Hopping Around: Exercise for the Mind
Written: Jan 04 '06 (Updated Jan 04 '06)
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Pros: Engaging fun in a cute, sturdy package. Plenty of replayability built in. Easily portable.
Cons: Includes small pieces which might get lost and would be choking hazards for toddlers.
The Bottom Line: Hop to it and buy this cute and fun brainteaser for puzzle masters of all ages.
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| theeye's Full Review: Binary Arts Hoppers Peg Solitaire Jumping Game |
Most parents have been there: you're taking your bright, but easily bored, child to some grownup event and he needs to sit quietly without disrupting the proceedings. Chances are something called a Hoppers Jumping Game isn't going to be on the top of your list.
It should be.
That's because this jumping game is from ThinkFun (previously Binary Arts), the brilliant and fun-loving makers of such delightful distractions as Rush Hour, Jr. and Roadside Rescue -- and the hopping it involves won't distract anyone but your child. If he (or she) is a puzzle aficionado like my son, this solitaire brainteaser game will keep him quietly engaged for hours on end.
As usual, ThinkFun has taken a simple puzzle concept, packaged it in a cute, kid-friendly and easily portable form and equipped it with forty separate challenges ranging from beginner to expert level. It's a winning formula that never fails to please, at least in our family.
Hoppers is a variation on the classic peg jumping games you may recall from your own childhood. The sturdy plastic game board features thirteen lily pads laid out in a square network; at the center of each lily pad is a short peg which can accommodate a single frog pawn. The playing surface slides open to reveal a storage drawer underneath, conveniently configured with additional pegs on which the twelve little frogs can be parked and a compartment to stow the deck of forty challenge cards. Close the box up and you can toss the little package in a bag without losing any of the pieces. And the materials are all sturdy enough to take some abuse without breaking. (Just don't try hopping on it, okay?)
Ready for a little mind-hopping mental exercise? Pick a card: any card. (You may want to start with one of the ten green beginner cards: each of the four challenge levels is conveniently color coded and numbered in order of increasing difficulty.) The diagram on the card shows you an initial layout of frog pawns, including one red frog and a varying number of green ones. Set up the configuration on your game surface and start hopping! Any frog (red or green) can hop over an adjacent green frog to a vacant spot just beyond; the frog thus leaped over is removed from the game. Keep on hopping until no more moves are possible. If you are left with exactly one frog on the board (it must, of course, be the red one) then you've won!
Chances are, though, that you'll be left with a few stranded green frogs: a single wrong move in the hopping sequence can lead you inexorably to a losing position. No need to despair: just reset your initial configuration and keep trying. If you're really frustrated, you can always flip the card over and get a clue. (The entire solution is printed on the back of each card.)
With forty separate challenges, this puzzle can occupy the determined player for hours on end. The suggested age range is eight to adult, but our five year old puzzle master loves it. With no reading required and very simple mechanics, it's a fine choice for even the youngest kids who can handle some frustration and like a good challenge. If your child likes Rush Hour, Jr., it's a cinch he'll like this one as well. And adults will find it an engaging distraction as well.
ThinkFun, my favorite toy maker, has once again designed a winner. What are you waiting for? Hop to it and pick one up.
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Additional information and resources:
Game dimensions: 4.25" square, 2" tall (including clear plastic cover)
Manufacturer's product page: http://www.thinkfun.com/PRODUCT.ASPX?PageNo=PRODUCT&Catalog=By%20Category&Category=1MULTI&ProductId=6701
The ThinkFun philosophy and history of the company (previously known as Binary Arts): http://www.thinkfun.com/ABOUT.ASPX?PageNo=ABOUT#about
Other puzzle games from ThinkFun: Rush Hour, Jr., Roadside Rescue
Multiplayer games for kids and adults alike:
Four Children's Card Games, Aquarius, Fluxx, King's Table (A Viking Game), The Game of Chips, Kill Dr. Lucky, DuelMasters, Monopoly
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 13
Type of Toy: Game
Age Range of Child: Whole Family
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Epinions.com ID:
theeye
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Location: New York, NY (it's a hell of a town!)
Reviews written: 66
Trusted by: 165 members
About Me:
Company president, math geek, first time mom at 39, epinion addict. Sleep? Not lately.
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