Recently after some time sitting in the attic collecting dust I took out my old Commodore Amiga 2000computer system to see if I could get it working again. After the move from where I used to live to my current home it had not made the trip well. The thing was built to last however, something like a tank. They used sheet metal instead of plastic for the main motherboard to sit on in those days. Integrated circuits? What the heck are you talking about is that something from a sci-fi movie? This was back when a 3d movie cost less than a video game rental and the 3d glasses were made out of paper. Yes thats right paper and plaster film.
These days you'd call an Amiga computer a dinosaur or something less kind. Years ago 1 meg of Ram was considered quite a lot. 50k was about the average for a game program size. Anything more took half a dozen 3.5 floppy disks. You had to be careful around magnetic materials or you might very well erase the game from the disk. This was back when CD's were justin their infancy. When Nintendo still used cartridge technology and Sega had recently released the Genesis. One of the cool things about the Amiga I noted back then was that you could use a Genesis gamepad on the Amiga. Only the 'B' button worked but you only needed one button.
This particular Amiga was the first one to actually use a Hard Drive, instead of booting disks by using a boot disk, you could load the contents of the disk onto the Hard Drive. This one had also been upgraded to contain 2 megs of Ram and upgraded video memory. Sure the operating system was simple but it worked better than an IBM compatible 'PC' at the time and the graphics were much better. You could even hear synthesised sound and voices!
One of the first games I played on this system, as that was what this system was designed for *games*, was a Game called Another World(later known as Out Of This World). The introduction actually included 3d graphics! Amazing. The guy, the Professor, pulls in with his Ferrari, walks in to the lab, boots up his computer to run a simulation. Whiles he's waiting he opens up a juice can and knocks back a drink... Groundbreaking stuff! Course I was no good at the actually game-play. Hardest game I ever played, even to this day. Especially with the upgraded chip-set(to fast). Still can't seem to get past the first level...
Another game I enjoyed was Battle Isle, the addons and the sequel Moon of Cromos. Play is turn based where one side moves and the other attacks. Like a game of chess but with tanks, planes, boats and a HQ building. If you managed to get your men into your enemies Head Quarters you won or if you took out his entire compliment of units.
Now it took some time for me to get the machine working again but when I finally did with some help from family members. It felt like going back in time to an earlier day, a less complicated time. Nestalgia and memories so connected to this dinosaur of a machine. It's amazing how something made of metal and plastic, powered by units of electric movement can actually move your emotions. How one object can be so connected in your memories as to bring back that same feeling, image, sound, even smell. Boot up the old Amiga and it's as if you're transported back to that place where you were, to that person and time you were in when you last touched that mouse(or old laser trackball, or joystick pad). Listen as the Hard Drive makes that same animated noise it made all those years ago. Show your family, have them remember that time when...
They just don't make them like they used to, that's for sure...
Zak McKracken and the Alien Mindbenders, one of the first point and click adventure games by Lucasfilm games(now LucasArts). The Secret of Monkey Island, one of the most popular and still active series today. Dune and Dune II the predecessor to all modern RTS games by Westwood studios. Civilization by Sid Meier, Pirates! and Railroad Tycoon games that were good enough and sold well enough to be remade for the new generation with highly advanced graphics on today's computers. Turrican, Bionic commando; plat-formers that should be remade and at least one of them has been I believe. Wing Commander, Wings, Birds Of Prey, Red Barron; flying arcade/simulations that contain more game-play then most new fangled flight sims of today.
Now don't get me wrong I enjoy some of the games released today. Graphics are amazing, story is detailed and in depth but sometimes these new games lack the creativity of the old ones. That same spirit and enjoyable game-play that they had back then. Back then it was about creating art, having fun, making something new. Now, these days it seems to be all about the money, or doing something better than the other person. That same spirit of old seems to be gone.
Maybe it's all about ones perspective on things. Maybe my memory of something isn't as good as the next guys but sooner or later it all comes down to one thing... Did you have fun playing that game?
Lets hope you do.
Have fun playing those Retro games!
(Tell me of your experiences about a certain game and how it effected you if you please? Doesn't have to be only Amiga... any older system will do.)
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