TitleAce of Aces: WWI Air Combat Game, Balloon Buster
Product No. 014
Publisher: Nova Game Designs, Inc.
Date 1995
Price $16.95
Box 6"x9 1/4" beige cardboard slipcase with minting of a Spad XIII and an exploding German balloon. Shrinkwrapped.
Components: Two red 6"x4 1/2" gamebooks with old print on cover (one German and one Allied booklet.) One 5 1/2"x 8 1/2" tri-fold pamphlet with tables and log sheet Three 5 1/2"x8 1/2" Maneuver Cards. One 5 1/2" x 8 1/2" card with six Firing Position Cards printed on it.

The Handy Rotary books contained a promotional announcement of series to come. Perhaps the most intriguing were the ground target and balloon series. After waiting several years, Ace of Aces afficionados were rewarded with the release of the Balloon Buster edition.

This edition, developed by Leonardi along with Harold McKinney, offered an unusual departure from the other books in the series. The Allies book depicts the view from an aircraft attacking a German balloon. The Germans book depicts the view of an anti- aircraft gunner swivelling a gun to shoot at the Allied biplane overhead. Leonardi points out that his father's artillery service during WWI is what inspired the design of this edition.

The Balloon Buster slipcase features artwork by aviation artist J.B. Deneen and is easily the best cover art of any Ace ofA ces series game (see Fig. 10.) The interior artwork is also nicely done by the trio of Brad Gorby, Anne Starr and James Rosinus. The former two are also known for their work illustrating the Nova Lost Worlds series. The Balloon Buster series also highlights a change of course in the Ace of Aces series: even basic play requires the use of charts and a die. This undercut the easy portability and lasting play value of the Basic Game rules in the previous editions.

More Ace of Aces Reference Guide

Introduction
1. Gameshop Edition
2. Initial Nova Edition
3. Early Handy Rotary Slipcase Edition
4. Later Handy Rotary Slipcase Edition
5. Powerhouse Slipcase Edition
6. Flying Machines Slipcase Edition
7. Balloon Buster Edition
8. Flying Machines Paper Cover Edition
9. Balloon Buster Paper Cover Edition
10. Handy Rotary Deluxe Edition, Matte Box
11. Handy Rotary Deluxe Edition, Glossy Box
12. WingLeader (WWII)
13. WingLeader with expansion set
14. Jet Eagles (Post WWII)
15. Jet Eagles, Desert Storm Limited Edition
16. Handy Rotary Richthofen edition
17. Handy Rotary Special Basic Edition
18-21. Overseas Editions
Other Titles and Unreleased Titles
Aircraft Listings
Ace Listings