Electronic Catch Phrase
by Hasbro
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Toys and Games Reviews of Electronic Catch Phrase
Customer Review: A Nerve-Wracking, Yet Highly Contagious Game
Summary: 5 Stars
"Catch Phrase" is one of the many cool things I have discovered since being in college. I'll bet hardly anyone has heard of it (no one had heard of it where I come from anyway), but it is one of the most contagious games around.The premise of the game is simple: After setting the timer, your team has to guess what word or phrase is visible on the screen. The unit cannot be passed until someone says exactly what is on the screen. When someone does guess correctly, you pass it on to a member of the other team.
For example, if the word was "pumpkin," you could say something along the lines of, "Okay, guys, Peter-Peter-blank-eater!" If someone has been keeping up on their nursery rhymes, he or she will know that the word in place of "blank" is "pumpkin." Make sense?
This game is a blast when you get a huge amount of people to play. About a month ago, around 20 of us were playing it at the same time. Good times there, folks!
Fun: Fun, fun, FUN. I can't reiterate it enough. It's interesting to see how nervous people get when the timer starts beeping faster; hence, the buzzer is about to go off. For some reason, people get really panicky when the pressure starts to build. It's only a game, people! Of course, you don't realize that at the time. Everyone is yelling out answers, and with all the excitement going on, your heartbeat can rise in a hurry.
Educational Value: This is a thinking game. That's the only way I know how to put it. You have to think about what it is your teammate is trying to say without he or she actually coming out and saying it. And they're not all as easy as "pumpkin." There are some real stumpers in this game, and that only adds to the fun (or frustration depending upon what side you're on).
Durability: This game is very durable. Just don't drop it! It probably wouldn't hold up very well since this is the electronic version.
In short, "Catch Phrase" is a very cool game. It's great to play with a lot of people, and it never gets boring. I've played this numerous times, and I always have interesting stories to tell the next day.
Customer Review: Good game overall
Summary: 5 Stars
This game is like $25,000 pyramid on tv. You have a word and you try to get others on your team to guess the word.
Minor problems are:
1. If you make a mistake with the electronic scoring you have to go all the way through to the beginning. There is no "undo" button.
2. The buzzer is hard to hear if people are yelling too loudly.
3. There is no "off" switch. The game turns itself off after no one plays with it for awhile. But, it also turns itself on when a button is pressed. So when you're on your way to grandma's, and something in the luggage starts ticking, sometimes people get a little nervous. Then you realize it's just Catch Phrase, having a nice joke on everyone.
4. Some of the topics are a bit risque for younger kids. They probably won't even know what the word is and will skip it, but still...
Good things:
1. This is a great game to play with people of mixed ages, such as at a reunion or wedding shower, because you don't have to share similar interests, even know each other, or be a trivia wizard to play.
2. Any number of people can play. We played at a reunion and had about 30. That was nice because it was something that Gen X-ers, Gen Ys, and Baby Boomers could all do together. You just have to have two teams (so atleast 4) and even numbers. You sit in a circle and every other person is on a team. For odd numbers we have two people who are alternates.
3. Everyone ends up laughing a lot, especially if you have some funny personalities involved. Sometimes people say really dumb (and therefore funny) things when trying to get you to guess an answer. "It's something red...," and that's the only clue they give, while waving their arms and shouting, "...something red!"
K, I've said enough. Great game!
Customer Review: some flaws in the electronic version
Summary: 4 Stars
I first played this game on the standard card version and had a blast playing it. The only flaw with it was that after you've played for a while, you might start remembering words you've seen before and the order in which they come.So I bought the electronic version thinking it would be a simple improvement - more words in a random sequence. It's not that simple.
Pros:
- The size of the word list, and the fact that you can choose categories is a great addition.
- The portable design. You only have to carry around 1 unit, rather than a box with the unit, the cards, and the buzzer.
- Still the same great game.
Cons:
- The fact that there's no "off" switch hampers the portability. Since the game turns on if you press one of the buttons, if you just pack this in a bag, it can easily turn itself on, and start making that LOUD beeping sound. You need a screwdriver to remove the batteries, so that's not really an option either.
- There's no volume control and the default is very loud.
- Restrictive gameplay. The original card based game was pretty loose. You could split up into teams, or you could keep score in some other way. You could play up to a number, or you could keep playing until you got bored. The electronic version forces you to split into 2 teams and play up to 10 points. There's a voice calling out the score after each point, which is annoying. Also, there doesn't seem to be a way to reset the game- if you end in the middle of a game, it'll pick up in that game the next time you play, whether you want to or not.
I think the basic strengths of the game outweigh the problems with the electronic version, but if you're someone used to the offline version, don't assume that the electronic version is exactly the same.
Customer Review: A wonderful team game, perfect for parties.
Summary: 4 Stars
This game combines elements of "Password", "Trivial Pursuit" and "Beat the Clock" for a fast-paced, exciting experience that is great for many hours of gaming fun. Simply choose a category and the game will give a random word or phrase. The player must give clues to his teammates to get them to say the word as quickly as possible, after which the game is quickly dumped off (rather like a hot potato) to a member of the opposite team, who repeats the process with a new word. It's not always easy, though, because some of the clues may be obscure and force the players to draw on their knowledge of trivia.
What makes the game exciting is the ticking of the clock, which increases in speed and urgency as the game progresses. After a random amount of time has passed (usually about one to three minutes), the clock will stop and the game will buzz. The object is to avoid holding the game when the buzzer goes off. Whichever team is left holding the game when the buzzer sounds must give a point to the opposing team. Additionally, the opposing team can get a second point by guessing the losing team's word from their half-finished clues. The game is played to 7 points, at which time bragging rights are claimed (at least for now) and another game starts.
We played this at our New Year's Eve party, six men against six women, and had a great time that lasted for several hours. The only downside to this game, and the only reason I gave it four stars instead of five, is that the memory has a limited "vocabulary", which means that words in a particular category may begin to repeat themselves. Aside from that one drawback, however, this is one of the better party games I have ever seen. Try it, and I'm sure you'll like it.
Customer Review: Everyone can enjoy this game
Summary: 5 Stars
I bought this game when looking for a new game to bring with me in my first year of college. The first time I played it, I knew it was going to be a favorite. You split into 2 teams and while you're holding the buzzer, you have to try to get your teammates to guess the word by acting out, humming, describing, anything but saying the actual word.
The real fun starts when the buzzer stats winding down, and you end up screaming answers and throwing the buzzer at the next player so you don't get stuck with it.
This game tends to get better with the more people you play it with. I've played it with 4 people, which is fun and a little more low key, and I've played it with 10 people, which is more competitive and can get really loud (in a good way).
Not only do my college friends love this game, so does my family. I've played it with my 76-year-old grandma, my 50-some-year old mom and aunt, my 17-year old cousin...all of whom love this game. My dad, who refuses to play any type of game, was even chiming in on some answers (although he claimed he wasn't playing).
This game is a must have. The only downfall is that after playing many games, the owner of the game starts to remember words. However, after owning the game for a year and half, there are still words that come up that I have not heard yet.