Your first memory?

[J T]

Hmmm, I remember when my Dad talked about getting an Amiga and I was very excited about it. but I cannot remember how I actually came to hear of the Amiga.

I was given it as a joint birthday/Christmas present and remember the excitement. All those boxes with games (Batman the movie pack and a 10-star games compilation) applications and suchlike, the excitement of a computer with disks. Even flicking through the manuals gave a real buzz of excitement at the potential of this fantastic machine we had sitting in front of us.

It was already set up in the living room when I got downstairs, I know for sure that my dad had been playing on it for a long time the night before. Many many years later he told me how at the time he thought it was the absolute business and incredibly modern.

He was utterly flabbergasted when I showed him winUAE running on a p4 and told him about the TOSEC sets.

[Demon Cleaner]

He was utterly flabbergasted when I showed him winUAE running on a p4 and told him about the TOSEC sets.

And what did he answer?

[J T]

Well, it was amazement at how easily the good old Amiga could be emulated (even the mighty A1200). I guess that he didn't realise just how much computers have grown more powerful. To someone with only a passing knowledge of computers -basic web browsing and word processing - emulation is something completely amazing.

As for the ADFs (and TOSEC sets), the first thing was surprise at how quick it was to download a game and play it. The second was slight dismay that these games we would pay 25 pounds for could be acquired with a swift click of the mouse.

[Harrison]

The second was slight dismay that these games we would pay 25 pounds for could be acquired with a swift click of the mouse.

That is probably the biggest thing for me regarding retro systems and emulation too. Everytime I play one of the games via emulation that I originally paid for on the original system I think of how much the games originally cost to buy.

And as we have all mentioned in the past, the price of a game was quite a motivational element in making you play it and get the most from it. These days, being able to download any retro platform's games in a few seconds at zero cost makes the game easily discardable. A quick load and play, then within minutes of aquiring the game it might end up never being run again. If the same game had been purchased for £25 you would take the time to play it longer and try to get your moneys worth from it.

It is amazing how when something costs nothing you can so easily draw a conclusion about it within seconds, whereas paying for something makes you assess it in far more detail to understand why you purchased it.

[J T]

Terrorpods. Didn't understand the game at all, but that didn't matter. I was too busy gawking at the graphics!

I could never work it out either. The Tenstar pack version had heavily trimmed instructions so as to fit on the rear of the sleeve. I got the buggy thing to interact with the mines but could never actually trade anything, so instead I'd make those big missiles (with the cool aiming device) and blow them up, or launch them at the mothership - pointless as I knew that wasn't the way to destroy it, but it seemed like fun anyway.

Then I'd run out of fuel or materials and have to restart.

These days, being able to download any retro platform's games in a few seconds at zero cost makes the game easily discardable. A quick load and play, then within minutes of aquiring the game it might end up never being run again. If the same game had been purchased for £25 you would take the time to play it longer and try to get your moneys worth from it.

It is amazing how when something costs nothing you can so easily draw a conclusion about it within seconds, whereas paying for something makes you assess it in far more detail to understand why you purchased it.

Mmm, I have done a lot of the "quick play a ROM, then change to the next" loads. Probably missed out on some gems that way, but I have a lot of newer games to try first. I particularly do this with MAME, there is so much on there and a lot of it is dross I have to say. As I've said before, I was surprised (and kind of disheartened) when I found out how small Mega Drive/SNES cartridge data was. And some of those games were £50+ !!!!

[Toasty667]

Ah yes the first memory. But of course in those days I was only a tea boy.

A mate had an Amiga 600, loved the graphics. Think he was playing a game called Doddle Bug? It was a platformer but I bet if that's not the title that doesnt narrow it down much! I'm not sure if it was totally due to this but I bought loads of issues of Amiga Power at least a year before I got one just due to being facinated with it. Cant remember if I saw his 600 first or got the magazines first (I've got a Goldfish memory). Then one birthday I got my A1200! Loved it. It came with Trolls, Pinball Dreams (I think) and a football game. Was blown away. I only had a small amount of games due to pocket money but still had loadsa fun. But I had amassed a great deal of cover disks by that point. Pitty not all were compatable but at least with the A1200 I got to play Gloom.

[Harrison]

Did you ever use the Relokick 1.3 disk with the A1200? It rebooted the machine into a kickstart 1.3 system and most games that would not run as standard on the A1200 worked perfectly.

As for that platform game, it was probably DoodleBug: Bug Bash 2, so you were pretty much right. Sorry there are no images for this game on the site yet.

[Toasty667]

Did you ever use the Relokick 1.3 disk with the A1200? It rebooted the machine into a kickstart 1.3 system and most games that would not run as standard on the A1200 worked perfectly.

As for that platform game, it was probably DoodleBug: Bug Bash 2, so you were pretty much right. Sorry there are no images for this game on the site yet.

Doh never knew about that! Oh well still had some good stuff. Seriously by the time FPS's arrived I was thankful for the 1200. Just got Gloom working again perfectly on winuae and it brought my memories back instantly. Was funny because I remembered the first couple of levels and most of the locations where you got ambushed! Funny how a reminder can trigger your old memories like that.