Saturday, September 17, 2011

Antique Show Find: Mentor Game

Found this far out game at a summer antique show: Mentor, the Electronic Wizard, made by Hasbro in 1960. The giant bronze plastic head is Mentor. He looks like something out of Metropolis, an Art Deco robot with a mind of his own. To play, you select one of the cardboard game tracks, and insert it into the board. You and Mentor then take turns moving the pawn (a giant finger) along the track. Mentor tells you how many spaces he wants to move by flashing the lightbulbs on the base. First one to the finish wins, and it's usually Mentor.




Mentor, in a characteristically thoughtful mood.


Mentor game boards.


 The moving finger, wired up to Mentor.




7 comments:

  1. That's pretty funny. Was this a rare game?

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  2. It seems to be on the scarce side; this was the first one I've seen in person.

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  3. Love the design.Even the deep bronze finish is spot on.It must be a nice decor element even if you're not into games :)
    Maricha

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  4. I had that same game as a child and loved it. I think it is still at my parents house in a closet in my old bedroom as I could never bring myself to throw it out.

    Thank you for sharing your pictures of it, brought back great memories. This was not a particularly popular toy at the time which might explain it's scarcity. I believe it was manufactured around the same era as the magic 8 ball when predictive toys were being marketed.

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  5. Hi Tracy,
    Are you interested in selling your Mentor game and your Robert the Robot, pictured above? I had them both as a kid and would like my grandkids to be able to experience them also.
    Thank you,
    richpascuzzo@verizon.net

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    1. Hi there! Thanks for your interest in my Mentor and Robot, but I'm sorry, they are some of my favorites, and not for sale. There are usually a few floating around eBay, and Robert the Robot was actually reproduced a few years ago. That version would make a good choice for grandkids to play with. Happy Hunting, I hope you find some!

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    2. I remember I got this game in the late 50' and I beat Mentor a lot. They couldn't make it too hard or no one would play. Would you play if you always lost?

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