CleanerKennyFan

@exQUIZitely Bonus tapes for me. Zzap!64 was my favourite. 🥳

Are you old enough to remember the bonus disks (later CDs) on game magazines? One of those was the Christmas edition of Lemmings, a festive spin-off series from the 1991 surprise hit. In December 1991, DMA Design and Psygnosis released Xmas Lemmings as a free four-level demo, often given away on magazine cover disks (like Amiga Format). It was a classic win/win: Free marketing for the upcomming versions of Lemmings - and a free "game" for players. I miss the era of monthly print magazines (and the bonus disks). It was the only way to learn about new games and the background stories. I would often deliberately pace myself to not read it all in one go. A truly different time (and world).

@GoGeocaching We definitely love our tulips here!

💚 Geocache of the Week 💚 In the Netherlands, a tulip-lined path hides a clever #geocache that blends in—until it doesn’t. 🌷tinyurl.com/5n89enmr🌷 Time to explore ON 09.27: Lisse (GC9XY1Q)! Video by gc_anjoki. #geocaching

@exQUIZitely No, but I did try GameMaker (c64). I worked on a game with cute penguins throwing snowballs and jumping over holes in the ice. Made a background, some sprites and a bit of music. I quit the project after a while. Can't remember if I got bored or realised it was rubbish. 😆

Please tell me I wasn't the only nerd getting excited about the Shoot 'Em Up Construction Kit (S.E.U.C.K.) back in the day? It was a popular game creation system developed by Sensible Software (Jon Hare and Chris Yates) in 1987. It let people (especially kids and hobbyists who couldn't code from scratch... aka me) create their own simple shoot 'em up games without needing to write any code. You could: Draw your own sprites like upur ship, enemies, and explosions, design backgrounds and scrolling levels, set up enemy attack waves, create sound effects and simple music, and also design title screens and high-score tables. I created a few "games" - did you ever give it a try?

@exQUIZitely Had this on c64 and really liked it. Shop system ruled and bosses looked great. Only downside was the annoying multiload (so you had to rewind your tape a lot).

I've always felt that X-Out (Rainbow Arts, 1989) was a great shooter and a highly underrated one. It rarely gets mentioned alongside its peers from that era (R-Type, Katakis, Xenon II, etc.), but it’s absolutely gorgeous to look at and features truly excellent music and sound effects as well. The graphics and game design were handled by the brilliant Celâl Kandemiroğlu (who sadly passed away in 2022), while the music was composed by the equally talented German composer Chris Huelsbeck. One of the features I really like is the shop system between stages, where you can purchase new submarines, weapons, and other upgrades before heading into the next level. It adds a welcome tactical element that some other classic shooters with traditional power-ups lack. I never managed to get very far without using a cheat code; X-Out is tough as nails. If you’ve never played it and you’re a fan of 80s/90s shooters, I promise it’s worth your time. It didn’t reinvent the genre, but it focused on the core mechanics and delivered them in a truly beautiful way, backed by stunning artwork.

@exQUIZitely I've got a c64 weekend coming up, and will definitely be playing this one.

Defender of the Crown (1986 by Cinemaware) is an all-time classic. I will take an educated guess and say anyone who played games in the 80s also played this one. If not, you really missed out... Stunning graphics, gorgeous music, perfect cutscenes. And yes, an average gameplay... but honestly, who cared back then when you could feast your eyes on one of most beautifully designed games ever? The iconic siege sequence with the catapult (let's throw in some greek fire, yeah!), the sword fight in the castle with the incredible shadow-play background, the beautiful maiden waiting for the hero to rescue her, the jousting, and the crowds cheering for the champion! And yes, somewhere in between you move your armies around, too. It was Cinemware's first ever game and original published for the Amiga. I chose the C64 port for the video, purely for nostalgic reasons, as it was the first one I played and I couldn't get enough of it. The game was hugely a critical and commercial success, praised for pushing systems to its graphical limits. I don't recall a game from 1986 with better graphics for the C64. What system did you first play it on?

@exQUIZitely So, I hear it did get ported to at least one other system, but it was never officially released. Apparently it had too many bugs. *rimshot*

Why this masterpiece was never ported to other systems boggles my mind to this day. Apidya is a 1992 shoot 'em up developed by Kaiko for the Amiga - and that's it, no port for any other system. You play as Ikuro, a warrior who magically transforms into a powerful bee after his wife Yuri is poisoned by the evil black magic lord Hexaä. Whoever came up with the idea to make the hero a bee... well, it certainly was unique! You fly insect-themed stages, from gardens and ponds to surreal sewers, you blast swarms (pardon the pun) of enemies, collect power-ups, and face bosses while seeking an antidote. The graphics were an absolute delight, with massive sprites and vibrant colors, and the music/sound effects (Chris Huelsbeck showing his skill) were simply brilliant. I still think Apidya stands out as one of the Amiga's most original and best shooters. Which brings me again to the question - how was this never ported elsewhere?

@landofthe80s home made

What's the best pizza from your childhood? 🍕

@exQUIZitely In no particular order, my other passions are pro wrestling (hence my nickname), reading, making music, geocaching.

Pretty much everyone on my timeline has a connection to games, whether that's older ones from the 80s or more recent ones. But I'd be curious to know, what your second (or third... or first?) passion is. I will out myself here as a metal detectorist nerd. This would be a typical afternoon's catch. Roughly 4 Euros in coins and then a whole heap of rubbish. Pretty meditative activity too - and you woudn't believe how many people come up to you with that ONE question "found any gold yet?" No, I haven't.

@exQUIZitely Bicycle kick from the corner of the box! Scoooore!

Before Sensible Soccer and Kick Off, there was MicroProse Soccer (1988). But did you know the game was actually developed by Sensible Software? MicroProse was “just” the publisher and named the game after themselves. The creators were Chris Yates and Jon Hare - the same duo who would later make Sensible Soccer. What might look quite dated from today's perspective was an absolute blast in 1988. Oman beating Brazil 2-0 in the finals to win the World Cup? No problem. Playing in thunderstorms and lightning? Hell yeah! And that replay feature… man, that “R” in the top left corner hits different if you remember football matches on TV from the 80s. Oh, and that banana kick… glorious! Topped off with music from the legendary Martin Galway, MicroProse Soccer was pure 80s gold.

@exQUIZitely And of course we had to have a guest book.

I dabbled a bit with homepages in the 90s. Not on a professional level or for commercial projects, but mainly for setting up a Dungeons & Dragons page for our group and later a private homepage. It was certainly a Wild West vibe back then, with some of the most cringeworthy websites - including mine, I’m sure. Typical elements of any amateur site included: 1) The counter (“You are visitor number…”) 2) The “under construction” GIF 3) The email GIF 4) Link4Link exchange banners Some counters incremented +1 on every page reload, so you could easily inflate your numbers. Others were a bit more advanced and only counted real visits. Some had the most "oh God, my eyes!" layouts and worst color choices, such as red font on blue backgrounds, the eternal sin. As cringe as they look from today’s perspective, I’d love to have kept mine, just for shits and giggles. Did you have your own site? If so, what was it for?

@exQUIZitely I'd put all eight of them in a wrestling ring for a no holds barred battle royal, then have the winner create the ultimate Pro Wrestling management game. Not because it makes sense, but because it would entertain me. :-D

You have an unlimited budget and the chance to pick one of these eight legendary game designers to create a game of your choice with them. Who do you choose? I think I'd ask Richard Garriot to create an MMORP of the biggest and most open Ultima World ever.

@exQUIZitely I had this, but didn't enjoy it much. Too young to appreciate it, maybe (back then I was more into platformers and shooters).

An oldie but goldie! Carrier Command (1988), developed by Realtime Games and published by Rainbird, blends RTS and simulation elements. You command the aircraft carrier ACC Epsilon in a future war to colonize a 64-island archipelago before a rival carrier does the same. You can attack by air (Manta) or land (Walrus) and drop command centres on neutral islands. The game switches between fleet management and direct vehicle control. Its basic filled-polygon graphics (epic for the time!) and tactical elements made it one of the earliest true RTS games. It received excellent reviews, often in the high 90% range. A sequel, Battle Command, followed two years later.

@exQUIZitely Zzap!64 - I loved the art, the humour and the attached Megatapes (with demos and even full games).

The slightly older ones among you will remember a time when computer magazines were the main source of information for gamers. At one point I had subscriptions to six magazines (maybe a bit much), and very little beat the feeling of getting the latest issue in the mail a few days before it hit the newsstand. Unwrapping it from the plastic cover, opening it for the first time (ahh, that fresh paper smell!), and reading about the latest in games and computers. I kept most of my magazines from that era (mostly 80s and 90s) and still occasionally grab one from the shelf. It’s like time travel: reading the reviews, seeing hardware prices back then, seeing some of your favorite games in there, laughing at some of those that got devastating reviews, browsing letters to the editor, checking on the latest "hints, tips and cheats" section for games, and even reading the classified ads. It truly is a world long gone. No more waiting these days. All information is available instantly, anytime, and in abundance. Back then you had to rely on game reviews, then find a shop that stocked it, compare prices, call to order, and wait for it to arrive by mail. My subscriptions were: PC Joker, Amiga Joker, PowerPlay, ASM, C64er, and Computer Flohmarkt (a magazine purely for classified ads with over 100 pages). Some magazines had bonus disks or CDs attached to boost sales. The one in the picture is "PC Joker Heft & Spiel" with the Silent Service II CD, pretty epic. What was your go-to magazine back in the day?

@exQUIZitely Good, another game for my 'need to try' list.

Who here remembers Pharaoh (1999), a city-building sim developed by Impressions Games? Deciding between this one and Caesar III (also by Impressions Games) was tough. I lean ever so slightly toward Pharaoh, but it’s very close. Maybe it’s just the setting - ancient Egypt instead of yet another “build an empire in Europe” variant. Pharaoh felt a bit more exciting and fresh with its different cultural background. Players guide a dynasty across 15 centuries of ancient Egypt, starting with a small village and rising to massive cities. Core gameplay revolves around resource management, housing evolution, farming, trade, and constructing monumental wonders like pyramids. In this sense the connection to Caesar III is noticeable, as the key focus is on micro-management. Your people need food, goods, healthcare, and a few more things to stay happy. You also prepare to defend against invaders or the occasional disaster, which increase in the later stages of the game. It was highly praised for its historical depth and atmospheric soundtrack (sometimes just watching your people go about their day and listening to all the sounds was almost hypnotic). If you were a fan of “build an empire” games, Impressions was really one of the kings of the 90s.

@exQUIZitely Yeah, I also thought of Kafka immediately. They should've named him Gregor instead of Roger.

Today is the 30th birthday of one of gaming history's weirdest and creepiest games: Bad Mojo, released on February 23, 1996, is an adventure game by Pulse Entertainment. Entomologist Roger Samms transforms into a cockroach via his mother's cursed locket (alrighty then...) and must navigate and survive a grimy San Francisco bar. Yummy. You solve puzzles, dodge rats, spiders, and a cat across over 800 (!) detailed screens to uncover family secrets and get back to human form. Kafka says hello...

@exQUIZitely Hacker II...

One distinct memory I have from playing games in the 80s was that every once in a while I would stumble across a game that looked epic but I had exactly zero clue what to do. Wizball was such a game. Looked and sounded pretty cool, but... "where to go, what to do, and what's the goal here?" - something along those lines went through my mind at the time. I stuck with it an eventually (much later) figured it out. Do you remember a game that you played but didn't really know what the goal was or how to get there?

@exQUIZitely The Atari CX40 was and will forever be my favourite. Still use it sometimes.

What was your "weapon of choice" back in the day? I loved the original Competition Pro (left) and later upgraded to the version on the right with autofire and two extra buttons. Excellent control, super durable, and relatively easy to fix when the fire buttons eventually wore out. It could also survive the occasional rage-quit throw across the room... Which joystick was your faithful companion throughout the golden era?

@exQUIZitely I suggest Terry Goodkind's series 'Sword of Truth'.

I used to read a lot when I was younger, mostly fantasy books. Three that I really liked were the Song of Albion series (Stephen Lawhead), the Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn series (Tad Williams), and the Fionavar Tapestry series (Guy Gavriel Kay). Thinking of getting back into reading more but feeling a bit out of the loop. If you know any great fantasy books (or series), let me know. What was your favorite one?

@16bitnostalgia Zybex (on c64)

Name a game you loved… That most people have never heard of. These are two of mine

@exQUIZitely Love this game, but still can't see it as a sequel to Bubble Bobble.

If there was an award for "cutest arcade ever", I'm pretty sure Rainbow Islands would be a finalist. Quite possibly one of the most adorable games ever in terms of graphics, sound and gameplay, Rainbow Islands (1987) is the sequel to Bubble Bobble (1986). It features the bubble dragons Bub and Bob transformed back into their human forms, Bubby and Bobby. Instead of trapping enemies in bubbles, players shoot rainbows that act as both weapons and platforms to climb through vertically scrolling levels. Did you know its iconic theme music is a sped-up homage to "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" from The Wizard of Oz?