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Random 80s computer game memory

  • 05-09-2015 02:41AM
    #1
    Posts: 7,344 ✭✭✭


    Ok this is really random but it came up during a conversation about that new retro release of a spectrum computer.

    I remember a game when I was a kid - on one of our computers - a text based adventure game but with pictures done in ascii at the time. But it was one of those "go north" "examine pedestal" type games.

    But during the game you could say a word at any time and your character would change into a super hero. Or back again. And you had to type a word like "khazam" or "kapow" or something odd like this.

    PLEASE tell me I did not dream this and someone remembers this game :) The bet I have with my mates was this was a ZX spectrum game. My mate thinks it was an Atari ST one. And my brother believes it was one of the first text games on the PC.


«1345

Comments

  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,249 ✭✭✭ardinn


    Pffft - an amstrad action was where it was at!!!

    Roland something..........

    Will never get the music out of my head!


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 9,622 ✭✭✭Ruu


    Colossal Cave Adventure?


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 3,766 ✭✭✭Bongalongherb




  • Posts: 7,344 ✭✭✭ [Deleted User]


    Nah - but like the second video above there was always a constant picture of your character to the side of the text. And the picture used to show if you were in human or super hero form.And you could switch between the two.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 10,115 ✭✭✭✭Junkyard Tom




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  • Posts: 1,211 ✭✭✭ [Deleted User]


    I remember playing sh!t like this on my ZX81....


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 3,766 ✭✭✭Bongalongherb




  • Closed Accounts Posts: 3,766 ✭✭✭Bongalongherb


    There might be something in this guy's collection of adventure games from the early 80's that might be it...



  • Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 367 ✭✭justchecked


    what was the program on saturday mornings with the giant wasp.
    it was some green screen team effort.

    dont think it was gamesmaster although might have had the same setup where the main player had to wear a bucket over their head while their team told them to jump.

    fvcking brutal whatever it was lolol.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 670 ✭✭✭GekkePrutser


    Ruu wrote: »
    Colossal Cave Adventure?

    Yes I think that was what the OP refers to. The word was 'XYZZY', it would teleport you (though not give you special powers so perhaps it was another game after all).


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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 9,040 ✭✭✭ceadaoin.


    what was the program on saturday mornings with the giant wasp.
    it was some green screen team effort.

    dont think it was gamesmaster although might have had the same setup where the main player had to wear a bucket over their head while their team told them to jump.

    fvcking brutal whatever it was lolol.

    Knightmare. Have to say, I loved it :o


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 2,379 ✭✭✭donegaLroad


    I remember a game like the OP describes for the spectrum ZX.. it had a Japanese sounding name. I just googled it..'Kobyashi Naru'


  • Moderators, Music Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 25,740 Mod ✭✭✭✭Boom_Bap


    My first game on a 5 1/4" floppy was Alone In The Dark if I remember correctly.
    This was all text based, no pictures.
    I kept getting stuck in the same room no matter which way I played the game. I call it the original glitch....or else I was missing disk 2.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,204 ✭✭✭elfy4eva


    This possibly?? Human torch says 'flame on' to morph. Although the catchphrase you mention in the op "khazam" sounds very similar to "shazam" which is the morphing catchphrase of DC comics captain marvel/shazam. Not sure if they made a text adventure with him though. Hope this helps!



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2, Paid Member Posts: 3,126 ✭✭✭Dr Turk Turkelton


    ardinn wrote: »
    Pffft - an amstrad action was where it was at!!!

    Roland something..........

    Will never get the music out of my head!

    It was Roland In Time.
    The music was the song I Love to Go A Wandering played constantly on repeat. I'm obviously still very scarred by it thirty years later!

    There was other Roland games as well *shudder.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,820 ✭✭✭Sir Osis of Liver.


    My favourite was Chariot Race on Commodore Vic 20.(we were too poor to buy the 64)
    It was so lifelike you'd swear you were in the Colloseum.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2, Paid Member Posts: 29,799 ✭✭✭✭_Kaiser_


    Sooooo many hours spent on this as a kid...



    None of that fancy colour stuff though. Green screen was where it was at :p


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2, Paid Member Posts: 14,403 ✭✭✭✭machiavellianme


    It was Roland In Time.
    The music was the song I Love to Go A Wandering played constantly on repeat. I'm obviously still very scarred by it thirty years later!

    There was other Roland games as well *shudder.

    Whats wrong with roland in time? I still play it fairly regularly for the laugh.
    That and tubaruba.

    Save boards.ie by subscribing: https://subscriptions.boards.ie/



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2, Paid Member Posts: 3,126 ✭✭✭Dr Turk Turkelton


    Whats wrong with roland in time? I still play it fairly regularly for the laugh.
    That and tubaruba.

    Nothing wrong with the game it was the music. Some subliminal brainwashing there somewhere.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 12,318 ✭✭✭✭Menas


    I remember buying those magazines that gave you POKEs for the Spectrum games....


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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 6,544 ✭✭✭Samaris


    It is pitch black. You are likely to be eaten by a grue.

    Yis can keep your Call of Duty and Final Fantasies, Zork will always hold that special place in my gamer's heart :pac:


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,543 ✭✭✭tinner777


    urban upstart the beginning of gta


  • Posts: 7,344 ✭✭✭ [Deleted User]


    I remember a game like the OP describes for the spectrum ZX.. it had a Japanese sounding name. I just googled it..'Kobyashi Naru'

    Nah - in my memory it was black and white. Not sure if that memory is accurate though but almost sure it was all B+W. And the graphics were more like a comic strip than anything else.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 13,846 ✭✭✭✭somesoldiers


    US tv drama Halt & Catch Fire, series 2 in particular, is centre around an 80s online gaming start up. Amazing how far we've come

    We were allowed play Horace Goes Skiing once a week in primary school, my only exposure to computers til I went to college


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 12,987 ✭✭✭✭Skerries


    Kwah!

    it was Hawk backwards

    http://www.mobygames.com/game/zx-spectrum/kwah

    you can play games through here

    and the game is here


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 944 ✭✭✭GHOST MGG


    I fell in love with PARSEC on the Ti-99/4a in 82 i think it was..always remember it being "omg arcade in my room" moment
    www.youtube.com/watch?v=FZgFAgmJkiE


  • Posts: 7,344 ✭✭✭ [Deleted User]


    Skerries wrote: »
    Kwah!

    Thats the one! Thanks! I knew I was going to end up being wrong about it being black and white. But my memories of it are actually like that. I wonder was there a version without color sometime.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 12,452 ✭✭✭✭The_Valeyard


    General Chaos on MegaDrive II


  • Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 210 ✭✭Tompatrick


    Ok this is really random but it came up during a conversation about that new retro release of a spectrum computer.

    I remember a game when I was a kid - on one of our computers - a text based adventure game but with pictures done in ascii at the time. But it was one of those "go north" "examine pedestal" type games.

    But during the game you could say a word at any time and your character would change into a super hero. Or back again. And you had to type a word like "khazam" or "kapow" or something odd like this.

    PLEASE tell me I did not dream this and someone remembers this game :) The bet I have with my mates was this was a ZX spectrum game. My mate thinks it was an Atari ST one. And my brother believes it was one of the first text games on the PC.

    Was it an interactive book ?


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  • Closed Accounts Posts: 626 ✭✭✭Massimo Cassagrande


    _Kaiser_ wrote: »
    Sooooo many hours spent on this as a kid...



    None of that fancy colour stuff though. Green screen was where it was at :p

    Elite - the game that taught me life was not fair..if you had cheats, you could get ahead in it, and if you could afford a disc drive, you were god...I didn't have either..

    I remember "Ghouls" for the BBC Micro being one of me faves. I also remember loading it from tape being quite dull..


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