Nobody makes board games like Hasbro. The classics from my childhood and my mother’s childhood are being revamped with a modern theme and spin. That’s why there are board games out like Spongebob Operation, The Simpsons Operation, The Simpsons Clue, The Game of Life: Twists & Turns Edition, and several others that really make playing these games fun for a modern audience. My son absolutely loves the Simpsons. He grew up with them. To be honest, I also grew up with them. The Simpsons have become a cultural icon that pretty much everyone knows about unless you’ve been living under a rock.
It is fun to think that Hasbro has taken an old classic, like Operation and mixed it with a new classic, The Simpsons to get The Simpsons Operation game. This game is the Talking Homer Edition where instead of hearing nothing but those annoying buzzes when you hit the metal edge, while performing surgery, you get to hear Homer making noise. He screams. He moans. He says “Doh!” and other phrases that are trademark Homer. It’s a lot more fun than regular Operation!
Requirements:
To play The Simpsons Operation game you’ll need to have the game with all of its pieces. The box comes with the Homer covered operating table and its convenient holes for a bowler’s thumb, rubber neck, trick knee, pea brain, ear wig, chip on shoulder, elbow macaroni, heart of gold, mmm…short ribs, pot belly, hammer toe and twisted ankle. All of the parts that go in these holes are also included. There is also yellow and green money and doctor and specialist cards, which can be used to determine how much money you will be paid and what needs to be removed from Homer. The table also comes with the attached tweezers you can use to remove his ailments from their respective body holes.
The game can be played by one or more players though it is much more fun to play it with two or more. The operation table requires 4 AAA batteries. You’ll need to buy them because they are not included with the game. Other than that just bring yourself and your surgeon hands, and you’ll be ready to play!
Basics:
Recommended for ages 6 and up the Simpsons Operation Talking Homer Edition is a fun game for everyone in the family. Fans of the Simpsons love to hear Homer as he screams out in agony at shoddy surgery skills. Some younger players may have trouble getting the pieces out, but from what I can remember of Operation as a child it wasn’t really easy to get the parts out and that is part of the appeal of the game.
If you have smaller children I don’t recommend purchasing this game merely because the pieces are small and are a choking hazard. If you have both an older child and a younger child, if you purchase this game then use discretion and watch your younger child. Some parents have reported their younger children getting into the game box and chewing on the pieces. This can be solved by keeping the box up and out of the way of little hands when the game isn’t being played.
In Depth Information:
Operation has educational uses. It is excellent for helping with hand-eye coordination. It also helps to improve fine motor skills. While it doesn’t necessarily teach any anatomy skills, it is fun to point out how Homer has a bowling pin in his thumb or a pea for a brain. This game is more for entertainment then education. Still, the benefits of the game, especially for children between the ages 6-11 make any form of the Operation game worth the purchase.
Playing the game is easy. An instruction manual is included in the box. You play it the way the original operation game is played. To start, you shuffle the doctor cards and specialist cards separately. The doctor cards go in the middle of your playing area and are turned face down. The specialist cards are dealt to each player and are faced up, so everyone can see them. Make sure to give every player the same amount of specialist cards. If you have extra, put those cards in an out of the way location so they’re out of play. The banker makes sure money is separated by denomination and will pay for every operation that is completed without the tweezers hitting the metal edge surrounding the holes in Homer’s body parts.
You place the pieces in the holes where it says each piece goes. The first player is either the biggest Simpsons fan or the youngest player. During a turn, you choose a doctor’s card from the pile. Then you have to remove the funatomy (body part) from the body hole where it is located. If you do so without hitting the sides, you get paid the amount listed on the doctor’s card. You can keep the funatomy part and put the card to the side so no one takes it during their turn.
If you are not able to get the part out without hitting the sides then every player needs to look at their specialist cards. Whoever has the specialist card for the part you tried to remove gets to try and remove the part. If they succeed they get twice the fee. If they fail, you put the doctor card at the bottom of the doctor card pile so someone else can choose it later and try again. This is also what you’ll do if the specialist card is out of play.
Bottom Line:
If you like the Simpsons and Operation and you have children over the age of 6 then you should definitely consider purchasing The Simpsons Operation Talking Homer Edition. Even if you don’t have kids you can purchase this game. It’s fun. It’s a great way to pass a rainy Saturday afternoon and a great way to bond with family members. This board game comes highly recommended.
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Technorati Tags: Simpsons Operation, The Simpsons, Talking Homer Edition, Hasbro, Classic, Board Game, TV Show, family
Written by Ashtyn Evans – Visit Website
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Ashtyn is in her early 30s. She is a mother, writer, college student, and music lover. Ashtyn has had a successful career as a writer since 2003. She turned to blogging in 2005. Ashtyn attends Wright State where she is getting a degree in Psychology. She has extensive knowledge in SEO and Social Media Development.
