This week's Games of our Lives is Demons to Diamonds. Anyone remember this game? I loved it when I was a kid.
Long before the Atari 2600 unsuccessfully tried to duplicate arcade classics like Pac-Man and Donkey Kong, its programmers created wonderful little games that engaged imaginations as much as hand/eye coordination. Demons To Diamonds took things one step further and put real life into its 8-bit graphics with a cool little story in the instruction manual, which set the game at a carnival, and included a churlish demon who told players, "So come on, reach for your laser, exercise your trigger finger on us. Put us through our paces and we'll dazzle you with demonic tricks!" Players knew right away that they were in for a good time.
[. . .]
Kids today might not like it because: After years of online gaming, playing with a person who is sitting the same room frightens and confuses them.
Kids today might like it because: The manual tells them, "Although DEMONS TO DIAMONDS was primarily designed for children in the 6 to 12 age range, we find that people of all ages enjoy this engaging game." Don't argue, just do what the manual says and nobody will get hurt.
Check out the full column. I think I snuck some funny into it, and I don't want to rob the AV Club of your precious clicks.
