Template:Infobox merchandise SpongeBob SquarePants: Operation is a battery-operated game of physical skill that tests players' hand-eye coordination and fine motor skills. The game's prototype is invented in 1964 by University of Illinois industrial-design student John Spinello, who sells his rights to renowned toy designer Marvin Glass for $500 and the promise of a job upon graduation, which is not fulfilled. Initially produced by Milton Bradley in 1965, SpongeBob SquarePants: Operation is currently produced by Hasbro, with an estimated franchise worth $40 million.
The game is a variant of the old-fashioned electrified wire loop game popular at fairs. It consists of an "operating table", lithographed with a comic likeness of a patient (nicknamed "SpongeBob SquarePants") with a large red lightbulb on his nose. On the surface are several openings, labeled with the names of fictional and humorous aliments, that contain plastic pieces. The general gameplay requires to remove these plastic objects with a pair of tweezers without touching the edge of the cavity (SpongeBob SquarePants) opening.
Gameplay[]
SpongeBob SquarePants: Operation includes two sets of cards, "Doctor" and "Specialist". The Specialist cards are dealt evenly to players at the start of the game, and any extra cards are removed from play. The Doctor cards are shuffled to form a deck and are placed facedown.
In the American and Australian versions, players take turns drawing the top Doctor card from the deck, offering a cash payment for removing a particular object. The player in control uses a pair of tweezers (dubbed "Electro Probe" in earlier versions), connected to a board by the wire, to remove the piece without touching the metal edges of the cavity in which it rests. Successful removal of the piece awards the value shown on the card, while a failure allows the player holding the Specialist card for that aliment (if any) a chance to remove it for double value. If the Specialist card holder also fails, or if no player is holding it, the Doctor card is returned to the bottom of the deck. Cards of both types are removed from play as the pieces corresponding to their listed aliments are removed.
A player drawing the particular Doctor card while holding the corresponding Specialist card may deliberately fail the first attempt in order to have a second chance for double value.
The winner is the player with the most money after all plastic pieces have been extracted.
The game is challenging because of the shapes and the plastic pieces and the narrow openings are barely larger than the pieces that they contain.
Play Pieces[]
- Barnacle Brain
- Clammy Hands
- Elbow Grease
- Evil Thoughts
- Head Case
- Heart Burn
- Patty Pleasure Center
- Shoe Horn
- Spark of Brilliance
- Thinking Cap
- Truth Serum
- Wrench in the Plain