GI Joe. Nintendo. Two words that take me back to a very much simpler and very happy time. Videogaming and action figures were at the center of my childhood. I'd argue that most kids would play videogames all day and only got out the shoebox of action figures when mom told them to "switch off the television before your eyes got square". You're full of it mom. The 30 year-old me would have a thing or two to say to the 8 year-old me, because that is some righteous B.S right there. I ain't no squared-eye, twitchy, Nintendo addict, dammit!
My priorities were always the toys though. I was the kid who would dabble in a videogame or two merely for inspiration before turning my attention to my action figures to act out the action. Them oldskool games were as good a place as any to offer a jump-off point for your back yard adventures as any TV show, film, or book. If you are reading this, maybe you tell a similar tale.
Perhaps it was my ineptitude at getting anywhere in those old 8-bit shooters. Granted, I was rubbish. But they were all massively challenging tests of minuscule hand-eye co-ordinations. Helluva unforgiving too. Once your 'continues' were exhausted, it was back to the title screen for you.
Another factor was the abundance of titles. By the time I was old enough to play Contra, Mario, Islander, Double Dragon or whatever, my friends and I were spoiled for choice. With our pooled collections, you would seldom sit down with one game and 'clock' it to completion; you would hop from cartridge to cartridge with impatient zeal. The games were simplistic, with an easily understood playing style and objective, and you pretty much got all you wanted out of it within the first two or three levels. There was no multi-layered storyline pulling you along. No major cut-scene payoff if you beat the last boss. You were lucky if you were greeted with a new graphic and some text after completion. Some of my greatest disappointments had to have been witnessing the completion of a game followed by no more fanfare than a return to the beginning, with a slightly increased skill setting. BOOOOORING.
But give me a game were the player and enemies are all existing GI Joe toys and I am immediately transfixed. Taxan's GI Joe was such a thing of rare beauty for me. Holy shit. It was an unremarkable shooter, but will be remembered with legendary status by this fan. I hear the theme tune, and all of a sudden I'm an 8 year-old again. I'd play with GI Joe on the TV, then with my figures in the garden, then back on the TV, then on the kitchen counter, the couch, the pool...
...I'm not 8 anymore. I'm a nigh 30 manchild. I still proudly play with my Joes when life isn't pushing down too hard. You want proof? Here you are.
My priorities were always the toys though. I was the kid who would dabble in a videogame or two merely for inspiration before turning my attention to my action figures to act out the action. Them oldskool games were as good a place as any to offer a jump-off point for your back yard adventures as any TV show, film, or book. If you are reading this, maybe you tell a similar tale.
Perhaps it was my ineptitude at getting anywhere in those old 8-bit shooters. Granted, I was rubbish. But they were all massively challenging tests of minuscule hand-eye co-ordinations. Helluva unforgiving too. Once your 'continues' were exhausted, it was back to the title screen for you.
Another factor was the abundance of titles. By the time I was old enough to play Contra, Mario, Islander, Double Dragon or whatever, my friends and I were spoiled for choice. With our pooled collections, you would seldom sit down with one game and 'clock' it to completion; you would hop from cartridge to cartridge with impatient zeal. The games were simplistic, with an easily understood playing style and objective, and you pretty much got all you wanted out of it within the first two or three levels. There was no multi-layered storyline pulling you along. No major cut-scene payoff if you beat the last boss. You were lucky if you were greeted with a new graphic and some text after completion. Some of my greatest disappointments had to have been witnessing the completion of a game followed by no more fanfare than a return to the beginning, with a slightly increased skill setting. BOOOOORING.
But give me a game were the player and enemies are all existing GI Joe toys and I am immediately transfixed. Taxan's GI Joe was such a thing of rare beauty for me. Holy shit. It was an unremarkable shooter, but will be remembered with legendary status by this fan. I hear the theme tune, and all of a sudden I'm an 8 year-old again. I'd play with GI Joe on the TV, then with my figures in the garden, then back on the TV, then on the kitchen counter, the couch, the pool...
...I'm not 8 anymore. I'm a nigh 30 manchild. I still proudly play with my Joes when life isn't pushing down too hard. You want proof? Here you are.
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| Level 1: The Amazon |
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| Level 2: Antarctica |
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| Level 3: New York Sewers |
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