The uncomplicated computer games of my childhood
June 16, 2016 2:37 PM Subscribe
Two computer games from the early days (1983-84ish) of home computing are both lost and unrequited to me. Hive mind, I have but two dimmish memories as clues: a character like Vitruvian Man (PC) and a map showing game tracks as two bear prints (Apple).
The "Virtruvian Man" game was, I think, a Missile Command type shooter for the IBM PC. Our Hero was in a bubble in a Virtruvian Man pose. Somwhere in the range from '81->'84. Ran on a IBM 5150 tricked out with mouse + graphics adpator about four times before the floppy died. I think we may have picked it up at the West Coast Computer Faire; I remember picking it up from a vendor booth.
The bear-track game was an Apple II-ish game that I was like the only kid not to play in my Jr. High school science class ca. 1984. I'm not sure that it wasn't Wilderness but I haven't seen anything that matches what I remember as a hunting/gathering map. My faulty memory wants to say you were on an island and that you needed to worry about overhunting and maybe overfishing: resource management made it educational. Signs of game were shown as tracks. I think there were some resource
So, hive mind, not exactly a lot to go on but I have faith this will be up in someone's wheelhouse...
The "Virtruvian Man" game was, I think, a Missile Command type shooter for the IBM PC. Our Hero was in a bubble in a Virtruvian Man pose. Somwhere in the range from '81->'84. Ran on a IBM 5150 tricked out with mouse + graphics adpator about four times before the floppy died. I think we may have picked it up at the West Coast Computer Faire; I remember picking it up from a vendor booth.
The bear-track game was an Apple II-ish game that I was like the only kid not to play in my Jr. High school science class ca. 1984. I'm not sure that it wasn't Wilderness but I haven't seen anything that matches what I remember as a hunting/gathering map. My faulty memory wants to say you were on an island and that you needed to worry about overhunting and maybe overfishing: resource management made it educational. Signs of game were shown as tracks. I think there were some resource
So, hive mind, not exactly a lot to go on but I have faith this will be up in someone's wheelhouse...
“Raft-Away River”?
You might also have a look at this list of Apple II games.
posted by MonkeyToes at 5:59 PM on June 16, 2016
You might also have a look at this list of Apple II games.
posted by MonkeyToes at 5:59 PM on June 16, 2016
Response by poster: Neither Wikipedia's list of apple or PC games had been much help. I'd spent a good chunk of the day delving through Moby Games but hadn't had great success though it seems well indexed and pretty comprehensive.
I'm cobbling together a Retropi box and it makes one want All The Things. I don't think it was "Raft-Away River" but dangit, I'll find out :)
posted by Ogre Lawless at 8:04 PM on June 16, 2016
I'm cobbling together a Retropi box and it makes one want All The Things. I don't think it was "Raft-Away River" but dangit, I'll find out :)
posted by Ogre Lawless at 8:04 PM on June 16, 2016
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posted by MonkeyToes at 4:24 PM on June 16, 2016