Games Reviews

I still have my 1978-dated model of this game and I am glad Mattel is re-releasing this and the classic Football 2 (the favorite handheld of my youth). When my father bought me this game back in the early 1980s it was three times as much as this model, so it is definitely a bargain for Gen. X-ers like myself who wish to recapture their youth.

I am amazed how identical this game is to my vintage game (which I still have and it still works perfectly attesting to the durability of Mattel games--at least in the 1980s). Kids today may not enjoy it as it is a very simple, streamline version of baseball that one would expect came out in 1978. You push the "pitch" button, wait for the pitch, the pitch comes either straight or curved and you push "Hit." If you hit the ball, push "Run" to run the bases. The game beeps indicating whether you hit a single, double, triple or home run. Sometimes you can get more bases if you have a fast player, sometimes you're tagged out if you have a slowpoke. There is no strategy to this game. The game keeps track of balls and strikes, but there is really no way of knowing if a pitch is headed for the strike zone, so you can't be Barry Bonds here. The ball/strike count always seemed to be random to me.

Like Football 2, you do not get to play defense. After the third out, you (or a playing partner) play offense for the other team. Like Classic Football 2, this game has the addition of a sound-off switch. It does not make as much sense with this game because the number of beeps following a hit helps you know how many bases to go for. You may be able to guess with the sound off taking into account how fast the player is. The game plays in glow-in-the-dark red, so it can be played with the lights out which is very cool. Each game is 5 innings. The "Pro 2" setting gives you faster pitches and really tests the reflexes. A fun game to go along with your Classic Football 2. Hopefully, Mattel will also re-release Basketball 2.

I had the orignal version of this game when I was a little kid growing up. It was a great way to while away the hours on long car trips or a rainy day.

I must say that I'm really impressed that Mattel preserved the authenticity of the game right down to the color of the casing, the buttons and sounds.

For those of you who are chasing your long-gone youth like I am, this is a great throw-back to another era. I highly recommend it!

This is a veary FUN baseball game, I first played it at my summer camp and it was so fun, I got it for Myself!!!!!!

I really like that this teaches counting, taking turns and patience.. but it gets ridiculous after a while. You can end up rolling the dice with no results for a very long time.. especially when you only have two players. My son likes putting the pieces together (though they are a bit hard to put together and don't always stay together)... but I can tell he gets a bit bored when we keep rolling the dice and don't roll the exact number you need. I am half tempted to let him make the dice land on the right number sometimes just to get the game going.. but then I know that would backfire on me later. I think this game is going in the garage sale bin.

It's simple and they can play on their own. No reading required. There is a large picture card made out of cardboard that the kids can refer to when they need to pick the pieces to create their bug. Each player roles a dice for body parts, and the first person to build their bug is the winner!!

This is a great game for Preschoolers. They learn to take turns, learn colors, and learn the count. And they can use their imagination!!! I remember having this game has a child and I am sure that my son will love it too!!!!

"Phase 10" is little more than an Uno knockoff--even sharing some of the same "special" cards: "Skip" and "Wild". Then, there are the so-called "phases", which can ultimately be frustrating for both young players, and new players. Example:

Phase 3 is a set of 4 cards (4 of the same number) and a run of 4 cards (a straight). You may have the following cards: (g=green, r=red, b=blue, o=orange) 2g, 3r, 4r, 6o, 6g, 9b, 11b, 11r, 12b, wild. Ultimaely, the player before you draws a "wild" card, and completes their phase. You, however get stuck with 85 points.

With all the flaws, the game can still be competitive and fun. If you want something educational though, buy a Leappad.

Phase 10 is a cross between Gin Rummy and Uno. It is challenging, frustrating and enjoyable all at the same time. The game is best played with groups of 3-5. Anymore than that and the game tends to last a little too long.

A good card game that I highly recommend.

This game is a clever combination of UNO and Rummykub. Very entertaining and can be played with kids as well as adults. It allows me to add my own special "rules" to make it more interesting. If you like cards, you'll love this game.

We have a similar item, not the fire engine, I wish I had this one! We love ours, it's fun, easy to fold up, etc and my son loves fire engines. Great buy!

we bought this playhut for our 3 year old, he is fasinated with firetrucks, he loves it. he feels he is in a real firetrck. we also have a 10 year old, they both play in it together. we are very pleased with this toy.

Our fire truck has gone thru 2 VERY rough boys. one is 3 and the oldest is 7. My oldest got it when he was 2. Except for a couple rips (from the boys) and they lost the wheel that was originally hooked to it they still use it and let me tell you it is not just a firetruck. They go camping,boating and have parties with there stuffed animals. They turn it upside down to use as a boat. It still keeps on going. We now also have the school bus and the races around the house are a riot. Defineatley a must have for the imagination.. kelly

We bought 3 of these light sabres for our kids. They all seem to enjoy running madly around the house brandishing their Star Wars weapons. They were a bit disappointed that they don't light up, but I think they'll live. Tough enough material to have survived several weeks already in our household.

Toy Lightsaber Line (2005.)

INTRODUCTION:
Star Wars is the ultimate science fiction saga of all time - there's no debating it. Ever since 1977, the science fiction saga George Lucas created has captivated audiences all around the world. If there's one idea from the series that was truly unique, it was the Lightsaber - a beam of pure energy that could slice through anything - except for the blade of another Lightsaber. Many attempts have been made over the years to create the perfect replica of these legendary weapons, ranging from children's toys to high-quality replicas. One of the most abundant of the children's toys is the standard toy Lightsaber line. Read on to see how these non-powered replicas measure up.

OVERVIEW:
This line of toy Lightsabers was released around the same time as the Revenge Of The Sith film. They retail for approximately eight dollars each. Many different colors and styles are available, and more are likely to come. This is a line of children's toys, not high quality collectibles.

REVIEW:
As a big fan of Star Wars, I love to explore all different varieties of products from the series. Lightsabers are one of the coolest things to emerge from the Star Wars universe, and as such, it's one of the things toy companies have attempted on numerous occasions. These models won't really win any points for detail or flare (mostly due to a lack of light and sound) but for having your own little duels, these will work nicely. Keep reading for pros and cons.

THE GOOD:
-FOR PERSONAL LIGHTSABER DUELS, THIS IS THE MODEL TO OWN. Despite the lack of lights and sound, these things keep the experience authentic. The look and general feel are true to the universe, and since there's no sophisticated electronics, you don't have to worry about messing up the internal workings. So you can duel all you want with these things, and have no worries.
-CREATES THE FEEL OF A REAL LIGHTSABER NICELY IN MANY WAYS. The saber extends and retracts, plus it has a belt clip you can use to carry it in the retracted state. As such, it's quite portable and easy to carry around.
-EASY TO EXPAND AND RETRACT. The saber is easily expanded with the snap of your wrist and holding down the red sliding button. Once expanded, to retract it you just push down the expanded portions of the blade.
-STAYS EXPANDED WELL. Unlike many other "expanding sword" type toys on the market, this one was designed well for the expanded state. It actually takes some work to get it retracted, so it likely won't fail when you need it.
-CHEAP! These things are the least expensive Lightsaber replicas on the market, and as such, in the rare and unlikely event that you break one, you can easily afford and buy a replacement.
-QUITE DURABLE FOR THE PRICE. These things can take a lot of abuse and still work fine, despite the low price. As such, they're ideal for many Star Wars fans, young and old alike.
-SEVERAL DIFFERENT COLORS AVAILABLE. If it's a color of Lightsaber you've seen in a Star Wars movie, you can get it in this line.

THE BAD:
-NO LIGHTS OR SOUND. This is as much a pro as a con. Sure, you don't have to worry about damaging electronics, but without the lights, it's hardly a Lightsaber. I wish they had made an area where you could put in an optional pack for light and sound. That would have been a nice option.
-EVERY ONE IS PRETTY MUCH THE SAME. Essentially, every one of these toys has the exact same hilt and only the blade color differs. But then again, I wasn't expecting much variance, seeing how this is a cheap toy.
-SOMETIMES TOUGH TO RETRACT THE BLADE. Not a big deal, as I was worried more about the blade staying retracted. Still, it's a shame this isn't as easy as extending the blade.
-NOT MUCH OF A COLLECTOR'S PIECE. If you want a nice collector's piece in the form of a Lightsaber, get one of the Force FX sabers. The product I'm reviewing here is a toy, plain and simple.

OVERALL:
Overall this is an awesome Lightsaber. If you want to have duels with your friends, this would be the best product to do it with. Sure, it lacks light and sound, but it's durable enough that you won't be breaking it anytime soon or having it get ruined. Overall, despite the flaws, I recommend these.

EDITION NOTES:
This is one of the most beloved Star Wars toys out there today. It's likely that it's going to remain widely available for quite some time to come, as Star Wars fans young and old alike love Lightsabers, as well as cheap stuff.

In case your wondering why I chose Darth Gorous in my previous review I'll tell you. Darth plaguous, as in plague, Darth Sidious, as in hidious(and he really is), Darth Tyrannous, as in tyranny or chaos. and darth goreous as in Gore

My son (now almost 6) has been a dinosaur fanantic since the age of 2. He knows the names, where they lived, what they ate...you name it, he knows it! Or so we thought, until he got this for Christmas! After having a great time making and painting the "fossil" he read in the manual that each bone has it's own name--so now we're learning those as well! The only problem we have with it is when the smaller pieces get dropped on a hard surface they tend to break pretty easily. They are, however, also fixed easily with a dab of super glue.

An excellent project for your child's school report. We purchased the Velociraptor kit for our 8 year old daughter not knowing what to expect. After opening the package my wife came up with a clever idea of pouring melted chocolate chips it into the dinosaur molds, instead of using the plaster mix. We experimented with white chocolate chips and created realistic looking dinosaur bones! We buried these edible bones in ground up Oreo Cookies. What a thrill to see our daughter's 2nd grade class excavate these delectible prehistoric fossils!

I BOUGHT THIS FOR MY EIGHT YEAR OLD FOR CHRISTMAS WITH A BUNCH OF THE "WHATS POPULAR NOW" TOYS. THIS BY FAR IS THE TOY THAT HAS KEPT HIS ATTENTION FOR MORE THAN A FEW MINUTES. MORE LIKE NEARLY 2 HOURS THE FIRST TIME WE TOOK IT OUT. IT ALSO KEPT MY 6 YEAR OLD DAUGHTER AND THE EVERY ADVENTEROUS 4 YEAR OLD BUSY. I HAD TO KEEP DAD FROM DIGGING AND DUSTING OR ELSE THE KIDS WOULDN'T HAVE GOTTEN A TURN. AFTER FINDING THREE BONES - I TOLD THEM IT WAS TIME TO PUT IT AWAY AND SAVE IT FOR ANOTHER DAY. MY HUSBAND WOULDN'T QUIT FOR ANOTHER 30 MINUTES UNTIL THEY HAD FOUND AND UNEARTHED ONE MORE BONE. THEY HAVE MANY HOURS OF FUN LEFT WHICH IN RETURN WILL GIVE THEM AN ADDED BONUS--NOT ONLY ARE THEY HAVING FUN; BUT ARE LEARNING AT THE SAME TIME!! ONE CONSIDERATION IS THAT IT DOES SAY FOR AGES 8 AND ABOVE, BUT MY 4 YEAR OLD HAD HIS SUN GLASSES ON AND MANAGED QUITE WELL. HIS ONLY PROBLEM WAS GETTING DAD OUT OF THE WAY!!! HIGHLY RECOMMEND!!

Great, u can put alot of music on it it's just like a real mp3 player but with games and screensavers, it's very cool!

i liked this toy a lot but it didn`t last 2 long i had it 4 a year and then after that it gave up on me. it dosen`t have as much memory as an i pod, but as they say u get what u paid 4.

this toy is great. it cheeper then ipod and you don't have to pay for songs

I ordered the Crocodile Dentist game and was amazed at how small the game is. I looked again at the packaging too see if I had ordered the traveling size. The picture on the back of the game has the head of the crocodile larger than the little boy face pictured in the back ground.
Overall the game was fun, but not worth the amount paid for it.

This is a small game - easy to pack and take anywhere. It is a lot of fun for kids all ages. My 5 year old recieved it at Christmas but it was played all day by kids younger and older. It gets a laugh every time. The jaw came undone once - but was easy to put back together. It's nice to see the kids enjoy such a simple game among all the techie toys they recieved.

Bought this for our then 3 year old son last Christmas. Love this game. No parts or batteries to worry about. The excitement of when the crocodile will chop is great even for our now 2 year old. The game plays fast so no problems with waiting turns. Give this to everyone you know!

I recieved Tamagotchi Connection, but as a result it didn't turn out the way the commercial showed it. At first it seemed quite fun, but after a month or so, a few of the buttons got loose and eventually broke. I eventually put fixed the button, but it was still kind of loose. One day, my tamagotchi fell of my table, by accident, and it broke. I fixed it, and it worked fine, but the screen soon started to vanish. Yes, it is true that tamagotchi is fun at first, but then it can be damadged eventually. I don't think tamagotchi connection is worth your money, and people, such as over 12 or 11, should not get tamagotchi connection.[...] This is my idea upon a tamagotchi connection.

I bought this Tamagotchi for my 8 year old daughter & a different design for her 4 year old brother. They have really played with these things! They love to connect with each other and also go on-line to play there. It has been money definitely spent wisely!

My only complaint is that the batteries have a short life and we've had to send one back because the 4 year old broke the buttons (smashing them too hard??). Mind you, it says that it is a toy for 8 years and up, but my son has had no problems figuring it out. He has even picked up on telling time, as the Tamagotchi will go to sleep/ wake up at certain hours of the day. Not too bad for a preschooler!

They're hard to find in the stores, so when Amazon has them-- grab it!

I really enjoy playing with tamagotchis. I love them!I have a version 1, 2 version 2s, and Iam currently on ebay getting 2 version 9s from china ( WITH MY GRANDMA!).But I also really want a version 3!!! I play with my friends v3 all the time on the computer!The reason why they are not very good though is because they get scratched and dented easily because they are plastic. Oh well,they are still fun!:)Anyways like I said I LOVE MY TAMAGOTCHIS!!!! I GIVE THEM 5 STARS!!!