Crusher Joe 1983

Complexity level 3 on Tsukuda's 1-6 scale (1=easiest).

Based off the original 1983 Crusher Joe animated theatrical film.

This is a two player tactical-class simulation game with one player controlling Crusher Joe and his team while the other player controls the Murphy Pirates and their henchmen. The game may instead be played by up to 8 players if players divide evenly into two teams, with each player controlling a certain number of characters in the game.

The game board is a square grid map of the Murphy Pirate base. Three scenarios are included in which the Crushers must infiltrate the base. In two scenarios, the Crushers must rescue the kidnapped scientist, Matua. In the third scenario, the Crushers must assassinate the pirate leader, Big Murphy.

The game uses an action point system, breaking away from the standard Movement Phase/Combat Phase turn order of earlier Atsutoshi Okada simulation game designs. This gave players more options for how to play their characters (by sacrificing movement in order to invest more time in attacking, for example), but was not quite satisfactory to Okada (as per Crusher Joe rule book designer's notes). This action point system would later inspire and evolve into Okada's "Action Pattern" mechanic, which debuted in Macross: City Fight (as per Macross: City Fight rule book designer's notes).