7.02.2008

點只玩具咁簡單 之 電視遊戲 (1)

前網上閱報得悉 Leonardo Dicaprio 將在電影新作中飾演 Nolan Bushnell。Bushnell 何許人也﹖就是美國雅達利(Atari) 及出奇老鼠 (Chuck E Cheese) 的創辦人。劃時代﹑革命性的電子遊戲 Pong 得以瘋魔天下﹐實拜 Bushnell 的商業天才所賜。說起 Pong﹐難免想起家庭電視遊戲﹐在過去三十六年來悠長的演變進化歷程。從Pong 到 Wii﹐又勾起了您多少歡樂的回憶﹖


第一次接觸 Pong﹐ 應該是1980 年左右的事情。阿姨買了一台雅達利的Pong 遊戲機給我的表哥表姊﹐在探訪外公外婆的時候﹐我們這些小孩子便在一部較小的黑白電視機前﹐進行屬於我們的「溫布頓大滿貫比賽」。雖然Pong 遊戲的概念及操作十分簡單﹐兩枝棍﹐一個方點﹐以不失誤作為勝負的指標而已。然而在《星球大戰》誕生不久的年代﹐Pong 代表了一方神奇奧妙的小天窗﹐讓我們這些充滿幻想力的小孩子﹐得以漫遊神馳於未來世界之中﹐那是超越熒幕畫面上遊戲的樂趣。這麼多年來﹐Pong 仍然不斷更新﹐除了出現了3-D立體版﹐還有上圖(右下角) 以手指控制球拍﹑看似生活藝術品的Tabletop Pong

2006年American Express運通卡請了Andy Roddick拍攝廣告﹐對手不是Roger Federer﹐竟然是……


上世紀80年代電視遊戲也進入了嶄新紀元。雅達利 2600 登陸香港﹐和本世紀的Wii 革命性的創意不遑多讓。雅達利的名字甚有淵源﹐乃取自圍棋的日本用語﹕当たり﹐即「打吃」之意。我們家雖然沒有購買雅達利 2600 這部game console﹐但是家母的兩名女同事卻走在潮流的尖端﹐除了買全一套總機﹑joy sticks 及 paddles﹐還買了不少遊戲卡帶。我和姐姐有時候會在她們家呆上一天﹐狂玩遊戲﹐然後她們會請我們到灣仔吃越南菜。後來懂事了﹐才明白這兩位長輩原來是一對。


說起雅達利﹐最愛的三個遊戲﹐理所當然是 Pac-Man (食鬼)﹐Space Invaders (太空侵略戰) 和 Breakout (拆牆) 。 食鬼的遊戲概念委實趣妙﹐當時的電腦圖案雖仍處於十分粗劣的階段﹐然而金黃色像pizza 的「食鬼先生」﹐及那三隻粉色 (pastel) 的遊魂野鬼﹐造型可愛﹐令人鍾愛。「食鬼先生」吞了「大力丸」後﹐群鬼變色﹐爭商走避﹐場面熱鬧﹐大快人心。隨機飄浮的櫻桃﹐更是神來之筆。「太空侵略戰」可以一個人玩﹐又可以兩人一起並臂作戰。炮台可以選擇「豐滿型」或「瘦身型」。遊戲的變化不大﹐主要是將一排排的太空侵略者清除﹐中途又可以擊沉從上空略過的母船﹐多取分數。「拆牆」和Pong 同屬設計簡單但趣味無窮的遊戲。尤其拆牆時發出叮咚叮咚的聲音﹐令人回味不已。現在Blackberry裡的拆牆遊戲 (Brickbreaker)變化多端﹐然而追宗尋源雅達利的版本﹐也有三十年的歷史。


另外三個遊戲雖然算不上是我的最愛﹐但在80年代初期也十分流行。當時「430穿梭機」每隔一陣子都會挑一款遊戲﹐讓兒童觀眾摸上廣播道電視台挑戰。這三款遊戲都曾經是決戰項目﹕Combat (飛機大炮)﹑Asteroids (殞石大戰)﹑及Indy 500 (賽車)。這三款遊戲都有它們令人精神崩潰的毛病。如「飛機大炮」裡的坦克車大戰﹐玩一兩次便覺得很沒癮。至於飛機大戰﹐我和我姐都不喜歡挑那艘大飛機﹐都寧願挑三艘小戰機﹐因為大飛機的目標實在太大﹐控制又不靈活﹐只有被小戰機瘋狂追殺的份兒。「殞石大戰」雖然畫面豐富﹐然而好像吃薯片一樣﹐愈吃愈碎﹐而且小太空船的飄浮控制不太自如﹐有點彆扭。不管是雅達利的 Indy 500 還是Playstation 3 的 Grand Turismo 5﹐從來對賽車遊戲都不太感冒。Indy 500 的控制也很有問題 (還是我沒有什麼耐性)﹐是以只喜歡看﹐對於自己參與沒有什麼勁兒。
雅達利的家庭電視遊戲在上世紀七十年代及八十年代初期稱雄玩具界。然而到了八十年代中期﹐雅達利也終於成為明日黃花﹐被新一代的家庭遊戲系統「任天堂」所取代。

(待續)
_______________________

點只玩具咁簡單 之 peecol

12 comments:

Ogake said...

雅達利, 我細個玩過架~ 除左賽車之外, 其他你show出來的game都有~
當時唔覺得單調的, 覺得好好玩, 係家族聚會必備之物~

best actor said...

係啊﹐果陣因為唔係日日有得玩﹐而且科技方面又真係 cutting edge﹐所以一o的都唔覺得o的games單調或者粗糙。不過回頭睇﹐o的games又實在好鬼簡單﹐而家o的細路﹐邊會肯玩好耐﹖

Anonymous said...

Oh my, lesbian couple with Atari in the early 80s?! Can't be more hip than that!

My parents would never buy me the Atari console for they're so against video games. I won the Indy 500 cartiage from 「430穿梭機」though. But I could only play that when I stay over in my rich schoolmate's house....Jee, it's almost 30 years ago and I just feel so old.....

Anyway, happy Anniversary.

Wordy said...

N 年前,我爸是「火麒麟」,花得起,所以第一代雅達利也擁有過,但我太小,沒怎麼玩。

家母甚反對兒童玩遊戲機,後來加上開銷問題,在整個成長時期,遊戲機沒有擔演過什麼角色。說實在,於街頭看見大量港男、港女時刻「打機」,甚至有少許反感。

不過,我倒喜歡看「430 穿梭機」的《螢光閃閃電子戰》,有個叫「鳳凰基地」的特別緊湊。

BTW,覺得 A-Rod 近年已變成一個 dumb jock。這一輩的美國男子網球員,不少都忙於跟模特兒拍拖呢。

Anonymous said...

最深印象都係「食鬼」遊戲,真係幾好玩架。
覺得隻鬼嘅卡通樣子,仲得意過圓碌碌嘅食鬼先生 :-)

best actor said...

Simon,

Yup, i agree that my aunts were very ahead of their time. i remember they
had a full collection of smurf figures (i.e. the whole village) ! those collectible smurfs would have cost a fortune now! LOL

i know how you feel, my parents didn't buy the atari game console either, i guess that's part of the reason why i compensated myself with a PS, PS2 and other gadgets later in life. :o)

on one hand, i know these games can make you feel old, on the other hand, aren't you glad that you are still young at heart?

thanks for the kind wishes.


Wordy,

嘻嘻﹐我們玩雅達利o既時候﹐你仲學緊行﹐係咪﹖ ;o)

以前家裡管教甚嚴﹐波樓機竇都甚少涉足。直至離開香港前一年﹐零用錢多o左﹐又有種及時行樂的心態﹐於是有時同同學去機竇。記得有一次﹐有一位成積比我好o既同學帶我去打1941 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XHdWgJdtaFo&feature=related)﹐佢請客﹐佢點打都唔死﹐我就話口未完就香o左。見我同學一手打機一手幫我入錢﹐打到爆機為止﹐簡直嘆為觀止。如果唔係呢位同學﹐我都唔會有o係機竇打爆機o既經驗。而我同佢﹐都好似未學壞。:oP

你覺得A-Rod 係 dumb jock 嗎﹖haha﹐我冇所謂o架﹐養眼就得囉﹗:o)

lemon tree﹐

我都係鍾意鬼多o的﹐食鬼先生同小姐太“多嘴”﹗

Anonymous said...

The only "computer game" that my parents bought was one of those Casino calculator that you could play a game where you have to "kill" all the numbers that pop up on the screen. I remember that cost a whopping HK$120 in the early 80s and it was a gift for getting good grades for my exams.

By the way, thanks for recommending "Shelter" the movie. I bought the DVD in NY last week and watched it last night. Trevor Wright did a great job as Zach. I love the scene that, after spending the night first time with Shaun, Zach had to rush back home to take care of Cody. He was puzzled when he first started the engine, then began to smile beautifully, realizing what he really is and has been looking for after all these years. I guess we all have to go thru that path coming out.....And Zach and Shaun is such cute couple. The ending is a bit too Hollywood, but that might be just me not believing in happy ending anymore...

Simon

Wordy said...

> 嘻嘻﹐我們玩雅達利o既時候﹐你仲學緊行﹐係咪?
有冇咁誇呀,連阿叔你都氹?A-Rod 打法似 dumb jock,個殼就都仲 ok 既,但美國仔中,覺得 Blake 同 Fish(仲有個潛哂水既 Jan Michael Gambill)好 d

best actor said...

阿叔﹖我都只肯應人做哥哥咋o番。:o)

best actor said...

simon,

i had the same casio calculator too.

quoting once again from ally mcbeal:

"I think I need to believe that it works...love, couplehood, partnerships. The idea that when people come together they stay together, I have to take that with me to bed, even if I have to go to bed alone." ~ Ally


"The world is no longer a romantic place. Some of its people still are however, and therein lies the promise. Don't let the world win, Ally McBeal." ~ John

Fun said...

實情我一向都麻麻打機,但6年班既時候其中一個aunty送左部雅達利(2盒game - space invader + combat)俾我,自此屋企變左機舖,d同學幾乎日日都上黎打機,如果我每人收5毫一舖都幾和味。

我記得雅達利個showroom響尖東,我有同同學仔去過幾次,望住d game雙眼放晒光。話時話我覺得d game既封面好靚,齋望都好開心~

best actor said...

小孩子看著得不到的東西有時候就像得到那末高興。

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