Retrogeeking
Hooray! I can now blog again after a number of things stopped me from doing so over the last few days (having a dodgy net connection [sorted] / cleaning the house from top to bottom [nearly done] / and having server problems [as usual] ...sigh).
Anyway! This weekend has been the weekend I rediscovered 1980s computer games. Don't ask me why; I was just gripped by the urge to revisit that part of my childhood. I never realised I was a geek-child until last night, when I found sooooo many computer games I recognised - how did I manage to play that many?! Did they even exist?! Apparently so.
After downloading free re-writes of Repton and Chuckie Egg and experiencing the same old joys/frustrations; JUMP-JUMP-JUMP-AGH!-HIT-CHICKEN!-ETC, I became obsessed with finding an old favourite adventure game that I spent many a happy hour playing as a child. Small problem - I couldn't remember what it was called (me and my sister used to call it 'keys' because it involved finding different keys, and I couldn't pronounce the name). I texted my sister, but she couldn't remember either, and probably thought I was losing it. Don't you just hate it when that happens?!
Not to be beaten, I Googled frantically, trying to find screenshots or whatever else would remind me of That Fantastic Game With The Keys. I wasn't helped by the fact that I couldn't remember what kind of computer I had, although when I saw a screenshot of the ZX Spectrum +2, I remembered having one, but I still couldn't find the blasted game. And then, this morning, I remembered having an Acorn Electron as well (Dad, if you're reading this, please can you confirm if that's true, or if I am imagining things?! Go on, humour me?).
More Googling later, I discovered That Fantastic Game With The Keys was actually called Citadel - no wonder I couldn't pronounce it! I was slightly disappointed by the graphics, but then again, it was circa-1984, and they're a lot better than some of the screenshots I found:
The only problem is; I cannot download the actual game, and I'm all Googled out for now. Ah well, at least I know what it was called, and can now breathe a sigh of relief and carry on doing more exciting weekend-type things like cleaning the bathroom and whatever.
And yes, I know I am sad.
Comments
Oh how I remember the days of playing Repton and Chuckie Egg! We all used to fight to play it! Can't remember Citadel probably because I did not have an Acorn!
Ce xx
Posted by: Ce | March 19, 2007 9:14 AM
Oh those salad days!! (yes, I know we're not that OLD but!)
I can't wait to download Repton one weekend - can't do it at work - perhaps that's a good thing! :-D
Posted by: E | March 21, 2007 11:57 AM
Me-thinks you're over- active imagination is playing tricks again. I'm afraid I have no recollection of an Acorn Electron though we did have a sort of prehistoric Games Console which I think loaded from bits of slate. D
Posted by: D | March 21, 2007 3:39 PM