Playing video games the wrong way.
As a (very) young child, I loved to play Impossible Mission on my brother’s Commodore 64.
I don’t remember what your goal was, but I know it involved hopping between ten thousand floors filled with evil robots.
Being so young, I was never very good at the game. Actually, that’s putting it mildly. I had *no idea* how to play Impossible Mission, yet continued to do so, because the graphics and fluidity were great, and the idea of a never-ending building filled with desks, bookcases and killer robots just fascinated me to pieces.
Instead of trying to “win,” I simply explored the rooms and acted like the whole thing was some digital action figure playset.
I’ve done this with quite a few games over the years — generally robust titles that I was never much good at. Examples:
– I never came close to beating Zelda II: The Adventure of Link, but I absolutely adored visiting the towns to “chat” with Hyrule’s randos. I’d pretend that that was the whole game.
– I was TERRIBLE at Metroid — like just brutally bad — so I’d instead pretend that Samus was a happy-go-lucky explorer who only shot at things as a matter of survival.
– I never even tried to play Ecco the Dolphin the right way. I just acted like it was one of those “virtual aquariums,” with the added bonus of a dolphin that I could pilot.
Tonight’s survey:
Name some video games that you intentionally played the “wrong” way. Give us the details, too!
Old junk food.
No video tonight, as I’m facing a deadline that cannot be pushed!
Instead, let’s just do a little survey:
Name a discontinued junk food item that you’d KILL to eat one last time.
(Both store-bought snacks and fast food items count.)
We’re gonna make each other hungry tonight.
Demons!
Tonight’s movie is Demons, from 1985.
I think IMDB’s plot summary sells it best: A group of random people are invited to a screening of a mysterious movie, only to find themselves trapped in the theater with ravenous demons.
Warning: This one gets gory. (I doubt you’re surprised.)
Tonight’s survey:
Name a place you’d like to visit before you die. Assume money is no object!
(I didn’t mean to word that so macabrely. I guess it fits, considering tonight’s film choice!)
American Gladiators!
Here’s a random episode of American Gladiators, from 1992:
Mixed emotions about this show. As I recall, American Gladiators aired after all of the cartoons wrapped up on Saturday morning, signaling a long stretch of hours where there’d be nothing on television.
So, I’d be sitting there watching people bash each other with those giant foam turkey legs or whatever, completely dreading those final minutes. Once American Gladiators ended, all I had were news programs, grainy movies from 1972 and the occasional car race.
Tonight’s survey:
…has nothing to do with American Gladiators.
In the comments, tell everyone about one of your favorite giant monsters.
You can take “giant monster” however you like. Godzilla, Stay Puft, Falkor the Luck Dragon… whatever.
Can be from a toon, show, movie, video game — doesn’t matter!
