Holidays naturally bring out the inner kid in all of us, but matching that freewheeling spirit with a holiday like National Video Game Day? The effect is sure to be doubled! Since National Video Game Day falls on a Saturday this year, we should turn back the clock and spend the day geeking out like our childhood selves would love. I’m talking about indulging in a little junk food, staying up past our bedtimes, and basking in the fluorescent screens of our favorite video games.
My No. 1 video game of all time is, without a doubt, Pac-Man for the Atari 2600 home console. It was released in March 1982. I was 12. It didn’t look particularly pretty, and it played even worse – a blurry, jittery version of the arcade version you’d find at the corner pizza shop. But no matter. I remember exactly where I was the day it came out: with my father. We bought Pac-Man at a Caldor department store in Chelmsford, Mass. Before we went home to plug that cartridge into the Atari machine, we stopped off at the Hong & Kong Chinese restaurant. My mother was away on business, so it was just the two of us, a father and his only child. We ate fast; we drove home faster. And then we played Pac-Man all night long, gobbling up dots, fleeing ghosts – a couple of bachelors having a blast. That was 33 years ago. My dad is gone, and so is that Atari console and all of its games, especially Pac-Man. But man, that night will live forever.
If “gaming” (as us serious aficionados call it) wasn’t a part of your childhood it’s never too late to make some new memories. You can head over to the HSN Arcade and wet your feet with some of our awesome games. Here’s a top 5 list I definitely suggest trying!
Make those matches our face the wrath of Alu!
2. Monkey Gems
This is a super fun race-against-the-clock type game to wake up our animal instincts.
3. Trizzle
Who knew one could have so much fun with Russian nesting dolls?!
4. Bryx
A fun way to tweak those memory skills.
5. Peg Land
If you’re a pinball fan you’ll probably love this one!
If you feel like you’ve honed those quick reflexes to a new edge then I challenge you to put them to the test on Friday Night Game Night with me every week at 8pm EST!
What was your favorite childhood video game?