Amusement devices: games – Board games – pieces – or boards therefor – Piece moves over board having pattern
Reexamination Certificate
1998-10-07
2001-07-10
Chapman, Jeanette (Department: 3711)
Amusement devices: games
Board games, pieces, or boards therefor
Piece moves over board having pattern
C273S259000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06257576
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF INVENTION
FIELD OF INVENTION
This invention relates generally to a board game directed at fishing. More specifically this invention relates to a novel fishing board game that incorporates skill, chance and player interplay.
It is well known in the art to utilize dice, and chance cards to advance tokens around a game board. In a typical fishing game of the prior art an 18 inch square and foldable board is printed with graphics including playing squares or a path comprised of spaces. Tokens, sometimes resembling fish or boats, are maneuvered about a path on the game board by players in accordance with instructions give by chance cards and or a roll of a pair of dice in pursuit of increasing the players' scores. Typical fishing games utilize the accumulated weight of fish “caught” during play to determine relative scores among the players. Certain of the squares or spaces are typically associated with events which affect the players' scores such as allowing players the chance to match fish depicted on cards with a lure depicted on the board as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,921,981. Other typical prior art fishing games which similarly combine the players' moving tokens about the game board and combining rolls of the dice with chance cards include U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,888,489, 4,003,578, 5,186,466, and 5,513,848.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,186,466 to Mudd a game and board is disclosed wherein players move along a path on the board indicated by the rolling of dice. Along the path of the board the players are directed to two draw either of two types of cards that may add to the player's catch “weight” or detract therefrom. The players keep track of the accumulated weight of the fish caught and the player with the highest amount of weight caught wins.
Similarly, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,513,848 to Keener a game and board is disclosed wherein players also use dice to control the movement of tokens along a path on the game board. The players collect money along the path and certain spaces along the path allow the player to “purchase” tackle, and draw “bite” cards, etc. The weight of fish caught is determined by a roll of the dice and the player with the highest amount of weight wins.
A game and board is also disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,921,981 to Ashburn wherein players again use dice to control the movement of tokens along a path on the game board. Certain spaces along the path allow the players to “cast” wherein the player selects a “lure” and then draws a “bass card”. If the card matches the lure the player “keeps” the bass and the weight indicated on the card is added to his score. Also disclosed are the use of chance cards referred to as “fisherman's luck” cards which affect play and scoring.
Although the above described fishing games provide enjoyment and chance none properly simulate the skill required in the practice of actual fishing. Fishing games of the prior art do not allow for play at various levels of ability, various tournament formats, nor do they allow for adequate player interplay.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The above discussed and other drawbacks and deficiencies of the prior art are overcome or alleviated by the present invention. A novel fishing game for a plurality of players is presented including a game board, playing pieces, playing cards and a die. The game board is arranged into fishing holes for each of up to four players, each fishing hole having playing spaces arranged thereon according to different depths of water. The playing pieces have information printed thereon relating to a type and weight of a particular fish, and also relating to fishing events. The playing cards have information printed thereon relating to fishing bait and lure types. The die includes several faces, each face indicating a depth of water. The playing cards are distributed to each player according to a set of rules. During play a player rolls the die and chooses a playing piece from the player's fishing hole corresponding to the depth of water indicated on the die. The player announces the type and weight of fish, or fishing event, indicated on the playing piece and attempts to match the playing piece to a lure or bait indicated on a tackle card with regard for the depth of the water according to a set of rules. If the type of fish matches the tackle card the player records the weight of the fish. If the playing piece does not match the tackle card the playing piece is returned to the board. Player interplay is achieved through chance opportunities to fish an opponent's fishing hole, or to impede the ability of an opponent to catch a particular fish. The game continues until a fishing hole is depleted of playing pieces. A winner is determined from the tabulated weights of the recorded fish.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3888189 (1975-06-01), Kane
patent: 3921981 (1975-11-01), Ashburn
patent: 4003578 (1977-01-01), Jones
patent: 5176385 (1993-01-01), Tagliaferro
patent: 5186466 (1993-02-01), Mudd et al.
patent: 5314182 (1994-05-01), Derr
patent: 5342059 (1994-08-01), Briem
patent: 5513848 (1996-05-01), Keener
Cantor & Colburn LLP
Chapman Jeanette
Mendiratta Vishu
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