I don't remember it clearly. I don't remember it all. It’s not like waking up with a hangover wondering what happened the night before. It’s like a fragment of music from times past triggering other memories, and yet the full picture stays obscure. I sort of hope it stays that way…

Getting arseholed in the Land Of The Slightly Undersized People. Fun.

It was in the ‘80s and we went to a computer show in London. I think it was at Earl’s Court but I don’t remember. The details don’t really matter.

I can’t even remember quite why we were there. I think my brother wanted to go or something. While I was there, however, I remember playing a game. It had bright colours and a tune that stuck in my head (but then, since we had a Speccy at the time that could possibly apply to any C64 game, as a C64 game it was). We had to wait around for something (my brother probably still getting whatever it was) and there was nobody else playing (probably for good reason) so I decided to give it a go. I became entranced by the colours and enthralled by the music and before long was thoroughly enjoying it. At that moment I felt that this was the best game I’d played.

”Right. This is the plan. We get in there and get wrecked”…

In my defence, I’d like to think that it was just my inexperience with games, the bright colours or maybe the tune that wouldn’t die, that drew me in. Not remembering the gameplay, I doubt it was that, though it must have been simple considering the kinds of game I could have played with any degree of competency at that age. I’m afraid to say that I wanted that game, to play whenever I wanted. It didn’t matter that my brother (when he turned up) looked on with disdain, this was where gaming was at! This was it! I wanted it! I didn’t get it (well, it was a C64 game after all and we had a speccy, right?).

So many shades of brown, so little space for jocular mockery.

By way of atonement, fast forward through time to when we did get a C64. Whilst my thoughts were those resurfaced about the game from the show it wasn’t long until I saw the error of my ways. In no way did the game compare to some of those which I saw (well, I suppose it had bright colours and a chirpy tune in common but whatever), not least of which to my new fascination, Revenge Of The Mutant Camels. But this is not about ROTMC…

So what was the game? I don’t remember the name, but I think it was something to do with Sinbad (coming at a time when one of my favouritest films would have been Sinbad And The Eye Of The Tiger).

”Hooo, ho ho ho! Step right up. Mock my fez and get beheaded”.

The game was one of those by the infamous Interceptor Micros. Sure, I could probably research it now to find the full title, even play it again after all this time, but I’d really rather not. What is more important is the effect that it had on me, the knowledge that games could be more than a Pong or Breakout clone. Games could be more than Attack Of The Killer Y’s From Planet X typed in from a magazine. Games could be more than text adventures with a smattering of badly (and slowly) drawn graphics. Soon after seeing the game, my gaming expectations grew. Even games on the poor old Speccy surpassed that which I’d loved for that one brief moment. Getting the C64 just put the final nails in the coffin for Sinbad (or whatever it was).

If I saw that game again now I’d likely laugh, wondering how I ever could have liked it. I will have to live with what I have done (and that bloody tune fragment). I plead guilty m’lud and hope for lenient sentencing.

CYRIC, September 2004.

Here y’go. The game in question is Tales Of Arabian Knights. And here’s a little linky - http://www.gamebase64.com/game.php?id=7735&d=18&h=0 You’re welcome.

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