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games about monkeys
Fraser Anderson
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Due to my own great love of monkeys, I thought I would make a list of the top ten monkey games. The criteria were:

1) Must feature a non-human primate central to the game.
2) Must have more than 5 ratings.

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1. Board Game: Spank the Monkey [Average Rating:6.05 Overall Rank:2243]
Fraser Anderson
Germany
Ammerbuch-Entringen
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I have never played this one but I always see it on the shelf of my local games shop.

I wonder a little if the games high ranking is based on the amusing name or an actual good game.
 
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Mike Banks
United States
Camp Hill
Pennsylvania
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The game is actually quite fun -- it has light strategy, good replayability, is quick and easy to teach newbies, plays in 15-45 minutes, and it's simply hilarious, too...

I ask you: What other game allows you to defend your National Landmark Banana Tree (with metal fittings and scaffolding reinforcement) against a bowling ball attack, by means of a tennis racket?



I know some folks are over-analytical or embarrassed by the name, which is a damn shame -- because it's a great little game






 
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  • Posted Fri Aug 26, 2005 3:37 pm
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Marc B.
United States
Palm Bay
Florida
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Yep, that's the first thing I tell everybody I introduce this game to "Now, PLEASE look past the name.." cuz there is a great light game in there! Love this game. A lot of laughs and easy to teach. It's been successful with every person I have introduced it to that has actually "looked past the name".

And Then I Tried To Teach. My. Mom.

It went like this:

Mom- "Got any new games we could try?"
Me- "oh yea! all kinds. What type would you like to try?"
Mom- "Well, I liked Kung Fu Fighting last time. Any like that?"
Me- "ooo ooo yea! Now, look past the name.."
Mom- "What is it?"
Me- ~holding out box~
Mom- You want me to play Spank the Monkey with you?!?"
Me- ~cringes~ "ummm no. not ever. thanks for the scars mom..."
Mom- ~laughs~
Me- ~shudders~ ~reaches for Gloom~ ~smiles~

arrrh
 
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  • Posted Fri Aug 26, 2005 6:54 pm
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Needle
Australia
Leichhardt
NSW
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Great game, whole lot of fun, very good card powers and graphics. If you are into screw your opponent type games then this is a hoot I tell ya a real hoot
 
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  • Posted Sat Aug 27, 2005 9:57 pm
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2. Board Game: Monkeys on the Moon [Average Rating:6.33 Overall Rank:1574]
Fraser Anderson
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The premise is amazing, I think I have dreamed about a game where tribes of monkeys in space compete for dominance.

Based on what I see, there is really no reason this game should not be wonderful, however, theme alone does not make a game great.
 
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June King
United States
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Monkey scorn!
 
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  • Posted Fri Aug 26, 2005 2:34 pm
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Lee Kennedy
Canada
Waterloo
Ontario
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I thought the same -- tribes of monkeys in space, monkey scorn, space ships, must be great!

I played it once at a friends and was disappointed. The game is extremely dry and the theme is just tacked on.
 
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  • Posted Fri Aug 26, 2005 3:05 pm
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Tristin Deveau
Canada
Edmonton
Alberta
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Just played this last night, and while the game was a lot less light and funny then I thought it was going to be, I still felt that it played very well, and I really enjoyed it.
 
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  • Posted Fri Aug 26, 2005 4:22 pm
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Shawn Christenson
Canada
Hay Lakes
Alberta
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I too just played this last night, and I had the opposite feeling of a theme being tacked on. I thought for it's gameplay, they really put the theme together well into it.

I enjoyed the game myself, and would play it many more times happily.
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  • Posted Fri Aug 26, 2005 4:24 pm
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I am happy.
United States
Milford
Ohio
Be Good, Play Happy
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I felt a better theme would be "High School Popularity"
 
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  • Posted Fri Aug 26, 2005 4:40 pm
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3. Board Game: Affenraffen [Average Rating:5.97 Overall Rank:4742]
Fraser Anderson
Germany
Ammerbuch-Entringen
Baden-Wurttemburg
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The first German entry to the list, seems to be a variant of memory.
 
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4. Board Game: Monkey Memory [Average Rating:5.68 Overall Rank:5929]
Fraser Anderson
Germany
Ammerbuch-Entringen
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Another German memory game, do Germans believe that monkeys have a hard time keeping track of things?

I would rate this one #1 or #2 based on the cover art. That is one funny monkey.
 
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5. Board Game: Planet of the Apes [Average Rating:5.50 Unranked]
Fraser Anderson
Germany
Ammerbuch-Entringen
Baden-Wurttemburg
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At least this god-awful film inspired a mediocre game. Well at least according to the 10 people who rated it.
 
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Ollie Read
United Kingdom
Portsmouth
Hampshire
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I love planets and apes so I had to get this when I saw it for only £5. The game is a waste of time but the board sections are quite good.

It's covered with monkeys.
 
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  • Posted Fri Aug 26, 2005 2:49 pm
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G. Libby
United States
Middletown
Rhode Island
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Unfortunately, Apes are not monkeys...
 
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  • Posted Fri Aug 26, 2005 3:04 pm
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Fraser Anderson
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Although I called it monkeys, I did specify in my critera all non-human primates. I wanted to leave the door open for good ape games.
 
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  • Posted Fri Aug 26, 2005 3:08 pm
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chris schott
United States
saint louis
Missouri
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i love the original planet of the apes movies. there should be compelling boardgames set in that rich context. war, arms races, prison escapes, negotiation with the mutants beneath the planet, shaking your fist at those damn apes, etc.
 
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  • Posted Fri Aug 26, 2005 4:29 pm
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6. Board Game: Ebola Monkey Hunt [Average Rating:5.21 Overall Rank:7204]
Fraser Anderson
Germany
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Baden-Wurttemburg
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Despite being successful enough to get to a third version, Ebola Monkey hunt only managed to rise to #6 position.

I guess the gameplay was not as infectious as implied.
 
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7. Board Game: Jumpin' Monkeys [Average Rating:5.24 Overall Rank:7366]
Fraser Anderson
Germany
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Baden-Wurttemburg
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Finally a game featuring plastic monkey bits appears.


 
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8. Board Game: Monkey Madness [Average Rating:5.33 Overall Rank:6825]
Fraser Anderson
Germany
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More monkey bits in another dexterity game.

 
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Jason Little
United States
Eden Prairie
Minnesota
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The definitive monkey game. What else could you want? I mean, heck, it has red, blue, yellow and green monkeys! And my two year old can play!
 
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  • Posted Fri Aug 26, 2005 4:41 pm
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9. Board Game: Tumblin' Monkeys [Average Rating:5.31 Overall Rank:7236]
Fraser Anderson
Germany
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Baden-Wurttemburg
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Yet another! It seems that dexterity monkey bits games dominate the lower part of the monkey game category.

This is apparently a varient of Kerplunk, I game I really enjoyed as a little fellow.
 
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I'd rather be gaming...
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Great fun with little kids. When my daughter was 2 we used to play the opposite of the victory condition (ie. those with the MOST monkeys won. That made it easier for her to win.
- Ozvortex.
 
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  • Posted Fri Aug 26, 2005 8:51 pm
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10. Board Game: Barrel of Monkeys [Average Rating:3.72 Overall Rank:7954]
Fraser Anderson
Germany
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I was very nervous that this may not crack the top ten. I wrote an extensive review of this true modern classic.

http://www.boardgamegeek.com/geekforum.php3?action=viewthrea...
 
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Matthew Marquand
United States
Columbus
Ohio
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A most excellent article! Highly recommended. Your in-depth article was astounding. Will you be coming out with some follow up articles on strategy?
 
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  • Posted Fri Aug 26, 2005 3:12 pm
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Mike Banks
United States
Camp Hill
Pennsylvania
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WOW -- that is *some* review..

In light of this new information, I amend my earlier statement:


der Chad: You *HAVE* to get Spank the Monkey.
 
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  • Posted Fri Aug 26, 2005 3:50 pm
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11. Board Game: Top Banana [Average Rating:6.08 Overall Rank:5323]
Morgan Dontanville
United States
Brooklyn
New York
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Plate of Shrimp.
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Monkeys love climbing rocks to win bananas.
 
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Fraser Anderson
Germany
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Ohhhh, I missed this one. Would have come in at #5.

How could I have not thought to search on "banana" ?!
 
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  • Posted Fri Aug 26, 2005 2:38 pm
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12. Board Game: Affentanz [Average Rating:5.83 Unranked]
pronoblem baalberith
United States
Pleasantville
Massachusetts
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Ape Dance
 
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Fraser Anderson
Germany
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Baden-Wurttemburg
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zero ratings. not in top 10
 
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  • Posted Fri Aug 26, 2005 3:10 pm
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13. Board Game: Monkey Arena [Average Rating:4.81 Overall Rank:7564]
Ollie Read
United Kingdom
Portsmouth
Hampshire
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ME LOVE MONKEYS. SEXUALLY.
 
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Marc P
United States
Green Lake--Seattle
Washington
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Can anyone comment on this? My wife would go bananas (sorry) if this turned out to be a good game. There's one positive review on the game page (that was trollfully skewered, I might add), but I'd like to hear more...?
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  • Posted Fri Aug 26, 2005 3:04 pm
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Fraser Anderson
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only 5 ratings, fell off list.
 
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  • Posted Fri Aug 26, 2005 3:09 pm
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Joshua Githens
United States
Piedmont
South Carolina
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Please explain why my good review about a game I have way too much fun playing is wrong? If you reviewed a game I wouldn't say your opinion (which is all it is) was skewed. I may not concur, but if you haven't played the game don't judge the opinion of those that have. The game is very easy to play, but not one game of the 20 or so I've played have been less than a great joking, laughing, event.

Thanks,
Josh
joshuagithens@hotmail.com
 
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  • Posted Sat Aug 27, 2005 2:34 am
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Marc P
United States
Green Lake--Seattle
Washington
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Helios180,

I very much appreciated your review. I said "trollfully skewered", not "skewed", meaning someone left an unnecessarily nasty response. Go look, it's there. I was just hoping to get more than one opinion on the game. Tight budget, you know.
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  • Posted Sat Aug 27, 2005 11:30 am
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Joshua Githens
United States
Piedmont
South Carolina
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I apologize, I read your first comment as "Skewed" missed the few letters that made it "skewered". No harm no foul.

Josh
 
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  • Posted Sat Aug 27, 2005 9:43 pm
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14. Board Game: Sucking Vacuum [Average Rating:5.69 Overall Rank:5483]
Lars Vogt

Berlin
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Besides aliens and humans, apes can be played as well (see picture top-left).
 
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15. Board Game: Coco Crazy [Average Rating:5.50 Overall Rank:6316]
Mark Foret
United States
Dearborn
Michigan
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One of my family's favorite games. My wife requests this one often. Nice bits, lots of interaction, and a surprising amount of skill is required. Memory game but not the kind of memory game that seems like work.
 
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16. Board Game: Curious George and Friends Spin & Go Board Game [Average Rating:0.00 Unranked]
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Here's a famous monkey.
 
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17. Board Game: Moe the Monkey [Average Rating:0.00 Unranked]
J H
United States
Billings and Bozeman
Montana
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18. Board Game: Monkey Dash [Average Rating:6.93 Overall Rank:3693]
Rob Fisher
United Kingdom

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Monkeys + Banana Warehouse = Totally addictive, two player, strategy, fun!
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19. Board Game: Hang in There! [Average Rating:5.85 Overall Rank:4858]
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Swinging from tree to tree
 
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20. Board Game: So ein Affentheater [Average Rating:0.00 Unranked]
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Players roll and move their monkeys through the jungle. On some squares they can use a catapult and try to fling a monkey into a tree. The first player to get all three monkeys into the tree is the winner.
 
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21. Board Game: Klammer-Äffchen [Average Rating:0.00 Unranked]
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Players roll and move their (several) monkey pawns towards a finish line. When they manage to reach a field with another monkey, they hop on that monkeys back and are carried for a while. For carrying others, chips are awarded, same as for reaching the finish fast.
 
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22. Board Game: Monkey Party [Average Rating:0.00 Unranked]
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One after the other, each player takes a card. When two identical monkeys follow one another, be the fastest to touch stack of cards!
 
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23. Board Game: Poo: The Card Game [Average Rating:5.95 Overall Rank:2756]
Hunter Bennett-Daggett
United States
Dover
New Hampshire
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This might be another one with a bit of a name problem, as far as convincing some new players to give it a try. It's a quick, last monkey standing party game in which you can play cards like "just a fart". Definitely needs the right crowd...
 
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24. Board Game: Old Men of the Forest [Average Rating:5.84 Overall Rank:4501]
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Orangutans... by Martin Wallace no less
 
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25. Board Game: Tricky Monkey [Average Rating:4.00 Unranked]
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Monkeys need to watch out for gorillas.

2011
 
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9 comments [Hide]
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Michael Nerman
Canada
Winnipeg
Manitoba
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I don't have time to add it, but what about MOnkey, Ninja, Pirate, Zombie, Blob, Meeple, Whatever?
1 
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  • Posted Fri Aug 26, 2005 2:46 pm
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Mike Kollross
Canada
Carvel
Alberta
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Pew pew pew!!!
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This list is Bananas

B
A
N
A
N
A
S

 
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  • Posted Fri Aug 26, 2005 5:25 pm
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Leif Norcott
United States
San Diego
California
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Quote:
This list is Bananas

B
A
N
A
N
A
S

I choked on my milk when i read this, I hope you are happy.
 
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  • Posted Fri Aug 26, 2005 5:59 pm
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chris schott
United States
saint louis
Missouri
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are there games with sea monkeys and if not, why not?
 
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  • Posted Fri Aug 26, 2005 9:13 pm
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Jesse Acosta
United States
Spokane
Washington
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When I was a child, I had a monkey game where you had to put together this big Palm Tree, and the monkeys hung from it on pulleys. If I remember right, you had to wrench the ropes to get him to climb upward the fastest.. I cant remember much more than that. I think possibly it was to collect the most bananas.
 
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  • Posted Fri Aug 26, 2005 11:55 pm
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