Tabletop sports game appreciation

[neo_prankster]

I wasn't sure if there was already a thread for this from years ago, but I thought it would be nice to hear from those who are nostalgic for such tabletop sports games as electric football, bubbletop hockey, foosball or even Subbuteo soccer.

[raysox]

In 5th or 6th grade, my dad got me an electric football table. I spent more time painting NFL teams onto blank players than I did actually playing. Still have the table and players somewhere

[Discrim]

I own a number of board games, some older, some newer, some print-and-play; I've been working on one of my own design off and on for the last few months (or year, I lost count ) and I can still fold a paper football like I was back in middle school

Among those I own, there's NFL Playoff, which has a field and a Monopoly-like board, along with cards that have six results depending on where you land. Low on strategy, you're more of a spectator, and the scoresheet that comes with the game is weird, so I'd initially found it to be something of a sluggish play. Since you only roll one die when moving on the board though, I found using the other die to mark downs sped up play greatly.

Then there's an apparently rare baseball game known as Baseroll. It was supposed to be part of a series, depicting various ballparks, but apparently only Wrigley Field was ever sold. Found it in Value Village several years ago, and I figure its' best point is that you can make your own teams. Not the greatest play, but it's serviceable.

I've had an old electric football game in my possession in my younger years. Being I was a pre-internet kid, though, and electric football games bought at Value Village almost never have instructions anywhere in sight, naturally I had no idea what I was doing with it. Didn't even do what raysox did. Only learned how it was supposed to be played in my mid 20s. Figures.

An old favorite I still own is Pro Draft, which you could play using your own football cards, and as the name implies, your aim was to draft the best offense (no defense tray). Among those I've never owned, History Maker Baseball and Second Season top the list of games I wanna try.

[neo_prankster]

As for myself, I had gotten an Excalibur Vibrating Football board for my birthday back in January.

Now, I'm trying to find out how to modify the board to get the players to run faster on the board, but every Google search has turned up nothing.

[Discrim]

As for myself, I had gotten an Excalibur Vibrating Football board for my birthday back in January.

Now, I'm trying to find out how to modify the board to get the players to run faster on the board, but every Google search has turned up nothing.

I'd seen that in JC Penney some years back, but didn't have enough to blow on it at the time. Naturally, when I went back a few weeks later, they were sold out. Can't really help you as far as getting your players to run any faster though.

I remember having a rod hockey game back in the day, and also a soccer game similar in fashion to rod hockey but it was battery powered rather than using rods, making it much smaller than the rod hockey game...though I remember still spinning the lever (for lack of better term) to make the players kick.

The most mileage, easily, though...back when I was in middle school, I'd play paper football against a friend after school, unless (or probably even if) I'd been dumb enough to get myself in detention. IIRC sometimes we used a penny, but usually he'd folded a football beforehand, and sometimes I folded the ball. Good times.

[Jaffa]

I used to enjoy a bit of Subbuteo when I was younger, as my avatar will attest to. My set's up in the loft somewhere.

[KDubK414]

The ones that I've had or played are table hockey, which was poor mans air hockey, without the air part lol. I played the paper football game a ton in school, usually in the band room because we had the perfect sized tables for it!

I had two really awesome baseball games....

One was a re-release/update of All-Star Baseball, with discs of current and former all-stars I got in the eighties, and you'd pick your teams and fill out your line-up cards and put them on actual score cards or scorebook like you use in little leave or for softball leagues. The game play was you took those discs and put them in spinners one for each team. On the disc would be like a pie chart based on the players stats. This link will explain the rest lol.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/All_Star_Baseball

The other was a pinball like game which sadly I can't find online but you can find similar ones. One person would be a pitcher and roll the ball down a ramp and the other would use a flipper to hit the ball!

I had tons of fun with those!

[JackieMoon]

Back in the 80s me and my brother invented a game using baseball cards, dice, and a baseball field painted on a sheet of plywood. Would use the old knothole score books to keep track. Was lots of fun until RBI Baseball came out on the NES.

[Discrim]

More than a decade ago, I'd found a game of Pursue the Pennant...had all the 1987 teams too. Hadn't played it that often, but on a lark I decided to give PTP a play in the afternoon, Mets at Astros. Naturally, there was only one way to go for the pitching matchup: Gooden-Ryan under the dome. I can tell you one thing, I kinda wish I'd had the Doc and Ryan of a few years earlier, if only because while the old Texan was mowing down Mets like it was nothing, Gooden struggled to eke out one K in 7 IP while giving up three runs. Then Houston got unlucky in the 8th, as a couple walks and a single, combined with Ryan's 6 stamina convinced me to send in a reliever...who apparently angered a black cat or something, as his adventure in pitching included a liner just over the 2B's glove and the first baseman booting it, all contributing to the Mets storming back to tie the game and send it to extra innings.

The Mets won in the 12th after Keith Hernandez doubled and later advanced from 3rd on a sac fly, IIRC I sent in Bobby Ojeda (as I'd already used Randy Myers, who dominated in his two innings before being pinch hit for) to finish the game, and the Astros basically kept on doing the nothing they'd been doing for the last several innings, so game over, 3-2 Mets. I know one thing, the Astros probably would've won if I'd made better choices regarding the bullpen, but what can you do? That was honestly a weak 'pen, especially compared to that of those Mets.

[JackieMoon]

Anybody remember NBA Bask-et? It was a game with a cardboard hardwood floor set in a board game box. On the board was a bunch of holes (for a ping pong ball to fall in). You had spring levers on the side and baskets on both sides. Me and my brother use to play that for hours.

...or the VCR series lol

VCR Quarterback

VCR Basketball

[neo_prankster]

Anybody remember NBA Bask-et? It was a game with a cardboard hardwood floor set in a board game box. On the board was a bunch of holes (for a ping pong ball to fall in). You had spring levers on the side and baskets on both sides. Me and my brother use to play that for hours.

...or the VCR series lol

VCR Football

VCR Basketball

Did that basketball game you describe look something like this?

[neo_prankster]

Or was it like this?

[JackieMoon]

Or was it like this?

This one

[andycumbee19]

We played this TONS when I was younger. We remember we added logos to the walls and all sorts of stuff. We definitely made it more realistic!

[Discrim]

Haha, I remember Basket.  Another one I remember is an old Value Village find, a simple baseball game that you played with your baseball cards.  As long as there was a batting average on the back, it was game on.

This isn't why I'm bringing this thread back from the dead, though.  Yesterday and today, I'd decided to pre-play the conference title games.  The game of choice, in this case, is a print & play by the name of Heroes & Rallies Football from a guy named Soren Narnia, which I can only describe as something of a hybrid of a quick-play game and a standard game, leaning more towards the former (as there are individual plays, but these are only used if you decide to go for it on 4th down or it's the last play of the half), and which utilizes a simple rating system: first, points are allocated to each team depending on whether one is favored over the other (using won-loss record), then these points are spent designating certain players as elite (QBs are worth 4, return men and punters 1, everybody else 2, and no more than one per position group [WRs and TEs are lumped together as REC]).  With that said, my pre-play recaps:

Quote

 

AFC Championship: Patriots (12-4) at Broncos (12-4), even matchup, so both teams had 6 points to allocate.  New England's Elite players were QB Tom Brady (4) and REC Rob Gronkowski (2); Denver's Elite players were QB Peyton Manning (4) and LB Von Miller (2...I know some would've had Demaryius Thomas, Brandon Marshall, DeMarcus Ware or maybe even Aqib Talib instead, but them's the breaks).  In any event, I honestly didn't do a great job of tracking who did what in this game, so for the most part this is a summary.

The Broncos started their initial drive well, going from their own 18 to the NE 45, but Malcolm Butler put and end to it with an interception at the 25.  The Pats' ensuing drive reached the Denver 2, but they were pushed back to the 7 and settled for a field goal, 3-0 New England.  After Manning took a sack to start the next drive, the Broncos drove down to the Patriots' 46, and then DeMaryius Thomas was able to break away for the first touchdown of the game, Denver 7, Pats 3, which is how the first quarter ended.  The Patriots' second drive looked very much like their first one, except they managed to get in the endzone this time courtesy of a short grab by Gronk, Pats 10, Broncos 7 to start the second quarter.  The Broncos' next drive stalled at their 38, and a shanked punt gave the Pats the ball at midfield.  A big play from the Broncos' 44 gave the Pats what would be the last score of the half, and made it 17-3 NE.  In what would have later repurcussions, the Broncos' next drive stalled out at the Patriots' 29, and their attempt to go for the first down met a stone wall.

New England's first drive in the second half saw them skillfully maneuver two 4th & short situations, but at the Denver 10, Brandon Marshall broke through the protection and appeared to have a sack and strip, but the officials ruled it an incomplete pass initially.  Denver successfully challenged the call, and now had the ball on their own 30.  From there, they drove all the way to the New England 8, but stalled out from there and settled for a field goal, which made it 17-10.  After forcing the Patriots to punt, the Broncos took advantage of great field position (NE 46) and Emmanuel Sanders caught the short, but tying, touchdown.

On the ensuing drive, Brady connected with Gronk again, and the tight end rumbled down the field for a 47 yard touchdown, but that wouldn't be the worst of it for Denver.  Thanks to inept offensive play and penalties, the Broncos only managed to move backwards, and found themselves facing 4th and very long from their own 4.  An ill-advised attempt to go for it resulted in Manning being sacked for a safety, and the Pats now led 26-17.  However, after the safety kick, they didn't have much luck moving the ball and Sanders was able to return the punt to the Patriot 40.  In hurry-up mode, Denver found their way into the end zone, and were now down by only 2, but would need an onside kick or it was over.  Against all odds, the Broncos were able to recover the kick, and managed to reach the Patriots' 37, but the final play of the game, a 54 yard field goal, fell short, and the Patriots survived, 26-24 the final.

 

 

Quote

 

NFC Championship: Cardnials (13-3) at Panthers (15-1), Panthers favored (8 pts), their Elite players were QB Cam Newton (4), Rec Greg Olsen (2) and LB Luke Kuechly (2) (or they would've been, but I forgot to mark Olsen); Arizona was underdog (5 pts), their Elite players were Rec Larry Fitzgerald (2) and DB/PR Patrick Peterson (3-2 for DB, 1 for PR).

The first half was a defensive struggle, the main highlights of which were Roman Harper picking off Carson Palmer on the Cards' first possession, and Graham Gano missing a 46 yard field goal that would've put the Panthers up 3-0.  The Cards reeled off a long drive that culminated in a 14-yard jaunt from Andre Ellington for what would be the lone tally of the first half, and the Cards would lead 7-0 at the break, though not for Carolina's lack of trying, as a 67 yard run after the catch by Jerricho Cotchery fell just two yards shy of the endzone on the last play of the half.

The Panthers would ride a bit of a hot streak to start the second half, after forcing an Arizona punt, Carolina rode a huge play to the Cards' 6, and later a short throw to Olsen put the Panthers on the board.  After recovering a Cardinal fumble at the 10, Cam found Olsen again, and just like that, the Cardinals found themselves down 14-7.  Arizona's next drive would result in a field goal, the final score of the third quarter, and then they would wrest the game's momentum back from the Panthers with a timely interception that was brought back to the 46.  Arizona drove all the way to the Carolina 1, from where David Johnson was able to scurry past the goal line to give the Cardinals the lead again, at 17-14.  As time was winding down, the Cards' defense was botting up the Carolina offense, and the lead seemed safe until Newton found Olsen for a 20 yard gain, then Jerricho Cotchery for another 16 yards to reach the Arizona 24.  Jonathan Stewart was the last recipient of Newton's arm, taking his catch the rest of the way into the endzone to put the Panthers up 21-17 with time running out, giving the Cards very little time to play catch up, and in the last gasp effort, Larry Fitzgerald was unable to conjure up a run like the one that'd defeated the Packers, as a pack of Panthers stopped him at their 43 yard line to clinch victory.

 

 

[winters in buffalo]

On 12/6/2015 at 7:41 PM, neo_prankster said:

Or was it like this?

I was talking about this game recently with a coworker!

 

 

[2001mark]

I had Stanley Cup table top hockey or something...  

 

That might've been 1985, the Christmas before Nintendo for me.  
It was fun, I actually still have its 3" Stanley Cup on my bookshelf.  Downside was the teams it came with were Canucks & Canadiens- not sure if that was some standard bilingual + regional balance thing for Canadians. 

I remember Wayne Gretzky's table game exploded right before 16-bit hockey vapourized it... 99's game must've made a killing, they were selling full 6 player sets for every NHL team.  

[leopard88]

On 9/28/2015 at 1:58 PM, KDubK414 said:

 

I had two really awesome baseball games....

One was a re-release/update of All-Star Baseball, with discs of current and former all-stars I got in the eighties, and you'd pick your teams and fill out your line-up cards and put them on actual score cards or scorebook like you use in little leave or for softball leagues. The game play was you took those discs and put them in spinners one for each team. On the disc would be like a pie chart based on the players stats. This link will explain the rest lol.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/All_Star_Baseball

 

I had a version of a game very similar to this that my mom ordered from the back of a cereal box when I was about 7.  The game play was the same, but I just had two generic teams with a player for each position.  I used to play it all the time.

 

On 12/6/2015 at 7:26 PM, sohiosportsfreak said:

Anybody remember NBA Bask-et? It was a game with a cardboard hardwood floor set in a board game box. On the board was a bunch of holes (for a ping pong ball to fall in). You had spring levers on the side and baskets on both sides. Me and my brother use to play that for hours.

 

I had NBA Bas-ket and an older version that was just called Bas-Ket.  I used to play that all of the time too.  To play against myself, I would set a timer for each quarter and work both sets of levers.  Shots from the opposite baseline were three-pointers.

 

The non-NBA version that I had looked just like this.

 

[KDubK414]

7 hours ago, leopard88 said:

 

I had a version of a game very similar to this that my mom ordered from the back of a cereal box when I was about 7.  The game play was the same, but I just had two generic teams with a player for each position.  I used to play it all the time.

 

 

I had NBA Bas-ket and an older version that was just called Bas-Ket.  I used to play that all of the time too.  To play against myself, I would set a timer for each quarter and work both sets of levers.  Shots from the opposite baseline were three-pointers.

 

The non-NBA version that I had looked just like this.

 

I had that game too!!!

[Sodboy13]

22 hours ago, winters in buffalo said:

I was talking about this game recently with a coworker!

 

 

This exact version is somewhere in my parents' basement, with the Kansas City Kings and San Diego Clippers among those logos on the front. My friends and I would play that for hours on end.

A few years later, they came out with an updated version that had Michael Jordan on the box. Those back shooting spots were circled in red to signify they were 3-pointers, and the hoops were made out of rigid plastic, instead of a thin, foldable sheet. Fantastic game.