We all remember the magic of seeing Pong – widely considered the original home video game – for the first time. And maybe we still have an old Atari 2600 or Nintendo game system shoved in a box in the attic somewhere. But as a child of the ‘70s and ‘80s, I was captivated by the magic of the handheld electronic games. No longer would I be tethered to that 12-inch black-and-white TV that my parents placed in my bedroom. Now I could carry my games along with me in the car – for our epic long road trips each summer from Florida to Ohio and back again – knowing I could irritate the entire family with the endless bleeps and bloops and other insanely annoying sound effects.
For years now, I’ve been craving a return to those simple times. I yearn to relive the experience of “numb thumb” – the condition created by nonstop use of those simple electronic gadgets. Thankfully, I found three such games that will shortly be mine again. Will you join me?
Simon
You remember how this works, right? Just repeat the random sequence of flashing lights and sounds. “Simon says…” get it? The game speeds up as you improve – but at our age, maybe it’s best we take it slow for a while.
Electronic Football
Oh no! My thumbs are aching just seeing this game again. I must have mashed the keys of this game for hours a day in the early ’80s. Is it just like real football? Absolutely not, but it’s as close as we could get back in the good ole days of home electronics.
The Oregon Trail
Can you believe there was once a time when teaching history and learning to play games were once living in harmony? That’s The Oregon Trail for you. Guide your covered wagon to the West while gathering supplies and trading for supplies along the way. Just learn your lessons well or you’ll get the dreaded message: “You have died of dysentery!”
