In the 1960s Hasbro Inc. produced a number of G.I. Joe toy figures. There were many types - paratroopers, undersea divers, combat infantry, etc. These have become collectable and are still sought after. Based upon the success of this toy, Hasbro later produced a number of board games, such as G.I. Joe Marine Paratroop Game and G.I. Joe Combat Infantry Game. Based upon the continued marketability of "G.I. Joe" related paraphernalia, a cartoon series began to be telecast in 1983.
The televised cartoon episodes in 1985 and 1986 inspired the board game produced by the Milton Bradley Corporation in the United States that is pictured above. This copy of the game was donated to the Museum in 1991. The game box (20cm x 39.5cm x 3.2cm) indicates that this game is a "Cobra" related game.
In the 1985-86 televised series, the plot concerned a military special forces group saving the world from a terrorist group called "Cobra". The photograph at the right is the game board (38.5cm square) for the Bradley edition of the game.
The game is for two to four players who use markers to show player progress on the board. These markers are rectangular cardboard pieces (4cm x 2cm) which are cutouts of various characters in the story. These pieces are known as "Badge of Honor Tokens".
English language instructions are included with the game.
The cartoon television show continued to be telecast through 1995. "Cobra" continued to be the major adversary of the "G.I. Joe" organization in these latter telecasts.
Last update May 28, 2010