Transformers Bot Shots Battle Game Review: Series 1 Optimus Prime vs Starscream

I first wanted nothing to do with this toy line, as I still remember quite clearly my obsession with Hasbro's Attactix game line, and its killing. I was hopped up on Goof Balls or something, so I purchased Optimus Prime and Starscream. Maybe I wanted Prime for my shelf of Primes.

The game is rather simple, but the toys function sketchy like, so I imagine most games end in you hucking your toy into your opponent's forehead. Its a simple Rock-Paper-Scissors/Battle Beasts game format. I re-read the instructions after this video review, and found the spinning symbols are supposed to be set by you, before you throw down. Yet, my Prime was lose enough to spin out of place. Starscream's front will not snap down easily at all. The more I tested, the worse they worked too. I was more frusterated than anything. Given the simplicity of the game, I don't see a reason to buy more (unlike Attacktix brilliant scheme to make you buy thousands).

My final recomendation, is to pass, unless you want one for your desk for some quick help in deciding conflicts.

Lego Games Monster 4, Set 3837

I had a clearance opportunity to finally try out a Lego Game! I have been meaning to buy one of these for months, but something always came first. Not this time, the Monster 4 Game was half off.

The Game Board is pretty unique, being a creepy cemetery with headstones as your markers.

Monster 4, is a smaller sized game for 2 to 4 players, meant for about 15-20 minute play time. Your goal is to fill a line of monsters much like Tic-Tac-Toe, by roll of dice, with a few obstacles on the way. The Spider will reset a four block area, and the white skulls are wild cards. Its pretty fun idea for a short game. When we played, it took some time to get things going, but then all of a sudden the dice determined a clear winner. I can see several kinds of game plays happening, with some light strategy here and there.

The picture below shows the winner is red.

Of course, the most important part of this game are the "head" pieces, as now my Star Wars figures have Halloween masks! :)

Anyone play Hasbro's Cuponk yet?

Hasbro's team of geniuses this year out did themselves my marketing a game based off a cup and a ball. I too fell for its artsy charm, and the fact that I needed a quick "easy" game for a work related holiday party. It's not too overpriced, most stores had it around ten dollars (although I got screwed out of $17 because I was in a hurry). You can find it in three styles; El Campeon (pictured), Let it R.I.P., or Gorillanator.

The cup is electronic, and when you sink a Ping Pong ball, it lights up and makes a sound effect. It comes with a variety of card challenges to play. Most are pretty hard, even harder, or down right impossibly hard. The number on the card indicating how many shots you have before the next person gets a shot.

For the most part it was fun and we played with it lightly. Here is a clip of my boss playing... Just Kidding. It didn't all end up happy though, someone at our home Christmas party mistook it for a real cup, and filled it with water then placed it in our kitchen sink. Really?! Now mine has a ring of water damage on the lower graphic, but it does still play thankfully. So I guess it might survive a quick game of Beer Pong.

Game Day Friday! Star Wars Epic Duels Game

Today was finally Epic Duels Day for Friday game day! Co-worker Sideshow got the game at a garage sale for 55 cents!?!?! Talked it down from a dollar too! We ebayed it, and it looks like a 50 dollar plus game now! The game is fully in tack, good shape and ready to play!


How did I miss this game when it came out? Tons of mini figure painted pieces. The Good guys on white bases fight on planet potato chip.

The bad guys on black bases play near by on a table far far away.


I played with the sexy team Dooku, who gets two pretty Super Battle droids.


I got my ass handed to me though by Han and Chewy. The game is played with a board with a grid, dice, and cards that you play vs each other. Lots of rules apply so thats as far as I will go in the run through.


For first run, it was pretty fun. Lots of different team options, battle fields, and killer card combos.


Fantastic crisp pictures from our work camera!

Ninja versus Ninja catastrophe averted!

A few weeks back I showed off this great new game Ninja versus Ninja. I remember those days, young, bright eyed, ready to take on the world. I bought the game for our weekly board game day play at lunch time on fridays. I figured, it would be a good two player game to play, which is good as we only have two players. So what happens the first game? I loose. No big deal really, we were just learning the game. The technical issues of how and when to use your Shadow Ninja and what a 180 and a L move were figured out. So the next week rolls by and we play two games... and I loose. I don't just loose either, I get totally annihilated. Now Sideshow, my fellow gamer, will say I played stupid on that second game. But I will say I was already down most of my ninjas and a defensive strategy was my only hope. Really the game feels like if the rolls of the dice go your way, you win. If they don't, well, you loose. So week three comes up. I am now 0-3. Odds say I will win a game, so we play three more games. I loose all three, 0-6! One of those three another complete annihilation, but one game a almost close win, but still no win. Was I playing a mastermind or was the game cursed? I decided the game was cursed and challenged Sideshow that if he won the next four games, sending me to 0-10, I would give him the game, as I wanted nothing to do with it! So today we play, and what happens... I loo... WIN! Finally the dice go my favor and I win two games! I am now 2-6! I am not a complete looser anymore, and I can be happy in owning this game. Sideshow just couldn't get the rolls he kept getting in the first 6 games. I am a little bummed that it didn't go to 0-9 though, I wanted to tape that showdown for Youtube. Hats of to Sideshow though who took loosing much better than my cry baby ass.

Ninja versus Ninja the board game

Ninja vs. Ninja? I'll bite!


So will Snake Eyes and Storm Shadow!


The object of the game is to pull the best Ninja dance moves in thirty seconds before your opponent can do the same.


Each ninja gets 6 mini ninjas to assist in the dance competition


3... 2... 1...


Dance war. Ahhhhhh!


Well, maybe its not played that way. I would suggest you look this game up, if you're into Ninjas. Lots of neat pieces like Ninjas come with the game.


And lots of neater pieces like Shadow ninjas come with this game.


And lots of neater neater pieces like Dice with swords through them come with the game.


And lots of neater neater neater pieces like Dojo Masters come with the game.

uh... now for the five second run through. 2 Player, who ever is left standing wins, OR whoever gets 7 points by going on a three step mission. You can only move one Ninja at a time the number of spaces rolled. Can only move straight, 90 degree L, or 180 (only when in opposing Dojo). Being able to cross quickly and deeply into opponents Dojo gets you points. The Shadow Ninja and Dojo master keep track of those points. Thats about it.

Indiana Jones; Akator Temple Race Game

Looking for a game that matches your hidden desires of pushing people down stairs? Then the Indiana Jones; Akator Temple Race game is for you!

Lets open it up and see what we have...


No, not a cat! Bart just proves that once again any new box that is open he can fit into.

Anyways...Here is the game and all its pieces.


Its really a toy board game, with the Temple full of fun surprises.


A fast paced game, your goal is to race down the steps, get a Crystal Skull card, then make it into the Temple entrance at the bottom of the staircase.


The main obstacle is every time you move you then draw a card, that could spell doom for your own journey or for other players.


The top of the temple turns with a twist of the hand, then pressing down, some of the stairs lever downwards causing game pieces to fall to their doom. I suppose if you had superior intellect you could remember the sequence of that stair fall pattern, but you would also have to take into account of the possible clockwise-counterclockwise rotation of the top.


For holding on, some of the outside steps have spots for Indy's base to clip onto, and some of the inner steps have holes for Indy's whip to grab onto.


A few of the cards that you might draw while playing. Many cards have a 'go again' feature, which if shuffled right, and dice rolled right, you could possibly win the game in only one turn before anyone else can go! Highly unlikely though.

Overall its a fun and easy going game! I recommend four players, less than that it is too easy.


Its also a perfect action figure stand!

Valley of the Pharaohs by Front Porch Classics

Check this game out!


I'm not the biggest gamer in the family. I have been known to abandon my friends, and pledge allegiance to the sworn enemy for an easy way out. This Valley of the Pharoahs game has caught my cool radar for sure. To start, its packaged in a book box. Perfect for a decoy book shelf, makes visitors think I'm well read.


Lots of interesting pieces and effects come with this game! The main board is made from fabric, feeling like an old lost treasure map. Camels are the players pieces, real metal coins for money, and cardstock for the various keys and tile pieces.


A variety of cards help and hinder you on your way to uncover the Sceptre of Amun-Ra, your goal to winning the game!


Did I tell you it comes with a 'Wheel of Fate' yet? You choose to spin if your are at Oases (which helped me almost win the game the first time I played). The wheel is real nicely crafted as well.


Who ever rolls doubles controls the mummy! The Mummy is used to follow, and steal a turn from other players. Its fun to control the Mummy. But scary when the Mummy is following you!


The game also comes with this silica packet!

Okay that last item wasn't as exciting as I thought, but the game is still wildly fun. My first run through of three players, was pretty close, made for an exciting game. I lucked out and found my copy on clearance at Burlington Coat Factory of all places (there was a coat stuffed in the box too I guess). Its also on clearance right now at amazon for a tiny amount of ten bucks! I recommend you try it out, if your looking for something else to play.

Hulk SMASH!

One of the best games of 2008 is The Incredible Hulk SMASH! What a riot. It first appears as a simple race around the board game, but with game pieces made out of Play-doh that can be destroyed by a Hulk fist, things get out of control fast.


Basically you roll a dice, move that many spaces. If you roll a Hulk fist, you draw a card that indicates what color block gets smashed. If you have a game piece thats on that colored block, it gets smashed and left there. So after awhile there will be smashed game pieces all over the board. Luckily to speed things up, you can hop over smashed pieces. You play with two pieces at a time, and the goal is to be the first with two pieces at the finish line. If you get smashed, you can remold more pieces and restart. Also, a building can be smashed, and everything adjacent to it gets smashed as well! I recommend the car and the tank game piece, the plane is really weak and floppy. The fire truck, doesn't look as cool.

The game says its for six years old and up, but that wasn't stopping me from eating the Play-Doh.