I’ve been thinking about this post for awhile. What is happening with the games from my childhood? Maybe it’s a case of “When I was Young” geezer talk, but it seems like manufacturers continue to make these games easier-and ruining the game’s initial appeal in the process.
Candyland now comes with a colored spinner. No more beginning math for us or stacking the deck to make sure we don’t have to play too long by strategically placing the Queen Frostine card so that one of our friends can win. Now you just spin the spinner and move to the color or magic spot.
I remember spending a lot of time trying to get all of those little yellow pieces into that Perfection game. I’d try to lay the pieces out the correct way before I started so that I could maximize the 60 seconds that I had to place the pieces in the puzzle. 
It went from having 25 geometrical shapes to 9 easy to identify animal shapes. *Sigh*
What’s in Ned’s Head is a newer game and in the age of Family Guy and the Simpsons it seems that this game would be safe from change. It still comes with the head where you can put your hands up the nose or through it’s ears to find the correct object to match up the picture. Except now, you mostly match up bugs and a few body parts. There is no more vomit, ear wax q-tip or the disgusting dirty diaper. I never, ever, ever thought I would write a post lamenting the loss of a dirty diaper
Operation was another classic from my childhood.
It was impossible to get those little bones out without buzzing that poor patients red nose. It WAS impossible-but now there is a new Operation game-the cover of the game box proudly advertises: “Large openings with easy to grab pieces.” Um…
What’s next? The game you win before you even play it? I wonder what has caused these changes. Is is that our children’s dependence on technology has decreased their attention span to the point where they cannot play an actual game that is challenging? Or has the “everybody is a winner” philosophy caught up to games. Are we unable to even try to participate in the original versions of these games because they are “so difficult?”
I won’t be buying these new games. For me, the most fun and addictive games are the ones that I only win about 25% of the time. I know I can win, so I keep trying. This is why I’ve gone to bed at 4 AM after a binge game session of Diner Dash. It’s why I get Facebook messages all the time asking me to play Candy Crush.
What do you think? Were these games so challenging that it just makes sense to change them? Or would you have preferred that they kept them the same?
Awww, they should’ve kept them the same! We’re making things too easy on our kids!!!
It’s that issue of ENTITLEMENT again. Everyone is entitled to win, say what they want, have what they want. Too many parents today aren’t teaching their children that you have to work hard, and continue to work harder, to achieve what you want in life. Everyone wins all things, all the time. I fear the world that lies ahead for my grandchildren and their children. What will happen when they are no longer given what they want? The game companies have yielded to the prevailing sentiments in the US today. I won’t buy theses “new” games. My groups know that they don’t win every time, but we play to have fun and learn. Sorry for the soapbox, but I am worried!
I agree! I got upset about that exact same version of Perfection in a store last weekend. And I refuse to play the new candyland. I hate that all of a sudden candy land is all pink so now it’s just a “girl’s game”, and every kid I’ve played it with tries to manipulate the spinner to go further.
Totally with you, Kelly and I think you hit the nail on the head; everyone has to be a winner! The other day I was using three dice as positive reinforcement. The students rolled the dice and added the pips. They kept score on a “Dr Seuss-y” fishbowl. Ad the end of the session one student remarked (after learning that he had 42 points and the other had 59), “It’s not fair if everybody doesn’t win. So everybody wins!” Mrs. Killjoy responded, “No everybody doesn’t win. Johnny has 59 points and you have 42. 59 is a bigger number.” Oh brother!!!