Navy Video and Board Game Night: A (Retro)spective

Participants play "Top Gun" and "Super Battleship"

Over one hundred guests attended last week's "You Sank My Battleship: Navy Video and Board Game Night" event.  It was the first of two After Hours History programs sponsored by the Hampton Roads Naval Historical Foundation this year.  Unlike previous After Hours events, last Wednesday's game night was the first advertised as "family friendly."  Video game enthusiasts would say it was rated "E" for everyone.  Soda and popcorn replaced the standard assortment of wine and cheese on a night many will not soon forget.

Playing "1942: Joint Strike"

Video games.  Board Games.  Snacks.  Soda.  Where does the U.S. Navy fit in?

Whether we realized it or not, the U.S. Navy was there all along, hidden underneath the blinking lights and sounds of the games we know and love today.  Video games like "Silent Service" and board games like "Axis and Allies" included subtle hints and references to real event in American naval history.  Part of the event included a seven panel exhibit on the history of the U.S. Navy and video games.  We will post the panels shown during the event on this blog soon.

Who would have thought we were learning about key concepts of naval history and naval combat while mashing our thumbs and fingers on plastic controllers.  How to use sonar ("Silent Service").  Plotting enemy ship movements ("Battleship").  How to lead a target while in aerial combat ("Carrier Aces"). How to land on an aircraft carrier ("Top Gun").  The SNES role-playing game "Pacific Theater of Operations" bordered on real historic simulation.  Could you turn the tide and defeat the Japanese Navy at Pearl Harbor?  Even at the juvenile level, the principles were there.  For many young participants in last week's event, the games provided were their first taste of the Navy.

Mayo proudly shows off his contest-winning prize

Guests played a variety of video and board games from yesterday and today.  Titles from the 8-Bit  generation up to today's next-gen consoles ("Battlestations: Midway") were available to play.  Everybody from staff and volunteers to parents cheered on participants as they battled their way through the sky and seas of the digital Atlantic and Pacific.  The most popular game, however, was a retro-classic: "1942."  Nearly every guest ventured to the AEGIS Theater to try their hand at the high score contest for one of the most celebrated and best-selling franchises in video game history.  A special shout out goes to Mark Prinz and Mayo for achieving high scores on "1942."

HRNM Educators helped create several "Navy-centric" modifications of classic board games for the event.  "Human Battleship," a life-size recreation of the pencil and paper game where kids act as the ships on a 100-square foot game board, was a popular destination.  Staff members and volunteers also played "Civil War Blockade Strategy," a creative spin on the popular "Stratego" series of board games.

"1942" Perler Bead Craft Activity 

The most popular portion of the evening was for the 1942 perler bead craft activity.  Kids used perler beads to create gaming icons, or "sprites" from the popular NES/Arcade game.  A basic understanding of graphs and plotting were required to create a perfect product.  There is always a way to mix a little bit of learning with fun!

It was a treat to see parents watching their children play the same video games they used to play when they were kids.  In fact, one of the most interesting aspects of the event was the generation gap.  Many of the younger participants had a rude awakening when they realized that their controllers were not motion-controlled.  Technology is a great equalizer at times, and this event helped bridge the gap between previous generations to the present one.  

We hope everybody that attended had a wonderful time.  Special thanks go out to all the staff and volunteers who helped make this event possible.  For more information on our current 2013 programs, contact Lee Duckworth, Director of Education, at (757) 322-2992.  

"You Sunk My Battleship:" Navy Video and Board Game Night

Picture yourself when you were younger.  Do you remember wrapping up in a blanket, sitting inches away from your mammoth television screen?  Did you spend sleepovers with friends the same way?  Like moths attracted to the soft glow of a bug zapper, you spent hours in front of that screen, mashing your thumbs against a plastic controller until your mother told you it was time for bed.  If you do, then you remember playing video games as a child. 

I know I do. 

I have always loved two things: Video games and the United States Navy.  Growing up in Hampton Roads, I felt a deep connection to the Navy, and a deeper love for the burgeoning entertainment medium.  It wasn’t until last year that the idea to put the two together stuck.  Why not mix the best of both worlds: naval history and video/board games? 

You can find out about both and their connection on June 19^th during our next After Hours History event, “You Sunk My Battleship:” Navy Video andBoard Game Night. 

As we ended the Cold War in the early nineties, new consoles rolling out of Japan brought us smoother graphics and complex interfaces.  For naval video games, opportunities seemed endless.  Replicating on the success tested in previous decades, game developers took popular concepts of naval aviation, pencil and paper strategy, and vertical shooters to the next level. 

What has changed since then?  Less than you think.  Screens are flatter. Games are now digital.  Many are available via wireless Internet or on digital video discs (DVD).  Controllers got smaller, then larger, and then smaller again.  We are now at a point where humans become the controllers.  

Yet in a way, today’s budding generation of gamers know that same feeling I felt many years ago.  I marveled at the brilliant 8-bit backgrounds and elaborate splash screens.  The way the pixelated ships lagged across the television screen.  The music.  The anticipation of beating a high score.  For a young boy, these were some of the best thrills money could buy, neatly packaged in a plastic cartridge.  It’s hard to think such a tiny piece of technology could bring so much joy and excitement to countless people over the last thirty years. 

Like it or not, video games taught us valuable lessons in coordination, memory, cognition, thrift, and time management.  HRNM staff invite you to relieve old memories and learn a little about the role of the United States Navy in video and board games.  

During the 19 June event, we will have the following for all those who reserve their spot:

• Free Food and Drinks (Family Friendly) courtesy of the Hampton Roads Naval Historical Foundation
• Main Event: High Score contest for the 1984 Arcade Game 1942 in the Nauticus Theater.  Play the game on a giant screen!
• Three other video game stations with playable versions of the most beloved naval video games of all time!
•  Panel exhibit on the history of the United States Navy and video/board games.
• 3 brand new activities created by HRNM Education that take a naval "spin" on classic board games: Stratego, Memory, and Battleship.  

One of the games in BETA Mode.  A Civil War Navy spin to Stratego!

Don’t forget to RSVP for the event.  It will run 6pm to 8pm. You can either call our reservation line at (757) 322-3108. Or go to the Facebook events page: http://on.fb.me/12jXztF

Stay tuned when we announce the list of games in upcoming weeks!