Lightning Reaction

Players: 2 to 4
Ages: Adult
Publisher: Jumpin' Banana
Average Game Time: quick!
Price: $29.99
Rating: 9 of 10
Review by Mr. Stinkhead

If you're like us, you like having some friends over to watch a movie, have a few drinks, and shoot the breeze on the weekends. We love socializing, but sometimes there's a lull in the conversation and we like to have a structured activity to keep things fun. We're not all about handing out colored markers, rolling the dice and performing impersonations (well sometimes) but usually we want something cool that will be engaging to a variety of interests. Enter Lightning Reaction, available at Spencer Gifts, it's a simple game of racing your reaction time against others.

Game Play
So simple you don't have to explain a lot of rules. Players grab one of four handles (you can select how many people are playing), and someone starts the "timer," a blinking red light in the middle of the base. An "eerie" (aka fun stress inducing) tune plays as the seconds tick by. Randomly, without warning, the light will turn green. Everyone presses the button on the top of the handle. The last one to buzz in loses. Sounds easy right? It is. The payoff is that the last person to buzz in gets a mild electric shock... nothing more severe than licking a nine volt battery. It's less pleasant than a frog in the pants but not nearly as bad as skunked beer. I tell you, there're few things on this planet more enjoyable than inflicting pain on your buddies.

One of the crazy side effects of the game is that 90% of the people we played with were anxious to play again even after getting shocked in the hopes someone else will feel the surge. Oh, a side note, don't buzz in before the light, you'll get shocked in that case too.

That's All Well And Good, but what about Alcohol?
While we don't condone the drinking of alcoholic beverages in excess, this game can only get more fun as reaction times slow to a crawl as even the speediest of buzzers start getting duped. It's one of those situations were you can play a couple of rounds, put it aside, drink a few drinks, and then pull it out again to see how everyone is faring. Good times are had by most.

Taking it with you
Light-weight and portable, the whole thing is battery operated, so you can throw it in the car and take it to the next party. It also makes an attractive center piece, that people will inevitably comment on. What's that thing? they ask, you reply Grab a handle and I'll show you.

Overall
If you like throwing parties, or going to parties, this is a game even "too-cool" people will probably warm to. It may take a few daring fools to try it out first, for other people to see what's going on before they jump in. People seem to also enjoy watching it as much if not more than actually playing. Also, I had fun shocking my own mother in one round. I mean how can you not?

Coming up
Stay tuned to our Toy Fair coverage as we will be meeting with Jumpin' Banana to check out their upcoming electrocution toys. One we've seen some details on are dueling remote control tanks. Use your tank to shoot your buddies tank, and his remote control will shock him. Sweet!

You can purchase this game from Spencer Gifts or online at Shockingfun.com.

Article and all images are ©2005 MillionairePlayboy.com.