A dark, disease ridden era in which non existent social mobility, fear, war, and religious fanaticism dominated the increasingly apathetic and supine populations of western Europe. But hey – it’s time to forget contemporary society, shake off a few centuries … Read more

The phrase ‘classic is a phrase that is used too much these days’ is, in turn, a phrase that is used too much these days. Civilisation 2, however, is a classic in the literal sense. It’s also an epic in … Read more

The concept is simple. It’s a hospital. People come in with illnesses, your excellent staff cure them, and they go home happy – like holding a mirror up to real life, in fact. The hospital you will be building, however, … Read more

Over the last few weeks, we’ve been following Dave Palmer’s exploits at the 1985 Video Games Masters Tournament, where, you’ll recall, he established six world records, left heartbroken motherboards all over the place, and failed to meet any ladies. This … Read more

We’ve been looking at Dave Palmer’s high score obliterating weekend at the 1985 Video Game Masters Tournament over the last couple of weeks, and it’s been illuminating stuff. This week, we take a look at Firefox, which, before it was … Read more

Last time, if you recall, we looked at Dave Palmer’s girlfriendless heroics playing Battlezone at the 1985 Video Game Masters Tournament, where he managed to break six world high score records in three days. This week, we examine Red Baron, … Read more

A Dave Palmer once played Battlezone – Atari’s iconic vector graphic tank combat simulation – for 23 hours non-stop. Despite having no previous military experience, Palmer clocked up a high score of 23 million points. This not only offers a … Read more

In almost any context, it is usually a good idea to avoid trapdoors. They are the sort of thing that just sound like trouble, or else they would be called welcome gates, or warmth ways. Or cuddle ports. Two brothers … Read more

The ideal place for storing state secrets in the post Cold War era is on laptop computers, which are then placed in briefcases and left in random places upon the public transport networks of Southern England. In the Eighties it … Read more

Since medieval times, children riding mountain bikes around housing estates have been the traditional English method of buying drugs, guns, and litters of dangerous dogs. Happily, across the Atlantic, things are very different. In America, children are healthy, hearty, cheerful, … Read more