Fans making songs about their favorite games on YouTube is common place now. However, back 30 years ago that was almost unheard of. That is until an album came out called Pac-Man Fever by Buckner and Garcia. These guys created a wonderful soundtrack dedicated to the arcades that were super popular at the time. But not because they wanted a pay check (although I am sure it helped) but because they were fans themselves of the games that they sang about. Even going so far as to fill the lyrics with tips on how to play the game. Just recently Jerry Garcia along with Jace Hall released a new remixed version of their classic song. if you haven’t heard it yet it is awesome and I will put the video at the bottom of the post. If you like it you can even get a free download of the song (click here).
I love YouTube. It’s like a library of the past- and if you put in the right search words, you can find some amazing things! Things like Video Game All Stars!
The showStarcadewas lightning in a bottle! This show is what revitalized the children’s game show in the early 1980’s. What made it popular? VIDEO GAMES! Competing in video game challenges on the show, and winning an actual arcade game was what kids wanted ( and still do ). Other Shows tried to capture that same excitement that Starcadedid. We did a piece on The Video Game Challenge about four years ago. that looked like it was headed for syndication lake Starcade did- but sadly, never made it past the pilot (if it did, please let us know- we would like to put more up her at the Archives!)
Cut to today, and I’m looking for some arcade footage to put up on the site, and this little nugget pops up on the screen. And I’m floored.This description is from the YouTube Chanel-
In 1983 and 1984 I produced and directed a local Colorado Springs TV show called “Video Game All Stars,” which aired on KOAA TV, channels 5 and 30, the NBC affiliate. There were only 3 episodes produced. I consulted with my friend, experienced TV professional Larry Frost before getting started, and then hired Wes Rogers to host the first episode. He interviewed players and did a few stand-ups.
Highlights of this show include the early 1980s coin-op video games, the big Eighties fashions, hairstyles and the players’ funny descriptions of how they beat the games.
What fascinates me most about this, is that its a local show- and it looks it! And I mean that in a good way! From the old videotaped look to it, to the interviewers that you can tell DON’T PLAY GAMES… It screams early 1980s more so than even Starcade does. It’s so…rural. It’s like a group of friends got together and said “Let’s make a TV show about something popular, even though we know nothing about the subject!” Very typical back then- remember: there was no internets to cheat with back then! You learned about the subject as you rolled with the interviews! And the kids! They were so into playing games ant telling you about the experience- because it was so new! Some highlights of the episode include-
What you like most about playing games!
Tips on Tron!
Tips on Frogger!
The future of the arcade (and boy, was this guy wrong!)
New game reviews!
But the best part- is… THE COMMERCIALS!
The local arcade footage is nothing short of awesome!
With names like QuarterFlash, and The 5 Center, I wish I had gone to these arcades!
Let me know what you think- Let me know in the comments section below!
The images of Kirby are owned by Nintendo and Q*Bert are is owned by Atari, please support the official release. The Tales From the Game Grid logo and all Tales From The Game Grid related images are copyright Joshua Jordan.
Welcome to the first of what I wanted to do on the site since I started. The Arcade Archives Podcast is a fun trip down memory lane for me. As most of you know, I have been in the arcade industry since 1981. And I wanted a place to tell the story of these machines- from my perspective. And that’s where the idea for The Arcade Archives came from. So, for me, a podcast is the next logical step. So, without further adieu, here’s the first episode of the first game I ever had in my collection- Space Ace! enjoy!
Hey Gang! Sorry for the delay in the next post- I started feeling a little under the weather about a month ago, and after a few tests- lo and behold a 1cm kidney stone logged in where it shouldn’t be! After out patient surgery last Tuesday, I’m starting to feel a bit better!
Any who, the first podcast I will be editing this week so it should be up soon (editing down 2 hours of talking to myself and adding sound effects is a lot harder than it sounds!)
So I thought I would do a mini What If review- on Dragon’s Lair!
Well Dragon’s Lair needs no introduction or comprehensive review (there’s a ton of reviews- pick one!) but where I want to go is the latter end of 1983/84 where the road for games in general looked very uncertain for the industry who’s fiscal totals just one year earlier were so rosy, the movie industry was the one who was very rocky because of it. Coleco had secured the home rights for a port of Dragon’s Lair (and to this day holds up very well) but even Coleco itself was in the beginnings of a tailspin as the Adam computer was released to lackluster reviews. fortunately for them they had the Cabbage Patch kid to fall back on that Christmas. But what if they had something else? Would it have helped Coleco to fight another day?
Their own mini arcade units had sold millions and had help fund the Colecovision but What If they had rolled the dice on the mini arcade just one time and had released the
And the result- just some promotional ads found in a dumpster after the debacle that was CES 83′
These pictures pose 2 questions-
1: Are they real (no, so really just one question)
1-a: could this be done today- YES!
one good hacker with lots of time, and old Coleco mini arcade that doesn’t work, an old Nintendo DS they could scrap, and a copy of Dragons Lair for the DS (which plays great I might add) some new outer shell stickers and I think it would be what Coleco could have done if given the tools of today in 1983… it would be awesome!
So, sit back with you favorite snack and a cold one, lets start the show!
