I am talking about my Dad.
“Nothing” would be my preferred reply. Unfortunately that isn’t a permissible answer in the rules of engagement that is Christmas.
So I have to buy him *something* irrespective whether he wants it or not and irrespective I can afford it or not.
Such is the Joy of Christmas.
When I say “chipped in together” I of course mean my brother paid for it, and I wrapped it.
The Atari Flashback 3 is a dedicated video games console which you plug into your TV set. It has sixty games built-in including classics like Asteroids, Centipede, Human Cannonball, Chess and Pinball.
And two joysticks.
Two.
Joysticks.
Which is proving quite a problem because, frankly, no one other than my dad wants to play the damned thing!
“Who wants to play the Atari with me!” he shouts up the stairs, enthusiastically.
A stunning silence follows.
“I’ll pay!” he adds optimistically. What a whore!
Ruffling of covers and sheets. Minute tension releases on bed springs.
“How much?” Could be me. Could be my brother. But the question *has* to be asked. Terms and conditions, contractual clauses, small print all need to be negotiated and agreed in advance.
Hourly rates work best.
Paid in advance. Of course.
Eventually one or the other of us will agree to play. If only to keep Dad happy and feign we actually care about his interests.
“Sure,” he’ll say, “the graphics are not as good as Gears of War 3, but…the *game play*, Pixie! It’s the *game play* that counts!” as I beat him for fifth time in a row at Pong.
After twenty minutes of Centipede I am crawling up the walls!
Another ten minutes of Combat 2 and I am ready to punch someone’s lights out!
Fortunately though, I think there is solution! A sim called “Electrobit City” – an 8-Bit and Retro-Pixel utopia.
Jei SCR-16, Kris Spade, Mikati Slade (whom we recently blogged here) and their colleagues have created a wonderful replica of ‘80’s console gaming for the Kids of the Nintendo generation.
The lovingly crafted textures, shapes and colours are such to fun look at. Although I personally do not recognise all of the original inspirations for many of the objects, I do recognise the authenticity of the designs and object placement.
Even more - the sounds! You really must have your stream and sounds on to get the full effect of this sim!
As 8-Bit Nintendo Chiptune streams its way through your speakers, your movements and interactions with the various objects cause other recognisable blip and blop sounds. It is a delight.
But as good as the sounds and the textures are, it is the *game play* that makes this creation special! Because this is a full region-sized playable game, totally built around 8-bit culture!
Whereas the newly opened Linden Realms might be getting all the recent publicity, it is important we do not neglect the hard work and charming equivalent creations of the residents. I hope that this blog-post will start to redress the balance, if only in some small part.
Soon after arrival at Electrobit City, you are invited to take a tutorial to learn how best to manoeuvre around the various levels. It is advisable to do so. Although the game play itself is intuitive enough, the SL viewer equivalents of the Nintendo joystick are not and need to be learnt.
The tutorial is straightforward enough; a Pacman-like buddy appears and you follow his simple directions and instructions.
Soon enough you have learnt the basics and are on your way!
Not all the levels and zones are totally built yet but those that are provide, well, exactly what you expect for a 1980’s Nintendo console game - platforms and coin-collection and jumping, sliding, blips and blops and all the rest!
I have been back a dozen times, each time trying to get just a little further than before. The game play is not without its frustrations and idiosyncrasies – just as the original Atari and Nintendo games were. But that doesn’t stop it from being fun. Again, just like the 1980’s console games.
In 2012 it will be interesting to see how Electrobit City evolves, especially after Rodvik Linden’s recent ‘State of the Nation’ address which announced new pathfinding abilities, artificial life and people functionality and other advanced content creation tools.
My gut-feeling is Kris, Jei, Mikati and all are ambitious enough, talented enough and - dare I say it - obsessed enough to want the very highest level of authenticity for their labour of love. If that means incorporating the new 2012 tools, I have no doubt that they will.
I would like to suggest some form of HUD which records the number of artefacts collected (score), a high score board and a mechanism to re-start at previously completed levels.
Would my Dad like Electrobit City? Sure, I think he would. He would definitely appreciate the hard work and talent that these aficionado creators have quite obviously put into this project.
Not so sure he could cope with the Second Life viewer through! But that is a different subject entirely!
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