27 replies to this topic

[Victoria Watcher]

 

I can say this was likely my all-time favourite.  Played LOTS and was OK at it.  TBH, I never got really good at any video games.  Donkey Kong, Galaga, Robotron (2084) I could hold my own and make a quarter last I guess.

 

Most Asteroids versions had "hypersapce" where you hit the button as a last resort and you show up elsewhere on the screen.  Some had "shield" instead, now you bounce of the asteroids, but two could still crush you.   

 

Asteroids the home version on Atari was alright, not quite the same.

 

TBH, I never got really good at any video games.

 

 

I don't know if this means I'd make a bad fighter pilot or astronaut. I think I'm a good driver.

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 19 November 2024 - 07:57 PM.

[Matt R.]

I remember getting an atari 2600 when I was little, of course us kids used it a lot but I remember my mom getting super into to and staying up late at night playing, chain smoking I am sure.

[Matt R.]

Also, we rented a half dozen arcade consoles for our last staff party from Quazars, they don’t send the latest and greatest but you can choose from a selection of classic arcade games. They came over, set them in place at the Farmers Institute, came back the next morning and picked them up.

Pretty awesome service, wasn’t even all that expensive.
Huge hit with the crew and their families.

[Bambam]

For me it was the Intellivision game console from Mattel, released in 1979. For some reason dad bought one in 1981 (for Christmas I think) and me and my UVic chums - we lived literally a block from the campus - wasted untold hours between classes hanging at our house - the parents were working of course - playing "Sea Battle".

 

The graphics were quite high end for the early 80's. Later about the mid-90's after other game manufacturers had long surpassed Mattel, dad bought another Intellivision unit practically unused at a garage sale, along with over 30 game cartridges all still shrink-wrapped and never played. I have all of it including the console and the shrink-wrapped games in storage, including a copy of my beloved Sea Battle, lol.

[Victoria Watcher]

For me it was the Intellivision game console from Mattel, released in 1979. For some reason dad bought one in 1981 (for Christmas I think) and me and my UVic chums - we lived literally a block from the campus - wasted untold hours between classes hanging at our house - the parents were working of course - playing "Sea Battle".

 

The graphics were quite high end for the early 80's. Later about the mid-90's after other game manufacturers had long surpassed Mattel, dad bought another Intellivision unit practically unused at a garage sale, along with over 30 game cartridges all still shrink-wrapped and never played. I have all of it including the console and the shrink-wrapped games in storage, including a copy of my beloved Sea Battle, lol.

 

Yes, this was a good system, a family member had one, we went over to play lots.  

 

It had some decent (for the time!) sports games like soccer and baseball.

 

 

 

 

 

The controller overlays were a stroke of genius.

 

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 19 November 2024 - 08:28 PM.

[Victoria Watcher]

I had this handheld game called "Blip" and to be honest I think the only "digital" part was the led light.

 

But it gave me a few years of entertainment.

 

 

YouTube:   https://youtu.be/f4c...JNvaut_bP6fe34O

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 19 November 2024 - 08:32 PM.

[Mike K.]

I will never forget getting a Nintendo NES for Christmas, 1991 I think?

I can still smell the plastic scent of the wrapping. I studied that box like a hot damn. I recall the Duck Hunt game being magic. Somehow it worked!

[Victoria Watcher]

[Victoria Watcher]

[FawltyVic]

For me it was the Intellivision game console from Mattel, released in 1979. For some reason dad bought one in 1981 (for Christmas I think) and me and my UVic chums - we lived literally a block from the campus - wasted untold hours between classes hanging at our house - the parents were working of course - playing "Sea Battle".

 

The graphics were quite high end for the early 80's. Later about the mid-90's after other game manufacturers had long surpassed Mattel, dad bought another Intellivision unit practically unused at a garage sale, along with over 30 game cartridges all still shrink-wrapped and never played. I have all of it including the console and the shrink-wrapped games in storage, including a copy of my beloved Sea Battle, lol.

Intellivision is a very underrated system.

 

My favorite title was Auto Racing. There was no racing game until PSX's Demolition Derby where you could just go in the opposite direction or go off road through wooded areas.

[Victoria Watcher]

Yup!

[FawltyVic]

Ick!

 

 

I remember waiting in line at a Walmart for nearly 8 hours just to get a Nintendo Wii for my little brother for Christmas.

 

After Christmas it was 6 months of him moaning on about there being no games to play.

Edited by FawltyVic, 22 November 2024 - 12:50 PM.

[Victoria Watcher]

 

This thing was a bit lame.  But the shifter was cool (it did not have a "gas pedal" so you shifted lots to control your "speed"), and the flames when you crashed was good.

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 29 November 2024 - 10:01 PM.

[Matt R.]

Played it till my fingers bled, as the saying goes.

[Matt R.]

Back in the 80’s my dad had a few side hustles (I think we were poor?) and one of them was stocking bar and pub vending machines.

Another one was putting these giant, back lit wall games in said bars and pubs. Of course we always had a couple at home, and they were a crazy amount of fun.

Essentially they were large boxes, maybe the size of a piece of drywall. They came with a podium with a single button and an ir transmitter, so they were meant to be played from a little distance. Not tv screen sized. Hung by a chain. We used to have one in the basement living room and garage for us to play with, podium would have been across the room.

Inside these boxes was a grid of lightbulbs and overtop was a painted sheet of thick translucent plastic, similar to plexiglass. Various simple sports games were painted over top, ones that could be played with one button. Think pressing the button for a pitch, again for a swing, and again to try to catch.

Rudimentary but lots of flashing lights, sounds like cheering or the crack of the bat. My memory tells me there were a few games programmed in, and you could swap out the painted plexi based on the game.

There was a trap shoot one as well and perhaps others but it’s foggy.

Does this ring any bells tor anyone?

[Mike K.]

Dude. What magic kingdom did you grow up in? That would have been awesome to have at home.

[Matt R.]

A few years later the folks bought a video store in Fairfield and then another one. We rented all the Nintendo gear and games and of course all the vhs (even some beta haha) movies, I got all I could handle.

Maybe we weren’t poor but dad did have a few evening jobs or morning jobs outside of Sears. I would tag along once in a while, he also did some janitorial for offices and nightclubs. The sticky floors of that club in Market Square haunt me to this day.

Sure wish I could figure out what those wall games were.

[max.bravo]

https://www.metafilt...deo-Casual-Boom

Is this it?

Near the end of the article are some links to YouTube videos of game play.

[Matt R.]

That is absolutely it. Some of those videos were of more modern or perhaps higher end units, a couple are bang on - core memory unlocked, and thank you!

Super fond memories, and obviously simpler times!

[Victoria Watcher]

I do not recall that type of game.