There were many games in the late 70s and 80s that I thought were absolute mustard and, frankly, have not aged well when looked at against their modern counterparts. The past always holds a slightly unjustified allure. Of course, my first car was a "sporty" orange and black Austin 1300GT which I loved and that, in reality, achieved speeds only slightly faster than tectonic plate movement and had an engine that would barely cut it as a starter motor for my current car.
Watching this, I had an epiphany: Rona Jaffe's "Mazes and Monsters" book/film made during the height of the satanic-panic with D&D has 'The Great Hall' as an integral part of the plot and Tom Hanks' (playing Pardieu the Holy) final destination to take his life in his deluded fantasy visions to win his own quest. Coincidence? WotC churning out lacklustre versions of TSR material is their raison d'être. Would love your take on Chainmail but I doubt we'll ever that. heh
I loved this game back in the day but honestly you’re not wrong. The old version had all those damn tombstone tiles. The whole board would be covered with them 😂. Honestly I dislike the newer version completely, looking at it here in this vid. But at least it has some color. I remembered we made this more fun back in the day by literally assigning a real item to the treasure cards. We used old costume jewelry and bags of coins and anything we could find. I think our addition to the game made it far more fun but yeah, it cannot compete with anything being made today.
I have the "Classic" The Dungeon, with the board big enough to fit the monster cards in the rooms and, yeah, it's really not worth the real estate. Beer and pretzels should come in the box because they are required. I definitely would not pick up any smaller version with substandard components.
Yeah, I had a similar experience. I have the TSR version from the 90's. After sitting in my closet for years, we finally broke it out again a few months ago. We were all rather disappointed with it. Took too long, it's too punishing, and too random. After losing our treasure multiple times, we just quit. LOL. It really don't remember it being this boring. I'm definitely going to get rid of it.
It must have been an absolute blast back in the day. Just for the fact you could get a pearl necklace gets my pulse pumping! The whole mechanic of "getting back to base first" seems to have had an influence on games like Clank and The Hunger. I get the deal that its probably not as fresh as when it was first released. Being fro the 70's, neither am I!!
late to the party here - pretty sure i have this in a cupboard somewhere, I also pretty sure your rolled a D20 in the combat. I also felt the cards were placed on the board, i will have to take a look again, but I remember at the time it was pretty lacklustre, and quite similar to warlock of firetop mountain which played almost the same way
Much respect for bringing up such an old "board-game" by TSR. But don't sully original TSR game by connecting it with the later "Wizards of the Coast".😎.
I played this growing up, it is likely on my shelf somewhere. I guess in situations like this am I better off throwing it in the trash or take it to goodwill (charity)?
Still a good game with young kids up to about 7. The rules are simple and easy to grasp, with the ‘role more than to beat the monster’ mechanic. Although your brain will slowly leak out of your left ear hole.
i've tried to find a review of 'Space Hulk' by BoardGameBollocks, but i've only found a brief summary of the Deathwing expansion pack in a 'best of...' collection video. any plans to go more in-depth? love the channel. best of luck in the future
I got the original when it came out, back before time began. I loved playing it every time! I have always used DnD figures for all the creatures and players and that works! Late in the game, all the carnage asada strew about the board. What do you recommend as a another game that is like this one?
Full agreement. I have the 2012 version with slightly better artwork. Especially the box cover. Same gameplay. Same board it appears. Same bad component quality. My only other remark is that (in that edition) had a standee for both a male and female of every class. The Fighter was Human, the Magic-User was Elf, the Cleric was a Dwarf, and the Thief was a Halfling. This did nothing but explain why The Thief sucked so bad. I mean, it's like a board game, but not fun at all. Roll to move, draw random monster, roll to kill monster, draw random treasure, repeat until you puke. There is so much luck involved I don't think it's possible to have a meaningful tournament of this game. Might be a step up from Monopoly simply because it doesn't last quite as long.
Hmm, you are not the audience I had in mind when I invented the game. I envisioned the game would be a family game, not for die hard, hardcore RPG'ers. If you can imagine yourself back when you were 8 years old, playing a game with an understandable, simplistic combat system, rolling plenty of dice, hoping to not die if you didn't beat the monster, would be a treat (especially when your older brother wouldn't let you play in his D&D game;). Thanks for recognizing the balancing of the four types of characters; it was the hard nut to crack and I'm afraid the current game is slightly unbalanced. I have no control over how the rules are written now nor the quality of the production, but you have hinted at how to overcome these deficiencies: miniature playing pieces for the players to use and changing the rules to suit your tastes. FYI, the one rule I would change is how the game ends: declare yourself the winner when you have enough treasure (skip the going back to start). Speeds up the game very well.
@@BoardGameBollocks That's the trouble with memory as we age...I got rid of the referee as I couldn't stand the idea of "little johnny" getting bullied by older kids. I am glad that idea appears to be still needed.
I can mail you some more shit games to review. It seems I have a few. What’s interesting is on the cover of that board game… that is a classic Drizzt look a like. I wonder what the story is there
"aside from Wingspan of course" LOL
My word, this takes me back - I had the original back in my long lost youth. Thanks for the trip down memory lane Mr Bollocks
I really appreciate that, even if you don't recommend the game you're reviewing I can always count on it being better than Wingspan.
"Aside from Wingspan of course". 😅😅 made my day
Two words: Clank! Catacombs
It really does improve on a great game.
Or any other Clank, as Catacombs is the worst of them.
@@mikolajwitkowski8093 You may be right but I need to try it again first.
@@uplift-yourdailypickup6424 For me it is only one to keep, despite fact that I am fan of Acquisitions Incorporated on PAX
There were many games in the late 70s and 80s that I thought were absolute mustard and, frankly, have not aged well when looked at against their modern counterparts. The past always holds a slightly unjustified allure. Of course, my first car was a "sporty" orange and black Austin 1300GT which I loved and that, in reality, achieved speeds only slightly faster than tectonic plate movement and had an engine that would barely cut it as a starter motor for my current car.
Did it get you laid though?
@@BoardGameBollocks Have you seen an Austin 1300GT! It screamed tragic even then.
Watching this, I had an epiphany: Rona Jaffe's "Mazes and Monsters" book/film made during the height of the satanic-panic with D&D has 'The Great Hall' as an integral part of the plot and Tom Hanks' (playing Pardieu the Holy) final destination to take his life in his deluded fantasy visions to win his own quest. Coincidence?
WotC churning out lacklustre versions of TSR material is their raison d'être. Would love your take on Chainmail but I doubt we'll ever that. heh
Very helpful, and amusing, as always - excellent!
Thanks! Love your reviews, master of light. I have this gamo but the old version 😅
The 1975 one?
1989, The New Dungeon
@@fmoros totally!! I had the 1975 one and it proves imagination is 99% of the fun. Cards looked like a 6th grader made them 😂
I loved this game back in the day but honestly you’re not wrong. The old version had all those damn tombstone tiles. The whole board would be covered with them 😂. Honestly I dislike the newer version completely, looking at it here in this vid. But at least it has some color. I remembered we made this more fun back in the day by literally assigning a real item to the treasure cards. We used old costume jewelry and bags of coins and anything we could find. I think our addition to the game made it far more fun but yeah, it cannot compete with anything being made today.
Except for Wingspan, allegedly.
@@enjoythestruggle apparently! Glad I never played that 😉
Thanks for the review mate!
I have the "Classic" The Dungeon, with the board big enough to fit the monster cards in the rooms and, yeah, it's really not worth the real estate. Beer and pretzels should come in the box because they are required. I definitely would not pick up any smaller version with substandard components.
Another AWESOME video.
Cool. Interested in your take on Wiz-War next
I mix some modern DnD rules to play it
I bought the original back in the day. 1980 version. Plus the very first D&D module.
Yeah, I had a similar experience. I have the TSR version from the 90's. After sitting in my closet for years, we finally broke it out again a few months ago. We were all rather disappointed with it. Took too long, it's too punishing, and too random. After losing our treasure multiple times, we just quit. LOL. It really don't remember it being this boring. I'm definitely going to get rid of it.
Wise words.
It's fabulous how you cover games of all ages.
Keep up the excellent bollocks...
It must have been an absolute blast back in the day. Just for the fact you could get a pearl necklace gets my pulse pumping! The whole mechanic of "getting back to base first" seems to have had an influence on games like Clank and The Hunger. I get the deal that its probably not as fresh as when it was first released. Being fro the 70's, neither am I!!
He's so entertaining
Spot on!
late to the party here - pretty sure i have this in a cupboard somewhere, I also pretty sure your rolled a D20 in the combat. I also felt the cards were placed on the board, i will have to take a look again, but I remember at the time it was pretty lacklustre, and quite similar to warlock of firetop mountain which played almost the same way
Warlock had the cluedo keys type thing going one and was a much better game
There was a very good fan made little class expansion released
Much respect for bringing up such an old "board-game" by TSR.
But don't sully original TSR game by connecting it with the later "Wizards of the Coast".😎.
I played this growing up, it is likely on my shelf somewhere. I guess in situations like this am I better off throwing it in the trash or take it to goodwill (charity)?
Still a good game with young kids up to about 7. The rules are simple and easy to grasp, with the ‘role more than to beat the monster’ mechanic. Although your brain will slowly leak out of your left ear hole.
My brain leaked out of my a hole
Ah the classic!
Haha, top lad slapping Wingspan, good man.
i've tried to find a review of 'Space Hulk' by BoardGameBollocks, but i've only found a brief summary of the Deathwing expansion pack in a 'best of...' collection video. any plans to go more in-depth? love the channel. best of luck in the future
I have the Death Angel game…is that the one you’re on about?
@BoardGameBollocks aaah, maybe. Any plans for a full review?
Yea sure. It’s been a while so I’ll have to dig it out. Keep watching the skies…
@@BoardGameBollocks can't wait. Cheers! 😀
Have some good memories playing that one.
A beautiful version compared to what I had as a kid.
I was looking at this game now I really want it😊😂
I got the original when it came out, back before time began. I loved playing it every time! I have always used DnD figures for all the creatures and players and that works! Late in the game, all the carnage asada strew about the board. What do you recommend as a another game that is like this one?
"just avoid it and play literally anything else you can get your hands on - aside from Wingspan of course" HAHAHAHAHA
This one always sounds better to play than actually playing it.
Yes!
Full agreement. I have the 2012 version with slightly better artwork. Especially the box cover. Same gameplay. Same board it appears. Same bad component quality. My only other remark is that (in that edition) had a standee for both a male and female of every class. The Fighter was Human, the Magic-User was Elf, the Cleric was a Dwarf, and the Thief was a Halfling. This did nothing but explain why The Thief sucked so bad.
I mean, it's like a board game, but not fun at all. Roll to move, draw random monster, roll to kill monster, draw random treasure, repeat until you puke. There is so much luck involved I don't think it's possible to have a meaningful tournament of this game. Might be a step up from Monopoly simply because it doesn't last quite as long.
Here for the best bollocks.
Hmm, you are not the audience I had in mind when I invented the game. I envisioned the game would be a family game, not for die hard, hardcore RPG'ers. If you can imagine yourself back when you were 8 years old, playing a game with an understandable, simplistic combat system, rolling plenty of dice, hoping to not die if you didn't beat the monster, would be a treat (especially when your older brother wouldn't let you play in his D&D game;). Thanks for recognizing the balancing of the four types of characters; it was the hard nut to crack and I'm afraid the current game is slightly unbalanced. I have no control over how the rules are written now nor the quality of the production, but you have hinted at how to overcome these deficiencies: miniature playing pieces for the players to use and changing the rules to suit your tastes. FYI, the one rule I would change is how the game ends: declare yourself the winner when you have enough treasure (skip the going back to start). Speeds up the game very well.
I played this back in the 70s and again in the 80s. It was still a bit poo then.
@@BoardGameBollocks That's the trouble with memory as we age...I got rid of the referee as I couldn't stand the idea of "little johnny" getting bullied by older kids. I am glad that idea appears to be still needed.
Not sure I get your point mate.
When does the 300$ Restoration Games money grab version drop?
This print of the game is pretty terrible. The second TSR print 1992 was pretty solid.
That’s the sought after one
I can mail you some more shit games to review. It seems I have a few.
What’s interesting is on the cover of that board game… that is a classic Drizzt look a like. I wonder what the story is there
It is Drizzt
Its a rubbish game, I gave mine to a charity shop.