THE UNDISPUTED KING of table-top sports, Subbuteo’s success is in its simplicity. Flicking little men around a cheap piece of fabric shouldn’t be so much fun but when you can add stadiums, floodlights, tv cameras and spectators to a table-top game, you know it’s pretty special.
There were endless versions of this game around and generally kids requested it after being attracted to the joys of ice hockey on NHL 94 or some other computer game. However, fighting was much more difficult in the table-top versions so players ended up focusing on how to perform the perfect turn-and-shoot move instead.
As you can see from the video, Total Action Football was meant to be the evolution of Subbuteo but was remarkably never owned by any member of TheScore.ie team. A few of us, however, knew a kid who owned it and they tended to be the ones who also got a new bike every single Christmas.
A simpler game for simpler times, Rock’em Sock’em Robots first appeared on the scene in 1964 and changed very little over the years. Winning was easy. All you had to do was push the plungers as hard as you could and (virtually) knock the other guy’s head off.
Very, very similar to table top ice hockey — though we’re not suggesting there was any patent infringement going on — one member of TheScore.ie team wasted many hours on this game in his childhood. That was until Glenn O’Connor moved to Ballyfermot and took it with him.
This was part American football, part Warhammer-esque fantasy game. While the name Blood Bowl sounds very dramatic, the reality was a little more mundane with moves decided by a roll of the dice and a rules list that would make the PGA Tour blush. It did, however, feature the Orcland Raiders and Darkside Cowboys so gets bonus points for punning.
While the table-top version was never, ever, as good as the one you’d play in the arcade, it was still great to get involved in games that were supposed to be ‘up to ten’ but in reality went on for hours on end. Would rank higher if the table-top version was actually as big as the table top.
Blow football is a game that one member of TheScore.ie team remembers as “a present your grandparents would get you when they didn’t realise what Subbuteo was.” To play, all you needed were two straws, a light ball and the smallest football pitch you’ve ever set eyes on. While you could buy the game it was also possible, like the picture above, to make it yourself.
This was, essentially, the cricket version of Subbuteo but only about 10% of the fun. Batting involved letting go of a piece of plastic while the fielders miraculously caught every ball with their feet. And yet, somhow, this game was fun as long as your dreams involved lining up alongside Michael Holding or Graham Gooch.
What have we missed? Loads obviously, so let us know in the comments below what your favourite childhood table-top game was.
Power-ranking 9 of our favourite childhood table-top sports games
1. Subbuteo
THE UNDISPUTED KING of table-top sports, Subbuteo’s success is in its simplicity. Flicking little men around a cheap piece of fabric shouldn’t be so much fun but when you can add stadiums, floodlights, tv cameras and spectators to a table-top game, you know it’s pretty special.
2. Table Hockey
There were endless versions of this game around and generally kids requested it after being attracted to the joys of ice hockey on NHL 94 or some other computer game. However, fighting was much more difficult in the table-top versions so players ended up focusing on how to perform the perfect turn-and-shoot move instead.
3. Total Action Football
YouTube: johnadamstoys
As you can see from the video, Total Action Football was meant to be the evolution of Subbuteo but was remarkably never owned by any member of TheScore.ie team. A few of us, however, knew a kid who owned it and they tended to be the ones who also got a new bike every single Christmas.
4. Rock ‘em Sock ‘em Robots
A simpler game for simpler times, Rock’em Sock’em Robots first appeared on the scene in 1964 and changed very little over the years. Winning was easy. All you had to do was push the plungers as hard as you could and (virtually) knock the other guy’s head off.
5. Super Cup Football
Very, very similar to table top ice hockey — though we’re not suggesting there was any patent infringement going on — one member of TheScore.ie team wasted many hours on this game in his childhood. That was until Glenn O’Connor moved to Ballyfermot and took it with him.
6. Blood Bowl
This was part American football, part Warhammer-esque fantasy game. While the name Blood Bowl sounds very dramatic, the reality was a little more mundane with moves decided by a roll of the dice and a rules list that would make the PGA Tour blush. It did, however, feature the Orcland Raiders and Darkside Cowboys so gets bonus points for punning.
7. Air Hockey
While the table-top version was never, ever, as good as the one you’d play in the arcade, it was still great to get involved in games that were supposed to be ‘up to ten’ but in reality went on for hours on end. Would rank higher if the table-top version was actually as big as the table top.
8. Blow Football
Blow football is a game that one member of TheScore.ie team remembers as “a present your grandparents would get you when they didn’t realise what Subbuteo was.” To play, all you needed were two straws, a light ball and the smallest football pitch you’ve ever set eyes on. While you could buy the game it was also possible, like the picture above, to make it yourself.
9. Test Match Cricket
This was, essentially, the cricket version of Subbuteo but only about 10% of the fun. Batting involved letting go of a piece of plastic while the fielders miraculously caught every ball with their feet. And yet, somhow, this game was fun as long as your dreams involved lining up alongside Michael Holding or Graham Gooch.
What have we missed? Loads obviously, so let us know in the comments below what your favourite childhood table-top game was.
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Gaming Power Ranking retro Subbuteo Table-top games