Hercules and Xena
The role-playing game based on the popular TV series’ of the 90s. It was put out by West End Games in 1998. The next year they declared bankruptcy and this game was the last one the company known as West End Games released as a core game. However, I am sure this had nothing to do with the quality of this game.
All kidding aside, this is actually a pretty good game. The system is sleek and meshes well with the setting. The material in the nice boxed set is well done and full of useful setting material and adventures. Overall it is a good game. However, it does draw a snicker from my gaming friends when they see it.
Street Fighter
White Wolf put this out in 1994. Its actual title is Street Fighter: The Storytelling Game and uses the White Wolf World of Darkness rule set. Yes, it is a game based on video game combat marketed as a storytelling game. It makes the mind boggle. To be honest I have not read the book, only skimmed it. And yes, it was in the discount bin and I got it because it was cheap. I have not played it so I really don’t know how it would play, but again, my friends look at me sideways when they see it on my shelf.
Hidden Kingdom
This game is safe from my friends’ derision. It is a nice boxed set which pulls out to reveal some really nice maps (actually they really are nice) and a rule set in a useful three-ring binder. Released in 1983, it is a fantasy RPG game set in Arthurian times. From the outside it looks really good. Until you actually try to read the rules. To me it reads like a bunch of pretentious hippies got high one day and wrote an RPG. The rules are this mass of high concepts mashed together in the most outlandish jargon possible to describe things only someone smoking something illegal could pretend to understand. It is made up of 4 chapters, no wait, chapters is too light a title and they used the word Mode instead of Chapter. Everything they could do to remove themselves from any common ground in RPGs they did. In the end, for me, this RPG is the epitome of what not to do when creating an RPG. Why do I still have this game on my shelf? To remind myself what not to do when creating RPG material, a cold, harsh reminder. Thankfully, my gaming friends can’t hold the game against me since it looks so safe from the outside...and they will never, ever be allowed to look inside of it.
What game books do you wish you had taken the time to hide before your gaming friends come over?
4 comments:
Street Fighter is such an awesome game though. Sure, people who haven't played it look at it funny, but it handles the concepts perfectly and is fun and smooth. Oh well.
On the same vein, however, is the Sailor Moon RPG. A lot of gamers see that on my shelf and snort. Heck, even Buffy gets it's share of derision (and is also a good RPG).
I have the Stree Fighter one too. Read the rules and all, but never played. I dont't like the Storyteller system anyways.
I don't have many embarassing RPG because the only ones that ever got to my countre were the mainstream ones. Although I do have a national RPG with some pretty funny folklore creatures. I actually like it, but my player's find it quite funny.
You must give Street fighter a shot!
It has one of the most interesting combat mechanics I have ever seen.
It plays out just like a kung fu movie!
The only down side is group fights just don't work well.
Is it bad that I want to play the Hercules game?
Wait, is there a Mortal Kombat RPG? Because I would be all over that.
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