Mattel Reviews

The folks at UNO had a contest and asked fans of UNO (original), "How do YOU improve [UNO]?" Then they reviews the submissions and chose three favorites. The result is UNO: House Rules. Just in case you feel that YOUR idea is better than the ones that come with this pack, there is a blank instruction card where you can add your own rules.

Other than three new ways to play, UNO: House Rules offers up the same family fun that you'd expect from UNO Original. There is nothing that differentiates these cards from the Original pack - only the addition of the 3 new sets of instructions (note: for new players who are unfamiliar with the game, there are also instructions on how to play the Original).

This game is a perennial favorite in our house. The games are short in length, easy to play, don't depend on skill, and you can take this game anywhere. There are no small pieces for kids to choke on, and if you happen to lose a card or two, you can pretty much get away with it. For 2-10 players (but more if you have multiple decks - just make sure they have different backs!) of any age.

My 6 year old son has just discovered Uno! And he loves it! His request every night after dinner is "Can we play Uno?". Even my 4 year old son has caught onto the rules. You just need to know how to match colors and numbers. Adding up his cards and keeping score for the whole family, gives my son practice with his math skills. But it is so fun he doesn't even realize he is learning addition. I enjoy turning off the TV and gathering the family together for good old-fashioned fun. Uno has turned into one of my favorite gifts - it's terrific for any age!

Oh no!!! Draw Four Wild?!! And I lose my turn?!! Sometime life throws you a curve and you have to adjust. The same is true in Uno. Take those four cards and win the game with them. Uno is the classic card game that doesn't use regular cards. Sure, you could almost play Uno with a regular deck, but what would you do without the "Reverse," "Skip," "Draw Two," and the wild cards? Everyone loves Uno, and its educational! When they start playing, they'll be yelling "uno" when they have one card left, and in no time they'll be speaking Spanish fluently!

When I played this at my grandmother's house, I was hooked! They're these liitle cards that are in four colors and numbered from 1 through 9 and with Reverse, Draw 2, and Wild Cards. It helped my little cousins' math skills and was extremly fun! This is a must buy!

I'm 14 and got this game when I was younger. I was struggling a little with math until I got this game. It helped me realize color and number patterns in such a fun way that I didn't even notice it! Since then I've been playing it at least once a week. I tutor young children and for those with math problems, I use the Uno game as a fun and educational tool. Parents have come to me and congratulated me with the successfullness of it. Its the ultimate game in a compact size. The cards last for a pretty long time. I've had one deck for the past 3 years and its still in tip top shape! So for anyone who plans to buy it, it's definately the RIGHT CHOICE!!!!

I love this game. It is a great family game though it might cause
a few arguments or break-ups(aaaaah! just kidding). Don't let this happen. It's just a game like any other game. You're just having fun. That's the No. 1 reason for playing any game with children or adults to have fun. Hey, How would like to be given 4 draw 4 cards????? get the picture???? Another good point, NEVER GIVE UP SO EASY,ITS NEVER OVER TILL IT'S OVER,comebacks
can happen. MY father-in-law was shut out, while I just needed 1 point to win(499 points to 0 4 or 5 of us were playing)and he came back and beat us with 500 points. Play this fantastic card game and see what I mean. Buy it and I hope you'll enjoy it too.

I was 8 when we bought my little sister this. It was her 5th birthday and i remembered she wanted an ello set very badly. I picked this one because it has a lot of blue in it, my sisters favorite color. When she opened it, she was really surprised but so happy. Later she and i played with it and it was very fun! We made 2 mermaid sisters that lived in a big underwater house. Now i'm 9 and I'm gonna be 10 this year. I like the fairy and ello opolis set. Somtimes i see my sister sitting in the living room with her ello box. I see all the peices spilled out and she's playing with them and putting them together. Her favorite part about it curently is making fish for the set. She puts the sticks on them to surrond a house with a little table and chairs set she made. She can't put together the mermaids though, only rarely so i have to help her with that. But she still really likes it. She is turning 6 this year and i saw the new jungle ello set. That's what I'm gonna get her. But this is a great toy! It's totaly cool and fun because my sister and i each like different catagories. I like arts and carfts and my sister likes to build so she likes it. It's really nice so i think that you should buy it.

My daughter, age 5, begged me for Ello because her friend got it for a birthday gift. I was skeptical because she doesn't usually like lego type toys. Now that we have it, we love it. Since she's so young she requires assistance, but its fun for me too. We both create characters and rooms for them to play in. There's lots that she can do without me too - stickers and fantasy play once some pieces are put together. We both like the colors and the wierd shapes. Interestingly, what I like about it my husband doesn't: the shapes and colors.

I bought ello for my 5 yr old girl.........she love it.....shes made things for her bedroom,picture frame,display stand,pencil holder etc.........its wonderful besides makeing things for her room u make people, houses.....everything.........its a wonderful toy for girls.....wish they had girl lego when i was young.....

This toy is almost, ALMOST self-explanatory. I rated it 5 stars fun because it is just, SO FUN! Educational value would be 5 stars, because it shows how father and son relate, just by matching outfits. Here is the problem. The durability would be 4 stars, because the Alan doll has poseable arms, and Ryan's stroller is so removable! I dropped it one star because it is very good, but two days after I got it, one arm snapped off the Alan. Poseable arms are a bit diffucult to control. But besides that, together I rate this 14 out of 15 stars.

I'm glad they have a toy out that promotes the relationship between father and son. I'm glad the African American version has pretty authentic looking rooted hair. The stroller's pretty durable under adverage stress, destructive children may easily destroy it. The accessories (like the camera) are easier to handle than some itty bitty accessories and proably won't be lost as easily as the baby things in the Midge/baby set. The dolls have survived some rough play, so I think it's a good durable set, more so than Midge/Baby overall.

The only problem I have is that mattle doesn't make an AFRICAN AMERICAN family album to match it's AFRICAN AMERICAN line of this 'Happy Family' set. I have the African American Ryan, Alan, Midge, Baby, and Doctor (hoping to catch the grandparents on sale after the holidays) and the 'Happy Family' album that comes with them shows the caucasian family. I have no problem with the white dolls, I make it a practice to have a diverse set of dolls to represent the world, but the purpose of getting the african-american happy family was to make it look more like ours and it would be nice if I wasn't stuck with the caucasian image every time I added to the 'Happy Family' (with certain playsets for example). It would be nice if a child's album that comes with the doll matched her (or his) doll set.

I love this toy. It shows how things should be. I'd like people to note the wedding band on his finger. Who wouldnt respect this toy. It shows a man spending time with this his child...With the accesories that come and a growing imagination its wonderful

I love this game! I first played it in the late 90s, introduced to me, and I love it. I do love Solitaire, but this is a refreshing alternative. I give this game a perfect 10! I recommend this highly!

Teeni-Anne

We play this game with my youngest daughter (6 yrs old when she started playing it), my grandmother, and all ages in between. And we don't even have to give the young/old breaks, they can beat us middle-agers on their own!!!

My grandmother showed me this game years ago! I have gone through two decks of skip-Bo playing cards. (162 cards each deck.) If we are not playing Scrabble; we are playing Skip-Bo. Fun for the whole family!

If your kids know their colors and how to count to 12 they can play. Or, you can teach them to count to 12 using this game.

Skip-Bo is easy and fun to play. Fun to play at parties. Try it!

This game takes the already great game of Uno and makes it into an even better game for the whole family. I like this better than regular Uno because the card despinser adds an extra twist because you don't know if you are going to get 1 card or 10 cards. I think this is a GREAT game for the family!!!

I heard that this game was really fun and great so I was excited to try it but I live alone and it's not so fun to play by yourself. It was funny when the cards shot out of the machine but if there was a reverse card I had to just play again the same as I would have anyway and when I got the exchange hands card I couldn't really do that either. So as you can see it's a better game for people who have lots of friends. I bet then it would be pretty good. I am so lonely.

This is a great and fun twist to the original UNO game (very similar to crazy 8's). There are a couple of new cards, like trade hands, but the main difference is a shooter. Sometimes if you press the button, nothing happens, and others cards fly out (about 1 / 3 times). Any number may fly out, but generally between 2 and 5. You press the button when someone plays the right card, you forget to call UNO, etc. This is a good family game for people of all ages and I recommend it especially for UNO lovers.

The Princess of Ireland Barbie is a fine "starter" doll for Barbie collectors. Part of the very reasonably priced Dolls of the World collection, this particular Barbie stands out amongst equals.

The doll has a particularly Irish look, having been graced with auburn hair and striking green eyes. Her green and gold gown is highly stylized, is detailed, and is designed with accurate Celtic cinquefoils and a claddagh brooch on her blue velvet cape, giving this Barbie a quaint Medieval/Celtic appearance.

The display box is relatively ordinary compared with some Barbie display boxes, but the graphic shows a mist-enshrouded castle in the background. There is some interesting information on the ancient Celts on the rear exterior of the box.

The fine quality of the costume and the small, detailed parts do not make this a good "play" Barbie for young children. Best to leave her in the box, purely for display.

I have purchased this Barbie for three separate serious adult collectors, and she ranks as a favorite with all three women.

The Princess of Ireland will make a lovely addition to anyone's Barbie collection.

Coming from an Irish family, I have accumulated many different types of Irish collectibles over the years: stuffed animals, Beanie Babies, glasses, books, jewelery...all with some sort of Irish theme. But until recently I didn't have any Irish dolls, porcelain or otherwise. I have been collecting Dolls of the World Barbies for a number of years, and more recently Princess of the World dolls, so I couldn't believe it when I found out that a Princess of Ireland Barbie would be made. I was nervous that the doll wouldn't "feel" Irish enough. So when I received her in the mail I was pleasantly surprised that she was even more beautiful than in the photos online. Her complexion is very fair, and her auburn hair is stunning in natural light. Her green eyes are sparkling and mysterious, and she wears a very light rose eyeshadow that makes her beautiful eyes stand out even more. Her costume is sort of a medieval/Celtic blend. She wears a velvety soft forest green cloak with a golden Tara brooch clasp, a traditional Celtic design. Her dress is a crinkly olive green fabric with a stripe of Celtic designs down the middle. At her waist she wears a belt of three golden medallions with Celtic designs, and on her head, perfectly balanced atop her auburn hair, a golden crown fit for an Irish princess. The box she comes in is also perfect for displaying her in. Appropriately enough, it is green (Ireland is actually a Viking word for green) with golden trim. The backdrop inside of the box is an Irish castle. There is information about the Celts on the back of the box. This is sure to become a treasured keepsake in my family, and I'm planning on buying more for relatives and friends.

THE PRINCESS OF IRELAND doll is stunning. Her best asset, besides her auburn hair, is her complexion. We are talking strawberries and cream here. She has deep green, mysterious eyes that make you feel like she is trying to tell you something. Her lips are a deep burgundy that complement her dress and together with her rich, dark green robe, make this doll seem to come to life. The background of the box is of a light brown traditional stone castle that always comes to mind whenever I think of Ireland. I really need to visit this country someday, being part Irish myself.

The only bad thing I noticed is the ends of her hair are slightly tangled. But the all the previous features as well as the gold accents (the crown, the medallions on her waist and the golden brooch on her right shoulder of her robe, plus the lovely accents of gold on the dress) certainly make up for this one flaw.

The other dolls in the "Dolls of the World Princess Collection" include the Princess of China and the Princess of the Nile. Two year limited warranty, certificate of authenticity, doll stand and dark green flat shoes accompany the PRINCESS OF IRELAND. Obviously a great value, she would be a fantastic addition to a collection or as a gift. THE PRINCESS OF IRELAND is definitely a keeper.

If you have children, then you know how much fun family fun night can be.... At the same time, most games end with someone "winning" and someone "losing", and depending on your child(ren), this can be a ugly end to a fun evening. So, what can you do?

Get this game!

This game is designed so that you work together as a team. If your "team" can get all of the keys and turn the clock off within the time limit, then you ALL win! If not, you all lose together. The game is quick enough that you can play several times. It never lasts longer than 30 minutes. But, it is fun, and exciting. You'll be sharing key items with one another to keep the team going. You can not finish it and leave a team-mate behind. You must all succeed together.

My daughter is 8 and can understand this game well. I'd say that even a 5 year-old could potentially play so long as they are playing with adult team members.

This is a very excellent game with a different idea.... To have everyone win!

this game is cool. it never gets boring. plus its not having to beat the other player- you all work together. very fun indeed

This is a great family game. It encourages cooperation, communication, and problem solving skills. It gets your blood pumping and best of all, it won't take forever to finish.

This game was bought for my 3 year old daughter. She/we have so much fun with it! It promotes turn taking, matching, sorting, problem solving and fine motor skills! If your looking for a great game that you can also use as an educational tool, this ones for you :)

This is a great game for a wide range of ages. There are a variety of ways to play from simply emptying the jar and putting back the pieces to matching the shapes, in addition to using it as a memory game or first to match all wins game. The game is very durable and lots of fun

Our son received this game for his 4th birthday and he LOVES it! He is always asking someone to play it with him and he has quickly learned the rules for the easier level of play (put all the cream cookie halves in the cookie jar, deal the plain halves, and taking turns in succession to try and pick the cream halves' shapes that match the plain ones). The first one to match all their cookie halves wins. This simple game has taught him how to take turns, rules, and shape identification. He never has a problem with losing a game, but that's probably because he's eager to play another round.

What I also like about this "game" is that even a younger child can play with it. Just to find two matching shapes and put them together will keep a young toddler occupied.

We certainly recommend this fun, durable, educational and inexpensive toy to anyone looking for a gift for that 2-5 year old.

This is a great game for those who have always loved the classic game of Uno. The great thing about this is that you don't have to get your friends or family to play with you. Uno for the Gameboy has different levels of difficulty so you don't always win and you don't always lose. It has neat animation and color to sort of jazz up the game for kids and adults. Again, it's a fun one to play when you can't get the friend's together for a card game of Uno. I recommend this to all the Uno game players.

Modeled after the card game of the same name, Uno for GBC is a fun, entertaining game for all ages. It's fairly easy to learn, so even those who have never played before will catch on quickly. The object is to get rid of all your cards before your opponent(s). But don't forget to call UNO when you have one card left! You can link up and play with your friends, or play one-player against a variety of computer opponents. The Gameboy version includes 3 themed decks- Groovy, Space, and Wild West, and even has several special new cards in addition to the normal Uno deck.

There are a few minor complaints- Until you are used to the controls, it's easy to do something wrong. I hit the wrong button and drew a card by accident when I could have gone out. Also, calling Uno is confusing until you're used to it. And the animations can be rather annoying, but can be cut off. It can also get slightly boring if a) you play it too much (2 hours straight like I did!) or b) you don't like card games. The number of good things about this game far outweigh the bad.

Overall, this is a great gameboy game, and will keep you entertained for a long time! Sadly, it is fairly rare and can be hard to find. Add it to your collection as soon as you can!

I love this game and the cards don't get lost. I play everynight before bed and take it on business trips with me. I get really sleepy watching the cards move and find it relaxing. More so than a meditation tape. Easy for my children to play.