Game review 57: Raleigh Burner BMX Game
Heart-stopping action is not to be found in this retro tabletop adaptation, but there are thrills of a more mundane nature
Swimming in BMX gold, Britain’s success in Tokyo 20201 saw a few extra members at clubs over the past couple of years.
But if you don’t fancy breaking any bones, you can still get involved in the visceral, thrill seeking rush of the sport thanks to this vintage offering from Waddingtons.
OK. OK There’s not going to be an opportunity for you, or your little plastic biker to experience the adrenaline surge of a spinning 360.
But look! 3D board components! Competitive roll-and-move mechanics! Basic-but-limited racing strategy, suitable for keeping your daughter engaged!
Surely that’s the same thing, right?
Right!?
Yes, of course, I know what you’re thinking. An A-to-B board and two dice - the quintessential get-up of the 80s board game.
Not exactly promising.
But also, maybe, just maybe… there’s hope in those moulded jump pieces, isn’t there? What mechanics do those visually unpromising brown lumps provide?
And yes, while Waddingtons could never have hoped to replicate the heart-thumping danger of BMX racing, what they did construct here is a lovely little, easy-peasy family game.
Lane position is important here, as is working your way round your opponents to avoid crashes and getting boxed in, and getting your approach to the jumps right to maximise your momentum.
When done right, roll and move is fantastic. All in all, it’s a bit like a prototype Formula D. With an inevitable element of luck involved too, it results in a genuinely exciting and close game with my daughter – during which we both get a little too invested in the result – in which she, admittedly deservedly, pips me on the line.
In shameful defeat, I attempt to challenge her to a real bike race, knowing full well my young opponent would require stabilisers, allowing me to celebrate thrashing her in a 1-1 biking draw.
She’s having none of it. See!? Good strategy.
Game facts and stats
Year published
1985
Publisher
Waddingtons
Designer
Uncredited
Player count
2–4
E’s review
What do you like about the game?
“It was really fun and I did love that we could go on hills.”
Is it difficult?
“I did beat Dadda but it was tricky still.”
Marks out of 10?
“560/10”
My review
Advised age range
7+
Set-up time
Five minutes
Price
You definitely shouldn’t pay more than £20 - if you’re into this sort of thing - and there’s every chance you can pick it up online for less.
Practicality
Your standard, unnecessarily big 80s box
Fun for parents?
It’s definitely in family/kids game territory and not one that’ll pull in the punters at a grown-up game night. But accept it for what it is - a good waste of time with the kids - and you can’t go far wrong.