You can find almost anything on the WWW. Yesterday, I was reading someone’s weblog and they mentioned the Commodore 64. This was not our first computer, but our second, after a VIC-20. We used it several years, before getting an XT, and passing the C-64, along with its software, to Jack’s youngest brother.
Of the software that ran on that computer I remember two programs. One was a Logo interpreter, and the other was an arcade style game. It was my favorite game, and it was the only game I could only consistently beat Jack at. For years, I remember the screens occasionally, but could never remembered the name, just that the publisher was Electronic Arts.
Seeing the mention of the C64, I decided to see if there was a site that would tell me the name of the game. I found c64.com, and searched by Electronic Arts. On the second page of results, I found my game “Realm of Impossibility.”
I recognized the opening screen, with the graphics that we thought were so fine at the time, and look so cheesy now. Then I noticed the little button “download game.” Surely not. I had vaguely known that people had written emulators for some of the old style games machines, but could I actually get one to work.
I downloaded an emulator called VICE. This was the second one I downloaded because I couldn’t figure out the first. A few minutes later I was staring at the opening screen of the game, and listening to the tinny music, which I recognized instantly. It took a while to figure out how to get the numeric key pad to work in lieu of a joystick, but I suddenly found myself playing the first level of the game.
You can find almost anything on the Internet….