80s Science Fiction War Games

Role Playing Games

• Role playing games (RPGs) are often associated with fantasy titles such as "Dungeons &Dragons," but there were a litany of games based on science fiction titles as well. RPGs based on popular films such as "Star Wars' were released in 1987. These put gamers into the shoes of the Galactic Rebellion as they fought off the Empire. "Star Trek" saw its first RPG of the '80s released in 1982 around the time of the film release of "The Wrath of Khan." This game pitted players against the Klingon Empire in an attempt to bring peace to the galaxy. Both series saw offshoots continuing the stories begun in their respective film and television counterparts.

Video Games

• Video games in the '80s were still in their infancy. Atari released several science fiction based games such as "Galaga" and "The Last Starfighter." These games placed you in the middle of the action as you fought off opposing ships. When Nintendo began its dominance in the late '80s, it released the classic "Metroid," "Mega Man" and "Contra." These side-scrolling games placed the gamer on the ground in huge warlike settings. On the PC side of things, the game series "Space Quest" took the idea of a role playing game and placed it into a video game setting. Using a comical approach, "Space Quest" and its sequels were a send-up on the popular science fiction movies and television shows of the time.

Board Games

• While science fiction war games were less prevalent in the board game arena there were a few standouts. Of course, "Star Wars" had several games on the market, but they were not the only science fiction game available. The game "Imperium" was a two player strategy war game that featured bits of an RPG in a board game setting. "Solarquest" took the concept of a science fiction war and placed it into a "Monopoly" setting, allowing players to buy property while fending off attacks from opposing players.

Laser Tag

• For those wishing to take their science fiction war games outside, there was laser tag. Created initially as a "Star Trek" game, it quickly morphed away from its origins to become something else entirely. Playing one on one or in a team, Laser Tag quickly grew in popularity, leading to the creation of several arena type amusement parks such as Q-Zar and Laser Quest. These facilities served as both a laser tag arena and arcade.