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Real Games
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Games that don't need computers or batteries
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When I was a child video games cost a quarter and nobody had a home video game system. Being the solitary child I was, I read way too many books on mythology and foreign countries. Thus as I grew these odd tales guided me to a more unique set of games I keep in my hall closet than others might expect.
I must admit though that I am guilty of having owned an atari 2600 for about half of my childhood. Sometimes I wonder If I would have been better WITHOUT it. There are tons of things to do outdoors or with other people that are loads of fun.
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My father taught me chess and though I found it fun I also found it boring. I lost a LOT as I do with many games. When I read about Shogi when I was a child I was facinated with its capture process. In shogi, unlike in chess, if you capture an enemy's peice you can later return it to the board as your own.
United States Shogi Association
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Croquet is a curious backyard facination for me. It plays a lot like mini golf but with a touch of billiards. At first I thought croquet had to be played acording to the rules but after a while I realized that the fun depends on the players. I also discovered that many people do indeed play Croquet like golf. In other countries its preffered. The courses are smaller as the balls do not leave the ground and grass maintainance isn't as stringent as with regular golf courses. There is only one thing about croquet that peeves me.
The handle length. Years ago croquet became modified into 'Roquet'. Like croquet it was played with similar equipment but had wooden borders edging the playing area. As if it were a a giant game of pool ricochet shots could be made. The handles used for that game were short and bending over was necessary. I believe mixed quotes and imagery from this time in which both sports were popular was the cause for all the cheap croquet sets having short handles.
True croquet handles reach the waist line of the player. In many retirement communities handles can reach shoulder level. This is because straight shots depend on arm movement. It doesnt rely on hip movement like you have in golf. The back is not involved. None the less Cheap sets are sold with incredibly short handles and I believe it adds to the discomfort of gameplay for new players. The solution, get cheap broom handles from a hardware store and substitute the handles. Unfortunately the sports companies like to chage 10$ per every additional 3 inches added onto the handle length and even then theyd preffer to make it a 6 or 12 player set instead of making handles the proper length.
I can't leave this section without mentioning 'Extreme Croquet'. This variation of Croquet is best described as 'all terrain, all weather' croquet. Gameplay is similar to backyard play and wickets are placed all over the place to the extent that Maps are sometimes needed. Due to the rough and rugged gameplay special high-impact equipment has been developed for this style of gameplay.
Croquet World Online
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I also read about this game when I discovered Shogi. It appeared to be on the completely oppisite end of complexity that shogi occupied. But that is where the complexity ended. In go there is no moving peices and so you can not work the 'puzzle' that is chess like moves. Instead it is based on long term strategy. In go its not the next move that lets you win, its the next 6 moves away that does. So you always end up thinking at least 4 to 5 moves ahead, possibly further to defeat your opponent.
American go association
Click here to download my 3 page express go instructions
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Four pack is a domino game that uses, what else, but four packs of Double-6 dominoes to play. In essence it is a modified version of Mahjong thats been simplified for ease of play.
You might think that such a conversion is uncalled for but the facts seem to speak for themselves. I have not found any such ruleset or conversion or domino game that works in this manner.
Anywhere.
Mahjong sets are expensive, heavy, and hard to find if not impossible. Dominoes are found everywhere and anywhere. Below is a link to the entire set of rules to play the game of Four Pack
Four Pack game Rules
Buy Dominoe sets Online
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Yet again introduced by the same book as the other two this game was also facinateing to me.
It's best described as useing 4 card decks to play "rummy". But that's simplifying the description. To me the strange 5 suites that were so differnt from poker amazed my mind. Even more so that it was played not with cards but with TILES. It was the first game I ever heard of useing tiles instead of cards to play with. Unfortunately in 1998 someone created a solitaire game on the computer called 'mahjongg' which is tottaly unlike the game I know and have played with other people. a -REAL- mahjongg deck is also expensive. Which Is why I created my mahjongg cards on the computer. That way anyone could download and cut out their own mahjongg playing card deck.
Tom Slopers Hanafuda/Mahjongg World
The Mahjongg Museam
Mahjongg Maven (online orderable Supplies)
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A 4 person card game introduced to me by my loving aunt and uncle. I have spent many a nights playing this game and jump at the chance to do so. Its wonderfull and rather fun to gloat, chide, and poke fun at others low scores.
Pagat Card games (Rules for Hand & Foot)
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Though I own a 675fps airgun, The minimum for pest control, I believe for simple target practice I should have saved up for a small 22 plinker rifle. The airgun isn't anything special in itself but it is nice to see the long distance effect of pulling the trigger and seing something go poof! I've saw photographs of the impact capabilities of pellets vs bb's on ballistic gell. Strangely enough it was the BB's that shot the fastest with the most impact. Mother natures perfect sphere wins again. However rifeling and pellets means that the cone tiped pellets shoot the best. The ball tiped pellets come in a close second. The more ball shape the dome itself is the better.
The Crossman Air Gun Home page
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Disc golf (aka frisby golf)
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This is the 'accidental sport' I picked up as an excuse to get outdoors and some light walking exercise. To the entire sport the term of "frisby golf" is a misdomener. A more likely term is "discus golf', as in the discus they throw at the olympics. Established as a new sport in the 70's the frisby's used in this past time are anything but fun to catch. To attain a straighter path and further distance these disc have evolved into a much smaller, heavier, sharp edged device that will give anyone some severe bruises if hit with them. The only problem in promoteing such a 'sport' is that the public thinks its a cheap fad and the government thinks that it would require expensive lawn maintainance like regular golf courses do. Courses are often found in public parks and those close to a suburban center will often find daily visitors.
Update: In august of 1996 I messed up my back. Since then I've abandoned the sport due to the amount of back twisting in a good throw.
Pro Disc Golf Association.
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I tried a boomerang when I was a child and it floped and never flew. In 2003 I purchased a 'spalding classic' and discovered to my great suprise that an experienced boomerang thrower was a fellow friend. He also showed me how the 'spalding classic' was also a piece of junk. Since then I purchased some cheap yet fun, boomerangs that auctually do return to you. The trick is this. The spin of the boomerang keeps it stablized as it goes out and turns up. This spin keeps it flying in the air as the wind blows it back to you. Thats right, it needs to be windy for it to come back to you. Oh and aim 30 to 45% to the right (for right handers) of the direction from which the wind is coming from. Tada.. boomerangs work. Unfortunately the ones that come back to you, were ALWAYS toys. They were never used for hunting. A differnt non returning boomerang was used by alborigones in austrailia for hunting. (occasionally played)
American Boomerang Association
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Bocce is a new and strange sport I recently learned and bought a nice set for. To many people they know it as 'lawn bowling' but expect there to be pins that set up. Instead you throw out a target ball and try to get your balls closest to the target ball. The fun thing is that you can knock other players balls to hopefully move them away from the target. Unfortunately some times it knocks them closer instead of furhter way. (occassional played)
American Bocce Association
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