Game On is the first major UK Exhibition to explore the vibrant history and culture of video games. Focusing on key developments between 1962 and 2002, it’s an in-depth look at gamings fascinating past and limitless future.
So it was, armed with this information, that I set off for The Science Museum London England to see the fascinating past and limitless future of gaming.
OK lets cut to the chase..firstly this exhibition had been on before. 2-3 years ago at the Barbican Centre also in London. I attended first time around and found it to be a thoroughly fulfiling experience. Back then in what today amounts to almost the ‘Dark Ages’ my only possession was and aged SLR Film driven camera. Needless to say none of my photos came out and I forgot to make any reasonable mental note of what I was seeing (such was my excitement) at the time of being in the presence of so many Classic Games. When the opportunity presented itself again and the Expo came back to London I did not miss my opportunity to snap up some tickets online , arm myself with my digital camera and set forth.
So there I was on a bright, crisp November morning striding towards the beautiful Victorian building which houses the Science Museum and somewhere in this old building I was going to be able to rekindle my childhood in a very tactile and tangible form. You see its OK to have your Emulators and re-released classic CD roms on your PC or Mac, but nothing, no nothing is quite like experiencing the real thing in the flesh so to speak.
I knew in the expo I would find original Arcade Cabinets of fine quality, housing such luminaries as Centipede, Asteroids, Miss Pacman, Donkey Kong et al.
Once inside I hurried past great monuments to man’s achievements, mere trivia such as ‘Stevensons Rocket’ the first proper steam locomotive and certainly one of the most famous. Different kinds of rockets the type that had been to the Moon, great beam engines to pump water and power factories. These all sped by me in a blur on my march towards the real achievement of man....the ‘Video Game’.
Finally, inside the door of the exhibition true to form spread out in front of me where some of the finest examples of Video Games you could wish to see. Better still they were all empty and full of free credits. I gorged myself till I could feed no more. In no particular order I sampled the delights of the following games.
Missile Command, Dig-Dug, Berzerk, Galaga, Galaxian, Miss Pacman, Centipede, Donkey Kong, Asteroids, Space Invaders, Xevious.
All cabinets it has to be reported were in pristine condition. All screens were flicker and image-burn free. All joysticks were stick free and full flowing. Credits were also endless by the way.
The funny thing is these units were built to withstand a beating. They were kicked, thumped, punched and even headbutted back in the 1980’s by over enthusiastic kids (myself included...although never headbutted). Yet to play them now after 20 years is to appreciate the delicateness of them, and like a beautiful women they deserved nothing more than my full respect.
I am proud to announce that after a near 20 year hiatus that I still managed to post 5 High Scores in my first flurry of attempts. OK this might not mean much to anyone else but I can tell you I was walking around with a big f***ing grin on my face. I could not have been happier had I won the lottery.
Disappointingly I have to report that its true regarding what is said about the younger generation, they really do have no idea of the past. As these kids with their parents began to flood in, you could hear little Johnny saying “look dad its Space Invaders”. Of course it was not it was Galaxian. Miss Pacman is not Pacman either unless a sex change has taken place and Donkey Kong is definitely not Super Mario. What hope for the future? Still they could always visit my site to re-educate themselves.
Annoyingly Dad was not always right either. You can tell a real addict from a Johnny come lately and “of course I played video games I was cool once you know too!” types who just do not cut the ice like Pengo once did in his prime.
Gripes aside this really was a good exhibition. There were the old PDP’s and Computer Space cabinets, a massive Pong projected onto a wall, as well as a MAME unit projection running multiple gaming classics.
The Home Brew brigade were not short changed either as many a home console successful and obscure adorned the walls. If my memory serves I recollect seeing a Magnavox Odyssey, Atari 2600, Atari 400, Commodore 64, Sinclair ZX80 and 81, Sinclair Spectrum, Apple II, Acorn and even I believe a BBC and Dragon 32.
Another intriguing area of the exhibition is dedicated to the much overlooked area of gaming ‘Sound’. Being an advocate of great sound in games I particularly enjoyed this section. Great kudos must be given to the organisers for setting up free standing headphones that you can listen to and maunally select all your favourite in game sounds at the push of a button.
A later section in the expo is given over to the link between Cinema and Games and examples of where the two medias have converged examples being: Star Wars (Atari), Discs of Tron (Bally Midway) and more recently GoldenEye (Rare).
Within this section were some of the finest examples of restored cabinets I have ever seen. The Discs of Tron Unit being immaculate. With the lighting turned down in this section the full glory from the glow of this cabinet can really be appreciated, no photograph can do this justice... you will just have to go and see for yourself.
As you progress through the building you realise that apart from the opportunity to play some really groundbreaking original games the exhibition can, if you let it, really open your mind up to the larger influence and cultural effect gaming has had on modern society.
There are many avenues that can be explored such as Japan’s distinctive role in the creation of genres influenced by Manga and Anime and again the cross over between these different mediums. There's the usual nod at violence in video games and the ever increasingly realistic games from across the pond in America and the influence of these games on ‘yuff’, but it never gets in the way by being too heavy for its audience.
A particularly interesting niche section is dedicated to those handheld wonders, you know the ones you got at Christmas and played all day until the batteries ran out at about...ooh 11o'clock that same morning. Such giants as ‘Astro Wars’, Nintendo’s Game & Watch Series, and of course the Gameboy. Again beautiful examples are showcased and it makes you wish you had not thrown yours away all those years ago.
Finally the expo is brought to its logical conclusion when it covers modern day marketing and future technology showcasing the Playstation 3 and Nintendo Wii etc.
So to sum up my ‘grand day out’.
Is it worth the admission? Yes with out a doubt get your credits out.
Is it good for Classic Gamers? A resounding 10 out of 10 here.
What about modern games? Yes well catered for too.
Will I be spiritually enhanced? Go and pray at the high altar and your spirits will rejoice. Post a high score and life if only momentarily will again have meaning.
'Remember ‘Good Games Never Die!'
