Thursday 5 April 2007

A Rock Star Ate My Hamster...

...perhaps my finest video game, was released either in 1988 or 1989 depending on which website you view. I'd certainly been working on it in 1988, but I think it first came out in 1989. The wikipedia entry suggests 1988, but it was a long time ago whatever fish you're frying.
I do remember that it was just about today in that year I found that the game had been 'taken off the shelves' of WH Smith and Boots the Chemist. That's banned to you and me.
I seem to remember that someone's father objected to a joke in the packaging (a spoof newspaper) which went something like 'Long John Silver 0 - Douglas Bader 0'. Douglas Bader was a war hero who lost both legs in a pre-war flying accident.
I think that the game was 'off the shelves' for a number of weeks, although one store did offer to sell it to me 'under the counter'. Hah. Condsidering some of the magazines which were on sale in Smiths at the time (firearms anyone?) I muttered inconsolably and saw love's labours lost. Easter was a good time for video game sales, as today's UK wii shortage shows to go, so I lost a few bob.
Eventually the game was reshelved without the newspaper insert. Was the world a better place? Were we saved by banning a few jokes? Were we f**k.

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