Set The Wayback Machine To 1967 Sherman
During my childhood in the 60s, my parents graced us kids with a huge collection of board games; which meant that we spent many memorable weekends in spirited matches of Monopoly, Clue or even marathon sessions of Risk. Being the youngest of the brood, I frequently lost... and when I won, I dare say it was likley due to them "letting me win". Yes I have come to accept that fact now.
Except for one game I remember fondly. It couldn't be fixed and I loved playing it over and over.
For I was Aces at "Chop Suey".
Ideal manufactured this in 1967; a plastic bowl on a wind-up pedestal, with various plastic shapes dropped inside. As the bowl turned, the pieces jumped and hopped about - squares, cones, rings, balls, some nigh impossible to grasp, even when not performing their best imitation of a Mexican Jumping Bean. Each player attempted to retrieve the most shapes with plastic chopsticks before the bell rang and the bowl stopped turning. Simple, but challenging.
I won a lot.
But then again, I often played alone, my youthful OCD pushing me to continually beat my own best time and efforts.
Proof that I Reigned Supreme (it is a shame really, that the game never came equipped with a gold medal, crown, or other regal accoutrement; for I surely had earned it) is the fact that ever since, I am deftly able to eat asian food with chopsticks; even single grains of white rice end up in my mouth and not adorning my lap.
A feat I have tried repeatedly to demonstrate to hubby and daughter; sadly, to little success. After a few futile attempts they grab their tined forks, hunger limiting their patience to a few brief nanoseconds.
I should have kept that game.... not because I recently found one on eBay that sold for $35. No, perhaps if we still played it, my family would be able to keep up with my Superior Bamboo Stick Prowess.
But I highly doubt it.
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Understandably your article helped me very much in my college assignment. Hats high to you post, wish look audacious for the duration of more related articles soon as its one of my favourite issue to read.
This is true.. you have gotta show the mastery of this game and though i have never played it, i am sure i would have enjoyed it... ALL the best
I've never heard of that game but it sounds fun. Like an expert version of pop up perfection.
I want to know why that man is wearing a police hat!?
And is the one to his right with his back to us in typical stripy prison garb? Is he his prisoner?
Maybe it's visiting hours in the clink and the good ole' copper joined the fambly for a spot of chop suey.
I apologise for all the Britishisms in this comment
Your post reminded many simple games i have forsaken since my childhood...
sigh i miss those days!!!
I'll go out for Chinese food with you any time and gladly eat with chopsticks.
That does sound like a fun game! I think my favorite old game is Cootie, on account of how you get to build a great big COOTIE bug.
ps: I am wondering what sort of college assignment Anonymous had...
First or second time I've read your blog. I like it!
I was an only child, very shy and didn't make friends very easily when I was growing up so I spent a lot of time playing with my mother. I won more often than not but, like you, it was to "let me win." However there was one gmae that, as I got older, I mastered. Boggle. And it annoyed the crap out of my mother because she has a larger vocabulary than I did when I was, say, 10 and considered herself to be very much "on the ball." I, however, had faster reaction times, could find several 3-letter words to her 7-letter words and wrote smaller than her (which I didn't think meant much but she insisted it meant I could write more). When I won too many times for her ego to take, she stopped playing with me, LOL!
I've never heard of that game, but it looks fun. My husband and I have recently acquired a taste for sushi and need some more practice with our chopsticks!
I never played the game, but I did eat with chopsticks a few times. I doubt I still could though
Haha @ Daisy!
I wonder how well that game would go over now in this "P.C." world in which we live.
When I grew up in the 70's, I reigned supreme with the game Perfection, b/c like you, I would play to best my own record. And being an only child, it was about the only game I could play by myself.
Ah ha! If I'd played that game, I might be able to use chopsticks. Got it.
That explains so much.
Candyland.
That sounds like a great game something my kids would surley enjoy.
I always loved games as a kid but hated playing with my family so we just never played.
I used to enjoy the game "Tiddly Winks". Haven't seen that one around in years.
Gosh, Mr. Peabody! Your Wayback Machine goes almost as far back as mine! I could win at Risk if I could gain posession of Russia and Kamchatka. Thanks for the memories.
That was a really useful game then!
Naturally I'm intrigued, but the only place I can find it is at ebay.
For $149.
Toys R Us has Wok n' Roll, but that looks like a cheap knock off. Does that look like it would be as much fun?
Please advise.
Ha! Yes, practice makes perfect, as they say. Maybe someone invented that game as a training aid? Definitely should have come with a crown or a medal!
In my family we have a game that has been passed down for several generations. It is called Polyanna. For AT LEAST the last 40 years, the game board has been under glass on the Polyanna table! Brings back a lot of memories!
Maureen:
I grew up in the fifties, so I never heard about Chop Suey. But we were Monopoly maniacs. We played it every chance we got.
Happy trails.
i never heard of this game. My mom used to get my brother and I a game every Christmas. We still have some of them- Battleship, Hangman and Connect Four included.
Anon: A college assignment on Chop Suey, eh??? Well, what may I ask, are you studying???
Ratz: It is tempting to snag one off eBay, but I refuse to pay that much for a few moments of glory once more.
TS Hendrick: Yes! It is like that game, now that you say that...
Sproglet: Ha! I LURRRVE the Britishisms since I am half British as well... and yes, I was wondering the same thing. Is this a game they allow in prison? And if so, what the heck did the child and old lady do to deserve hard time? Too many questions...
Me too Jon. Me too.
Ha! It's a date Green Stone Woman!
Daisy! Har! Yes, I was wondering the same thing! And I loved Cooties too! I had it as well!!!
Thank you Sharonheg, and welcome! Ha! Beating your mom in Boggle would be awesome!
Ah yes Heather... daughter and I often go out for sushi (hubby doesn't like it) which affords even more opportunities to showcase my prowess. ;)
Babs: You need to practice practice practice! Either that or lay out the big bucks for the game.
Jo-Jo: You are so right. No way that box design would be approved now. Geez.
Now I have never played Candyland Reforming Geek... I don't think it was as popular up here as in the States.
Kisma, it was fun! Simple, and no complicated rules to follow. It didn't even need batteries!
Perpetual Chocoholic: Aw, that's too bad. For years we all played. Then big sister got too old and went out on weekends, then big brother, so soon it was just my parents and I playing.
Mercy! Yes! I had that one too!!!
Hahaha Leenie! Oh Risk was a loooong game. I think more often than not we gave up before the actual end of the game.
It was Jill, it was!
Holy crap Cardiogirl! I would have to see Wok and Roll... but it sounds similar. Oooh, now I have to find it.
I know Jay! A crown, sash... something! But no! You just had to brag to your family. And friends.
Wow OurEmptyNestAdventures! I have never heard of that game, but what great thing to hand down to future generations!
Oh Monopoly. Swu, back in our day there was only one version. Now they make it in hundreds of formats.... we loved it too. I still have our old one.
Lara Ann: Oh Battleship! My brother had that one and would beat me constantly. The worst part was when he made the blasting then sinking sounds. This, of course, was before they added them electronically...
Never heard of that one but it looks fun. And I can't use chopsticks at all.
I have always been good at the trivia games like Trivial Pursuit. But I also excel at card games. At a very young age my father taught me gin rummy and hearts. We even created some games that we still play to this day.
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