The Classic Videogames Blog 

More Interesting Videogame Links

Came across some more links that may be of interest to you:

Games Are Fun is a pretty awesome videogaming news site.

8BitJoystick.com describes itself as a Zine for Videogame Nerds and it is updated frequently with the latest videogame and hardware news.

Arcade Central is devoted to providing a database on classic videogames.

Dan's Classic Video Games & Flyers details one man's collection of vintage arcade game machines that he owns in his home.

RETROARCADE.COM provides information about classic arcade games, including which games have been released on consoles, links to emulators, and much more.

Phoenix by Kimberly Keyes Stark

1980 was a pretty good year for me. I was looking forward to graduating from high school (which I basically despised so much that my happiest high school memory was Graduation Day because I knew that I wouldn't be forced into going back ever again) in June and making preparations to enter college the following fall. A month after I began the fall semester in college I entered into a serious relationship for the first time. (It broke up the following spring when my boyfriend claimed that the psychiatrist that he was seeing on a weekly basis advised him to dump me but that's not relevant here.) I also voted for the first time in the presidential elections that y ear. The only real downer came when John Lennon was murdered by a crazed fan a couple of months after he released his first album in five years but, all in all, 1980 was a pretty good year.

Another reason why 1980 was a good year was that was the year that the game Phoenix was released. Of all the Space Invaders clones that were released, I've always considered Phoenix to be the best of the bunch (with Galaga coming in at a close second).

Like Space Invaders, Galaxian, and Galaga, you control a spaceship that shoots down agressive creatures that are attacking you. Like Galaxian and Galaga, these creatures are also capable of breaking formation so they can divebomb towards you. In this case, you are attacking Phoenix birds in outer space as they drop bombs and swoop towards your ship. (Never mind the fact that in real life birds can't fly too well--much less exist--in space due to the lack of oxygen.)

What sets Phoenix apart from Space Invaders and its clones is its delicate and soothing classical soundtrack (which includes "Moonlight Sonata" and "Fur Elise") that provides a jarring contrast to the kinetic action of the game.

Phoenix also had interesting levels. The first couple of screens are basically a variation on the Space Invaders/Galax ian/Galaga theme. But then you reach a level where giant blue phoenix birds are attacking you. There are fewer of these massive birds than the numerous small birds in the previous levels but they make their smaller brethern seem benign by comparison.

Then there is the boss level. At this point you see a giant spaceship with a giant phoenix bird inside. You have to shoot through the bottom of the giant spaceship and shoot the giant phoenix bird. However, that task is eaier said than done. The giant spaceship is dropping bombs as it slowly descends towards your ship. If that wasn't enough, there are a battalion of small phoenix birds who are determined to prevent you from your goal by making frequent divebombing attacks.

Once you've managed to destroy the mothership and the giant phoenix bird, the game starts at the first screen again, except that there are more small phoenix birds that are dropping more bombs and swooping down at you at a faster rate than before.

I remember the many quarters I spent during the early 1980's trying to shoot down as many birds as possible. While I would continue to play Space Invaders, Galaxian, and Galaga, I always ended up spending more and more time playing Phoenix until other games like Pac-Man and Frogger began to demand my attention.

Sadly, Phoenix has basically disappeared from most video arcades after the 1980's. The home version of Phoenix has only been released twice--on the Atari 2600 in 1982 and on the Commodore C64 under the title "Eagle Empire" in 1984. There haven't been any home releases since then.

What's worse is that Phoenix seems to have descended into obscurity, which is unjust considering that Phoenix is such a fun game to play. I rarely see Phoenix listed in books on classic video games and there aren't too many classic gaming sites that even mentions this game. I hope that one day one of the current big video game manufacturers will get the rights to release a home version of Phoenix for the Game Boy Advance or Playstation 2. However, I'm not going to hold my breath waiting for this to happen.

DISCLAIMER: This blog is based on one person's biased opinions of which videogames should be considered to be classics and why. It is not meant to provide a complete history of the videogame industry, the latest videogame news, technical support, or hints on how to play a certain videogame. None of the videogame manufacturers or programmers mentioned here have endorsed or supported this blog in any way, shape, or form.

NOTE: If there are any errors or updates to what I have written about Phoenix, please send an e-mail to [link=mailto:kstarkREMOVE-ALL-CAPS-IF-NOT-SPAM@erols.com]kstarkREMOVE-ALL-CAPS-IF-NOT-SPAM@erols.com[/link] (remember to remove the capital letters from my mailing address before sending or else it will get rejected) and I'll edit this piece when time permits.


PHOENIX LINKS

The Amstar Schmamstar-I Like Centuri Page--A page that's dedicated to Phoenix.

AtariProtos.com's Phoenix Page--Complete information on the Atari 2600 version of Phoenix.

The Atari Times--A review of the Atari 2600 version of Phoenix.

Bob McPherson Download--You can download a Phoenix clone as well as clones of Pac-Man and Space Invaders to play on your Hewlett-Packard 48G series calculator.

Coinop.org's Description of Phoenix

CYBERYOGI=CO=Windler's Historical Videogames Page--Scroll down the page a bit and you'll see a brief section on Phoenix, including free downloads of WAV files of the game's music and links to where you can download free ROM's of the game.

The HP49G--You can download a Phoenix clone as well as Hapaman (a Pac-Man clone) to play on your Hewlett-Packard 49G series calculator.

The Internet Movie Database's Information on Phoenix

The Killer List of Video Games' Phoenix Exhibit

MAME.DK's Phoenix ROM Emulator

Phoenix--A short story about how someone had bought a broken vintage Phoenix arcade game and restored it as a working game once again.

Phoenix--Contains a brief history of the game and how to play it.

[link=http://www.ggdb.com/GGDB/Details.asp?VID =2054%26Cat=TechRoot.WandM.NP]Phoenix (Coin-Op) by Centuri: Sponsored by QuarterArcade.com[/link]--Gives both the historical and technical details about Phoenix.

Programmers Heaven's Phoenix Game--Here is a Phoenix clone that you can download to your PC.

Risen From the Ashes--Another short story about how someone had restored a vintage Phoenix arcade game..

Galaga by Kimberly Keyes Stark

I can remember when I got into Galaxian because it was an improvement over Space Invaders. Not only were the alien creatures in multiple colors (as opposed to Space Invaders' white aliens) but they were also capable of divebombing, which made it even more challenging.

A couple of years later Namco took its own Galaxian game and improved it further, which resulted in the creation of another classic videogame cal led Galaga. How improved was it? In Galaxian the spaceships looked like a bizarre cross between an insect and a spaceship (even though the promotional art for Galaxian showed a spaceship shooting at a giant dragonfly, the ships on the screen bore little resemblance to dragonflies). In Galaga your enemy clearly looked like giant bugs. When you successfly shot at the bugs they made a short buzzing sound.

In Galaxian the spaceships were already in formation, ready to strike at you. In Galaga the game began with only your ship and the bugs start to fly in circles as they take their places in the formation. Here you got a chance to shoot as many of them as possible before they take their places in the formation and it led to less space bugs you would have to shoot later.

Like Galaxian they began to divebomb towards you and dropped their bombs at the same time. It was just as challenging to avoid the enemy as it was in Galaxian.

The giant locust-like insects were not only the largest of the enemies but they were also the trickiest. Not only did you have to shoot them twice in order to eliminate them, they were also capable of hovering over your ship, sending out a laser beam, and kidnapping your ship (thus causing you to lose a life). Your own kidnapped ship is then used against you by the giant locusts.

But there was one neat trick you could use in this instance. If you shoot down the offending locust, not only would you get your kidnapped ship back but it would also join your current ship so you can shoot down the space insects faster with double the firing power.

Another cool feature that this game had (and neither Space Invaders or Galaxian had) was a bonus round where you can shoot down the giant insects as they whizzed past you.

I can remember when I and many of my college friends pronounced this game as "Gull-lag-guh." Well, I've since heard that other people have been known to pronounce this game as "Gala-guh." Namco has never revealed the official pronunciation of this game but that didn't stop p eople from playing this game and turning it into one of the most enduring classic videogames ever.

Galaga eventually became my second favorite space shooting game of all time. Only Phoenix was better (which I'll write about in my next entry). In fact, there are times when I'll still fire up Galaga on the Playstation 2 for a few quick rounds of shooting down space bugs.

The original Galaxian flagship made a cameo appearance in Galaga on levels 12 through 14 after being transformed from a bee-shaped alien.

As I perused the various web pages and sites devoted to Galaga, I learned that Galaga made a cameo appearance at the beginning of the 1983 film "WarGames," where Matthew Broderick can be seen playing the arcade game. While I did see that movie when it was first released in theaters 20 years ago, I don't recall Galaga's cameo. Either the scene was very brief or I was too engrossed with the rest of the movie to notice Galaga's appearance.

In any case, Galaga still lives on in the arcades since it is one of the few classic games that one is most likely to find among the newer 3D games. In fact, many arcades today tend to have the Galaga/Ms. Pac-Man hybrid arcade machine as their one token classic gaming machine.

DISCLAIMER: This blog is based on one person's biased opinions of which videogames should be considered to be classics and why. It is not meant to provide a complete history of the videogame industry, the latest videogame news, technical support, or hints on how to play a certain videogame. None of the videogame manufacturers or programmers mentioned here have endorsed or supported this blog in any way, shape, or form.

NOTE: If there are any errors or update s to what I have written about Galaga, please send an e-mail to [link=mailto:kstarkREMOVE-ALL-CAPS-IF-NOT-SPAM@erols.com]kstarkREMOVE-ALL-CAPS-IF-NOT-SPAM@erol s.com[/link] (remember to remove the capital letters from my mailing address before sending or else it will get rejected) and I'll edit this piece when time permits.

GALAGA GAMES AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE

TELEVISION SET

Namco Arcade TV 5 Games in 1 Joystick--This is a joystick-only piece that plugs directly into your television set. It's also a pretty cheap option for those who want to play classic games on their TV set but don't own a Game Cube, Playstation 2, or X-Box because you don't need to buy or rent any consoles to play the games, which are embedded directly into the joystick. The joystick games include Galaga along with Pac-Man, Dig-Dug, Rally-X, and Bosconian. ([link=http://www.8bitjoystick.com/archives/jake_review_namco_arcade_clas sics_5_in_1_joystick.php]Click here[/link] to read a review about this item, which looks pretty neat.)

DREAMCAST

Namco Museum Volume 1--In cludes Galaga along with Pac-Man, Ms. Pac-Man, Galaxian, Pole Position, and Dig-Dug.

GAME BOY

Galaga/Galaxian--You get two similar classic games for the price of one.

GAME BOY COLOR

Galaga--Here is a portable version of the classic game in color.

GAME BOY ADVANCE

[link=http://www.amazon.com/exe c/obidos/tg/detail/-/B00005BZE0/theunicornwithan/]Namco Museum[/link]--Includes Galaga along with Ms. Pac-Man, Dig-Dug, Pole Position, and Galaxian.

GAME CUBE

Namco Museum--Includes Galaga in both original arcade mode and in a souped-up 3D version. Also includes Pac-Man, Ms. Pac-Man, Galaxian, Dig-Dug, and Pole Position.

NINTENDO 64

Namco Museum 64--Includes Galaga along with Pac-Man, Ms. Pac-Man, Galaxian, Pole Position, and Dig-Dug.

PLAYSTATION 1

Galaga--This is a souped-up 3D version of the arcade classic.

Namco Museum Volume 1--Includes Galaga along with Pac-Man, Pole Position, Bosconian, Rally-X, New Rally-X, and Toy Pop.

PLAYSTATION 2

Namco Museum--Includes Galaga in both original arcade mode and in a souped-up 3D version. Also includes Pac-Man, Ms. Pac-Man, Galaxian, Dig-Dug, and Pole Position.

WINDOWS 95/98/ME

Galaga--This is a souped-up 3D version of the arcade classic.

Galaga (Jewel Case)--This is a souped-up 3D version of the arcade classic.

X-BOX

Namco Museum--Includes Galaga in both original arcade mode and in a souped-up 3D version. Also includes Pac-Man, Ms. Pac-Man, Galaxian, Dig-Dug, and Pole Position.


RELATED PURCHASES

WarGames in VHS and [link=http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/079 2838467/theunicornwithan/]DVD[/link] Formats--The videogame Galaga makes a cam eo at the beginning of this 1983 movie, which is a cautionary tale about how a teenage computer hacker inadvertantly comes close to starting a nuclear war between th e United States and the Soviet Union. At the time this film came out, the Reagan Administration was in the process of increasing its nuclear arsenal with the Soviet Union doing the same in response. Many people worried that this latest surge in the nuclear arms race would start World War III with no winners and the planet Earth being one big loser. It resulted in an anti-nuclear movement all over the world (including even the Soviet Union) and many people calling for the end of the Cold War. When I saw this movie in the theater years ago, I can remember the statement it made about the futility of the Cold War. The movie is probably a little bit dated now but it still stands out as an interesting Cold War/1980's era artifact.

"Zombies In Robots Out" CD by 14 Year Old Girls--This CD is devoted to videogames and it includes the song "Galaga" along with "Big Grab," "1-800-255-3700," "Castlevania Punk," "Slushy Puppy," "Animal Forest," "Elevator Action," "Run Lolo Run," "Rayden on Prom Night," "Pacman's In Egypt," "This is a Devo Cover," "Grand Theft Auto 3," "Starworld," "Renegade," "Veggie Sandwiches Are The Best Sandwiches," and "Tomb Raider UK Pop."

GALAGA LINKS

Classic Gaming.com's Game of the Week: Galaga--A brief history of the game.

The Deluxe Galaga Website--You can download a sharewa re version of Galaga for either the Amiga or the PC.

Galaga Download--You can download freeware versions of Galaga for your PC.

The Galaga Worship Page--Like this site's title says, this is a fan site t hat's devoted to Galaga. It includes the webmaster's personal memories of playing the game in the early 1980's and how he became totally devoted to the game.

The Internet Movie Database's Informati on on Galaga

The Internet Movie Database's Entry on "WarGames"--This is the movie where Galaga makes a cameo in the first few minutes of the movie.

The Killer List of Video Games' Galaga Exhibit

My Gameroom: Galaga--Here is one person's short story on how he obtained a vintage Galaga arcade game machine for his home.

Namco--The official site of the company that's responsible for Galaga as well as a bunch of other classic games (such as Pac-Man, Ms. Pac-Man, Galaxian, and Dig-Dug).

Namco Arcade.com's Ms. Pac-Man and Galaga--This page is aimed at videogame arcade owners but it does provide information about a specially designed arcade machine that has both Ms. Pac-Man and Galaga games installed together in the same cabinet. At the bottom of the page there is information about a special Easter Egg where, if you move the joystick around in a certain sequence at the select screen input, you'll also access Pac-Man as well. (At the select screen input, you move the joystick up, up, up, down, down, down, left, right, left, right, and left then press the start button.)

RETROARCADE.COM: Galaxian an d Galaga

SmilieGames.com's Galaga--Play an online Java version of Galaga.

WarGames: A Shrine on the World Wide Web--This fan site, devoted to the film "WarGames," has a unique entrance to the site that not only mentions Galaga but also tries to simulate the computer that Matthew Broderick's character hacks into in the film. Once yo u get into the main part of the site, go to the Phun section wher e you can read the webmaster's personal memories about Galaga.<

Galaxian by Kimberly Keyes Stark

When I first came across Galaxian back in high school, I thought it was a very colorful Space Invaders clone. For the first few seconds after putting the quarter in, it seemed like it would be exactly like Space Invaders...until the ships started breaking formation and divebombing towards my ship.

That was Galaxian, the game that actually improved on the original Space Invaders' gameplay to become a classic of its very own. The game was also one of the first big arcade hits for Namco, the Japanese company who would later go on to release Pac-Man, Ms. Pac-Man, Galaga, and many more classic games.

Not only was Galaxian more colorful than Space Invaders, the gameplay was challenging at times. At the top of the formation were some large yellow ships with red nosecones and blue wings. Those were the Galaxian flagships and they were frequently accompanied by two smaller red ships to create a tripe threat for your ship. The big secret tip is that if you knock off the red ships first then destroy the Galaxian flagship, you got a higher score than if you knock flagship first or destroy the red ships without destroying the flagship. That was easier said than done since the ships tended to divebomb towards you at a fast rate.

Once you've cleared the screen, you would have to start over again with a new formation of ships. Except that, with each passing level, the ships would divebomb at faster and faster rates until the Game Over screen appeared.

The divebombing ships not only differentiated Galaxian from Space Invaders, but Namco would go on to replicate the divebombing action in Galaga just a few years later (where you had to shoot giant bugs in outer space). The divebombing action would also be replicated in the game Phoenix (which was created by another company), included shooting giant phoenix birds in outer space.

The Galaxian flagship would later make cameo appearances in other Namco games like Pac-Man (where it pops up as a tasty treat that Pac-Man could eat for bonus points in levels 9 and 10) and Galaga (where it appears on levels 12 through 14 after being transformed from a bee-shaped alien).

Having played Galaxian recently on my Playstation 2, I can say that it is just as addicting as it was back in 1979 (the year that it was released).

DISCLAIMER: This blog is based on one person's biased opinions of which videogames should be considered to be classics and why. It is not meant to provide a complete history of the videogame industry, the latest videogame news, technical support, or hints on how to play a certain videogame. None of the videogame manufacturers or programmers mentioned here have endorsed or supported this blog in any way, shape, or form.

NOTE: If there are any errors or updates to what I have written about Galaxian, please send an e-mail to [link=mailto:kstarkREMOVE-ALL-CAPS-IF-NOT-SPAM@ero ls.com]kstarkREMOVE-ALL-CAPS-IF-NOT-SPAM@erols.com[/link] (remember to remove the capital letters from my mailing address before sending or else it will get rejected) and I'll edit this piece when time permits.

GALAXIAN GAMES AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE

Namco Museum Vol. 1 (Dreamcast)--Includes Galaxian along with Pac-Man, Ms. Pac-Man, Galaga, Pole Position, and Dig-Dug.

[link=http://www.amazon.com/exec/o bidos/tg/detail/-/B00002SVF0/theunicornwithan/]Galaga/Galaxian (Game Boy)[/link]--You get two similar classic games for the price of one.

Galaxian (Game Boy Color)

Namco Museum (Game Boy Advance)--Includes Galaxian along with Ms. Pac-Man, Dig-Dug, Pole Position, and Galaga.

Namco Museum (Game Cube)--Includes Galaxian along with Pac-Man, Ms. Pac-Man, Galaga, Dig-Dug, and Pole Position.

Namco Museum 64 (Nintendo 64)--Includes Galaxian as well as other classic games like Galaga, Pole Position, Dig-Dug, Pac-Man, and Ms. Pac-Man.

[link=http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B0000 0I1BX/theunicornwithan/]Namco Museum Vol. 3 (Playstation 1)[/link]--Includes Galaxian as well as other classic games like Ms. Pac-Man, Dig-Dug, Pole Position II, Phozon, and the Tower of Druaga.

[link=http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/s tores/detail/-/videogames/B00005RCQY/theunicornwithan/]Namco Museum (Playstation 2)[/link]--Includes Galaxian along with Pac-Man, Ms. Pac-Man, Galaga, Dig-Dug, and Pole Position.

[link=http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B000 06I KCE/theunicornwithan/]Namco Museum (X-Box)[/link]--Includes Galaxian along with Pac-Man, Ms. Pac-Man, Galaga, Dig-Dug, and Pole Position.


GALAXIAN LINKS

Galaxian by Michael Borromeo--A freeware version of Galaxian for Windows that you can download.

GameHippo.com's Galaxian Games--Here are some more freeware Galaxian games for the PC that you can download.

The Internet Movie Database's Information on Galaxian

The Killer List of Videogames' Galaxian Exhibit

My Gameroom: Galaxian--Here is one person's short story on how he installed a vintage Galaxian arcade game in his home.

N amco--The official site of the company that's responsible for Galaxian as well as a bunch of other classic games (such as Pac-Man, Ms. Pac-Man, Galaga, and Dig-Dug).

RETROARCADE.COM: Galaxian and Galaga

Triplets and Us.com's Galaxian Game--Play Galaxian online for free with this version that was done in Java.

The Unofficial Galaxian Homepage--A fan site that is full of information on everything you've ever wanted to know about Galaxian (but you were afraid to ask), including a list of other games where the Galaxian flagship has made a cameo appearance as well as tidbits about Namco, the company responsible for Galaxian.<

Interesting Videogame Links

Here are a few interesting videogame links that you may want to check out:

Game Girl Advance--Part weblog, part zine, this site focuses on videogames from a female's point of view.

GOT GAME?: The Future of Play--It's a blog that is documenting the emergence of videogames as a medium of popular culture.

The Killer List of Videogames has the most extensive listing of every single arcade game ever released. This site even lists arcade games that I've never heard of.

Home of the Underdogs has a huge library of arcade game emulators that you can download for free.<

Space Invaders by Kimberly Keyes Stark

Pong was the first successful videogame but, to be honest, I was never able to get into that game fully because I didn't have too many friends as a child and I had problems with getting anyone to play that game with me. I once tried playing by myself where I controlled both paddles but it wasn't really much fun playing against yourself.

Over time other videogames were released and they eventually gave you the option of playing against the computer if you didn't have a friend with you. I began to get into videogames more and more as a teenager. By the time I became a high school junior in 1978, there was a cutting-edge game that made it stand out from the other videogames of the 1970's. That game was Space Invaders.

If Pong was the first successful videogame, then Space Invaders was the one that made videogames mainstream. Up until that point, I saw mostly kids and teenagers playing videogames in the arcades. With Space Invaders, I remembered seeing people in their twenties and thirties trying it out. I even saw middle-aged parents giving Space Invaders a shot.

Space Invaders had a premise straight out of a 1950's cheesy low-budget science fiction film: a group of aliens are slowly descending from the sky in an attempt to invade Earth. You are moving a missle around as you try to shoot down the aliens. In the meantime, those aliens are dropping bombs below and you had better duck quickly if you want to avoid being bombed. You could hide under some buildings but those shields are temporary since the aliens are slowly dropping bombs on them until they disappear.

Every now and them the aliens' mothership would fly high up across the screen. If you hit that ship, you got bonus points.

You have to shoot them off before they reach your level and overrun your missile. However, if you successfully knock off every single alien, the game starts again, this time the aliens are descending at a faster pace than before. Basically, you keep on going until you lose.

I can remember when the news media at the time pronounced Space Invaders as the game that you couldn't win. That's because the game kept on repeating itself at a faster and faster pace. Unlike most of today's console games, Space Invaders had a very thin plot that seemed to have no end. The crude graphics and sound effects (that consisted of just four sounds: the "thump-thump-thump" sound of the advancing aliens, the whoosing sound of the missi l es, the zapping sound of an alien being shot, and the high-pitched "woo-woo-woo" sound of the aliens' mothership as it flew by) are also pretty laughable by today's standards.

Yet the game was very addicting. When you played that game, you definitely felt an adrenaline rush as the aliens advanced closer to your missile and you had to quickly shoot those aliens if you wanted to avoid the "Game Over" screen.

How much of an impact did Space Invaders have on popular culture? One such example can be found on The Pretenders' debut album. There is a track called "Space Invader" that is bascially a punk rock instrumental track. The song fades at the end until the only sounds left are the familiar sounds of a Space Invaders game.

Space Invaders also led to a bunch of similar games that also became hits as well. There was Galaxian, which initially looked like a colorized version of Space Invaders until the ships started dive-bombing towards you. Then there was Galaga, which had a similar gameplay to Galaxian except you battled giant bugs in outer space. There was Phoenix, where you battled dive-bombing phoenix birds in outer space. The most blatant of the Space Invaders clones was Gorf, an arcade game that directly copied Space Invaders for one of the levels that the player must play in order to challenge an alien named Gorf at a series of matches.

Space Invaders itself spawned a few sequels but they weren't that much different from the original.

When I was visiting Ocean City, Maryland a couple of weeks ago, I managed to play a Space Invaders game that was located in the back of Marty's Playland (located on the Boardwalk) alongside other cl assic games of the 1970's and 1980's (including Tron, Tetris, Ms. Pac-Man, Galaga, and Battlezone). That game was still very compelling to play and it brought back lots of old memories. What's more, it still charged 25 cents per game (which was in contrast to the newer technologically-advanced games that cost anywhere between 75 cents to $1 per game).

Space Invaders is one classic arcade game that will never be forgotten.

DISCLAIMER: This blog is based on one person's biased opinions of which videogames should be considered to be classics and why. It is not meant to provide a complete history of the videogame industry, the latest videogame news, technical support, or hints on how to play a certain videogame. None of the videogame manufacturers or programmers mentioned here have endorsed or supported this blog in any way, shape, or form.

NOTE: If there are any errors or updates to what I have written about Space I nvaders, please send an e-mail to [link=mailto:kstarkREMOVE-ALL-CAPS-IF-NOT-SPAM@erols.com]kstarkREMOVE-ALL-CAPS-IF-NOT-SPAM@erols.com[/link] (remember to remove the capital letters from my mailing address before sending or else it will get rejected) and I'll edi t this piece when time permits.


SPACE INVADERS GAMES AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE

NOTE: Most of the home versions of Space Invaders are basically souped-up 3-D versions of the original. If you beat the 3-D version on some platforms, you gain access to the original arcade version of the game. (However, I can't guarantee that this will happen to the version that you buy.)

Blast Pack (Windows 95/98)--It's a three CD pack that bundles Space Invaders with Asteroids and the Atari 2600 Classics.

Space Invaders (Windows 95/98/Me)

[link=http://www.amazon.co m/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B00002SVEU/theunicornwithan/]Space Invaders (Game Boy Version)[/link]

Space Invaders (Game Boy Color Version)

Space Invaders (Game Boy Advance Version)

Space Invad ers (Super Nintendo Version)--Judging from the box, it looks like it uses the original graphics from the arcade version.

Space Invaders (Nintendo 64 Version)

Space Invaders (Playstation 1 Version)


RELATED PURCHASES

The Pretenders--This is their debut album that includes a track called "Space Invader", which pays homage to the game. Also includes their biggest hit, "Brass in Pocket", along with an interesting cover of the Kinks' "Stop Your Sobbing."


SPACE INVADERS AND OTHER RELATED LINKS

Bob McPherson Download--You can download a Space Invaders clone, as well as clones of Pac-Man and Phoenix, to play on your Hewlett-Packard 48G series calculator.

Google's Space Invaders Directory--Features links to Space Invaders games that you can play for free.

The Internet Movie Database's Information on Space Invaders

Invadirs--This is a free tutorial in object-ori ented programming where you get to program your own Space Invaders game as part of the lesson. Sounds like a cool idea to me! ;-)

The Killer List of Videogames' Space Invaders Exhibit

[link=http://www.neave.com/w ebgames/invaders/]Neave's Webgames: Space Invaders[/link]--Play an online version of Space Invaders.

South Park Space Inva ders--If you like both South Park and Space Invaders, this free game is for you! The catch is that you must downloaded the game first and it only runs under Windows 95/98.

A Story About Space Invaders--A charming short memoir of a Space Invaders fan whose childhood obsession with this game has led to his later interest in restoring old arcade games.

The Ultimate Space Invaders Shrine--This site defini tely lives up to its title. It includes an online Flash version of the game, a history of the game, wallpapers, screensavers, emulators that you can download, and much more.<

Austin Gaming Expo

If you plan on being in the Austin, Texas area on July 26, you may want to check out the Austin Gaming Expo.<

The 2003 Classic Gaming Expo

If you plan on being in the New York area on August 9-10, you may want to check out the 2003 Classic Gaming Expo.<

Popeye by Kimberly Keyes Stark

Last week; while I was on vacation in Ocean City, Maryland; I was walking along the Boardwalk when I saw a sign pointing in the direction of a store called Pop's Joke Shop. This store was located just a half a block off the Boardwalk and the name sounded intriguing (I had just finished reading "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix" and there were several references to a pair of identical twins named Fred and George Weasley who decided to abruptly quit school so they could realize their dreams of starting their own joke shop) so I decided to check it out. The first thing I found was the images of Popeye, his friends, and his enemies (i.e., Wimpy, Bluto, Olive Oyl, etc.) were painted all over the front of the store. There were even Popeye images painted on the porch floor. I thought that this was some kind of store that was as solely dedicated to all things Popeye as the Disney Store is to Mickey Mouse.

W hen I entered the store, I found out that this store sold all kinds of things that most other stores on the Boardwalk didn't even carry. There was a Mickey Mouse phone for sale. There were a wide assortment of cheap plastic toys and cheap rock memorabilia. There were tacky ceramic statues of fat men with their pants pulled down and their bare asses sticking out that made farting sounds when you walked past them. There were all kind of practical joke items ranging from phony dog poop to gum that tasted yucky when chewed.

Then I saw something that was located near the front door that was a blast from the past. There was an old Popeye arcade game that I remembered playing when I was an undergraduate journalism student at the University of Maryland in the early 1980's. What's more, that arcade game still cost 25 cents to play (in contrast to the newer games in the Boardwalk arcades which cost anywhere between 75 cents to $1 to play). I was quite rusty the first time I played the game (it has got to be at least 15 years since I last played it) but I quickly remembered how to play it and I found myself enjoying it just as much as I did in the early 80's.

While Popeye wasn't the first arcade game that's based on a movie character (by all accounts, that honor belongs to Tron), one could argue that it was the first arcade game that was based on a cartoon character whose movie shorts were based on a popular comic strip of the early 1900's.

When I was in college, the Popeye arcade game was carried in at least two local fast food places that were located in College Park. The rules were simple. Popeye's biggest enemy, Bluto, has kidnapped his girlfriend, Olive Oyl. Olive sends out red hearts that float down the screen and Popeye has to catch a number of them in order to reach the next level. If any of the red hearts reaches the bottom of the screen, Popeye has about 10 seconds to quickly retrieve it or else he loses a life.

In the meantime, Bluto is out to stop Popeye in his efforts to catch those hearts. Popeye has to frequently dodge Bluto as that big bully tries to throw beer bottles, throw punches, reach his arms up to a higher ledge if Popeye happens to be directly above him, and even got down on his knees to reach his arms below if Popeye happened to be standing directly below him. From time to time a can of spinach makes an appearance and if Popeye eats it, he gains bigger muscles and he has enough power to be able to punch Bluto. However, the effect is temporary and, after a few seconds, Popeye reverts to his skinny self again.

If all that wasn't enough, a couple of witches would periodically appear on screen throwing bottles at Popeye and he has to punch the bottles while trying to avoid/dodge Bluto at the same time.

Many video game enthusiasts will notice that the layout of Popeye screens bears a slight resemblance to the ones in Donkey Kong. That's because both games were developed and manufactured by the same company, Nintendo.

I found that game so addicting that I spent many quarters trying to save Olive Oyl and defeating Bluto. The big irony is that, as a child, I was never into Popeye very much. The local television station used to broadcast the old Popeye shorts alongside the Looney Tunes and Tom & Jerry ones. I viewed the Popeye cartoons as someth ing to just kill time with until the next cartoon starring Bugs Bunny would appear. I guess it's because I got bored with seeing Popeye always being bullied by Bluto and trying to devise a way to get some spinach so he can defeat the same bully over and over again while Bugs Bunny made more wisecracks and had a whole variety of sparring partners like Yosemite Sam, Elmer Fudd, Daffy Duck, Porky Pig, and many others.

But the Popeye arcade game was in another class entirely. That game held my interest far more than the cartoons ever did. Seeing Popeye constantly defeating Bluto was far more compelling when you directly controlled the Sailor Man rather than just sitting passively watching Popeye and Bluto from the sidelines.

Sadly the videogame version of Popeye has pretty much disappeared from most arcades after the 1980's. Until my recent trip to Ocean City, I haven't seen that game anywhere. What's more, Popeye has not been released on any gaming platform since the 1980's, when it came out on the Atari 2 600, Atari 5200, and NES platforms.

My advice is that if you happen to see Popeye in any arcade, do yourself a favor and play it. You'll be glad you did.

DISCLAIMER: This blog is based on one person's biased opinions of which videogames should be considered to be classics and why. It is not meant to provide a complete history of the videogame industry, the latest videogame news, technical support, or hints on how to play a certain videogame. None of the videogame manufacturers or programmers mentioned here have endorsed or supported this blog in any way, shape, or form.

NOTE: If there are any errors or updates to what I have written about Pope ye, please s end an e-mail to [link=mailto:kstarkREMOVE-ALL-CAPS-IF-NOT-SPAM@erols.com]kstarkREMOVE-ALL-CAPS-IF-NOT-SPAM@erols.com[/link] (remember to remove the capital letters from my mailing address before sending or else it will get rejected) and I'll edit this piece when time permits.


POPEYE LINKS

The Internet Movie Database's Information on Popeye the Video Game

The Killer List of Videogames' Popeye Exhibit

I-Mockery.com's Review of the Atari 2600 Version of Popeye--Also includes a link to the game's ROM file that you can download for free.

Atari HQ.com's Review of the Atari 5200 Version of Popeye

Game FAQ's Review of the NES Version of Popeye

Pong by Kimberly Keyes Stark

Pong is commonly believed by many people to be the first videogame ever released. After visiting other sites and reading books, I learned that this is a popular misc onception. That honor actually belongs to Computer Space, a 1971 game that was based on a popular mainframe computer game beloved by engineering majors, developed by Syzygy as a coin-op game, and manufactured by Nutting Associates.

If you haven't ever heard of Computer Space before, that's because that game was a total flop. By all accounts (and, no, I haven't played it myself), the game was very difficult to play for most people who weren't total computer geeks and it alienated those arcade gamers wh o w ere used to playing pinball.

As a classic example of the old saying "If at first you don't succeed, try again," Syzygy decided to change its name to the more easily pronounced Atari and create a new videogame that would be easier for the general publ ic to play. The result was Pong, which was first released in 1972 and should really be known as the first successful videogame ever released.

Pong's rules were so easy that any child with a rudimentary knowledge of table tennis can easily play. Pong was a tw o-player game, where you and a friend controlled two paddles and each of you took turns hitting a little white ball back and forth. If one of you miss the ball, the opponent scores a point. The first person to reach 15 points wins.

The black and white graphics were crude. The sound consisted of nothing more than a few beeps. Yet there was something about that game that was totally compelling enough to encourage people to keep playing it.

Pong was the perfect social game. What was cool was that two peopl e could play together for the price of one quarter (which is practically impossible to do these days). Of course, the big drawback came when you wanted to play Pong but couldn't find anyone else to play with you. Sometimes, if you were dexterous en ough, y ou could play both sides of the Pong machine at once. But it wasn't as fun as having someone else challenge you and hoping that you can emerge victorious so you can engage in a little boastful trash talking afterwards.

While Pong isn't quite as compelling as later videogames (like Pac-Man), it has held up pretty well. The gameplay can still be intense at times--especially if you have a rivalry going on with someone else who is vying with you for the right to proclaim yourself as the Best Pon g Pl ayer in t he Neighborhood.

The recent home versions of Pong have an option where you can play against the computer. That's a good thing if you don't have anyone else to play Pong with or you wish to hone your Pong skills so you can trounce your frie nd th e next tim e the two of you play together. But Pong is still more fun when you play with another person instead of a computer.

DISCLAIMER: This blog is based on one person's biased opinions of which videogames should be considered to be classics an d why. It is not meant to provide a complete history of the videogame industry, the latest videogame news, technical support, or hints on how to play a certain videogame. None of the videogame manufacturers or programmers mentioned here have endorsed or s upported this blog in any way, shape, or form.

(NOTE: If there are any errors or updates, please send an e-mail to [link=mailto:kstarkREMOVE-ALL-CAPS-IF-NOT-SPAM@erols.com]kstarkREM OVE-ALL-CAPS-IF-NOT-SPAM@erols.com[/link] and I'll edit this piece when time permits.)

PONG GAMES AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE

DREAMCAST

Atari Anni versary Edition--Features the original version of Pong along wi th other classic games like Asteroids, Asteroids Deluxe, Battlezone, Centipede, Crystal Castle, Gravitar, Millipede, Missile Command, Super Breakout, and Tempest.


GAME BOY COLOR

Pong--This is an updated version where you can select different balls and paddles and also include themed variations like jungle, soccer, and Arctic.


MACINTOSH

[link=http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/d etail/-/B00005A3LI/qid=1056312417/theunicornwithan/]Pong[/link]--This is a souped-up version that features 3-D graphics and improved sound.


PLAYSTATION 1

Atari Anniversary Edition--Features the original version of Pong along with other classic games like Asteroids, Asteroids Deluxe, Battlezone, Black Widow, Centipede, Gravitar, Missile Command, Space Duel, Super Breakout, Tempest, and Warlords.

Pong--This is a souped-up version that features 3-D graphics and improved sound.


WINDOWS

Atari Anniversary Edition--Features the original version of Pong along with other classic games like Asteroids, Asteroids Deluxe, Battlezone, Centipede, Millipede, Crystal Castles, Gravitar, Missile Command, Super Breakout, Tempest, and Warlords.

Atari Arcade--Features the original version of Pong along with other classic games like Asteroids, Centipede, Missile Command, Tempest, and Super Breakout.

Pong (Jewel Case)--This is a souped-up version that features 3-D graphics and improved sound.

Pong--This is a souped-up version that features 3-D graphics and improved sound.


PONG AND OTHER RELATED LINKS

ClassicGaming.com--The Museum: Pong

Google's Pong Directory--Features links to Pong games that you can plaly online for free.

Guimp Pong: The World's Smallest Pong Game--This site is not recommended to anyone who has eyesight problems.

The Internet Movie Database's Information on Pong

The Killer List of Videogames' Pong Exhibit

LiquidMedia's Pong Game--You can play Pong from a unique 3-D perspective.

Pong...It's Not Just a Game--A hilarious Flash parody of Pong.

PONG-Story--A fan site that gives a detailed history of the development of Pong as well as a consumer's guide to buying a vintage Pong game. Includes a Pong forum where people can share their enthusiasm of this game.a