We haven’t had this much fun with a game in a LONG time, Connect 4 Launchers brings an exciting type of board game fun to your home. You can read the description below, but it felt like a good mix between those frog launching games and ring on the bottle games you might see on the boardwalk or state fair, with the connect 4 goal always in mind. You have to get four in a row by launching these rings, with your special launcher into something akin to a plastic type egg carton that has two levels. Get four in a row in the basic game (Basic Frantic Launch) and you win! You can launch as fast as you can get the checkers on your launcher. In this version the top checker is the one that counts, and get 4 in a row to win. This is the game that the boys loved the most, because what boys don’t like a game that has the word “frantic” in it?
The Championship Frantic Launch is just like the Basic Frantic Launch except it takes you winning five rounds to win the overall battle. You also get more points for winning on the top level, but to be honest, I had a harder time winning on the lower level myself. Now onto Advanced Power Launch. This is where things get a little calmer as you are alternating turns, but with a bit more strategy this time around. There are all sorts of Power Checkers were you get to go again, or remove some checkers based on the type of Power Checker that is played. My older son really loves this version as well as it allows him to “plan” to win multiple ways. The other interesting thing is that it is not who has the checker on top, you actually have to control the space by having more checkers in the space.
We do not normally give accolades to instructions, but the fact that they put together a set of instructions with examples and pictures is great, and a good quality of paper that fits perfect in the bottom of the box. The fact that they put in a section called “Hey… What If…?” makes us want to award Hasbro an award for best set of instructions if such a thing existed.
An absolute winner for Hasbro with Connect 4 Launchers. They took a fun game and added the element of “frantic” to the equation. The boys can’t stop asking to play and it would make a great holiday gift. Also the checkers are big enough where I was not concerned about finding them if they fell to the floor or other little brother concerns. They are also big enough that neither child had any problem getting the on the launchers. I found the launchers to be calibrated perfectly. What I mean is that you will not be searching above all your cabinets to find the ones that the kids super launched. My only real issue with the game is that the egg carton type levels are a little flimsy and I fear them getting broken. I wish we had gotten a little bit of a sturdier plastic for that section. Not a deal breaker though at all, this game is great!
The classic game of four-in-a-row takes on a fast-flying, frenetic pace in the new CONNECT 4 LAUNCHERS. Players are engaged in a head-to-head race as they try to aim, launch and connect their way to victory with a new, horizontal game unit to catch the launched checkers. With three different ways to play, all in one game, CONNECT 4 LAUNCHERS takes Family Game Night to the next level.
Game Objective: Be the first player to get four rings in a row – horizontally, vertically or diagonally.
Game Play: Select one of three games to begin:
Basic Frantic Launch: Players start by launching checkers simultaneously into both the top and bottom trays. The first player to get four-in-a-row in either the top or bottom tray yells “CONNECT 4!” to win the game.
Championship Frantic Launch: Similar to the “Basic Frantic Launch” game, players try to get four-in-a-row. The first player to get four checkers in a row wins the round and gets the points – one point if the four-in-a-row is on the bottom tray, and two points if it is on the top tray. The first player to score five points wins.
Advanced Power Launch: Players play this game in rounds, alternating turns. Special checkers, such as “Mega Blast” and “Space Erase,” are used to activate special powers. The first player to get four-in-a-row wins the round and gets the points – one point if the four-in-a-row is on the bottom tray, and two points if it is on the top tray. The first player to score three points wins.