High Score documentary

[Steevo]

Im sure this doc movie has been mentioned before around here, but I couldnt find it on the search. Anyways, essential viewing for any self-respecting arcade player from from the early 80s. Just watch without the spoils, you will be totally blown away. Holy feckin shit!!!

[GeddyRulz]

[Prince Sphinc-Tor]

I remember seeing this stuff in Entertainment Weekly.

[rushgoober]

I have such fond memories of video games in the late 70's / early 80's. Video arcades were EVERYWHERE, and they were mega fun. While something like the original Atari would graphically be like a rudimentary sick joke to kids today, I have no doubt I enjoyed it (as well as full arcade video games) as much as they enjoy theirs now.

 

My own personal memory of something akin to a documentary like this is a local kid in the town I grew up in who supposedly was going for some kind of world record on Missile Command down at a local arcade. I think I saw him playing briefly while going for it. He played it for hours and hours on end, and would have someone sub in for him for brief periods to go to the bathroom or eat. I have no idea if he ever broke the record, or who even kept track of such things back in those pre-internet days, but he was at least legendary for a few days among kids in my hometown.

 

I would love to see a documentary like this - I'm sure it would bring back plenty 'o' memories...

[Prince Sphinc-Tor]

QUOTE (rushgoober @ May 11 2009, 06:49 PM)

I have such fond memories of video games in the late 70's / early 80's. Video arcades were EVERYWHERE, and they were mega fun. While something like the original Atari would graphically be like a rudimentary sick joke to kids today, I have no doubt I enjoyed it (as well as full arcade video games) as much as they enjoy theirs now. My own personal memory of something akin to a documentary like this is a local kid in the town I grew up in who supposedly was going for some kind of world record on Missile Command down at a local arcade. I think I saw him playing briefly while going for it. He played it for hours and hours on end, and would have someone sub in for him for brief periods to go to the bathroom or eat. I have no idea if he ever broke the record, or who even kept track of such things back in those pre-internet days, but he was at least legendary for a few days among kids in my hometown. I would love to see a documentary like this - I'm sure it would bring back plenty 'o' memories...

I remember hearing about this Missile Command maniac who was so good at it, and was able to rack up so many extra cities, he was able to leave the game, go have lunch leaving the game unattended with his cities being blown away one after the other, and then return and the resume his same game without it ending...what a nut.

[rushgoober]

QUOTE (Prince Sphinc-Tor @ May 11 2009, 04:07 PM)

QUOTE (rushgoober @ May 11 2009, 06:49 PM) I have such fond memories of video games in the late 70's / early 80's.  Video arcades were EVERYWHERE, and they were mega fun.  While something like the original Atari would graphically be like a rudimentary sick joke to kids today, I have no doubt I enjoyed it (as well as full arcade video games) as much as they enjoy theirs now. My own personal memory of something akin to a documentary like this is a local kid in the town I grew up in who supposedly was going for some kind of world record on Missile Command down at a local arcade.  I think I saw him playing briefly while going for it.  He played it for hours and hours on end, and would have someone sub in for him for brief periods to go to the bathroom or eat.  I have no idea if he ever broke the record, or who even kept track of such things back in those pre-internet days, but he was at least legendary for a few days among kids in my hometown. I would love to see a documentary like this - I'm sure it would bring back plenty 'o' memories... I remember hearing about this Missile Command maniac who was so good at it, and was able to rack up so many extra cities, he was able to leave the game, go have lunch leaving the game unattended with his cities being blown away one after the other, and then return and the resume his same game without it ending...what a nut. sick

[naturalsciences101]

Wait un momento, Steevo. Don't B li' dat. Do not B a stale shoe, mate. You start 'splainin' somethin' round here, then you go right ahead an' finish 'splainin' that thing, son. Now, whaz this 'High Score' all about, and how do we get a chance to take a peek?

 

Sho' sound intrestin'. Sho' does. I happen to be a child of that era. In fact, I happen to be the exact same kid featured on the cover of The Who's It's Hard record album. Yep. That's me, mate. Hard to believe, yet, indeed, true. Truth.

 

They decided to name the album as such 'causin' I said to Pete on that particular day, "It's hard"...meaning that, 'It's difficult'. And, I said that in reply to what Roger said to me when he pushed me away from the gaming console and said, in his all-too-familiar, roughian street brogue, "Lemme have a go, ya mushy turd!"

 

 

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_sRcdSGnaBYc/SMGC1W7tLLI/AAAAAAAAGHE/vwhjQT3GVZs/s320/COVER+Front.jpg

 

 

[Steevo]

I just meant to go in with no expectations...if yous are a-likin arcade gaming from that era, party on, all you need...

[GeddyRulz]

I loved coin-op video games in the early 80s! "The Golden Age of Video Games." It was awesome!

 

There's a "museum" in Saint Louis which still has a lot of the old coin-op games, and lets you play them. I'd love to go.

 

 

[Steevo]

QUOTE (GeddyRulz @ May 13 2009, 01:54 AM)

I loved coin-op video games in the early 80s!  "The Golden Age of Video Games."  It was awesome! There's a "museum" in Saint Louis which still has a lot of the old coin-op games, and lets you play them.  I'd love to go.

Aye, me too GR, that muesum would be killer!! I'm kinda wrapped up in the nostalgia of it all at the moment. Thanks for that Kong movie alert, I will be definitely checking that out soon. Anyone care to offer their top 5 games?

 

Here are mine ipo...

 

1. Defender

2. Galaga

3. Gyrus

4. Phoenix

5. Donkey Kong

 

I still have to check out many other versions, tweaks, sequels etc but I usually always go back to the originals

 

 

[GeddyRulz]

QUOTE (Steevo @ May 12 2009, 04:55 PM)

QUOTE (GeddyRulz @ May 13 2009, 01:54 AM) I loved coin-op video games in the early 80s!  "The Golden Age of Video Games."  It was awesome! There's a "museum" in Saint Louis which still has a lot of the old coin-op games, and lets you play them.  I'd love to go. Aye, me too GR, that muesum would be killer!! Those classic coin-op games from the 80s are nearly impossible to find, owing to the manufacturers policy of re-using the old cabinets for the newer games.   Sadly, it looks like that video game "museum" I mentioned earlier is now closed. Sounds like it was my kind of place...   http://www.coinop.org/features/coinopmuseum/

[workingcinderellaman]

QUOTE (Steevo @ May 12 2009, 04:55 PM)

QUOTE (GeddyRulz @ May 13 2009, 01:54 AM) I loved coin-op video games in the early 80s!  "The Golden Age of Video Games."  It was awesome! There's a "museum" in Saint Louis which still has a lot of the old coin-op games, and lets you play them.  I'd love to go. Aye, me too GR, that muesum would be killer!! I'm kinda wrapped up in the nostalgia of it all at the moment. Thanks for that Kong movie alert, I will be definitely checking that out soon. Anyone care to offer their top 5 games?   Here are mine ipo...   1. Defender 2. Galaga 3. Gyrus 4. Phoenix 5. Donkey Kong   I still have to check out many other versions, tweaks, sequels etc but I usually always go back to the originals I remember when Battlezone came out and loving the 3-D graphics. There was this other game that was like Asteroids but was in color and you had different shapes coming at you instead of rocks. You could play it with someone else and have two ships that were tied together. I wish I could remember the name.   My top five   Galaga Battlezone Tron Spy Hunter Elevator Action   I also like Dig-Dug a lot.   It's funny because I don't care much for video games now, but I sure liked them when I was a teen.

[rushgoober]

QUOTE (Steevo @ May 12 2009, 02:55 PM)

QUOTE (GeddyRulz @ May 13 2009, 01:54 AM) I loved coin-op video games in the early 80s!  "The Golden Age of Video Games."  It was awesome! There's a "museum" in Saint Louis which still has a lot of the old coin-op games, and lets you play them.  I'd love to go. Aye, me too GR, that muesum would be killer!! I'm kinda wrapped up in the nostalgia of it all at the moment. Thanks for that Kong movie alert, I will be definitely checking that out soon. Anyone care to offer their top 5 games?   Here are mine ipo...   1. Defender 2. Galaga 3. Gyrus 4. Phoenix 5. Donkey Kong   I still have to check out many other versions, tweaks, sequels etc but I usually always go back to the originals That's so tough. My faves that I can recall from the era of arcade video games:   1. Galaga 2. Gorf 3. Space Zap 4. Defender 5. Monaco GP   That order was kind of chosen randomly. I also enjoyed Space Invaders & Asteroids of course. I also liked Ms. Pac Man, Dig Dug, Joust, Phoenix, Dig Dug, Frogger, Q*Bert and others that have escaped in the mists of time...

[GeddyRulz]

I probably can't name a TOP TEN, much less a TOP FIVE!

 

Here's what I'll go with, though:

 

1. Star Trek (preferably the sit-down console)

2. Phoenix

3. Elevator Action (excellent pick, WCM!)

4. Tron

5. Pac-Man (too influential to leave off!)

 

QUOTE

It's funny because I don't care much for video games now, but I sure liked them when I was a teen.

 

Totally. I LIVED in arcades then, and never go there now. Well... sometimes I go into one, if it's a strange location and I think there's a possibility an old machine might be there! Forget the "realistic" graphics of today, I want my classic 80s coin-op games!!!!

 

[naturalsciences101]

Elevator Action was sweet, indeed. Oh, man, just give five dollars worth of playtime right now. Does anyone remember a 'Commando' style game where you and yer playmate moved vertically through the desert, forest and water, hopping into small tanks and throwing black and 'red' hand granades at the enemy? If you happen to be in a tank it gets hit with a grenade, you must evacuate that bastid 'fore it 'splodes on ya. Anyone remember that one?...And, how can no one mention frakkin' Atari's Tempest? That was an great game with the most awesome audio. Then, what about Ghosts and Goblins, right? I had a 'retro' disc or maybe two or three of them for my PSII and XBox, and it had all those classic games. Brings ya right back in time to when you would play themk at lunch time.

 

 

 

 

 

[rushgoober]

QUOTE (GeddyRulz @ May 14 2009, 09:41 AM)

Forget the "realistic" graphics of today, I want my classic 80s coin-op games!!!!

I don't think kids today would understand this point of view, but I'm with you man! :cheers;

 

I watch people play on a PS2 or X-Box and it just all seems too clean and realistic and complicated, not to mention often so excessively violent. I prefer ye olde style video games of yore, although I rare indulge these days...

[Mustard Death]

You guys should definitely check out Geometry Wars. Think Asteroids with much more frantic gameplay and a lot more visually pleasing. There's a free lo-fi version of it called Grid Wars you can download here:

 

http://download.cnet.com/Grid-Wars/3000-2099_4-10532891.html

 

As far as old school arcade games go... I always loved the top down shooters such as Xevious. Galaga is probably my all time favourite though.

 

 

[deadwing2112]

Documentaries kick ass.

[MrHands]

I remeber hanging out in arcades - 10 tokens for a buck. Those were the days...

 

Defender (I have this on one of the Nintendo hand-helds)

Galaga

Xaxon

Battlezone

The football game with the roller balls???

[GeddyRulz]

[Steevo]

[Steevo]

Check this!!

 

[GeddyRulz]

Edited June 9, 2009 by GeddyRulz

[Rendclaw]

QUOTE (naturalsciences101 @ May 16 2009, 02:39 AM)

Elevator Action was sweet, indeed. Oh, man, just give five dollars worth of playtime right now. Does anyone remember a 'Commando' style game where you and yer playmate moved vertically through the desert, forest and water, hopping into small tanks and throwing black and 'red' hand granades at the enemy? If you happen to be in a tank it gets hit with a grenade, you must evacuate that bastid 'fore it 'splodes on ya. Anyone remember that one?...And, how can no one mention frakkin' Atari's Tempest? That was an great game with the most awesome audio. Then, what about Ghosts and Goblins, right? I had a 'retro' disc or maybe two or three of them for my PSII and XBox, and it had all those classic games. Brings ya right back in time to when you would play themk at lunch time.

That's Ikari Warriors, one of the most fun arcade games ever when you could find an actual working machine...

 

The Asteroids-style game with two ships tethered together is Space Duel, I believe.

[GeddyRulz]

QUOTE (Rendclaw @ Jun 9 2009, 09:49 AM)

QUOTE (naturalsciences101 @ May 16 2009, 02:39 AM) Elevator Action was sweet, indeed.  Oh, man, just give five dollars worth of playtime right now.  Does anyone remember a 'Commando' style game where you and yer playmate moved vertically through the desert, forest and water, hopping into small tanks and throwing black and 'red' hand granades at the enemy?  If you happen to be in a tank it gets hit with a grenade, you must evacuate that  bastid 'fore it 'splodes on ya.  Anyone remember that one?...And, how can no one mention frakkin' Atari's Tempest?  That was an great game with the most awesome audio.  Then, what about Ghosts and Goblins, right?  I had a 'retro' disc or maybe two or three of them for my PSII and XBox, and it had all those classic games.  Brings ya right back in time  to when you would play themk at lunch time. That's Ikari Warriors, one of the most fun arcade games ever when you could find an actual working machine...   The Asteroids-style game with two ships tethered together is Space Duel, I believe. I believe you're right.