djg/five-games.txt

## five-games.txt
# Five formative games

Space Invaders (Atari 2600)
---------------------------

The game and system that got me interested in computers. My father's best friend had an Atari 2600 system and I was
about 5 or 6 years old. I don't remember exactly when, but it was approx. '80-'81.

The Bard's Tale (Apple ][)
--------------------------

Introduction to role playing games as a genre. I was aged 9 or 10 in primary school and it was the first game where we
get graph paper to try map the dungeons and share notes at school. Later in high school, I was introduced to Dungeons &
Dragons for real. (D&D was a good excuse for getting to sit inside air conditioned rooms at lunchtime in a hot Australian
Summer)

Captain Blood (Atari ST)
------------------------

The game was meh, but the intro music was fantastic. Ethnicolor by Jean Michel Jarre. Instead of making sounds with vibrating
strings, the combination of technology, samplers and synthesizers always felt like the future to me and I still listen to
mostly electronic music. Rock music just isn't my thing. I never owned an Atari or Amiga. I would go to my cousin's house
after school and pester him to load this up so I could listen to the intro music before we'd load up some actual game to play.

Dune II (PC)
------------

Played all of C&C and Red Alert series but it all started with Dune II, my first experience with RTS games and still one of
my favourites in the genre (Although nostalgia might be talking).  Really liked that the carryall unit would pick up damaged
units and take them to repair facilities, so I didn't have to micro every unit. I never gelled with the clicks-per-minute
sport side of RTS that made Starcraft and Company of Heroes meh to me.

Journey (PS3)
-------------

Most games are long and involve killing. This game was short, no killing and emotional. At a time I wasn't playing games
because I couldn't enjoy games after working in gamedev, this game came along and showed me that I could experience the
entire game in one sitting and that it was possible to create emotions that I had only experienced in movie story telling,
not games. Like a junkie, I've been looking for that "first hit" experience again and haven't found it. (AB-ZU thought
it knew what made Journey special but missed) The next time I felt emotionally affected by a game was in The Last of Us
when Sarah dies.

# Extended Honorable Mentions

Powermonger (Atari ST)
----------------------

There was a time when Bullfrog was *THE* gamedev company. The first time I felt rockstar addoration for a development was
reading about the Bullfrog piranha fish tank in ST Format (whether it was real or a fabrication - Also first time learning
of Guildford) Populous was the more popular game but I never liked it that much. But Powermonger was just so much fun to
me. I'm still amazed at the little bios each little character had.

The Chaos Engine (Atari ST)
---------------------------

The other gamedev Dons were The Bitmap Brothers. Xenon 2, Speedball, Magic Pockets, Gods, Cadaver. But this was my favourite.
It's a pretty standard top-down, isometeric shooter but the setting and aestethic was new too me. Nowadays, it's all too
familiar; Steampunk and reimagined Victorian London seem to the the flavour of the month on TV. Got to work with Eric Matthews
at Sony and annoy him with my endless gushing and fanboi about his games.

Maniac Mansion (C64)
--------------------

There were adventure games before but Zak McKracken and the Alien Mindbenders and Maniac Mansion just had the right combination
of comic fun that I enjoyed as a 12 year old. Day of the Tentacle, The Secret of Monkey Island, Sam and Max Hit the Road. Those
Lucasfilm Games are superb.

Millennium 2.2 + Deuteros (Atari ST)
------------------------------------

The core of these games is resource management, tech research and base upgrade. You could name craft, which was a bit of a
novelty, and I had a fleet of Camels and Llamas. I like games with tech trees.

Civilization (PC)
-----------------

The original 4X game. It's all about tech tree and resources and nuking recalcitrant factions.

Outlaws (PC)
------------

I played Quake but wasn't that much of a fan. (Although Kamikaze Devilphish is peak Quake CTF handle). Outlaws was the first
FPS that I really got into with keyboard for movement and mouse look. (Using keypad instead of the now standard WASD setup).
I can still hear "Where are you Marshal" when I think of this game. The cut scene, characters, music; all fantastic.

Diablo (PC)
-----------

After I finished University I got very sick with Glandular Fever and I suffered from chronic fatigue for a long time
afterwards. While I was convalescing at home, my cousin bought the game for me and lugged his PC to my house and we played
multiplayer over a null modem cable for days til we completed it. It was an act of love I'll never forget.

Ratchet & Clank (PS2)
---------------------

The first game I finished and got the title credits and thought to myself "Wow, I've done it. I can finish games". When I was
a kid, I pirated nearly all games and I'd get between 50-70% and just give up having extracting what ever fun I could. As I
got more disposable cash and started buying console games, I was suddenly "invested" and R&C was the turning point when I
started to make sure I finished games.

Syndicate (PC)
--------------

Cyberpunk. Miniguns in trench coats. Atlantic Accelerator. Terrible ending.

Prince of Persia (Apple ][)
---------------------------

Karateka and Prince of Persia - Jordan Mechner is a legend.
	# Five formative games

	Space Invaders (Atari 2600)
	---------------------------

	The game and system that got me interested in computers. My father's best friend had an Atari 2600 system and I was
	about 5 or 6 years old. I don't remember exactly when, but it was approx. '80-'81.

	The Bard's Tale (Apple ][)
	--------------------------

	Introduction to role playing games as a genre. I was aged 9 or 10 in primary school and it was the first game where we
	get graph paper to try map the dungeons and share notes at school. Later in high school, I was introduced to Dungeons &
	Dragons for real. (D&D was a good excuse for getting to sit inside air conditioned rooms at lunchtime in a hot Australian
	Summer)

	Captain Blood (Atari ST)
	------------------------

	The game was meh, but the intro music was fantastic. Ethnicolor by Jean Michel Jarre. Instead of making sounds with vibrating
	strings, the combination of technology, samplers and synthesizers always felt like the future to me and I still listen to
	mostly electronic music. Rock music just isn't my thing. I never owned an Atari or Amiga. I would go to my cousin's house
	after school and pester him to load this up so I could listen to the intro music before we'd load up some actual game to play.

	Dune II (PC)
	------------

	Played all of C&C and Red Alert series but it all started with Dune II, my first experience with RTS games and still one of
	my favourites in the genre (Although nostalgia might be talking). Really liked that the carryall unit would pick up damaged
	units and take them to repair facilities, so I didn't have to micro every unit. I never gelled with the clicks-per-minute
	sport side of RTS that made Starcraft and Company of Heroes meh to me.

	Journey (PS3)
	-------------

	Most games are long and involve killing. This game was short, no killing and emotional. At a time I wasn't playing games
	because I couldn't enjoy games after working in gamedev, this game came along and showed me that I could experience the
	entire game in one sitting and that it was possible to create emotions that I had only experienced in movie story telling,
	not games. Like a junkie, I've been looking for that "first hit" experience again and haven't found it. (AB-ZU thought
	it knew what made Journey special but missed) The next time I felt emotionally affected by a game was in The Last of Us
	when Sarah dies.

	# Extended Honorable Mentions

	Powermonger (Atari ST)
	----------------------

	There was a time when Bullfrog was THE gamedev company. The first time I felt rockstar addoration for a development was
	reading about the Bullfrog piranha fish tank in ST Format (whether it was real or a fabrication - Also first time learning
	of Guildford) Populous was the more popular game but I never liked it that much. But Powermonger was just so much fun to
	me. I'm still amazed at the little bios each little character had.

	The Chaos Engine (Atari ST)
	---------------------------

	The other gamedev Dons were The Bitmap Brothers. Xenon 2, Speedball, Magic Pockets, Gods, Cadaver. But this was my favourite.
	It's a pretty standard top-down, isometeric shooter but the setting and aestethic was new too me. Nowadays, it's all too
	familiar; Steampunk and reimagined Victorian London seem to the the flavour of the month on TV. Got to work with Eric Matthews
	at Sony and annoy him with my endless gushing and fanboi about his games.

	Maniac Mansion (C64)
	--------------------

	There were adventure games before but Zak McKracken and the Alien Mindbenders and Maniac Mansion just had the right combination
	of comic fun that I enjoyed as a 12 year old. Day of the Tentacle, The Secret of Monkey Island, Sam and Max Hit the Road. Those
	Lucasfilm Games are superb.

	Millennium 2.2 + Deuteros (Atari ST)
	------------------------------------

	The core of these games is resource management, tech research and base upgrade. You could name craft, which was a bit of a
	novelty, and I had a fleet of Camels and Llamas. I like games with tech trees.

	Civilization (PC)
	-----------------

	The original 4X game. It's all about tech tree and resources and nuking recalcitrant factions.

	Outlaws (PC)
	------------

	I played Quake but wasn't that much of a fan. (Although Kamikaze Devilphish is peak Quake CTF handle). Outlaws was the first
	FPS that I really got into with keyboard for movement and mouse look. (Using keypad instead of the now standard WASD setup).
	I can still hear "Where are you Marshal" when I think of this game. The cut scene, characters, music; all fantastic.

	Diablo (PC)
	-----------

	After I finished University I got very sick with Glandular Fever and I suffered from chronic fatigue for a long time
	afterwards. While I was convalescing at home, my cousin bought the game for me and lugged his PC to my house and we played
	multiplayer over a null modem cable for days til we completed it. It was an act of love I'll never forget.

	Ratchet & Clank (PS2)
	---------------------

	The first game I finished and got the title credits and thought to myself "Wow, I've done it. I can finish games". When I was
	a kid, I pirated nearly all games and I'd get between 50-70% and just give up having extracting what ever fun I could. As I
	got more disposable cash and started buying console games, I was suddenly "invested" and R&C was the turning point when I
	started to make sure I finished games.

	Syndicate (PC)
	--------------

	Cyberpunk. Miniguns in trench coats. Atlantic Accelerator. Terrible ending.

	Prince of Persia (Apple ][)
	---------------------------

	Karateka and Prince of Persia - Jordan Mechner is a legend.