UNO, You Joust Ought to Play These Games People Play

Spring officially arrives today and Spring Break is on the horizon.  Before hurrying out to the beach, be sure to pack your ear buds for a trip back in time to the ‘70s and ‘80s with shazbazzar and JediShua as they remember a couple games we all enjoyed playing as kids (and can still play today, if we’re lucky).  Get ready for fun and funniness this week on TechnoRetro Dads! 

 

In the NEWS…  

Amazing Stories, the Steven Spielberg anthology series from the mid-eighties may soon return.  With imaginative tales of fiction, fantasy, and fright, this weekly show was a staple for GenXers who were facing the certainty of no new Star Wars movies for the foreseeable future.  Brian Fuller takes the reigns (with Spielberg’s approval) to reinvigorate television with distinctive episodes that will surely resound with today’s audiences.  The Ultimate Visual History of Back to the Future is rereleased as a “Collector’s Edition” with a 3D sculpted movie poster of the original Drew Struzan art and several bonus features like three 32-page books (one for each movie).  Edward James Olmos reprises his role as Eduardo Gaff in Blade Runner 2049.

 

We Love Our Cereal…  

The Keebler Elves are sneaking tiny cookies into people’s cereals — and we appreciate it!  PLUS: DC Superheroes cover boxes of Big G cereals and the mascots get in on the action.  Collect them all and read the comic books in every box.

 

Toys in the Attic  

Games have always been integral to toy boxes, and card games are part of the fun for friends and family.  Since the ‘70s, Uno has been a staple for kids and adults alike, allowing anyone who can match colors and numbers to have a chance at winning a game against virtually anyone else.  The luck of the draw is the main thing, as well as well-timed usage of “special” cards like Reverse, Draw Two, Skip, and Wild.  Race to be the first to play every card in your hand, but make sure you say “Uno!” when you’re down to a single card or you may find yourself holding more cards than you bargained for!

 

TechnoRetro Arcade  

From knights on horseback in medieval times to clones against ‘droids on speeder bikes, the strength of lances against armor at high speed has been entertaining for hundreds of years (and painful for the contestants).  In 1982, Williams Electronics continued the success they had in the video game industry with Defender by releasing Joust, a reimagined combat game pitting mounted knights against each other with lances seeking to unseat their opponents.  This time, however, the knights ride on flying steeds: either a buzzard, an ostrich, or a stork.  Combining running on flat surfaces at different elevations with flying through the air, Players 1 and 2 challenge computer players for survival amidst additional dangers from lava and pterodactyls.  “But ostriches can’t fly!” some protest.  Evidently the minds behind this iconic game figured flying ostriches was more believable than running eagles.  Go figure.

 

History Lesson  

This week is filled with fictional history from the frontier of 100 years ago to the comic book movies of this decade as the ‘Dads open the TechnoRetro history books with snippets from Legends of the Fall, Forrest Gump, Billy Madison, Watchmen, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Raiders of the Lost Ark, and more!

 

Feedback  

EarBuds chime in with updates on the seven “earth-sized” planets mentioned a couple weeks ago and memories of Kevin Flynn in King Kong.  With a mention of Scholastic Book orders back in our school days, the ‘Dads affectionately recall their own days in elementary school with the pulp order forms made their way into the hands of children, opening their imaginations to the future. 

 

Check out TechnoRetro Dads each week for more news about franchises and fandom from the ‘70s and ‘80s that continues to this day as well as reliving those amazing times that made us who we are today — even those who were too young to remember those times.  Be sure to let us know what you’re thinking on social media, or give us your feedback by calling our voice mail line at [phone] or sending us a message or mp3 via electronic-M to [e-mail].  Don’t forget to rate and review TechnoRetro Dads on iTunes and Stitcher.

 

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