Here's an advertisement from issue #24 of White Dwarf, highlighting a collection of "pocket games" by Task Force Games. I never played any of those shown here, but I remember seeing Valkenburg Castle and Battlewagon on store shelves in the early 1980s. In case, it's another reminder of just how many games of this sort were published by a number of publishers at the time.
Starfire, Starfire II, and Battlewagon are good. Star Fleet Battles used to be on this list but quickly expanded into a boxed set.
ReplyDeleteStarfire also grew to boxed sets by 1984. Much like SFB, still alive and...perhaps not well, but they have quite loyal fan bases, and Starfire is simple enough to quite accessible to modern gaming tastes. SFB, rather less so - although Battletech's seeing a major resurgence, so who knows, maybe the world is ready for a SFB comeback too.
DeleteI loved Starfire though I really didn't play much. I tried to play it once with someone and having played the first scenario solo multiple times and found that one side always won no matter how hard I tried to make the other side win, I suggested to this new player we start with the 2nd scenario. He refused. I suggested he play the side that would win. He refused. He lost. He rage quit...
DeleteOn the other hand, Starfire inspired the star ship design system for my RuneQuest in space where it only used RQ rules for 1 session before converting to Traveller, but retaining my star ship design system.
I had several more of these (Survival/The Barbarian and Battlewagon for sure).
Also a small number can be found here.
ReplyDeletehttps://www.wargamevault.com/browse/pub/3528/Amarillo-Design-Bureau/subcategory/19097_20551/Vintage-Games
Plus Starfire the game led to great sci-fi novels like Crusade and Insurrection by game designer David Weber
ReplyDeleteOh, I never realized that. I read at least one or two of his novels and remember them being decent.
DeleteI remember Intruder as quite a good game (buy that's through the misty memory of 40 years!). My copy of Valkenburg Vastle is somewhere in the loft...again I remember it fondly but that might just be nostalgia calling
ReplyDeleteIntruder was noteworthy for being quite a good solo game, something that seemed to elude many designers back then. Valkenberg was certainly still fun when I hauled it out for a few games last year.
DeleteMy copy of Intruder has pages 5 and 10 left blank. I did used the map for other Sci-fi RPGs. I really did want to try out the game but never found a complete copy. I should see if someone has uploaded a copy to Scribd.
DeleteNever saw that ad before, and it's absolutely fascinating. As far as I can tell neither Gunship nor To No End were actually published despite being listed as available for order, and of the ones listed as SOON only Ultra-Warrior and Survival/Barbarian actually came out. To No End may have been released later as Operation Konrad by Close Simulations, but I'm not 100% sure of that.
ReplyDeleteCan't even find a record of "JP Publications" who apparently made earlier (1975) versions of Poland 1939 and Marine. When even BGG is stumped it gets my attention.
Point Red sounds ambitious for a pocket game and it's pretty unusual to see a game optimized for exactly 5 players.
I must have owned a later version of Starfire- it was in a full size box. This would have been around 83/84 ish I guess.
ReplyDelete2nd edition, IIRC. First one to use a d10 instead of 2d6 when rolling to hit, right? Still my favorite in many ways, it didn't add the many layers of complications later editions did - although it also wasn't as good for strategic level play, which I think is the game's appeal for most folks.
DeleteI think 2nd edition compiled and combined Starfire and Starfire II into a boxed set. I believe it was 3rd edition that changed to d10.
DeleteHere is a pic of the box of the version I owned.
Deletehttps://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/starfire-game-series-task-force-games-1840428040
That's 2nd edition. I have the PDF from Wargame Vault/DriveThru. I just looked at it to be sure. It does use d6s.
DeleteLoved Starfire. Had Cerberus but could never find anyone willing to play.
ReplyDeleteCerberus was fun, but tended to drag out into pyrrhic victories or draws a lot of the time IME. Think I managed to play it six or eight times and I only recall one really convincing win (by the Terrans, FWIW). I did really like the way the game handled power armored troops at a grand strategic scale - they were great for your super-elite special forces commando raids and the like, but too expensive and complex to field in huge numbers to hold ground so it was all in-and-out operations with them. Really made the regular troops feel like they still had a role on the battlefield.
DeleteAh - "Hitler Hits Back" may have been released as "Hitler's Counterstroke in France" but didn't come out till 1986. Description sounds similar.
ReplyDeleteAnd aha, JP Publications was "JagdPanther Publications" who published a wargaming magazine of the same name in the mid-70s, each with an game bound in. Apparently it was Steve "Star Fleet Battles" Cole's first gaming company - more info here:
http://starfleetgames.com/Jagdpanther%20Magazine.shtml
Well, that mystery is solved, anyway. I was still in the single digits age range when they were around, so I'm not surprised I missed them.
I have an unpunched copy of Intruder. I'm sure that I'll get around to playing it someday...
ReplyDeleteI have the Starfire games and Battlewagon still in their pouches. I still really like them all.
ReplyDeleteThese are probably the closest modern equivalent for some ultra-portable light gaming: https://www.perplext.com/packogame
ReplyDeleteI've always got a few of them in my bag or pocket when I go to the pub. They aren't all winners, but BOO is great with two players, and both TAJ and GEM are fun with 3-4. I've had fun with RUM and DIG, too.
Cheapass Games and Looney Labs also merit mention, although the former's now with Greater Than Games and a lot of their range seems to be unavailable. Dark City Games continues to do TFT-style adventures in the same vein as Death Quest,etc. There are loads of historical micros out there from various publishers, although I can't keep track of who's still afloat and who isn't.
DeleteAlso hundreds of small-format card games on the market from dozens of manufacturers, which seem to be the preferred format for post-2000 micros owing to low manufacturing costs.
Dark City Games still carries the torch. Their games even come in ziplock baggies. Their line not only covers fantasy but also SF and westerns. They've expanded into mini WWII wargames in the last couple of years too.
DeleteI'll check them out! The old Cheapass Games were available for free download a few months ago, but that link goes straight to Greater Than Games now, so maybe the party's over on that front.
DeleteGTG is kind of notorious for being bad about website function updates. It's possible the Cheapass stuff will be back up as freebie downloads eventually, but waiting for them to get off their ass and arrange for that isn't something to hold one's breath over.
DeleteStarfire was quite fun, my brother had the boxed set edition. He also played in a galactic campaign game similar to Federation & Empire.
ReplyDeleteI used to play Valkenburg Castle (and Warp War) with my dad. Good stuff.
ReplyDeleteHere's a fairly comprehensive list of micro/mini/pocket games from various companies:
ReplyDeletehttps://maverick.brainiac.com/cmm/cmm_index.html
Well, reviewing this again after many years, it's not as comprehensive as I remember. Still a nice resource though.
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