Seasons Greetings folks! It's Boxing Day, so after the chaos of Christmas day, I thought I'd open a little present to myself.... A Commodore 64G. In my opinion the most aesthetically pleasing of the 64 range, which I have wanted for some time!
The Kids Filofax & organiser system; Fun Fax and Spy Fax, from the 1990s!
A quick update for the start of 2017 and what the rest of the year will hold.
Hmmm, it's that nagging question; quick format vs full format? full format vs low level format?.... Do you remember formatting your hard drive in DOS?... The Hard Drive, in it's IBM PC Compatible format has been with us since, what? 1980? Data in the early days was encoded using MFM, which was updated to RLL, but in that time, other things also changed. Like what Low Level Formatting actually meant. Because originally Low Level Format actually meant writing the sector boundaries to your disk. IDE hard drives rarely let you do this, and doing so may have actually damaged your drive. This video will explore why then you shouldn't low level format your hard disk drive.
CTRL ALT DELETE. Now there's a key combination we're almost all familiar with. CTRL-ALT-DEL (or the three finger salute as it's known) used to instantly restart your computer, which was useful when an application crashed or you just wanted to clear your memory and start all over again. CTRL ALT DELETE would go on to be used for login and task management purposes under Windows protected mode, and it's been with us ever since.
It's the Bad Influence Christmas and New Year Special from 1993. I know I'm a little late, but I thought it would be better to roll this now rather than half way through 2018. So here's series 2, episode 15 of the CITV classic, Bad Influence!
Some of you asked how and why I had a Starfox 2 cartridge sitting on top of my SNES Classic Mini. Well, here's a very brief video to explain it to those interested (links for further info. below).
Way back in 1995, Brain Works released various themed PC accessories, including a mouse, keyboard and screen surrounds. Along with Nickelodeon, The Flintstones and Spiderman accessories was Star Trek: The Next Generation Collection. You could get a Monitor Mask, Homework Holder, Keyboard, Mouse and even a Disk Holder shaped like a shuttle. I remember seeing these Star Trek TNG accessories in the February 1996 issue of PC Zone, and it caught my attention, and remained in my attention until now. So join me as we boldly go where no one has gone before and investigate the Star Trek Collection by Brain Works.
We've all seen TV snow. Whether because the TV is detuned, or just because we're trying to tune our Mega Drive into a new channel. But why, on a colour TV is this static still presented in a monochrome format? Why aren't these random signals also random colours? Well, let's delve into a byte size episode to find out a bit on how TVs work, and why colour only appears for certain signals.
.COM .BAT. EXE... these are a few of my favourite things. Ahhhh MS-DOS. A beautiful command line driven operating system which filled our hearts with glee. Core to this glee filled life was file formats and the programs lurking within them. These would come with either a .com .exe or .bat extension so they could be executed by a few taps on your keyboard. But what exactly is a .com file and how does it differ from an .exe or .bat file. Come to think of it, why do I care?.... I can't answer that question, but at least I can tell you how these files differ. So here we go.
As strange as it seems, Santa (Father Christmas to us in the UK), was actually online before most other people. In fact, during 1983 Santa was already electronically sending and receiving Christmas letters via. electronic mail. In 1986, he opened his electronic arms to the UK, via. Telecom Gold and MicroLink, which allowed people to communicate over Bulletin Boards using their home micros and a modem. The thing is, some of the messages which Santa received during this time, were, shall we say, somewhat less than helpful. You could almost say Santa was trolled. Happy Christmas!
Densha de GO! is a popular game in Japan based around trains. Specifically driving trains with a high level of accuracy and skill. Although never receiving a Western release, this is a set of games which appeals to my outer nerd, and so I had to get a Japanese PS1, a Densha de GO! controller (what is essentially a mock train controller for the Playstation) and become a prestigious driver on the Japanese main line. Released in 1996 in the arcade, but 1997 for Playstation, this marks a glorious time to be alive. Let's go training.
WARNING: Do not play track 1 of this game CD on ANY Audio CD Player. Now THAT, sounds like a challenge. In this video I'll be using a number of 90s CD Players and Boomboxes to see exactly why there's such a pronounced warning on this Zool 2 CD about playing on a standard stereo system. What will this horrific audio be? I'll also explain the reasons why it's how it turns out to be. So let's delve into playing a CD-ROM on an audio CD Player.
What Happens if you put My Computer in the Recycle bin? It's a question which has been answered in the Big Play Films short at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o_XaJdDqQA0, but I wanted to test it out in real life. I also wanted to cover the story of the Recycle bin a bit as well. Perhaps which computer had the first trash can, and how the Windows Recycle Bin evolved from DOS to Windows 3.1 to Windows 95.
You can pick a Wii up for a few dollars/pounds, and instantly put it to use as a fantastic emulation machine. Here I'll be exploring using the Wii as a DOS Gaming machine, to play classics such as Wolfenstein 3D, Duke Nukem, Commander Keen, Monkey Island, Leisure Suit Larry and many many more. We'll explore installing the Homebrew channel on the Wii, setting up Priiloader, using the Homebrew browser, installing custom forwarders and getting the Wii to autoboot straight into a DOS environment, with it's own menu system, so you can navigate straight to your chosen DOS games. You could even use it to run DOS screensavers if that's your thing.
The Sims almost certainly wouldn't exist, or at least, be the same without a game released in 1985 known as Little Computer People. Published by Activision, it's one of the first instances of a "virtual pet" or "human simulator" and was arguably well ahead of its time. Here I'm investigating the original Commodore 64 release which poised as a special new research project, to observe actual living people who resided in our personal computers. By creating a house on a disk, the idea was to coax these little people out of the circuitry, and into a 2 1/2 story house, where we could interact, play games and even starve, if we so choose. Good times indeed.
Remember 80s TV Gameshows? They were incredible, yet terrible at the same time. But limited by entertainment options, and TV channels, we tuned in daily to watch these shows, usually featuring excitable members of the public. From Knightmare to The Crystal Maze, Countdown, The Krypton Factor, Going for Gold, The Generation Game, Bullseye, even Run the Gauntlet. Well, I've selected 4 80s Gameshows, and their ZX Spectrum counterparts, to see how both the gameshows and their game versions faired. Rose tinted spectacles on standby.
Isn't it strange how millions of people on one side of the Atlantic, can instantaneously communicate with people on the other side, all at once, and with hardly any delay. Well, it's not only strange, it's incredible. To understand how data travels under vast oceans from one place to another, we actually have to start in the mid 1800s. This is the time when the first undersea cables were laid, and astonishingly, when the first communication took place from Europe to America. Since those first undersea telegraph cables, we've moved onto undersea telephone cables and more recently, onto fibre optic cables capable of carrying our beloved internet vast distances.
Time for another exciting unboxing session. The first 2019 unboxing, featuring a huge assortment of both retro and modern goodies. As usual, a huge thank you to everyone who sent things in; it's hugely appreciated.
Come thrift with me, for a new season of thrifting, or bargain hunting/charity shopping as we call it in the UK (we still don't really have a single word for it, so it's only a matter of time until we ALL call it thrifting). It's the start of car boot season and so what better way to spend the weekend than getting up at 7am to trudge around damp fields in the cold, searching frantically for retro items. In more exciting news, I find a stationery shop whose owner seems to think that it's still 1994, by selling a 486 PC like it's brand new technology. Now you don't see that everyday.
Street Fighter 2 on the Commodore 64? Nah mate, you must be having a laugh. But yet, in 1992, Street Fighter II: The World Warrior did indeed land on the humble 8 bit system, along with the ZX Spectrum and *almost* Amstrad CPC. This video takes a look at the Creative Materials SF2 versions, released by US Gold, with an emphasis on the Commodore 64 release. It then explores how this version came to be and the story of what went wrong. Also, we also take a look at a new version of Street Fighter 2 in development for the C64 by Paco. NICE.
As I write this, it's the Snooker World Championship 2019, so it seems an appropriate time to look at the evolution of snooker video games, starting back in 1984 and ending with Snooker 19, the new game which looks like it *could* be a worthy competitor.
Play Expo Manchester 2019. It's a lonely place when there's no one there. Also featuring DJ Slope falling off stage and hitting the deck.
The Aura Interactor Cushion. It's here. The future of VR and ALL gaming. Although, really, it's the past of gaming... it's from 24 years ago, and you might not actually agree it IS the future. But I had a blast with this piece of virtual reality enhancing hardware. From the era when there were literally thousands of products designed to "enhance" our gaming experience. As the younger sibling of the Aura Interactor Vest, this is something to behold.
Bitmap Books. That's what I'm looking at today; Books filled with bitmaps. Filled with glorious pixel artwork. Filled with nostalgia. I was sent these last year, so this video serves to both highlight these glorious tomes AND ease my conscience about hanging onto them for free. If you want to grab a copy of any of the books shown, then links are below;
Join myself and Octav1us on a retro road trip, as we go and retrieve a mysteriously labelled "Amiga Console", from the middle of the United Kingdom, after winning an online auction. We have no idea what this so called "console" is, or what accessories it is supplied with. This is our quest, it is also our punishment. We also find a few unique goodies on the way, including some information about a game called, Black Dawn 7.
Yes, there is a Chernobyl Game, even if at it's release in 1987, it was named in somewhat poor taste. It's one from a collection of Nuclear Reactor Games / Nuclear Reactor Simulators / Power Plant Simulators / Nuclear Power Plant Games released over the years, which also help to explain how Nuclear Energy works. The Chernobyl game also, handily, is included in this episode, featuring Scott Manley explaining the workings of a nuclear reactor, and me taking a look at Nuclear Reactor games from the 1980s onwards. Titles include the rather dubiously named Chernobyl for the Commodore 64, Reactor for the Atari VCS, Reactor for the ZX Spectrum, Chain Reaction for the C64 and SCRAM for the Atari 8 bit series.
Let's take a look at the evolution of tennis video games, starting with the 1958 Tennis for Two and ending with what our current generation of consoles has to offer.
Stranger Things 3: The Game is here, and so, armed with my Nintendo Switch, and a deep sense of nostalgia towards isometric games, I thought I'd give it a whirl. It's strange because, other than a mobile game in 2017, I can't remember seeing a previous Stranger Things Game. Still, let's delve in.
Brand New Sega Megadrive unboxing. I could call it a Sega Genesis unboxing, but that would be technically false. But anyway, Yes! You heard it, I picked up a brand new old stock Sega Mega Drive at auction, and I'm going to break those 30 year old seals to reveal the treasure within. Hold onto your waste packets for some retro unboxing asmr action, of the best kind. PRISTINE I tell ye. PRISTINE.
Sonic the Hedgehog may be regarded by most as the first and original Hedgehog platformer, but that's not taking Spiky Harold into consideration. A challenging and original platform game for the ZX Spectrum, Commodore 64, Commodore Plus/4 and Amstrad CPC, which may *just may* have given inspiration to Yuji Naka.... possibly.... perhaps.... at a stretch.
A new mini arcade machine arrives. Yes, another 1/4 scale arcade machine has arrived from Numskull designs. This time the almighty Galaga get's the treatment. I explore whether this quarter sized critter is any good, or whether you should keep your hard earned bucks for something else. Also, we might as well take a brief look at the history of Galaga, because that's related. Oh, and let's work out how to pronounce Galaga whilst we're here, that's always fun.
Ever since I laid eyes on these wondrous cyberpunk like machines in the 90s, I was captivated. Huge pod like booths, connected to massive, bright headsets seemed like the future; Virtual Reality seemed like the future. In a way it was, because W Industries and Virtuality created something pretty staggering for the 90s. Here was VR which worked, it was immersive and even better, it was affordable, meaning arcades, leisure centres and theme parks were quick to get their own pods installed. So join me on a personal quest of enthralment, as I look at the company and machines behind the original Virtual Reality boom of the 1990s.
Ever wondered how we got hold of cartridge ROMs in the 90s? How they were originally extracted? Well, usually it was through a device like the Super Magic Drive. This little unit hooked up to a floppy drive and not only allowed you to "backup" cartridge ROMs to floppy, but also load those floppy ROMs back into the console. This was useful for development purposes as well as for PIRACY. A lawsuit linked to the devices was inevitable, but rather than being aimed at it's manufacturer, someone else took the brunt...
You remember the 1990s? Surely? The early world wide web. The time when the internet was young, fresh and unfettered. When someone with enough hacking acumen could log onto the largest search engine of the time and plaster it with their thoughts and feelings. What a time to be alive. I miss those times, so I thought we could spend a little bit of time exploring some forgotten website h@cks of those early, tentative and security lacking days. Join me, as we explore what happened to sites such as Yahoo.com, JurassicPark, the Spice Girls and many, many more. GOOD TIMES.
Costing 43,000 Yen, or roughly $400 at the time (now approximately $800), this is the Sharp Famicom Titler. An NES/Famicom combined with a Genlock system, so that you can edit videos, or combine other input sources, 1989 STYLE.
Critic reviews start at 6:38; The Megadrive Mini / Genesis Mini is here. In fact, it has now been here a while, but FINALLY I have got round to looking at it. But as normal, I'm more concerned with the past than the present, so I thought we could look at the Megadrive Mini / Genesis Mini games, and find out exactly what critics thought at the time. After all, there are plenty of Genesis Mini reviews. So let's delve back to the 1990s and see how much fuss these titles actually caused, let's look at the excitement, let's feel the energy surrounding them, rather than just plodding through like a disjointed ghost of Christmas past.
MGA Entertainment, otherwise known as Micro Games of America, produced a lot of electronic devices over the years, some were imported, some were not. But its devices like the Game Wizard, masquerading as something better, something bolder, which really grab my attention. These cartridge taking machines look like a Gameboy, but the question is, are they anything like a Gameboy?
Hugo the Troll, remember him? Well, if you're from Europe, probably, if you're from the UK, maybe, if you're from Brazil, almost definitely, North America? Maybe not so much. But Hugo the Troll was a sensation back in the 90s, in fact, his game was one of the first game streaming experiences, as a player controlled Hugo via. the phone, and we gazed in amazement at our TV sets. Appearing on Saturday morning TV such as What's Up Doc, I take a little look at his history in this video, before committing to the Christmas edition of Hugo; Hugo's Christmas Calendar. That's right, this might be a Hugo the Troll based video, but it's also time to kick off this year's advent calendar.
It's that time again, the time is the time for mail box time, or as us British folks call it, post time. That's right, here's the entire hoard of goods that you've sent me in the past 6 or 7 months. Ranging from retro games of delight, to cartridges that enable the Jaguar to play any game from it's library, this is one hella haul. Thank you to everyone who has sent items in, and now if you wouldn't mind, here are links to some of the items which have been sent in;
Here's a story that started in 1989, with Microsoft's alliance with IBM, and their joint OS/2 venture. But it would lead to an Antitrust case waged against Microsoft in 1998 by the United States Government. At the core of this case was Microsoft's Internet Explorer, and the way it had been rammed into Windows '95, in order to crush the competition of Netscape Navigator. It's a story that the media followed intently, and I felt it was time to re-tell it, and just refresh our memories.
JUST in time for Christmas eve; Die Hard, one of the best Christmas movies of all time (if you have decided it to be a Christmas movie), but how about the game. I'm not talking about Die Hard Arcade or even Die Hard Trilogy for the PlayStation, noooo, I'm talking about Die Hard for the Commodore 64, released in 1990 by Activision. Let's delve into this festive feat. for the senses.
It's 2020, and what better way to begin the year than adding to all the other game room and retro game room tours that come out at this time. This is actually a behind the scenes video that I've been meaning to make for a while, and so I've included a progression of my studio/office since my channel began, or at least, since it was relevant, back in 2015. My office space is also housed in the same building as Did You Know Gaming and Ashens, in what I'll describe as a "Youtuber paradise". Find out how that came to be and then you can decide whether the description is accurate within.
Today's video is all about IBM PC Compatibles, and more significantly the Sanyo MBC-550/MBC-555 computers, which changed the this compatible world for the better, back in 1983. You see, before this Sanyo machine, it was unthinkable to buy an IBM PC or IBM PC Compatible for less than $1k. But Sanyo flipped the market on it's head, by doing just that. Let's take a look at the history of this impressive machine, and then get to grips with it ourselves.
Back in 1994, Intel launched a programme called The Journey Inside: The Computer, for schools in the USA and Canada. Today, I'm exploring one of those kits from 1998, including Teacher's Guide, Video Tapes and the incredible Chip Kit, containing all kinds of exciting gubbins.
Yes, the Netherlands. Holland. The Dutch. It's all more or less the same. But, did you know that the Dutch are responsible for a wide array of fabulous computers. Some massive, some small, but all, INCREDIBLY interesting. It's for that reason, Octav1us and I took a trip to the Home Computer Museum in Helmond (which is in the Netherlands), to see these wonderful creations and to learn how the Dutch do the Computering. Creations include the Compudata Sorcerer, Tulip Computers, the Dai Computer, the Tulip System one and the incredible Aesthedes 2: Good god, what a thing.
The ZX Spectrum Next. After a Kickstarter all the way back in 2017, it's finally here. Let's take look at this modern take, on an absolute classic.
It's like an episode of Hoarders, and it's time for the hoarders clean up...From Horror to Harmony. That's the mission for organising my studio/retro games room/office. This is really a vlog featuring the efforts of Octav1us and I, to restore some kind of order to my working environment. Because it's condition was one that was seriously hampering video output. Hopefully this transformation will clear a new path.
The IBM NetVista X40 is a truly icon PC from the year 2000. It not only looks amazing, but it heralded in a new era of IBM streamlining, where home PC marketing was brought inline with business PC marketing. The NetVista line was the result, and those who watched TV in the early 00's will likely remember seeing adoring backgrounds of shows at the time. It's so iconic, that 20 years later, HBO's watchmen decided to use it as part of canon. Watch this video for the backstory and a look around this curious, but iconic machine.
Computers! They're amazing, right? But they have changed over the years. At one point they were a beige box that sat under the monitor, and now, they're not. Where did all the beige boxes go?
So, remember that PC I bought from a stationery shop about a year ago. Just sitting in the shop window, like a brand new PC. The only difference being, the hardware was from 1994. Well, it's time to crack open that PC and find what's lurking inside.
If lockdown is getting to you, then how about you open up the fairway with PC Golf; a classic interactive golf adventure from Sports Sciences Inc., which came with a REAL golf club, sensor, game and most importantly... ACRES of fun?!.... actually I'm lying, well about the "fun" bit anyway.
GeoCities, the hosting service that sparked a wealth of early internet development, creation and creativity. In this episode I'm going to explore this early internet phenomenon. I'm going to look at the history of GeoCities and then delve into the archive of sites which remain available to view and navigate.
It's time to get ACTIVE, like an Athlete, with Computer Athlete for IBM PC Compatibles running MS-DOS. Yes. Yes. I've spent far to long sitting in front of my computer recently, so I thought I'd sit in front of my computer a little longer, but this time on an exercise bike! Welcome to the zany world of CSA's Computer Athlete, from 1995.
If you walk to the point where Elm Hill meets Prince's Street, in Norwich, and look down, you'll find a prehistoric looking fossilised keyboard in the pavement. How did this "pavement keyboard" get here, and what purpose does it serve?
The History of USB; So many USB plugs, so little time. Take USB Mini-B, what happened to that? What happened to USB Mini-A, Why did we move on from USB Micro-B? Why did USB C supersede USB Micro-B? So many USB questions, so little time.
Welcome to the world of PIPE symbols, vertical lines and bars. Why are there two pipe symbols on a computer keyboard? Why are there two vertical lines on keyboards? Why does a solid line produce a broken line? ASCII? What does Ascii and character sets have to do with this? Why is the bar broken? Why is it no longer broken? What does ANY of this mean. Find out within (disclaimer: this video might actually confuse you more than you are right now).
Remember the days when you had to define a separate music card and sound card for DOS games? When your mate's Wavetable Soundblaster AWE32 was the bees knees? When you had a vast collection of .MID files to listen to? Ahhh, the days of MIDI. What happened to those days? Where did FM Synth and Wavetable cards disappear to? Let's delve in.
VTech Computers have always utterly fascinated me. Ever since they started appearing in Argos Catalogues, I was like... What is that? What do they do? Are they real computers?... Well, I plan on answering all of those questions here, as I explore an array of VTech machines, from the PreComputer 1000, to the dizzy heights of the VTech Endeavour, and the disappointing lows of the VTech Vapor (clearly the 80s were better).
I don't know why I get curious about these questions. But here I am, trying to run old computer viruses, DOS Malware and other such malicious code on Windows 10. I thought we could first take a look at some malware from the 80s and 90s, before trying to get it to run on a modern PC. Then it seems a natural progression to run as many of these malicious files as possible and see if it is indeed possible to take down a Windows 10 PC using just DOS Malware.
The Sinclair ZX Spectrum James Bond 007 Action Pack; a bit of a mouthful (no crude Bond jokes here pls). Released in 1990 by Amstrad, this was a computer and game bundle which pushed the ZX Spectrum technology into the 90s, and in doing so, actually did something even more drastic; it rewrote the story-line for James Bond's The Living Daylights. It may not be canon, but the whole pack, and the way it went about things is both a curious tale, and an interesting thing to inspect. So let's delve in.
Tiger LCD games; we're all familiar with those. Handheld games which offer brief moments of distraction, but did you know that Tiger actually made deluxe versions of these games in tabletop format. The outcome is, as you'd expect, ridiculous and absurd, so I felt like it was time to look a the 3 main culprits. Afterburner, Outrun and Batman.
Ahhh, yes, the NES, a think of blocky curiosity. On the bottom of the NES is a rectangular insert, and behind that lies, well, an expansion slot. This video explores the NES expansion slot as well as some of the rumours surrounding it.
You may have heard of Backmasking, or Backwards Masking. This is where messages are hidden within songs (usually on vinyl), which when reversed, will reveal themselves. Well, could the same occur for computer code? Computer games? Let's try loading some code backwards and see if anything reveals itself. Then maybe, try some more realistic ways of finding some hidden computer code, in a fashion similar to backmasking.
In the 90's Intel released a kit designed for schools called, Journey Inside: The Computer. It consisted of a practical experiment chip set, a guide book and a set of video tapes. It's clear however, that Intel's ambitions were more lofty than pure education, so they also created a full IMAX Feature Movie and released it in selected US cinemas. It then made its way onto VHS for our home viewing (dis)pleasure. So what is this movie? Was it any good? and what was the plot line? All these questions and more, are answered within, as you join me on a viewing session through the film.
Viruses have been with us for decades. But what about virus hoaxes? At one point our inboxes seemed more rife with warnings than we knew what to do with. All these seemingly problematic messages doing the rounds, some which would destroy our computer simply if we read the text on screen! Well let's explore some of them, including;
So, I've got a Polybius cabinet... it's just smaller. You can jump on the KickStarter at https://nnerd.es/Polybius, and bag yourself your very own quarter scale Polybius arcade machine. The guys at Numskull are excellent chaps, so the hope is this video tips them over the funding goal.
I often ask myself; why have I been thinking about DoubleSpace and DriveSpace for almost 30 years. I have no answer. It's why I make these videos. It's why I'm talking today about why Drivespace replaced Doublespacce in Microsoft DOS 6.22, and why Microsoft creating Doublespace actually led to a lawsuit with a company called Stac Electronics. Did Microsoft STEAL their technology? Let's delve in.
There was once a piece of code, buried deep within Windows, designed to detect competitor operating systems, and upon finding them, CRASH... or at least, make the user feel like something was seriously wrong. This was Microsoft's attempt to truly kill Digital Research's DR-DOS, and although it worked, it wasn't long until the true nature of Microsoft's practices was uncovered.
PKWare, PKZIP, PKUNZIP, these are all names which mean something significant to me. For most of the 90s, the PK tools were probably the most frequently used in my toolbox. Compressing Doom from my mate's PC across several floppy disks, creating my own VB installers, downloading data from bulletin boards or the early internet. It was an essential compression/decompression tool. But, the story of its origins is a little more tarnished than perhaps you would expect. If you've hard of SEA and their ARC file format, you might already know. Let's dive in.
Oh god, it's that time again. The time where I've let too much post build up, and decide to open it all in one go. We've got stuff I bought here, as well and stuff I've been sent. So big thank you to anyone who sent something in. Links for products, etc are below.
Well, well, well, if it isn't a Halloween video, of sorts. The Halloween Documents, as they are known, consist of various leaked documents from Microsoft (and those connected with the company), regarding their fears and concerns around Open Source Software in the late 90s (mainly Linux). As well as being packed with frightful suggestions, and abject fear about what a free OS could do to their market domination, the Halloween documents offer yet an interesting (and somewhat damming) view into Microsoft's marketing tactics during these years.
Game watches, game watches, game watches, legend has it, that if you say this 3 times into a mirror, one will magically appear on your wrist. Legend also has it, that you may become so infuriated with the game, that it gets smashed in seconds. However, there were actually decent game wrist watches, and the history of this gaming medium is both interesting and colourful. Join me, as we begin in 1977 and journey though the Casio Game 10, the GCE Game Time, Nelsonic game watches and of course, Tiger's offerings.
Dot matrix printers, you remember; they've actually been around in some form since the 1920s, but really became a useful consumer product in the 70s. Remember that screeching sound bursting out of your corner desk whilst a piece of homework, or your freshly composed CV thrashes its way out of a print head? Well, thankfully dot matrix printers were also useful for printing dirty great banners, for all the best parties you could imagine. So, in this video, armed with a brand new Epson LX350 dot matrix printer, I will perform the duty of bringing the banner back for 2020.
So, the Mega 65 is here. If we're counting the days since the Commodore 65 prototypes, it has been a long time coming, but this "Mega 65" is so much more than the Commodore 65 was intended to be. This is a complete machine, a whole machine, and although this is only the Mega 64 Dev Kit, it gives us a very firm taste of what the complete machine will hold. Let's dive in.
So here's something interesting, a laptop (or notebook if you prefer), that could actually save your life. Once used in the medical industry, this Epson ActioNote had a very specific purpose, and it still comes tooled up with all its kit. But I guess importantly, as well as all of that, does it run Doom?
The AtGames Arcade Legends Ultimate arcade machine is a thing. It's a thing of size. It's a thing of MDF. It's a thing of plastic. It's a thing of potential joy. But the question is how much joy? Is this thing any good? Have AtGames actually created something that's decent? Something worth paying £799 for? Perhaps? Perhaps they've known how to do it all along.
So then, the festive period is upon us. Christmas. The Holiday Season. Which for many of us will mean mandatory viewing of The Snowman, by Raymond Briggs. Originally brought to TV in 1982, it made its way to PC CD-ROM some twenty years later. So what does it have in store?....
So, I thought this would make a cheery, easy going video to roll in 2021, but as it turns out, this Fake PS5 had more hidden beneath the skin than I first thought. In fact, was the PS5 actually ripped off from this horror console, rather than the other way around?? Maybe the PlayStation 5 is the REAL fake in this instance.
ZX Spectrum owners will be more than familiar with Jetpac. A game by the phenomenal Stamper Brothers released by Ultimate Play the Game. But GameBoy owners will be less familiar with Super JetPak DX, mainly because it has only just been released. However, this excellent little title was originally written way back in 1999 for the GameBoy Color. So why the delay, and what's it like now it's here? Let's investigate.
Things have changed since Doom, even Doom 2016, so much so, that the retro FPS is back, but there are SO. MANY. RETRO FPS. GAMES. Seriously, when I started out on this mission, I didn't expect to uncover such a treasure trove of retro style FPS games. I expected games like Dusk, Amid Evil even Hellbound for sure, but the rabbit hole is much much deeper my friends, and it's glorious. Join me on this voyage of discovery as I examine (at least) 30 retro inspired FPS titles. Beautiful
Johnny Castaway. ScreenAntics. The Adventures of Johnny Castaway, or simply The Castaway. If you know this supreme screensaver published by Sierra Online in 1992, regardless of how you say it, then you should also know that it was the greatest screensaver ever made. If you don't, then, well, you're wrong (or simply have your own opinion which is completely subjective and therefore absolutely dandy as well).
Last month, I had the opportunity to purchase a car from 1990, a Renault 19 TSE. It's a car model that has a lot of nostalgia for me, and indeed I've been was fascinated by them since the 80s. So it seemed the perfect opportunity to make a video about it. Little did I know that it would turn out to be almost an hour long.
Please note, these games use *FLASHING LIGHTS*. It was bound to happen eventually. I couldn't get away with it forever. VHS Gaming. It was inevitable. The Action Max, Video Challenger, Hasbro Control Vision/NEMO, ViewMaster Interactive Vision, Sega Video Driver and everything inbetween. It's all here, and I've had to endure it. So I thought I'd dive in with the key question: How it conned us, and what I mean by that is; how any of these "game consoles" convinced us that they were something worth dabbling with in the first place.
The 90s and 00s demoscene was filled with incredible sights & sounds for the senses, but none more incredible (in my opinion) than kkrieger; a playable 3D FPS that compacts into just 96KB created by German demo group Farbrausch (theprodukkt). I'm fascinated by this, so it was amazing to get the chance to speak to some of the developers and designers of this monumental release and find out just how and why it was made.
Welcome to the world of Piepacker, an online service that allows you play retro games over the internet with friends, and using something called the PieReader, to actually play NES, SNES and Genesis/Mega Drive cartridges on your PC and through the internet. You can even bring your own digital ROMs, if you have them! What a time to be alive.
A game that combines the fantastical lands of Golden Axe with the gameplay style of Gauntlet you say? Well, apparently that's Battle Axe. Let's take a look and see if that holds up. Including a look at the ultimate physical edition.
A huge thanks to everyone else who has sent items in for this post/mail unboxing video. Please check out the links below for more information on each;
It's been about 2 years since we embarked on a good old fashioned Great British Bargain Hunt. So I decided to get my thrifting hat on and venture to Arminghall car boot sale and the Poringland village garage sale. Join us for retro tech thrifts of obscene glory with a haul that would make Thrift Man Slice happy.
IBM are famous for many computers, primarily the IBM PC. But the PS/2 line is interesting one. Mainly because it tried to do so much, but perhaps accomplished so little. It's for this reason that the IBM PS/2 Laptop is less well known than the more successful ThinkPad. But it contributed more to the ThinkPad thank you might think.
Here's a concept that my kids are fascinated with, and by extension, also me: Liminal spaces, liminality, and specifically here, liminal spaces in games. But, then I've always been fascinated by liminal spaces, and the feeling they bring; a kind of nostalgic disconnected anxiety, but until recently, I didn't realise there was a name for these spaces. So what better way to explore them than through the vessel of retro games.
Finally, some 30 years on from his last outing Alex Kidd is back, in a remake of Alex Kidd in Miracle World, titled Alex Kidd in Miracle World DX. So no dramatic change there. The question is, does the game itself have any dramatic changes, or is this just a quick rehash of the Miracle World we knew and ̷h̷a̷t̷e̷d̷ loved. In this episode, I'll take a look at Alex Kidd history, as well as opening up the Signature Edition games box set and then looking in detail at the new game itself. Does it hold up, or is it a floaty, frustrating piece of nonsense?
It has always surprised and intrigued me that titles like Street Fighter 2, Mortal Kombat and Pit Fighter made it onto 8 bit micros, like the ZX Spectrum, C64, Master System, NES. These 8 bit consoles just weren't made for the fast fighting pace of 90s fighting games, and it shows. In this video, I explore the world of crappy ports of arcade fighting games.
Commodore, a brand that has been with us for decades. As synonymous with computing as ICL or IBM, but almost universally loved. Commodore brought us the C64, the SX64, the Commodore Amiga, The Commodore PET Smartphone... WHAT. Yes, in 2015, a company known as Commodore Business Machines released a Commodore branded smartphone, and then seemingly vanished. This video explores what happened with that Smartphone before finding out what the company are doing these days, having announced a new "computer product" called the GK64 (Gaming Keyboard afaik). But wait, there's more, it's not even clear that this company own the Commodore brand rights. Plus ANOTHER company has emerged called Commodore Engineering who seem to be going down the same path. Are these rip off brands up to no good, or are they genuinely trying to offer us something connected to the Commodore brand that we know and love? Join me for a rollercoaster.
Windows 95 landed like no operating system. The marketing was insane. The events were insane. The hype was insane.... and it almost felt a bit insane to find Weezer's Buddy Holly music video on the CD-ROM version as well. What was it doing there? Why was it doing there?
There have been some fantastic arcade racers over the years.... Outrun, Turbo Outrun, Chase HQ, SCI, Hard Drivin'... I could go on. Many of these games were ported across to home micros such as the ZX Spectrum, MSX, Amstrad CPC, even NES... but sometimes, things didn't turn out as well as everyone had hoped.
Welcome to a review of Dread Templar (previously known as Hell Hunt); a game that is so much like Quake that you might even think you are playing Quake.... You do remember Quake, right? Of course you do, otherwise you wouldn't be here. Well, with the influx of recent Throwback FPS games, you might be at a loss at which one is most similar to id's 3D classic. Well, search no more, because Dread Templar is here.
Back when Microsoft had just released Windows 95, their minds were definitely not on consoles. In fact, Microsoft wanted Windows to be the gaming platform of choice, for everyone; PlayStation, Saturn, N64 or DOS gamers alike. So they set out on a campaign to get people switched over. This involved a smear campaign against their prior OS, a haunted house filled with lewd obscenities, two discs filled with games, and various statements advising people "Don't Buy a Console"
The Million Dollar HomePage was possibly, the most brilliant, yet simple internet idea ever. Conceived in 2005 by Alex Tew, milliondollarhomepage.com represents the perfect piece of viral marketing, and one that still exists. I did some digging, collected some research, and during the process, managed to buy a piece of this important piece of internet history.
PLEASE BE AWARE, THERE ARE SOME FLASHING IMAGES WITHIN. So then, we've covered racers and fighters, so let's look at arcade rail shooters, and some of the less than reasonable ports they received. It should be noted that some of these games are reasonable in their efforts, but a rail shooter on a 80s/90s home console rarely ever resulted in a joyful experience. Let's go shootin'
Think back to Bad Influence Series 3, episode 13. It was aired on CITV, on 1st December 1994, and it featured an array of things; a 32X, Sega Saturn, but most curiously a Scorpion XVI, otherwise known as a Sega Scorpion or Scorpion 16. This Sega Mega Drive & Genesis clone console was such an unexpected and mysterious artefact, that it stuck in my mind for years to come, and I wasn't the only one. But just as suddenly as it appeared, it vanished, without a trace. So, let's get to the bottom of this mystery and take a look at a Scorpion console, in the flesh.
Time for some Thrifting UK Style! Today's destination was AYLSHAM, at the Late One. A car boot that is, well... late. So that suits me! Of main note here are the Baoding Balls (Chinese worry balls) that I collected, along with a rather nice Sony Vaio neon red laptop. Mmmmmm, neon red. The usual crap here of course, but then, it is a British Car Boot Sale!
In 1996, HP Released a new range of Mopier Printers, and shortly after followed MopyFish, otherwise known as Mopy, or the Fish from Big Brother. These are all names you might be familiar with; probably because in the 90s or 00s, you had a virtual pet fish called MopyFish. That's interesting enough in itself, but Mopy's conception is also an interesting affair, involving Mopier Printers and HP. LET'S DELVE.
You've heard of John Rambo, but have you heard of RAMBO TV GAME? The greatest and latest (of 1994) console to grace this planet? If you were after a true console powerhouse in the 90s, then forget the Saturn, the PlayStation, even the almighty Atari Jaguar (yes, I did say that). Because the Rambo TV Game is here to blow you away.
Well if this isn't a Halloween video, I don't know what is!... If there's one thing that freaked me out, that HORRIFIED me as a child, it was the ending for Double Dragon; specifically the 2 player ending. Where instead of going on your way, joyful upon completing your quest, you instead have to batter the living hell out of your brother, in order to "get the girl".... WHAT?! What was this all about. Well in this slightly feverish episode (I wrote and edited the script whilst suffering from Covid), I delve into the meaning of this ending, and how it affected us all.
In 1984 something strange happened in the village of Dodleston. A BBC Micro was sitting on a counter, when it suddenly started receiving mysterious messages, which appeared to come from the 16th century. This might have gone unnoticed had local teachers, Ken Webster and Peter Trinder, not investigated to find that information was so accurate, it would be almost impossible to fake. This whole event was documented in the book "The Vertical Plane", published in 1989. But here, tonight, we investigate deep to find out exactly what this is all about.
Back in the 1980s, the Computer Literacy Project and the government's campaign to get Micros in schools, turned the UK upside-down. As children, no longer were classrooms a place of paper and chalkboards; now we had technology in the corner, namely, the BBC Micro (for most schools, at least). But along with the iconic, sturdy lines of the BBC Micro, there was another piece of kit ever present, and that was the Microvitec Cuc 452. Where-ever the BBC went, the Microvitec Cub went, and so, UK kids in teh 80s were brought up, in part, by these screens. Learning to type through them, learning to game through them, and learning to develop through them. We really spent a lot of time looking at them, and for that reason, they're incredibly important.
Back in 1989, two companies had an excellent idea; To create a CD full of games, that could then load on 8 bit machines like the ZX Spectrum and Commodore 64. Rainbow Arts was first up, with the 1st CD-Edition, swiftly followed by the Codemasters CD Games Pack. So let's look at the history of both and find out why we weren't flooded with 8 bit CD Gaming.
This is the type of game console that you hear as an urban legend, a myth. A tale told only by those who asked for a Konix Multisystem for Christmas 1989, but never received one. But this console did exist, and it was incredibly close to launch. The Konix Multisystem was such a novel and impressive games console that it actually could have changed gaming forever, had the Japanese not been so terrified of it. Join me, as we delve into the story of this unreleased, cancelled, forgotten console; The Konix Multi System.
It's been a while! Good to see you again. Today I thought we could take a look at the 3D glasses of the early 00s'. Namely the X-3D Extreme 3D System and eDimensional E-D Glasses, which tried to conquer the PC gaming world with shutter technology, but failed... thankfully without being sold with the Nintendo Wii. That wold have been terrible on so many levels.
The humble computer mouse. It's an item we take for granted. We use it to navigate around our GUI. But there's an altogether darker use for the mouse, a use that may have slipped us by, but could have easily changed our lives for the worse (or better, depending on the outcome). In this video, I explore promotional novelty mice, and their effect on our lives.
Bert is Evil. Bert is Evil. Bert is Evil. Fortunately, saying it three times doesn't conjure Bert into your living room, but it does instil a sense of dread for anyone who witness Bert on the news, back in 2001, being paraded around in anti-American protests. But the story of Bert is Evil is much deeper than that, and begins way back in 1996 with FractalCow. So, let's get stuck in.
Max Headroom was a legendary AI character from the 80s. In 1987 however, a somewhat more controversial version of him appeared on Chicago TV at 9:14pm. Rather than a comedic and exaggerated host, this version was a weirdly unsettling hijacker, and the incident became known as the Max Headroom Incident. This hack/hijack/intrusion is something that has fascinated me for years, so here, I decided to cover the whole debacle.
Malware, computer viruses and computer worms are rife. They're so rife that antivirus software is now standard on Windows operating systems, and we're routinely advised to upgrade to something more "secure". But the origin of the computer virus, of computer worms may surprise you, because it wasn't actually from a malevolent desire at all. It was in fact born out of intrigue and the desire to actually help productivity, rather than destroy it. In this episode I'm exploring the Creeper Worm; created by Bob Thomas and Ray Tomlinson back in the 70s. But alongside Creeper, I'm also looking at Reaper, and a slew of other computer worms that were created by Xerox in the early 80s. Because without Creeper, Reaper and Xerox, our computing landscape would look very different today.
Recently I found myself at Gamescom in Cologne, Germany. Now Gamescom 2022 is the largest gaming convention in Europe, so it contains a lot of wonders. But one of the things that stood out was a bunch of Sega Electro Mechanical arcade machines nestled about. Now these machines are from the 60s and 70s, but are still great fun to play. They're also incredibly impressive, so let's take a look at gamescom2022 whilst taking a focus on these impressive machines.
Hello Darkness my Old Friend...and by that, I mean Hello Yahoo! Chat my old friend. You see, back in the 90s, Yahoo Chat sprang onto the scene, and it caused quite a commotion. For many, this was their first introduction to the world of chat rooms, and finding yourself suddenly in one was quite an experience. So we're going to take a dive into Yahoo!, Yahoo Chat, Yahoo Pager and, of course, Yahoo Pager to see just what those glory chat days held, and that sadly, includes much of the horror that it included.
Any fan of classic computing or retro gaming will have faced the "monitor" dilemma. Which screen is best for the various systems you have? Well to answer that call is this potential new monitor from Checkmate; A Retro Styled Modular IPS Display for old and new systems. Let's take a closer look at it before it's too late.
In 1993 screen shots of a game started appearing which promised to be the best fighting game ever made, if not, the greatest game ever made. The hype was insane.... That game was called Rise of the Robots, and although it was initially designed for the Amiga, it quickly spread to about every other platform in sight. We had Rise of the Robots Amiga, Rise of the Robots Sega Genesis, Rise of the Robots SNES, Rise of the Robots CDi, Rise of the Robots 3DO, Rise of the Robots on PC, even Rise of the Robots on the Game Gear... of all consoles. The problem was, it turned out to be an absolute turd. They lied to us through the power of marketing. In this video, I'll explore the story and just why Rise of the Robots was such utter baubles.
In 1984 there existed a company called Imagine Software. They went under the label of Imagine The Name of the Game, and they developed lots of games for machines like the Commodore VIC-20, Sinclair ZX81 and ZX Spectrum. But their best known title is one which never actually got published. It's a game that has become legendary for it's hype and promised offerings. That game was called Bandersnatch, and just like it's Netflix spinoff, the story of it is a whole world of adventure. So settle in and let's get ready to enter the Bandersnatch (whilst not forgetting Psyclapse), and see how it broke the dreams of an entire gaming generation.
Welcome to a video about the sea, a video about loss, a video about slot machines, a video about pinball machines. This is a historical look at gambling machines, the sea, pinball and the great pinball ban in America. It's journey, just make sure you have a lifeboat.
You might remember I visited the Home Computer Museum in The Netherlands a few years back. WELL, I went back, and I had a look at some of the finest exhibits this land has ever seen, including that MASSIVE Aesthedes computer!
Back in the 1970s, the first arcade games as we really know them emerged, since then they've come a long way, but shockingly, it only took until 1976 for an arcade game to emerge that was so disturbing that it was removed from arcades around the world. The game in question was Exidy's Death Race, and the newspapers, as you can imagine, had an absolute riot.
Warhammer 40K is a universe that has always fascinated me. It's so dark and visceral that you can barely look away. That's why games like Space Hulk, Deathwing and Space Marine have always drawn me in. So imagine my delight when Focus Entertainment told me that they were bringing out a Warhammer 40K Space Marine BOOMER Shooter, and that I could review it. Well, that's what we're here for; Warhammer 40: Boltgun. Let's get into it!
We all know about Spotify, Amazon Music and *insert other streaming services here*, but before all that, was Grooveshark. Grooveshark was streaming music before streaming music was even cool, but sadly, it didn't last long. Let's investigate that story.
let's talk about a game franchise that isn't talked about enough; DeltaForce. You see, Delta Force, and the Delta Force Games were instrumental to changing the world of FPS gaming as a whole, and in this video, we're going to explore why.
SQIJ SQIJ SQIJ. This video is about SQIJ... categorically, the worst game ever devised, and in this video we're going to explore exactly why that is.
Remember Hexen, Heretic, those early FPS games that brought us into a fantasy world for the first time? Well some of us couldn't get enough of it, and I was one. Thankfully, there are some developers out there who felt the same, and so we have games like Graven ~ An FPS Boomer Shooter that is completely inspired by Hexen and those early other titles. Let's get involved.
Arcades were an exciting yet mysterious place back in the 80s and 90s. All those glorious arcade games to play, yet, how did they get there? Who maintained them? How did this world of wonder actually work? Well, behind the scenes there was a lot going on, made easier by JAMMA cabinets. JAMMA arcade machines came with their quirks though, including secret games that we never actually got to play.
CRTs have always been special. That comforting glow late into the night, you can't quite beat it. So, it's about time we took a look at the biggest consumer CRT TV to ever grace our shores; The Toshiba 3787DB. At a whopping 37", it's vast, and it's currently sitting in the corner of Barcadia. So let's take a look, and see how vast this thing really is.
Aspect ratios! It's important. The world seemed to shift dramatically from 4:3 to 16:9 aspect, but the question I often ask is why? Why did we all do that? Like a bunch of zombies walking brainlessly towards the goal. It's kinda wrapped up in the swap from CRT screens to flat panel, but it's a little more intricate than that. So, let's investigate.
Screen resolutions have changed a lot over the years. We started out with a set number of horiztonal lines with early television, before jumping to digital and onto HD, but why oh why is HD 1080p? Why is that the resolution we settled for on both TV and computer?
In 1992 a virus threat rose up that had the world panicking. That virus was called The Michelangelo virus, and it was poised to knock out 5 million computers around the world. Only John McAfee could save us.
Sub notebook PCs or Ultra Mobile PCs (UMPC) were supposed to be the future. Tech was getting smaller, and it made sense for PCs to do the same. The Vulcan Flipstart was one of the machines which tried its best to change things, and with Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen behind it, people were hoping for something incredible. Thankfully, that's exactly what we got.
I happened to be playing around with an old 286 PC the other day, when I found a piece of software within that I really wasn't expecting to. Join me on this adventure that includes discussing 286 PCs in general, Hercules graphics, amber screens and that bit of interesting software stored within!
The Sega Master System was the console of choice for many Europeans (and some Americans) in the late 80s and early 90s, but for some people, IT STILL IS. IT NEVER WENT AWAY. So let's take a look at TecToy and the TecToy Master System Evolution; a Master System that you can STILL purchase today!
It's the perfect meme for the age... Mom, can we get Game Boy?... No, we have Game Boy at home... Because some of these knock offs were ATROTIOUS. Well, let's look at what those GameBoys looked like, how they played and how they made us feel. From the Watara SuperVision, to the Hartung GameMaster, Mega Duck and even the GameMate from Bit Corp.... Let's get down and dirty with these handhelds.
We've been waiting two years for the Checkmate Display to get here. I mean, I have at least, and now, I finally have my hands on a production model. So, in this video, I have a chat with Steve, the guy behind Checkmate, we take a look at the monitor and then I do a light bit of testing to make sure all is in order. By the way Steve is an absolutely lovely guy, I haven't been paid for talking about this product. I just think it's superb.
Think of the iconic video game consoles of the 80s, and you may not think of the Vectrex, but you should. The first vector based video game console, this thing was a work of art, and is just as much fun today as it was back in 1983.
The Mandela Effect is a term used to describe shared false memories, where large groups of people seem to remember something different to what history shows us. This can be an incident, a story, a logo, a name, a series of events; pretty much anything. The weird thing is, many people seem to have the same false memories. Why is this?
The Windows 95 Launch was nuts. Never before and never since would an Operating System create the kind of excitement and hype that Windows 95 did. This video explores exactly why and how.
The Trojan Room Coffee pot story is interesting, firstly, because it's a story about the first ever webcam. Secondly, because it's about a coffee pot that has been with us since the dawn of the internet, and to this day, remains with us. I thought it was such an interesting topic that I popped over to Germany to see it in the flesh, and then decided to interview the man responsible for bringing it to us in the first place. I hope you enjoy it as much as my round trip to make it :D
SmelloVision is a thing that never really made it, but arguably, it should have. In the late 90s various companies popped up offering devices for your PC that could emit scents and fragrances into your face. These companies were set to revolutionise the world of gaming and media, by drawing in another one of our crucial human senses. That company was called DigiScents and their product was called iSmell. In this video I talk to creator Joel Bellenson and find out exactly what happend and why we don't have DigiScents flying into our faces at this very moment.
Bush Hid the Facts is a problem with certain versions of Windows, which made text disappear, or turn into unreadable nonsense. It sparked outrage and concern because it seemed to have something to do with the then President, George W. Bush. Combined with the Microsoft Wingdings problem around the word Q33NY (if you know, you know) and things did not look good for Bill Gates.
Google, Google, Google. It's the place MOST of us go to when we need to search the web, these days. But back in the 90s, there were many search engines to choose from, and the choice was not always obvious. In this video, I look at the glory days of search, when AltaVista, Lycos, Excite!, Ask Jeeves, DogPile, InfoSeek and MSN were just some of the choices available. Such exciting times.
The original Donkey Kong Arcade Game is something of a genesis point for Nintendo. It was not only the birthplace of their most famous character, Mario, but also Donkey Kong as well. The thing is, Donkey Kong wasn't made to be a fantastic game, it was actually made solely because of another game, a game which doesn't really get talked about, and because of that, Donkey Kong was made in an impossibly short period of time.
On the Internetnet, Nobody Knows You're a Dog. Ever heard of it? Well, you should of. Illustrated by Peter Steiner, it's one of the most well known cartoons ever to appear in The New Yorker, and it's meaning is pretty profound.
Berzerk, an arcade game designed by Stern Electronics, was apparently responsible for three deaths during the 1980s. Jeff Dailey, Peter Bukowski and Edward Clark Jr. were all supposed victims to this intense arcade machine. In this video, I attempt to substantiate the facts and discover whether any of this is true.
Goodness gracious. Look where we are, the Heinz Nixdorf MuseumsForum in Paderborn, Germany! Why? Well to record a coffee pot, but also, it's an amazing computer museum, and actually the largest computer museum in the world. So here's a video about it. If you can, I'd recommend go taking a look.
Beat'em Ups were all the rage in the 80s, and in my opinion still are, but there were a lot which served us endings we really didn't deserve, or want. Let's take a look at some of the worst unexplained plot twists in the genre and then maybe take a cry in the corner.
In 1994, it seemed like something strange had happened with Microsoft. They were huge, powerful and about to launch Windows 95, but they had apparently, also, bought the Roman Catholic Church.