Grandstand Leisure Products was part of the Harrogate-based Adam Leisure Group, a company upon which there is very little information to be found. This leaves me to speculate that it was named in honour of Adam, the first man, and initially promoted the recreational benefits of apple-eating and concealing your wicked parts beneath a frond.
Having had limited success in the 70s with a couple of Pong clone consoles, and a variant of the Fairchild Channel F system, the Adam group had more success importing electronic games from the Johnny Foreigner likes of Tomy and Epoch, rebranding them under the name Grandstand.
While sports fans of the 70s and 80s tended to think of Frank Bough or Desmond Lynam when they heard the name, for most children of the era Grandstand became synonymous with tabletop electronic gaming.
Though the company's later handheld LCD titles were somewhat less memorable, those earlier, bulky machines, brought a slice of the arcade into the home. Even though the games were far more limited than most of the other game systems of the 1980s, it was all about that style over substance. The latter of which is something which Grandstand presenter Frank Bough knew all about.
Here are 10 of Grandstand's best-remembered machines.
Having had limited success in the 70s with a couple of Pong clone consoles, and a variant of the Fairchild Channel F system, the Adam group had more success importing electronic games from the Johnny Foreigner likes of Tomy and Epoch, rebranding them under the name Grandstand.
While sports fans of the 70s and 80s tended to think of Frank Bough or Desmond Lynam when they heard the name, for most children of the era Grandstand became synonymous with tabletop electronic gaming.
Though the company's later handheld LCD titles were somewhat less memorable, those earlier, bulky machines, brought a slice of the arcade into the home. Even though the games were far more limited than most of the other game systems of the 1980s, it was all about that style over substance. The latter of which is something which Grandstand presenter Frank Bough knew all about.
Here are 10 of Grandstand's best-remembered machines.
INVADER FROM SPACE
Many of Grandstand's games were a variation on a theme... that theme being: Space Invaders rip-offs. Invader From Space - the singular noun failing to prepare the player for multiple invaders from space - was only slightly less misleading than the screen's concentric circles.
Though these promised a game with some sort of exciting radar function, many youths, I suspect, were disappointed that these were merely a cosmetic whimsy, and that the game was played in a narrow screen roughly the same dimensions as a stick of so-called Juicy Fruit.
Which fruit? Wrigley's never specified. I had my money on "sour plum".
Though these promised a game with some sort of exciting radar function, many youths, I suspect, were disappointed that these were merely a cosmetic whimsy, and that the game was played in a narrow screen roughly the same dimensions as a stick of so-called Juicy Fruit.
Which fruit? Wrigley's never specified. I had my money on "sour plum".
SCRAMBLE
Known as Astro Command when originally released by Epoch, Grandstand's version was more honest/blatant when it came to the game's inspirations. Namely, Konami's 1981 arcade game Scramble. With its dazzling colour visuals, and jarring sound, Scramble displayed many of the hallmarks for which Grandstand would be famed.
The company later released Pocket Scramble - an LCD update with none of the original's pleasingly tactile casing, and controls that were about a millimetre away from being touch-screen.
The company later released Pocket Scramble - an LCD update with none of the original's pleasingly tactile casing, and controls that were about a millimetre away from being touch-screen.
ASTRO WARS
Not only Grandstand's most iconic product, but one of the most iconic games of the 1980s, Astro Wars was a barely-disguised Galaxians rip-off, with a bold, magnifying screen.
The game has become such a classic that it has even been adapted for smartphones - complete with the original sound effects, and the memorable opening tune. Indeed, that tune was played at the recent inauguration of President Donald Trump, by a redneck with a kazoo.
The game has become such a classic that it has even been adapted for smartphones - complete with the original sound effects, and the memorable opening tune. Indeed, that tune was played at the recent inauguration of President Donald Trump, by a redneck with a kazoo.
TRON
Based upon the movie of the same name, Grandstand's Tron is perhaps best remembered for its see-through casing, behind which you could see some pretend electronics. Which, frankly, seemed like a lot of effort to go through, given that beneath the card were some real electronics. Perhaps they weren't futuristic enough.
Though its sound effects were truly horrific - a grating buzz which sounded as if an agitated wasp was trapped inside the machine - Tron managed a decent job of recreating the movie over a couple of different stages, featuring both the movie's light bikes, and energy disc-lobbing.
Though its sound effects were truly horrific - a grating buzz which sounded as if an agitated wasp was trapped inside the machine - Tron managed a decent job of recreating the movie over a couple of different stages, featuring both the movie's light bikes, and energy disc-lobbing.
THE BIG GAME
The game itself wasn't all that, but The Big Game had a truly lovely casing design - with its garish yellow stadium and stadium seating for ants. It was the first two-player, head-to-head, game of the era. Indeed, this might be the game for which Grandstand was created. That said, points lost for calling it "soccer" instead of the sport's proper name, "kicky ball-o".
FIREFOX F-7
Unlike the Clint Eastwood movie of a similar name, your craft in Firefox F-7 wasn't controlled by your mind, but with a little joystick the same as all the other Grandstand games. Obviously. Kicking off with a rather nice 3D effect, it sadly just becomes a background distraction to an otherwise mediocre and bewildering shoot 'em up.
CRAZY MONSTER
Crazy Monster required players to manoeuvre their character into an underground cavern inhabited by a "crazy" monster, to collect water so that they could water their apple tree. Full points for originality, and a further bonus point the little nubby joystick.
MUNCHMAN
Released in the US as Pac Man, and in Japan as Puck Man, Grandstand rebranded this game as Munchman in the UK.
It still kept the box and logo artwork, however, which did little to try and convince customers - or, presumably, Namco's lawyers - that this was anything other than a massive rip-off. Somehow, despite being a disappointing version of the Pacman experience, Munchman - perhaps because of its distinct casing - is one of the best-remembered Grandstand games.
It still kept the box and logo artwork, however, which did little to try and convince customers - or, presumably, Namco's lawyers - that this was anything other than a massive rip-off. Somehow, despite being a disappointing version of the Pacman experience, Munchman - perhaps because of its distinct casing - is one of the best-remembered Grandstand games.
CAVEMAN
What are cavemen best known for? That's right: stealing dinosaur eggs. Cavemen loved the eggs. Scrambled, poached, over easy... No wonder those dinosaurs went extinct. It is this historically accurate epoch which is depicted in Grandstand's Caveman - perhaps best remembered for its bold graphics, and cartoony dinosaur antagonist.
LIGHT GAMES SYSTEM
Wait a minute... this isn't an electronic table top game! No - but it might be Grandstand's greatest folly; a cartridge-based system, which featured a built-in projector... allowing you to play games on a big screen! Or a sheet draped over your bunk bed. Or the living room wall. Or Uncle Dustin's hairy bare back.
"Please, Uncle - put your clothes back on. I've told you - dad doesn't like it when you ask me to project things onto your skin."
The 13 availble games were simple LCD affairs - racing, flying, shooting etc. - and though it was a nice idea in principle, it failed to really catch on. File it in the drawer labelled "Novelty Gaming Disasters" - just behind the Virtual Boy, Xbox Kinect, and Wii U.
"Please, Uncle - put your clothes back on. I've told you - dad doesn't like it when you ask me to project things onto your skin."
The 13 availble games were simple LCD affairs - racing, flying, shooting etc. - and though it was a nice idea in principle, it failed to really catch on. File it in the drawer labelled "Novelty Gaming Disasters" - just behind the Virtual Boy, Xbox Kinect, and Wii U.
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