Bop It
Encyclopedia
Bop It toys are a line of audio game
s based on concepts originally patented by Dan Klitsner. Bop It was licensed to Hasbro
and further developed there by a number of designers including Bob Welch.
Bop It games test players' mental skills by inducing them follow directions at a faster and faster pace. Play consists of following a series of commands issued through speakers by the toy, which has multiple inputs including pull handles, twistable cranks, spinnable wheels, toggle switches, and all versions feature a centrally located large round button that may be pressed to start the game. With newer versions, additional inputs have been added or altered such that units like the 2010 Bop-It! Bounce shares no inputs in common with the original 1996 Bop It (see below).
Bop It has been identified as some of the more popular children's games on the market, and toy and game development researchers have pointed to the natural interactions between player and toy, and the ability of players to use the toy to revert computer gaming processes back into those that resemble non-mediated object play. Other studies have shown that it is the Bop Its ability to mimic engagement in social behavior that has led to its commercial successes.
to keep the players on a rhythm, and the instructions are almost like dance commands. The announcer that narrates every game is a highly energetic "dude" sort of personality, and one of the game's signatures is the exuberant "OW!" sound that occurs when a player loses the round.
in which different tones represent different point values and the maximum possible score is 100. Thus, in the end sequence, each "Pull It!" whistle denotes 100 points, each ratchet denotes 10, and each drum denotes 1 point. This style of score-reporting would later recur in later Bop It models, and the Zing It spin off (see below). The same cypher values were used for all subsequent Bop It cyphers. This device requires 3 LR6 batteries.
Bop It Extreme In 1998, Hasbro copyrighted its instructions for the Bop It Extreme, describing the underlying patents as "pending
." This game included the additional commands "Flick it!" and "Spin it!" along with the original three from Bop It. The game featured 4 games modes (Vox Bop, Beat Bop, Vox Bop Solo and Beat Bop Solo), and the maximum score (reported via cypher) was increased to 250. As with the earlier Bop It model, special victory songs were unlockable. Thus, achieving a score of 100 or greater rewards the player with an additional victory song after the announcement of the score. On reaching 150 inputs, a different special victory celebration plays, and achievement of the maximum score would trigger a yet different special victory ending. This device requires 3 AA batteries.
In 2003, this model was one of the top games in the market.
Bop It Extreme 2 was made in black, white, and pink variants.
-themed Bop It game uses a layout like that of the earlier (3-input) Bop It format. The maximum score in Bratz Bop It had the same scoring as the original Bop It re-release with a victory song playing after the score cypher for scores of over 100 points. Bratz Bop It requires 3 AAA batteries to operate.
, iPod Touch
and iPad
apps. The game has four difficulty levels: Novice, using just voice commands, Expert, for which sound effects come in, Master, which calls out new color commands, and Pro, which in order to complete Bop It! XT, you must do 100 sets of three commands. Sometimes, it can start you over from where you were at first. It also has the same modes as Bop It. As with Bop It Extreme 2, a headphone socket has been added to allow players to play using headphones or a loudspeaker.
carabiner
s and pens. Mini versions have been released for Bop It 1996 and 2002, Bop It Extreme, Bop It Extreme 2, and Bop It! These versions differed from the original titles primarily in their size but also in other ways. The scoring of the Bop It Extreme pen had a maxmium score of 25, and the original Bop It keychain had a maximum score of 15. The pen had a maximum score of 200. The keychain version of Bop It Extreme 2, for instance, used Bop It Extreme sounds such as "Nice going!" and the high score melody. The use of a cypher was also added for scoring instead of using plain English
.
released Hasbro Family Game Night 2
, a sequel to the earlier-released collection of Hasbro boardgames and toys, Hasbro Family Game Night. Hasbro Family Game Night 2 was released for the Nintendo Wii
and the Nintendo DS
and both versions featured Bop It as a playable simulation.
In 2011, EA Games
released an app for the iPod Touch, iPhone and iPad. This app features several game modes, commands from the handheld games, X-Move bonuses and newer commands like "Brush It!", "Crank It!", "Squeeze It!", and "Poke It!".
EA Games has also made Hasbro Family Game Night 4 which features Bop It as a playable simulation.
is a yo-yo
-style audio game
that, like Bop It, issues commands with which the player must comply. Like the original Bop It, three commands may be issued: "Bop it!", requiring the player to press the depressible purple button, "Zing it!", requiring the player to throw the yo-yo downward and jerk it back up to the hand again, and "Loop it!", requiring the player to perform the "round the world" yo-yo trick. Zing It features three modes: "Vox Bop" (as with Bop It products), "Beat Bop" (as with Bop It products), and "Vox Bop Challenge", where the game will test mental pelmanism
by issuing rapid strings of commands which must be subsequently performed in the correct order. As with Bop It and Bop It Extreme, Zing It announces the score by musical cypher. Like the two Bop It Extreme games, Zing It has a maximum score of 250 correct responses and it is announced by a horn, followed by a crowd clapping.
is a kendama
-style audio game developed by Parker Bros. (under Hasbro
) that also issues commands which a player must respond to with the appropriate action. Commands include "Top it!" (requiring the player to catch the ball in the red top cup), "Flop it!" (requiring the player to catch the ball in one of the purple side cups), and "Flip it!" (requiring the player to catch the ball in the purple side cup on the other side). The command structure has slightly fewer variations than any other Hasbro game, since the "Flip it!" command can only be issued if the "Flop it!" command directly precedes it.
technology to determine the player's hand position. As with Bop It games, Groove It issues voice commands, however in this case the commands are: "the scratch", "the slide", and "the zoom". The game is more tolerant of errors than the Bop It games, allowing as many as three missed commands in some modes. The game requires a score of 250 to win, has a maximum score of 300, and employs a ranking system.
Audio game
An audio game is an electronic game played on a device such as a personal computer. It is similar to a video game save that the only feedback device is audible rather than visual....
s based on concepts originally patented by Dan Klitsner. Bop It was licensed to Hasbro
Hasbro
Hasbro is a multinational toy and boardgame company from the United States of America. It is one of the largest toy makers in the world. The corporate headquarters is located in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, United States...
and further developed there by a number of designers including Bob Welch.
Bop It games test players' mental skills by inducing them follow directions at a faster and faster pace. Play consists of following a series of commands issued through speakers by the toy, which has multiple inputs including pull handles, twistable cranks, spinnable wheels, toggle switches, and all versions feature a centrally located large round button that may be pressed to start the game. With newer versions, additional inputs have been added or altered such that units like the 2010 Bop-It! Bounce shares no inputs in common with the original 1996 Bop It (see below).
Bop It has been identified as some of the more popular children's games on the market, and toy and game development researchers have pointed to the natural interactions between player and toy, and the ability of players to use the toy to revert computer gaming processes back into those that resemble non-mediated object play. Other studies have shown that it is the Bop Its ability to mimic engagement in social behavior that has led to its commercial successes.
Toy style and concept
"Bop It"'s overall aesthetic draws mainly from hip-hop and club culture. The game uses a breakbeatBreakbeat
In 1992, a new style called "jungalistic hardcore" emerged, and for many ravers it was too funky to dance to. Josh Lawford of Ravescene prophesied that the breakbeat was "the death-knell of rave" because the ever changing drumbeat patterns of breakbeat music didn't allow for the same zoned out,...
to keep the players on a rhythm, and the instructions are almost like dance commands. The announcer that narrates every game is a highly energetic "dude" sort of personality, and one of the game's signatures is the exuberant "OW!" sound that occurs when a player loses the round.
Bop It
In 1996, the instructions to a handheld voice game called Bop It were copyrighted. This game was the first of what was later to become a series of Bop It games relying on the same set of basic patents. The original game, called simply Bop It, features three inputs — "Bop it!" (a depressible button), "Twist it!" (a twistable lever) and "Pull it!" (a pullable handle) — and three game modes: Solo Bop, Vox Bop and Beat Bop. Gameplay is predicated upon a player's efforts to match the commands issued by the Bop It in a timely manner by performing the task that is commanded. Thus if the Bop It is to call out "Bop it!", the player must quickly depress the "Bop It!" button. If the Bop It is to call out "Twist it!", the player must quickly turn the "Twist it!" crank. If the Bop It is to call out "Pull it!", the player must quickly pull the "Pull It!" knob. Players' scores are announced at the end of gameplay with a cypherSubstitution cipher
In cryptography, a substitution cipher is a method of encryption by which units of plaintext are replaced with ciphertext according to a regular system; the "units" may be single letters , pairs of letters, triplets of letters, mixtures of the above, and so forth...
in which different tones represent different point values and the maximum possible score is 100. Thus, in the end sequence, each "Pull It!" whistle denotes 100 points, each ratchet denotes 10, and each drum denotes 1 point. This style of score-reporting would later recur in later Bop It models, and the Zing It spin off (see below). The same cypher values were used for all subsequent Bop It cyphers. This device requires 3 LR6 batteries.
Bop It Extreme In 1998, Hasbro copyrighted its instructions for the Bop It Extreme, describing the underlying patents as "pending
Patent pending
The expressions "patent pending" or "patent applied for" refer to a warning that inventors are entitled to use in reference to their product or process once a patent application has been filed, but prior to the patent being issued or the application abandoned...
." This game included the additional commands "Flick it!" and "Spin it!" along with the original three from Bop It. The game featured 4 games modes (Vox Bop, Beat Bop, Vox Bop Solo and Beat Bop Solo), and the maximum score (reported via cypher) was increased to 250. As with the earlier Bop It model, special victory songs were unlockable. Thus, achieving a score of 100 or greater rewards the player with an additional victory song after the announcement of the score. On reaching 150 inputs, a different special victory celebration plays, and achievement of the maximum score would trigger a yet different special victory ending. This device requires 3 AA batteries.
In 2003, this model was one of the top games in the market.
Bop It Extreme 2
Partially reliant on the original Bop Its 2000 patent, the Bop It Extreme 2 also relied on the newly issued 2001 patent describing the layout changes that had been adopted for use in the Bop It Extreme. With its instructions copyrighted in 2002, the layout of Hasbro's Bop It Extreme 2 was shown to be altered from that of Bop It Extreme. The shapes of several inputs were also altered. Volume controls were added, and the method of score reporting was changed to using plain English. In addition to the four modes featured in Bop It Extreme, a "One on One" mode was added. Bop It Extreme 2 was awarded "Electronic Game of the Year 2005" in the UK. This device requires 3 AA batteries.Bop It Extreme 2 was made in black, white, and pink variants.
Bratz Bop It
As described in its instruction manual (copyright 2004), Hasbro's BratzBratz
Bratz is an American line of fashion dolls and merchandise manufactured by MGA Entertainment. Four original 10" dolls were released in 2001 - Cloe, Jade, Sasha and Yasmin...
-themed Bop It game uses a layout like that of the earlier (3-input) Bop It format. The maximum score in Bratz Bop It had the same scoring as the original Bop It re-release with a victory song playing after the score cypher for scores of over 100 points. Bratz Bop It requires 3 AAA batteries to operate.
Bop It Blast
In 2005, Hasbro copyrighted the instructions to Bop It Blast, describing it as covered under the original (3-input) Bop It patent and referencing other patents that were pending. This newest member of the series again increased the maximum score to a total of 500, and for the first time allowed different high scores for different modes rather than having one high score for all modes collectively. Minor vocal additions were implemented such as the announcement of the player's score at notable landmarks (each 100 points scored). In addition to the five modes featured in Bop It Extreme 2, a "Light Bop" mode was added. The game also had an optional female voice. The game can allow the player to select a male, female, or both voices calling the commands. The same victory song from the original Bop It was used to report the 500 highest score. This device requires 3 AA batteries to operate.Bop It Download
In 2006, Hasbro secured the copyright to a game called Bop It Download (also called Bop It Extreme Download). The software can be downloaded from http://www.playbopit.com which allows users to record their own voice, upload beats and sounds. Hasbro also made different accent voices. Bop It Download has a maximum score of 1000 and 15 difficulty levels. It includes the ability to download beats and sounds. This device requires 3 AA batteries to operate.Bop It!
In 2008, Hasbro secured the copyrights to the instructions for Bop It!. At the 2009 London Toy Fair, Hasbro demonstrated Bop It!. Bop It! has a new optional input "Shout It", which requires a player to shout into the microphone. The Bop It! has three difficulty levels: "Novice", using only voice commands, "Expert", using a random mix of voice and sound commands, and "Master", calling out voice, sound, and color commands. If the player scores 100 points in either of the less difficult modes, the next most difficult mode is unlocked. Players that achieve a score of 100 points in "Master" mode are considered to have beaten the game. Hasbro also added a multiplayer game called "Party" where all the Bop It commands are replaced with body parts. Bop It! requires 3 AAA batteries to operate.Bop-It! Bounce
After securing the copyrights to the instructions in 2009, Hasbro made announcements regarding the newest member of the Bop It game line, entitled Bop-It! Bounce during the 2010 Hasbro Toy Fair. This toy features a ball and a small hand-held trampoline. There are six games that may be played on Bop It! Bounce including three games that emphasize the speed or number of bounces and three games that emphasize the player's ability to control the height of the bounces.- Max Bounce - Players compete to achieve the greatest number of bounces in 30 seconds.
- Infinite Bounce - Players compete to achieve the greatest number of bounces without a time limit.
- Hang Time - Players compete to bounce the ball the highest.
- Right Height - The player must listen to vocal cues from the Bop It! Bounce, calling for higher or lower bounces until the correct height is achieved when a chime sounds.
- Little-Middle-Big - As with Right Height, the player must listen to vocal cues from the Bop It! Bounce calling for bounces of "big" height, "middle" height, or "little" height.
- Free Form - The toy produces different tones as the ball bounces to different heights.
Bop It! XT
In 2010, Hasbro manufactured the next Bop It game called Bop It! XT. It was demonstrated at the UK Toy Fair in 2011 and it was released on July 31, 2011. This model is similar to Bop It Extreme, but features the new "Shake It" command from the iPhoneIPhone
The iPhone is a line of Internet and multimedia-enabled smartphones marketed by Apple Inc. The first iPhone was unveiled by Steve Jobs, then CEO of Apple, on January 9, 2007, and released on June 29, 2007...
, iPod Touch
IPod Touch
The iPod Touch is a portable media player, personal digital assistant, handheld game console, and Wi-Fi mobile device designed and marketed by Apple Inc. The iPod Touch adds the multi-touch graphical user interface to the iPod line...
and iPad
IPad
The iPad is a line of tablet computers designed, developed and marketed by Apple Inc., primarily as a platform for audio-visual media including books, periodicals, movies, music, games, and web content. The iPad was introduced on January 27, 2010 by Apple's then-CEO Steve Jobs. Its size and...
apps. The game has four difficulty levels: Novice, using just voice commands, Expert, for which sound effects come in, Master, which calls out new color commands, and Pro, which in order to complete Bop It! XT, you must do 100 sets of three commands. Sometimes, it can start you over from where you were at first. It also has the same modes as Bop It. As with Bop It Extreme 2, a headphone socket has been added to allow players to play using headphones or a loudspeaker.
Bop It rerelease (2000)
In July 2000, the first patent for Bop It was issued. This patent covers all subsequent Bop It models, and was cited in the instructions for the re-release of the original Bop It (instructions copyrighted in 2000). This new version of the original toy increased its maximum score to 200. In addition to the score-report cypher, the 2000 model made use of a special victory song that would play after the score if the player achieved a score of 100 points or greater. The use of victory songs associated with in-game point-plateaus would recur in later model Bop Its such as Bop It Extreme and Bratz Bop It. This device requires 3 AAA batteries.Keychain and pen versions
Mini versions of several Bop It models have also been released throughout the duration of the series to be used as keychainKeychain
A keychain or key chain is a small chain, usually made from metal or plastic, that connects a small item to a keyring. The length of a keychain allows an item to be used more easily than if connected directly to a keyring...
carabiner
Carabiner
A carabiner or karabiner is a metal loop with a sprung or screwed gate that is used to quickly and reversibly connect components in safety-critical systems. The word comes from "Karabinerhaken", meaning "hook for a carbine" in German.-Use:...
s and pens. Mini versions have been released for Bop It 1996 and 2002, Bop It Extreme, Bop It Extreme 2, and Bop It! These versions differed from the original titles primarily in their size but also in other ways. The scoring of the Bop It Extreme pen had a maxmium score of 25, and the original Bop It keychain had a maximum score of 15. The pen had a maximum score of 200. The keychain version of Bop It Extreme 2, for instance, used Bop It Extreme sounds such as "Nice going!" and the high score melody. The use of a cypher was also added for scoring instead of using plain English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
.
Vox Bop (with voice commands)
"Vox Bop" is a multiplayer game that serves as the primary game mode for the Bop It toy. A voice recording in the game machine calls out the commands randomly with a musical beat that increases in speed as the game progresses. The player must match the series of commands exactly and then the game will call out "Pass It!" and the Bop It is passed to the player to the left. A player is "out" of the game if a mistake is made or if the maximum score is reached and the player receives a victory ending. This mode is also known as "Vox Bop Pass It" in Bop It Extreme 2.Vox Bop One on One
"Vox Bop One on One" is available on Bop It Extreme 2, Bop It Blast, Bop It Download, and Bop It! XT. In this multiplayer game, two players each take hold of the Bop It with the yellow player holding the "Twist It!" crank and the "Pull It!" knob, and the green player holding the "Flick It!" lever and the "Spin It!" wheel. The unit calls out a series of commands and each player is responsible for only his or her assigned inputs. When the unit finally calls "Bop It!" both players must try to hit the "Bop It!" button on the side bearing their color first. The unit will announce which player was faster by which colored side of the button was depressed first. The winning player earns a point. If either player misses a call he is "out" of the game. The final winner is the player with the most points.Beat Bop (with musical commands)
The "Beat Bop" mode follows a similar format as the "Vox Bop (with voice commands)" mode (above) and the rules are roughly equivalent. The difference in "Beat Bop" mode is that the game uses sounds as commands instead of words. Thus:- "Bop It!" becomes the sound of a bass drum.
- "Spin It!" becomes the sound of a wobbling wheel.
- "Flick It!" becomes a "Boing!" sound.
- "Pull It!" becomes the sound of a slide-whistle.
- "Twist It!" becomes a cranking sound.
- "Shout It!" becomes a DJ scratching sound.
- "Shake It!" becomes a maraca-like sound.
Solo Bop
"Solo Bop" is the single-player mode for the original Bop It. This game is substantially similar to "Vox Bop (with voice commands)," except the "Pass It!" command is never issued. Instead, when the player misses a command, the game ends and the score is reported. This mode is also known as "Vox Bop Solo" in Bop It Extreme and Bop It Extreme 2.Beat Bop Solo
"Beat Bop Solo" is only available for Bop It Extreme and Bop It Extreme 2. This game is substantially similar to the "Beat Bop (with musical commands)" mode, except that the "Pass It!" command is never issued. Instead, when the player misses a command, the game ends and the score is reported.Light Bop
The "Light Bop" mode is featured in Bop It Blast and Bop It Download. The player only responds when the light and the command match together.Color Bop
The "Color Bop" mode is featured in Bop It! and Bop It! XT. It is combined with "Vox Bop" and "Beat Bop". It uses colors as commands. It is featured in the Master Modes in Bop It! and Bop It! XT Pro Mode.- "Bop It" becomes the word "White" in Bop It! and "Black" in Bop It! XT
- "Twist It" becomes the word "Yellow"
- "Pull It" becomes the word "Blue"
- "Shout It" becomes the word "Green" in Bop It!
- "Flick It" becomes the word "Green" in Bop It! XT
- "Spin It" becomes the word "Orange"
- "Shake It" becomes the word "Purple"
Software versions
In 2009, EA GamesElectronic Arts
Electronic Arts, Inc. is a major American developer, marketer, publisher and distributor of video games. Founded and incorporated on May 28, 1982 by Trip Hawkins, the company was a pioneer of the early home computer games industry and was notable for promoting the designers and programmers...
released Hasbro Family Game Night 2
Hasbro Family Game Night 2
Hasbro Family Game Night 2 is a video game released for the Wii and Nintendo DS. It is the sequel to Hasbro Family Game Night. On June 23, 2010, three of the games --Pictureka!, Jenga, and Connect 4x4 -- were added to the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 versions of Family Game Night available as online...
, a sequel to the earlier-released collection of Hasbro boardgames and toys, Hasbro Family Game Night. Hasbro Family Game Night 2 was released for the Nintendo Wii
Wii
The Wii is a home video game console released by Nintendo on November 19, 2006. As a seventh-generation console, the Wii primarily competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Sony's PlayStation 3. Nintendo states that its console targets a broader demographic than that of the two others...
and the Nintendo DS
Nintendo DS
The is a portable game console produced by Nintendo, first released on November 21, 2004. A distinctive feature of the system is the presence of two separate LCD screens, the lower of which is a touchscreen, encompassed within a clamshell design, similar to the Game Boy Advance SP...
and both versions featured Bop It as a playable simulation.
In 2011, EA Games
Electronic Arts
Electronic Arts, Inc. is a major American developer, marketer, publisher and distributor of video games. Founded and incorporated on May 28, 1982 by Trip Hawkins, the company was a pioneer of the early home computer games industry and was notable for promoting the designers and programmers...
released an app for the iPod Touch, iPhone and iPad. This app features several game modes, commands from the handheld games, X-Move bonuses and newer commands like "Brush It!", "Crank It!", "Squeeze It!", and "Poke It!".
EA Games has also made Hasbro Family Game Night 4 which features Bop It as a playable simulation.
Sister products
The popularity of the Bop It line encouraged Hasbro to release a number of sister products.Zing It
Zing ItZing It
The Zing It is a yo-yo-style audio game that, like the Bop It, issues commands that the player must follow along with...
is a yo-yo
Yo-yo
The yo-yo in its simplest form is an object consisting of an axle connected to two disks, and a length of twine looped around the axle, similar to a slender spool...
-style audio game
Audio game
An audio game is an electronic game played on a device such as a personal computer. It is similar to a video game save that the only feedback device is audible rather than visual....
that, like Bop It, issues commands with which the player must comply. Like the original Bop It, three commands may be issued: "Bop it!", requiring the player to press the depressible purple button, "Zing it!", requiring the player to throw the yo-yo downward and jerk it back up to the hand again, and "Loop it!", requiring the player to perform the "round the world" yo-yo trick. Zing It features three modes: "Vox Bop" (as with Bop It products), "Beat Bop" (as with Bop It products), and "Vox Bop Challenge", where the game will test mental pelmanism
Pelmanism (system)
Pelmanism was a system of training the mind which was popular in the United Kingdom during the first half of the twentieth century.Originally devised as a memory system in the 1890s by William Joseph Ennever, the system was taught via correspondence from the Pelman Institute in London...
by issuing rapid strings of commands which must be subsequently performed in the correct order. As with Bop It and Bop It Extreme, Zing It announces the score by musical cypher. Like the two Bop It Extreme games, Zing It has a maximum score of 250 correct responses and it is announced by a horn, followed by a crowd clapping.
Top It
The Top ItTop It
The Top It is a kendama-style audio game related to the Bop It line developed by Parker Bros. . Like the Bop It games, the Top It also issues commands which a player must respond to with the appropriate action. Top it has thee commands...
is a kendama
Kendama
A is a traditional Japanese toy which consists of a wooden, hammer-like object with a ball connected to it by a string. In English, kendama may be referred to as ring and pin and bears similarities to the classic cup-and-ball game, known in the Latin American world as balero...
-style audio game developed by Parker Bros. (under Hasbro
Hasbro
Hasbro is a multinational toy and boardgame company from the United States of America. It is one of the largest toy makers in the world. The corporate headquarters is located in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, United States...
) that also issues commands which a player must respond to with the appropriate action. Commands include "Top it!" (requiring the player to catch the ball in the red top cup), "Flop it!" (requiring the player to catch the ball in one of the purple side cups), and "Flip it!" (requiring the player to catch the ball in the purple side cup on the other side). The command structure has slightly fewer variations than any other Hasbro game, since the "Flip it!" command can only be issued if the "Flop it!" command directly precedes it.
Groove It
Groove It is an audio game made by Hasbro whose instructions have been copyrighted in 2003. With similar gameplay to the Bop It games, Groove It employs photodetectionPhotodetector
Photosensors or photodetectors are sensors of light or other electromagnetic energy. There are several varieties:*Active pixel sensors are image sensors consisting of an integrated circuit that contains an array of pixel sensors, each pixel containing a both a light sensor and an active amplifier...
technology to determine the player's hand position. As with Bop It games, Groove It issues voice commands, however in this case the commands are: "the scratch", "the slide", and "the zoom". The game is more tolerant of errors than the Bop It games, allowing as many as three missed commands in some modes. The game requires a score of 250 to win, has a maximum score of 300, and employs a ranking system.
Popular culture
- Bop It was parodied on a 2004 SNLSaturday Night LiveSaturday Night Live is a live American late-night television sketch comedy and variety show developed by Lorne Michaels and Dick Ebersol. The show premiered on NBC on October 11, 1975, under the original title of NBC's Saturday Night.The show's sketches often parody contemporary American culture...
Weekend UpdateWeekend UpdateWeekend Update is a Saturday Night Live sketch that comments on and parodies current events. It is the show's longest running recurring sketch, having been on since the show's first broadcast, and is typically presented in the middle of the show immediately after the first musical performance...
, as "Bump It", a seemingly sentient and sexually suggestive toy which asked Amy PoehlerAmy PoehlerAmy Meredith Poehler is an American comedian, actress and voice actress. She was a cast member on the NBC television entertainment show Saturday Night Live from 2001 to 2008. In 2004, she starred in the film Mean Girls with Tina Fey, with whom she worked again in Baby Mama in 2008. She is...
to "Pull itHandjobHandjob is a slang or informal word referring to an act of manual stimulation of a male's penis by a sexual partner, whether female or male, usually to the point of orgasm and ejaculation. The act is similar to male masturbation, though the latter is performed by a male on himself...
" numerous times. - Bop It appeared in the TV series Gilmore GirlsGilmore GirlsGilmore Girls is an American family comedy-drama series created by Amy Sherman-Palladino, starring Lauren Graham and Alexis Bledel. On October 5, 2000, the series debuted on The WB and was cancelled in its seventh season, ending on May 15, 2007 on The CW...
, where it was referred to by Lorelai and Rory, and used in the episode "We Got Us a Pippi Virgin" (Season 5, Episode 5) as Lorelai explains that Bop It is what they bring out in social situations that "need mouth-to-mouth resuscitation", and with which Luke takes on Dean. - Bop It appeared on the Ellen Degeneres Show in 2009, where an enlarged version of the classic game was used on stage. Contestants would have to do the traditional Bop It tasks, but as an added challenge, Stomp It and Chomp it were created. Stomp it consisted of a contestant stomping grapes. Chomp it is where a contestant took bites out of some food item such as a watermelon or frosted cake. Two contestants typically compete against each other in order to win a prize for themselves, the audience or charity.
- Bop It was parodied as Bonk It on The SimpsonsThe SimpsonsThe Simpsons is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical parody of a middle class American lifestyle epitomized by its family of the same name, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie...
episode "Rednecks and BroomsticksRednecks and Broomsticks"Rednecks and Broomsticks" is the seventh episode of the twenty-first season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. It aired on the Fox network in the United States on November 29, 2009...
".
See also
- Zing ItZing ItThe Zing It is a yo-yo-style audio game that, like the Bop It, issues commands that the player must follow along with...
- Top ItTop ItThe Top It is a kendama-style audio game related to the Bop It line developed by Parker Bros. . Like the Bop It games, the Top It also issues commands which a player must respond to with the appropriate action. Top it has thee commands...
- Torx (game)Torx (game)Torx is an audio game made by Hasbro in 2004. Torx is a command game in which the toy issues commands and the player must respond accordingly. Torx consists of four unique games: Follow My Command, Find the Shape, Torx Says, and Pass Torx. The player must bend or twist the handles on the gaming...
- another Simon-Says-style electronic game by Hasbro