October 24, 2002Board games are getting cheesier
Last Saturday, Jeff & I took advantage of the buy one get one free board game sale at Toys R Us. Since we got there on the last day, the selection was pretty wiped out. Since they didn't have the new Trivial Pursuit we ended up with Life and Battleship.
Tuesday, after dinner with Jennifer at Trak's (mmm...*drool*), we settled in at her place to play Life. Board games sure have changed since we were kids. The whole way you end up with a career is different. Instead of spinning the wheel, moving your little mini-van, and getting what you land on, you pick from a deck of cards. This of course is after you decide whether to go to college or start a career first.
The only advantage to college is if you happen to pick a career card that says "Degree Required" you can only "do" that career if you went the college route (i.e. have $40,000 in bank loans to pay off!)
So once you pick your career, you pick your salary the same way, from a deck of cards. I think the salaries range from $20,000-$100,000. Jennifer ended up being an entertainer making $100K, Jeff was an athlete at $50k, and I was, yup, an accountant. Figures. Guess it was meant to be. Too bad I don't make the $90k salary I did in the game!
The next stop is the chapel, to get married. Funny how you have to get married. It's not one of those optional blocks, you have to do it. Just to spite the rules, Jeff ended up with 'Troy.' :) It was pretty funny. (Sorry Jeff, hope I'm allowed to share this!)
Jennifer and Jeff were halfway through the 'road of life' before I even got to the chapel because I kept spinning a 1! They've also added blocks that is you land on them you can switch your salary with another player. Jeff took mine. And then I ended up choosing the most expensive house; a $200k Victorian mansion.Yikes.
The game seemed to go by much faster than it did when I was a kid. And it's much cheesier. At the end there are two options: 1. Be a millionaire and try to win the game by adding up all your money and 'life' cards or 2. Retire at a country club type thingy. No more bankrupt or risking your entire fortune by placing your assets on the little cardboard strip and spinning the wheel in hopes of landing on the number you chose.
Oh well. In some ways the game reflects life in a more realistic way of life, but in others, it's really cheesy.
What childhood games have you played in the last fews years that seem really cheesy now or the company has changed so much that it's not the same?
Find me in: Get your game on
Just about every board game has changed, since I tend to play with my friends who are all adults like me, and it's not my family at the kitchen table. I like this new way too.
~ my family didn't have alcohol either, so that's a different thing right there.
Posted by: Brian on October 24, 2002 5:01 PMI don't know...... but I got me a strange hankerin' for some "Hungry Hungry Hippos" though!
Posted by: Top on October 25, 2002 8:21 AMOlivia, I was thinking about getting the new Trivial Pursuit, too. But, after reading a few bad reviews, I changed my mind. Two of the biggest complaints are that the questions are WAY too hard. (the words almost impossible came up on several Amazon reviews). Second, the gameboard is very flimsy. Although I haven't played the game personally, I don't think it would be a very good purchase.
Posted by: Jack on October 26, 2002 5:37 AMYou're right Jack. The board itself is much lower in quality than the older ones, but most things are these days.
And the questions are definitely hard. I bet our parents generation would be better at answering them. Maybe in another 10-15 years they can make another one with questions relating to things we know more about :)
Posted by: Olivia on October 27, 2002 11:39 AMOne game that my sister and I used to play all the time was "Guess Who?" We had to hide our cards after awhile because people (and when I say people I mean my sister) had a way of bending edges and stuff to give away who everybody was. It was fun, though, because after asking "Are you a guy or a girl?" We'd always ask, "Do you have facial hair?"
Maybe it's one of those 'you have to be there' type deals.....
Posted by: Lauren on October 27, 2002 7:09 PMWe also had that game, and my brother and I (well, mostly me) found ways "mark" the cards too.
I feel so old now sitting around playing board games instead of partying. What's happening to us!!?!!
Posted by: Olivia on October 28, 2002 12:50 AMHaha that is so funny....I bet if you guys owned the "Old Maid" card game you had the same dilemma, huh?
Posted by: Lauren on October 28, 2002 7:11 PM