Vinyl Records Yield '80s Videogame Nostalgia

Thanks to Kempa.com for its weblog entry discussing music vinyl/cassettes released in the late 70's and early 80's that contained computer programs as part of the audio. The article explains: "Most of these programs were written for the Sinclair Spectrum home computer series... In the case of these programs on vinyl, the user would have to play back the proper portion of the record, record the resultant chatter to tape, and load the tape into the Spectrum." It goes on to showcase UK vinyl-based games from "rockabilly revivalist" Shakin' Stevens ("The goal of 'The Shaky Game' is to drive Shakin' Stevens' car to the center of a maze while avoiding bats, who bite you"), as well as a flexidisc adventure game starring '80s pop stars The Thompson Twins ("...a bizarre text-based adventure in which you guide the [band] around a land of beaches and caves.")

Comments

d00d, I 4m s00 1337!

[weeboo0104]

I overclocked my records to 78rpm!!!

Using Vinyl....

[metrazol]

I would like to say this is the dumbest thing ever described but... I was digging through some old stuff and found these odd clear plastic discs in some of my grandfather's stuff.

They were navigation data and his service records from the air force...on floppy translucent plastic discs. Took me about 20 minutes to stop laughing, but they held up! Not going to plop them onto my turntable though. Just proves that when you give people a popular medium, they'll try and stick anything they can on it. CDs used to be for music, remember?