But wait, board games are still around. I just went into target and saw an entire wall full of them. Classic games like Chess, Monopoly, Risk, Scrabble, Stratego, etc, right in the middle of the rest of the games. Clearly not being shoved aside or shunned. This observation is most correct, but it is not this type of board game I'm referring to. No, the type of board game I have in mind are games that dare you to cross treacherous terrains, narrowly escaping volcano fireballs, spiked pits and carnivorous creatures that lurk around every turn. I'm talking about the adventure board game.
Hitting its peak in the 90's, the adventure board game was at the forefront of commercials for children 10 and above. It's true that most of these games took some time to assemble to play, but once the challenges stood high and the anticipation reached it's climax, we let the plastic figures and dice do the talking. I will also make mention of a few other games that aren't of the board variety. But they occurred in the same time period and carried the same spirit.
Though not all of these games are extinct, I know Dungeons and Dragons is still apart of certain sub-cultures, but I want to focus on the lesser, no-so-hardcore game that were aimed at kids.
CROSSFIRE
Yeah, Crossfire. Though I would define it loosely as a board game (very loosely...), no dice, no mountain, no spiky death traps, who doesn't remember that awesome commercial. Just seeing that box brings back the jingle about getting caught up in the rush. Though not seen traditionally as an adventure game, it was just as exciting. The game itself was simple, load the beads into the gun and fire at the two pucks that moved around on the playing field. The constant reloading and firing made this game more intense than it appeared. This was a personal favorite of mine back in the day.
FIREBALL ISLAND
Now this is what I'm talking about. A volcano, fireballs, traps, 3D terrain, everything else that was in the introduction, this game embodies the 90's adventure board game. This was no candyland adventure, this was a game where the dice was between you and death. Usually games like this involved seeking out some coveted treasure, often a jewel, and then trying to return to safety while other players pit against you and your plight for the prize.
MOUSETRAP
While not adventurous at first glace, this was a different flavor of adventure. Is this a board game or a theme park? Look how many moving parts this game has, all arranged precisely to do one thing, catch a mouse. What an absurd contraption. Clearly over-complicating the act of catching a mouse, but who cares? It was fun. Slowly build the diabolical machine along the way until, finally, one player found themselves underneath the trap area. Turn the crank, watching the boot hit the ball, watch the ball roll, you get the idea. If all goes well, your opponents found themselves captured by the red net by the end of it. There was some cheese involved, but who really cares, the fun was setting it up and watching it work. Very few board games had a payoff like this one did. Slowly constructing this trap, letting the tension build up, then finally the last piece would be in place and the fun commenced. And that's Mouse trap.
FORBIDDEN BRIDGE
Probably the most played from my childhood, Forbidden Bridge. Another game which involved crossing a treacherous terrain to claim some jewel at the other end. The problem with games like these would be, they would come with so many pieces that were easy to lose. I know by the last time this game was played, more than half those jewels were gone to some unknown regions of the house (might still be there). One of the added benefits of this game was the bridge actually moved when you press down on the idol's head. Who dares cross it?
MIGHTY MAX
Again, another non-board game, but still awesome. Mighty Max was a pocket-size adventure before the advent of Pokemon and akin to Polly Pocket, its female counterpart. Mighty Max involved a bunch of themed, pint-sized play areas full of perils. This toy actually had a cartoon to go along with it which, I remember watching through and through. As I recall, it was only 1 or 2 seasons, but I still remember the ending since it was a looping plot that returned back to the first episode.
Unfortunately, that's all I could think of, but I think you get the idea. Maybe it's because I've long outgrown the shows these commercials would appear between, or maybe video games have replaced these adventure games, but as far as I'm concerned, back in my day, board games were awesome. They don't really make them like this anymore.
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