Calvin's Canadian Cave of Coolness: Board Game-a-Palooza

Friday, January 3, 2014

Board Game-a-Palooza

9 comments:

j-swin said...: we had a bigfoot game where if you landed on the wrong square he'd chase you around the board...classic; January 3, 2014 at 1:37 PM
Kal said...: My favorite of all time was the Green Ghost game. I love that you could play it in the dark.; January 3, 2014 at 1:54 PM
Jordan said...: Several comments:

1) The FBI Game is fantastic. I love that it’s based on “Volume 46 of the Landmark Book Series” (whatever that is) and is endorsed by none other than Random House’s Bennett Cerf…even though the game is so unchallenging in its scope that it’s got the criminals exchanging information right outside the window of FBI headquarters.

2) The “Voodoo” box cover is fantastic. Very Saul Bass

3) The idea of trying to get the “explore inside a human body in a submarine” concept from Fantastic Voyage into a board game is ridiculously ambitious. I’m sure it just ends up being the usual “take a card and advance that number of squares” routine. Impressive that they increase the racial diversity of the crew, though. (And that sure doesn’t look like Raquel Welch…and why’d she bring a purse?)

4) I can imagine Leonard Nimoy looking at the cover painting of the Star Trek movie game and saying, “Come on, I’m not that old, guys.”

5) Sub Search, Manhunt, Green Ghost and Tank Command make me nostalgic for the pre-digital days when they had to work really hard to amuse you by building lots of complicated stuff out of injection-molded plastic.

6) Could Groop Loop be any more 1970’s? I’m surprised Sean Cassidy and Henry Winkler aren’t on the box.; January 3, 2014 at 1:57 PM
Kal said...: I love collecting these as I come across them. The box art on many of these games is great. I thought about collecting box lunches and games back in the days but finding complete games was crazy and my childhood games where lost so I had nothing good to start with.; January 3, 2014 at 2:01 PM
Jordan said...: 7) Transogram "proudly presents" the BUck Rogers game. They're really proud of what they've created!

8) Somebody crossed out the word "action" on the Tank Command box. Maybe it was the disgruntled owner. "Not much 'action' here, folks. Don't be fooled if you see this turkey in a yard sale!"; January 3, 2014 at 2:02 PM
Dr. Theda said...: The card game at the top was something that my family used to do at the kitchen table for hours . at least a couple of times each week , my Friend ... Thank you for reminding us of this pleasant memory....; January 3, 2014 at 6:32 PM
Kal said...: Milles Bourne is a great game and I remember a card you can use to Coup Fret your enemies and stop them cold. Love it.; January 4, 2014 at 7:39 AM
Lone Wolf said...: Agreed, Milles Bourne is a really fun game...might even try and pick it up again.; January 7, 2014 at 10:49 AM
Nathan said...: Mille Bornes was a childhood favorite of mine, too.; January 19, 2014 at 1:40 AM

Calvin's Canadian Cave Of Cool Manifesto

I forever stand vigilant to protect this planet from the myriad of forces that are always against us. Be it the octopus, zombies, aliens or the robots my team of human agents, and our feline allies, circle the globe in a never ending struggle for human freedom.

I learn all I can on every subject that interests me. I especially enjoy ancient history because in the past there are valuable lessons to be found. Also, if I ever get my time machine to work properly, it would be good to know a bit about possible destinations and what to expect when I get there.

I greatly appreciate beautiful design. Be it manufactured or found naturally I am fascinated by the process of invention. I am attracted to the unique, the strange, the haunted. I like to share what I find on this blog.

And not let us forget the 'Cephalopod Menace' who, if allowed to, would wrap their tentacles around all that is good and pure in this life and crush it until it remained no more. They are creatures of pure spite. Hate is all they know. Death is all they do. They are our most ruthless and determined enemy.

So we fight. Selena has the celebrity contacts, the cat is ruthless and without pity, Roosevelt's ghost has the experience and I do the wetwork.

Fighting for the future of the planet doesn't have to be a chore, however. We can take the time to appreciate all that is cool in this world even as we cut the octopus into bite sized chunks.

This is the reason there has always been and must forever be, a Cave of Cool. Be sure to wipe your feet before you enter.