• View
• Edit
• History
• Print

Whac-a-Mole

A typical Whac-A-Mole machine consists of a large cabinet with five holes in its top and a large, soft, black mallet. Each hole contains a single plastic mole and the machinery necessary to move it up and down. Once the game starts, the moles will begin to pop up from their holes at random. The object of the game is to force the individual moles back into their holes by hitting them directly on the head with the mallet, thereby adding to the player's score.

Gameplay
The mallet is approximately the size of a small bowling ball. The cabinet has a three-digit readout of the current player's score and, on later models, a best score of the day readout. The mallet is usually attached to the game by a rope in order to prevent patrons from walking away with it.

If the player does not strike a mole within a certain time or with enough force, it will eventually sink back into its hole with no score. Gameplay starts out slow enough for most people to hit all of the moles that rise, but it gradually increases in speed. Each mole begins to spend less time above the hole, and more moles outside of their holes at the same time. After a designated time limit, the game ends, regardless of the skill of the player. The final score is based upon the number of moles that the player struck.

Design Ideas

• Use popup critters.
• Use moles represented by red, yellow, and green LEDs. All you need to do is tap the illuminated LED with your hand or mallet in order to test your reflexes.
• Use of many small LEDs to show score.
• Touch sensor on each mole so that it makes a noise when hit.

http://letsmakerobots.com/node/5581