electric football

[MadCity]

http://www.miggle.com/images/upload/items/6071.jpg
http://www.miggle.com/

Anybody play this when they were a kid or continue to play now? There's a really good article about it on espn page 2.

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=hruby/060210

"At some point between Tru-Action's heyday and now -- no one knows exactly when, or how -- electric footballers discovered that the figurines could move like real players. Go fast. Go straight. Turn at a 90-degree angle. Cover ground in a sweeping semicircle, like a blitzing Lawrence Taylor coming around the corner.

The trick? Manipulating the green plastic bases that sit beneath the figurines. Aficionados call the process "tweaking."

Last offseason I figured the nfl network and espn nfl 2k5 would get me thru. This offseason, I no longer own my xbox and my cable provider dropped the nfl network. Said there wasn't enough interest. Seeing as I live in Madison, I blame it on the sorry state the Packers are in right now. Anyway, I'm thinking I might give this a try for my offseason fix this year.

[Arkie]

I had all the AFC west teams in electric football. They came packaged together. It was fun! I melted some of the Raiders!

[HEAV]

My cousin had this............... it sucked. Thank goddness Japan started making video games in the 80's.

I remember kicking field goals. G.A.Y.

[Bronx33]

I could never get the stupid SOBs to go straight!!

[Hogan11]

I had all the AFC west teams in electric football. They came packaged together. It was fun! I melted some of the Raiders!

So did I...I had the NFC West teams as well.

I never melted anything but I'd be damned if I could get them to perform correctly for one single play.

Used to end up losing the felt-like footballs right away and had to use little wads of paper instead...it was a nightmare.

To me, the best football game to ever come out was Tecmo Super Bowl (circa 1991) for some reason, I enjoyed playing that more than any Sega, Montana, Madden, Xbox or what have you...it never got old to me.

[HEAV]

So did I...I had the NFC West teams as well.

I never melted anything but I'd be damned if I could get them to perform correctly for one single play.

Used to end up losing the felt-like footballs right away and had to use little wads of paper instead...it was a nightmare.

To me, the best football game to ever come out was Tecmo Super Bowl (circa 1991) for some reason, I enjoyed playing that more than any Sega, Montana, Madden, Xbox or what have you...it never got old to me.


:strong:

Techmo rocked! I loved that game.

[ludo21]

Madden 06 :strong:

to young for that old game.

[Bronx33]

:strong:

Techmo rocked! I loved that game.


Man we used to have round robins that lasted all night and into the next day playing techmo there was even fights sometimes lol.

[Orange_Beard]

Talk about a very cool looking toy that was really CRAP.

[watermock]

At the church the Pastor and I had a showdown and I would set up my shots, on the hockey manual table and he called me an old lady! He was a fine man and had a genuine experience with the Ghost, but he got pissed because I was not playing fast....

This was a fine man, but his patience wore down. This was a real live man, and he said to me he was visited by a shiny being, and he said it to me personally and he said it in church. He went on to Des Moines.

[Hogan11]

Man we used to have round robins that lasted all night and into the next day playing techmo there was even fights sometimes lol.

Same here! Amazing....we did the same thing with Axis And Allies...games that would be for money and go on for days.......I miss that kinda thing.

[SteveTensi13]

My brother had that stupid game. I remember the field vibrated like crazy causing the plastic figurines to go every which way. Then you could kick a field goal and the friggin ball would go right out of the "stadium".

[Bronx33]

Same here! Amazing....we did the same thing with Axis And Allies...games that would be for money and go on for days.......I miss that kinda thing.


That lead to super techmo and then to madden on the play station and also NHL EA sports, 48 hours and a half pound of dope and we were set! all my friend met stupid girls now we don't do it anymore... :(

[Hogan11]

That lead to super techmo and then to madden on the play station and also NHL EA sports, 48 hours and a half pound of dope and we were set! all my friend meet stupid girls now we don't do it anymore... :(

Ha! Domesticality breeds staleness and then, things like this don't occur anymore...it's sad.

NHL EA Sports...1994 was the last I was involved playing that...it was a cool game, but I had trouble moving the players when I was messed up.

Nothing beats that Nitendo Super tecmo bowl though...I have yet to see a game equal the fun it had...the graphics keep getting better, but something always seems to lack.

[Bronx33]

Ha! Domesticality breeds staleness and then, things like this don't occur anymore...it's sad.

NHL EA Sports...1994 was the last I was involved playing that...it was a cool game, but I had trouble moving the players when I was messed up.

Nothing beats that Nitendo Super tecmo bowl though...I have yet to see a game equal the fun it had...the graphics keep getting better, but something always seems to lack.


We played that one for like 4 years they kept putting out new ones but they just sucked until 98 came out, THEN IS WAS ON!

[Hogan11]

I always played the Flyers and Nordiques on that game...the Flyers sucked on it, so they were the bigger challenge...the announcers annoyed me though, they always made me play with that crap on :(

[watermock]

I thought you were talking about the actual table games where you twirled around and pushed and turned by hand...

[Hogan11]

I thought you were talking about the actual table games where you twirled around and pushed and turned by hand...

Inititally yes, we were...but the convo evolved....such is life.

I think I still have that electric game with all those teams in the attic....wonder what they'd get me on eBay?

[Arkie]

The 1967 Broncos are going for $212.50!

http://cgi.ebay.com/Tudor-Electric-Football-Broncos-Dark-orig-67-Bigmen_W0QQitemZ8762582647QQcategoryZ2549QQssPageN ameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

http://i23.ebayimg.com/01/i/06/31/f4/c2_12.JPG

[Bronx33]

The 1967 Broncos are going for $212.50!

http://cgi.ebay.com/Tudor-Electric-Football-Broncos-Dark-orig-67-Bigmen_W0QQitemZ8762582647QQcategoryZ2549QQssPageN ameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

http://i23.ebayimg.com/01/i/06/31/f4/c2_12.JPG


That doesn't suprise me, alot of those are really hard to find in full sets since some kids liked to light em on fire.

[watermock]

http://i23.ebayimg.com/01/i/06/31/f4/c2_12.JPG

no wonder we lost in the 60's...the coaches needed to point them in the right direction...how we couldn't score against an opponent also shows some rather odd coaching tactics...TAKE A RIGHT TURN DAMMIT...

[ClevelandBronco]

The 1960 Broncos are going for 12¢.

http://iml.jou.ufl.edu/projects/Fall05/brownlee/vintagebroncos.gif

[TomServo]

i have the '72 cowboys squirreled away somewhere. i have no idea who their opponent was. the board got rusted an thrown out. while i was on ebay i saw a hotwheel car i saved from 1968 worth 70$.

[SportinOne]

Not to totally switch the subject, but did anyone play electric baseball?

It was alot funner until it broke. The only thing that was controlled by the electric was the baserunners. They ran around on this track and would keep going til you said stop. The batting required you to pull a knob and release it sending the metal magnet hurling at the metal outfield wall.

I'm looking this one up.

[SportinOne]

No wait, there was a better game i used to play...

Not sports related at all..

Crossbows and Catapults!!! I had a cousin who got real harcore with RPG stuff and would paint those metal figurines and then we'd use em in our C&C games..

That game simply rocked and you could NEVER get sick of it...

[B-Love]

There's a sucker born everyday.

http://cgi.ebay.com/Tudor-Electric-Football-Bills-Dark-orig-67-Bigmen_W0QQitemZ8762574733QQcategoryZ2549QQssPageN ameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

It's funny how this 1967 Bills team just happens to have #34 and #32 at Fullback and Tailback, with #87 at TE and #40 and # 81 at WR.

That would be Jim Braxton at Fullback, OJ at Tailback, Paul Seymour at TE, JD Hill and Bobby Chandler at WR spots.

1967 my ass. These sets can be bought on the cheap these days, and apparently sold to suckers who think they are legitimately 38 years old.

OJ and the rest I listed above played together in the mid 70's, not 1967.

[B-Love]

http://cgi.ebay.com/Tudor-Electric-Football-Broncos-Dark-orig-67-Bigmen_W0QQitemZ8762582647QQcategoryZ2549QQssPageN ameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

Amazing!!

The 1967 Broncos just happened to have #25 at WR, just like Haven Moses wore ten years later.

Hey and the other 1967 WR wore # 80, just like Rick Upchurch?? What a coincidence.

And look at TE # 88, just like Riley Odoms did too. Wow!! This is incredible.

Hey and Otis Armstrong and Jim Jensen are playing RB too. I didn't know they played in 1967??

OK enough silly sarcasm. PS, the 1967 Broncos did not have any helmet decals. It was a plain blue helmet.

Someone e mail this jerkoff and tell him we know he's a fraud.

[B-Love]

http://cgi.ebay.com/Tudor-Electric-Football-Steelers-Dark-68-hog-legs_W0QQitemZ8762585637QQcategoryZ2549QQssPageNam eZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem#ebayphotohosting

Bradshaw at QB, Franco and Bleier at RB, Swann and Frank Lewis at WR.

Sham.

[B-Love]

This dude was definately mid 70's hardcore though.

Kenny Anderson chucking the pill to Chip Myers and the flashy Isaac Curtis, with Bob Trumpy at TE.

Boobie Clark at FB too, #42. Nice old school memories.

http://cgi.ebay.com/Tudor-Electric-Football-Bengals-Light-68-hog-legs_W0QQitemZ8762587593QQcategoryZ2549QQssPageNam eZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

[ludo21]

Way to catch him B-Love!!!

Dumb guy tryting to cheat the system.

[REB]

Did anyone have this game circa 1977? I still have it in my closet. Cool game.

[B-Love]

Reb, cool find. I did play that a bit but I spent 90% of my time playing Strat O Matic. Was alot better.

I used to play Strat O Matic football leagues solitaire style; the entire season. I used to play over Summer breaks between High School years, at least 4 hours per day. I'd get 3 games in each day and I'd usually finish the season somewhere around late September.

[REB]

Don't think I ever played that one. Sounds cool.

[REB]

Is this it B-Love?

[B-Love]

Strat O Matic ruled. Good find Reb.

It was/is based here on Long Island in Glen Head, but Iam pretty sure it became a nationwide phenomonon for sports and stat geeks alike.

Anyone else go nutty for Strat O Matic??

[REB]

How the hell did I grow up not knowing about that game? I might have to try to find one and redo my childhood a bit :)

[B-Love]

http://www.strat-o-matic.com/

Good to see they are still around. Looks like they've hooked up with Sporting News to recreate some old school seasons as well.

http://fantasygames.sportingnews.com/stratomatic/

[Jason in LA]

With pretty much anything, if you know what you are doing, it's fun. If you don't know what you are doing it's a huge waste of time.

I had older brothers who grew up playing electric football. They played in a league, so I wanted to learn to play. My older brother (two years older), and I learned together and played a lot.

When you understand how to control the men, it becomes a real football game. The problem is that it's a pain in the ass to learn how to play it. You have to sit down and figure out what base did what. The strong bases go on the linemen. The fast ones on the skill guys. Bases that turned in circles were for LBs and RBs. Figure out which way the base turns, then put that on a LB and he'll turn the corner everytime and get in the backfield. Same with RBs.

The leagues had a number of rules to make the games as realistic as possible.

There are tournaments that pay off a lot of money for this.

The difference between this and Madden is that Madden is simple to learn, where eletric football is a pain in the ass to learn. You have to really want to be good at this game because it takes a long time to get the team right.

[Jason in LA]

Those ebay auctions are a rip off. Just order blank men, paint them, and throw numbers on the back of them and say you've had them in your closet for 30+ years. Total BS.

I've seen what some guys are doing with these men. They will make a photo copy of the logo, shrink it down really small, then glue it on the helmts. So instead of a dot for the logo, they'd have the real logo on all of their men. A lot of guys would paint more details on their men. They'd look like real uniforms.

[Jason in LA]

These auctions are just for men. Not a field, not any bases. Just the football men. Even if these are the real deal, not way I pay more than $30 for something that I could just paint myself. And my paint job would look a lot better than the paint job on these men when they first came out.

[Arkie]

Anyone ever play Blood Bowl?
http://www.pewc.co.uk/images/campaign/bb/bb1.jpg

[Breck Bronc]

These auctions are just for men.Agreed. I doubt many women are bidding on electric football players from the '60's. :thumbsup:

[Jason in LA]

You know what I mean.

[Hogan11]

The sets of players I got were from like 1975...I remember they came with a sheet of numbers that you had to stick on each player. It was a real hassle and they rarely stayed on them.....they were usually the second thing to go missing after the felt footballs.

That QB/PK thing was pretty wild though.

I also had electric baseball...but I really don't remember much about it.

I wonder what they'd go for on eBay....Hmmm, it maybe something to consider for the future.

[Arkie]

That QB/PK thing was pretty wild though.

http://espn.go.com/media/pg2/2006/0210/photo/picture9_275.jpg

The linked article in the first post is long and interesting, and it ends with a pass to Rod Smith.

At the other end of the conference room, tournament play is under way. Redmond faces Stoner, his Denver Broncos against Stoner's Houston Oilers. Redmond leans over the table, hands on his thighs. The Broncos have the ball.


Buzz!



Redmond Jr. prepares to pass with the yellow triple-threat quarterback.
A pass play. Figurines scoot across the game board. Redmond flips a switch. Movement stops. He replaces mini-Jake Plummer with a bright yellow triple-threat quarterback. Rod Smith is open downfield.

What could possibly go wrong?


"People will lean on the board when they pass," Stoner says, a hint of hope in his voice. "Then you turn it back on and it pops up. All the men scatter."


Redmond loads the triple-threat quarterback with a tiny felt football. The ball hits Smith in the numbers. No leaning, no pop. This counts as a completed pass. Stoner adjusts his defensive backs, pointing them upfield. He dabs a towel to his brow.


"Nice pass," he says. "Now fall down. Fall down!"


Buzz! The board quivers. Smith glides to the 30-yard-line. The nearest defender is 10 yards behind the play. Daylight to the end zone. Revels watches from behind the table. He turns to Stoner's children.


"Hey, you kids want some ice cream?"


Smith crosses the 25. The 20. A touchdown seems assured. Then, something odd: the figurine begins to veer, furiously wobbling toward the left sideline.


"Go!" screams Stoner. "Go!"


"No!" yells Redmond. "No!"


Smith wobbles out of bounds, five yards short of the goal line, completely untouched. Stoner giggles. Redmond shakes his head. Electric football is still electric football. Some things just can't be tweaked.