Hungry Hungry Hippos
by Amanda Nettgen
(USA)
Game:
Hungry Hungry Hippos
Board game manufacturer:
Hasbro
Number of players:
2-4
Ages:
4+ (Our 3yr old has played it a lot though. Ed)
Quick verdict
Are your kids hungry for some fast-moving, zoo animal fun? If so, Hungry Hungry Hippos
can be a loud but entertaining choice.
The game and gameplay
It will take less than a minute to explain to your kids how to play Hungry Hungry Hippos. The only setup required is to place all of the round, white hippo foods in the middle of the board and to have each player select which mammal they want to ally with. (If you pack the game away in the box each time, it’s quite a challenge to dismantle. Ed.)
The four hippos include: Happy (Pink), Henry (Orange), Homer (Green) and Harry (Yellow).
After somebody shouts “Go!”, the feeding frenzy begins. Contending players hit their hippo’s tail lever feverishly in attempt to not just give their animal indigestion, but to collect as many marbles as possible (you’d think they were pigs and not hippos!). The idea is to hit your adopted hippo’s tail as fast as possible rather than in any sort of pattern.When the last white ball has been munched, players add up how many pieces of food are in their hippo’s “stomach”. The happiest, fattest hippo wins that round.
You can also play just one marble at a time, but I think doing so makes the game lose most of its spark and charm. If you have two players, why not control multiple hippos?
Pros and cons
Hungry Hungry Hippos is a simple game that will thrill many kids (and some adults, too!). It’s a toy with a silliness that will delight young players round after round.
It kind of goes without saying, but Hungry Hungry Hippos is extremely loud. It’s not for parents who migraine easily or might get annoyed because of the game. It has many small parts (marbles) and is highly susceptible to breaking due to you smacking the stuffing out of those poor hippos and all.
It may not have lasting appeal for all kids due to the simplistic concept of the gameplay. I recommend a purchase for households with younger kids only.
The verdict
Hungry Hungry Hippos is a good choice for bringing smiles to young people’s faces. Just be sure to pick up a pack of earplugs in addition to the game.
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