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Re:Start: Getting back into the groove
It\’s been a while, and I feel real rusty writing about retro video gaming. To tell you the truth, I\’m not sure how to begin writing again and what to write about. But the show must go on, and after hours of scouring the deepest recesses of my memory, I\’ve found good topics that may appease even the staunchest retro gaming fanatic … I hope.\r\n\r\nLike I said in past posts (ha, try saying that 10 times in a row at… More »
Old school video game commercials
Here’s yet another collection of old video game and video-game related commercials, and I’ve got to tell you, some of them are really old. It’s a bit disconcerting to watch since it’s really just a mash up with no theme in mind. It does, however, bring back fond memories, especially if you grew up with the featured games.
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Moon Patrol: Crater upon crater of hopping fun
Somehow that didn’t sound right. Anyway, after my embarrassing run with Frogger and Space Invaders this past week, I tried my hand at the Flash version of the classic arcade hit Moon Patrol, which was first released in 1982 in the United States.
Here’s a brief background for those standing on the far side of the moon:
Moon Patrol is a classic arcade game by Irem that was first released in 1982. It was licensed to Williams for United States of America… More »
Good Atari commercials of the 80s #2
I know, I know. Video game crash or no video game crash, Atari was the best in the biz back in the heyday, and the commercials they put out for their consoles and games were just that, great.
Here’s another blast from the past from Atari:
What makes this commercial doubly great is the fact that it stars the late Will Lee, Mister Hooper of Sesame Street fame. If you’re not a child of the 80s, you probably won’t understand the significance…. More »
Good Atari commercials of the 80s #1
Here I go again looking for video game commercials (or commercials that have something to do with video games and their consoles). Forgive me … it’s just something that I didn’t see often when I was younger. Sure, there were a lot of commercials on toys, particularly toys of the 80s like He-Man and Micro Machines, but not much about video games.
So what commercials have I got up my sleeves? Well, as the title implies, they’re good Atari commercials, good… More »
Spiderman on Atari 2600 sucks, totally
It seems I’m stuck with the word suck till I actually play a good classic video game. Trouble is, I can’t find my Starcraft and Total Annihilation installers. Speaking of stuck, I’m also stuck watching videos of old games instead of playing them. Talk about a streak of bad luck.
Anyway, here I am searching for references to some old games I used to play when I came across a video on YouTube featuring Spiderman for the Atari 2600. My first… More »
Classic and retro video game montage
It’s nice to know that a lot of people out there are crazier than I am when it comes to old video games. One such example is the producer of the video montage I am about to show you.
I know, I know … it’s nothing new. But it takes a lot of patience, not to mention a good grasp of video games history, to come up with a clip like this. Tell me what you think.
Personally, I like the background… More »
Remember Tron?
I do … I remember it very well. For those not in the know, here’s a brief backgrounder, courtesy of Wikipedia:
Tron is a 1982 Disney science fiction film starring Jeff Bridges as Kevin Flynn (and his counterpart inside the electronic world, Clu), Bruce Boxleitner as Alan Bradley (and Tron), Cindy Morgan as Dr. Lora Baines (and Yori) and Dan Shor as Ram. David Warner plays the villain, Ed Dillinger (and Sark), as well as providing the voice of the Master… More »
Age-old debate: Joystick versus other controllers
I’ve been a big fan of joysticks since I first took hold of that shaft attached to a flat box which made up the main controller for the Atari 2600. This healthy respect for the joystick as a video game controller went up a notch in the late 80s when arcades started sprouting in my corner of the world.
During this time, on the other side of the world, video game consoles were coming out. These consoles didn’t come with joysticks… More »
Haha! I suck at Space Invaders, too
What a surprise! I’ve just discovered that I suck at Space Invaders, a couple of days after learning that Frogger isn’t as easy to play now as it was back in the 80s.
It’s a surprise because I play Chicken Invaders, an arcade-like PC game that parodies Space Invaders. Needless to say, this spinoff is just as successful as the game it mimics. Hooray for Interaction Studios.
Going back to our topic, I played Space Invaders not on the Atari 2600 (on… More »
Another take on the history of video games
Here’s yet another take on the history of video games:
Great production. Hey, what else can I say? Wait! I need to ask this question: Why the hell did the video jump from the 1980s to the 1990s? I’m sure I am not the only one asking this…. More »
The video game console controller ‘family tree’
Ever wonder how the modern video game console controller came to be? Well, thanks to the ingenious Sock Master, we now have a pretty good idea. Here’s a little tidbit from his “study” entitled “Sock Master’s Game Console Controller Family Tree”:
How did the current home-console controllers come to be? How have they evolved? You may have noticed some similarities between the current generation controllers, or between them and the previous generations of controllers. So, how do they all tie together?
Let’s… More »
Old video games in clay animation
There was a time that only big entertainment industry outfits were the only ones capable of producing animation out of clay. Now, every Tom, Dick, and Harry (or Jane, for that matter) can film, edit and publish these works of art.
As an example, I give you Retro Games by Sander van Kessel. Enjoy!
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Taking passion for video games to another level
I’m talking about video game fanatics who choose to immortalize their favorite video game characters through tattoos. Check out these amazing images:
Personally, I wouldn’t go that far. Posters, floor tiles, accessories are more my thing than having my skin pierced by needles just to make a statement that I love Mario…. More »
Top 20 Retro Games in cartoon countdown
What do Breakout, Joust, Pac-Man and Q-bert have in common? Well, aside from being really old video games, the four have been featured in a cartoon-like video of someone’s Top 20 Retro Games of All Time.
Here, go take a gander (hint: focus on the way the games are represented rather than struggling with the fact that your favorite games didn’t make it to the list):
Now tell me … tell me you missed Number 20. Gawd! You mean I’m the only… More »
