MacBugs GETS HYPE (no emu)

(tags game, Macintosh, nostalgia)

I was deprived as a child. No Sega, no PC, and certainly no Mac. So Apple Macintoshes held a special place in my nostalgia, because they were intertwined with my school computer room antics. I once left a college computer room's Mac running multiple anime videos ... AT THE SAME TIME. Ranma 1/2 OVA? Macs were power, at least back in 1994 and a college Internet connection.

But this particular post is provoked by nostalgia for Mac Bugs!. This is a game with name that makes it virtually unsearchable, and it is not so notable enough to have a Wikipedia page. So I could not recall this game. I do remember trying to start up one of the high school's Macs to get a quick session in, but being interrupted by some tough boy, who was acting as teacher's deputy/pet.

I swiped this animated picture from the Japan based The Vintage Mac Museum. Thanks!

The object of the game is to get a high score, like most 80s games ask you to do. You will be assaulted by Apple Macintosh icons (or is it Lisa icons?) from all directions, but attacking will be your trusty mouse, aiming in the direction of your movement. Don't hit the spiky bombs! In modern parlance, this is an Arena Shooter with a Centipede wave like motif.

I could try playing this again, with an abandonware copy of the software and a free PC based emulator, but I fear the pain of installing weird software outweighs the 15 seconds of fun. NO thanks. Play Echoes instead.

I learned that the author of this game was Sunnyvale, California-based Michael Ouye. Given the 3 or 4 years, I'm sure it was easy to propagate to my neck of California. According to Mac Garden, it was enticement for a 150 USD C programming package back in 1985 but I suppose I got to experience it through someone's else sneakernet warezin'.

Let's do this: Street Fighter IV

(tags game, Street Fighter, nostalgia)

You know how in Japanese, people say "Let's ___" to start an activity? Sometimes it's comedy gold, other times it's startlingly appropriate (Let's Tap). I don't know, I was hoping for some funnies, but this poster for the Street Fighter IV launch event in Los Angeles is more inspirational:

Really though, what does "Let's Do This!" add to the announcement? Probably the abstract feeling of motivation. I mean, "Do" and "This" are pretty vague. And as far as I know, it isn't part of the SF lexicon like "Sheng Long". I bet other phrases like "Let's get it started" was dismissed as too long.

Just in case I'm not clear, I like that phrase "Let's Do This!". I'm just playing with English, that is all.

As for me, I'm not Doing This. Today I saw the game and the accompanying PS3 and Xbox 360 joysticks for sale, but passed on the purchase. I guess the magic of SF died for me. I wonder why. Back in the day, I demanded a Super Nintendo just to play SF2. (Cringe, selfish memories surfacing) I played Soul Calibur IV recently, why can't I motivate myself to play this? Recently I've been thinking of buying a PlayStation 3 just to play Flower. A USD 10.00 game, but one that I expect to feel new and fresh (OMG I've fallen for hype again). Having not played SF4, perhaps I'm not giving it a fair chance.

(edit: spell check)