Now That's What I Call Stuart's Favourite Music 81 - Kim Wilde - Kids in America

There are a few songs that instantly take me way back to my very young childhood, and Kim Wilde's Kids in America is one of them.  Specifically, this one reminds me of a local club my parents were members of and frequented often as a family (The Bluehouse Club, in Laindon). I guess they must have played it during one of our visits and that moment has been stuck in my head ever since.

Released way back on the 26th of January 1981, it was the debut single from Kim Wilde, taken from her self-titled first album, and peaked at number 2 in the UK Charts for two weeks

A great track, and another reminder of how great the music was in the 1980s.

Now That's What I Call Stuart's Favourite Music 77 - The Human League - Don't You Want Me

Here's another banger from the 1980s, Don't You Want Me was a chart-topping hit for The Human League back in 1981.  Released on the 27th of November of that year, it entered the charts at number eight before shooting to number one for the following five weeks, thus becoming the Official UK Christmas Number One of 1981.  It also became the biggest-selling hit of the year too, and possibly their best-known track.  Crazy considering lead singer Phil Oakey wasn't particularly pleased with it and had the song as the last track on side two of the album it came from - Dare.

It's a true electronic-synth classic and one of the early 1980s' most defining songs.  It definitely makes it on my list of favourite tracks.

Enjoy!

Now That's What I Call Stuart's Favourite Music 23 - Genesis (The Brazilian)

The 23rd song in my list of favourite songs is this little-known instrumental from UK rock band Genesis.  "The Brazilian", featured as the last track on their four-times platinum UK hit album Invisible Touch from 1986.

Name a Genesis song from the mid-1980s and most people will probably say Invisible Touch or Land of Confusion, but ask them if they've heard of The Brazillian and they will just look at you with a confused look.  Yes, Genesis also did some amazing experimental instrumental work too.  

As great as their more familiar songs are, I've always had a soft spot for this track, but then I think it's because I've always preferred instrumentals to songs with vocals in.  This is just great, especially Mike Rutherford's guitar finale.  A perfect excuse to turn the volume up to maximum, and let those goosebumps appear.

The track was featured in an episode of Magnum, P.I, used extensively by the BBC during their TV coverage of the 1987 World Athletics Championships, and in 1987 it had a Grammy Award nomination for Best Pop Instrumental Performance, but lost out to Harold Faltermeyer and Steve Stevens with the "Top Gun" anthem.  Sorry Top Gun fans, but I prefer this!

Big thanks to my sister Stephanie for introducing me to this song all those years ago.  Enjoy.

Game Covers - Cuthbert in the Cooler (Commodore 16 and Plus 4)

 
The cover

The inlay (including cheat)

The tape

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Game Covers - Cuthbert Enters the Tombs of Doom (Commodore 16 and Plus 4)

In the year of 6502 BC, I JESMON HYS, a natyve of ye far away city of Nodion, dyscovered ye ancient tombs of Ledromica, some three decaydes pasts, whilst on a trek through ye rich pastures of TATSECLUS.  I entered into the tombs and from thence I spent many years exploring the myriad of chambers and gained much knowledge as to ye ways.  ye promises of great unimaginable treasures and ye straynge inhabitants of ye many coloured caverns.  From ye many carvings and scriptings on ye walls I have come to know of an even greater goal.  It would seem that somewhere in ye tombs was a temple, dedicated to ye worship of Rah.  Anyone reaching this temple would be given a gift far greater than any treasure!!  Alas I am now but an olde man, too slow of brain and frail of body to continue my quest.  My notes herewithe should help ye, my successor, in reaching a far away goal. There is much to know and many skills to master before thee should enter ye great tombs.

May the force be with ye.

Ye tape

Ye inlay

Ye tape

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Game Covers - Commodore 16 Games Pack II (Commodore 16 and Plus 4)

15 Great games for your Commodore 16.  Games that will test your reflexes, your nerve, your logic, your strategy and your intelligence - educational games, simulation games, gambling games and more.  You can even modify these programs for more fun packed action.

Games in this cassette value pack are : Minotaur, Hunter, Letterbox, Ganymede, Dumper, Alien Overrun, Dungeon, Chess, Scrambler, Crash Barrier, Snakepit, Reel Thing, Mind Quiz, Tank Ambush, Road Patrol.

All these games are from the C16 Games Book published by Melbourne House.

Front cover and inlay

Inlay

Tape Side 1

Tape Side 2

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Mastertronic - What if? : Resident Evil 3

I'm a sucker for old retro game covers and always wonder what new games would like if they came out, or were re-released in the 80s.

Mastertronic brings you "Resident Evil 3" on cassette for £1.99, only for Commodore, Amstrad, Spectrum Atari, AND Playstation 4!!!!!  - Available from all good newsagents, chemists and game shops!

If only..... :o)

Because I have WAY too much time on my hands, I thought I'd mess around with putting together some fake Mastertronic covers for modern computer games in an attempt to give them the retro 1980's 8-bit cassette look.

Remember...  These are just for fun, and are obviously NOT real and NOT available, (although I'd love to see an 8-bit version with blocky graphics and cool chip-music).

In case you are not aware (or can not remember), Mastertronic were big in the mid to late 1980s and were a major budget software label in the United Kingdom and produced a large number of cheapo games and re-releases for the Commodore/Spectrum/Amstrad/Atari 8-bit computers (and some 16-bit too) - most at a pocket-money-friendly £1.99!

Anyway, remember this is just a bit of fun, but what would modern games look like if Mastertronic still released games like the good ol' days? Well, here you can find out!

As always, click the images to enlarge.

Mastertronic - What if? : Resident Evil 2

I'm a sucker for old retro game covers and always wonder what new games would like if they came out, or were re-released in the 80s.

Mastertronic brings you "Resident Evil 2" on cassette for £1.99, only for Commodore, Amstrad, Spectrum Atari, AND Playstation 4!!!!!  - Available from all good newsagents, chemists and game shops!

If only..... :o)

Because I have WAY too much time on my hands, I thought I'd mess around with putting together some fake Mastertronic covers for modern computer games in an attempt to give them the retro 1980's 8-bit cassette look.

Remember...  These are just for fun, and are obviously NOT real and NOT available, (although I'd love to see an 8-bit version with blocky graphics and cool chip-music).

In case you are not aware (or can not remember), Mastertronic were big in the mid to late 1980s and were a major budget software label in the United Kingdom and produced a large number of cheapo games and re-releases for the Commodore/Spectrum/Amstrad/Atari 8-bit computers (and some 16-bit too) - most at a pocket-money-friendly £1.99!

Anyway, remember this is just a bit of fun, but what would modern games look like if Mastertronic still released games like the good ol' days? Well, here you can find out!
As always, click the images to enlarge.

Game Covers - Con-Quest (Commodore 64)

A fully animated, 3-D icon driven, graphic adventure.  Save Oscar's soul from the torment of walking through the eternal fires of Hell.

Con-Quest - The Cover

Con-Quest - The (rather blank) Inlay

Con-Quest - The Tape

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Game Covers - Kikstart 2 (Commodore 64)

Now this was a blinder of a game, and a real bargain for £2.99.  I would've been happy to pay full price for this.  24 courses of motorcross/trials fun, based on the BBC television series Kick Start, but what made this stand out from the previous Kikstart game (besides the better graphics) was the inclusion of a powerful, and very easy to use course editor.  I spent countless hours designing my own fiendish tracks and saving them to tape.

An amazing game, made by the same team that would like go on to make the Lotus series on the Commodore Amiga.

Ride your bike over the 24 all action courses in this new improved version of Kikstart.  Devise your own mindbendingly tortuous test with the course designer or make things really easy - the choice is yours!

JOYSTICK OR KEYBOARD
PROGRAM FROM MR CHIP SOFTWARE

Kikstart 2 - The Cover

Kikstart 2 - The Inlay

Kikstart 2 - The Tape

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Game Covers - Space Hunter (Commodore 64)

A fun romp in space, featuring two styles of game play (3D space flight simulator, and 2D maze/map exploration).  Well worth the £1.99 which I paid for this back in the day.

"The world is starving and the only food available is in space.  You must search through 15 star systems to feed the world.  This complex 3-D simulation takes you from rookie pilot to the hero of the world...  If you're good enough!"

Space Hunter - The Cover

Space Hunter - The Inlay

Space Hunter - The Tape

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Game Covers - S.O.S. (Commodore 64)

Despite getting not-so-great reviews in the computer magazines of the time, I thoroughly enjoyed this fun little isometric 3D adventure, although it is highly recommended to turn the sound off as it has one of the most annoying songs in a computer game playing throughout.

"One way to lose a good droid is to send it out to do something it isn't programmed for.  Biomech 1 (Sydney to his friends) is marooned in a very weird place all because his creator, the eccentric Foley, has a terrible memory.  If Sydney can't get back intact, Foley's boss will remove his kneecaps (Foleys not Sydneys that is).  Tell Syd how to get home in this 3D arcade adventure and save the taxpayer one billion dollars in the bargain!  3D ARCADE ADVENTURE FROM GEOFF FOLEY.

Wow, what an exciting back story!  Try it...  The game isn't bad at all, and was a bargain back in the day.

Interesting bit of useless information - The game was originally called "The Game With No Name"

S.O.S - The Cover

S.O.S. - The Inlay

S.O.S. - The Tape

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Game Covers - Strike (Commodore 64)

"Superbly playable, addictive and challenging.  This game will have you hooked in minutes and playing for hours trying to achieve that elusive STRIKE".

More like...

"Completely unplayable, dull and impossible.  This will have you bored in minutes and throwing your controller at the screen within hours before switching off the computer because you cant be arsed to achieve the elusive and near impossible STRIKE"

What could have been a fantastic game, ended up being rather 'meh' with awful controls.  The graphics look great, but the king of Commodore 64 bowling simulators has to stay with the amazing '10th Frame'.  

Oh well, what did I expect for £2.99

Strike - The Cover

Strike - The Inlay

Strike - The Tape

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