I bought this to play with my 8 year old son. Yes the components are abysmal. But my goodness does he love this game. It is now his favorite game by far. When we play we laugh so hard we nearly fall out of our chairs. This game is insane in all the right ways. Please do yourself a favor and sleeve the cards!! We have not played with upgrades yet. We are just racing to get to the end. In a few more games we'll give them a try and see how that goes. Components ARE horrific, but this game is amazing. Chaotic, insane, uproarious, mind destroying, fun. And an 8 year old can kick you butt in it, too. Love it. Thanks for the honest review, Tom.
Hey! I'm buying this for my friend group. Are the cards just poor quality? Or are you saying that they get damaged easily if not taken care of? Aka little kids ect. I know your comment is 3 years old but I hope this reaches you!
@@lastresort554 Sleeving the cards is a must. The cards are thin and of poor quality and will be easy to damage and rip. However, the game is a blast so it is worth the investment. Hope that helps.
He must be a spacial relations champion starting that young! Given the age of this comment I'm guessing you've moved on to the upgrades by now, I suspect that you've got a house erratum for the Crab Legs too, they're way too strong! Did you look up the designers post on BGG? It was mentioned near the start of this review, it's quite a long post which explains the reasoning behind the changes and also notes that it wasn't published as submitted. So Richard included the rules he submitted so you can play with them instead, personally I think it works better than the shipped ones.
Way late to this review, I came across it via BGG. Completely agree with the quality of this version, it's horrendous. I sleeved all the decks as I knew they wouldn't last but they cut the costs SO much they're using the smallest cards they can get away with, which are smaller than the smallest sleeves I could get. I didn't do the upgrade cards as they don't get shuffled enough to care, but I will note that they aren't a standard card sleeve size either. 😒
Purchased a copy yesterday. My biggest beef is that the damage (spam) cards are of a different cut than your player deck. In other words I can intentionally shuffle such that I get rid of all my spam in one go with hardly any consequence.
On one hand I can agree that the components seem to be a very odd decision in the design department and could be considered 'cheap'. BUT on the other hand...20 bucks for the game with this neat of a theme? I think the compromise is worth it, to be honest. I'd buy this for 20 bucks and eat the 'cheapness' factor if the game is fun. It's a budget game that seems to promise ridiculous fun.
Played the original game back when it first came out. Just now I bought the new Hasbro version, eager to play the game again. I can't but fully agree what you say about the quality. It's a shame.
Tom I was nervous about this review. Robo Rally is one of my favorite games. In the end yes on every account. I totally agree with you. I merged old and new components to help out but those cards are garbage. I may need to get a custom printing of cards. I do play 3 flags with 3 or 4 boards but I specifically play in the center of the boards for all flags. My games take about 1 hour to 1.5 hours with large player counts. But I understand it's a lot easier to say use 1 board.
Also, hasbro started to put out editions of vanilla risk with no plastic boxes for the minis, instead replaced by cardboard boxes. I think Hasbro's starting to pool all of their plastic together to make their oversized nerf blasters
I totally agree on the quality part. I sleeved the cards of the new version and apart from the short ones even being 'much' shorter than mini american board game cards. (The large ones at least fit perfectly in sleeves for standard american board game cards.) They are so flimsy I had to be super careful pushing them down into the FFG sleeves, because they would bend so easily. The checkpoint tokens are pathetic. And what wasn't mentioned in the review: The box insert is designed in a way were you have to take out the insert every time to take out or put back the board parts ... because: If you don't sleeve and seperately store the small cards but instead use the places intended for them in the insert they will be lying on their sides and if you put the boards on top of everything they will be resting on the sides of the super-flimsy mini cards, since Avalon Hill couldn't even be bothered to make the slots in the insert deep enough for the cards that are supposed to go there.
Wasn't a game for me, though i can see it being a lot of fun for other people. My brain just doesn't do spatial reasoning, so adding that into needing to do spatial reasoning -fast- and i was just left feeling frustrated
I bought this before this video, and Tom is spot on . The component quality is awful. The cards, player mats and tokens are printed on what feels like slightly thicker than normal paper. It just oozes cheap dreadful game to the point that you just feel embarrassed to get it onto the table. Such a shame.
So so so sad the cards are so shitty. Looks like I might have to make my own cards for this. I can't find my old version, and I like a lot of the new ideas here.
Basically this. Target seems to have some kind of exclusive to sell it super cheap so $22 is their regular online price (I believe is a little more in the store).
Also, STOP PUTTING PLASTIC WINDOWS ON BOX LIDS. This is a clear - pun intended - indication to me that Hasbro's packaging design is centered on selling boxes of crappy cardboard than producing games with quality components storage that can be curated in a collection.
I bought this to play with my 8 year old son. Yes the components are abysmal. But my goodness does he love this game. It is now his favorite game by far. When we play we laugh so hard we nearly fall out of our chairs. This game is insane in all the right ways. Please do yourself a favor and sleeve the cards!!
We have not played with upgrades yet. We are just racing to get to the end. In a few more games we'll give them a try and see how that goes.
Components ARE horrific, but this game is amazing. Chaotic, insane, uproarious, mind destroying, fun. And an 8 year old can kick you butt in it, too.
Love it. Thanks for the honest review, Tom.
Hey! I'm buying this for my friend group. Are the cards just poor quality? Or are you saying that they get damaged easily if not taken care of? Aka little kids ect. I know your comment is 3 years old but I hope this reaches you!
@@lastresort554 Sleeving the cards is a must. The cards are thin and of poor quality and will be easy to damage and rip. However, the game is a blast so it is worth the investment. Hope that helps.
@@PonSquaredJapan nyaaaaaas
He must be a spacial relations champion starting that young!
Given the age of this comment I'm guessing you've moved on to the upgrades by now, I suspect that you've got a house erratum for the Crab Legs too, they're way too strong!
Did you look up the designers post on BGG?
It was mentioned near the start of this review, it's quite a long post which explains the reasoning behind the changes and also notes that it wasn't published as submitted. So Richard included the rules he submitted so you can play with them instead, personally I think it works better than the shipped ones.
Hasbro will quote Tom on the box: "seriously better quality!" :D
Way late to this review, I came across it via BGG.
Completely agree with the quality of this version, it's horrendous. I sleeved all the decks as I knew they wouldn't last but they cut the costs SO much they're using the smallest cards they can get away with, which are smaller than the smallest sleeves I could get. I didn't do the upgrade cards as they don't get shuffled enough to care, but I will note that they aren't a standard card sleeve size either. 😒
Hasbro blew it with their components again.
Toms kind of scaring me in this review
Purchased a copy yesterday. My biggest beef is that the damage (spam) cards are of a different cut than your player deck. In other words I can intentionally shuffle such that I get rid of all my spam in one go with hardly any consequence.
On one hand I can agree that the components seem to be a very odd decision in the design department and could be considered 'cheap'. BUT on the other hand...20 bucks for the game with this neat of a theme? I think the compromise is worth it, to be honest. I'd buy this for 20 bucks and eat the 'cheapness' factor if the game is fun. It's a budget game that seems to promise ridiculous fun.
Played the original game back when it first came out. Just now I bought the new Hasbro version, eager to play the game again. I can't but fully agree what you say about the quality. It's a shame.
Tom I was nervous about this review. Robo Rally is one of my favorite games.
In the end yes on every account. I totally agree with you. I merged old and new components to help out but those cards are garbage. I may need to get a custom printing of cards.
I do play 3 flags with 3 or 4 boards but I specifically play in the center of the boards for all flags. My games take about 1 hour to 1.5 hours with large player counts. But I understand it's a lot easier to say use 1 board.
Also, hasbro started to put out editions of vanilla risk with no plastic boxes for the minis, instead replaced by cardboard boxes. I think Hasbro's starting to pool all of their plastic together to make their oversized nerf blasters
Glad I have the previous Avalon Hill version!
I totally agree on the quality part. I sleeved the cards of the new version and apart from the short ones even being 'much' shorter than mini american board game cards. (The large ones at least fit perfectly in sleeves for standard american board game cards.) They are so flimsy I had to be super careful pushing them down into the FFG sleeves, because they would bend so easily. The checkpoint tokens are pathetic. And what wasn't mentioned in the review: The box insert is designed in a way were you have to take out the insert every time to take out or put back the board parts ... because: If you don't sleeve and seperately store the small cards but instead use the places intended for them in the insert they will be lying on their sides and if you put the boards on top of everything they will be resting on the sides of the super-flimsy mini cards, since Avalon Hill couldn't even be bothered to make the slots in the insert deep enough for the cards that are supposed to go there.
Wasn't a game for me, though i can see it being a lot of fun for other people. My brain just doesn't do spatial reasoning, so adding that into needing to do spatial reasoning -fast- and i was just left feeling frustrated
"You can pick your teeth with them" LOLOLOL!
I bought this before this video, and Tom is spot on . The component quality is awful. The cards, player mats and tokens are printed on what feels like slightly thicker than normal paper. It just oozes cheap dreadful game to the point that you just feel embarrassed to get it onto the table. Such a shame.
With this and the Arena of the Planeswalkers release schedule Hasbro seem to be deliberately trying to annoy Tom,lol
At least Arena of the Planeswalkers has properly sized cards :)
Paul Lucas isn't arena of the planeswalkers dead by now? No more expansions were announced
I got the 2005 version for $34. Not too shabby. The expansions are super expensive, but that's kinda to be expected now.
I've been thinking should I get this game or gkr heavy hitters?
gkr heavy hitters = super expensive VS robo rally = very cheap
This game is amazing!
why the game checkpoints are in numerical order?
1-36
So so so sad the cards are so shitty. Looks like I might have to make my own cards for this. I can't find my old version, and I like a lot of the new ideas here.
Insane? How about "looking for a challenge"? That should sound better.
I disagree with Tom. I like long races. they are much better than the short ones.
Thank you.
I think the spam cards come from the idea of thd bullet cards in Colt Express.
Also curses in Dominion, wounds in Legendary etc.
Ah, I don't play deck builders. Ok
Tiny epic mech had imitar dynamic except there is combat in tiny epic mech.
Also, this is like $35 on CSI right now. Not even close to $20.
Alluvian go to target. it under 25
Got mine for $22 at Target. Tom's right though - quality is AWFUL.
Basically this. Target seems to have some kind of exclusive to sell it super cheap so $22 is their regular online price (I believe is a little more in the store).
rsamp2124 target will match their online price in store if you show them on your phone.
10:40: He's like a bird. :)
Lol, Tom getting so angry! I love it.
Also, STOP PUTTING PLASTIC WINDOWS ON BOX LIDS. This is a clear - pun intended - indication to me that Hasbro's packaging design is centered on selling boxes of crappy cardboard than producing games with quality components storage that can be curated in a collection.
No joke this is hands down the worst quality I have ever seen in a game. I’m actually a little embarrassed to bring it to game night
They just had to put a porno virus in a kids game