Spider-Man vs. Doctor Octopus: High-Stakes Board Game Brings Life-or-Death Operation Drama

“If you’re humming along to the jingle ‘Saca un huesito y el corazón, operación’ (Take out a little bone and the heart, Operation), you’re probably already considering a pension plan. Indeed, ‘Operation!’ is a classic family board game. It was invented by a college student who sold it to toy designer Marvin Glass for $500. Today, it is estimated that the game has earned around $40 million, thanks to its simple yet captivating gameplay.”

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Prove that you are the best doctor

The gameplay is simple: you have to remove the organ indicated by the game without touching the edges. Essentially, it’s a board game based on having a steady hand and not much else, but it has survived from 1965 to the present day. There have been versions of “Operation” with sound effects and even a dog as the protagonist, targeting future veterinarians. However, none compare to the version created with your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man.

Taking advantage of the release of “Spider-Man 2,” where Doctor Octopus was the villain, Marvel teamed up with Hasbro to create the most unlikely Spider-Man game. The superhero was lying on the operating table of the evil doctor, and we had to help him by operating on his malfunctioning web-shooter, his “webbed head,” his “symbiote fluid,” or his “webbed feet.” Oh, and instead of a nose, his eyes would light up along with his “spider-sense.” Who knows why children were placed in the role of a well-meaning Doc Ock trying to save his arch-nemesis by removing random objects from his body.

Spider-Man’s version of “Operation” was not the only absurdly franchised one, but it was the first. Over the years, the game has seen variations featuring “Shrek”, “The Simpsons” (with Homer on the operating table), “Fallout,” “Star Wars” (manipulating R2-D2 and C-3PO), “Doc McStuffins,” and “The Mandalorian.” Interestingly, despite “Operation” seeming like the easiest thing in the world by now, there was one version that sparked controversy among fans: the “Paw Patrol: The Movie” edition.

Firstly, because what is being saved is… a kind of image of all the characters together instead of one of the pups. Secondly, because the holes are all similar in size, and it’s not clear which object goes where. And thirdly, because there hasn’t been enough attention to detail in the game. When you think there’s no corner of the internet for everything, remember that there are people who are such fans of a children’s board game that they are willing to play the Paw Patrol movie version just to point out its flaws. There’s something for everyone out there.

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