80s instructional LP for conquering games
by Christopher Grant 
{ May 30th 2006 at 5:03PM }
The antecedent to all those tips and tricks magazines can be found in this obscure LP from the 80s: Conquer the Video Craze: How to Beat the Hottest Games. In it, "Atari Champion finalist" Curtis Hoard reads off -- in a stultifyingly slow monotone -- the techniques he's used to earn him that honorific. Sluggo at Dinosaur Gardens has not only found this retro artifact, but he's converted it into MP3 for our
[Via Boing Boing]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
cringer8 @ May 30th 2006 5:16PM
Pfffth, that's nothing. I've put out like FIVE of those LP's in the 80's.
"Video Games: Play Them Better Than Your Dad!"
"Dating: Get More Action Than Your Dad!"
"Mortality: Your Dad's Going to Die Someday!"
Just to name a few.
Rootbeer @ May 30th 2006 5:24PM
Yeah, Pac-Man AND Ms. Pac-Man.
Though the two games were basically identical in terms of basic strategy, the ghost patterns on each were different. And as any quarter-master of the early 1980's knows, memorizing the patterns was the key to Pac-Success.
(Personally, I think the only gaming LP from this era worth owning is a scratch second-hand copy of Buckner & Garcia's "Pac-Man Fever"...)
BopBop @ May 30th 2006 5:27PM
Blah that's nothing fancy. I have a "How to Beat the Video Games" book on my shelf. It's 4 years older than me has has strategies for beating all 20 games that were around then except for pong. I keep it right next to my "How to Program Your Commodore 64" book.
Fandel @ May 30th 2006 5:50PM
Hell, if you really want to see some embarrassing video game crap from the 8-bit Nintendo era, take a look at this travesty that acclaim put out in 1991.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oygIaaHKHhQ&search=video%20power
If you want to know the history behind this embarrassing travesty of a game show, read this little bit here.
http://www.atarihq.com/tsr/special/vpower.html
Dirk Dorkelson @ May 30th 2006 5:51PM
Speaking of 1980s video game how-tos, let's not forget that highbrow novelist Martin Amis once wrote a book on Space Invaders.
It's now quite the collector's item:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0890873518/qid=1149025861/sr=1-66/ref=sr_1_66/002-6891428-7462409?s=books&v=glance&n=283155
kidicarus27 @ May 30th 2006 5:55PM
whoa BopBop, are you me? I have both those books too, and next to one another on my shelf! Creepy... I have been collecting video game related records for years and some of my favorites are the Pac Man Album picture disc (featuring the Pac Man Rap which is beyond incredible, the afore mentioned B&G LP (cassette and 8-track available too) 'Pac Man Fever', along with the many nice picture sleeve 7"s that followed its release ('Do the Donkey Kong' is the best!), the Defender "soundtrack" LP, and oh so many more... the confluence of records and videogames should be honored for its supreme shallowness and appreciated by all for its profoundly negative contribution to the world of audio entertainment.
Matt @ May 30th 2006 7:19PM
"The antecedent to all those tips and tricks magazines can be found in this obscure LP from the 80s: "
Can I get it on 8-track?
Gavin @ May 30th 2006 7:23PM
Trying to download the mp3s but it is PAINFULLY slow....
Is there a mirror anywhere?
V1L3 @ May 30th 2006 11:35PM
When I was about 12 I found an old book with gaming hints and tips, back when Defender was, like, the hottest most advanced game on the planet.
What I found most hilarious was the last chapter, where the author discussed what he considered to be his vision of the perfect game of the future.
You sit in a movie theatre, where the game is played out on the massive screen. You're in a spaceship (of course), and while engaged in a dogfight with an alien, you can talk to him over your radio and he TALKS BACK!
Man, they had some imaginations back then. God knows what they'd think of Nintendogs, Super Monkey Ball, Katamari and Loco Robo. It makes you wonder what we'll all be playing in 10-15 years time, and how far off our own predictions would be.
Aran @ May 31st 2006 11:16AM
"Wait, Pac-Man and Ms. Pac-Man?"
Does this Christopher Grant guy seriously not know the difference between Pac-Man and Ms. Pac-Man?
Like the TV ads used to say... "Ms. Pac-Man, more than Pac-Man with a bow."
Anyways, for the curious, this page gives a description:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ms._Pac-Man
ZB @ May 31st 2006 12:20PM
I've got a couple of TV shows that this guy did on Atari 2600 games. They are just as action packed as the LP. Party. Animal.
Kim Scarborough @ May 31st 2006 4:48PM
ZB:
I'm the guy that posted the album to Dinosaur Gardens. I'd love to see those videos. Can you contact me?