Random 80s computer game memory

05-09-2015 02:41AM #1

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.

ardinn · 05-09-2015 02:44AM

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

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

Will never get the music out of my head!

Ruu · 05-09-2015 02:45AM

Colossal Cave Adventure?

Bongalongherb · 05-09-2015 02:49AM

?...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n8qemgxNLfs

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=riSKLqB1ZjQ

05-09-2015 03:00AM

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.

Junkyard Tom · 05-09-2015 03:11AM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a0bctXFnw-Y

05-09-2015 03:15AM

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

Bongalongherb · 05-09-2015 03:19AM

Junkyard Tom wrote: »

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a0bctXFnw-Y

GTA 0.001.

Bongalongherb · 05-09-2015 03:28AM

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

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DVZfj9aR98o

justchecked · 05-09-2015 03:56AM

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.

GekkePrutser · 05-09-2015 04:14AM

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).

ceadaoin. · 05-09-2015 04:57AM

justchecked wrote: »

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

donegaLroad · 05-09-2015 09:51AM

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

Boom_Bap · 05-09-2015 09:58AM

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.

elfy4eva · 05-09-2015 10:02AM

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!

Dr Turk Turkelton · 05-09-2015 10:06AM

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.

Sir Osis of Liver. · 05-09-2015 10:38AM

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.

_Kaiser_ · 05-09-2015 10:49AM

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

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PpgDqqbGd_g

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

machiavellianme · 05-09-2015 10:59AM

Dr Turk Turkelton wrote: »

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.

Dr Turk Turkelton · 05-09-2015 12:22PM

machiavellianme wrote: »

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.

Menas · 05-09-2015 01:28PM

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

Samaris · 05-09-2015 02:27PM

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:

tinner777 · 05-09-2015 02:28PM

urban upstart the beginning of gta

05-09-2015 02:41PM

donegaLroad wrote: »

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.

somesoldiers · 05-09-2015 04:05PM

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

Skerries · 05-09-2015 04:12PM

Kwah!

it was Hawk backwards

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

you can play games through here

and the game is here

GHOST MGG · 05-09-2015 04:31PM

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

06-09-2015 11:05AM

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.

The_Valeyard · 06-09-2015 11:09AM

General Chaos on MegaDrive II

Tompatrick · 06-09-2015 11:10AM

[Deleted User] wrote: »

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 ?

Massimo Cassagrande · 06-09-2015 11:18AM

_Kaiser_ wrote: »

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

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PpgDqqbGd_g

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

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..

Random 80s computer game memory

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