The first computer my family owned was a Commodore 64. I still remember having stacks of those floppy disks and having to type in LOAD"*",8,1 into the main screen before starting a game. Those were the days. The C64 was my introduction to gaming, where my love of solving puzzles and juking a joystick all began.
Here are some of my favourite C64 games:
Jumpman
The title is self-explanatory. Jump around the levels collecting coins and avoiding bullets! I still remember the chest-pounding feeling when you heard the sound of the bullet being shot at you.
Archon
Like chess but so much cooler! You control fantasy creatures on a chess-like board, each with their own special abilities, and when two enemies occupy the same square the game shifts to a battle board and you fight in real time! I really think they should make an updated version of this game.
Winter Games
Is it my failing memory, or were a lot of these Olympic games all about mashing buttons and jerking the joystick back and forth? Whatever, they were still super fun. Also, it dawns on me that Commodore 64 games didn't come with manuals or instructions--or at least, we didn't have any. Sometimes it took forever just figuring out what you were supposed to do.
Caveman Ugh-lympics
Another Olympics game, but caveman style. My favourite event was fire making, where you had to frantically rub two sticks together in the effort to make sparks and start a fire, bonking your opponent on the head whenever you could to prevent him from beating you.
Quest for Tires
This was a family favourite. Ride along on your little stone wheel and hop over boulders and other obstacles in order to rescue your girlfriend who has been captured by a dinosaur.
Do you remember the Commodore 64? If not, what system introduced you to gaming and what were your favourite first games?
LOL. I totally remember Commodore 64s, but we never owned one. My family didn't even get a freakin' VCR until I was a sophomore in high school in like 1986. I used to play Atari at friends houses, so that was really my first gaming system, though we had an extremely cheesy version of pong and skeet at our house that plugged into the TV. I'm still kind of a luddite.
ReplyDeletehaha, I forgot about Pong. That seems to be a lot of people's first introduction to gaming.
DeleteWe played at a friend's house, but we didn't have one. We did have the original Pong though.
ReplyDeleteWe were allowed a computer, but we always had to play other cool video game systems like the Nintendo at friends' houses too. Ah, Pong. I remember that.
DeleteFloppy discs! I remember those in elementary school! Too classic. Though I don't remember any of these games!
ReplyDeletehaha yep. These were the big 8-inch floppy discs too.
DeleteOh, the Commodore 64 . . .
ReplyDeleteWe had a strange Atar that was part gameplayer and part "real" computer with a word document type program as well. I started with PacMan.
Before that, my parents really cool friends had a computer - it may have been a Commodore, and I played Pong on that.
Oh PacMan! I forgot to put that on my list. haha.
DeleteI never played Commodore 64 (I had an Acorn) but I was extremely jealous of people who had one. "The graphics!" I would cry "They're so much better!". How little did I know that Skyrim was a mere 20 years away :)
ReplyDeleteJamie
haha! Sometimes I'm sad that graphics have gotten so good, because some of favourite games like Ocarina of Time and Final Fantasy IX look pretty bad now...
DeleteWow! This really brings back memories. Remember when this used to be the coolest things ever? :)
ReplyDeleteI know, right? If you had a Commodore 64, you were in the zone, man.
DeleteI never played, but I do remember it. Wow, computers have come a long way.
ReplyDeleteThey certainly have. And in such a short time.
DeleteMy dad had a Vic 20, which I think was the predecessor. I used to write little programmes to make stick men dance across the screen!
ReplyDeletehaha, that is awesome.
DeleteNintendo was my first voyage into gaming. Man I was hooked on Centipede!! :)
ReplyDeletecomma eight comma one! WOW that brings back memories! that was the mantra back in 1985!
ReplyDeleteand Winter Games rocked! never did figure out how to do the ice skating/dancing stuff.