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Beam Me Up, Luke: A Star Fluxx Review

Posted 10/7/11 3:24 pm EST by in Hobby Gaming, Reviews


Ready for a fast and fun casual card game? Whether you are a fan of the Fluxx series or not, I can guarantee you are at least a fan of Star Trek, Star Wars, Doctor Who, Firefly, and the rest of the sci-fi genre. That should give you the basis you need to appreciate what must be the largest mashup of sci-fi references I have seen since Spaceballs. If that sounds like your cup of tea, than pull up a chair, set your hyperjets to ludicrous speed, and get ready to enjoy Star Fluxx.

Just the Facts:

Players: 2-5
Playing Time: 5-30 minutes
Age: 8 to adult
Publisher: Looney Labs
MSRP: $16.00
Release: September 30th, 2011

The Gameplay:

Fluxx differs from the average card game in that it is both simple and complex at the same time. Its simpleness stems from gameplay that boils down to "read the text on the card to find out what it does," but Fluxx's complexity is the result of an ever-changing set of rules. This is not to say that the game is complex in a deep thinking sort of way, but rather that it's constant changes force you to stay engaged with the game.

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Munchkin Axe Cop Swings Into Action

Posted 10/7/11 10:02 am EST by in Comic Books, Hobby Gaming


Munchkin Axe Cop is the game you never knew you wanted. That is to say, you may be a fan of Munchkin or you may be a fan of Axe Cop, but unless you've got a love for both, you won't realize that they make an absolutely perfect pair.

Stop and think about it for a second. Munchkin is a game where players fight a never-ending series of offbeat creatures in their quest to reach level 10. Along the way they'll collect weapons and loot (with pun-laden names), and experience frequent changes to their race and class. This makes for an overall hectic experience filled with two things: violence and corny humor.

Axe Cop is a comic written by a 5-year-old and it shows. The pages include some of the most oddball characters thrown into a rapidly evolving story, where more often than not, there's a fight taking place. The humor here is a perfect fit for the minds behind Munchkin to work their magic on. Heck, even MTV Geek's own Alex Zalben has described it as the "most ridiculous setup for a poop joke in the history of comic books." Slap this theme onto the already-great card game I described above, and you've got a winner on your hands.

Even though there are already ten different versions of the original Munchkin game covering everything from pirates to zombies, Munchkin Axe Cop will be the first ever licensed set. The game will be released later this month, but between that and the release of the Axe Cop: Bad Guy Earth trade paperback, it seems like October is Axe Cop Month. So let's continue the celebration by doing a sneak peek of our top 5 picks from the 168 cards in this set. It was hard to pick favorites, but these five cards best demonstrate the great pairing of Munchkin and Axe Cop: Read More...

Hands On with the Puzzle Strike Upgrade Pack

Posted 10/6/11 6:00 pm EST by in Hobby Gaming


Fresh from the printer, we've got our hands on an early copy of the Puzzle Strike Upgrade Pack. After Puzzle Strike, the Super Puzzle Fighter-inspired board game, garnered praise in its review here on MTV Geek, the anticipation for this expansion has been high. It aims to fix each and every flaw of the base game, so we tore through the shrink wrap to bring you some first-hand impressions and photos of the actual components.

Included in the upgrade pack are:

  • 4 player mats
  • 4 chip screens
  • 3 new puzzle chips
  • Re-balanced versions of all 30 character chips
  • 15 blank chips

According to designer David Sirlin, there are two major reasons why this upgrade pack was created. The first was the imbalanced abilities of the ten different characters. Since Puzzle Strike was inspired by a video game with a thriving tournament scene (which Sirlin also hails from), it was a no-brainer to tweak Puzzle Strike so that it could be a host to such high-level competition. The second reason was due to requests from players, particularly those who wanted to have a player mat similar to the mat included in Sirlin's other hit game, Yomi. Read More...

Xbox Live Slashes Prices On Board And Card Games

Posted 10/5/11 10:27 am EST by in Hobby Gaming, Magic: The Gathering, Video Games, Wizards of the Coast, Xbox 360


Can't get the group together but need a quick board game fix? Xbox Live has got your back in their current deal of the week promotion. From now through October 10th, you can grab the following titles for 400 Microsoft Points ($5): Carcassonne, The Settlers of Catan, Magic: The Gathering Duels of the Planeswalkers 2012, Battleship, and Family Game Night.

Of the five, Duels of the Planeswalkers 2012 is the must-buy title. In this game, you'll get the brand new Archenemy play mode, cards from the just-released Innistrad expansion, and the ability to use Ral Zarek, an exclusive planeswalker. The fact that the game is only just a few months old only amplifies how good of a deal this is.

If Magic isn't your thing, then don't let the opportunity to get Catan and Carcassonne on the cheap. These are two of the most popular euro-style board games and serve as a perfect jumping-in point for new gamers. If a round of Monopoly ten years ago was the last board game you played, then you owe it to yourself to try at least one of these two. Come on in, the water's fine.

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Risk Legacy: There's No Turning Back

Posted 10/4/11 2:30 pm EST by in Hobby Gaming


What if the decisions you made playing Risk today affected every future time you played it? This unique twist is the focus of Risk Legacy, a game that will have you breaking out your best Tom Vasel impersonationdoing everything to your game short of throwing it off the roof.

This sci-fi re-imagining of the classic war game plays as a 15-game campaign throughout which permanent changes will be made to the board, deck of cards, and rule book. After those first 15 games, Risk Legacy will be completely customized to reflect the history you and your friends have established, and you can play your unique version of the game over and over again.

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Last Chance Kickstarter: Golden Age Comics Meet Gaming

Posted 10/3/11 1:00 pm EST by in Comic Books, Hobby Gaming


Boom! Bam! Pow! What better theme for a quick and fun comic card game than the classic hero vs. villain encounters of the golden age? Designed by Trevor Cram, Super Showdown is a 2-player 10-minute filler game that fits in an ultra-portable 4"x4" box. Players chase each other around a 6x6 grid where a roll of the dice determines where mayhem will break out next. Using a hand of numbered cards, the hero and villain will show off in battles of brawn, speed, and wits in order to declare a victor.

There's less than a week to get in on this Kickstarter project, but it's got two things going for it: the game is a low $15 so it won't empty your wallet, and the project is already fully funded so you'll definitely get a copy. For more info on Super Showdown, head on over to its BoardGameGeek listing where you can get a closer look at the game's full rules and components (including some wooden "super meeples" that will replace the mancala beads used in the game's early photos).

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Fantasy Flight Games Reviving a Slew of Classic Titles

Posted 9/27/11 6:00 pm EST by in Hobby Gaming


While the rest of pop culture is bemoaning the onslaught of remakes, revamps, and reboots, when board gamers find out about a classic title coming back into print you'll hear nothing but cheers. Most of these titles are older hits that still see heavy play today, but now fetch several times their original MSRP on eBay because new copies haven't been printed in years. Fantasy Flight Games is known for their ability to turn out new editions (see the deluxe Space Hulk and Talisman editions for proof), but now they're really revving up the reprint engine with an aggressive release schedule. Read More...

George R. R. Martin Reveals His Hobby Gaming Roots

Posted 9/27/11 4:30 pm EST by in Books, George R. R. Martin, Hobby Gaming, Interviews, TV


For a guy as creative as George R. R. Martin, does it come as a surprise that he's no stranger to pen-and-paper RPGs? We caught up with Martin at Bubonicon, where he gave us the rundown on his gaming cred and gave us a look into a campaign he's been participating in with notable sci-fi author Walter Jon Williams. Check out the clip below to find out why out of all the popular RPG systems, Martin prefers GURPs, a system he enjoys so much that he's had two source books written for his Wild Cards series of novels. Read More...

Game Review: Test of Fire - Bull Run 1861

Posted 9/27/11 12:00 am EST by in Hobby Gaming, Mayfair Games, Reviews


There's been a lot of attention paid to the 150th anniversary of the American Civil War this summer, and Mayfair Games chose to commemorate the event with the release of Test of Fire: Bull Run 1861, designed by Martin Wallace. Wait, that Martin Wallace? Yes, Test of Fire's designer is a man well known for his European-style economic strategy games such as London and Automobile. Wallace represents one end of the "hardcore" gamer spectrum, with the other end consisting of American-style conflict simulations. So is Wallace turning over a new leaf, or has he played minister to an unexpected wedding of theme and mechanics? We put Test of Fire through its paces, so read on for the full review if you'd like to find out:

Just the Facts:

Players: 2
Playing Time: 45 minutes
Age:10 to adult
Publisher: Mayfair Games
MSRP: $30.00
Release: July 21st, 2011

The Gameplay:

Each player begins Test of Fire with a standard set of units arranged across pre-set locations on the map. The Union player gets 29 infantry, while the Confederate player gets only 24 infantry but holds the high ground. Both players each receive 2 artillery and 1 leader. The troops on the table are all that will ever enter the game, so the two sides must play to the finish with whatever strength is available to them.

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Game Review: Battleship Galaxies

Posted 9/23/11 3:30 pm EST by in Hasbro, Hobby Gaming, Reviews


In space, no one can hear your battleship sink. First came Battleship, then came Electronic Talking Battleship, and now comes Batlleship.... Galaxies? Yes, the classic franchise is headed to the stars in a new game of spaceship combat, and there are several reasons to get excited. For one, the brains behind Battleship Galaxies are the creators of Heroscape, the discontinued wargaming system that still holds a large fan base. Also, Hasbro has shown success in creating futuristic versions of their properties. Risk 2210 A.D., published under the Avalon Hill label, is widely regarded as one of the best versions of Risk to date. So how does Battleship Galaxies stack up to the lofty expectations set by its predecessors? Read on for the full review:

Just the Facts:

Players: 2-4
Playing Time: 45-90 minutes
Age: 13 to adult
Publisher: Hasbro
MSRP: $65.00
Release: July 2011

The Gameplay:

Battleship Galaxies attempts to toe the line between comlex strategy found in miniatures combat games and the mass market appeal provided by the Battleship name. In order to do just that, most of the complexity of Battleship Galaxies is hidden in the details. Just take a look at the turn sequence to get a feel for how simple the game can be at first glance:

  1. Gain 10 energy, draw 1 card
  2. Spend energy to deploy ships
  3. Spend energy to move and attack with deployed ships

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Magic the Gathering Commander Decks Provide an Onramp for Casual Play

Posted 9/21/11 11:00 am EST by in Hobby Gaming, Magic: The Gathering, Wizards of the Coast


Commander is a new format for Magic: The Gathering that is not exactly new. In truth, fans have been playing Commander for years by its original name, Elder Dragon Highlander, but now the format is gaining widespread recognition. As a community-created variant, Commander gained its popularity as the casual format of choice for pros seeking a break from the intensity of competitive play. Now Wizards of the Coast has brought Commander to the masses with five pre-packaged decks that include everything needed for a player to join the game.

Commander's popularity is not without warrant; the game is actually quite fun, and could serve as a great entry point for players not interested in traditional games of Magic. As I mentioned earlier however, most players were drawn into Commander through an active love for Magic. The format was not being used to its full potential for bringing new players into the hobby or attracting older fans back into the fold. The release of pre-packaged Commander decks is a welcome change as it opens the door to this wider audience in an attempt to strengthen the game's player community.

While the game plays mostly by standard Magic rules, there are a few quirks that make it perfect for casual 3-6 player free-for-all matches. For starters, each deck is led by a legendary creature, referred to as that deck's commander. These creatures start the game set aside face up with the ability to be can be cast on any turn, and can return to this position any time they would normally be exiled or put into a graveyard.

An example commander creature included in the green-themed "Devour for Power" deck

The most significant of changes to standard Magic is in the construction of a Commander deck, which consists of a hundred unique cards. There are also special rules on mana based on the casting cost of your commander creature, referred to as its color identity. No card may be included in a Commander deck unless its casting cost includes colors seen in the color identity if that deck's commander.

There are also some twists in how the game is won. Each player starts with 40 life, but must also track any damage they tack from each player's commander creature. If any individual commander ever deals a total of 21 or more cumulative damage to a single player, that player loses the game.

If Magic: Commander sounds interesting to then look for one of these five pre-constructed decks. Each has a different three-color identity with one primary color strategy and includes a starter strategy sheet for new players to the game. For a retail cost of $30, you'll get the entire hundred card deck in a Commander tuckbox, as well as three different oversized legendary creature cards that can be used as a reference when holding your commander face up out of play. There's also a draw here for Magic veterans, as each Commander deck includes fifteen never-before-seen cards that are legal for use in the Vintage and Legacy play formats.

Don't forget, we're giving away a whole slew of Magic cards from the new Innistrad expansion set as well as an entire 2012 foil set. In order to win, all you have to do is follow @MTVGeek on Twitter and retweet the following: We’re giving away a collection of Magic: The Gathering cards to 1 follower! #GeekMagic RT to enter! Rules http://on.mtv.com/nszw2A

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WizKids Gaining Footholds With Two Home-Grown Gaming Franchises

Posted 9/20/11 12:00 pm EST by in Hobby Gaming


Don't call it a comeback. As far as board game publishers with tumultuous histories go, WizKids ranks high on the list, but now they're back in a big way with a few games that will keep them in stores for a long time to come.

After bursting onto the scene with the Mage Knight collectible miniatures system in the early 2000s, WizKids was quickly scooped up by parent company Topps. The romance only lasted 5 years though, and WizKids had their operations suspended in 2008. Then, a year later and with gamers ready to pronounce the company dead, NECA surprised fans by revealing the return of WizKids as a wholly owned subsidiary.

Early on, this newly revived company focused on its core business, HeroClix and ActionClix lines, but also set the stage for re-entry into a booming board game market later in 2011. The first big step was acquiring the Star Trek license and producing two very well received games, Star Trek: Expeditions and Star Trek: Fleet Captains. This gamble paid off perfectly, leveraging the popular Star Trek name to get people playing WizKids games again. In making sure these first games were great, WizKids restored confidence in their brand.

Now that they're back in the spotlight, WizKids is reviving a classic franchise and turning one of their most recent hits into another. First up is a new Mage Knight board game from the mind of designer Vlaada Chvatil which aims to put a new spin on the deckbuilding genre by using it to drive a free-form adventure game. This new game looks to be a high end production judging by a few early pictures and a peek at the lengthy list of components. Click the image below to take a closer look:

The new franchise on tap at WizKids is Quarriors, another spin on deckbuilding that replaces the cards with dice. Lots of dice. The base game alone comes with a whopping 130 custom D6s, and the upcoming Rise of the Demons expansion adds 20 more. This expansion focuses on corruption, where players will purchase dice with negative effects and place them in opponents' bags rather than their own.

To say that Quarriors was the darling of Gen Con is an understatement. It made a huge splash there, and the fact that WizKids is following up with an expansion can only mean that there is a lot more Quarriors to come. They've been very open about their intention to extend the Mage Knight brand into additional areas.

Both of these games will be debuting later this year at the Spiel game fair, the world's largest board gaming convention held in Essen, Germany. There, up to 150,000 eager gamers will be able to see what WizKids has to offer. If the reception is positive, don't expect to see WizKids going away anytime soon.

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Twitter Giveaway For A Collection Magic: The Gathering Cards

Posted 9/19/11 12:00 pm EST by in Hobby Gaming, Magic: The Gathering


Attention, Hobby Gamers! For this week's Twitter Giveaway we're unleashing a sweet collection of the classic fantasy card game, Magic: The Gathering!

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Game Review: Fight Your Way to Victory with Yomi

Posted 9/16/11 12:36 pm EST by in Hobby Gaming, Reviews


If you've ever attempted to play Street Fighter but just didn't have the joystick wielding skills necessary to pull off a victory, then I've got the perfect game for you. Yomi is a 1-vs-1 card game that aims to bottle up all of the mental strategy used by professional Street Fighter players while leaving out all of the finger-twisting dexterity.

You may recognize the game's creator, David Sirlin, as the designer of the recent Street Fighter HD Remix video game and Puzzle Strike: Bag of Chips which we reviewed here on MTV Geek a few weeks back, so he's definitely got the right resume for the job. The big question here is whether a fighting game can still be fun without the controller, or if it simply feels like half of a game. Read on for the full review to find out:

Just the Facts:

Players: 2
Playing Time: 30 minutes
Age: 10 to Adult
Publisher: Sirlin Games
MSRP: $25 (2 decks) / $100 (10-deck Complete First Edition)
Release: January 2011

The Gameplay:

At it's core, Yomi uses a rock-paper-scissors mechanic to represent the various types fighting game moves and the different strengths they hold over each other. These attacks, dodges, throws, and blocks are each assigned to the cards of a standard poker deck, and just like a true fighting game, player must begin by selecting a character. There are ten to choose from in Yomi, and each comes with its own unique abilities.

Read More...

Exclusive Sneak Peek: New Magic The Gathering Innistrad Card Revealed

Posted 9/13/11 1:47 pm EST by in Hobby Gaming, Magic: The Gathering, Wizards of the Coast


The release of Magic: The Gathering's latest set, Innistrad, is quickly approaching on September 30th, and this one is all about returns. The release marks a thematic return, with gothic horror making its way into Magic for the first time since 1995's Homelands. It also marks a major return to the design team, with original Magic designer Richard Garfield joining the ranks after a 15 year absence.

New mechanics embrace the horror theme, the most noteworthy being the 'transform' ability that uses double-sided cards. Often representing the day/night representations of vampire and werewolf creatures, all transforming cards have a set list of conditions or costs that must be met in order to flip a card to its powerful alternate side. Several of these double-sided cards are featured on Wizards of the Coast's Innistrad mechanics blog.

For a sneak preview of the dark creatures awaiting you in Innistrad, check out the Falkenrath Noble, shown here are MTV Geek for the first time:

If you just can't wait until September 30th for the full set release, check your local hobby gaming store for pre-release events running throughout the weekend starting September 24th.

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