Stampede reminds me of two things: watching my mom play the game when I was a toddler, and drawing this comic for my ex-wife.
Why is it blue? Because I took a photo of it under a black light.
Why did you choose Stampede for the comic? I thought the sprites would look interesting, and figured Stampede was just obscure enough to avoid being generic, as compared to Breakout or something.
You use a puny four switch? Oh, I have several 2600 models (even the Gemini), but I prefer the Vader console because I grew up playing it. I also enjoy using the 7800 console cause, you know, you can play 7800 titles.
Is the cat's name "Eleven Forty-five"? Yes.
Why? That answer is in another comic.
What's up with these comics anyway? I drew a comic zine about the first year my ex and I lived together. It's called "Adjustments." The comics are too cute. And sweet. And so on.
Are you going to talk about Stampede? Haven't I been? Fine. Here's a screenshot, taken off my CRT TV.
My mom kicked ass at this game. In my memory, anyway. Maybe she just played it over and over. But in my little mind, she was a pro. She would get mad when she missed the black dogie, and I dreaded them. I didn't like seeing my mom upset! I must have been three or four. We'd sit in the cold basement with an old TV, no couch or comfort, just an Atari and maybe a stool to sit on. It could have been a flipped bucket. I don't know why we kept it down there.
It's amazing how Atari games burrowed into my memory when I was so young. I really have no reason for recalling other people playing games. But it stuck--I saw how games elicited people's emotions, and I think I saw a lot of power in that. Being young, I was also in awe of the colors and sounds. To me, it was TV . . . but not TV. I couldn't understand how little beepy beings lived in their own world on the screen, seemingly alive, and that frightened me. The noises scared me sometimes. To this day I still don't like playing Demons to Diamonds! Needless to say, I wasn't ready to play the games yet, though my mom offered.
My memories guided me when I eventually played Atari. I went for titles I'd watched, like Stampede and Gopher. I already knew how to play. I walked right through the Adventure maze the first time I played it, because I'd seen friends and my brother go through it enough times. I believe that I may have forgotten those early toddler memories if I never played the games myself.
As for Stampede, it's fun. And I'm terrible at it. You, the cowboy, rope up cattle for big points. There are little strategies like "bumping" the cattle and avoiding the skulls and such. I don't have the patience for this game, but I admit it's fun, and I'm aware a lot of other Atari fans are also fans of Stampede. And hey, it's got Activision on the label, so chances are it's worth a couple resets (but no sunset in this game!).
Stampede was also created by Bob Whitehead, who developed many 2600 games under Atari and then more under Activision, which he co-founded because he left Atari because . . . . well, it's a long story, and a cool one. Look it up. It's amazing that Activision today is raking in more dollars than Atari has seen in decades. And all because of a misguided idea that game developers should be kept secret. Atari had a lot of misguided ideas. More, perhaps, than a landfill of cartridges. Sigh.
If I ever win a billion dollars in the lotto, I'm buying the Atari company. Whatever's left of it. Intellectual property, I suppose. But a hotel? NFTs? Online currency? Misguided, misguided, misguided.
I recommend Stampede to the Atari curious, nerds, and collectors for its fast, fun, and relatively unique gameplay. I do not recommend it for Atari newcomers because I think the pacing is too intense, and because there are more notable Activision titles to play first. Then, check it out. Just my opinion.
Game of life . . .
Oh no, I have to write more? True, I have pages of things to discuss, but sometimes I just need to go to bed. Life's a stampede. Or something. Goodnight.
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