level 4. Launch date: 2010.
— Mary Porter Green, owner of Curiosity Zone in Ashburn, Va, told TDmonthly in a July 2013 survey that ThinkFun Brainteaser Puzzles were among her store's best-selling puzzles.

ThinkFun a-ha! Brainteasers are designed to inspire special a-ha! moments for novice and seasoned problem solvers alike. Can you “shoot” the arrow out of the front of the tray without removing the three planks? Hard, Level 3. "[It's] another brainteaser to add to ThinkFun's collection of best-selling brainteasers, which teach pattern recognition, abstract thinking and problem solving," Edoardo Kulp, Marketing Manager, ThinkFun Inc., told TDmonthly. Launch date: 2010.

For novice and seasoned problem solvers alike, the object of the Star Burst is simple, the solution is elusive. Just take the Star Burst apart and put it back together again. Simple. Or is it? Medium, Level 2. Launch date: 2010.
— Mary Porter Green, owner of Curiosity Zone in Ashburn, Va, told TDmonthly in a July 2013 survey that ThinkFun Brainteaser Puzzles were among her store's best-selling puzzles.

This “cousin” of the best-selling Gordian’s Knot is designed to be elegant but cunning. Untangling Zig-Zag Knot is not as easy as it looks. The player slides each piece in the correct sequence of 37 moves to take the Zig-Zag Knot apart. With every move made, one or more pieces will move easily, but there’s only one right answer. The included guide shows the complete solution as well as full instructions for putting Zig-Zag Knot back to its original form. Launch date: April 2010.

This new and improved version of What’s GNU? may serve as a fun confidence-builder as it allows early readers to build their vocabularies. Two or more players slide the “Letter Getter” to reveal two letter tiles at a time, then use those tiles to create three-letter combinations on their Word Starter cards. The player who spells the greatest number of words wins. It now includes beginner and advanced Word Starter Cards and highlighted vowels for added learning. "ThinkFun has taken a best seller and improved it by including both beginner and advanced cards. Now the entire family can play!" Edoardo Kulp, Marketing Manager, ThinkFun Inc., told TDmonthly. Launch date: Jan. 15, 2010.

Two or more players race to be the first to get the animals into the barnyard in this matching game. Focusing on image completion, players search their cards to complete a barnyard animal, then use the fun Barnyard Flipper to turn over the card and reveal the next image to be matched. Images help children match, while the writing on each card will help early readers make associations between the words and the image. Launch date: March 2010.

With Zingo! 1-2-3, players must match their numbered tiles with the corresponding display on their challenge board. The first player with a full card wins the game by yelling “Zingo!” In this fast-paced game, two levels of play focus on image recognition and addition. "This is a line extension of the best-selling Zingo! game by ThinkFun. It now uses numbers and math skills as compared to of pictures and image recognition skills used in original Zingo!" Edoardo Kulp, Marketing Manager, ThinkFun Inc., told TDmonthly. Launch date: Jan. 15, 2010.
— Angie Knutson from My Four Monkeys:  the “easy to use” number dispensing Zinger was “the funnest part of the game” for her kids. “As with most ThinkFun games,” said Angie, “Zingo! 1-2-3 would also make a great preschool and kindergarten resource!”
— Ruth B. Roufberg and Parents’ Choice applauded the successful blending of number education and bingo as well as the game components and packaging for being “functionally designed.” Zingo 1-2-3 Number Bingo received the Spring 2010 Parents’ Choice Gold Award.
— Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Platinum Best Toy Award Winner, 2010

Players must compete on a crazy track in order to win a bicycle race. No cards or electrical devices are involved. The whole concept is in the ZBall, a new kind of marble that Cepia Games designed internally. This marble is designed to be very easy to control and has surprising effects when flicked. The goal of the game is to flick through the obstacles to the finish line as fast as possible. "BISIKLE reinvents the marble and will be the new classic in race games. It develops mobility and concentration skills, teaches players to evaluate risk, and reveals the competitive side in each of us! All of that in one box ready to use, no batteries are required. Extensions are available to increase the fun!" Cedric Arnould, VP, CEPIA Games, told TDmonthly. Launch date: November 2009.

This colored poster format game is designed for two to four players and comes with dice, colored game pawns and rules of play. It has a playing time of between 15 and 45 minutes. The object of the game is to strategically be the first player with all four of your same-color game pawns off the board. This is accomplished by landing on other players game pieces by rolling dice. The poster format allows for hanging the game on a wall. Launch date: December 10, 2009.

Embark on a quest to build your all-time fantasy basketball team by competing against opponents while managing a salary cap to become the best General Manager in basketball history. Build your fantasy team with the roster of trading cards provided in the game or use your own trading cards from any era to enhance your roster. Create any team with any player from any league. Includes Game Board, Collectible Trading Cards, Fantasy Basketball Cards, Fantasy Basketball Cash, Position Tokens, and Game Tokens. For 2-4 players.

Embark on a quest to build your all-time fantasy football team by competing against opponents while managing a salary cap to become the best General Manager in football history. Build your fantasy team with the roster of trading cards provided in the game or use your own trading cards from any era to enhance your roster. Create any team with any player from any league. Includes Game Board, Collectible Trading Cards, Fantasy Football Cards, Fantasy Football Cash, Position Tokens, and Game Tokens. For 2-4 players.

Embark on a quest to build your all-time fantasy hockey team by competing against opponents while managing a salary cap to become the best General Manager in hockey history. Build your fantasy team with the roster of trading cards provided in the game or use your own trading cards from any era to enhance your roster. Create any team with any player from any league. Includes Game Board, Collectible Trading Cards, Fantasy Hockey Cards, Fantasy Hockey Cash, Position Tokens, and Game Tokens. For 2-4 players.

Embark on a quest to build your all-time fantasy baseball team by competing against opponents while managing a salary cap to become the best General Manager in baseball history. Build your fantasy team with the roster of trading cards provided in the game or use your own trading cards from any era to enhance your roster. Create any team with any player from any league. Includes Game Board, Collectible Trading Cards, Fantasy Baseball Cards, Fantasy Baseball Cash, Position Tokens, and Game Tokens. For 2-4 players.

Recapture and relive the life of Elvis Presley as you collect artifacts to create the greatest moments in Rock 'n Roll history. Collect artifacts that match up to the ones on the Elvis cards and make it back to Graceland to win the game. The game features authentic video footage, images and photos of Elvis that will take you from the Gates of Graceland to Heartbreak Hotel. Includes Game Board, Playing Pawns, DVD, Six-Sided Die, Ten-Sided Die, Tribute Cards, and Elvis Cards. For 2-4 players.

Players advance through the US Open Tournament by competing against their opponents in matches. Players make their way to the top to compete in the finals and become the US Open Champion. The game features tennis stars from the past and present and includes footage and images from some of the most memorable moments in US Open Tennis history. Includes Game Board, Playing Pawns, Coaching Pawns, DVD, Cards/Tokens, Twelve-Sided Die, Six-Sided Dice, and US Open Cash. For 2-4 players.

Enter the world of TNA Wrestling and climb your way to the top by winning all of the TNA Championship Belts. Along the way you’ll hire TNA Stars & Knockouts as you create your own TNA Star and become the best in the industry. The game features authentic video footage, photos of TNA Stars & Knockouts, voiceover by Don West and unlimited game play. For 2-4 players.

Put your skating and goal-scoring skills to the test in this action-packed, interactive DVD board game. With Peter Puck as your guide, make your way around the board answering on-screen challenges and collecting cards while playing a game of hockey. Includes Game Board, Playing Pawns, DVD, Six-Sided Dice, Ten-Sided Die, Cards, and Pucks. For 2-4 players.