Christmas has come and gone already, so naturally all of my kids got too many gifts from family and friends per usual. Two and a half year old Tristan especially got more toys than he knows what to do with right now. From my mother-in-law, he received this new Fisher Price Screwy Looey Game made by Mattel and has played with it quite a bit these past few days. While he doesn't yet understand the game rules yet, he's quite content just drilling the screws in and out of the game board with some assistance at times from others. The Screwy Looey character drill himself is very cute in appearance, yet his voice and electronic sayings can get quite nerve wracking to the adults over time. And since there is no "on-off" switch, the drill section will begin talking on his own without prompting on occasion if you leave the batteries in. But so far, this unique game has been an overall hit in our house. Read on to find out more.


~~~The Toy~~~

Recommended for preschoolers ages 3 and up and designed for 2 to 4 players, this Fisher Price Screwy Looey Game is advertised to be the silly electronic drill game with a twist. Requiring 3 small "AAA" batteries (which do NOT come included, by the way), this unique game for young children is portable and consists of three major parts: the durable red plastic game board (clubhouse/playing area/carrying case) that folds, sixteen colorful plastic screws in blue, yellow, green, and purple, and Screwy Looey the silly electronic drill himself. According to the packaging, the Loose Bolts are on the run and Screwy Looey needs your help getting them back into the clubhouse! Players squeeze his front teeth to get him to twist and turn. Screwy Looey hiccups and vrooms, giggles and yawns. Players develop their coordination skills while playing. Measuring 15.7 inches long, 10.6 inches wide, and 3.6 inches tall, the red game board with pre-drilled spaces lays flat during play or closes like a suitcase with a gray plastic latch during storage. The colorful screws are about 2 inches tall and are used as they main game pieces. Wearing blue goggles and an orange safety hat, Screwy Looey himself with his yellow head and neck contains a working drill section as his nose and two white teeth inside his mouth as part of his controls. Set this Fisher Price Screwy Looey Game to either the Screwy or the Looey mode by pushing the gray control button on the back of the electronic drill to the left or the right. The drill may also be set into forward or reverse, and the bolt on top of his hat will swirl around too as the drill turns.


~~~Price & Availability~~~

Look for the Fisher Price Screwy Looey Game made by Mattel where ever Fisher Price toys are sold. I saw these at my local Wal-Mart for about $22 each, but the price tag on Tristan's box says it sold for $24.99 at KBToys. Hopefully my mother-in-law found this cute yet quickly annoying game on sale and didn't have to pay full price! Today I found this game online at www.amazon.com for $19.99, so look for after Christmas sales if you enjoy bargain shopping. For this Fisher Price Screwy Looey Game would make a great preschooler gift when those birthday's roll around.


~~~Playing the Game~~~

According to the enclosed directions, children playing this Fisher Price Screwy Looey Game are to pick a color (there are 5 blue 0's, 5 yellow X's, 3 green O's, and 3 purple X's)) and then take turns tightening is colored screws into the club house game board with the animated electronic drill, including the different sounds and drill speeds (forward and reverse). There are two ways that preschooler can play: (Level 1) Get any three of his or her bolts into the playhouse first on one side of the game board, or (Level 2) Get three of the same colored bolts in a row to make a Tic-Tac-Twist on the other side. Sounds easy enough, huh? The only problem is that Screwy Looey is very unpredictable himself, so with each turn, he'll either spin fast or slow, forward or reverse, or not at all. His goofy sayings in both modes can get quite irritating over time (Whoo Hoo!, Vvroom!, Hiccup!, Click, Click, Click! Beep Beep! Yawn! Giggle!) Once a player wins the game (he'll begin chattering when a player wins), set the Screwy Looey drill into reverse to loosen all the bolts. The rules are clearly printed in English, Spanish, and French, so learning how to play the Fisher Price Screwy Looey Game is easy and takes just a few minutes.


~~~Our Experience~~~

Since the Fisher Price Screwy Looey Game is recommended for children ages 3 and up, 2 1/2 year old Tristan just doesn't understand the game rule concepts yet even though he enjoys tightening and loosening all the bolts on his own. Only at times he does get quite frustrated when the Screwy Looey drill doesn't tighten or loosen one of the bolts as he expects it to. The drill will suddenly stop turning and won't always begin spinning again even though he's pushing the teeth trigger controls as he's supposed to when set in the Looey mode. So for now we play in the Screwy mode only. Perhaps later down the road he'll grasp the intended concept of the game, but for now he's content just "fixing" the clubhouse by drilling the colored screws into the game board. The true challenge for me in the meantime will be keeping up with all the screws that come with this Fisher Price Screwy Looey Game as they are easily lost into the sofa cushions, etc.


~~~Overall Recommendation~~~

Keep the Fisher Price Screwy Looey Game made by Mattel in mind the next time you are shopping for a unique gift idea for your special preschooler. This game would almost make a great choice for those who operate a day care as 2 to 4 young players can enjoy the fun at a time. As long as you can keep up with all of the screws (which can be stored inside the game board) and Screwy Looey's goofy personality doesn't get on your nerves first, this game has lots of entertaining educational potential. For kids not only learn hand-eye coordination, but they also learn to count and to recognize their colors as well. So pick up this Fisher Price Screwy Looey Game today and have loads of fun replacing all those screws. Good luck and happy toy shopping!


***To purchase the Fisher Price Screwy Looey Game today for your special preschooler at amazon.com for $19.99, copy and paste the following link into your computer's web browser:

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00005YXWZ/103-1967887-8144653


And for more information on the Fisher Price Screwy Looey Game and other similar high quality toys made for infants, toddlers, preschoolers, and beyond, check out their website online at:

www.fisherprice.com

Questions or comments?
1-800-432-KIDS

Or write:

Fisher-Price Consumer Relations
(A Subsidiary of Mattel, Inc.)
636 Girard Avenue
East Aurora, New York 14052


Recommended: Yes

Amount Paid (US$): GIFT
Type of Toy: Game
Age Range of Child: 3 to 5 Years