Happy Birthday Pac Man. You're 30 years old today you old fuck.
I was actually more of a Pac Woman fan. Or "Ms.Pacman" as you squares probably called it. I used to play it all the time at the video arcade "Time Out" at the Exton Mall. I even taught my friend Flare some of the patterns. And I'd let him win once and while because he never really "picked it up" like I did.
The only other game I really liked was Galaga. All the other games can kiss my ass. Especially pin ball. I always hated pinball. But I did like the sounds pinball machines made and I'd liked to laugh at some of the body contortions people would make as they played.
Oh yeah. And I did like to lean on the machine when somebody was playing it until they yelled, "Get away, you're gonna tilt it!"
I do kind of feel bad for kids these days because there aren't any real arcades left. Just the crappy ones.
Stupid progress.
Galaga is my all-time favoritest game.
ReplyDeleteIf you have a kid and take them to Dr. Melini in West Chester, he has both of these games in his waiting area.
I also remember playing the high-speed Ms. Pacman and how that seemed easier and less stressful.
Speaking of stressful, remember Tapper??
Kristen - Yeah. I like Galaga better now. There's a machine near the place I stay in Sea Isle and I've been known to ride my bike there - without the kids - and play.
ReplyDeleteAs for Tapper, never really liked that.
I used to have one of those mini Ms. Pacman games. It looked like the arcade game, but a much smaller, portable version. How I loved that game. Sold it for a mint on eBay...
ReplyDeleteKristen - Tapper? I couldn't press my space bar fast enough for those little drunkards.
I was way into video games when I was younger. Translation - I was geeky and unpopular. My favorite? Zak McKracken and the Alien Mindbenders for the Commodore 64. Go ahead and Google it. It was awesome.
Stacey - they also have a portable one that connects to any TV. The kids got it for me. I think it was only $25.
ReplyDeleteNow I want to play it.
also, you cracked up my co-worker Ann with the "get away, you're gonna tilt it!" line.
ReplyDeleteKristen - well you tell Ann to get over her shyness and leave a comment on the ole' TBY. Ya Hear?
ReplyDeleteI had a portable Ms. Pac Man that I actually memorized the first 5-6 stages (meaning that I could win those stages without ever having to look at the screen).
ReplyDeleteSome day, when I finally put the time in to complete my man-cave, I'm buying an old-school arcade game: Rampage or Teenage Mutant Ninja Turles.
And this is why we are better, more well adjusted than most. We grew up playing Pac-Man. Metaphor for life. As you progress, the game gets harder and harder and faster and faster until you die. There is no big boss at the end. There is no promise of riches. All these damned kids nowadays, with their fancy Resident Evil and Call of Duty. They don't understand. :)
ReplyDelete-KJC
Oh how many hours have I wasted playing Pac-man on MAME. Even with patterns I can rarely progress past the third or fourth key. I was going to go for some kind of record but now I think I'm just going to rob a bank or something.
ReplyDeleteJohn - Now that's dedication.
ReplyDeleteKendall - Wow. You played it too. What I'm asking is that, "You're old like me too?"
Shawn - MAME. I have no idea what that is.
Did I ever tell you I worked in an arcade back in the late 80's? Oh yes I did! I used to play for money, what kind of fool bets against an arcade employee? I played everything but especially liked tabletop Ladybug.
ReplyDeleteGage - WHAT??? Did you get to wear a uniform? The change people/security at our Time Out wore police type uniforms.
ReplyDeleteDude, we are returning soon
ReplyDelete#1
Confession: I still have (and play) my Atari 2600.
ReplyDelete-KJ
It was called Arnie's - Food, Fun and Games... we wore jeans, a white t-shirt with the Arnie's logo on the front and a little white cap. We also had birthday parties there and had to make psychedelic name signs with spray paint and balloon animals (another of my skills!).
ReplyDeleteI used to let my friends in for free games at midnight when we'd close. We had rolls of spray painted quarters that we used to give people games with if they lost their money (so we could retrieve them from the machine after, so of course we used those to play ourselves!)
I can honestly say that was one of the best jobs I ever had! I made almost $10 an hour in 1987 which is pretty damn good!
Holy Crappers - to blogging??
ReplyDeleteKendall - Sweeeet.
Gage - Arnies. I love it.
Arcade - Tempest
ReplyDeleteC64 - DigDug or Archon
NES - Dragon Warrior (Hell, I'm playing a game of it right now on a emulator on my netbook.)
I hated Tempest.
ReplyDeleteI used to be VERY good at playing Pacman and sometimes still play it on my computer ... I miss those oldskool days when arcades had something romantic ...nowadays they only seem to attract people with mullets ... :-/
ReplyDeleteOh Gawwd! That's ridiculous. 30 years? Peace be still...my quarters are jingling.
ReplyDeleteI don't get how the video game craze has gotten this far. I knew it was something that would never go away, but I burned out on Atari 2600. There's nothing like a joystick to really make your day. Now, it's just push button, push button, push button. Where's the creativity in that?
Harummmph!
Madtexter - I hear you with the buttons. I have no interest in modern day games. Expecially guitar hero.
ReplyDeleteWe couldn't play Pacman at home when I was a kid. Why? Because Dad was always researching the best deal, and he bought us the Intellivision console. We were the ONLY ones I know who had Intellivision while all of the cool kids had Atari. The controllers had these stupid discs instead of the joystick. Total fail.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.intellivisionlives.com/
arcade arcade top 100 online
ReplyDelete