The "old magic" that were SPI games (and gaming)

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The "old magic" that were SPI games (and gaming)

Posted by Eric Walters on March 6, 2008 at 11:33am in All things SPI

If you got into wargaming in the 1970s, you probably came across the "Avalon Hill versus SPI" debate that was often the rage back then. Nobody had a "GDW versus SPI" debate, or an "Avalon Hill versus Battleline" debate back then. There were definitely preferences among some.

My first SPI game was FAST CARRIERS. I had gotten into wargaming via Avalon Hill's MIDWAY game, so it was only natural that I would get FAST CARRIERS that next Christmas. Let me tell you, for a 14 year old kid, that game looked very complicated and dazzling. This was no GAME! This was a SIMULATION by SIMULATIONS PUBLICATIONS, INCORPORATED. And that's what I remember most about SPI--these were very serious wargames and generally intended for the historians, not the competitors so much, which is what Avalon Hill seemed to cater to.

Sure, SPI published some "dogs," but then, so did everybody (sorry, I know there are some KRIEGSPIEL fans out there, but I'm not one of them). At least they were dealing with topics and novel systems and a publishing schedule that were all very ambitious. Even Avalon Hill benefitted--could we have had FRANCE: 1940, and PANZERBLITZ without SPI? I won't even talk about PANZERGRUPPE GUDERIAN, FREEDOM IN THE GALAXY, and PANZER ARMEE AFRIKA that were later acquisitions from the company....

Even despite SPI's reputation for serious simulation, they nevertheless created some of the best games we've ever played for entertainment and competitive value. CHICKAMAUGA from the original BLUE AND GRAY quad was elegant, exciting, and tight. So was ARNHEM from the WESTWALL quad. The whole NAPOLEON'S LAST BATTLES quad is considered a classic, as is the BATTLES FOR THE ARDENNES quad; both are in subsequent editions and still played. I still love CONQUISTADOR--an old STRATEGY AND TACTICS game that was subsequently published by Avalon Hill.

I miss SPI but I also don't miss them. The quailty, variety, and pace of historical board wargaming today is such that SPI wouldn't offer much that was different now compared to what it brought to us back then. Decision Games is doing a fine job bringing back older SPI titles with new polish. I find myself relegating more older SPI titles to the footlocker and/or closet shelf as newer editions of those titles come out, or better treatments of the topics by other companies have taken hold. But my nostalgia for SPI games still continues....

What SPI games, events, magazines, personalities, and other things do you miss? Do you still love? What drove you crazy back then...or does today?

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Permalink Reply by Matt Severns on May 9, 2008 at 1:38pm: I forgot about that one....about the only SPI game I got that I wasn't real happy with was "Raid!" , it was trying too hard to be SL. Another of my Faves was Cobra; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Chuck Sutherland on May 9, 2008 at 2:01pm: I've got the Cobra version that has the beachhead map also, how is that game?; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Matt Severns on May 9, 2008 at 2:02pm: About the same...the "extended version" just added more turns and the beachhead. The original just had the southern map.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Mark Herman on June 7, 2008 at 11:15am: One of the problems with Raid (published Sept/Oct 1977) was that it got hijacked by the development team. One of my lesser works. However, I would note that the game was completed and sent to the art department before Squad Leader was published in 1977, so it was never trying to be SL as I had not seen it yet when I finished the design.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Mark Edwards on June 7, 2008 at 9:01pm: Now Mark,

We *hijacked the development*? I just spoke with Tony Merridy, and while we don't really care, I think we protest.

-- Mark Edwards :); ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Mark Herman on June 8, 2008 at 7:55am: I stand by my statement, but how are you and how is Tony? I haven't heard from either of you in decades. I hope the years have been kind.

Mark; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Mark Edwards on June 8, 2008 at 9:53am: I see the standing in your picture! Uh, we're both fine I guess. I'm a software engineer these days, and Tony is a computer tech, although he's come into some money and is taking things easy these days. He has fond memories of you Mark, shoot me an email if you want his phone number.

Permalink Reply by Mark Herman on July 18, 2008 at 9:04pm: I couldn't locate an email address, drop me a line at markherman47@hotmail.com (put FTP in subject line)...

Mark; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Kim Meints on May 9, 2008 at 3:54pm: Moves was the magazine I read cover to cover till the next one would come out. I loved that magazine( plus F&M/Panzerfaust too). But my S&T's were also a joy. I mean,gee-a new game with every issue. how great that was in between the standard game buying. I would then go and buy the Flat Tray/boxed edtion of the game right away.

But the best fun was the old Tac series. Phalanx,Dark Ages, etc. I would love to re- fight all those battles. and then I would start looking up battles from books I could make up.and for some reason I like the old Red Star/White Star much more than MechWar 77 ,don't know why but just did.

Funny, the only other game company I get the same exact excitment from when a game comes in like back with the SPI games is GMT.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Adam Lid on May 9, 2008 at 5:41pm: like the old Red Star/White Star much more than MechWar 77 ,don't know why but just did

Maybe because it was a IGO-UGO movement system as opposed to the cumbersome si-move system. :-)

That was one thing that always stopped me from really getting into MechWar 77.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Jorge Arroyo on May 11, 2008 at 11:36am: What fascinates me about SPI is the variety of themes other than historic ones that they created games for, especially Science Fiction. Not many publishers approached Science Fiction quite like SPI, and I miss new games of that kind. Many games from the Ares magazine were really interesting such as Wreck of the BSM Pandora and it's prequel Voyage.

I know Avalon Hill also created interesting Sci-fi games (Merchant of Venus is one of my favorite games), but the simulation approach from SPI was very interesting. I wish there were more Sci-fi games in the P500 programs from modern publishers such as GMT...

-Jorge; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Jim Werbaneth on May 11, 2008 at 11:45am: Jorge,
You're right about that. One of my favorite things about the seventies was that we were all wargamers, not historical gamers, not hypothetical gamers, but gamers who'd play any kind of situation that involved conflict, regardless of the context. There were fewer purists in those days, and SPI both fed and reflected that. Just as the same people who'd play an historical title would play a science fiction one, so the same designers and developers would produce both.

It wasn't exclusive to SPI, as you note, and GDW also had an outstanding record of spanning the spectrum.

SPI was also very good about mixing metaphors. Look at Air War; there were plenty of historical scenarios, and also one about intercepting a UFO, and another about fighting a dragon! Had they no shame? Thankfully, I doubt it.; ▶ Reply to This