Home Computing and Games Consoles

As seen from my previous blog entry on Computing, I was always a Computing geek, so it was only right I got into home computing and games consoles.

As previously seen, my first exposure to computing in the home was a Binatone pong machine, which was amazing but limited in scope.

This was followed by a ZX80, but I don't remember doing that much on it apart from a small bit of Basic. I was mainly doing programming at work and was more interested in games at home. I don't remember playing many games on the ZX80.

When I was about 16, as the 70s were turning into the 80s, on our summer holidays I came across arcade machines including Space Invaders and loved them. I then found some magazine adverts for the Atari 2600 games console which had interchangeable cartragies, including a Space Invaders. I became obsessed, but It took a while to persuade my dad to get one, as they were quite expensive, but he eventually did and I spent a lot of time playing Space Invaders, Pacman, Asteriods and many other games.

Following on from this was my first real foray into home computing with a TRS-80. There were mainly text adventure games such as Zork and Scott Adams Advetureland and Voodoo Castle. Not that many graphics based games were available but I remember Android Nim and a decent Galaxians. There was also the weird Dancing Demon!

Next up I got a ZX Spectrum, with its rubber keyboard and loading games from tape (with its classic data transfer noise). This was great because it was fairly cheap so a lot of people brought one which led to there being a lot of software available. There were also a lot of computer magazines available (such as Crash) to keep you up to date with the games and also giving you programs to type in yourself. I spent a lot of time on the Spectrum, I even wrote some games in assembler language. I remember playing Manic Minor, The Hobbit, Ant Attack etc but mainly the Ultimate games; Jetpac, Atic Atac, Saber Wulf, Underwurlde, Knight Lore etc. I remember travelling to Northampton on the bus to go to the only local computer games shop to get the latest Ultimate releases.

I then had a Commodore 64. This was quite similar to the Spectrum but had a proper keyboard. I remember loving Boulderdash, Elite, Bubble Bobble, Pit Stop II and many others. I spent ages converting an interactive adventure game in a magazine from BBC code and my girlfriend (future wife) and me playing it for ages (whilst listening to the Queen II album), it was very good. I also regularly got the Commodore magazine ZZAP 64. I got a disk drive for the 64 which took 5 1/4 inch floppy disks, no more sporadic/noisy tape loading.

I started going to the Wellingborough computer club where I met a good friend Dale Thompson.

It was at the computer club that I first saw the next level home computers Atari ST and Commodore Amiga. There was quite a battle between these 2, I plumped for the ST as Dale had one. It had a GUI desktop and a mouse and used the classic 3 1/2 inch floppy disks. The games I loved on the ST were Dungeon Master, Super Sprint, Xenon, Populous, Leaderboard, Bards Tale, Bomb Jack, Lemmings, Cannon Fodder, Gauntlet II and who can forget Leisure Suit Larry In the Land of the Lounge Lizards. There were a lot more games, I loved the ST.

I did eventually succumb to the dark side and get the slightly superior Amiga, but I don't remember playing it as much, the games were very much the same as the ST, I cannot remember much of the Amiga.

About this time came the rise of the games consoles, the first we had (after the Atari 2600) was the Sega Megadrive. The main games here were obviously the Sonics, but I also remember Disney's Aladdin, Ecco and Micro Machines.

This was quickly followed by a Sony Playstation. With a lot of great games; Doom (which we completed), Wipeout, Medieval, Crash Bandicoot, Gran Tourismo, Spyro, Oddworld, Final Fantasy. My young daughter spilled a yoghurt on the Playstation so we had to get it replaced.

We then had a SNES with the first introduction to the best game ever, Mario Kart. We also played Donkey Kong Country a lot and Super Bomberman 2.

Next up we had a Nintendo 64 which we played a lot, particularly Mario 64 and Zelda (I actually completed Octarina of Time). I was never a big fan of Mario Bros, but the rest of the family were.

At some point we got a PC and I remember playing Command & Conquer a lot.

We also had a few handholds. The Gameboy, with Tetris, and a psp.

We then had a Nintendo Gamecube on which I mainly remember playing Mario Kart.

The next generations of consoles has mainly been the domain of my kids.

We had a Playstation 2 on which we played Guitar Hero and Singstar a lot. We still occasionally play the Buzz series of quiz and junior games.

We had a Nintendo Wii which was brilliant for the family, particularly Sports, Mario Kart and Party.

We then had an XBox and Xbox 360, playing SSX Tricky, various Call of Duty's and Halo's (including the on-line multiplayer versions).

We have not yet got any of the latest generation consoles.

Today it is mainly iPads and App games, with a lot of time wasted on Candy Crush!

As previously mentioned I am a hoarder, which is vaguely disguised as collecting, and still have all my games consoles. Plus a few others I have picked up along the way, such as a SNES and Saga Saturn etc.

Collecting

This entry is a summary of my various collecting obsessions, I will hopefully go into more detail of each of these in the future.

Firstly, I must say that the world is split into two types of people, those that understand collecting and those that don't. If you don't then you will probably think I am crazy, like most of my family.

Why do I collect? It's an interesting question which I find hard to answer. I am a natural hoarder which I think is a big factor (is collecting just channelled hoarding?). I think I like the hunt, trying to find unusual and interesting things, on a subject I'm interested in, and then owning it. Although I am not so obsessed as to spend silly money, it's not a case of must have.

I have various collections, most of which are related to each other in some way.

Also, each of my collections is routed in my early years.

Collection 1, also my main obsession: Anything J R R Tolkien related. As my previous blog entry on Reading explained, my Tolkien obsession came first from reading the Hobbit and then Lord Of The Rings. You will be surprised at how big the world of Tolkien collecting can be.

Collections 2, 3 and 4 also stem from reading.

Collection 2: Anything Terry Pratchett/Discworld related. My second favourite author. There is quite a lot of Pratchett stuff to collect but it is nowhere near as big as Tolkien.

Collection 3: The works of author Sheri Tepper. My third favourite author. This collection is not big in scope as it is only books, but my collection is quite comprehensive.

Collection 4: Fantasy books. A very wide subject, although my definition of Fantasy (hopefully a future blog entry) limits it a bit. Note: I also have quite a few Sci-Fi books, but this is just some additional books I have accumulated, so I lump these in with my Fantasy collection.

Collection 5: Board Games. This again is also a huge subject area, so my collection is limited to a few sub areas a; board games from my early nerdy years (and variations on some of these), b; Fantasy based board games, a spin off from my fantasy book collection, c; Horse Racing based board games, because my work is horse racing based, d; Golf based board games, I'm not really sure why!

Collection 6: Home computing/gaming. This is not actually a real collection as I don't seek out things to add too it. It is mainly an accumulation of the old games/home computing bits and pieces I have had, although there are quite a few. Again it's roots are in my early nerdy years.

Collection 7: Model Trains. Similarly this is also more an accumulation sparked from my early years. I haven't developed or pursued this collection since a very early interest, I have just sporadically added to it. I would like to develop this more but really need some space for it, maybe when/if the children leave home.

Collection 8: McDonalds Happy Meal Toys. This don't actively add to this collection any more. I was interested in it whilst I was a keen car boot sale goer. I do however have my collection, in storage.

Collection 9: Puzzles. Not Jigsaw puzzles, but physical challenges like Rubics Cube. Again this is a collection I haven't actively added to for a while.

To go with my Fantasy books and board games, I also have a few other Fantasy bits, Videos and Records etc, but these are not big enough to be considered collections.

I also have a reasonable Stamp collection, but this is just left over from my youth, so I don't really include it.

At this point I must say that my collections are currently in storage as I have any room to display them, a future aspiration.

Am I obsessive? Maybe, but none of my collections is all consuming, most of them I just add too as I come across stuff. I think I am more of a hoarder than an obsessive collector.