If you know someone who would like to turn part of his or her home into a game room, there are plenty of table games to choose from — from dignified, full-size pool tables to funky pinball machines.
Toys “R” Us stores have a variety of table-top games to fit every age and purpose.
Micro Games of America makes Space Jam Hot Hoops 1997 ($19.97), a basketball game featuring back-to-back half-court setups. You get to play by yourself or against an opponent, using a spring-loaded launcher to shoot tiny basketballs. It also folds for easy transport.
If you’d like a variety of games in one box, look for Talent Toy’s Deluxe Six-In-One Game Centre ($19.99), which features baseball, ring toss, soccer, basketball, bowling and Skeeball. There are different game boards for each activity. The baseball game is just like you find in the arcade, with a spring-activated bat that hits the ball up a ramp, where it rolls into different slots for singles, doubles, etc. The soccer game has flippers to hit the ball and protect the goal. And the basketball setup has a tiny hoops star who’s ready to play: Just put the ball in his hands, release the trigger, and he launches underhand shots at the basket.
Another choice for multiple games is the Finger-Flick Sports All-American Edition ($39.99), with a game board that can be changed to play football, basketball or baseball. As the name of the game suggests, participants use their fingers to flick small plastic discs up a ramp, where they go into a basket or over a goal post.
For a new twist on a old game, try Bingo Master — a remote-controlled bingo game that shuffles the numbers and provides trays to put them in. Price: $12.99.
If you enjoyed “The Lost World: Jurassic Park,” there’s SRM’s Chaos Electronic Pinball ($29.99), featuring digital game sounds.
Toys “R” Us carries all of these products.
Small-scale table games can also be found at the 10 Chicago-area Gamers Paradise stores. They offer Cadaco’s Superslam Basketball and Hockey ($29.99) and Skeeball ($14.99).
It’s hard to beat the traditional full-size hockey game that features push-pull levers that move the players back and forth and also allow you to spin the player to blast a slap shot. Look for Irwin’s Powerplay Hockey at Wal-Mart stores for $36.99. There’s also Carrom’s Air Hockey at Toys “R” Us for $69.99.
If you’d like to play table-sized soccer, check out Stigma’s World Cup Soccer ($39.97) at Sportmart stores. This game, too, is played with push-pull levers to move the players.
Sports Authority stores have the usual array of Ping-Pong tables, including Stigma’s Classic Roller ($299), featuring blue net posts that offer precise height tension adjustment. There’s also the Harvard Sports Pioneer Table Tennis ($249) with removable corner pads.
For those players who like to move the table outdoors, there’s Kettler’s Waterproof Ping-Pong table, priced at $479, also at Sports Authority.
Finally, if you’d like to play Ping-Pong on your pool table, pick up Escalade’s Conversion Top ($99.97), which converts your pool table into table tennis. It’s available at Sportmart.
Chicago-area Brookstone stores have the F1 Super Challenge Pinball, which is designed like a regular arcade game that stands on legs and has a plastic base. It sells for $299. They also have a full-size Air Hockey Table for $499.
If you’re looking for a pool table, the three suburban Owens Games-N-Things stores (including 1776 W. Algonquin Rd., Arlington Heights, 847-398-2055) have a large selection of furniture-quality wood tables.
Three Brunswick Bristol models, including the black marble, silver ash and oak, are available with or without ball returns. The tables have a lifetime guarantee and the price (7-foot $1,195; 8-foot $1,295) includes delivery, installation, four cues, wall rack, 9- and 15-ball triangles, Belgium pool balls, and a choice of 15 cover colors.
Also at Owens is the Tournament Soccer Foosball table game. The regulation-size game comes in light or dark oak with black legs. Price is $499.
New deluxe hockey tables are also expected at Owens for the holiday season. The tables are supposed to feature real hockey action, with room behind the net for retrieving the puck (instead of the goal being right against the edge of the table). Prices will be $499-$699.
