''Pop-up Pirate'' is a popular luck-based game for children manufactured by

Tomy is a Japanese entertainment company that makes children's toys and merchandise. It was created from a merger on March 1st 2006 of two companies: Tomy (founded in 1924 as Tomiyama, changing the name to Tomy in 1963) and long-time rival Ta ...

. It originated in Japan in 1975 under the name and has seen many iterations over the years.

Rules

The pirate is placed into a spring-loaded barrel and rotated to randomize the unlucky slot. Players must take it in turns to insert plastic swords into slots in the side of the barrel. If a player inserts the sword into a specific slot (which changes randomly every time the game is played), the pirate is launched out of the barrel and the player is eliminated. The last player remaining after all others have been eliminated wins.

Educational value

According to Dominic Wyse, a professor of early childhood and primary education at

University College London , mottoeng = Let all come who by merit deserve the most reward , established = , type = Public research university , endowment = £143 million (2020) , budget = ...

, the game improves children's motor skills, as well as in common with other games promoting turn-taking and having fun together with others.

Variations

;Themed version :Alternate versions replacing the pirate with other subjects have been released. One of the earliest was a Mario-themed version released exclusively in Japan to advertise the game ''

Super Mario World ''Super Mario World,'' known in Japan as is a platform video game developed and published by Nintendo for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES). It was released in Japan in 1990, North America in 1991 and Europe and Australia in 19 ...

''. Many versions followed in Japan, including Hard Gay,

Monkey D. Luffy , also known as , is a fictional character and the main protagonist of the ''One Piece'' manga series, created by Eiichiro Oda. Luffy made his debut as a young boy who acquires the properties of rubber after accidentally eating one of the devil f ...

, ''

The Good Dinosaur ''The Good Dinosaur'' is a 2015 American computer-animated adventure film produced by Pixar Animation Studios and distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures. The film was directed by Peter Sohn (in his feature directorial debut) an ...

'', a Buzz Lightyear-themed version to promote ''

Toy Story 4 ''Toy Story 4'' is a 2019 American computer-animated comedy-drama film produced by Pixar Animation Studios and released by Walt Disney Pictures. It is the fourth installment in Pixar's ''Toy Story'' series and the sequel to ''Toy Story 3'' ( ...

'', and many others replacing the pirate with different characters. One of the first variations of these to be released in America was a

Darth Vader Darth Vader is a fictional character in the ''Star Wars'' franchise. The character is the central antagonist of the original trilogy and, as Anakin Skywalker, is one of the main protagonists in the prequel trilogy. ''Star Wars'' creator George ...

-themed version called Pop Up Darth Vader. Other variations of the game include a '' Frozen'' and a '' Despicable Me'' version. ;Pop-up Pirate Treasure Island :A variation of Pop-up Pirate, Treasure Island adds board game elements by having players race to be the first person to collect 6 gold coins from a treasure chest

Blackbeard Edward Teach (alternatively spelled Edward Thatch, – 22 November 1718), better known as Blackbeard, was an English pirate who operated around the West Indies and the eastern coast of Britain's North American colonies. Little is known abou ...

is guarding. Only one key opens the treasure chest though.

Video game

Tomy has also released a

video game Video games, also known as computer games, are electronic games that involves interaction with a user interface or input device such as a joystick, controller, keyboard, or motion sensing device to generate visual feedback. This fee ...

version of Pop-up Pirate. Available as a

WiiWare WiiWare was a service that allowed Wii users to download games and applications specifically designed and developed for the Wii video game console made by Nintendo. These games and applications could only be purchased and downloaded from the Wii ...

game, it was released in Japan on November 25, 2008, and in Europe on February 13, 2009. The North America version is titled as ''Party Fun Pirate'', which was released on April 13, 2009. The game is essentially a digital version of the game, but also includes a single player logic puzzle mode. Players are also able to replace the pirate with one of their own

Mii A Mii ( ) is a customizable avatar used on several Nintendo video game consoles and mobile apps. Miis were first introduced on the Wii console in 2006 and later appeared on the 3DS, Wii U, the Switch, and various apps for smart devices. Miis c ...

s.Pop-Up Pirate Springing On WiiWare Next Week
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References

{{reflist

External links

Game description
from Tomy
JP patent application for Pop-up Pirate's gameUS patent application for Pop-up Pirate's gameHard Gay versionDarth Vader version
Children's games Takara Tomy 2008 video games Tomy games Video games about pirates Video games based on Takara Tomy toys Video games developed in Japan Wii-only games WiiWare games Wii games