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[AugustWest]

It really reminds me of a computer game I used to play on the Speccy, way back. Something about the way the doors disappear of backwards, and the cutaway. Even down to the way Johnson seems to walk.
But, alas, I remember not what it was.

You must. I didn't make the connection until you pointed it out, but I am almost certain that I've played the game you're talking about, despite the fact that the Spectrum never even hit these shores (I don't think, anyway). Was the walking kinda flubbery-choppy with a little hiccup whenever you changed screens / rooms? I can just see it, even hear the crappy old disk drive grinding away, but I cannot name it. This will bother me.

Seeing a full-body human with Ray is seriously The Weird, though.

Yeah, it's like Commander Keen meets Robert Johnson.  

And I was struck by the juxtaposition (I've been dying to use that word) of Bob and Ray.  Heh, heh -- Bob and Ray.

Also, Bob looks much cartoonier in today's strip.  Last week was more of a dark portrait.  Today he looks like he could be appearing in one of the New Scooby Doo Movies.  Satan could be coming to claim his soul and chasing Bob and Scoob and Shaggy around, but Velma would come up with a plan to trap him and they'd discover it wasn't really Lucifer, but ol' man Scroggins the caretaker for the record company who wanted the master tapes for himself and he woulda gotten away with it too but I can't bring myself to say the rest.

[slink]

You must.

Tall order!
Now that I've been thinking about it there are one or two it reminds me off. One involving a tower in which you landed on the roof in a helicopter, and had to go down the lifts (elevators) and clear out the hotel rooms of things. And the view was a cutaway like that, with the rooms at the end of little halls. And you couldn't see what was in the rooms.
It was all in garish colours (provided by the Speccy's hideously low colour capacity).
It does however remind me of others.
I'll ask my brother when we go see John Cale on Friday, he can always remember the names of the games.

[St_Zartan]

Now that I've been thinking about it there are one or two it reminds me of. One involving a tower in which you landed on the roof in a helicopter, and had to go down the lifts (elevators) and clear out the hotel rooms of things. And the view was a cutaway like that, with the rooms at the end of little halls. And you couldn't see what was in the rooms.

This sounds like a wonderful and frightening bastard cross between Elevator Action and Rescue: The Embassy Mission, the latter of which, now that I think about it, is pretty damned close to the aesthetic I'm picturing. Only less blocky.

Lie Bot, what is the creepiest thing?

[AugustWest]

Yipes!  Is that some kind of ancient Atari BDSM simulation.  With simulated scars that were three red pixels in a diagonal line?  Fine, now I'm all excited.

Also, you had to love Elevator Action because of the hats.

[AugustWest]

Also weird:  That game was manufactured by the Quaker Oats Company.

Wonder if there was a round, bewhiskered Wilford Brimley character who'd come seeking you.

Shudder.

[St_Zartan]

Fine, now I'm all excited.

One day you're going to have to take stock of yourself, and you're really going to have to admit, yeah, yeah I guess I kinda was. Also there were lots of games nowhere nearly as coy. It's okay, honey! It's allegedly from Sweden!

Also, you had to love Elevator Action because of the hats.

Those bad guys were like Boris Badenov Overdrive. But I've played fuck*ng Hatris - "puzzle master Alexei Pajitnov does it again," lied the box - and hats alone do not a good game make.

Escalators, on the other hand.

[andalucia]

when we go see John Cale on Friday

What.
Did.
You.
Just.
Say?

[slink]

What.
Did.
You.
Just.
Say?

Hey. I only just found out today!
We had planend on seeing him in Edinburgh about 4 years back, but it fell through, and then I spoke to my bro tonight and it turns out our mate can't make it so there's a spare ticket.
I'm just awaiting confirmation. In a fairly excited state I admit.

As for all these computer games, I wish I could remember more better. I always remember the games themselves, but the names left my shattered memory long ago.
On day I hope to find a scientist with wild hair and even wilder ideas, who can invent a machine out of broken whisks and rusting power tools, all in the hope of repairing my deeply flawed memory.

[jay-ell]

Also there were lots of games nowhere nearly as coy.

Ah, yes, Beat 'em and Eat 'em.  Always a classic.

[ndpatel]

because the only reason law students all have laptops in class is so we can play old school nintendo games.

Rescue: The Embassy Mission. You're going to need an emulator. I recommend RockNES, because it has the word rock in the name.

the best part is that when your high tech commando dies, he flies away in the form of a pretty little angel.

[St_Zartan]

Ah, yes, Beat 'em and Eat 'em.  Always a classic.

The best thing (must I pick just one?) about Beat 'em and Eat 'em was that, somewhere in the documentation, those little blocky drops of falling spunk were actually referred to as "future doctors and lawyers" or something to that extent. Also, the sky explodes if you miss a single precious drop, which I think makes pretty damn clear what the Good Lord thinks of all your so-called sodomy laws.

Rescue: The Embassy Mission. You're going to need an emulator.

A few years ago, I introduced a friend to this game. He became so obsessed with it that he ended up - and I swear to God that this is true - creating complex back stories for each of his little commandos, e.g. yeah, that's Kemco, he's the rookie - a little hot-headed but he's got a lot of heart, and so on. He would narrate to us as he played, and I didn't get the feeling that it was entirely for our benefit.

He became really fuck*ng good at this game.

[V-Adore]

The best thing (must I pick just one?) about Beat 'em and Eat 'em was that, somewhere in the documentation, those little blocky drops of falling spunk were actually referred to as "future doctors and lawyers" or something to that extent. Also, the sky explodes if you miss a single precious drop, which I think makes pretty damn clear what the Good Lord thinks of all your so-called sodomy laws.

Oh, wow. The "future doctors and lawyers" thing is creeptastic enough, but to think that spitting causes the Apocalypse... well, I guess we finally know where God comes down on that little debate, eh?

Rescue: The Embassy Mission. You're going to need an emulator.

A few years ago, I introduced a friend to this game. He became so obsessed with it that he ended up - and I swear to God that this is true - creating complex back stories for each of his little commandos, e.g. yeah, that's Kemco, he's the rookie - a little hot-headed but he's got a lot of heart, and so on. He would narrate to us as he played, and I didn't get the feeling that it was entirely for our benefit.

It could have been worse -- he could have done something like create an entire cosmological explanation for things like 1-Ups.

This thread has revived my knowledge of the existence of "adult" Atari games. This troubles me, because my parents have owned an Atari since before my birth; I suppose this is an excellent reason not to go scouting around too hard. Mantra time: Dad really just played Missile Command, Dad really just played Missile Command, Dad really just played Missile Command...

[pmcd9]

This thread has revived my knowledge of the existence of "adult" Atari games. This troubles me, because my parents have owned an Atari since before my birth; I suppose this is an excellent reason not to go scouting around too hard. Mantra time: Dad really just played Missile Command, Dad really just played Missile Command, Dad really just played Missile Command...

There are no innocent Atari games.  You should think Atari for your very existance.  Your Dad is a player.

[Pedro Picasso]

Geez!  How many times do I have to walk into a room and catch the tail end of a conversation about 'Beat-em and Eat-em'?

[St_Zartan]

Geez!  How many times do I have to walk into a room and catch the tail end of a conversation about 'Beat-em and Eat-em'?

Until you learn.