Number of Players: 2
Time: 10 mins+
Age: 7+
Game Type: Outdoor
Gamer Type: All
Complexity: 5
As the holidays approach, people dream of the outdoor sports which make the summer fun. Sometimes you want something you do on the beach, other times you want something that you do in the yard. Jazzminton takes both of these conditions and allows you to bring fun into your home for the winter, but here is the great part: it allows you to take it back outside in the spring.
Market
Jazzminton by Funspark takes the classic game of badminton and adds some cool features to it. The market is for everyone; the different types of birdies and balls allow people of different ages to play. Unlike some ports of games, it is not a simple miniaturization of badminton – it adds select elements to bring it inside. A targeted net (with a square through which you must hit the ball/birdie), wooden paddles (rather than rackets), and a variety of birdies and balls opens this market to almost anyone who can hold a racquet. (9 of 10)
Ease of use
When you think of outdoor games, you think of games like cornhole and horseshoes. They are great party games that anyone can play, but they are hard to move around. You almost need a truck for a cornhole set, and with horseshoes you had best not like the yard in which you are playing. Jazzminton provides a good solution for this with an easy to move kit (which is also easy to put together). The storage bag fits in a car’s trunk, which allows almost anyone to take it with them (it also has a carry strap for walkers). Once you take it out of the bag, the poles have cords in them to make sure you put the right parts in the right place, which makes assembly easy. Takedown is also quite easy and simple. (8 of 10)
Where you can use
This is the strength of the system: you can basically use it anywhere. While I would not recommend using it in a room with a lot of breakables, you can set it up in a relatively small room indoors. With the tiedowns, you can set it up in your yard, at the beach, or even at the local park. If the day is not windy, then you can also set it up without the tiedowns on a driveway or tennis court. It is truly one of the most diverse net-based games I have come across. (10 of 10)
Build
The parts are well built; that being said they are still tube pipes. Players need to be careful not to hit the wooden rackets off the poles if they get too close to the net. The material for the netting is well made and stretched to proportion. They do note not to leave it out in the sun too long in the instructions, which could point to a problem. However, from unpacking to set up, it is sturdy and stands well. As long as you take care of it, you will have this set for a long time. (6.5 of 10)
Novelty/cool factor
There are a lot of portable badminton based games, this one is unique. This is not some dollar store net set up, this is a well made professional set. Which means that wherever you take it, it will impress. The colors and logos on the set are well done and scream professionalism. This will be one of the cooler summer games that you see anywhere people are having fun. (7.5/10)
Overall
Monster score of 41 here. This is a great game to have. The only drawback I see is that it is a one on one game, which can be a little rough at parties. It also takes a few minutes to get the hang of how the birdies fly off of the paddles, so this can be frustrating for whiny people – but we don’t want to play with them anyway. This game has the added advantage that it is easy to store and set up, so be ready for a fun game for the whole group.
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