8 Bit Christmas

[SpursforSix]

Watched this with the fam last night. Definitely inspired by Christmas Story. Kid in the 80’s wants to get a Nintendo. Was actually pretty good. Maybe not an instant classic but had some moments.

[baseline bum]

Watched this with the fam last night. Definitely inspired by Christmas Story. Kid in the 80’s wants to get a Nintendo. Was actually pretty good. Maybe not an instant classic but had some moments.

Was NES ever that hard to get? Seems kind of a weird premise for the movie, as I remember the system being readily available. Now the games on the other hand, I remember Super Mario Bros 2 was a real bastard to get and for the longest time the only place I could play it was on a PlayChoice 10 machine at Dairy Queen.

[Ef-man]

Watched this with the fam last night. Definitely inspired by Christmas Story. Kid in the 80’s wants to get a Nintendo. Was actually pretty good. Maybe not an instant classic but had some moments.

Was pleasantly surprised and funny. Story telling like Princess Bride.

[baseline bum]

Holy shit, the Billy Ripken Fuck Face 89 Fleer card. I had so many of those back in the day. :lmao

[SpursforSix]

Was NES ever that hard to get? Seems kind of a weird premise for the movie, as I remember the system being readily available. Now the games on the other hand, I remember Super Mario Bros 2 was a real bastard to get and for the longest time the only place I could play it was on a PlayChoice 10 machine at Dairy Queen.

I don’t remember it being particularly hard to get. But it really wasn’t in the movie either. The stores seemed to have them, just not all the kids. I do remember always going over to the kid’s house that had the latest system.

[DMC]

Was NES ever that hard to get? Seems kind of a weird premise for the movie, as I remember the system being readily available. Now the games on the other hand, I remember Super Mario Bros 2 was a real bastard to get and for the longest time the only place I could play it was on a PlayChoice 10 machine at Dairy Queen.

It was never hard to get, nor was the Atari 2600. The reason is that we couldn't play online so multiplayer meant going to a friend's house to play. Not everyone needed one to be able to play one. It was fun but not all day stuff. These days a console is an all day affair for kids, and they take it with them in the form of the Switch or other.

[baseline bum]

I don’t remember it being particularly hard to get. But it really wasn’t in the movie either. The stores seemed to have them, just not all the kids. I do remember always going over to the kid’s house that had the latest system.

I think they really whiffed trying to make the NES seem like a rare console. Seemed like by 87 all my friends had one so all the kids wanting to come over to that rich kid's house to see it in action was pretty weird. Still, the Billy Ripken error card killed me, god I remember how hot that card was at the time. My dad used to sell baseball cards and people were going nuts trying to get one of those Fuck Face cards. And then there were like 3 or 4 more revisions that everyone wanted too. One scribbled out Fuck Face like with a sharpie, another I think was white out over Fuck Face, then another was just a black box over Fuck Face, etc. :lol

https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/9E1yjhPRjrVo3JLy00pmJRadLS0=/1400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/13695411/IMG_7268.jpg

[Adam Lambert]

Seemed like by 87 all my friends had one so all the kids wanting to come over to that rich kid's house to see it in action was pretty weird.

I don't feel like they were everywhere like that until 88 or 89. In 1987 when I still lived in SA we only had one kid on the block with an NES and the other 5 or 6 of us would go over there and take turns playing.

[Ef-man]

I don't feel like they were everywhere like that until 88 or 89. In 1987 when I still lived in SA we only had one kid on the block with an NES and the other 5 or 6 of us would go over there and take turns playing.

Did anyone have a lite brite? :lol

[Adam Lambert]

Did anyone have a lite brite? :lol

Now that's something everyone had, as I recall. And no one could fuck with my Transformers collection.

[baseline bum]

I don't feel like they were everywhere like that until 88 or 89. In 1987 when I still lived in SA we only had one kid on the block with an NES and the other 5 or 6 of us would go over there and take turns playing.

89 was really late, that was like when the Sega Genesis came out. I know Super Mario Bros 2 came out in 1988 and by that time all the kids in my neighborhood I hung out with had one, even the poor kids with the fucked up parents the next block over. I remember them having the really old school NES games like Double Dribble and Pro Wrestling.

[Neo.]

Did anyone have a lite brite? :lol

yep lol

[baseline bum]

Now that's something everyone had, as I recall. And no one could fuck with my Transformers collection.

Favorite? Least favorite? Shockwave was definitely my #1 Transformer since it made sounds when you shot unlike Megatron. Devastator was the most disappointing. Spent like two years trying to get all the Constructicons and then when I could finally put Devastator together it would break apart from the slightest movement.

[baseline bum]

Did anyone have a lite brite? :lol

I remember asking for one for a couple of Christmases at least but I think my parents figured I'd get bored with it quick and didn't get it. They were probably right. Can't complain at all though since I scored lots of Transformers and a Game Boy + games those years which were way better.

[Adam Lambert]

Favorite? Least favorite? Shockwave was definitely my #1 Transformer since it made sounds when you shot unlike Megatron. Devastator was the most disappointing. Spent like two years trying to get all the Constructicons and then when I could finally put Devastator together it would break apart from the slightest movement.

I think my favorite might have been when Ultra Magnus came out after the movie, it was like an Optimus Prime on steroids. Pretty sure I played with Megatron the most though. Ended up basically useless and regrettably got thrown away. There was also one that turned into like six different things at once, can't remember the name.

I loved the Constructicons too, but the funny story with them is that's the Christmas I realized Santa wasn't real. My parents gave me three of them on Christmas Eve, and I somehow got the exact other three (and all of the weapons/accessories) from "Santa" the next day. Sniffed that shit right out.

[Adam Lambert]

89 was really late, that was like when the Sega Genesis came out. I know Super Mario Bros 2 came out in 1988 and by that time all the kids in my neighborhood I hung out with had one, even the poor kids with the fucked up parents the next block over. I remember them having the really old school NES games like Double Dribble and Pro Wrestling.

You're probably right, my timeline might be a little bit off, but there was definitely a time when it seemed like a select few lucky kids had the Nintendo and everybody wanted to go to their house.

[LaMarcus Bryant]

Movie was fun. Had potential to be funnier but had it's moments. NPH needs more work lol, dude's funny.

[hater]

Thanks eill probably put this on the projector at the pool tonight.

Cheers :tu

[SpursforSix]

I think they really whiffed trying to make the NES seem like a rare console. Seemed like by 87 all my friends had one so all the kids wanting to come over to that rich kid's house to see it in action was pretty weird. Still, the Billy Ripken error card killed me, god I remember how hot that card was at the time. My dad used to sell baseball cards and people were going nuts trying to get one of those Fuck Face cards. And then there were like 3 or 4 more revisions that everyone wanted too. One scribbled out Fuck Face like with a sharpie, another I think was white out over Fuck Face, then another was just a black box over Fuck Face, etc. :lol



Yeah...I can see that I guess form an accuracy standpoint. But I still don't think they made it seem like it was hard to get. Just that initially, not everyone had one. To me, the struggle was that his parents wouldn't buy him one. The Cabbage Patch doll shortage was right though. I remember news stories about that.

It's crazy, I collected BB cards but have no recollection of the fuck face card.

[SpursforSix]

It was never hard to get, nor was the Atari 2600. The reason is that we couldn't play online so multiplayer meant going to a friend's house to play. Not everyone needed one to be able to play one. It was fun but not all day stuff. These days a console is an all day affair for kids, and they take it with them in the form of the Switch or other.

I agree that the 2600 wasn't an all day thing. We were outside a lot and would play sporadically. But even the adventure games could be beaten pretty quickly.

As to the NES, I disagree. I remember playing some games, Metroid, in particular, for a whole night. Several others as well.

[baseline bum]

I think my favorite might have been when Ultra Magnus came out after the movie, it was like an Optimus Prime on steroids. Pretty sure I played with Megatron the most though. Ended up basically useless and regrettably got thrown away. There was also one that turned into like six different things at once, can't remember the name.

I loved the Constructicons too, but the funny story with them is that's the Christmas I realized Santa wasn't real. My parents gave me three of them on Christmas Eve, and I somehow got the exact other three (and all of the weapons/accessories) from "Santa" the next day. Sniffed that shit right out.

Are you thinking Omega Supreme? That was easily my highest dollar Transformer toy.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iRd6jO-E5TI

LOL Megatron. After I got too old for Transformers I superglued my Megatron together so I could just use it as a gun while playing James Bond with my friends. I had played with it so much that it was hard to keep it in gun form until I did that.

[baseline bum]

It was never hard to get, nor was the Atari 2600. The reason is that we couldn't play online so multiplayer meant going to a friend's house to play. Not everyone needed one to be able to play one. It was fun but not all day stuff. These days a console is an all day affair for kids, and they take it with them in the form of the Switch or other.

Wasn't the 2600 something like $700 to $1000 in inflation adjusted dollars at launch? Can see why that was never tough to find haha.

[baseline bum]

I agree that the 2600 wasn't an all day thing. We were outside a lot and would play sporadically. But even the adventure games could be beaten pretty quickly.

As to the NES, I disagree. I remember playing some games, Metroid, in particular, for a whole night. Several others as well.

2600 is the one system I could never get into, even the good games like Pitfall and H.E.R.O. don't hold up for shit. I still like firing up Ti Invaders for the Ti 99 4/a from 1981 every once in a while and play the hell out of Zaxxon from 1982, but the 2600 looked so primitive compared to literally everything else on the market in the early 80s. Heard it wasn't even that impressive for 1977 when it came out.

[Adam Lambert]

Are you thinking Omega Supreme? That was easily my highest dollar Transformer toy.


I don't remember that one, I was thinking of these

https://www.transformerland.com/wiki/toy-info/transformers-g1-six-changers-quickswitch/2407/
https://www.transformerland.com/wiki/toy-info/transformers-g1-six-changers-sixshot/2023/

[SpursforSix]

2600 is the one system I could never get into, even the good games like Pitfall and H.E.R.O. don't hold up for shit. I still like firing up Ti Invaders for the Ti 99 4/a from 1981 every once in a while and play the hell out of Zaxxon from 1982, but the 2600 looked so primitive compared to literally everything else on the market in the early 80s. Heard it wasn't even that impressive for 1977 when it came out.

I thought some of the adventure games were pretty great at the time. Adventure for one. That was the game that made me want the system. Raiders of the Lost Ark was pretty good as well but a little cumbersome because it used both joysticks for one player. One was used for action and the other for selecting items. But once you beat any of those games, you could do it again in maybe 10-15 minutes at most. Although once the rumor of the hidden dot surfaced, that added another layer of exploration.

I remember Pitfall being good mainly for the graphics at the time but beating the game was basically just learning the map.

Yeah...I bought one of those 2600 joysticks that came preloaded with about 20 games. Thinking it'd be fun to check out. But I'd play a game for a few minutes and then try another. Definitely doesn't hold up.

The Atari 5200 should have been a game changer but they fucked up the controller. Colecovision ended up being the best system (post 2600) until NES came out.

[baseline bum]

I thought some of the adventure games were pretty great at the time. Adventure for one. That was the game that made me want the system. Raiders of the Lost Ark was pretty good as well but a little cumbersome because it used both joysticks for one player. One was used for action and the other for selecting items. But once you beat any of those games, you could do it again in maybe 10-15 minutes at most. Although once the rumor of the hidden dot surfaced, that added another layer of exploration.

I remember Pitfall being good mainly for the graphics at the time but beating the game was basically just learning the map.

Yeah...I bought one of those 2600 joysticks that came preloaded with about 20 games. Thinking it'd be fun to check out. But I'd play a game for a few minutes and then try another. Definitely doesn't hold up.

The Atari 5200 should have been a game changer but they fucked up the controller. Colecovision ended up being the best system (post 2600) until NES came out.

Yeah 5200 improved a lot on the graphics, but JFC that non-centering joystick and then that phone keypad. Though Atari was pretty much dead by the time the 5200 came out anyways. And whose bright idea was it to put the 2600 sound chip into the 7800, thus making the 7800 another DOA console? Looked better than NES graphically but the sound was so simplistic. Oh well they deserved to go under after ET.

[Millennial_Messiah]

I guess I was the only kid who didn't ask for a video game console from my family to buy me early in childhood. My first console was an XBOX 360 that I paid for myself when I was 13 in 2007 from my own money that I earned from hauling junk and teaching little kids math.

[SpursforSix]

Yeah 5200 improved a lot on the graphics, but JFC that non-centering joystick and then that phone keypad. Though Atari was pretty much dead by the time the 5200 came out anyways. And whose bright idea was it to put the 2600 sound chip into the 7800, thus making the 7800 another DOA console? Looked better than NES graphically but the sound was so simplistic. Oh well they deserved to go under after ET.

The 5200 had some games that were pretty close to the arcade versions. Joust and Kangaroo were two that I had that I enjoyed. They also had some kind of space game that was complex at the time but it involved pressing the number keys so it was also frustrating. But that joystick made everything a beat down.

To be honest, I didn't think ET was that bad. The falling in the the holes was crappy but it wasn't as bad as an adventure game as they make it seem. Especially given the circumstances.

Also while I'm thinking about it, Superman was pretty good. There was also that Swordquest game that had multiple cartridges with the comic book tie ins. But I didn't have the patience for that.

[SpursforSix]

Not to mention that Activision games changed the landscape. MegaMania was fun as fuck. Also they had some great sports games.

[baseline bum]

The 5200 had some games that were pretty close to the arcade versions. Joust and Kangaroo were two that I had that I enjoyed. They also had some kind of space game that was complex at the time but it involved pressing the number keys so it was also frustrating. But that joystick made everything a beat down.

To be honest, I didn't think ET was that bad. The falling in the the holes was crappy but it wasn't as bad as an adventure game as they make it seem. Especially given the circumstances.

Also while I'm thinking about it, Superman was pretty good. There was also that Swordquest game that had multiple cartridges with the comic book tie ins. But I didn't have the patience for that.

I thought ET earned every bit of its rep. You'd fall in a hole, fly out, and end up right back in the hole again in this loop. It was supposed to be a game for six year olds to play but nothing was intuitive in it. I love that they thought they'd make millions off a blockbuster game they hired a guy to do in six weeks and instead took down their company with it. Serves them right trying to con a bunch of parents before Christmas.