MAMEWorld Forums - EmuChat - Re: [Q] Centipede only the first three scores in NVRAM?

> >> Yup... frustrated me as a kid a few months after it first came out. I had the high
> >> score at the corner liquor store for awhile...
>
> > Asteroids Deluxe is the same way. But my question is what is a kid doing in a liquor
> store?
>
>
> Mr. Do was probably tall enough back then and probably mistaken for an adult (partly
> kidding).

When Centipede and Mr. Do came out... not quite, I was still 10-11. I gotta think backwards here for a sec...

-- maxed out at 6'5" when I was 16
-- so I probably hit 6' when I was 14... 9th grade... sounds right
-- so probably hit average adult height of 5'9" when I was 12
-- either way... I was REAL skinny and looked like a dork back then, so probably still looked like a kid

> iirc, back in 1980s decade, a couple of liquor stores in my area had Spy Hunter (sit
> down/cockpit) version. I am pretty certain it was, but if not, then it was an
> upright. I rarely went in that liquor store. The other one that I went to more often
> had Tecmo Football iirc.

Yup... every little liquor store or corner market in my neighborhood had 2-4 video games during the early 80s. I frequented 6-7 different ones that were within bicycle distance to play various games, since each one had a different selection. Weekends and summer would be to make the bike ride to the mall to Bally's Great Escape in Lakewood. (Bummer side note... I was kinda "sheltered" back then... didn't know Los Cerritos Center even existed that whole time, so I never got to see the Time Out there until far past its heyday).

The store from the original post... that was closest, just a block from my house. I was a regular, and on good terms with the owner there. He offered me my first job. He needed to give his clerk a day off during the week, so I would fill the cold beer/soda box from 5pm-11pm each Saturday during the summer when I had just turned 15. Got paid $20 cash each night. And probably worth it to him, as I would put a good portion of that back in to the games each week anyway.

Also where I took my first bet. He knew I was good at Mr. Do (shoot, if I knew about things like Twin Galaxies back then, I could be listed as #5 today). He asked me if I had ever completely cleared the screen of everything before. Said no... he offered me $10 if I could do it. Got it first try.

RELAX and just have fun. Remember, it's all about the games.