Jordan Stewart
Canada
Saint John
New Brunswick
-
Intro
When I got married in the late summer of 2007, I inherited a few things (as newlyweds often do.) One of said things was a stack of old board games. There was a few of the usual suspects, (Clue, Scotland Yard, Battleship) and a couple of semi obscure childhood titles (Take Two, The Hamburger Game, fireball island).
Also there was mastermind. Or what I believed to be mastermind. A game I only sort of remembered my grade 4 math teacher having in the class room. We played this one a few times and it made my brain work in ways it probably hadn't in a very long time. (Grade 4 math I'd say.) We would routinely solve the puzzles but only after long bouts of long, drawn out, and rather boring silences.
Fast forward to about a month ago I was doing a walk about in the local Wal-mart when I spot Mastermind. Except this one only had 4 holes. Hunh. 4-holed Mastermind. Must be a kids version. Must of dumbed it down for the new reality TV generation. (Insert various other smug, 'in my day' type comments here.)
Fast forward again to about a week and a half ago when the 'Mastermind' reunion shots starting floating around. "Oh yeah, Mastermind again, I have that game." "Wait, this one only has four holes too... what.. what's this? Super mastermind?... five.. holes".
Upon closer inspection at the homestead, I, sure enough, had the upgraded, mind melting, fancy pants "Super Mastermind". Well I'll be damned. Curse my wife for making me think harder than the average Joe.
Review
Components
Well having said all that it's not much wonder for the mix up, Super mastermind isn't much more than an upgraded twin of it's older sibling. 5 holes instead of 4, and 8 color pegs instead of 6. Not to mention the same box shape and same model shot on the cover (different models I think, same pose.)
It uses the same adequate plastic knobbys for the code, and black and white pegs for the clues. The same plastic board layout is pretty much identical. As already stated, it has 5 holes instead of 4, and also the clue holes are in a straight line beside the guess holes. Players get 12 chances instead of 10, so there's also 2 additional guessing rows. In addition there is also a scoring track along one side of the board
Rules
The rules of play were exactly the same as the original Mastermind. Player A puts up the screen and inserts the pegs as a secret code. Player B then puts out guesses as to what the code is. After they're done, player A inserts a white peg for knobbys that are the right color, but in the wrong spot, and black pegs for knobbys of the right color in the right spot. Player B then uses this information to make another, hopefully more educated guess. Play continues back and forth until either player B cracks the code, or runs out of guesses. If Player B does guess correctly by placing all 5 knobbys of the correct color in the correct spot, player A reveals the solution and everybody does the mashed potato.
If you're up for more than one game of mastermind you can keep score with the scoring row. I believe the way it worked was that if it takes player B 5 guesses to crack the code, player A gets 5 points on the track and vice versa as the rounds continue.
Thoughts
I will say that having mostly played this version now I can't see ever going back to the original. Like I said we were more often than not successful in cracking the codes in this version, so I'd assume the original might be too easy? Either way Mastermind just isn't really a game I pull off the shelf very often. I'm not an abstract fan and I'd think that this falls somewhere in that category (or just to the left of it somewhere). It's great for a challenge or if you want to teach the kids (or yourself) some logical thinking skills.
I believe this is being sold now as "Advanced Mastermind" which is probably a more apt title. If you enjoy the original Mastermind, and are up for a bit more of a challenge, this'll do just nicely.
-
david landes
United States
oak hill
Virginia
-
If you routinely solve Super Mastermind.. time to make it harder.. lol. We use a blank hole as a peg, bringing it to nine 'colors'.
-
Jim "git yer stinkin' themes offa my mechanic" Puccio
United States
Needham Heights
Massachusetts
-
dklx3 wrote: If you routinely solve Super Mastermind.. time to make it harder.. lol. We use a blank hole as a peg, bringing it to nine 'colors'.
Yep. Also, it may be time to try Jotto and its many variants. I like the one where the length of the word (which can be anything up to some chosen maximum, which you'll pick to be greater than the original game's 5 letters) is unknown. To make it more workable, you should score each guess like Moo (ie. the Mastermind way), rather than the standard Jotto way. I suspect you could get away with standard guess scoring, but it would make deduction considerably more difficult, probably prolonging the game beyond what it is worth. Try it both ways and see. The nice thing about this class of games is that they are very easy ones for which to create multiple variants on the fly.
-
Frank Feldmann
United States
Dayton
Ohio
Now contributing to Father Geek!
-
JordanZS wrote:
player A inserts a white peg for knobbys that are the right color, but in the wrong spot, and black pegs for knobbys of the right color in the right spot.
This is where it always broke down for my family. Do you put the black pegs in the holes corresponding to the colored pegs that are correctly placed? This would tell which specific pegs are correct. Do you put the black pegs anywhere in this row, just saying that some two are in the right place? It was a constant argument...
-
Jordan Stewart
Canada
Saint John
New Brunswick
-
feldmafx wrote: JordanZS wrote:
player A inserts a white peg for knobbys that are the right color, but in the wrong spot, and black pegs for knobbys of the right color in the right spot.
This is where it always broke down for my family. Do you put the black pegs in the holes corresponding to the colored pegs that are correctly placed? This would tell which specific pegs are correct. Do you put the black pegs anywhere in this row, just saying that some two are in the right place? It was a constant argument...
I'm pretty sure you just put them randomly in the row, or else, like you said, you'd be giving away which one is correct.
-
United Kingdom
Poole
Dorset
-
JordanZS wrote: When I got married in the late summer of 2007, I inherited a few things (as newlyweds often do.) One of said things was a stack of old board games. There was a few of the usual suspects, (Clue, Scotland Yard, Battleship) and a couple of semi obscure childhood titles (Take Two, The Hamburger Game, fireball island).
You know Fireball Island regularly sells for $50 to $150, right?
-
Jordan Stewart
Canada
Saint John
New Brunswick
-
col_w wrote: JordanZS wrote: When I got married in the late summer of 2007, I inherited a few things (as newlyweds often do.) One of said things was a stack of old board games. There was a few of the usual suspects, (Clue, Scotland Yard, Battleship) and a couple of semi obscure childhood titles (Take Two, The Hamburger Game, fireball island). You know Fireball Island regularly sells for $50 to $150, right?
I do, yes, but selling it would mean I would have to stop and pick up some divorce papers on the way to the post office. 
-
Joseph
United States
Today, we're all Spaniards!
-
.
Thanks for reviewing an old game!
-
|
|
