1066 All Stars

Parts 1-4 of this feature can be found in the Videogames section, here.

Next Gen

The format war started during the previous generation with the launch of the X-Box but the dominance of the PS2 meant that this was only ever a superficial struggle.

The battle for supremacy in the next generation would be far more hotly contended with the X-Box coming out on top of the PS3 in terms of mass market perception and brand awareness, even if the eventual sales figures tell a somewhat different story.

Interestingly though, this was a somewhat redundant war. If you asked someone to look at a screen running the same game on either format, I would challenge that person to be able to make an educated guess as to which machine it was running on.

With so many multi-format titles, and with marginal differences in specs between the two machines, preference came down to a combination of brand loyalty, consumer bias, and the strength of first party exclusives. But there were some differences.

Playstation 3

As an erstwhile user of PS1 and PS2 there was an air of inevitability that I would migrate to PS3 over X-Box, swung further by the added benefit that early PS3 models were backwards compatible with PS1 and PS2 games, allowing me to utilise my extensive (unplayed) game collection.

The decision to buy was ultimately driven not by some graphics behemoth or first party must-have but rather the release of a new Lego Star Wars game. I already owned it on PS2 but now it came with extra bits!

Silly I know but I had my bonus from work burning a hole in my pocket, no kids yet and it was a game that the (future) wife and I could enjoy together, reflecting the changing nature of my videogame consumption.

The early PS3 model was a beast of a machine. Heavy, solidly built, it looked like a tank and heated up like one too. Early adopters were rewarded with backwards compatability, extra USB slots and a nice chrome finish, later versions trading these out for a cheaper, lighter build.

My launch pack included Assassins Creed, a interesting if somewhat limited and repetitive game but one that showed the capability of this new generation of consoles with its vast open world landscape. Also Motorstorm, a simple but excellent racer that I still return to today and the game that introduced me to shoulder button for accelerate control, which confused the hell out of me the first time I played it and kept wondering why my car kept blowing up when I pressed X. And finally PES, completing the line up.

It was differentiated from the X-Box in a couple of ways. Firstly the Blu-ray drive, supposedly adding masses of additional content space and of course allowing for the machine to employ the same tactic as the PS2; where that was the first DVD system for many of us, this would be our first blu-ray system. And in that respect it was effective, killing off the HD-DVD (remember that?) market.

The benefit of the extra capacity for gaming was barely noticeable, at least for multi-format titles, the ease of development on X-Box presumably overriding any desire on the part of the programmers to spend time figuring out how to get the best out of the machine. And it was slow!

Meanwhile online was offered free right out of the box, with a paid benefit service coming later, offering an online shop, online gaming, a functional internet browser. And system updates. Lots of system updates.

Of the multi-format games I owned, GTA IV was pick of the bunch. After hours of game time stumbling around in the dark, I finally realised that I could increase the brightness within the game and what I found was a fantastic piece of software. Different to the last two entries to be sure; the tone was more serious, the driving more realistic, the best friend more demanding (darts anyone?). But the central protagonist was great, the dialogue as ever witty, the set pieces phenomenal. And who doesn't want to watch TV in a game, especially when you stumble across Ricky Gervais doing stand up. A simply incredible piece of software.

Other titles impressed. Batman Arkham Asylum, Fallout 3, Call of Duty. And many others that I never played; Red Dead Redemption, Dark Souls, Battlefield.

I spent a lot of my game time with more simple titles. WWE Legends of Wrestlemania and TNA Impact reflecting my dubious long time interest in the sport of kings. I spent limited time with FIFA,  always finding games I had more interest in. Mirror's Edge, a great, original game, reminding me on some ways of D-Generation on the Amiga. And the numerous games I racked up but never played that much; the GTA expansions, Far Cry 2, Street Fighter 4.

Whilst multi-format titles may have struggled somewhat, first party titles showed the true power of the machine available for those developers prepared to look for it. I didn't have a clue what was happening in Metal Gear Solid IV but by God it looked good. Infamous was great, another take on the open world genre with divergent paths. Resistance Fall of Man and Killzone 2 were FPS experiences that compared well with those of the X-Box. Ratchet & Clank, a series I came to late but have since acquired the earlier games. And Little Big Planet, a strange platformer and one that I was never 100% taken by but a worthwhile game for sure.

But undoubtedly the greatest experience on PS3 belong to the Uncharted series. I vividly remember my experience with the first instalment, playing along almost in time witha friend, swapping stories on sections we reached. With a tip of the hat to Tomb Raider, this was everything I loved in a game; fast action, great atmosphere, tightly scripted narrative, compelling characters. And mutant zombie monsters.

The first instalment was surpassed by its sequels, culminating in the incredible Uncharted 3, perhaps the pinnacle of the interactive cinematic experience. The scale of it grew without ever losing the core of what made the game so great in the first place, the set pieces becoming more jaw dropping, online elements adding further sizzle to the satisfying steak.

But whilst the third game is technically superior, it is the original I still turn to, one of the few games that I have gone back and played more than once. The combination of environments, tight narrative structure and focused gameplay, as well as manageable but satisfying run time, make this a satisfying title to replay.

Truly this is one of the geat game series of all time and reason in and of itself to buy a PS3.

As ever there were a raft of titles that I never experienced - The Last of Us, God of War, Heavy Rain amongst others.

Despite its eventual sales success, I suspect that the PS3 will go down in history as something of a disappointment. It had its flaws for sure, perhaps most of all that it strayed away from its core of being a games machine, trying to position itself as a multimedia device. But as the games will testify, this was a high quality console and one that helped to create many of my most vivid, enjoyable gaming memories.

X-Box 360

I had never intended to buy an X-Box. I was aware of some of the great games sure but the Sony fan boy in me told me I already owned the superior product.

The chance to get one came out unexpectedly during a phone contract renewal, a bizarre deal allowing me to buy one for just £10. My first impressions were that the machine looked and felt cheaper than the PS3. The screens and menu looked inferior too, I preferred the clean lines and sophisticated look of Sony's XMB.

There were other differences. The paid online model meant that online gaming was off the table whilst the (far quiter) DVD player ensures the console gets greater use as the kids watch their various films. The controller was markedly different but ergonomically comfortable, howeve I question the need in the 21st century to have to buy AA batteries to power a wireless controller, Sony's rechargable unit offering a clear advantage.

My first game purchase was Halo 3, a series I had heard lots about. It was a satisfying, if not ground breaking experience. I also picked upForza 2 fairly cheaply, a natural comparison game to Gran Turisom on Playstaion but a game that served only as a distraction when not otherwise engaged.

My most satisfying experience to date has been with Gears of War. A clear influence on Uncharted, the series is fun and engaging, however I find myself preferring the more deeply nuanced and developed characters of Sony's offering, Uncharted also offering a more fluid, fast paced feel. However both Gears 1 and 2 were played to completion and whilst largely forgettable in a storyline sense (both since and during play to be honest), the games themselves were nonetheless enjoyable.

Other games await. I am looking forward to Mass Effect, although suspect it is a game that I will need to invest time in to gte the best out of. Meanwhile Batman Arkham City represents my first multi format purchase on X-Box, signalling the end of any lasting prejudices over console superiority.

Ultimately my experience with the machine has reflected the nature of its purchase; a nice to have but very much the side dish to the main course of the PS3.

Wii

Of course the format war was more than a two horse race. In fact whilst Micrsoft and Sony were busy flexing their muscles at each other, Nintendo quietly went about stealing market share with their rather underwhelming looking (and sounding) Wii.

In a sense it is strange to consider it a next gen console. In terms of graphics and power, it wasn't in the same league as its bigger cousins. It didn't even have hi def graphics! But what it did have was a unique control system and marketing.

I acquired one as a birthday present a few days after gettin married. After spending some time with Wii Sports, in truth I wasn't sure what to do with it. It seemed like a bit of a gimmick, real gaming was for the grown up consoles.

But there were quality games to be found. Mario Kart in particular became a faithful companion during my period of unemployment in late 2013. Meanwhile New Super Mario Bros continued the high quality output of the series, a tricky trickster of a platformer that I still occassionally wrestle with, a game that makes you want to smile and throw your nunchuck at the TV in equal measure. And Super Mario Galaxy, although I felt slightly overrated, is without doubt one of the most inventive games I have ever played and an enjoyable experience, one that I return to occassionally despite completing. 

As ever, there are games I have barely touched. Mario and Sonic at the Olympics, Sega Superstar Tennis and Madworld amongst them. Then there are the games not owned, such as Metriod, Super Smash Bros or Zelda.

But most of my game time has been spent with Lego. After migrating from PS3 (on the basis that my 'real' comsole was for me, this was now the joint machine), the Lego games offered an experience that both the wife and I could share. We greedily snapped up Indiana Jones, Batman, Pirates of the Carribbean and Harry Potter. The quality is variable depending on the licence, the Harry Potter series in particular resonating with us.

And this reflects the main appeal of the console, a machine with something to offer the family as a whole. Who would have thought a fitness game would bring both young and old together to play videogames? Indeed I found myself looking for games I could play for my kids, such as Epic Mickey and then coming full circle as my 3 year olds crash into the walls and drive backwards on Mario Kart and boogie away to Just Dance Disney.

It's influence can be seen with the attempts of Sony and Microsoft to cash in on motion control with Move and Kinect. But these always felt like an afterthought, an attempt to cash in.

For so many reasons the Wii shouldn't have worked. And yet it stands as one of the defining consoles of a generation.

In part 6, I look at handhelds and the rise of mobile and casual gaming, here.

Parts 1-3 of this feature can be found in the Videogames section, here.

Playstation

More talented writers than me will be able to talk about the cultural impact of Sony's first foray in games consoles and the fascinating history of how it came into being. I will instead focus on what made this such a great console.

Strangely I don't recall how and when I came to own this but I suspect it was funded by my student loan. Certainly some of my clearest memories are from 1998, the World Cup marked by that famous petulant kick out by David Beckham before England's inevitable early exit.

Reflecting that, a lot of my early time with the machine was spent with FIFA: Road to the World Cup, a cracker of a football game and in many ways the launching pad for more recent iterations.

But let's take a step back. After the Amiga and my early PC experiences, the Playstation was like a different world. Incredible 3D graphics, amazing sound, great controller. This was a machine of power, capable of running games that no other console could. No longer would the arcade be home to the pinnacle of gaming, the Playstation was here.

The list of classic games will vary depending on who you ask but a few titles stand out. Tomb Raider was exceptional, creating a template that has been adopted, refined and improved on dozens of times since. Games such as Uncharted owe a direct debt of gratitude to this ground breaking title. In 1996, the graphics were amazing but it was the atmosphere that drew you in, making you feel as if you really were traipsing round a long forgotten hidden tomb. And no-one who has played it will forget THAT moment with the dinosaur.

One of the launch titles was Ridge Racer, a game that redefined what I thought home racers were, capturing the essence of the arcade racer. And the classics kept coming; Wipeout 2097, Crash Bandicoot and Gran Turismo amongst others, not to mention weirder games, like Abe's Odyssey that my flatmates and I spent an inordinate amount of time on despite never quite understanding it.

Another game that saw a lot of playtime would likely never be considered a 'classic' by the critics but International Track And Field was great multiplayer fun, taking me right back to my arcade roots. I'm not sure that my high jump of 2.73m is likely to be beaten any time soon. In a similar vein was Olympic Soccer with it's bizarre commentary ('I don't think they're bosom buddies') and Everybody's Golf, that somehow managed to take a sport I had no interest in and make it fun and accessible

As ever there were numerous great games that I never owned. Colin Macrae, TOCA, Silent Hill, Driver, Final Fantasy, Tony Hawk amongst dozens of others.

Many of the classic games I owned but never actually completed. Metal Gear Solid (which I wrote about in more detail here) completely redefined what gaming was and I was thrilled to finally complete it a couple of years ago. Similarly Resident Evil, so original and fresh on release, was a game I only finished in 2014. And others yet to be truly explored, such as Fear Effect and Alundra.

These games are perhaps representative of a trend that, if not started on PS1, was certainly moved forward; that of the cinematic experience, a drive to create games where you would feel like you were part of an interactive story.

Testament to the brilliance of the Playstation is the number of franchises that either started life or found mainstream success here that continue to resonate. The aforementioned Tomb Raider, Resident Evil, Gran Turismo, Grand Theft Auto, Final Fantasy, Metal Gear amongst many others.

There was competition of course, principally from Sega and Nintendo. But neither the Jaguar or the N64 could hope to compete with Sony's leviathan.

The console continued to evolve over it's life times, the games becoming more sophisticated, matched by the peripherals. The initial controller design was improved, adding rumble capability, something that seemed a gimmick at the time but soon became a staple, and the ultimate evolution of the dual analogue sticks. And of course the memory cards, the misplacing of which could crush your dreams in one fell swoop.

For a console so well supported there were, as may be expected, a number of magazines. I tried a few, ultimately settling on the Official Magazine. Part of me enjoyed the read, part of me enjoyed the demos but part of me was just desperate to find a magazine that could compare to the mighty Amiga Power. OPM was good but, needless to say, it never came close.

Sadly my recollections of the PS1 are somewhat blighted by a recognition that this period of my life saw the first signs of mental illness, a theme I will explore in another feature.

All good things must come to an end of course but uniquely, Sony's reign as king of the consoles would see them dethroned only by themselves.

Playstation 2

The Kennedy assassination. The Moon Landing. Mr Blobby hitting number one. People will always remember where they were and what they were doing during these momentous occasions.

And so it is with the launch of the PS2.

1999. I was quite happy with my PS1. Sure, it was a little old by now but it was still a competent machine. But then one fateful evening I took a trip to a friend's flat to see his new machine. As I walked in he was playing Tekken Tag. I tried to look away, my eyes desperate to spare my heart the aching pain of disillusionment. Then another disc was slipped in, an unknown game, apparently a first person shooter (whatever that was). And then the moment of truth arrived, the words that echoed through time and will stay with me forever;

'Do you want a go?'

That game was Time Splitters and I was instantly hooked. It has been surpassed by any number of shooters since of course but my first experience with it was mesmerising. It was so quick, fluid, graceful. The action was intense, the levels exciting, bits of glass going flying as you sprayed bullets through them to reach a hiding enemy.

That evening I slunk back home to my PS1 and early PC games, hoping for a fix of something similar from Klingon Honour Guard. But it wasn't to be. I was hooked. I needed a regular fix.

So it came to pass that I too purchased a PS2 and thus owned what may just be the finest console of all time.

Everything that made the PS1 awesome was ramped up to 11. The graphics and sound, the look and feel of the machine, the cool black controller. And it played DVD's! It may seem quaint now but to many of us, the PS2 was our first proper DVD player, complete with sound that went out of synch with the picture on longer films.

The games evolved. Early WWF / WWE games laid the foundations for future instalments with the Smackdown! series. Outrun Coast 2 Coast saw a glorious return to form for one of the great driving franchises. Boxing games such as Ready 2 Rumble and Fight Night offered contrasting but compelling experiences.

And then there was Grand Theft Auto.

I remember when the first game came out on the PS1. My friend (the one who keeps popping up as my Cannon Fodder cohort, FIFA partner and PS2 dealer) and I were shopping in HMV and we came across it. I remember reading the blurb on the back and saying, 'Any game that trumpets how many colours it uses must be rubbish,' before finding that it was actually a fun, original game.

But none of this could prepare me for the experience of GTA 3.

Or more precisely, GTA Vice City. I made some headway in GTA 3 but for some reason put it to one side. I spent far more time with Vice City, playing it through to completion some time around 2005. Many words have been written on this seminal title so perhaps I will simply say this; if you haven't blazed along the docks on a motorbike at full speed listening to Billie Jean then you haven't lived.

On completion I dived straight into San Andreas, the change in pace between the games jarring but soon giving way as I realised that somehow San Andreas was bigger, bolder and better.

Another series that grabbed my attention, despite not pushing any technical boundaries, was the Lego games, starting with Lego Star Wars. This was a game I could play with the missus (I know, I had somehow scored an honest-to-goodness real woman) and it has of course gone on to spawn a range of sequels. It was fun, it was simple, it was clever and it was strangely accurate to the films despite the lack of speech.

Other series got a polish. Metal gear, Gran Turismo, Tomb Raider, Resident Evil. And other franchises found their footing; Devil May Cry, Ratchet & Clank, God Of War, Star Wars Battlefront.

In truth, I never played that many of the true classics. Once again, there is an element of my time with the machine that I look back on with regret as Football Manager came to dominate my gaming experiences. As a result, I again found a stack of games went purchased but underplayed - MGS2, Freedom Fighters, 24 - whilst other games were admired from afar but never purchased.

But the games that I did spend serious time with - GTA, Lego, Prince of Persia - stick with me all these years later and I retain a strong desire to go back and experience some of my unplayed games through emulation.

There is a reason why the PS2 was the biggest selling games console in history. Because it is simply the best games machine of all time.

Coming soon in part 3, we come to the next gen consoles as PS3 and X-Box launch a new format war.

Find parts one and two of this feature here and here.

The Ones That Got Away

I've been pretty blessed in my gaming life to have owned some of the classic gaming machines; Atari, Spectrum, Amiga and so on. But for all the great machines owned, there are some that escaped me.

Perhaps it is a geographical things but the NES and Sega Master System escaped my attention completely. But during the Amiga's life, two consoles in particular came to the fore, neither of which I owned.

Megadrive

Younger games might think that Sony and Microsoft invented the console war but us older games remember a time when there were multiple companies battling it out for supremacy.

I can still remember the Megadrive adverts, with that smooth talking guy who eventually turned up in Highlander the TV series and Holby City (Peter Wingfield, fact fans).

The Megadrive had that cool factor that the Amiga arguably lacked. Where the Amiga had sold itself to parents as a, 'look mum, it's educational, honest!' the Megadrive was simply a games machine, aimed squarely at a younger, cooler audience. And the games reflected that; Streets of Rage, Road Rash, Earthworm Jim and of course Sonic.

Power wise the Amiga was a match but his was a machine focused squarely an arcade style experience as the number of ports would attest to. 

I had some limited experience with it, a neighbourhood friend had one and I had a short session with Sonic. I didn't really get it to be honest. When Sonic 2 came out I remember hearing stories on the news about people boasting how quickly they had beaten the game, some in just a couple of hours. That just seemed silly to me, what a waste of money! 

But the combination of looks, both graphically and physically, quality games and marketing put this at the forefront of 1990s gaming.

SNES

Whilst comparable in terms of specs to the Megadrive, the SNES was a very different console. Where the Megadrive was brash and in your face, reflected by the spiky new mascot, Sonic, the SNES was a more family friendly machine. And of course the games were crafted by Nintendo. There were arcade ports sure but this was a machine of original franchises and characters with the ageless Mario leading the way.

My main experience of the machine was with Super Mario Kart (why was every game super anyway?). My flatmate had one, my abiding memory being when we went to look at another flat and found the current occupents playing it (badly) and so he proceeded to trash them on it and unlock a bunch of tracks.

Mario Kart was a sensational game, the controls effortless, the visuals striking despite the cartoony style. FIFA was the natural rival to Sensi on the Amiga, containing all the glitz and flashiness that Sensible's game lacked but never quite able to replicate it's sheer playability and charm. NBA Jam had some weird little old guy and I insisted on trying to throw the ball in the hoop from under my own basket having somehow fluked it once. And of course the SNES was home to a near flawless version of Super Street Fighter 2 Turbo, arguably the greatest one on one fighter of all time.

Sadly I have never played some of its greatest games, the likes of Zelda and Secret of Mana eluding me. But there is always emulation.

Spot The Difference

As an Amiga owner, I cast somewhat envious glances at these two machines. There were ports of course; Desert Strike, FIFA, Street Fighter 2, Battletoads. And some went the other way, Sensible Soccer, Cannon Fodder, Lemmings.

But these ports could never recapture the spirit of the originals. The Amiga couldn't cope with the controls of Street Fighter in the same way that Cannon Fodder could only work with mouse control.

And there were other games, not direct ports, but original titles looking to jump on the bandwagon. Games like Tearaway Thomas, Body Blows or Bump 'N' Burn sought to emulate the likes of Sonic, Street Fighter and Mario Kart but they were pale imitations.

Indeed it becomes clear that each machine excelled when it concentrated on what it did best. The Megadrive captured the arcade experience at home; the SNES created original, lasting game franchises; the Amiga was home to the most eclectic, broadest range of software. They should not be compared, there is no right or wrong, best or worst. They were all fantastic depending on your personal preference.

PC - The Early Years

Somehow my Amiga managed to make it to University with me, only finally and reluctantly giving way to the PC in about 1999.

It is incredible to think back now and realise the my mobile phone has more processing power and memory than my first PC. It was an Advent with a mighty 500mhz processer with a whopping 16gb hard drive (or thereabouts). Laughable now of course, but at the time I thought it was a beast.

My early PC experience was a combination of Championship Manager 97/98 and spending hours trying to download the Star Wars Episode 1 trailer on a dial up connection.

There were other games; Star Trek: A Final Unity, Colonization, Star Wars Dark Forces. But it was all a little beyond me. I didn't understand why these games wanted me to type in lines of code instead of lauching with a double click. I didn't understand why nothing ran on Windows '98.

Eventually I upgraded, nothing too fancy of course. But my game time remained dominated by Football Manager, a theme I will revisit in another feature.

In part 4, it's the arrival of the Playstation, a machine surpassed only by its' own sequel, here.

End of week 25 - Saturday 21st February 2015

Starting weight - 12st 4lbs

Target weight - 10st 6lbs

Last weight - 11st 1lb

New weight - 10st 13lbs

Thoughts

* I wasn't sure that I could be bothered to write this blog. I have become incredibly frustrated at the lack of interest generated, succumbing to thoughts of 'why bother, no-one's reading?' I recognise the alternative, the thought that says just write for yourself. But it isn't enough anymore.

When I first started writing I did it for the fun of it and the benefit it brought me mentally to explore my thoughts and feelings. It was a novelty when friends and family read along and a genuine surprise and pleasure to find that complete strangers were interested too.

But that's it, I never moved on. Sure I published my own books but no-one buys them, my Februray royalties of 91p are unlikely to allow me to quit my job anytime soon. I feel like a rock band with dreams of playing at Wembley, still stuck performing to their pet dog and kid sister in their mum's garage. Writing for myself isn't enough. I want more.

* Anyway, to the weight itself. This is the second time I have hit 10st 13lbs. Last time I dismissed it as a freak result but this one feels more genuine. I have been at or around 11st for the last couple of weeks and so it was only a matter of time until I dropped below. Target remains 10st 6lbs and although this will be a challenge, I really believe I can do it before the end of the year.

* A tough week or so mood wise. I cannot place anything specific, just a general sense of frustration and disassociation. As ever, I recognise that moods such as these can be lifted, I must choose to follow a new path, which led me to indulging in some retro gaming writing which you can find elsewhere on the site. It is fun, it is nostalgic and it even allows me to tie in some mental health analysis.

I feel extremely fortunate to have been born in 1978. Star Wars was released the year before and would become the defining film of my generation whilst we witnessed a technological revolution that is still rumbling on today.

I was too young to experience the great Atari Crash but from as far back as I can remember, gaming has been a part of my life in one form or another.

So join me on a stroll down memory lane as I wind my way through my gaming history.

Atari 2600

It all starts with this legendary console. The neighbours had one first, one of those old style wood veneer boxes that looked like it had been carved out of a 1970's sofa. We had the rather more futuristic but delicate looking version and it started a love affair that I have remained loyal to.

Early highlights include Kangaroo, success measured not by completion but by reaching the third screen, inevitable death accompanied by the familiar refrain of jaunty music. Moon Patrol, like a vehicular obstacle course with shooty aliens, was an amazing game, becoming progressively tougher as the speed ramped up and craters would be placed fiendishly right in front of or behind rocks, careening into either of which spelled instant destruction. Other games come instantly to mind; Phoenix, Pole Position, Centipede, Dragonfire, Breakout, Combat, Bezerk, Empire Strikes Back, Raiders of the Lost Ark.

And then there were the games I played or saw but never owned. Pitfall, that cool looking Star Wars game with a lightsaber fight, ET..er okay, maybe not.

And it wasn't just the games, it had awesome controllers too. The one with the stick and the single orange button; that weird one with a spinning dial on top and a button on the side for playing Pong or Breakout; and my personal favourite, the remote control sized oblong version with orange buttons on each side, a stick on top and a silver strip with 'Atari' written on it with a flash of colour.

Incredibly I still own the console, games and at least some of the controllers. It just about works too, although the ariel port is a bit iffy. The games can be played by emulation of course but for this granddaddy of them all, somehow that feels like cheating.

Handhelds / Game & Watch

It's difficult to remember the exact chronology but handheld gaming certainly had an impact on me from an early age. From the brown clam shell version of Donkey Kong, to the Pac Man shaped portable, er, 'Munchman', via the awesome BMX Flyer that I seem to remember my brother owning whilst I looked on forlornly, awaiting my go.

Undoubtedly though my favourites were a pair of miniature arcade cabinet style shooters, Astro Wars and Firefox F-7. Astro Wars was the simpler of the two, with its funny, thin metal control stick and big clunky fire button. Firefox was far more colourful, playing like a cross between Star Wars and Battlestar Galactica. The standout feature of both though was undoubtedly the sound and the music. I played these beauties for hours, the game looping round on completion like all true arcade classics.

Handhelds these days are models of sophistication but these early pioneers set the benchmark of what was to come.

I'm sure I still have these somewhere, probably in my mum's house like all good childhood toys. Firefox is a bit dodgy but Astro Wars is still in pristine working order. Say, haven't visited the old girl for a while...

Spectrum

When people talk about the Spectrum it seems trendy to bang on about the rubber keys but I never played that version, we onwed the 128k+2. I'm pretty sure it came from a family member, all I remember for sure was that it came with a set of about 10 dubious quality games, the highlight of which was something called 'Millionaire' where the aim was to start a business and to become, well, a millionaire. It was more fun than it sounds, even to a 7 year old kid, although I never did make my million.

What a machine! There are literally hundreds of games for this machine so naming a selection of favourites is nigh on pointless. That said, it would be remiss of me not to name check Hyper Sports, Yie Ar Kung-Fu, Target Renegade, Batman, Robocop, Alien Syndrome, Ghostbusters, Matchday 2, Last Ninja 2, Emlyn Hughes, Kickstart 2.

The main genre of game that dominated my time with the Spectrum though was football games, specifically football management. It is a theme I will come back to later but it was here that the first seeds were sown. It started in fact with a friends BBC, playing Footballer of the Year, then countless hours were spent on Football Manager, FA Cup, On the bench, World Soccer League, Football Director, Striker, Soccer Q, Tracksuit Manager and countless others. Some of them were great, some of them were dross but they fed a growing interest, culminating in the mighty Football Director 2.

There came a point though when owning a Spectrum became a bit old hat. An Amiga owning friend would come to visit and I would be embarrased that all I had for us to play on was this crusty old machine. He seemed so sophisticated with his full colour, disk based machine of wonder.

As ever, it was about more than just playing the games though. Going to Smiths and buying games for £1.99; looking at the graphics for the multi format games and dreamily thinking, 'if only' when you saw the Amiga and Atari ST screenshots; when the play button broke on our tape deck and we wedged a two pence piece in to make the games load; the first time you type in some basic and create your own hangman game.

And of course the magazines. My brother preferred Sinclair User but I was always a Your Sinclair man and it would start a passion for reading about the medium that still runs high today.

That's it for part one. Join me for part two as I explore Arcade games, the mighty Amiga and a little series called Championship Manager.

A glass of water, no room left to fill.

One more drop may see me spill.

A kettle crying out its angry pitch,

Boiling point reached but no off switch.

A car alarm blaring with no-one to hear,

Expect the worst, live in constant fear.

The battle must be faced, I don't get to choose,

Sometimes I win, sometimes I lose.

This is my life each and every day,

Living with anxiety, I must find a way.

End of week 22 - 31st January

Starting weight - 12st 4lb

Last weight - 11st 2lbs

New weight - 10st 13lbs

Comments

* Well, that doesn't make much sense. Apparently the lunchtime Subway followed by chicken wings and curly fries for dinner was the winning combination.

* It is nice to dip under 11 stone but I have dismissed the result to an extent. After all, if I am to maintain perspective at my weight going up an unexpected (unrealistic?) amount then I surely have to do the same when it goes down. 

* Perhaps there is also a mental health element creeping in here. I had a target in mind and have achieved it, my mind will not accept this success and looks for ways to undercut it.

* Balance then is key. I checked the weight 3 times this morning, it is correct. Natural fluctuations suggest that I could go up 2 pounds tomorrow or lose another pound or two, who knows. So let's take it for what it is.

* My original plan was to now ditch the weigh ins and go to a monthly check in. I then reconsidered and thought I would weigh myself daily for one week to track the natural variations. But having now dipped under 11 stone, I don't want to weigh myself tomorrow and find that my weight has gone up. So, again, let's find some balance. Perhaps a fortnightly weigh in would be a good timeframe. Whatever I choose, it is not fixed, I am free to change my mind.

Middle of week 22 - 28th January

Starting weight - 12st 4lb

Last weight - 11st 1lbs

New weight - 11st 2lbs

Comments

* Well, that seems a tad unfair.

* It is important to have weight targets, and therefore important to regularly weigh in, as it gives the plan some focus. However, it is equally important to understand when they have become unhealthy and to take a step back.

Last week I failed to lose any weight, which was disappointing. This week, I actually put on a pound. It was frustrating, and I was left with the temptation to say, 'screw you, I'm going to eat a massive bag of crisps.'

Quite who I'm suggesting I screw is anyone's guess. Stuffing a big bag of crisps harms only me. And so I find that it is time to step away from the bi-weekly weigh ins. I am desperate to get below 11 stone and have fallen into the trap of thinking that I must weigh myself almost constantly so that I see the moment it happens. Then at the other end of the spectrum, any calories consumed are ruthlessly scrutinised to the point that I am denying myself some of the quite reasonable treats of life. I am reminded of Mad Eye Moody from Harry Potter, with every bite I take a voice in my head shouts 'CONSTANT VIGILANCE' lest I consume something that adds about 6lbs on.

I recognise that it is more important how I feel than how much I weigh. I find that I cannot accept this in practice whilst constantly weighing myself so I will scale it back to a monthly check in.

* Still, I had a nice chocolate eclair today. Nom, nom.

End of week 21 - 24th January

Starting weight - 12st 4lb

Last weight - 11st 1lbs

New weight - 11st 1lbs

Comments

* Grr.