Did you ever have a favorite toy or game as a child that you wished you could have again? That happened to me this year-I was strolling through an antique market (yeah I know, nothing more macho than "antiquing") and I saw an edition of a game I had and loved as a kid-it was called "Green Ghost"- a glow in the dark game that was so cool I practically wet myself each time I played it (or was that the bladder problem???). The game was played by up to four players on a raised, glow-in-the-dark board. Players could be either a black cat, a rat, a vulture or a bat. The goal of the game was to move around the board and pick up keys to "crypts" that contained little ghosts (now you understand why the board was raised!!). Players moved by spinning this uber-cool Green Ghost spinner, that made a really annoying "clatter" sound (this is pictured, with box and a feline interloper into the photo!!) There were twelve little ghosts to collect-once they are all collected, they are placed at the base of the annoy-o-matic Ghost spinner which is spun to select a ghost. If it's your ghost, you win! (in the instructions, "Green Ghost" is looking for his son, "Kelly"-all the little ghosts have names associated with the colour green).
Now I know what you're thinking, other than " a grown man likes "antiquing"? Isn't that what Principal Skinner does?" You're thinking This is so cool, but is it really "better than awesome?". Well, when you play the game, it's played in the dark, so all you can see is the glow-in-the-dark playing surface and the Green Ghost spinner. BUT....when you reach into each crypt to "blindly" grab a ghost, you also have to deal with the weird unseen goob you've just stuck your hand into! Priceless!!
In the original game, they supplied "creepy" things like "snakes" (little strips of rubber) "bones" (little bits of plastic) and "feathers" (feathers). I admit, when you're a kid the feathers were kind of creepy, but you really had to push it to be frightened by the broken elastic bands or bits of plastic. NOWADAYS, however, technology and the modern kitchen promises to make "Green Ghost" the uber-sensational game it always promised to be! Imagine switching the contents of the crypts throughout the game?? Toy stores sell some magnificent green ooze; cold spagetti in oil would make FANTASTIC snakes-the potential for Green Ghost to make a comeback is almost unparalleled!
The original game was made by a company called "Transogram", which I imagine doesn't exist any more. Is the copyright available out there somewhere?? Could this be the resurgance of Green Ghost?? If anyone has a little time and initiative, it could be the gooby little gold mine you've always wanted-Green Ghost- a game that is truly-"Better Than Awesome"
