Review: Cowboy Bebop becomes a boardgame

Enlarge / Get ready to relive iconic moments from the series... by playing cards with icons on them. (credit: Charlie Theel)

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It has been years since I watched Cowboy Bebop. I remember borrowing imported VHS tapes and flying through the series ("bingeing," as the kids today call it). I still remember Faye's tragic return home, the iconic confrontation at the cathedral, and the many scenes of violence backed by beautiful jazz. The show is electric, burned into my brain.

So Cowboy Bebop: Boardgame Boogie is immediately appealing. This is a 60-minute cooperative game where participants play Spike, Jet, Faye, and Edward, and it has a similar feel to titles like Star Wars: Outer Rim, Firefly, and even Tobago. You will spend most of the game on the repetitive grunt work of chasing bounties and earning Woolong to keep the Bebop's lights on, creating enough food and cash so you can buy just enough time to deal with each character's personal issues.

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