ShockQueen Posted September 6, 2004 Posted September 6, 2004 Hi all! I thought I'd bring this topic up since I just wrote an article about it. Remember when in the 80's, games were more than just about driving, fighting, and sports? When there was a plethora of different game styles, types, and genres suited to just about anybody. So....what was your favorite game of the day, and why? Mine was Mr. Do! and all the variations therein. Have a putton-pushoney happy day! SQ SQ.....still busting societal molds with a smile...and a 50-ton sledge!
Firefox Posted September 6, 2004 Posted September 6, 2004 That's a good precis of the history of the game with nice illustrations. I've only vaguely heard of it though. I think it was overshadowed in the UK by the similar and more popular Pacman, although Pacman did not seem to go on to develop the wide variations of the game you mention.
ShockQueen Posted September 7, 2004 Author Posted September 7, 2004 Actually, Pac-Man came up with a plethora of variations...... There was: Pac-Man - the original of course, and all the "hack versions" like "champion edition" and "Pac-Man Plus" Ms. Pac-Man - with different mazes Super Pac-Man - Pac-Man grows up.....WAY up! Pac-Man Jr. - a little beanie wearer with a moving maze! Baby Pac-Man - part pinball machine and part video game Pac-Mania - a 3-D version of Pac-Man and he can jump too! Pac-Land - more based on the cartoon show, but it fits. Maybe I should write an article on that one too. hmmmm..... SQ.....still busting societal molds with a smile...and a 50-ton sledge!
genebujold Posted September 7, 2004 Posted September 7, 2004 Mine was Star Wars. I could go further on that game than any other for a quarter. Besides, it was 3-D, and I love flying, so it was a match!
ShockQueen Posted September 7, 2004 Author Posted September 7, 2004 Oh, I was going to add in my original post....you can get all those classic games by going to www.classicgaming.com/vault and then downloading them. You'll need the MAME32 emulator to run them, but since most of us have nice speedy computers, you'll have no problem running even the biggest of them (which isn't saying much since I have 4000 files and it takes up just 4GB of space). I just think the games of yesterday were more varied and in many ways, more fun than the games of today. They're just so concerned about 3D graphics, anti-aliasing, light-sourcing, and all other types of effects, they forget about what makes a game great.....the thought put into what the game is ABOUT. There are exceptions though....take the new Star Ocean....yum! SQ.....still busting societal molds with a smile...and a 50-ton sledge!
genebujold Posted September 7, 2004 Posted September 7, 2004 Excellent points, ShockQueeen. I've also found today's games are far more sinister (dare I say "evil?") than the games of old. When I was in 8th grade, the most sinister game in town was a pinball machine with a Tommy (The Who) theme. Even throughout college games were fairly sedate, with Dungeon's and Dragons still relegated to a cult underground boardgame. The first game to really break the mold was Duke Nuke 'Em, which just about every shooter game since has tried to match, or exceed, in terms of blood, guts, and gore. It's become a Swartzenegger body count movie gone mad. In the last three to five years, however, they've become exceptionally evil, which characters straight from the pits of Hell itself. Real demons probably aren't nearly that scary! Makes one wonder what's next...??? How can they get scarier than the scariest thing one could possibly imagine? Then, to top it off, I watched "The Ring" about a month ago... Ugh! What a nightmare! I say we get some good, old-fashioned sense of good-natured adventure, challenge, and reward, back in the games. There's a reason Sim City still holds a lot of gaming records - it's because people like to use their brains, accomplish something that's achievable, and improve their gameplay without having to resort to nonsense "cheats" that have little to do with reality.
ShockQueen Posted September 8, 2004 Author Posted September 8, 2004 You mean such as the infamous "God mode" from Doom back in the good old days. I mean, yeah, it's kinda funny watching them blow their ammo at you while you laugh, but it takes the challenge out of it! Also, what about those puzzle games such as Myst or 7th Guest, where unless you have the mentality of a mensa student, you really HAVE to get the strategy guide or else you'll never get through it. It's kinda funny that as soon as the game comes out, the strategy guide is ALREADY available! Doesn't that make it more prone to people cheating in the first place rather than let them dog it out for a while, THEN release it? Just my $.02....... SQ SQ.....still busting societal molds with a smile...and a 50-ton sledge!
Anita C. Posted September 8, 2004 Posted September 8, 2004 Does ANYBODY remember "PONG"???? Please don't make me feel any older!!! Namaste', Anita C. "Spike Heels . . a Pork-pie hat . . Have on the mend in no time flat . . Ten Minutes 'Till The Savages Come by Manhatten Transfer.
ShockQueen Posted September 8, 2004 Author Posted September 8, 2004 Well, I remember in the days when Pong was an ARCADE game! So now you can feel younger again! Ah...the old woodgrain cabinet with the yellow face with black lettering that boldly said PONG with the simple paddle-controllers and let you have a few minutes of fun for twenty-five cents..... SQ.....still busting societal molds with a smile...and a 50-ton sledge!
Dr. Shoe Posted September 8, 2004 Posted September 8, 2004 Star castle, Asteroids, Galaxians. I also liked a game that you could play with up to three friends where you travelled around various rooms eating food and drink to give extra life and killing goblins- Was it Dungeons and Dragons? Graduate footwear designer able to advise and assist on modification and shoe making projects.
Firefox Posted September 8, 2004 Posted September 8, 2004 I can only remember Pac-man/puckmonster and a couple of others which were all variations on gobbling dots in a maze. Mind you I am not such afficionado as the thread author!
ShockQueen Posted September 9, 2004 Author Posted September 9, 2004 I also liked a game that you could play with up to three friends where you travelled around various rooms eating food and drink to give extra life and killing goblins- Was it Dungeons and Dragons? Actually, it was Gauntlet, which was quite the fun thing back in the day - especially the 4-player cabinets where you could really get into some fun. Gauntlet II was even better since each player could choose his/her own player class, so you could even have 4 valkyries, 4 dwarves, 2 of each, or other combinations. Sorry for tooting my trumpet so much, Firefox. I guess I spent way too many afternoons in the arcades. SQ.....still busting societal molds with a smile...and a 50-ton sledge!
Dr. Shoe Posted September 9, 2004 Posted September 9, 2004 Ah yes Gauntlet, I remember several saturday afternoons spending the whole afternoon on one game with three friends all of us being very good at it! Graduate footwear designer able to advise and assist on modification and shoe making projects.
ShockQueen Posted September 11, 2004 Author Posted September 11, 2004 The most unreal thing I ever saw regarding Gauntlet was this one guy at Aladdin's Castle back in the 80's dropping $20 in quarters into the machine before even starting! Guess he really wanted to get to level 100 badly! SQ.....still busting societal molds with a smile...and a 50-ton sledge!
j-turbo2002 Posted September 12, 2004 Posted September 12, 2004 Good Lord! I don't know how I ever forgot about Aladdin's Castle. When I was a kid, growing up in Ohio in the late 70's/early 80's, Aladdin's Castle was the place to go if you wanted to play arcade games. I had a good time playing Gauntlet there with friends. My favorite arcade game of the time (along with Gauntlet) was, without a doubt, TRON.
ShockQueen Posted September 14, 2004 Author Posted September 14, 2004 Tron, yes! And the sequel...Discs of Tron. Aladdin's Castle was around up here through much of the 80's too, and then sadly it vanished. The one that's there now (Tilt) isn't quite as good, and the variety really tanks. I remember when Tron first was out (and they were still showing the movie), they had a second monitor on top of the first one, so many more people could watch what was going on in the game. They did that when Dragon's Lair first came out too. Oh, those laserdisc games were something else! SQ.....still busting societal molds with a smile...and a 50-ton sledge!
j-turbo2002 Posted September 15, 2004 Posted September 15, 2004 Yep! They were indeed pretty cool games. As I already metioned, TRON was my favorite and Dragon's Lair I and II were probably my second favorite. I have seriously thought about purchasing the full size TRON and Dragon's Lair arcade games off of Ebay, yet, I have not done so due to the questions that I have about the condition that some of these games are in. Guess that I will keep on searching!
ShockQueen Posted September 15, 2004 Author Posted September 15, 2004 I remember reading a while back that they auctioned off on eBay the original Dragon's Lair game that sat in Don Bluth's office (apparently one of the FIRST ones) and it went for like $10,000! Now THAT is a collectors item! SQ.....still busting societal molds with a smile...and a 50-ton sledge!
asdf174 Posted September 16, 2004 Posted September 16, 2004 heh, I like the old Kung Fu game from the 80's. It's all good. ~Arron.
j-turbo2002 Posted September 18, 2004 Posted September 18, 2004 I remember reading a while back that they auctioned off on eBay the original Dragon's Lair game that sat in Don Bluth's office (apparently one of the FIRST ones) and it went for like $10,000! Now THAT is a collectors item! That most certainly is a collectors item! $10,000? I am surprised that it did not go any higher?
ShockQueen Posted September 19, 2004 Author Posted September 19, 2004 It's amazing that even nowadays, even years after a game is released, when arcades sell machines, they still want pretty hefty prices for them. Guess it's the price we pay for our passion. I actually had one, once. It was called "Nemesis" - a side-scrolling shooter that when you entered your high score, you also entered your gender and astrological icons along with your initials. Good thing it didn't have a camera too! OMG! SQ.....still busting societal molds with a smile...and a 50-ton sledge!
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