perfidy

Took a day off yesterday from my real job to finish work on a side job. Once that was done, and before I started another side job, I decided the time was ripe for frivolity. And since payday was nigh, and I needed a new printer cartridge, and soon found myself in my local electronics retailery, I decided not to leave without a new game.

I opted for Aliens vs. Predators: Extinction , a real time strategy game that combines the carnage of the associated flicks with the frustration of units wandering about will nilly, characteristic of RTS. Not so much strategy, some tactics, but there's not alot of true command here so the tactics really don't go much beond ensuring a good mix of trigger-pullers and support people. At least for the Colonial Marines; I've not tried the other species yet. And more often than not, the fight is over before I can really see it all on the screen- the action's just that fast. One neat touch: I saw this in the tutorial- the predators get extra points for collecting skulls. All the sounds effects are true to the flicks, inluding the pulse rifles, the motion trackers, the Alien screeching and bursting, and yes the ripping out of skulls.

But before I left the store my eyes happened to fall on the Midway Arcade Treasures compilation. It was cheap, and I had to have it. Again, the sound effects were dead on, just as I remember them, and curiously it was the sound more than the look that really opened the nostalgia floodgates. I remember what people wore ca 1980-1984, the sights, the smells of the arcade... it was really a whole lot of fun. You know the best part though? Being able to continue at will. It's like having unlimited quarters, my dream when I was 12 years old. Even though I didn't necessarily need a reminder of how much I suck at "Defender", it was kinda neat to be reminded that I do.