I need a H.E.R.O.

Today is a very happy day in the life of Kevin Freitas. Years have past since the days when I would look forward to family reunion trips to California not for the times shared with loved ones but for the time I spent at my aunt and uncle's house playing their Atari 2600. Sad as it may seem, these were perfectly acceptable aspirations for a youngster. I'm not really sure how but I think my brother, sister, and I inherited the machine once my cousins grew out of it. How they outgrew that wonderful and magical machine is well beyond this young man's comprehension. It did happen, however, and I know have fond memories of games like E.T., Spy Hunter, Taz, Breakout, Yar's Revenge, Pong, Olympic Games, Combat (yes this is sad), and my all time, indisputable favorite H.E.R.O.!

My entry is dedicated to the memories I have attached to that game because tonight marks my reunion with this very special and most impressive game. After a whirlwind jazz choir practice Kristin invited me to join her on an off campus journey to the local Fred Meyer. We wandered the isles looking for what choice products may keep us ravenous college types out of hunger's path. The cereal/breakfast food area seemed to hold us captive. There I discovered a box of Cinnamon Toast Crunch that had attached to it a CD-ROM with all sorts of old Atari games. I browsed over the titles in bold print and concluded that it would be a pathetic buy. Nothing really of interest there to be had. Kristin and I picked up some things from this isle and, upon leaving it, I pointed out the CD-ROM laden cereal box. This time I read throughout the entire list of games included on the CD and immediately discovered the game that defines countless hours of my youth that surely shaped and molded who I am today. That game is Hero.

So I played it and memories of sensations flash back to me as the chunky graphics and even chunkier sound effects fly at me from my modern PC. Why my cousins ever became too mature to set aside such games will forever remain a mystery in my mind. For today, I am reunited with a lost love. Today I am young again!

Comments (0) | To Top