oLD ScHooL Games Review by Gina Miller
Remember Atari? Remember pixel graphics that were only one dimensional? Remember joy stick wrist cramps? Well hey! You can still get them! I have both of the several in one game joy sticks (described in individual detail below). Both of these have audio and video in plugs that I have hooked up to my VCR. Since I have a cable box, I have to turn this off first, set my VCR to the lowest channel (which in my case is L2) and press the TV/VCR button. Those minor, but necessary details are not included on the instruction manual. Since they both have the same set up, the first one I bought (the Namco), I was able to just swap the plug ins with the new one (the Atari). Both run on batteries, so don't accidentally leave it on, like I did one day and had to replace.

The image below is the namco system. Games include: Pac-Man, Dig Dug, Rally-X, Galaxian and Bosconian. Pac-Man play is a little annoying with the stick since it moves in a + shape and the motion of the game is in blocks. You may find that you tried to move correctly but it didn't seem to work on the screen. Now to my favorite, Bosconian! This is my little addiction, today I made it to level 17 at a 307000something score. Major accomplishment. Every time you get to a new level on this game it's fun because the screen objects are set up differently. It's this game alone for me, that makes it worth the twenty bucks, but you may have other preferences. I don't spend a lot of time on the others games, I only play them out of boredom. Since these games cause you to move the joystick with passion your hands remember it. I don't know why my body thinks that if I grip this thing on the left near the fire button and push really hard on the ball I'll do better, I guess in the real world this might make sense, maybe. Anyway, it's a lot of fun getting there. You can get this at Amazon by clicking here.

The image below is my second joy stick system, by those classic patron saints of the 80's, Atari. Since I had the Namco system first, I've had a hard time adjusting to this joy stick. It somehow seems stiffer and doesn't seem to move around, as wide and as easily as the Namco stick. But some of the ten games that come with this system are legendary. You get: Asteroids, Missile Command, Breakout, Centipede, Adventure, Gravitar, Pong, Yar's Revenge, Real Sports Volleyball, and Circus Atari. I really wanted this game for two nostalgic reasons. 1. I used to be a master at the arcade game of Asteroids and 2. I had a hand held Pong system when I was a kid. But the problem was that these are the television console games and are much different. The arcade game of Astroids had the objects outlined in white and buttons to press for controlling rotation, the stick controls rotations by moving side to side and thrust is up. I haven't gotten used to that yet. As for Pong, it's also totally different. My childhood hand held was probably (this is from memory now) an 8X4X2 black box and the screen was all black accept for the two lines and the ball that were red lights. The Pong on this system is in blocks of color and again, is difficult to control smoothly with the joystick. So that's another thing to get used to. But if you had the original system, you may be just fine with the orientation factor (and the joystick itself). Anyway, it's fun, it takes you back, and it has TEN games! You can get this at Amazon by clicking here.