The operation game turns any child into a cardiologist

This very popular game called Operation was developed in 1967 by Milton Bradley. Currently distributed by Hasbro, this great battery-operated game allowed children of all ages to practice dexterity and visual skills. Perfect for any little cardiologist, this game allowed children to grab miniature flip-flops in an attempt to remove small pieces from a patient pictured on the board. The kids had to dip the tweezers into small cracks to retrieve small pieces, but if the metal tweezers made contact with the sides of the cavity, a buzzer sounded, signifying that it was their turn.

This game was extremely popular with children and young adults in the 1960s and 1990s. It was marketed on Saturday morning children’s television throughout the 1980s and remained a popular family game from its inception. Any child could become a heart doctor or brain surgeon during the game, and it was one of the first games where children could learn the very basic internal anatomy of the human body. The game also allowed children to practice their dexterity, concentration, hand-eye coordination, and the way electricity works (since contact with the metal tweezers on the edges of the metal cavity would set off a buzzer).

Each game contained a deck of cards, the pliers or tweezers with which the children would remove the game pieces from the patient drawn on the board and the pieces that fit inside it. Each game required children to focus on Adam’s apple, broken heart, ankles, stomach, ribs, knees, funny bone, Charlie’s horse area, writer’s cramp area, the connection between the ankle bone and the knee, the wishbone, the bread basket (the solar plexus), and a small ice cream cone located on the head called “Brain Freeze”.

Other versions were made over the years. A 2006 version of the featured Spider Man game that skyrocketed sales. The following year, SpongeBob SquarePants graced the board. Hasbro would eventually produce a Simpsons version, a Doctor Who version, as well as Toy Story. In 2006, the company developed another board for the Iron Man movie franchise, and in 2011, it developed a model for the Cars 2 movie. Clearly, the game is profitable for the company, as it’s a hit with kids. Any aspiring throat, nose, foot or heart doctor can enjoy this fun and entertaining game.

Operation has been one of the most enduring games over the decades. Original games sell for huge amounts on eBay and other auctions. While they can still be found, many collectors pay a lot of money for an original game, especially games that were part of the first 100 made by Milton Bradley. If someone has one of these, they could easily sell it for a great deal of money. For those who want them to gain value, simply protect the pieces, put them in a box and save them for another day!