Battery-operated “find the square” military tactics game

Milton Bradley (which we’re still not sure wasn’t the name of that comedy alien bloke off of Fast Forward) had tried before with a plastic push-peg version of the pen and paper grid-based classic. But it was with the addition of flashing LEDs and whistle-boom! sound effects that they hit upon the deluxe, truly sought-after edition.

For some reason as rare as hen’s teeth in your actual Christmas stocking (was it overpriced, we can’t remember?), it was memorably marketed (although we rather suspect that whoever it was that came up with the “You’ve sunk my battleship!” dialogue for those Oxbridgean Navy-ponce themed telly ads wasn’t exactly bordering on genius), seemingly during every commercial break of our childhood.

The set up? A plastic grid - a Siamese variation on the original analogue cases with flip-top lids - split vertically and separated into two playing areas (grid-squared maps of an un-named ocean manufactured in the regulation “James Bond film” transparent plastic) plus assorted miniature gunships, boats, aircraft carriers, etc. Batteries, natch, were not included and, at any rate, would have only lasted until Boxing Day.

MB later re-christened the game Electronic Battleship and, later still, it was joined by the less-successful refurbished version, Talking Battleship. Its enduring playability did not go unnoticed by BBC bosses, however, who adapted the game for the Richard Stilgoe-fronted children’s programme, Finders Keepers.