Things I miss Friday

I've never been much of a computer geek, but when people first starting getting computers in their homes (mid-1980s), I was lucky enough to be in a program at school that taught us BASIC and LOGO (both useless now, but cool at the time).  I really enjoyed using a computer and was super excited when my dad brought home an Apple IIc+. 

My brother, sister, and I played with this computer every day.  They were younger, though, and spent more time playing outside than I did (which is to say I spent almost no time outside).  Instead, I spent my time inside with a daring, intelligent, career-driven woman:  Carmen.

We had a whole slew of Carmen Sandiego games: Where in the World, Where in the USA, and Where in Time (that was a particularly challenging one).  We may have had another one, but those are the ones I played incessantly.

Remember the thrill of booting up the game and hearing the typing sounds of a new case coming through?  You would start out as a gumshoe and work your way up to a full detective (now that I think about it, it wasn't far off from the whole TA-to-full professor journey, ha).  Along the way, your knowledge of geography and history was tested.  The game didn't have the boundless stores of memory that games have now, though, so repeat information was not uncommon (but, I think, a helpful learning tool - there are probably still a bunch of facts about countries' top exports stuck in my brain somewhere). 

For me, current computer/video games just don't compare.  I don't want to shoot or chase things, drive a race car, play a professional sport, or slice someone to smithereens with a large sword.  Well, okay, I'll admit that once in a while I get a kick out of all of those.  They still do not compare, though, to sitting down at the old computer desk with a cold drink and booting up a detective game.  The police siren blared in the "background" and the typing started: here was your new case and travel plans.  As you went along your travels, you met interesting characters who just sort of sidled onto the screen.  It wasn't fast - in fact, I'd call it charming - and you were only competing against your own knowledge.  If a friend played with you, you played as a team, both sharing your knowledge and working together. Some time ago, I downloaded what was supposed to be Carmen Sandiego but I never got it to work; it totally bogged down my laptop, which shouldn't be the case with circa 1988 graphics and programming, so it clearly wasn't right. 

What I wouldn't give to get a copy of the 1980s version of these three games (World, USA, Time).  I don't think that's what my husband has in mind when he wishes I would play more video games, but these would be the games that would make me the happiest.  There is talk that it's coming out for the Nintendo DS.  A new release of the game makes me nervous because I don't want them to change absolutely anything about it.  I don't want new technology helping Carmen; I still want her to get faxes and use payphones.  I tend to trust Nintendo, though; they seem to have a fair respect for the historical accuracy of games.  I hope that the game (games?) is/are released for the DS and that they're worthy of the Carmen Sandiego title.