Head-On Football, released in 1988,  is a two-player board game that simulates American football using a clever card-based play system and an audio cassette for added drama. Players call the shots by selecting offensive and defensive plays from separate decks. Defensive cards include a red decoder window that reveals the result when aligned with the offensive play card. Some results trigger an “XX Tape XX” prompt, cueing players to play a segment of the included cassette. The announcer delivers live-style commentary and the outcome of the play, adding excitement and unpredictability to each match. Players track the ball on a full game board, keep score with colored rings, and roll dice to determine punts and field goals. The game comes with over 200 audio plays, 32 strategy cards, and an authentic presentation that puts players in the coach’s chair. With its unique mix of analog mechanics and real-time audio, Head-On Football delivers an immersive twist on traditional football board games.

Several things were amazing and very memorable from 1988 – Nike’s Just Do It slogan, the first version of Photoshop, and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles action figures.  But this attempt by Epyx to go after a market that wasn’t yet comfortable with home computers or gaming consoles with a start-and-stop cassette tape offering and board game didn’t make that list.  We’re going to archive this product and leave it as a fond memory. https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/29701/epyx-vcr-golf