By Kieron Gillen on June 4th, 2009 at 4:31 pm.
As the blessed few who pay attention to bylines will know, I’ve been away for the last week on the Greek Isle of Hydra. I’ve played no videogames. I have, however, played games. My Lady and I, confused at a pre-dawn airport, picked up a 7-in-1 WH Smiths Magnetic Board game set. Between attempting to encourage the sun to alter our pigmentation, we played through the lot. And looking at games I mostly haven’t touched since childhood with my adult’s appreciation got me thinking that writing RPS’ most expansive review of all time for a cheap-ass magnetic box-set would be a suitable vessel to hold some assorted observations on the form. Also, amusing overkill.
I’m putting this explanation in its own post as i) it’ll be renovated into a title post when they’re all done and ii) I don’t want to messy up the individual posts with an introduction. Natch. So let’s… go.
04/06/2009 at 19:49 Vinraith says:
Entertaining idea Kieron, back to PC gaming’s great great great forebears.
04/06/2009 at 20:21 Anon says:
so rockpapershotgun now reviews console games o.O
04/06/2009 at 20:29 Rei Onryou says:
I’d rather a review on the tanning process.
/sarcasm
04/06/2009 at 20:30 Will Tomas says:
I draw your attention to the last line there…
And articles like this are the reason I love RPS. Rock on with the conceptual reviews, it’s genius.
04/06/2009 at 21:05 TooNu says:
I WILL GUESS THEY ARE!!! Chess, ludo, draughts, snakes and ladders, cards, backgammon, dominos.
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“Chess, draughts, backgammon, dominoes, ludo, chinese chequers and playing cards. ”
Chinese Checkers???
I apologise, I can’t make links, somebody teach me and I will add you to my prayers..or at least say cheers.
http://www.whsmith.co.uk/CatalogAndSearch/ProductDetails-WHSmith+Travel+7in1+Magnetic+Family+Game-32161304.html
04/06/2009 at 21:16 Kieron Gillen says:
Wil Thomas: I’d already noted that. When I finish this I’m tempted to put it all in a document and cut and paste in it.
KG
04/06/2009 at 21:17 Nick says:
You must.
04/06/2009 at 21:25 solipsistnation says:
And here we thought you’d been eaten by Darkfall…
04/06/2009 at 21:48 Clovis says:
Kieron, this is full of win.
04/06/2009 at 21:55 ACESandElGHTS says:
Props to anyone that can play chess and enjoy it. Fucking game. Frustration in a box.
Backgammon? Dominoes? Now there are games designed for gambling/drinking/socializing…
04/06/2009 at 22:06 Psychopomp says:
God, hasbro has officially sold out
I see no reason why Backgammon couldn’t have just been an expansion pack for chess!
04/06/2009 at 22:10 Baris says:
I love this site so much at times like these.
04/06/2009 at 22:42 Fede says:
Awesome idea.
This is why we all love RPS: you can never know what is in store for you when you load the site (or open your RSS feed reader).
04/06/2009 at 23:02 Zak Canard says:
7 in 1 magnetic family games, with playing cards? Surely magnetic playing cards would be a right royal pain in the backside when it comes to shuffling the pack.
04/06/2009 at 23:11 Kieron Gillen says:
Zak: The playing cards are in addition to the seven games. I will return to this added value.
KG
04/06/2009 at 23:18 CakeAddict says:
Ah.. always played these with my sibling in the car when we we’re heading to our holiday destination.
04/06/2009 at 23:53 DSX says:
@ACESandElGHTS: chess in social situations or while intoxicated can indeed be very enjoyable, providing your opponent is equally impaired and the principle of winning isn’t stressed as much as the process of making actually legal moves within the realm of snide commentary.
05/06/2009 at 02:29 Benny says:
@DSX, ahh the good ol’ shot glass chess boards. Higher the pieces the larger and stronger the shots get. Suits my style of ‘screw tactics and take as many pieces as you can’ chess. But im sure if i read up on proper tactics etc i’d enjoy it much more.
The playing cards post could potentially be very epic. Or it’ll turn into how many variants of rules do we know for ring of fire/shithead etc…
05/06/2009 at 06:58 Tricky says:
I used to have a seven in one game board. It was magnetic and had little dials to dial the game board (one long strip of paper under a sheet of clear plastic, with seven different printed game boards on it) to different pages to play Parcheesi, Chess, Checkers, and oh man that was so much fun I can’t even describe how I loved that baby.
05/06/2009 at 09:25 dartt says:
@Rei Onryou It’s over-rated.