To: "'brownde@cs.unc.edu'" Subject: HOOKED FROM THE START! Date: Wed, 7 Jan 1998 12:06:49 -0500 X-Priority: 3 First of all - you have the BEST site on the INTERNET ! Here is my story- My very virst video game was the ATARI TV+4. If anyone has any information of it please let me know! It was a two perseon B/W PONG/HOCKEY/TENNIS and TARGET SHOOT system. I had it hooked to my old ZENITH B/W TV set. I got the game as a gift for christmas from my parents in 1974 or/through 1977??? Then I got the ATARI 2600 (six button) with COMBAT WOW! I ran out and bought SPACE INVADERS and dozens of other games were soon to follow. I still have ALL the boxes, papers and booklets (except the origional ATARI box). Later on I bought the TRACK BALL (for Missle Command and Centipede of course). I spent hours looking for the Microdot in ADVENTURE and E.T. was sure to get home! I was a DEFENDER of the earth and always got to kiss LOIS LANE when I was SUPERMAN! These ARE the GREAT GAMES of the 1980's. And the video games in the arcades were FANTASTIC TOO! How about these to jog your collective memory: Food Fight, Road Runner, Galaxian, Donkey Kong, Tempest, Stargate, Robotron, Burger Time, Pheonix, Star Castle, Q*bert, QIX, Jungle King, Congo Bongo, Zoo Keeper, Journey Escape, Pole Position, Mario Brothers, Popeye, Star Fire, Star Trek, Star Wars, I,ROBOT, TRON, Discs of TRON, Qyruss, Frogger, PAC-MAN, Mrs. PAC-MAN, Centipede, Millipede, PackRat, Kangaroo, Mrs. Pac-Man, Super PAC-MAN, Missle Command, Battlezone, Space Duel, Asteroids (deluxe), Space Invaders (deluxe), Zaxxon, Scramble, GORF, Crazy Climber, Kickman, Jumpman, Mr. Do, Crystal Castles, Moon Patrol, Dig-Dug, Pengo, Donkey Kong Jr., Venture, Galaga, Spy Hunter, Bosconian, Satan's Hollow, Bubble Bobble, Night Driver, Wizard of War, Dragon's Lair, Space Ace, Tub'in, Defender.......and it goes on and on...... -- my god the list is endless...... I wanted to find out how these things worked so my next Christmas gift was a Commodore VIC-20 computer. Yup, I still have the tape cassette loader, and the original boxes! I learned BASIC programming on this little giant and soon I was programming my own video games!! Now I wanted more power - and power in the 80's came in the name APPLE. Although many of my friends had Radio Shack TRS-80's (trash 80's), my first REAL entry into home computing was the APPLE //c. With color screen, Imagewriter II and all the software at my disposal. (I had lots of friends with Apple PC's so we shared a lot - and who didn't?) Now I wanted to get into serious gaming so my next choice was the Sega Genesis and Sonic burned up my screen! I added their first generation CD-ROM base and now I had entered the digital age with games like Space Ace! After a few more years (and hundred of dollars) I dove into the NINTENDO 64 I have been in Heaven ever since! Well that's enough for now...enjoy the games and thanks for the memories! http://www.geocities.com/capecanaveral/6409/index.html Larry Russo larryrusso@msn.com