- Battling Tops
Battling Tops is a children's game that was first released by Ideal in 1968. In 1977 it was renamed Battling Spaceships in response to
Star Wars fervour. After Ideal was sold in 1982, Marx took over the game. By the lateeighties the game was unavailable. In recent yearsMattel has rereleased Battling Tops.The game has similarities to "gasing", a Malay traditional sport. [http://www.sportsmuseum.ssc.gov.sg/museum/ssm_cat_details.jsp?type=5&root=76&cat=19&artID=80]
Gameplay
Two to four players launch spinning tops into a battle area. The object of the game is to have the last standing spinning top. The game takes place on a circular concave arena with four spinning top launch positions. Players wind a string (attached to a pull tab) around their tops, place them in the launch positions, then pull the tab vigorously to release the top. The concave surface forces the tops together to battle. The outcome is somewhat indeterminate, but there is a slight element of skill. Pegs in holes on the rim of the arena mark victories. The first to win eight battles wins the game.
Characters
There were six different coloured tops to choose from, although as noted only four could battle at one time. The tops were composed of octagonal discs slipped over a ridged shaft that had a notch to engage the string. The game came with a sheet of coloured stickers to place on the discs. Ostensibly the stickers were to match the colour of the disc and the shaft, but it was possible to mix and match shafts, discs, and stickers (with the proviso that the stickers only stuck once). In the new version of the game, Smarty Smitty has been replaced by Cyclone Steve.
It's all in the wrist action
"It's all in the wrist action!" was the advertising tagline, providing material for school ground innuendo.
External links
* [http://www.samstoybox.com/toys/BattlingTops.html Battling Tops Collection] - Includes photos of original Battling Tops and Battling Spaceships.
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Uw5crBtIqs&feature=related Youtube] - Original Commercial
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