Help for the Holidays #11: Board Games Are Still Fun

With computers, Nintendo DSs, Wiis and all of the other gizmos kids have these days, board games are quickly becoming a thing of the past.

And that’s a shame. Because sometimes there’s nothing better than gathering friends and/or family around the table for a board game. Thankfully, companies like Hasbro/Milton Bradley are still cranking them out with the latest characters.

When I was a kid that meant “The Rescuers” and “Wonder Woman.” But this year, it means “The Naked Brothers Band” and “High School Musical 3”…

I don’t know anything about “Brothers” but that didn’t keep me from appreciating “The Naked Brothers Band VIP Concert Tour Game.” Basically, players move across the country trying to pick up the best tickets possible for each concert. The better the tickets, the more points you get. You can also collect points at rest stops. The player with the most points after all the concert stops have been made wins.

The game itself is pretty simple, but it takes some strategy to navigate the board and beat your opponents to the punch.

“The Naked Brothers Band VIP Concert Tour Game” (SRP $14.99) is for 2-4 players ages 7+…

There’s a lot of strategy involved in the “High School Musical 3 East High Forever Game”—and that’s a good thing—as you try to collect more points than the other players before time runs out.

Each player gets to be whichever “HSM” character they choose (two guesses who I picked) and then navigate the halls of East High trying to collect points. But you have to do it quickly before senior year comes to an end.

Because each character has their own way to collect points (that other players don’t know about), you have to be strategic about how to use those opportunities. And there are, of course, opportunities to mess up other players and keep them from collecting points.

“High School Musical 3 East High Forever Game” (SRP $19.99) is for 2-4 players ages 8+…

Both games are available in stores and online now…

Photos Credit: Hasbro