October 2008 Notable Toys — General Games

Who will be first to get to Witch's Mountain? Two to four players take turns testing their memory and advancing toward the mountain. Kids roll the dice and find the cards that match what they rolled to win. Little Thunder Witch can be played in three variations. Game play is approximately 15 minutes. "The wooden game pieces are made in Germany using native reforested woods and nontoxic water based stains, not paint," Lisa Orman, president of KidStuff Public Relations, told TDmonthly. Launch date: February 2008.

Kids can choose from Hockey, Lacrosse, Basketball, Soccer or Baseball dice games. Each includes four dice and a mini sport bag. The player's team that scores the most goals, baskets or points in a game wins. "ChalkTalkSPORTS dice games are based on the basic rules of the sport and are a fun and fast playing game that appeal to all ages," Julie Lynn, president of ChalkTalkSPORTS, told TDmonthly. Launch date: April 20, 2008.

Grand Corral allows players to learn about the wonderful world of horses, while answering challenging and interesting multiple choice or true/false trivia questions. Each time a player correctly answers a question, he claims one of 25 horse play figures from the beautifully-illustrated corral, and proudly display it in his own paddock. A player must collect the most horses to win. Kids and adults will enjoy learning about the various horse breeds, where they live, how they develop, how they’re cared for and how they are ridden. "Grand Corral is one of the only board games in existence that focuses entirely on horse lovers," Nicole Tiedemann, PR account executive for International Playthings, Inc., told TDmonthly. Launch date: February 2008.

Bob them as they pop! Using the space rocket boppers, two players try to capture the Crazy Mixed-up Manic Martians as they peep out from craters in the “planet” game base. "iPlay Crazy Mixed-Up Manic Martians is a fun, two-player, scaled-down alternative to the popular game Whack-A-Mole. Kids will love bopping the surprise pop-up martians!" Nicole Tiedemann, PR account executive for International Playthings, Inc., told TDmonthly. Launch date: February 2008.

Two to four players defend their goal area using fast-action flippers from one of four adorable Jungle Animals — all while a mixed-up monkey “referee” wobbles around and gets in the way. The five colorful balls bounce around the game and off of the monkey, adding to the challenge and wackiness of this fast-paced game. Each score is rewarded with a special scoring banana. "iPlay Jungle Animal Pinball resembles the age-old classic eat-up pinball games, but includes a new twist. Instead of gathering pinballs, players are required to keep the pinballs out!" Nicole Tiedemann, PR account executive for International Playthings, Inc., told TDmonthly. Launch date: February 2008.

Players roll the dice and hit a single, double, triple or Home Run and win, just like real baseball. Each time the dice are rolled, the tokens will move according to the outcome of the total on the dice. Depending on the outcome, the tokens will make a move based on the commonly known rules of baseball. The object of the game is to score the highest number or runs possible to beat one or more competitors. It includes instructions, two dice, a baseball diamond, nine playing pieces per player, a scoreboard card, a statistical sheet per team, two dry-erase markers, an official Baseball's Board Game sticker and a Baseball's Board Game Cup. Players "will feel the passion of playing baseball in winter, summer and all the seasons," Aurelio Rodriguez, marketing director for Fun Games, told TDmonthly. Launch date: July 2008.

These retro classics will take you back to your childhood! There are four All American Boy Classics to choose from: Marbles, Knot Tying, Yo & Hardwood Throwing Top. And there are four All American Girl Pastimes to choose from: Jumbo Jacks, Skip Rope, Hopscotch and the Wonderball. Each comes with a 20-page handbook full of history, instructions and game techniques packaged in a recycled gift box. "All of our products are made in the USA," Jon Hogue, vice president of Channel Craft, told TDmonthly. Launch date: October 2008.

Excalibur Electronics presents Phantom Force, a powerful chess set with one incredible trick–it moves pieces all on its own. Utilizing the latest in micro motor and magnet technology, Phantom Force brings chess computing into the 21st century. Phantom Force will play Knights, Pawns and other pieces, sliding them into position as if an invisible hand were controlling it. "Phantom Force Chess offers a wide variety of features, including sound effects, voice vocabulary in three languages, hint button, coaching mode, teaching mode for new players, time control, built-in dual chess clock display, in-game memory, adjustable LCD contrast, [and] auto-shut off, and [it] is designed with a storage compartment to hold your chessmen," Meg Sahdala, senior product manager at Excalibur Electronics Inc., told TDmonthly. Launch date: 2008.
— As of 1.06.2011 this product was listed as a bestseller in the Games & Puzzle category on Toysrus.com. Pros: Helps hone logic skills; can be played alone.

The Megatop is a perimeter-weighted, precision-built, high-performance throw top invented by Alan Adler, the famous inventor of Aerobie flying rings and other Aerobie high-performance sports toys. Using its quick launch accelerator, a skilled player can achieve 3,000+ RPM spin rates. Creative tricks and challenging games provide hours of fun. The Megatop is made in the USA. Launch date: October 2008.

The Kanoodle case holds two solitaire games that challenge the player to build colorful 2D puzzles and 3D pyramids. Once a child picks a design from the included puzzle book, he or she puts some of the pieces into place as shown, then fills the empty spots with the remaining pieces. Only one of hundreds of possible combinations actually completes the puzzle.
— Three of 68 specialty retailers named Kanoodle when asked about their top-selling toy or game in October 2008.
— Dean Smith, co-owner of JaZams in Pennington, N.J., told TDmonthly in October 2008 his store sells about 24 units of Kanoodle each month.

You and your opponents become the ultimate Battle Brawlers and must save the Bakugan that are trapped in Vestroia! Catch the Bakugan as they plummet to Earth. Be the first player to build your Gate Card puzzle and win! Includes game tower, 2 scoops, 4 gate card puzzles, 6 non-morphing Bakugan balls and more. 2 to 4 players.

Gab to Go is a travel-friendly cup filled with 100 clever questions that liven up conversations and give insight into the people that matter most. Travel friendly, it fits in car cup holder. The game's "Unplug & Connect" tagline is very appealing to busy moms and seniors and helps families bridge generations. Launch date: 2008.

Everything about this version of Connect Four is decked out for the football field — Chicago Bears checkers, scoreboard and flags, and a stadium and field design for the playing surface. There are even new rules. Various NFL teams are available.

This version of the classic bingo game is played using gift items. On each pre-printed card there are gift items such as "bootie," "cute outfit," "teething ring," etc. One person acts as the caller and pulls the chips out one by one until BINGO is called. Original set of 50 Bingo cards (approx 5" x 7" large), instructions, and a caller chip sheet are included. Bingo markers not included.

This Deluxe version of Bride Bingo accommodates for 40 players with 40 unique bingo cards. Markers for the cards are supplied by the bridal shower host; be it food or stickers, etc. The same features from the original Bride Bingo is available, including the love- and wedding-themed pictures on the colorful cards and the 3 reserved squares on each card for the bride, groom, and the wedding date.

Baby Bingo involves handing guests colorful cards with baby-themed pictures: a crib, a birth certificate, stroller, baby blocks, etc. The hostess acts as the "caller," and guests mark off corresponding items on their cards. The first person to get five in a row and yell "BABY BINGO" wins. There are 2 squares on each card which allow each guest to write in the name of the mom-to-be and her (expected) due date.

A full-color twist on classic bingo for bridal showers. In this version, guests are handed colorful cards with love- and wedding-themed pictures: a sunset, a diamond ring, a bouquet, and more. One bridesmaid is the "caller," and guests mark off corresponding items on their cards. The first person to get five in a row and yell "BRIDE BINGO" wins! There are 3 squares on each card which allow each guest to write in the name of the bride, the groom and their wedding date.

Ultimate Spinner consists of 12 games, some of which help children learn alphabets and letter recognition, numbers, math, and how to tell time. Others promote active play, such as running or dancing.
— TDmonthly's Roundtable appreciated the fun, quality and educational appeal of this game. "It was fun to see them folding paper into shapes, drawing, acting things out, and interacting with each other," reviewer Sue Christensen said of her 7- and 11-year-old sons.

Past Videos: Toy Fair 2009

The object of this game is to toss -- or lob -- the most Lobster Bags into the Lobster Pot Target being the player or team of players to score the most points.  Be sure to catch the Rare Blue Lobster to score additional points. Each player or team of players starts with 3 bags -- 2 of the same color and 1 rare colored lobster.  Determine and measure the distance away from the target that is appropriate to the players age and ability and mark the toss line.  Take turns tossing 1 lobster at a time behind the toss line.  Collect lobsters and determine the points scored until a player or team reaches the winning score.

Parents and kids can show off their trivia smarts together on family game night. The Kids Card questions are just right for younger players, while the Adult Cards challenge older players on their own level. The six fun question-and-answer categories include People & Places, Entertainment, Wild Card, Science & Nature, Sports & Leisure and History. Everyone gets in on the trivia fun… and everyone has a chance to win. The game includes gameboard, 300 question-and-answer cards, 2 card holders, 6 scoring tokens, 36 scoring wedges, die and instructions. Available exclusively at Target stores. Launch date: 2008.

Just as fun for adults as it is for kids, Cranium Family Edition features activities that challenge adults, too. From balancing cubes on elbows to deciding what the most popular pet was in ancient Egypt, kids and parents alike will celebrate the wacky collaboration that results from the outrageous activities teams are asked to complete. To play, teams work together to race around the board by completing a mix of classic and all-new CRANIUM activities, including sketching, acting, solving word and picture puzzles, completing scavenger hunts, sculpting with purple Cranium Clay and more.  The Data Head in your family will love guessing how many NFL teams are named after birds and trying to remember the first five gifts in “The Twelve Days of Christmas,” while the Creative Cat will enjoy sculpting a turtle out of Cranium Clay or attempting to draw a palm tree with their eyes closed.  Launch: 2008.

The goal of this game for one or more players is to pull the bone-shaped blocks out of the lower portion of the tower, stacking the bones as high as possible without the tower falling over.

In this game for two or more players, each tries to match the drink displayed on the rolled dice to create the ideal martini for the win. Players can spill drinks or take them away, or even call for a Bartender Challenge to challenge an opponent for the win. Launch date: 2008.

In this game for three or more players, each team tries to guess a famous name as they're given up to four clues. More points are earned for guessing the name with fewer clues given. The first team to 300 points wins. Launch date 2008.