“A great action game that will have all the kids buzzing!”
Released in 1966 by Milton Bradley, Mosquito was a skill and action game that required a steady hand and even steadier nerves.
One or more players attempted to score points by navigating a mosquito, rendered as a spinning top, around as many numbered structures on the game board as possible before it stopped spinning.
GAMEPLAY
Mosquito featured a colourful 13-inch x 15-inch playing surface of three-dimensional moulded plastic. Six numbered “outdoor hazards” included a turtle, spider, beetle, and caterpillar — all predators of the mosquito.
After launching their spinning mosquito, each player was required to tilt the game board so that their mosquito “buzzed” around each numbered peg in sequential order. Players scored 10 points for each peg that was successfully negotiated.
Bonus points were awarded for successfully reaching a seventh location, the face of a big game hunter, and manipulating the top so that it travelled up his moustache and onto his tongue, causing his hat to fly off.
The game ended after each player had three turns, and the player with the highest combined score was declared the winner.
IN THE BOX
A complete game included a plastic game board, top, winder, and hunter’s hat. Instructions were printed on the underside of the box top.
COLLECTOR CONSIDERATIONS
Used copies of Mosquito can be found on third-party auction sites like eBay and Etsy. The kinetic nature of the game made the top and hunter’s hat susceptible to wear. The three-dimensional design of the board game also made it prone to cracking if improperly cared for.
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