JUNE 6 Game Rating Commentary

"I am in the middle of a solitaire full campaign game of June 6, and I'm having a blast with it! The Activation Marker method of determining the sequence with which formations move works well with solitaire play. The map and counters, as well as a tense game situation, make it a game that I expect to have great re-play value."

"While the game is fun, several mechanics still bother me, such as the seeming impossibility of an Allied victory using the historical setup, and the strangeness of single higher cohesion units not taking losses in combat -- it just seems too "gamey" to not use a tank regiment with a good infantry with a high cohesion. You're better off with the infantry alone, and this is ahistorical. A fun game, though, that I find a "near miss" to greatness."

"J6 has a wide-angle treatment of Normandy with more movement illusion than BKN and yet the same pressure on all fronts coupled with tough decisions about where to hit the enemy. The system has a few complex spots that have been cleaned up in Q&A, so it's rather playable, but as the rules say, it's not introductory. Still, it has a certain texture and flavor, given the terrain, 2 maps of bocage and rivers, and all sorts of special (and fun) units like the paras, gliders, 88s, and "funnies." — All in all, I like the game. It's a change of pace from BKN (which is on my top 5 list). I have to play it more to see where it may shine in comparison, but I recommend the game for any Normandy buff."

"As a real experienced player of Atlantic Wall, SPI's superlative Normandy game...I was surprised to find June 6th so tense and playable on that scale. I almost prefer this to Atlantic Wall because of the Activation Marker system which keeps the predictability of the game at, what I consider, an all time low--thereby creating a game that will no doubt be as fun the 50th time its played."

"Excellent graphics, interesting system. Replayable. Best Normandy invasion game at its scale, but scale is a little large to capture the invasion perfectly. If you do not have the time and space to commit to monster game at 1km/hex (like Longest Day or Atlantic Wall), but want to game Normandy invasion, this could be the game for you. Breakout Normandy is good alternative to compare...vastly different approach to simulating the battle at about the same scale. Both have their adherents and both are good."

"The game was well done, but counter errors and some rather opaque rules were disappointing. The on-line support is excellent."

"The game is too simple, comes with too much errata & clarifications, and fails to provide a feeling for the historical subject. Still waiting for the definitive Overlord game."

"Nice system although the rules make the combat system somewhat contradictory and complex. The game felt right in simulating hedgerow combat and the initial invasion."

"Would have been freakin awsome but to few info markers. For what we pay for games today this [counter limitations] should never be a problem."

"It's a very enjoyable game and will spend a lot of time on my game table. Coming from the Avalon Hill side of wargames, I found the rules to be more "assumptive" of a player's gaming knowledge than the AH rules. Things like "does ZOC extend across river hexsides? What is the effect of a Pinned marker? ,etc. I found that I had to search a lot through the rules to answer what I considered basic questions. — Also, the errata on the counters was of the type that is difficult to fix with a pen (white bands needed and so forth), which was annoying. — However, the support from GMT is outstanding and the living rules is a tremendous idea."

"Too many errors in rules and some dubious history, but it is fun."

"System seems contrived to generate the historical result: e.g., special rule to allow single elite units to avoid taking losses when faced by lesser troops. There doesn't seem to be any justification for this "discontinuity" in the combat results, but it's a huge special case that virtually dictates tactics in the game. Tempted to rate it "yeah, whatever", but it is a fun game to play and when it comes down to it, that's what counts. Right?"

"The activation system adds a lot to replay value - no two games I've played so far are the same. I'm not 100% sold on the combat tables' representation of the attritional situation for the first 4 weeks following D-Day, though. I found it hard for the Allies to achieve historical results in all games I played, but I'm convinced a little tweak of the rules would take care of that - and move it from 'Spiffy' to 'Freakin awesome'."

"Very good just one thing missing!? the whole campaign 'til end of August!!"

"It seems a developer can only do so much...."

"I love the maps and counters, always a must nowadays. The chit system I really like, ever since MIH's "Piercing the Reich," and "Panzer Command," it's been my favorite method of play, as it is especially conducive to solitaire play."

"Did the beach landing intro. scenario (called it June 6 hours) and we were so impressed with the whole game that we are starting the campaign in less than a week. The artwork is the best I've seen (Div. insignia for AMs especially) in terms of usage for cause rather than effect. I believe this is the first WW2 GMT game that uses Tank graphics rather than silhouettes and/or the Nato symbol. And that's just skimming the surface, the rule & play books and the charts are very convenient and helpful to get a grasp of the game. The mechanics of the old tried and true chit-pull activation system makes the fog of war more visible. A simple but yet elegant CRT where modifiers instead of Combat odds are the key to winning battles with off/def posture added in for more realism in terms of reaction. Strategy is also inherent in therms of strategic interdiction both on map and for reinforcements, making it tough for the Allies to allocate air forces. There may be other stuff I haven't even barely touched yet but the message is clear. Bottom line; this is an excellent addition to the Gameplayers series and the best one so far in my opinion. It managed to break hold of Breakout: N. and inspired us to give The Longest Day a go. (And a clear and functional yet elegant map doesn't hurt either.)"

"Beautiful map and counters. Has a way to show the german immediate tactic of counter attack"

"An interesting design that provides a tense gaming situation. Never plays the same twice. One or two little glitches but generally a superior game."

"This is a game I desperately want to like, but the combat system keeps getting in the way. The combat system is thoroughly unrewarding and really hurts the game. Though I don't hate it, it's not my choice for spending my valuable gaming time. The presentation is nice and the chit system is great. The rules could use more clarifications and examples."

"When will GMT (and especially R. Berg) learn to develop a game properly. The rules are often unclear, and poorly organized. The game is beautiful to look at but, if these guys can't put out a game with a little less errata and a more clearly written set of rules, I will have a tough time deciding whether or not to buy any more of their games. Aesthetics alone won't cut it any more!"

"An interesting design that provides a tense gaming situation. Never plays the same twice. One or two little glitches but generally a superior game."

Copyright © 1999-2002. ConsimWorld.COM. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission is prohibited. Web Masters are encouraged to link directly to this page, this URL is not subject to change. For general site information: kranz@consimworld.com

Copyright © 1999-2002. ConsimWorld.COM. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission is prohibited. Web Masters are encouraged to link directly to this page, this URL is not subject to change. For general site information: kranz@consimworld.com

Copyright © 1999, 2000 ConsimWorld.COM. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission is prohibited. Web Masters are encouraged to link directly to this page, this URL is not subject to change. For general site information: kranz@consimworld.com