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38 of 39 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
It's all about the questions, September 16, 2009
= Durability:3.0 out of 5 stars = Fun:4.0 out of 5 stars = Educational:4.0 out of 5 stars
This review is from: The Beatles Trivial Pursuit (Toy)
For me, Trivial Pursuit is all about the questions and this selection does the job.
Most people know at least a little bit about The Beatles, but not so much that they're getting a doctorate in Beatleology. I've seen that first hand conducting live trivia contests each year at the annual Fest For Beatles Fans.
There has to be a careful balance of questions between those that have you instantly say "I know that," those that have you searching your brain ("It's on the tip of my tongue!"), those that puzzle but surprise you ( "Wow, really? That's neat to know!"), and those that leave you wondering "Huh?" Can't make them all too easy or too hard. No fun in that.
Questions for Trivial Pursuit special-interest packages like The Beatles are even more challenging. The mix has to satisfy both the casual participant and the dedicated fan.
In general, the mix of questions here is a good one. I very much like the fact that they are sorted by category onto separate cards (six questions per category card) and arranged in degree of difficulty (1-2 easiest, 3-4 medium, 5-6 hard).
The categories that are the most fun are those that cover the movies and songs - timeless areas for any fan. Next in enjoyment are solo questions. Because these cover all four solo careers they end up broad enough to be generally accessible. "Albums and singles" are obvious, though to new generation fans singles (and albums) may be as mysterious a concept as a compact disc was to Austin Powers.
Oddly the toughest category is probably "The Beatles in America" because it focuses on a limited slice of time. Still, I often smiled at clever wording in the questions that dropped clues to help a casual fan to figure out the correct answer just by listening carefully.
The History category touches just about anything in the Fab Four story, and probably contains the greatest number of fun factoids (back to their days in Germany). Full disclosure: In response to a query from the Trivial Pursuit team months ago, my wife provided the answer to one question, the name of a Chicago ice cream shop/candy store visited by The Beatles in 1965. (She tossed that off without a second's hesitation.)
This Trivial Pursuit package should provide plenty of entertaining moments, especially revealing how much we really have absorbed about The Beatles. I know it'll be an ideal party accompaniment for me, especially with one of those new remastered boxed sets playing in the background.
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52 of 59 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Could have been classier, September 2, 2009
= Durability:1.0 out of 5 stars = Fun:4.0 out of 5 stars = Educational:2.0 out of 5 stars
This review is from: The Beatles Trivial Pursuit (Toy)
Before it arrived, I was imaging what the player pieces would look like -- the Pop Culture version had a cell phone and Atari joystick, and I thought it'd be nice to have the Beatles main instruments be the pieces.
Alas, Beatles Trivial Pursuit was not that clever. The player pieces are the normal pie thing, but the twist of the game is a second piece you control, a pawn. Your pawn goes around an outer track, which features different areas like Come Together, Get Back, All You Need is Love and Ticket to Ride. While your pawn is in one of those areas, you challenge people or send them back spaces. It's interesting, but unnecessary.
It comes with a special die featuring different iconic Beatles logos (Yellow Submarine and pic of them jumping in AHDN for example). Which logo lands decides what level question you get. There's 2 of each level: easy, medium and difficult on each card. I quickly figured out that each card is about the same thing. Like the Hollywood Bowl concerts. Or Band on the Run.
The categories are: Movies, Songs, Singles & Albums, On their Own, History, The Beatles in America, and Movies. The hard ones are quite hard, and even some of the easy ones are difficult.
But everything about this game screams cheap. The pieces are very cheaply made. I feel like the special die's markings will rub off quickly. The cards are not glossy and look sloppy. Fairly disappointing.
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15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Ask Me Why?! I'll say I love it!, September 26, 2009
= Durability:3.0 out of 5 stars = Fun:5.0 out of 5 stars = Educational:4.0 out of 5 stars
This review is from: The Beatles Trivial Pursuit (Toy)
It goes without saying that this Beatles Trivial Pursuit game isn't going to break any historical ground among the over-zealous, hardcore Beatle-maniacs out there who know the answers to questions like: who was the screen-writter for "Yellow Submarine," the movie (Lee Minoff); or what type of car did George drive John and their respective wives home in durinig their first LSD experience (a Mini); or the name of the photographer who shot the infamaous "Butcher Cover" scene for the American album "Yesterday...and Today," (Robert Whitaker). If you know the answers to these questions then, yes!!!, you'll be sadly dissappointed with this game!
However, if you are just a casual Beatles fan, or someone who thinks they know a lot about the Beatles but have only the knowledge that was provided to you via teenie-bopper mag's from the 60's, or even if you are a young admirer that was born just a little too late (like me!) to experience Beatle-mania in its fullest, but love them all the same; this game rocks it!
Yeah, the gameboard is a bit flimsey, and the board pieces are generic to the original game, but so what?! The whole point of this game is the questions! I remember having board games as a kid (especially Trivial Pursuit!) where the boards whould fall apart after two or three uses. Plus, this one has the bonus track that might actually allow you to finish a game in one night! (if you like). As for specialized game pieces?...I hear the Beatles Monopoly game has a pretty good thing going for it!
Basically what I'm saying is: you can't please 'em all the time! I love this game...I'm not the Beatles expert, but I know a lot more than most (one pie wedge goes to who can point out what book Lennon pulls out of a book case, kisses and reads in "Help!" the movie,... which, i might add, the game got wrong!). Despipte this, I was still stumped by a lot of the questioins...and what I also know is that this game is fantastic! With all the hub-bub around Beatles-related merchandise recently; Rock Band, Digital Remasters, clothing, T.V. advertisinig, popssible iTunes downloading, etc...I think this game gives something unique to the more devoted Beatles fans out there that want to have a little more fun with their favorite musical group, but aren't so over the top that this is all old brown bag material!
So! If you want to have a good time with some fellow Beatles friends, party, have some drinks, listen to some Sgt. Pepper and Revolver while finding out some things you may not have known about your fav Fab Four; get the game! If you're concerned about mint-in-box condition collectors items, making money off of the beauty that was the Beatles, or know absolutely EVERYTHING there is to know about John, Paul, George, Ringo, and everyone else who had a hard day's night, then just pass it up...and do us little children who may not be as "worthy" as you a favor...and let us enjoy the glory that is...the BEATLES!!!
P.S. those first questions were ones I pulled out of my head and are not in the game to my knowledge, as I have not read every question in the game. If you knew those before hand, try and answer only hard (5-6 level) questions the whole game...if you get all of them right...I suggest you find a new band to become obsessed with!
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