I missed my chance to play RoboRally -- the board game that Richard Garfield
originally tried to publish through Wizards of the Coast before hitting
the jackpot with Magic: the Gathering -- the first time it was available.
I remember seeing it in stores but being a little scared off by the price.
Over time, I came to learn more about it and thought it sounded like a pretty
cool idea for a game. I finally got a chance to play at Gen Con, in 2003.
I had an absolute blast playing it but, sadly, by then it was out of print
and was fetching high prices among collectors on eBay.
A few months ago, I saw the cover of one of the trade magazines trumpeting
the return of RoboRally through Wizards of the Coast's Avalon Hill brand,
I was practically foaming with excitement. |
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| Original image courtesy Avalon Hill/Wizards
of the Coast. |
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Game play consists of robots racing around a factory and collecting flags.
Robots are programmed
with move cards, using a series of card sequences. Because every robot moves
at essentially the same time, it is possible for a player's carefully plotted
route to get knocked horribly off track when an opponent bumps you. A miscalculation
could, for example, send a robot onto a conveyor belt or toss it into a
pit. To add a little more spice to the race, various powerup cards are also
available. |
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| When I finally acquired a copy of my own, it was a wonderful thing to behold.
Everything looked pretty much how I remembered it. (It had been several
years, so my memory wasn't too good). But still, the maps and tokens looked
nice, and everyone could have a personal template that made it unnecessary
to memorize a whole lot of rules. The actual rulebook itself was a little
confusing, and I had to read through it several times to make sure I was
playing correctly. |
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| Original image courtesy Avalon Hill/Wizards
of the Coast. |
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This game is a lot of fun. It is a rather simple-to-grasp concept that
allows for some good strategizing
with a bit of luck too. The relatively high price might still scare some
of you off, but if you can't afford it, I suggest you convince your rich
friend to buy a copy and mooch off of him.
Verdict: Recommended. |
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| Some RoboRally course variants are listed here by Avalon Hill/Wizards of the Coast. |
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