In my latest round of research, I was looking up an old British game called Chicken Market, and came across this recall notice. While it’s unfortunate that children have been hurt, the recall, involving a classic game of limbo, reminds me of just how depersonalized some games can get.
Let’s get through the important stuff first. The Milton Bradley Company recalled almost half a million of their Chicken Limbo Electronic Party games. Apparently, the game, as it is packaged, can’t be assembled properly, and so it collapses unexpectedly during play. The company has reported 23 injuries so far, and has had 46 reports of the game completely collapsing.
The game has two plastic poles that hold the “Limbo Bar” up, and these poles don’t fit properly into their bases. If either of the side poles is touched, then the whole game falls apart on top of the player, and can even hit bystanders.
The game was manufactured in China and sold throughout the United States from June of 2005 through January 2006. Those people who bought the game should take it away from their children immediately. Milton Bradley is offering a free repair kit, which parents can get by calling them at 1-800-245-0910, or by MB’s website www.miltonbradley.com, and clicking onto the product information tab.
Okay, having discovered this unfortunately defective product strikes me as a state of the lack of imagination and resourcefulness of many of today’s games. Everyone who knows limbo, knows that the classic party game is best played by two people holding whatever they choose to use as a pole. The game is much more exciting with real human beings holding the pole. It may not be perfectly even, but the two plastic poles in the game can’t possibly encourage and cheer for a player the same way their friends can. Perhaps the game would be a bigger draw if it played Calypso music during play; an essential element to any truly exciting limbo game.
Furthermore, since the game is designed for young children, it excludes the older folks who can have just as much fun, if not more, doing the necessary contortions needed to slide under the limbo pole.
Milton Bradley might be able to replace the Chicken Limbo game for the unfortunate but well-meaning parents who bought them for their children, but the folks at MB can’t possibly provide what’s really necessary for limbo – a good imagination and a five-foot pole.