Cranium Bumparena

List Price: $16.99 Discount Price: $13.75

Features:

• High energy excitement of pinball with the strategic challenge ofa 3D maze
• Every Bumparena game is different, but each one is filled with surprise and unpredictability
• Bumparena takes 5 minutes to learn and 15 minutes to play
• Cranium Bumparena includes the Bumparena board, 10 small and 10 large bumpers, 8 character balls, 40 cards and a card dispenser
• Recommended for ages 7 and up

Customer Reviews:

An easy game with a little strategy [Posted on 2007-12-29]
My nearly 7 and 3 1/2 year olds can play this with us with a little coaching for the littlest. The plastic is very good quality, and with a little ingenuity, it all fits back in the box.

Great fun [Posted on 2008-02-03]
This is a lot of fun for my 4 year old and his parents. It's surprising that Cranium puts the age as 7 and up, because it's really not that complex. I have some questions about durability and design (it's easy to lose pieces) but for entertainment and thinking about cause and effect it's really a great game.

mad mama--lost parts [Posted on 2008-05-10]
This is an awesome game!
It combines basic engineering/thinking skills (my 5-yr-old is terribly serious that way) with zaniness, and teaches basic game-playing (wait your turn, don't whine when someone else gets points, etc) to boot. The cards give very clear instructions, but you also get to plan things out within those parameters. Another plus is that the cards do not use language. We're planning to move to Germany, and I think this game will be great as my son starts to make friends and is beginning to learn the language. I also love that it is so completely removed from any gender stereotyped roles. It doesn't carefully reconstruct them, you don't feel an invisible hand pressing kids into or away from certain ways of thinking, you just get engaged in a fun, thinking activity. The only reason I didn't give it 5 stars for educational is that a kid who was dead set against learning could just stick the gates in mindlessly and watch the pretty/goofy balls bounce and roll. But a kid who wants to learn about angles, gravity, construction, etc. can do so. It's also fun to set up in different ways and experiment on one's own, not playing the game. It's a wicked cool game.
I think the early grade-school set (my son is just entering this age) likes lots of little pieces to put together. This game has plenty of 'em.
We have lost two of the little yellow pins that add extra unpredictability just before the goal, and the middle leg for the back. Unfortunately, Bumparena doesn't even show up on Hasboro's list of games for which to order replacement parts. At the moment, I'm tempted to use my son's sawed-off body parts, unless some kind soul writes to offer theirs (pegs, not body parts), but I suspect that even when I'm no longer so hotly angry I will be sad not to have all the parts to such an excellent game.
By the way, the complaints about it being rickety, having to be taken apart, tight box, etc. are on target. It would be nice to have this made of one sheet of quality materials. My son has never minded the assembly/disassembly bit. I was serious above when I said I think that's fun for his age set. But it's no fun for mama!

Lot's of Fun! [Posted on 2008-10-02]
Bought this for my nephew's 7th birthday last year. It has gotten much play and is still in great shape. Lot's of fun/challenge arranging the bumpers to channel the balls in your direction. I enjoy playing with them as well. Highly reccomended!

not so much fun!! [Posted on 2008-10-12]
We love the Cranium games at our home...we have several, however, this one fell short as far as we are concerned. The kids simply found it boring and enjoyed throwing the bouncing balls rather than playing the game. We'll stick too some of the other cranium games.

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