You can use gobstoppers too you know! (Kerplunk)

Member Name: Boonoiy

Product:	Kerplunk
Date:	28/08/02 (154 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: A cool game for kids, loads of memories for me

Disadvantages: Frustrating beyond belief

Well, another day another op, here goes on a game that was once (a long time ago) very close to my heart.

Yep, we had Ker-Plunk fever in the Boon household when I was a kiddie. The skill, the temptations, the fun to be had. Oh how they all added up to a great 10 minutes entertainment.

The game: It's one of those simple yet effective concepts, 4 pieces make up a great big tube with a bulging midriff (how well I know a bulging midriff - but that's another story) sat on a base with 4 little segments to it - the midriff (great word, can't really be bothered with synonyms when there's the perfect word there waiting to be used and enjoyed) has a large number of holes in it and through these you simply place the long (ish) plastic sticks (ahem - where's a synonym when you need one?) and then shove the bag of marbles over the hole at the top of the cylinder and watch how they bunch up on top of the sticks.

To play you need yourself and a couple of mates (can be played with 2-4 players) and you're all set to go. Start where you like, pull out a stick and keep on going in turn, turning the cylinder round so as the hole at the bottom faces your segment of the base each time, until all the marbles have fallen through - the one with the most in his/her segment is the loser and the one with the least - WINS! Hurrah!

So, why did we go so mad for this game, way back when me and the brothers were nippers? The honest truth is that I have not got a clue - I recently tried to revisit m,y childhood with this game, having saved enough ipoints (OK - it was last Christmas time but there you go, more recent than, ahem, longer ago than that) I sent away for it, through it came and all of a sudden I was filled with anticipation, excitement and, finally, bitter, heart-wrenching disappointment.

The sticks - too bendy.

The midriff - too awkward to get the sticks to stay in and remain in, once you put one in you nee
d to jam it with another to stop either falling out! As I mentioned, it is a 10 minute game, but the setting up takes AGES and is so frustrating that I found that I wasn't even interested in playing any more - simpler to go and kick something to take out the frustration!

The cylinder - too flimsy.

The base - allows the stupid base to wobble and fall over, undoing the sticks from their painfully constructed web of DOOM.

The marbles - too bloody marbley! (OK - no complaints on the humble marbles but see how it winds me up?)

See those little kids in the picture over this op? I'll bet those little bleeders didn't have to set the game up, DIE EVIL ONES, DIE!

Anyway - the game, as I remembered it, was a great lot of fun, family orientated - perfect when you have 3 brothers - easy to learn the rules to and has all sorts of marble falling action to get involved in!

Overall:
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OK, I don't think I've been entirely fair on the game here, I did love it ages ago and probably would still if I had someone more patient than myself to hold it still, turn it to me when it was my go and keep the base steady while I removed my stick, until that time comes, however, I'm stuck in hatred for it.

Bits and bobs that are appealing - the colours - no longer the dull, clear game of days gone by (which probably held the sticks properly), MB games have opted to change to a nice blue colour for the cylinder and base which adds a slightly surreal feel to the coloured sticks and marbles. It's cheap (as games like this go) at only £14.35 from toystohome.com and they (if you're careful) will last between generations.

Overall I've got to say that I have grown to hate this childhood chum but I think that, for the under 10s, it would be a welcome addition to the toy cupboard.

Stay away if you have got little patience, if Mother Theresa is reading - help yourself!


That's all folks!

Boon :0)

Summary: