# The Return of the 80's Tech Hero tags: #thoughts #game/rpg/starforged I was just flipping through a series of covers and remixes of the introduction music for a pile of shows that I used to love back in the 80s and early 90s, and I found myself asking a question I've asked before… There is a definite genre of TV show that was popular at the time, which has never been successfully revisited outside of the relatively narrow time frame of the day.  Thematically, they were all very similar. One man had access to a singular example of advanced technology, which he uses in order to fight crime, which the authorities either can't or refuse to deal with.  The plots require him to be out of his augmentive technology on a regular basis in order to deal with elements of the plot but the core conflict can only be achieved through the use of this unique technology.  I love that setup. Whether it be **Knight Rider**, or **Street Hawk**, or **Airwolf**, or perhaps my most obscure example, **MANTIS**. I never got enough of those.  I'm actually quite shocked that, as far as I know, there was never an example of an anime which leveraged the basic premise, but for which the advanced technology was some sort of superior *hardsuit*.  (**MADOX-01** doesn't count because it's a subversion of the idea. I would be open to the argument that the **Guyver** represents an anime approach to the theme, but the enemy is too singular.)  I would love to be proven wrong, frankly. I would also love for this to be a genre of show that returned, but I'm not holding my breath on that one.  In fact, I should probably remove that wish from the universe at large, because they'll just screw it up. One day I'll figure out how to properly emulate the feeling in the context of an RPG. I'm pretty sure you could do it in a solo journaling game without too much insanity, and you might could do it in **[[Ironsworn - Starforged|Starforged]]** with a few tweaks here and there. (Maybe using the **Mecha Mercs** modules to build your "unique tech" unit and then turning you loose with it. The FLAG trailer'd be your starship, your crew'd be handled by the **[[Ironsworn - Starforged|Sundered Isles]]** mechanics … Could work.) ![[Starforged (cover).jpg]] ![[Starsmith Mecha Mercs (cover).jpg]] https://www.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/421157/starsmith-mecha-mercs Yet another one of those projects that I'll have to get to at some point. One day. --- ## Post Scriptum: It occurred to me that **Megazone 23** actually does strike pretty close to what I'd like to see more of!