Whac-A-Mole
Encyclopedia
Whac-A-Mole is an arcade
redemption game
. A typical Whac-A-Mole machine consists of a large, waist-level cabinet with five holes in its top and a large, soft, black mallet
. Each hole contains a single plastic mole
and the machinery necessary to move it up and down. Once the game starts, the moles will begin to pop up from their holes at random. The object of the game is to force the individual moles back into their holes by hitting them directly on the head with the mallet, thereby adding to the player's score. The more quickly this is done the higher the final score will be.
Current versions of the Whac-A-Mole include three displays for Bonus Score, High Score as well as current game score. Home versions as distributed by Bob's Space Racers, include one display to show the current score.
If the player does not strike a mole within a certain time or with enough force, it will eventually sink back into its hole with no score. Although gameplay starts out slow enough for most people to hit all of the moles that rise, it gradually increases in speed, with each mole spending less time above the hole and with more moles outside of their holes at the same time. After a designated time limit, the game ends, regardless of the skill of the player. The final score is based upon the number of moles that the player struck.
In addition to the single-player game described above, there is a multi-player game, most often found at amusement park
s. In this version, there is a large bank of individual Whac-A-Mole games linked together, and the goal is to be the first player to reach a designated score, rather than hit the most moles within a certain time. In most versions, striking a mole is worth ten points, and the winner is the first player to reach a score of 150 (i.e. 15 moles). The winner receives a prize, typically a small stuffed animal
, which can be traded up for a larger stuffed animal should the player win again.
Game play options have become more adjustable allowing the operator and or owner to selectively alter the high score, hits points, rate of progressive speed as well as the game time.
Engineer Tim Hunkin
built and installed a "Whack a Banker" machine at Southwold Pier
in England
made from parts of a previous "Whack a Warden
" machine.
. Nuclear scientist Edwin Lyman compares the multiple simultaneous crises at Fukushima I to a game of “whack-a-mole”
Video arcade
An amusement arcade or video arcade is a venue where people play arcade games such as video games, pinball machines, electro-mechanical games, redemption games, merchandisers , or coin-operated billiards or air hockey tables...
redemption game
Redemption game
Redemption games are typically arcade games of skill that reward the player proportionally to their score in the game. The reward most often comes in the form of tickets, with more tickets being awarded for higher scores. These tickets can then be redeemed at a central location for prizes...
. A typical Whac-A-Mole machine consists of a large, waist-level cabinet with five holes in its top and a large, soft, black mallet
Mallet
A mallet is a kind of hammer, usually of rubber,or sometimes wood smaller than a maul or beetle and usually with a relatively large head.-Tools:Tool mallets come in different types, the most common of which are:...
. Each hole contains a single plastic mole
Mole (animal)
Moles are small cylindrical mammals adapted to a subterranean lifestyle. They have velvety fur; tiny or invisible ears and eyes; and short, powerful limbs with large paws oriented for digging. The term is especially and most properly used for the true moles, those of the Talpidae family in the...
and the machinery necessary to move it up and down. Once the game starts, the moles will begin to pop up from their holes at random. The object of the game is to force the individual moles back into their holes by hitting them directly on the head with the mallet, thereby adding to the player's score. The more quickly this is done the higher the final score will be.
Origins
The popular carnival game was invented in 1976 by Aaron Fechter of Creative Engineering, Inc.Creative Engineering, Inc.
Creative Engineering, Inc. or CEI is a company most famous for creating the animatronic characters featured at Showbiz Pizza Place and Chuck E. Cheese restaurants, the most popular being The Rock-afire Explosion. They are also known for creating the Whac-A-Mole game in 1971. The company was founded...
Gameplay
The cabinet has a three-digit readout of the current player's score and, on later models, a best score of the day readout. The mallet is usually attached to the game by a rope in order to prevent patrons from walking away with it.Current versions of the Whac-A-Mole include three displays for Bonus Score, High Score as well as current game score. Home versions as distributed by Bob's Space Racers, include one display to show the current score.
If the player does not strike a mole within a certain time or with enough force, it will eventually sink back into its hole with no score. Although gameplay starts out slow enough for most people to hit all of the moles that rise, it gradually increases in speed, with each mole spending less time above the hole and with more moles outside of their holes at the same time. After a designated time limit, the game ends, regardless of the skill of the player. The final score is based upon the number of moles that the player struck.
In addition to the single-player game described above, there is a multi-player game, most often found at amusement park
Amusement park
thumb|Cinderella Castle in [[Magic Kingdom]], [[Disney World]]Amusement and theme parks are terms for a group of entertainment attractions and rides and other events in a location for the enjoyment of large numbers of people...
s. In this version, there is a large bank of individual Whac-A-Mole games linked together, and the goal is to be the first player to reach a designated score, rather than hit the most moles within a certain time. In most versions, striking a mole is worth ten points, and the winner is the first player to reach a score of 150 (i.e. 15 moles). The winner receives a prize, typically a small stuffed animal
Stuffed animal
A stuffed toy is a toy sewn from cloth, plush, or other textiles, and stuffed with straw, beans, plastic pellets, cotton, synthetic fibres, or other similar materials. Stuffed toys are also known as plush toys A stuffed toy is a toy sewn from cloth, plush, or other textiles, and stuffed with straw,...
, which can be traded up for a larger stuffed animal should the player win again.
Game play options have become more adjustable allowing the operator and or owner to selectively alter the high score, hits points, rate of progressive speed as well as the game time.
Variations
The Whac-A-Mole game trademark is owned by Bob's Space Racers. Machines with similar gameplay are sold under other names. Whac-A-Mole has also been the basis for a number of internet games and mobile games that are similar in gameplay and strategy.Engineer Tim Hunkin
Tim Hunkin
Tim Hunkin is an English engineer, cartoonist, writer, and artist living in Suffolk, England. He is best known for creating the Channel Four television series The Secret Life of Machines, in which he explains the workings and history of various household devices...
built and installed a "Whack a Banker" machine at Southwold Pier
Southwold Pier
Southwold Pier is a pier in Southwold, Suffolk, East Anglia, England.Whilst many English seaside piers are in decline, Southwold Pier is enjoying renewed popularity...
in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
made from parts of a previous "Whack a Warden
Traffic warden
A traffic warden is a non-warranted officer employed by a statutory authority in jurisdictions such as the United Kingdom, Hong Kong and Ireland, to assist in regulating the flow of traffic.- Ireland :...
" machine.
Colloquial usage
The connotation of "Whac-a-mole" or "Whack-a-mole" in colloquial usage is that of a repetitious and futile task: each time the attacker is "whacked" or kicked off a service, he only pops up again from another direction. The term has been used in the computer and networking industry to describe the phenomenon of fending off recurring spammers, vandals or miscreants. It is also used in the military to refer to opposing troops who keep re-appearing. This use has been common in the Iraq War in reference to the difficulty of defeating the Iraqi insurgencyIraqi insurgency
The Iraqi Resistance is composed of a diverse mix of militias, foreign fighters, all-Iraqi units or mixtures opposing the United States-led multinational force in Iraq and the post-2003 Iraqi government...
. Nuclear scientist Edwin Lyman compares the multiple simultaneous crises at Fukushima I to a game of “whack-a-mole”
External links
- Official website of Creative Engineering Inc. maintained by creator Aaron Fechter
- Official Whac-a-Mole website maintained by Bob's Space Racers, Inc.
- Bob's Space Racers - The original manufactures and current trademark holder of Whac-A-Mole
- Whac-A-Mole Flash Game - Bob's Space Racer's Flash version of Whac-A-Mole
- Museum of Hoaxes article refuting the etymological link
- Nintendo Wii version