Published by Milton Bradley in 1969, The Wacky Races game involved players traversing an illustrated countryside in flamboyant automobiles attempting to race past their opponents for the win.
The game was based on the children’s animated television series produced by Hanna-Barbera. Wacky Races followed the adventures of a group of daredevil drivers as they competed in a cross-country road race for the title of “World’s Wackiest Racer”. The series aired on CBS for 17 episodes between September 1968 and January 1969. The cast of characters included Peter Perfect, Penelope Pitstop, Rufus Ruffcut, Sawtooth, Sergeant Blast, The Gruesome Twosome, Professor Pat Pending, The Red Max, The Ant Hill Mob, Lazy Luke, Blubber Bear, The Slag Brothers, Dick Dastardly, and Muttley.
GAMEPLAY
The object of the game was to be the first player to complete the track and return all their vehicles to the starting point.
The number of vehicle pawns each player possessed was determined by how many players were in the game: two players — four vehicles each; three players — three vehicles each; four players — two vehicles each. The automobiles were illustrated on cardboard tokens and set into plastic stands for upright maneuverability around the board.
Players gathered their vehicles at designated starting points unique to each player. The high roll started the game. Players took turns rolling both dice and moving their vehicle(s) in accordance with the roll. There were two approaches to moving the pawns: players could move one vehicle the same number of spaces as the dice roll, or they could move two vehicles using the numbers shown on the individual dice.
The game heated up as vehicles landed on the same spot as an opponent. This event regressed the vehicle already at the stop to its home base where the course was started over. Stops along the board with pink dots represented traps set by villainous Dick Dastardly. Players lost a turn due to vehicle repairs.
The first player whose vehicles completed the track won the game.
IN THE BOX
A complete game included the game board, 16 cardboard vehicle pawns with plastic stands (four each in red, yellow, blue, and green), and two dice. Instructions were printed on a cardboard platform inside the box.
COLLECTOR CONSIDERATIONS
Other Milton Bradley games based on Hanna-Barbera series included The Funky Phantom Game (1971), Scooby-Doo Where Are You! (1973), and The Jetsons Game (1985). These vibrant board games bring the beloved characters from the original series back to life and inspire feelings of nostalgia for those who grew up with them. These games are excellent additions to collections centred around family-friendly games, classic television series, or Hanna-Barbera properties.
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