Vintage Arcade Game Reviews

Q*bert is an arcade game that was released in 1982. The objective of the game is to change the color of every cube in a pyramid by making Q*bert, which is the character, hop on top of the cube while avoiding the bad guys or bad characters. There were a few sequels, but none were as successful as the original. I actually thought the game was fun, and can remember playing it as a kid. I was not as good at it as I was as a kid! It seemed more difficult to play on the computer than it is to play with a joystick.

Image Source

 

Astro Blaster is a shooting arcade game hat was released in 1981. In this game, the player controls the ship and moves from left to right and shoots at the other ships hat are attacking it. If you get, you explode. I was able to complete a couple of levels. At the end of a sector, a mother ship appears and is able to give you fuel. I was not able to find any sequels to this game. It’s a fun game regardless of the comparison to graphics to newer games. These older action-packed shooting games just can’t compete to up to date video games. 

Image source

Congo Bongo is an arcade game that was released by Sega in 1983. In this game you play a safari hunter and your trying to catch the ape, name Bongo. In the first of the four levels, which is the only one that I completed. Bongo is throwing coconuts at you, and you’re supposed to climb up a mountain to reach him while dodging monkeys that are after you. I wasn’t a fan of this game. It was frustrating and confusing to me. I was just not that great at it. This game wouldn’t make it in today's video game era. Too much repetition, and super boring! This is probably the reason there were no sequels. 

Image source

 

The Bride Of Frankenstein

The film was made in 1935, and is a sequel to the 1931 famous film, Frankenstein. The Bride of Frankenstein was directed by James Whale, and stars Boris Karloff, Elsa Lanchester, Colin Clive, and Ernest Thesiger. The movie is a sequel to the original Frankenstein. The Dr. and the monster force Henry Frankenstein to create a bride for the monster. She ends up being afraid of him like everyone else, so the monster allows Henry and Elizabeth to escape, and he destroys the laboratory killing himself, the Dr., and his bride.

Per Wikipedia, the movie was somewhat praised at the time of it’s release. Wikipedia quoted many Newspaper reviews. For example, The New York World-Telegram called the film "good entertainment of its kind.”

The Bride of Frankenstein was one of the best Horror films of it’s time. It was the first sequel to Frankenstein, and was one of the few sequels that was actually better than its original film. I thought the sequel was a masterpiece, but the original is definitely the better of the two in my opinion. It was pretty awesome that the director went on to really humanize the monster, allow him to learn to talk, and also have feelings of emotion including love and the yearning for a companion. I don’t believe the audacity of the film will ever dim. This film was truly one of Whales greatest achievements, and I loved Karloff as the monster. I thought it was really great from start to finish.

Image Source

The Boom of The 8 Track

The Boom of The 8 Track

Image Source : No changes were made to this photo

The popularity of the 8-track tape doesn’t seem that long ago! It sure makes me feel old! The popularity of the 8-track tape boomed from the 1960s through the early 1980s. The automobile industry began booming around the same time when Ford Motor Company came out with 8 track players in its 1966 Lincoln, Mustang and Thunderbird. By the following year they were offering the players in all their cars as an upgrade option.

Image Source: No changes were made to this photo

The 8 track influenced the music industry when it became more popular than the vinyl records. The sound they put out blew its comparable out of the water. It was literally music to peoples ears. Can you imagine the happiness of people when they were able to jam out to the beach boys while riding down the road in their cars? Being able to listen in their cars is a big reason for the popularity. They were also smaller, more convenient, durable and also portable. The automobile industry really benefited from the tapes because before then people weren’t able to listen in the cars. Bentley and Rolls Royce offered the players as part of the package. 

I remember as a child having a huge stereo in our home with an 8-track player. I sure wish I still had it. Dolly Pardon was my favorite to listen to at the time. The 8-track sadly fizzled as quickly as they became popular, when the cassette tape was introduced. The music industry will probably always be a slave to technology, and the advancements of it.

TV Guide: A Legacy Transitioning

TV Guide is one of the most popular magazines in the country. It’s also one of the only TV magazines devoted strictly to TV shows and the entertainment industry. This is the magazine targets tv watchers tells them what’s worth watching and has for many years. Some of the perks that caught my eye online was the option to download TV Guide to kindle. You can increase the font size and this will allow certain people with special needs to view the articles. Also, online you can manage your subscription, give a gift subscription, and search the archive for your favorites dated from 1953 to today.

One of the main differences between digital media consumers and print media consumers are age. Older adults tend to lean more towards printed media. Younger generations are more consumed in digital media. Digital media users tend to see articles via social media, they hit the maximum amount of content they can get for free then purchase the online magazine. Digital subscribers are also more likely to share content. People who tend to purchase the print version save copies of the magazine for later use. Although they are different, they are also similar in that both digital users and print users know how important it is that the magazine is covering what’s important to them.

Printed versions will continue to be popular among certain individuals, but I do believe that as time goes on, the printed versions will phase out. The younger generation already knows nothing but the digital version, and soon the printed version will be gone for good.

About Me

I’m not sure when I became a fan of criminal television shows. On any given night, you can turn on the tv and have your pick from several different criminal shows. Some of my favorites include Criminal Minds, Law and Order SVU, NCIS (in all of its locations), Chicago PD, Investigation Discovery, and last but not least.. Forensic Files.

I love crime stories because they are questions? Who did it? Why did they do it? How did they do it? Are they going to get caught? Who will be the hero? I like seeing criminals caught and brought to justice. I also love the detective work. My husband and I will often make bets on who the “killer” is. It’s fun to connect the dots, and play detective. It’s a mystery and the problem solving is just intriguing.

There’s also a fascination with good versus evil. I want to figure out what drove these people to such extreme acts. I like to take a look into the psychology of the criminal’s mind. Possibly as a way to protect my own family! Also, because I’m curious of their behavior. I think it’s a bonus for women because maybe seeing these shows will help some increase their chance of survival if we’re ever placed in a dangerous situation! As a runner I’ve seen so many women attacked lately while out running. So why not do what you can to help prevent yourself from being a victim? Even if that means watching a little TV.