Princess Ryan's Star Marines

Players: 1-6
Rating: 

Ken Says: Welcome to the 23^rd Century. The ruler of earth, Princess Ryan, is being held on the planet Yamaguchi by the evil forces of the Black Guard. Your mission is simple, rescue the Princess or don't come back alive.
   From one to six intrepid souls may participate in this game. You command either a squad of three marines (or two squads of six marines in the solitaire version) or the nefarious Black Guard. The 22" x 44" board is divided into three horizontal rows. The first row is the Direct Route to the Royal Suite, where the Princess is being held. It takes less time to enter, but the sites are better defended. The second row is the Flank Route. Each site is easier to defeat, but it takes more time and the chances of landing upon an unknown site are greater. The third row is devoted to the game functions, such as Sick Bay, Weapons Magazine, Holding Pens, and so forth.
   The engine that runs the game consists of five decks of cards:
24 Marines: Each with their own rank, flag value and skills.
50 Weapons Cards: Ranging in strength from a piece of jagged metal (1) to a Star Sabre (13).
Dispatches: Some assist the Marines, others the Black Guard, and a few do both.
Black Guard: From the lowly Militia to the Powerful Colonial Guard
Network Site Cards: Random Sites that the Marines may unintentionally enter.
   Each marine has his/her own skill which can be helpful in battle. The weapons cards are divided into four categories: Edged, Energy, Firepower, & Vehicular. The dispatches can help either side. The Black Guard also possesses the "Doomsday Bomb" which automatically wins, unless the Marine has the Heavy Walker (13v) card. Some of the Network sites have "phunny" names, such as the Planet of the Grapes. Others are just plain dangerous, such as the Planetary Defense Battery.
   You only have a limited amount of time to rescue the Princess. This function is represented by fifteen time chips. If your marines are slow getting to the next site (fail to pass a time check), they lose one chip. Regrouping, which will bring the marines back to full strength, costs three chips. If you are running out of time, you may be forced into a "Do or Die" mission. Where your mothership plummets into the Royal Suite, running a gauntlet of anti-aircraft fire. Needless to say, the chances of succeeding are small, but it's a very exciting way to end the game.

Pros: Basically, Princess Ryan's Star Marines is one of the most interesting games ever produced. Coming at the end of the "independent" Avalon Hill reign, it stands as one of the most unique experiments in recent gaming memory. The production quality is very high, especially the Network site cards. And the replay value is pretty good, since the game can be easily set up.
   I can wholeheartedly recommend picking this one up.

Cons: Well, none that's within what the game should be.  The length of the game depends upon the player in charge.  If he or she is very cautious, then it can be a long evening. And the original price tag for the game is rather steep.  But, if you can get it at a reasonable price, it's well worth it.