November 2008 Notable Toys — General Games

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.

In this challenging game for two or more players, each participant is given five words on a card and must form a story using them in just a minute and a half. The first player to get to 300 points wins. Launch date: 2008.

After the potion dice are rolled, it is the goal of the two to four players/apprentices to be the first to create the potion as instructed. They must be careful, though, as some apprentices may steal ingredients, change the recipe altogether or even spill the cauldron. The game comes with 52 cards, four dice, 20 token, a token bag and a cauldron. Launch date: 2008.

Four are more players can play this game in which four clues are given to help each team guess a famous name. Points earned decrease depending on how many clues are given before the answer is guessed. The first team to earn 300 points wins. Launch date: 2008.

Igor: The Monster Making Game is a fast-paced custom-dice game about building monsters while trying not to leave unfinished projects on the table where other mad scientists could steal your work. The game is based on the movie "Igor " — a playfully irreverent comedy that brings a new twist to the classic monster genre. Launch date: September 19, 2008.

This world-class MONOPOLY game for two to six players take participants to global cities on six continents. Each player has a MONOPOLY credit card, plus a digital device that acts as a bank to track the balance. It requires two AA batteries (not included).

Designed to fuel kids' passion for produce, players learn to group 95 fruits and veggies by color, identify the health benefits linked to the colors and how fruits and veggies keep your body growing strong and healthy. Bonus features: How to make green smoothies using green veggies and fruits, user-friendly charts and resources, information sheets and a coloring activity. For 2-30 players.

This nutrition game is SmartPicks' top selling game for over 12 years. This updated version makes learning about basic food groups and healthy alternatives a treat for players of all ages and appetites. Based on the new MyPyramid, this game provides a variety of food choices that will improve the quality of an average American diet. Winner of the Learning® Magazine 2008 Teachers' Choice Award. For 2-30 players.

Are You Smarter Than A 5th Grader? Tabletop Game is an electronic tabletop game based on the top-rated TV game show, Are You Smarter Than A 5th Grader? Just like the TV show, the object is to answer 11 questions in a row, from 1st through 5th grade school subjects, in order to win one million dollars.

Square Up! offers a new twist on the slider puzzle – playing an opponent! The object of the game is to slide the squares to match the cube shaker before your opponent finishes. It’s a fast, two-player, visual thinking game. Each board measures about 8” square.
— This game was listed as a best seller by Michele and Ken Gietz of Where’d You Get That!? in Williamstown, Mass., in fall 2008. “It’s great for travel or restaurants,” they said. “It’s two-player, but each gets their own sliding squares board and special shaker. We’ve sold many for a small store in the last six months.”
— Brooke Andrews, owner of Millers Toy Store in Mamoroneck, N.J., told TDmonthly in late 2009 her store sells about 12 units per week of this game. Two of 44 retailers named it as one of their top-three best sellers.