I can remember seeing that game - sorry I never was any good at playing any of them so I usually just watch. I love the ending comments

Posted by: Reddy at February 10, 2005 08:38 AM

Cool i remember that arcade game too, used to keep annoying my parents for a few more cents everytime for another go!! plzz plz plz do a review of "paperboy". It was one of my most favourite games on the C64 and probably the most adictable too!

Posted by: Noel Burke at February 10, 2005 08:45 AM

"Crushing fish with a paint roller..."
Har har! Have to find the good in any situation :D

Posted by: Glyn Evans at February 10, 2005 08:50 AM

Very good article Wil. Its nice to be taken back to a time when we spent so much money at the arcades.

Posted by: lance at February 10, 2005 09:08 AM

Great article Wil. I really like these, as it makes me feel less alone in my love of old games that my ex wife couldn't stand.

Next up, Pitfall?

Posted by: Genesyn at February 10, 2005 09:44 AM

That was one game that I never saw in the arcades back in the day. It does sound interesting, though. You should add a poll or something for what game people want to see you review next.

Posted by: Unearthed Ruminator at February 10, 2005 09:58 AM

Interesting -- although you state your article hit the web this morning, I'm sure I read it days ago!

Nice work, and, by the way, congrats on the new TV gig!

Posted by: animated_max at February 10, 2005 10:27 AM

Wow, make me feel like a puppy. That game game out The Year I Was Born.

*wimper*

PS: Congrats on everything Wil. And very happy to hear Sketch is doing better.

Posted by: ChantelleJoy at February 10, 2005 10:44 AM

You know, I remember seeing that game but it was always too lame-looking for me. I was too much into the space games :). However, I got pretty damned good at Burger Time. Boy, the memories of spending my entire allowance in one shot at the movies and arcade just came flashing back and hit me square in the chest. Those were the days. *sigh*

Posted by: Joshua Archer at February 10, 2005 11:05 AM

Make Trax - the working man's video game. Spent more than a few quarters on that one.

Requests for reviews: Robotron and, one of my all time favorites, Pengo (a penguin crushing snowbees with ice blocks ... how can you lose?!?).

Thanks for bringing back the memories.

Posted by: Oz at February 10, 2005 11:42 AM

Beautiful =)

Only thing I was dying for was a screenshot. But the language was rollicking.

Posted by: Kaolin Fire at February 10, 2005 11:49 AM

Ah, Make Trax. My husband talks about that one fondly. I never did see that one. I did sort of enjoy Centipede - yes, I am old.

Glad to hear you got the gig you wanted - and that Sketch is doing a little better.

Posted by: Spyderkl at February 10, 2005 12:03 PM

Totally off topic, but I wanted to say that I was at Barnes and Noble (in Chicago) the other day and Dancing Barefoot was smack in the front of the store as one of the employee's picks.
Wish I knew which one....they must be supacool.

Posted by: kinlochbervie at February 10, 2005 12:15 PM

I was cleaning out one of the cupbaords in my room and found the The Simpsons: Bart versus the space mutants, I was amazed to see that the box was intact, with the manual and cassette inside.

Posted it on buzznet:

http://noelburke.buzznet.com/user/?id=878224

Posted by: Noel Burke at February 10, 2005 12:27 PM

speaking of wierd arcade games, i recently discovered that i'm really bad at Frogger. and i love that game! i used to play it all the time when i was little but i guess im out of it. o well, a few hundred quarters should fix that...

Posted by: Jessie at February 10, 2005 12:30 PM

Gotta love the classics Wil!
Spidey here is a HUGE fan of the long lost arcades. Thanks for bringing them back. Surprisingly, there are still a few great arcades here in the Big Apple. I make it a point to stop in from time to time. You've inspired me to post an arcade mention on my blog!

Thanks again! Spidey Out-
Keep On Slingin!!
Spider-Man
http://spiderman2004.blogspot.com

Posted by: spider-man at February 10, 2005 01:28 PM

congrats on your CSI role, and best wishes for a healthy Sketch! I had the worst experience losing a pet back in March of '97. My pet Yorkie named Chelsea (she was technically my Mom's dog, but she liked me best...) waited until I was home from college on Spring break to die from old age. It was especially tragic b/c I woke up one morning and rolled over to pet her, only to find she had died in her sleep during the night. I made my step-brother wrap her in my comforter and carry her out to the garage until our parents arrived home from work to have her burial service. I had just lost my father in a tragic car accident 7 months prior to my beloved pet's passing, and while it pains me to admit it, I think I experienced both losses with the same amount of grief and denial. I still catch glimpses of my father in other people's faces and in the sound of their laughter, and I still do double-takes when I see a cute little Yorkie bouncing by... My heart goes out to you and your family while you wrestle with Sketch's health issues.

btw~ I was a QBert, Digdug, Frogger, PacMan, Rampage, and Centipede playin' fool in my younger years. (and I'm only 28, mind you!) Props on your article!

Posted by: high-d at February 10, 2005 02:01 PM

Those columns are great. Funny, funny stuff.

That one brings back fond memories of waiting in the "World of Clothing" entry area while my grandparents shopped.

Actually, they aren't all that fond.

In fact I'm not even really sure that they are memories.

Posted by: Alan at February 10, 2005 03:00 PM

OH. My. GOD.

good lord, I had FORGOTTEN that game... one of the many legion of "Pac-Man Clones".... sweet, Wil.

for the person that wanted a Screenshot... go to www.klov.com . hit "M", and scroll past the INSANE amount of japanese mah jongg games, and click on the title. there are screenshots there.

Posted by: Sinkuu at February 10, 2005 04:34 PM

Wil, is that a quote from "Capitalism" by the late, great Oingo Boingo?

Posted by: Niki at February 10, 2005 04:42 PM

"like the chef from BurgerTime and the kid from Paperboy. —Wil Wheaton"

Whoa, you were the kid from Paperboy too? Why didn't you say anything before now??

-The paddle from Arkanoid

Posted by: Joe N at February 10, 2005 04:52 PM

Well, um like we've seen two pictures, how about a few more words on todays activities?

Posted by: dave at February 10, 2005 09:06 PM

Off-topic here, but aren't you forgetting something important to announce? My TiVo says that the World Poker Tour's Hollywood Home Game #6 is on the 20th this month. Celebrities Mekhi Phifer, Andrea Parker, Wil Wheaton, LeVar Burton, Adrian Young, and John Hensley. So there'll be two former TNG stars going heads up?

Posted by: Sergio at February 10, 2005 10:05 PM

Sergio: Thanks for the info! I've been wondering when that was going to air...

Anywho, another fun trip back to my younger days! I barely remember this game, since I myself was more concerned with invading aliens, space ships and other such vector-rendered nonsense. One of my all-time favorites was Food Fight. Even though I wasn't very good at it as a kid, it still blew my mind and sapped my quarter supply. There was just something about tossing buttloads of peas, bananas and watermellons at four little Emeril wannabes that held my attention like nothing else...

Posted by: Eric in PA at February 10, 2005 11:00 PM

"Wil, is that a quote from "Capitalism" by the late, great Oingo Boingo?




Please, the song is "Perfect System". ;-)

Posted by: Uncle Andrew at February 13, 2005 11:00 PM

I enjoyed your Games of Our Lives Column. I am a child of the 80's and was addicted to video games of all types. Does The Onion plan to have an RSS feed to your column? Or do they already have one that I cannot find?

DAVE

Posted by: Davethepa at February 18, 2005 09:10 PM