Other VHS board games

[SavageXtreme]

Though I don't have any other video board games besides Nightmare and Atmosfear: The Harbingers, but does anyone own any other stuff outside of the series? I'm talking things like Rap Rat and Star Trek: A Klingon Challenge.

I remember in 2019 seeing a copy of Klingon in a Savers (thrift shop) just days before I went to the US for two weeks, then upon returning, it was still there but ended up passing it again, it was gone by my next visit.

[DarkWolff]

I've played the Clue video board game ages ago and can only remember being underwhelmed. It wasn't my copy, and it's not likely I will be able to try again.

[BonsaiTreehouse]

I have laid eyes on a British-made VCR party game called GRIN 'N' BEAR IT (much more adult-oriented, rated '18'). About performing risqué dares using props found around the house at the behest of the host, 'Hysterical Eddie'. The rules are simple: if you laugh, you lose (though I reckon players would be cringing far more often than they would be laughing).

Uses puppets from the long-running political satire show called 'Spitting Image'. Haven't seen anyone upload the hour-long tape online, goes for dirt cheap on eBay though I don't own it myself, looks unintentionally terrifying.

https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/365 ... -n-bear-it

[marr0w]

The Star Trek TNG Klingon one was alright. There's a Star Wars one that is almost a total clone (although to be fair I'm not sure which one came first. Technically my roommate owns a copy but I'm mostly sure the kids pludered it over the years. https://www.amazon.com/Parker-Brothers-Interactive-Video-Board/dp/B000GA6K94. I've also played D&D DragonStrike which wasn't bad, https://www.amazon.com/Dragon-Strike-Makers-Dungeons-Dragons/dp/B001QA6ENU but maaaaaan was the video portion terrible. It's a bit like D&D First Quest, which I do still own, but with worse acting. Plus at least First Quest was just a CD you used when you didn't want to read the dialogue yourself.

The problem with all of these is keeping a working VCR after all these years. Obviously I'm going to keep Nightmare forever, but I've also got DVD rips of the tapes to keep them going. I can't say the same for any of these other forgotten games. There's little point in even tracking down new copies when you can't guarantee the tapes are even playable if you do have a VCR.

That said, I'd kill for a copy of Beyond the Gates.

[DarkWolff]

I'd love a copy of Beyond the Gates too. They reskinned a copy of Nightmare to make the box. Someone artistically inclined could recreate the box art and board with a ton of work...I am hoping that person will appear sometime soon so I can make my own copy.

Anyway, Dragon Strike wasn't so much a video board game as it was a game that came with a tape you'd watch once and then never again. The video is on Youtube. It's more like the instruction video from Harbingers but way longer and worse.

[SavageXtreme]

There's a Star Wars one that is almost a total clone.

Obviously I'm going to keep Nightmare forever.

After a quick Google search, Trek came out first in '93, then Wars in '96, so you're right about it being a clone.

I'm the same boat with my whole collection of the series whether its games and/or t-shirts, and due to some titles now very rarely popping up, they'd be going for huge amounts. But in terms for gameplay functionality, the tapes still work after checking them out, but as a backup lifehack, I have all the videos from YouTube.

[BonsaiTreehouse]

There seems to be various distinct “genres” of VCR game depending on which half-decade you happened to be growing up in: there’s Trivia like the X-Files made as late as 1997, the same year that Ultimate Conflict was released in the UK. There’s detective games like Issac Asimov’s Robots or Clue VCR, the latter of which is arguably the first VCR board game of its kind released way back in 1985.

There are roll-to-move games that are augmented or shaken up by the video such as the pirate themed Skull & Crossbones which despite similarities, actually predates Nightmare by two years (it even has its own staring contest segment). The worst of these are the sports games that simply hand out arbitrary point scores to whoever’s turn it is with little flair or appeal. Then there are the games strictly controlled by the video such as Hi-Ho Cherry-o or Rich Little’s VCR Charades which yes: is exactly as bad as it sounds.

[SavageXtreme]

The latter of which is arguably the first VCR board game of its kind released way back in 1985.

I love how some adverts and articles I've seen mention Nightmare as the "world's first video board game", which I guess most of everyone do view it as that, and being obvious it's the best known game out of the genre, but I recall whilst researching that the concept originated in the 80s when board game sales were struggling against the VHS market.

[marr0w]

The "world's first" might also be intended more like "world's first ACCESSIBLE video board game." A lot of the earlier stuff was hard to find due to it not being picked up in most stores or only enjoying a limited release in a specific country. Nightmare/Atmosfear might be the first world-wide VHS game release, but someone would have to do the legwork and check on that - I'm no expert on the subject. Honestly it's a bit of the reason I've let Khufu and 2019's Atmosfear get under my skin as much as it has. It drives me mad that a series that enjoyed it's popularity from being world-wide is suddenly limited to a specific country or two. Plus it's infuriating to own Khufu and not be able to play it. ._.

[ThatWidescreenGuy]

Hold up. Sorry for being slightly off-topic, but what's the problem with Khufu? I thought it existed in English and it's clearly not a problem with purchasing it since you said you own it...