It’s been awhile since dinnertime was an exciting event. And by a long time, I mean it’s basically never been all that thrilling. Especially when you’re a kid and you’re forced to sit through excruciatingly boring dinner conversations that are way over your head, dinner seems to last forever. There’s nothing to do but sit there and stare at your plate, full of disgusting foods you don’t want to eat. Brussel spouts again? Really, Mom? And to top it all off, they won’t even let you leave the table! You’re just supposed to suffer through talk of Uncle Dave’s colonoscopy and Aunt Gert’s festering boils (your family has a lot of medical ailments, apparently). This is an outrage!
For those of us who demand to be entertained at the dinner table but cannot afford quality dinner theater, the Food Face Dinner Plate (Perpetual Kid, $10.99) will surely suffice.Remember Woolly Willy? Such a simple concept, but that bald man provided us with hours of hilarious enjoyment. This plate employ that same idea, namely dressing up a bald, beardless man, but with food instead of magnetic shavings. Not only does this plate provide hours (yes, I said hours) of endless entertainment, but the possibilities really are infinite! I mean, depending on what your dinner consists of, you could have a mashed potatoes beard, roast beef hair, and carrots for eyebrows. Or maybe you want to go the traditional route and do spaghetti hair and marinara sauce lipstick – that’s what I think when I hear the word “traditional.” And don’t worry about overuse because this plate is made of high-fire ceramics, designed to withstand many, many, many character transitions.
These plates are actually my fine china, only I use them all the time instead of just on special occasions. On holidays, I like to take them out and challenge my guests to a Face Decorating Contest. Best use of food as art wins a Maserati. That’s just how I roll.
4 out of 5 stars.
Specs:
-Dimensions: 8.5″ diameter
-One plate
-Ceramic
Space always seems to be an issue when it comes to making a coveted purchase. I mean, it would be totally boss to get that leather sectional for the living room, except for the fact that you can barely fit one small couch in there let alone a two piece wraparound. It’s that way with kitchen gadgets too; you have to figure out which ones are going to be your favorites because there’s just not enough space on the counter for all of them. And don’t even get me started on areas like bedrooms, bathrooms, and especially closets! Ok, so maybe a lot of these space issues I speak of have to do with the fact that most of us live in tiny apartments/condos where free space is a prized possession worth more than your collection of autographed Beatles records. But even if you’re not sleeping on one of those beds that folds out of the wall, your pack-rat ways have probably drastically diminished the amount of available space in your living quarters.
Luckily, the Air Hover Hockey Game (Things You Never Knew Existed, $11.98) is sympathetic to your lack of space. See, you don’t have to live an air hockey-free existence any longer! As long as you have a table (any flat surface, actually), you’re pretty much set. The ultimate in party gaming, this set comes with a puck, two felt bottomed plastic strikers, and two goals. Don’t you remember how much fun you used to have in the arcade at the air hockey table? Remember how you vowed throughout your teen angst-ridden years that you would have an air hockey table when you were grown up? And then what happened? You moved into an overpriced, yet tiny apartment that you could barely fit a twin sized bed inside. Well, now your dream can finally come true – table by day, air hockey by night!
In case you’re wondering how you get that whole air hockey experience without the bulky table, I’ll let you in on a little secret: it’s the puck. Yup, this little puck runs off a couple of AAA batteries to create its own cushion of air, allowing for hours of air hockey enjoyment. Ah, to enjoy the finer things in life!
5 out of 5 stars.
Specs:
-Dimensions: 3.5″ diameter (puck)
-Includes puck with foam bumper, felt bottom plastic strikers, and two goals
-Fan powered puck turns any smooth surface into air hockey table
-Uses 4 AAA batteries (not included)
I know it’s not even Halloween yet, and there are a bunch of you out there who really don’t want to hear what I’m about to say, but the subject needs to be broached. Christmas is just around the corner. I know, I know, October is only half over and I’m already harping on about Christmas, but it’s true. This is the time of year when it’s not even Halloween yet, but tomorrow it’ll be Christmas eve. Time seems to magically evaporate during the holiday season, which is why you see that mad rush of people at the mall frantically trying to buy anything and everything at the last minute. Now, I’m not a huge fan of Christmas (Halloween is my holiday of choice), but I do try to put some thought into the gifts I choose for my family and friends. There are just some people though, if there’s a gift out there that’s perfect for them, I’d never know it. So you leave those people til last on your shopping list, but before you know it (as I may have mentioned), it’s Christmas eve and you’ve got nada for your cousin. What inevitably follows is the popular gift card purchase, which feels like a cop out.
If you’re looking for the perfect way to jazz up your practical (albeit a touch boring) gift, the Gift Card Puzzle Vault (Think Geek, $4.99) can work wonders. It’s really like an additional gift, if you think about it, because it provides amusement/frustration time after time. All you have to do is put any standard sized gift card inside, and your gift has just reached platinum status. See, in order to get the gift card out, the recipient has to solve the puzzle. It’s pretty simple actually, all you have to do is navigate the metal ball through the plastic maze and the interior chamber will be opened, releasing the gift card from captivity. Best of all, it can be resealed so the giftee turn gifter, and watch as their prey struggles to free the gift card.
I personally like getting gift cards because then I don’t have to worry about saying I like a gift when I really don’t. People usually don’t want to buy gift cards though, probably because it seems like they didn’t give much thought as to what to get the recipient. Also, you can’t really be cheap if the person’s gift is going to say exactly how much you spent. I mean, it’s not like anyone’s going out bragging about the great deal they got at the gift card sale.
3 out of 5 stars.
Specs:
-Dimensions: 10.5cm x 8cm x 1.5cm
-Put gift card in clear maze and watch loved ones struggle to open it
-Fits standard sized gift cards
-Resealable for additional puzzle solving
Never underestimate the power of a good drinking game. Most quality drinking games are built on a simple set of principles, presumably because a drunk person isn’t going to remember anything all that complicated. Because playing the same old drinking games at parties can get a bit old, people tend to turn just about anything they can into a drinking game. Usually it’s the simple stuff that tends to be the tried and true stuff at parties (Flip Cup) and the more complicated games get cast aside (Kings). Sometimes a courageous person might suggest making a board game a little more interesting by raising the stakes with a bit of booze. This can be a fantastic idea, but again, drunk people have a tough time remembering rules.
Now, the Battleships Drinking Game (Drinkstuff, £14.98) takes a classic board game and makes it very party friendly. Instead of having to add drinks to Battleship and remembering what rules you drunkenly decided on, the whole point of this game is to avoid getting tanked – both on and off the board. Each “ship” is really a shot glass with a ship on the side. There are 12 slots in which you will position your four “ships” in an effort to be the last one standing. The rules are simple – it operates just like a standard game of Battleship. You try to sink your opponent’s ships by calling out coordinates, and then your opponent does the same. Once one person’s ships are all sank, the game is over.
See, this game is great because you don’t have to learn anything new. Basically, if you know how to play Battleship, then you’re set. And who doesn’t know how to play Battleship? It’s something that’s pretty much burned into everyone’s brains. I just wish that there were more “ships” to work with, like a standard Battleship game. That would make things pretty interesting.
4 out of 5 stars.
Specs:
-Dimensions: 225mm x 180mm x 435mm (board extended)
95mm x 180mm x 225mm (board closed)
40mm diameter (shot glasses)
-Includes plastic Battleship board, 8 Battleship shot glasses, and game instructions
-Two player drinking game
-Twist on traditional Battleship game
-Great for parties
-Not available for delivery in the United States or Canada
I’m a big fan of board games. I know they’re not for everyone and that they have this reputation for being boring, but I simply don’t agree. I’m not saying that I would play them all day, every day, until the end of time, but I think a board game a day isn’t so bad. I think it all depends on what game you’re playing and who you’re playing it with. Sure, if the people you’re trying to play Monopoly with absolutely hate the game, it’s not going to be much fun. But if you’re sitting down to a rousing round of Boggle with a master word sleuth, then it’s on for the rest of the night.
So you have to take a second look at the Super Mario Chess Set (ThinkGeek, $39.99) because it’s not some stuffy pretentious version of chess. This chess board trumps a regular old game of chess because the pieces are custom. I know, there are a lot of custom chess pieces out there, but have you seen a collection of 32 hand-painted pieces bearing an uncanny resemblance to Super Mario characters? I think not. This game would appeal to any child, or gamers’ child at heart, and yet is still a fully functional chess set. Now, you could just keep the set tucked away so it can accrue value (and dust) over time. Or, you could actually play it. And let me tell you, you want to play this game. How could you resist a Mario vs Bowser game of chess?
This game would give you some serious geek street cred. Just imagine you’re on your webcam, trying to hit it off with some cyber hottie, and she spots this chess set in the background. You’re golden. Instant second web date.
4 out of 5 stars.
Specs:
-Dimensions: 18.5″ square board; tallest piece is 2.5″
-Includes 32 hand painted pieces, metal collectors box, game board, and instructions
-Chess and Super Mario mash up
-Mario vs Bowser
-Ages 7 and up
