Do you want to know my ultimate weakness?
Well, no. Chocolate is more of a dietary requirement.
I’m talking LEGO games. Primarily Travellers Tales on the Wii/Wii U console.
I have them all – Batman (1&2); Indie; Marvel, and so forth…
All except Star Wars.
Because that sucked.
Hard.
I might be convinced with Clone Wars… But I digress.
However The Hobbit is the first one that has me feeling nostalgic.
See, my first computer game experience was The Hobbit for the Commodore 64.
It was done in the typical role-playing style of the 80s, with limited script choices to direct your character through chief scenes of the book.
It even used graphics based on the original illustrations, though 2D and restricted to the standard 9-colour pallette. I distinctly remember “Go East” from my hobbit house and always ending up here:
So you might change direction. And end up on the cliffs with the Stone Giants. Try changing direction again, and your back to troll dinner again.
God damn, I hated that.
Of course, try explaining that game to anyone now. For starters, my copy of the game was on cassette.
And even if it had been on floppy disk, the only disc the spawnlings understand is in this case:
But the new graphics are truly magical. Even in LEGO format (which I confess, I find even more enticing), the fluidity of the Stone Giants Battle is mesmerising. Every detail is considered; even the LEGO studs on the arms and legs. Just beautiful.
Of course, it is just a marketing ploy. All the time you’re playing the game, you’re constantly thinking of the sets in the stores.
But it has me reminiscing, of a life more BASIC, and games less buggy. Where a weekend programming your own hangman made you more appreciative of the game-gods who knew how to turn a corner.
*sigh* I want my C64 back.
What was your first gaming platform? And would you ever go back?
Categories: Secret Lair Upgrades
Evil Genius Mum
Evil Genius Mum
- Taking over the world, one blog post at a time
Evil Genius Mum 
Minion Musings: