Happy Ian Day

 Yes, it’s that one day of the year when Ian is happy. At least for the duration of our group visit to the History of Video Games in Bristol’s very exclusive Galleries shopping centre (so exclusive that they’re tearing it down soon to keep out the hoi polloi). A very exciting occasion. So exciting that I actually arrived for the thing a full 24 hours early. I had somehow convinced myself that Saturday was the 15th (despite almost everyone saying to me “It’s Friday the 13th” the day before) and I went to the History of Video Games somewhat late for the 2pm meeting time. I couldn’t see anyone outside so I assumed they’d already gone in. I asked at the reception if they had a ticket for me since my friends had already gone in. They didn’t know what I was talking about but they kindly allowed me to go in and look for Ian et al. Of course, they weren’t there.

Back outside I, confused, called Katy. “Where are you?” I asked. “At home,” she replied.

Then the penny dropped. Oh how we laughed. At me.

Anyway, I then did some window shopping, got indecisive about some rucksacks on sale and went home.

Next day, I was there nice and early and Katy was waiting at the door. We relived yesterday’s confusion while we waited. Ian and Adam H arrived together and we decided to go in because Sam, Adam T, Laura and Martin had all said they’d be late (alas Sam and Adam T never made it at all) and there was no one else.

“I can see Joe!” cried Adam, just in time.

How could we forget Joe? We went in and began our exciting journey back in time.

First Adam and I played Mario Kart 64. Adam won by miles after I (in 2nd) managed to catch up my own green turtle shell which wiped me out and I ended in 8th. Then Adam, I, Ian and Katy played a four-player game which left us squinting at the screen trying to work out what we were seeing. I won this time.

Joe, Martin and Katy play Mario Kart 64

I should point out that I made no notes today and wasn’t going to blog at all but I have a little time and want to share my reminiscing. So from now on, I’ll discuss things game by game.

Defender

This came out in 1981 so I would’ve been about ten when I first saw it. It was in a laundromat near Letchworth train station. The growl it makes when you add a credit scared me when I was a child and I was shockingly bad at it. I was slightly better this time and, after a few attempts, I scraped onto the high score table. Joe got into the 7000s thanks to his experience on a “pixel perfect” version on the BBC model B.

Ridge Racer

What a game. A launch title on the PlayStation, I played it to death on my machine so I guess I should’ve done better but replacing X and O buttons with two foot pedals caused me problems. I think Adam said it was his favourite game of the afternoon, though.

Time Crisis

I didn’t play it. What was I thinking?

Dance Dance Revolution

What a workout. I last played this in the foyer of the Barbican in London with a friend and, despite not being good at it, we got a crowd. No such level of attention for me this time, but Adam said I was much better than Katy.

Pinball

I loved playing these again, while they worked. My previous knowledge of pinball consisted of the Star Wars one which was in the Hogshead pub in Maidstone when I was a student. I liked the Mario one until I saw Adam clock up over 9 million on it.

Tetris

Didn’t play it. Martin tried it, but stopped when he saw it told him where his pieces would fall.

PES 2008

Ian showed his prowess by beating first Adam then Martin, 2-0 then 3-0 I think. They both had players sent off. I guess Ian knows the button combo for “leave trailing leg to be clipped by defender then go down”.

Crazy Taxi

Amazing! I couldn’t stop playing it after I tried it. My best score was $1,200 and a D grade but what fun I had. Joe and Katy played it and I’m pretty sure they loved it too. I have to dig my Dreamcast out and play it at home. Good job I’ve still got Sam’s colour portable, because it won’t work on my normal TV.

Guitar Hero

Martin, Katy, Laura and someone else (Ian? Adam? Don’t recall) played it. Most memorable was Laura, on her first game, clocking up a 76 combo “and then you stopped playing!” said an astonished Martin. 

Japanese rhythm game

I don’t remember its name. At first it didn’t work and I could only take solace that my Japanese was good enough that I could read the error message enough to know it was trying to connect to the router. Anyway, then a member of staff turned it off and on again and I could try it. I was a pretty typical rhythm game - hit buttons in time to music - but it was insanely loud. I felt a little self-conscious playing it, convinced I was ruining things for other people.

But after an afternoon of D grades, I was quite pleased with my B. Nice to get a dose of helium-voiced hyper-pop.

Donkey Kong

On the NES! I cleared three screens and lost interest when it put me back on the first screen again. Nice game, though.

PacMan

Dodgy joystick kind of ruined it for me. Plus, I used to have a How To Win At Pac Man game and all I could remember was (a) the four ghost have four characters: hunter ghost (red), random (hmm, yellow?), coward (pink, maybe) and the other one. But it didn't help. Also there's a spot to the bottom left of the ghost's home where, if you leave PacMan there, the ghosts can't find you. I tried it and it worked for about thirty seconds but then I got bored and kept playing.

There were other games, of course. I remember Katy trying to get a four player game of Ninja Mutant Teenage Turtles and there was indeed a multi-player game at one point. 

Katy v Joe in Turtle mode

Adam v Laura in Virtua Fighter 2

A most determined gamer

It was a bit full-on. I had a headache for quite a lot of the time (eased by Crazy Taxi, oddly enough) and Joe and Martin retreated to the board game section for a spell (to play a game Martin had brought with him!). I noticed they had the board game version of PacMan.

Finally, we were escorted out because the Galleries closes at 5pm but the museum closes at 6pm! Like I said - exclusive. We were able to walk through a deserted shopping mall like it was Dawn of the Dead.

At this point I left for home while the others went for pizza. Thanks all, it was a blast. Literally. A ha ha.