Pop in, Pop up, Pop out (Tomy Pop Up Pirate)

Member Name: kiwiii85

Product:	Tomy Pop Up Pirate
Date:	19/02/09 (123 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Mindless fun, suitable for all, no batteries required!

Disadvantages: Can cause injury if you lean over it when the pirate pops

~~ The Game ~~

Pop up Pirates is a very simple game that all children will enjoy. It is basically a big barrel with slits in the side and a pirate in the middle. The aim of the game is to get all of your swords into the barrel without making the pirate pop up. The game can be played by 2 to 4 players and each player has a different set of coloured swords to insert. There are four different colours: red, blue, green and yellow.

You can decide who starts the game as there is no set rule. This can be by choosing the youngest, oldest or just completely random, for example. We often let our nephew start the game because he's the youngest and he gets very excited about this.

The game is very easy to set up and literally takes less than a minute. This is a lot different to most childrens games that are on the market at the moment. The rules are also very easy to understand so there can be no misinterpretations or arguments over what should happen - always a bonus with a childrens game!

I have a love/hate relationship with this game and it can be incredibly frustrating! There isn't any skill involved as it is completely random so you can find yourself losing every game one day and winning every game the next.

~~ Good Bits ~~

There are lots of goods things about this game and i would have to recommend it to anyone that enjoys a laugh and doesn't mind losing. The set up time is a definite bonus as you can literally take it out of the box and play so you have longer playing the game. Something that every parent will appreciate is the lack of batteries in the game. More often that not you end up running out to the shops to buy batteries that you didn't realise you needed. Pop up pirates doesn't require any so you won't be frustrated by them running out mid game.

The game also helps with your childs coordination and fine motor skills by placing the swords into the little slots. It also helped my nephew with learning how to take turns and have some patience, well as much patience as a child can have!

The fact that there is no skill to the game is a good thing in my opinion. The fact he didn't have to learn how to do anything and could have some mindless fun was good enough for us. I know your child should be learning all of the time but they also just need to have some simple fun.

~~ Bad Bits ~~

We actually found a flaw to our game where if you set up the pirate before taking all of the swords out then the slot that set off the pirate wouldn't reset. This worked in our favour on occasions where we could pretty much guarantee our nephew would win and he'd be happy, but it is a flaw nevertheless.

There is also a warning about injury if you have the pirate up on a table or if you lean over the top of the toy. The pirate does pop up quite quickly so it's best to have everyone sitting back when it isn't their turn. We've never been injured by it so i can't tell you if it really hurts or anything but it must do something for there to be a warning on the box.

The swords are made of plastic and they can actually be quite sharp if they're pushed into you. I'm speaking from personal experience after my nephew got a touch over excited and pushed one of the swords into my hand. It left quite a mark and we've been a lot more careful with them ever since.

~~ Twists ~~

I always try to add twists into my reviews of things we do with our games to make them more interesting. It's very hard to do it with this game and we play with two colours to make up the numbers. The only other thing we do is select a slot that our opponent has to put the sword into. This makes for lots of laughs and a bit of bickering so be warned!

~~ Age Recommendation ~~

The guideline for the game is 4+ but i think this is because of the small pieces rather than the concept of the game. I've played this with a two year old and a 60 year old and they both enjoyed it just as much as each other. So long as you're watching your little one playing, i don't see why it isn't suitable for a 2 year old to play with.

~~ Price ~~

We bought this for £2 at a car boot sale and i would have to say it's definitely value for money. It sells in the shops for around £10 and i would still recommend it to anyone for that price. It lasts a long time and it's a game you won't tire of easily.

~~ My Verdict ~~

This gets a definite thumbs up from us and has been hours of fun and amusement for everyone. My nephew loves pirates so this was an ideal game for us to purchase. If you want hours of mindless fun, then this is definitely the game for you.

Summary: A definite thumbs up from us.