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Forbidden Bridge


Without having ever played Forbidden Bridge, I think I can still adequately claim that it's also fair to be called the poor mans Fireball Island. It so clearly wants to be in the same category, just looking at the visual and the overall concept, but it's so watered down, so very simple in comparison, that it's like Baby's First Fireball Island in comparison. This is likely the meanest thing you can say about it, however, so that's good. Much like Fireball Island, you play an adventurer seeking to liberate a jewel from an angry idol, and much like Fireball Island the whole thing inevitably takes place on a large 3d printed board game set in a jungle of some kind (where these sorts of things invariably take place). When the idol shakes, the bridge can break, and the player can topple down to the board below, or players can switch with other players so they don't fall off, or steal one anothers jewel if they land on the same space.

It's fairly basic, it's fairly straight forward and, in all honesty, it looks more like a very beginner board game when compared to other things like it. That isn't to say it's bad at all, but just the visual alone (the dice being so large and oddly colored) kind of feels....childish? I don't know how else to explain it. Again, not a bad thing, as it's likely a pretty good beginner board game for kids. And the set piece isn't poorly made, despite being so much less than what it's up against comparatively, and the sculpting on the idol head is decent enough even if it's on top of some fairly bland blobs of green plastic over a fairly bland flat board beneath it, and the fact that it has a mechanized aspect to shake the bridge instead of making the players shake the bridge manually is pretty nifty and all, but really I think the standout part of this whole thing is that box art.

Just look at that thing, man.

That is artwork worthy of a 80s adventure film by Spielberg. The art is apparently done by a man named Drew Struzan, and the publisher is Milton Bradley, but the designer is, from what meager offerings of information that I can dig up, largely unknown. Struzan apparently also did artwork for Clue, though I'm not at all sure which version since everyone and their grandmother decided to make one. However, perhaps my comparison to Spielberg filmwork isn't too far off, as Struzan is actually an extremely talented and well recognized artist having designed over 150 movie posters including titles such as "Blade Runner", "Back To The Future", "Star Wars" and, you guessed it, "Indiana Jones". Other Struzen poster work includes:

  • The Thing
  • ET
  • An American Tail
  • The Goonies
  • Hook
  • Hellboy
  • Harry Potter & The Sorcerer's Stone

That's an extremely impressive list, man. This guy really should be more recognized and even I have to admit - despite my enormous knowledge of pop culture, film especially having been a film student myself - that I feel extreme shame in not being more aware of the man behind the artwork for all this classic imagery. I need to try harder. Super interesting guy, you should read up about him. There's also apparently a documentary and he also recently released a book. So that solves the mystery of the artwork, though sadly the designer themselves appears to have been lost to time despite my grueling research (there wasn't much of it, but it hurt).

As I said at the start of this, I have never played Forbidden Bridge, and in fact up until I heard it mentioned on a podcast a week ago and thusly it unlocked a deep hidden memory within the confines of my brain, had totally forgotten it even existed. Now I remember the commercials and stuff, but until that happened it'd totally slipped from my memory. Despite how I feel towards it, I do feel like it's still a neat game and a worthy addition to the 3d printed board game genre, even if only because the genre is so niche that we don't have many titles in it to begin with so gaining membership isn't exactly difficult. Sure, it's no Fireball Island and sure it's not even all that interesting by itself, but it's definitely a one of a kind, especially in 1992, and for that it deserves to be remembered. Well, that and the kick-ass box art work. As far as watered down semi knock offs of Fireball Island could go, it could be a lot worse. Let's just leave it at that.

And besides, how could I dislike a giant stone head that only wants to kill people who bother him? He's just doing what we all wish we could!

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