"Playing games is as much a part of our culture today as ever, whether it's playing a 60 year-old classic such as CHUTES AND LADDERS with your preschooler, or spending an evening playing the TRIVIAL PURSUIT 20th ANNIVERSARY EDITION, the hottest selling game of 2002," said John Chandler, senior vice president marketing Hasbro Games. "In 2003, one of the ways we will help folks continue to have fun and play games together is by taking our all-time favorite games and giving them a fun, new twist."
From preschool to adult, some of the highlights from the 2003 line are as follows.
SILLY SOCCER(TM) Game (Ages: 3 to 6; Approximate Retail: $24.99; Available: June 2003; Players: 1 or more)
The SILLY SOCCER game is the latest addition to Milton Bradley's line of Silly Sports. Aspiring soccer players will get a kick out of the animated soccer goal as they attempt to get the ball into the net. To add some challenge to the game, the motorized goal shifts from side to side just as a goalie would in a game. All the while, the animated goal keeps in the spirit of the SILLY SPORTS characters with comedic banter. The player to score the most goals in a timed period wins the game.
TWISTER MOVES(TM) Game (Ages: 8 and up; Approximate Retail: ($19.99); Available: June 2003; Players: 2 to 4)
TWISTER MOVES(TM) is sure to get players on their feet and moving to the direction called out by two recorded DJs. The DJs (a male who directs the left side and a female who directs the right) engage in comedic banter as they provide dance move directions to the players. First, players listen for the dance sequence as called out by the DJs, then they follow the moves with their feet on the TWISTER MOVES(TM) mat. Miss a move and you're out!
Complete with three CDs, each with 60 minutes of dance-style music, and mats, the game has over 100 different dance moves.
To personalize the experience and increase the challenge, at the beginning of each CD, players are allowed to make up their own special moves to incorporate into the game. Each CD increases in challenge and at the end of each there are three to six Super Sessions, where players have to successfully complete four sets of moves together as one sequence.
PROJAX (Ages: 8 & up; Players: 1 or more; Approximate Retail: $4.99 (Starter); $9.99 (Arena); $2.99 (Booster); Available: May 2003)
The PROJAX game is the collecting, catching, battling version of the classic game of Jacks. In PROJAX, players compete to be the first to get all five jacks out of the playing area. To do this, on each turn, a player throws the ball in the air, and with his/her throwing hand must retrieve his/her jacks from the play area and the ball before it bounces.
Special power play cards are included in each of the PROJAX sets, and when a player removes an opposing player's jacks from the play area, a card is unlocked. When a card is unlocked, a player can use it to reduce his/her opponent's moves or even add extra moves that the opponent must do when it's his/her turn. The first player to get his/her ProJax out of the playing area wins!
PROJAX is available in three sets - Starter Set (5 ProJax, 3 Power Play Cards; ProJax Ball; 10 ID Bands & Instruction Booklet); Battle Arena Set (10 ProJax, 2 ProJax Mines, 6 Power Play Cards; ProJax Ball; ProJax Travel Carrier; Pop-Out Battle Arena; 20 ID Bands & Instruction Booklet); and Booster Set (4 ProJax, 2 Power Play Cards; 10 ID Bands, Quick-start Instructions).
BULLS EYE BALL(TM) (Ages: 9 & up; Players: 1 or more; Approximate Retail Price: $19.99; Available: May/June 2003)
Tiger Electronics' new BULLS EYE BALL game brings back the great memories of those trips to the arcade where you couldn't walk away until you got a bulls-eye and even then it was still hard to leave. The BULLS EYE BALL game is that addictive target game that kids love and adults can't seem to get enough off. Players simply bounce marble-sized balls onto a mini trampoline-like platform in order to hit one of three targets built into the backboard of the game unit. A bulls-eye earns a player three points; the next target is worth two points and the bottom target is worth one point. Players can choose from three game play options - how many points can you score in 30 seconds; how many bulls-eyes can you hit before you get 10 misses; and how long does it take for you to reach 25 points. The object is to beat the best score as recorded by the game.
DELUXE YAHTZEE® GAME FOLIO(TM) Edition (Ages: 8 and up; Players: 1 or more; Available: May 2003; Approximate Retail Price: $19.99) and BOGGLE® GAME FOLIO(TM) Edition (Ages: 8 and up; Players: 2 or more; Available: May 2003; Approximate Retail Price: $19.99).
The successful launch of SCRABBLE® GAME FOLIO(TM) Edition in 2002 paved the way for two family favorites to take to the road. BOGGLE® GAME FOLIO(TM) and DELUXE YAHTZEE® GAME FOLIO(TM) Editions are set to hit shelves this May just in time for summer travel. Both games feature a durable cloth case with zip closure to keep playing pieces in while you are headed out. The BOGGLE® GAME FOLIO(TM) Edition has the benefit of quiet shaking, so as not to disturb the passenger in the seat behind you, as well as a secure lid to hold in letter cubes and an electronic timer. While the DELUXE YAHTZEE® GAME FOLIO(TM) features a felt-lined tray, a quiet rolling cup and a dice holder. Fellow passengers will love how quiet you are while you play, just remember to keep the cries of "YAHTZEE!" to a minimum.
JENGA® EXTREME (Ages: Adult; Players: 2 or more; Approximate Retail: $16.99; Available: Summer 2003)
The traditional JENGA® game takes a new angle in the JENGA® EXTREME game where the anticipation builds in a new direction each time its played and always ends in a suspenseful crashing of blocks. Each of the blocks in JENGA® EXTREME is shaped as a parallelogram and when stacked they create a shifting tower that changes direction with game play. Game play remains the same as the traditional stacking game, where players take turns pulling a block from the bottom of the tower and placing it on top. The object is to be the last player to place a block on the tower before it crashes. Jenga Extreme is edge of your seat fun with a different slant!