Activist burnout and retro games
Long-time readers of the blog know I’ve been feeling burned out for a while. Frankly, if Donald Trump hadn’t returned to the White House, I think there’s a good chance I would have taken a step back to recharge my batteries, do some more in-depth reading, and perhaps reassess strategy. I think this is useful and necessary, so long as you eventually return to activism.
But it feels irresponsible to do that now. For animals, the situation is always a crisis. You can’t wait for that to change. However, Trump, in my view, is currently threatening American democracy and thus our ability to advocate for animals in the future. So I’m trying to muddle along, while also engaging in those recuperative and self-development activities. It’s a tough balance.
A big part of recharging my batteries these days is playing video games, especially those I enjoyed as a child. I’m somewhat limited here, because the only device I own at the moment, capable of playing games, is an old iPad mini. There are some great iOS ports of retro games, like Day of the Tentacle. However, many of the titles I’m interested in are unavailable on the platform.
So, as part of an effort to engage in more recuperative activities, I wanted to create a list of games I’d like to see ported to iPhones and iPads. It’s not exhaustive. It’s in no particular order. It’s just the first ten titles that came to mind. If I conducted this exercise a month from now, I imagine the list would be different. Anyway, having stated all of these qualifications, here it is.
Oregon Trail II — The 1995 title was released by the Minnesota Educational Computing Corporation. I’ve never played the earlier versions, but I gather this entry is much improved, beyond graphical upgrades. Development was overseen by Wayne Studer, an American Studies PhD. I’d like to attempt a ‘vegan-as-possible’ playthrough of the game. I saw someone try it on YouTube.
Star Wars: Dark Forces — At some point, my parents got me a bundled collection of games set in a galaxy far, far away. I believe only the demo of this 1995 first-person shooter was included in the package, but it made a big impression. Last year, Nightdive Studies released a remastered version of the title, which looks great. Unfortunately, it hasn’t been made available on iOS.
Where in the U.S.A. is Carmen Sandiego? — I’m specifically talking about the 1996 edition of the title, which, among other things, features live-action appearances from the late, great Lynne Thigpen as The Chief. It would be difficult, as a young kid in the 1990s, not to come into some contact with the edutainment franchise. I watched the game show, the cartoon, and enjoyed this.
Wing Commander III: Heart of the Tiger — I never actually played the 1994 space combat game, but I may as well have, since I watched a friend play significant sections of it. The cast for the Origin Systems title, which features live-action video, is absolutely stacked. Mark Hamill, John Rhys-Davies and Tom Wilson star. I recently watched a clip and the dialogue is pretty clunky.
Spelunx — The 1991 educational game was developed by Cyan, makers of the critical and commercial sensation Myst. I don’t have the clearest memory of this more obscure title, which was aimed at a younger age group, but I loved it all the same. I do recall a friend and me having our minds blown when we discovered an unlisted, secret floor while operating an elevator.
Myth: The Fallen Lords — My uncle briefly let me play the 1997 game or its sequel on his computer around the years of their release. The abandoned fantasy franchise has occupied a place in my imagination ever since. I got my hands on a demo of one of them when I was in high school, however, I’d really like a chance to get the entire real-time-strategy experience.
Escape Velocity — My classmates and I got into the 1996 Ambrosia Software title in middle school. At that point, the spacefaring game felt surprisingly detailed and open. I’m fairly sure we played the sequels, Escape Velocity Override and Escape Velocity Nova. They all kind of blend together for me. I remember thinking the Turncoat ship looked really cool.
SimAnt — The 1991 Maxis offering, which put players in control of an ant colony, may very well have been the first computer game I played. My parents had it on an early desktop they owned. I don’t know if the title came with the hardware or they purchased it separately, but I played the heck out of the game, trying to lead the black insects to victory over their red opponents.
Sam & Max Hit the Road — I played the 1993 LucasArts adventure in my elementary school computer lab, which is surprising, because I recall the humor being a little risqué. Unlike other titles available in the space, there was no educational component I can remember. The titular duo are an anthropomorphic dog and rabbit, adapted from a comic, who work as private detectives.
Treasure MathStorm! — A couple different versions of The Learning Company game were released in the early 1990s. I owned the title for Macintosh, so I suspect it was the 1994 edition. The game is very focused on teaching basic math skills. As a result, it might have the least replay value for me as an adult. Still, watching clips on YouTube evokes a deep sense of nostalgia.