1984

[Gazza]

When I was a kid adults used to bore me to tears with their tedious diatribes about how hard things were when they were growing up; what with walking twenty-five miles to school every morning uphill both ways through year 'round blizzards carrying their younger siblings on their backs to their one-room schoolhouse where they maintained a straight-A average despite their full-time after-school job at the local textile mill where they worked for 2 bob an hour just to help keep their family from starving to death!

And I remember promising myself that when I grew up there was no way in he11 I was going to lay a bunch of crap like that on kids about how hard I had it and how easy they've got it!

But....

Now that I've reached the ripe old age of 45, I can't help but look around and notice the youth of today. You've got it so f*ckin' easy!

I mean, compared to my childhood, you live in a goddamned Utopia!

And I hate to say it but you kids today you don't know how good you've got it!

I mean, when I was a kid we didn't have The Internet--we wanted to know

something, we had to go to the goddamned library and look it up ourselves!

And there was no email! We had to actually write somebody a letter...with a pen!, and then had to walk ALL THE WAY across the street and put it in the f*ckin' mailbox and it would take like a week to get there!

And there were no MP3s or Napsters! You wanted to steal music, you had to go to the goddamned record store and shoplift it yourself! Or we had to wait around all day to tape it off the radio and the DJ would usually talk over some part of it and <deleted> it all up!

You want to hear about hardship?

You couldn't just download porn! You had to bribe some homeless dude to buy you a copy of "Hustler" at the corner shop! It was either that or wack-off to the lingerie section of the Littlewoods catalog!

Those were your options!

We didn't have fancy crap like a mobile's Call Waiting! If you were on the phone and somebody else called they got a busy signal! And we didn't have fancy Caller ID Boxes either!

When the phone rang, you had no idea who it was. It could be your boss, your

mom, a collections agent, your drug dealer, you didn't know!!! You just had to

pick it up and take your chances, mister!

And we didn't have any fancy Sony Playstation videogames with high-resolution 3-D graphics! We had the ZX Spectrum 48k!

With games like "Space Invaders" and "Asteroids" and the graphics were awesome! Your guy was a little square? You had to use your imagination!

And there were no multiple levels or screens, it was just one screen forever!

And you could never win, the game just kept getting harder and faster until you died!

Just like LIFE!

When you went to the movie theater there was no such thing as stadium seating!

All the seats were the same height! A tall guy sat in front of you, you were screwed!

And sure, we had cable television, but back then that was only like 20 channels and there was no onscreen menu! You had to use a mag like the 'Radio Times' to find out what was on!

And there was no Cartoon Network! You could only get cartoons on Saturday morning...

...D'ya hear what the <deleted> I'm saying!?!

We had to wait ALL WEEK, you spoiled little bastards!

That's exactly what I'm talking about! You kids today have got it too easy.

You're spoiled, I swear to God! You guys wouldn't last five minutes back in 1984!

Edited January 2, 2005 by Gazza

[Pablo H]

When I was a kid adults used to bore me to tears with their tedious diatribes about how hard things were when they were growing up; what with walking twenty-five miles to school every morning uphill both ways through year 'round blizzards carrying their younger siblings on their backs to their one-room schoolhouse where they maintained a straight-A average despite their full-time after-school job at the local textile mill where they worked for 2 bob an hour just to help keep their family from starving to death!

And I remember promising myself that when I grew up there was no way in he11 I was going to lay a bunch of crap like that on kids about how hard I had it and how easy they've got it!

But....

Now that I've reached the ripe old age of 45, I can't help but look around and notice the youth of today. You've got it so f*ckin' easy!

I mean, compared to my childhood, you live in a goddamned Utopia!

And I hate to say it but you kids today you don't know how good you've got it!

I mean, when I was a kid we didn't have The Internet--we wanted to know

something, we had to go to the goddamned library and look it up ourselves!

And there was no email! We had to actually write somebody a letter...with a pen!, and then had to walk ALL THE WAY across the street and put it in the f*ckin' mailbox and it would take like a week to get there!

And there were no MP3s or Napsters! You wanted to steal music, you had to go to the goddamned record store and shoplift it yourself! Or we had to wait around all day to tape it off the radio and the DJ would usually talk over some part of it and <deleted> it all up!

You want to hear about hardship?

You couldn't just download porn! You had to bribe some homeless dude to buy you a copy of "Hustler" at the corner shop! It was either that or wack-off to the lingerie section of the Littlewoods catalog!

Those were your options!

We didn't have fancy crap like a mobile's Call Waiting! If you were on the phone and somebody else called they got a busy signal! And we didn't have fancy Caller ID Boxes either!

When the phone rang, you had no idea who it was. It could be your boss, your

mom, a collections agent, your drug dealer, you didn't know!!! You just had to

pick it up and take your chances, mister!

And we didn't have any fancy Sony Playstation videogames with high-resolution 3-D graphics! We had the ZX Spectrum 48k!

With games like "Space Invaders" and "Asteroids" and the graphics were awesome! Your guy was a little square? You had to use your imagination!

And there were no multiple levels or screens, it was just one screen forever!

And you could never win, the game just kept getting harder and faster until you died!

Just like LIFE!

When you went to the movie theater there was no such thing as stadium seating!

All the seats were the same height! A tall guy sat in front of you, you were screwed!

And sure, we had cable television, but back then that was only like 20 channels and there was no onscreen menu! You had to use a mag like the 'Radio Times' to find out what was on!

And there was no Cartoon Network! You could only get cartoons on Saturday morning...

...D'ya hear what the <deleted> I'm saying!?!

We had to wait ALL WEEK, you spoiled little bastards!

That's exactly what I'm talking about! You kids today have got it too easy.

You're spoiled, I swear to God! You guys wouldn't last five minutes back in 1984!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Too true Gazza, Im 31 and I remember the hardship, but at least things started moving on towards the end of my youth, you just had it bad mate. I dont recall cable tv back in 1984, we had three channels, BBC1, 2 & ITV, although Channel 4 was launched around that time, I think.

The ZX Spectrum, ahhhhh now that brings back some memories, spending days copying a program out of a book just so you could play some shit game, nostalgia, I love it.

[Gazza]

I actually lifted the article from an american forum and changed some things a little as most members here seem to be Brits. There's still some US terms in there but can't edit it again cos there's no 'edit' button under the post for some unknown reason.

[Padkapow Guy]

rotflmao

[Jockstar]

rotflmao  

Eh?

By the way Gazza. That brought back memories. And i'm only 30. I had the ZX Spectrum 48k +. as for putting in those programs. You spend ages doing it and then it doesnt work. AHH!

Do ya remember Manic Miner? Donkey Kong etc?

[Padkapow Guy]

rotflmao  

Eh?

By the way Gazza. That brought back memories. And i'm only 30. I had the ZX Spectrum 48k +. as for putting in those programs. You spend ages doing it and then it doesnt work. AHH!

Do ya remember Manic Miner? Donkey Kong etc?

rotflmao

Rolling On The Floor Laughing My A*s Off

[Gazza]

rotflmao  

Eh?

By the way Gazza. That brought back memories. And i'm only 30. I had the ZX Spectrum 48k +. as for putting in those programs. You spend ages doing it and then it doesnt work. AHH!

Do ya remember Manic Miner? Donkey Kong etc?

I remember the game Jet Set Willy with it's nauseating music.

I was more interested in the adventure type games that were basically a blank screen with a line of type saying something like;

"You're in a large cave. You can go N, E, W, or S".

Then you pressed the 'N' (north) key and you'd get something like

"You're in a small cave. You can go E or S".

Now of course we have adventure games that don't require the use of your imagination. Unless you're playing as Lara Croft, with her big boobs and tight, pert, little................... Sorry, gotta go. errr...someone's at the door.

[Pablo H]

Jet Set Willy was a classic, though the music was a pain.

Recently did a search on the net (yes very sad, I admit, I have too much time on my hands), if you like them old type adventure games

I was more interested in the adventure type games that were basically a blank screen with a line of type saying something like;

"You're in a large cave. You can go N, E, W, or S".

Then you pressed the 'N' (north) key and you'd get something like

"You're in a small cave. You can go E or S".

Why dont you try this game out, its called Amnesia, the title is self explanatory, I had a crack at it for an hour or so and couldn't get out the room. The site where you can download is either http://www.abandonia.com/index2.php or http://www.the-underdogs.org. Both these sites have loads of classics from the early 80's onwards, free downloads mostly.

If you have a go at that Amnesia and manage to get out of the room, let me know how you did it, please.

[TizMe]

"You're in a large cave. You can go N, E, W, or S".

Then you pressed the 'N' (north) key and you'd get something like

"You're in a small cave. You can go E or S".

I had notebooks full of Zork maps. "You are in a maze of winding tunnels"

[Gazza]

Jet Set Willy was a classic, though the music was a pain.

Recently did a search on the net (yes very sad, I admit, I have too much time on my hands), if you like them old type adventure games

I was more interested in the adventure type games that were basically a blank screen with a line of type saying something like;

"You're in a large cave. You can go N, E, W, or S".

Then you pressed the 'N' (north) key and you'd get something like

"You're in a small cave. You can go E or S".

Why dont you try this game out, its called Amnesia, the title is self explanatory, I had a crack at it for an hour or so and couldn't get out the room. The site where you can download is either http://www.abandonia.com/index2.php or http://www.the-underdogs.org. Both these sites have loads of classics from the early 80's onwards, free downloads mostly.

If you have a go at that Amnesia and manage to get out of the room, let me know how you did it, please.

Hey Pablo, thanks for the link. I started on the 'Amnesia' game and got out of the room by taking the bedsheet and then wearing it.

Awww man, it brings back some memories playing those type of games again.

[Gazza]

"You're in a large cave. You can go N, E, W, or S".

Then you pressed the 'N' (north) key and you'd get something like

"You're in a small cave. You can go E or S".

I had notebooks full of Zork maps. "You are in a maze of winding tunnels"

I used to dread those maze locations. All adventure games seemed to incorporate them somewhere into a game. Usually you'd move two locations in one direction and somehow end up back where you started.

[Pablo H]

Hey Pablo, thanks for the link. I started on the 'Amnesia' game and got out of the room by taking the bedsheet and then wearing it.

Awww man, it brings back some memories playing those type of games again.

OK, why didn't I think of that?

I shall have another crack at it when I get the time. My patience doesn't last though, if I get stuck somewhere I usually end up quitting the game in a huff.

[RDN]

....had to wait around all day to tape it off the radio and the DJ would usually talk over some part of it and &lt;deleted&gt; it all up! ....

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

One of the reason I loved Alan "Fluff" Freeman... a DJ that knew when to shut up and just play the records.

[Gazza]

....had to wait around all day to tape it off the radio and the DJ would usually talk over some part of it and &lt;deleted&gt; it all up! ....

One of the reason I loved Alan "Fluff" Freeman... a DJ that knew when to shut up and just play the records.

I found it better to tape the whole Top 20 on a Sunday evening off Radio 1(?).

Just hang the mic from a tv knob (we had Redifussion) so that it dangled in front of the speaker.

Only problem was, if I had to leave the room my Ol' man used to fart into the mic.

[Gazza]

Hey Pablo, thanks for the link. I started on the 'Amnesia' game and got out of the room by taking the bedsheet and then wearing it.

Awww man, it brings back some memories playing those type of games again.

OK, why didn't I think of that?

I shall have another crack at it when I get the time. My patience doesn't last though, if I get stuck somewhere I usually end up quitting the game in a huff.

Pablo, it's starts off as a good game but once you get out of the hotel you then have to get around NYC using trains and buses. Not only that, but you have to make money to buy food to stay alive and find places to sleep of an evening.

It's a game only for the adventure purist. I like a challenge but this one's too much of a toughie for me.

[phazey]

ah yes, the nostalgia kicked in there..

now all i got in my head is : 01 811 8055 - guess the show :/

argh!

[Pablo H]

Pablo, it's starts off as a good game but once you get out of the hotel you then have to get around NYC using trains and buses. Not only that, but you have to make money to buy food to stay alive and find places to sleep of an evening.

It's a game only for the adventure purist. I like a challenge but this one's too much of a toughie for me.

Gazza, I got the bedsheet on but still couldn't get out of the room, I felt like a was bangin' my head against a brick wall for a while so I have decided to put this game to rest, as you say purely for purists. Oh well, back to the strategy games...

[Insight]

I remember the Amstrad CPC. We typed out one of the games in the back of the manual printed in BASIC - took days! Tried to record it to tape (TAPE!!! ) when finished, but the tape buggered up and we could never get it to load again!

Bliss

[Gazza]

I remember the Amstrad CPC. We typed out one of the games in the back of the manual printed in BASIC - took days! Tried to record it to tape (TAPE!!! ) when finished, but the tape buggered up and we could never get it to load again!

Bliss

Ahhh! Nostalgia ain't what it used to be.

So you're from the One-Eyed City then eh, Insight?

[Insight]

So you're from the One-Eyed City then eh, Insight?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Aye, where the local greeting is "Now 'den!!!"

Oh, how I miss it. Loads.

[Gazza]

So you're from the One-Eyed City then eh, Insight?

Oh, how I miss it. Loads.

Me too, only sometimes though. I miss it less and less as the years roll by.

[Pablo H]

Are you guys serious???

[Gazza]

Are you guys serious???

Serious about coming from the 'Birk'?? Too right! It's not something you would want to joke about.

Do you mean missing the place? Sure! I miss not being able to walk miles without working up a sweat. The local fish 'n' chip shops. Riding around Birk or even the entire outskirts of the Wirral and not see anyone else on two wheels. Miss family and friends and a few other things.

I was even thinking of going back for a week or two just so that I could re-appreciate coming back to Thailand. Also I'd like to go back to look around the places where I used to play when growing up and to compare the 'then and now' changes to old haunts. Basically to re-live old memories.

Being 15 years here, there are times when I know I should be more appreciative of what this country has to offer, and on those rare occassions that's when I think of home.

[RDN]

..."You're in a large cave. You can go N, E, W, or S".

Then you pressed the 'N' (north) key and you'd get something like

"You're in a small cave. You can go E or S"....

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Was that the one that started with a house and a stream, and you follow the stream to a grating, and you go down through the hole and somewhere there's a vase and a soft cushion, and you have to put the cushion down first so you don't break the vase, an then the damned troll starts throwing knives at you and....

Misspent youth

[penzman]

I found it better to tape the whole Top 20 on a Sunday evening off Radio 1(?).

Just hang the mic from a tv knob (we had Redifussion) so that it dangled in front of the speaker.

Only problem was, if I had to leave the room my Ol' man used to fart into the mic.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Just when you thougt you'd finally get SIMON & GARFUNKEL's The Sound of Silence... hehehe

[RDN]

I found it better to tape the whole Top 20 on a Sunday evening off Radio 1(?).

Just hang the mic from a tv knob (we had Redifussion) so that it dangled in front of the speaker.

Only problem was, if I had to leave the room my Ol' man used to fart into the mic.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I've still got 10 or 12 reel to reel tapes (1200 foot) stored in England - all recorded from "Pick of the Pops" during the 60's on my brother's Grundig TK14.

[fatter than harry]

ah yes, the nostalgia kicked in there..

now all i got in my head is : 01 811 8055 - guess the show :/

argh!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

The multi-coloured Swapshop!!!!

01 - if you're outside London - 811 8055

[Pablo H]

Are you guys serious???

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Serious about coming from the 'Birk'?? Too right! It's not something you would want to joke about.

Do you mean missing the place? Sure! I miss not being able to walk miles without working up a sweat. The local fish 'n' chip shops. Riding around Birk or even the entire outskirts of the Wirral and not see anyone else on two wheels. Miss family and friends and a few other things.

I was even thinking of going back for a week or two just so that I could re-appreciate coming back to Thailand. Also I'd like to go back to look around the places where I used to play when growing up and to compare the 'then and now' changes to old haunts. Basically to re-live old memories.

Being 15 years here, there are times when I know I should be more appreciative of what this country has to offer, and on those rare occassions that's when I think of home.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Yeah I suppose if you look at it that way then there is something gained from going 'home' once in a while. Last time I went back I stayed two days and then bolted out of there as fast as I could, nice to see some family and old friends, going the local, telling a few yarns from Asia that no one believes!

I found the place where I grew up (which was pretty rough anyway) had become worse, as I say I was there only two days and some young ankle biters trying it on with me.

Home, good for a few days.

[Gazza]

..."You're in a large cave. You can go N, E, W, or S".

Then you pressed the 'N' (north) key and you'd get something like

"You're in a small cave. You can go E or S"....

Was that the one that started with a house and a stream, and you follow the stream to a grating, and you go down through the hole and somewhere there's a vase and a soft cushion, and you have to put the cushion down first so you don't break the vase, an then the damned troll starts throwing knives at you and....

Misspent youth

That sounds like it was from 'The Pilgrim's Tale'(?) which I think was re-named from 'The Adventure Game' which was also re-named 'The Big Cave Adventure Game' or something.

You can DL that game from the link that Pablo gave.

My location descriptions came from the earliest games; Velnor's Lair, Planet Adventure, etc. Just one-liner descriptions that gave you the atmosphere of the Antartic 'cos there wasn't a background screen other than white.

[LivinLOS]

The Hitch Hikers Guide to the galaxy was my favorite text adventure..