Wrestling Under the Influence: Wort & The 8 Bits and WWF Arcade Games

By Kevin Hunsperger @kevinhunsperger & @my123cents on Twitter Listen to the podcast  Follow my blog with Bloglovin  

The 80s were such a great time. We'd fill our pockets with quarters and head to the arcade. Some of my favorite games to play at that time were WWF Superstars and WWF WrestleFest.

This week on Wrestling Under the Influence, I'm talking about those old school games because I'm drinking Wort & the 8-Bits beer from Main and Mill Brewing Company in Festus, Missouri. This is a great beer. Check out the review on YouTube and please subscribe!

Ho Ho Hunsperger: Nintendo

By Kevin Hunsperger
@kevinhunsperger & @my123cents on Twitter
Listen to the podcast

Follow my blog with Bloglovin 

Long before X Box, Playstation and the iPhone, we played video games on the Atari.  And before that we actually had Pong.  But in 1986, the coolest thing in the gaming world hit the market: the Nintendo Entertainment System.  With its 8 bits and colorful new characters, the gaming system was a welcomed addition under our Christmas tree that year.

The only hunting I ever did

My brother and I had hung up the joy stick from the Atari and embraced the NES controller with its extra buttons and features.  It took some time getting use to the changes and maneuvering the heroes on Super Mario Bros.  We'd spend hours playing as Mario and Luigi trying to save Princess Peach.  I'm not much of a gamer and was never able to complete the mission.  The cool thing about NES was the ability to add different controllers.  We got the gun and had lots of fun with that silly dog in the Duck Hunt game.

8 bit wrasslin' action

Another favorite from that system was Duck Tales.  I also enjoyed the track and field game, but as a wrestling fan how could I not love Pro Wrestling and eventually the WWF games.  Back then when a game wouldn't play right, we'd pull out the cartridge and blow inside it. Most of the time it worked.  I miss those days of 8 bit action.

Snapchat Challenge: Video Games

By Kevin Hunsperger
@kevinhunsperger & @my123cents on Twitter

The wackiness of the Snapchat challenge moves forward with video game characters.  All of mine are classic ones.  I don't do the video game thing these days so I'm not sure who some of the characters are that Sean and Chad sent.  Enjoy the show.

Way Back WhensDay: Pantera's Pizza

By Kevin Hunsperger
@kevinhunsperger & @my123cents on Twitter

When I was a kid, I hated pizza.  For those of you who read my Showbiz Pizza blog, I made that statement and promised more details.  Well, the time has come.  My family would go out for pizza from time to time, be it Pizza Hut, Imo's (a St. Louis institution), or Pantera's Pizza.  Each time, I'd either order a sandwich or just pick the toppings off, usually bacon and ground beef.

Then in 5th grade, my class earned a trip to Pantera's Pizza, which sat in a shopping center at the bottom of the hill from Brennan Woods Elementary School.  Each student in Mrs. Tatlow's class had the opportunity to make his or her own personal pan pizza.  I was more than a little reluctant, seeing as I hadn't ever really tried an actual pizza.  Somehow in my mind, I just knew I didn't like it.  But that little pepperoni pizza, made by me was delicious.  Since Pantera's was one of the few restaurants in High Ridge and surrounding communities at that time, it became a favorite for my family.

Oh yeah!

Pantera's also became the official "go to" spot for the parents' group at our school, The Brennan Woods Backers.  I have fond memories of heading down to Pantera's after all the parents wrapped up a fundraiser at the school, be it the Chili Supper and Haunted House, Christmas Bazaar, or Spring Carnival.  The kids would badger their parents for handfuls of quarters and play the plethora of video games or listen to some of those fantastic tunes in the jukebox.

I can still see all the parents, unwinding from a long evening of volunteer work, talking and laughing.  They'd enjoy the pizza and beverages and tell stories.  The laughter and jokes could be heard over the funky beats of the 80's and the chomping of Pac Man.  It's something I'll never forget.

I don't know exactly when Pantera's closed its doors at the High Ridge location, but I know it was a sad day.  Besides the ambiance and the fun, the food was so good too.  There is a Pantera's still open a couple of hours from where I live now.  I've yet to visit, but one of these days I will have that pizza and hopefully get in a round of Pac Man, QBert, or Dig Dug.

Way Back WhensDay: Q*bert

By Kevin Hunsperger
@kevinhunsperger & @my123cents on Twitter

I've used my Way Back WhensDay blogs to talk about some of my favorite things from my childhood. My favorite videos games growing up included Pac-Man, Donkey Kong, and today's submission: Q*bert.  There was something captivating about that little orange creature with a giant nose and no arms.

The point of Q*bert was to get him to hop around a cubed pyramid, changing the colors of each block before advancing to the next stage.  To add to the challenge, different monsters would appear and try to thwart the effort.  Q*Bert never talked, but muttered inexplicable phrases as he went on a mission. Different symbols appeared in a speech bubble over Q*bert's head.  I always imagined he was cussing over the nerves involved in all the hopping and the frustration of the evil doers like Colly, Ugg, Wrong-Way, Sam, and Slick.  Those guys would try to force Q*bert (who the player controls) over the edge of the pyramid.

Q*bert arcade game

Q*bert is another one of those video games we'd play at the skating rink or local pizza restaurant.  Eventually, it was released for the Atari.  I still remember playing it at one point on a little black and white TV at my grandma's house, which made it next to impossible to do, since the goal of the game is to change the blocks into different colors.

In 2012, Q*bert caught my attention during the movie "Wreck it Ralph."  His appearance in the film was brief, but brought back fond memories of playing the game in the early 80's.  Hopefully he's appearance sparked the interest in the next generation of gamers.

I think it's safe to safe that Q*bert will go down in history with my other favorites Pac-Man and Donkey Kong as one of the all-time great classic games.

Way Back WhensDay: Donkey Kong

Donkey Kong
Oh the memories

By Kevin Hunsperger
@kevinhunsperger & @my123cents on Twitter

Growing up, three video games stand out to me the most.  I've written about one of them already, Pac-Man.  The other I will tackle today, Donkey Kong.  I'll save number three for a future post.

I still remember playing the arcade version of Donkey Kong at our local skating rink like it was yesterday.  Quarter after quarter, I tried in vain to get Mario up the platforms to the top floor to save a female character named Lady from the clutches of the angry ape.  Back then, Mario was known as Jumpman and players had to maneuver him up ladders and dodge flaming barrels that Donkey Kong would toss.

I remember there being a sledge hammer involved in the higher levels and parts of the floor opening up during the rescue attempt too.   When Jumpman would finally defeat the evil ape and find his love, Donkey Kong ended up upside down on his head.  It was reminiscent of King Kong falling to his death from the Empire State Building.

Eventually, Donkey Kong was available on the Atari and like Pac-Man, I played it all the time.  After saving Lady, it was time to find new adventures in the arcade world.  That's when a spin off game was created, Donkey Kong, Junior.

Donkey Kong, Jr.

This time the tables are turned and Mario plays the bad guy.  The player of the game controls Junior through a series of levels in an attempt to rescue his father, Donkey Kong. Junior climbs different vines and feasts on fruits and vegetables to maintain his strength through the journey.  After a successful rescue, the primates punt Mario into oblivion.

Because they were popular, there was Donkey Kong cereal, a cartoon, and trading cards.  It seems like anything back then that had success had plenty of marketing opportunities tied to it.  Those were fun times indeed.

I'm not much on the gaming world, I just have fun playing these more simplistic games.  Today, I'd say Mario and Donkey Kong have made amends, as they appear in Mario Kart and other video games together.  But no matter how the technology evolves, I'll always have a place in my heart for that old school version of Donkey Kong and Mario.

Way Back WhensDay: Pac-Man Fever

Pac-Man Fever!

By Kevin Hunsperger
@kevinhunsperger & @my123cents on Twitter

I remember the night my family bought the Pac-Man video game for our Atari.  I don't remember the exact date, but it wasn't long after it was released.  This odd game with a bright yellow pie man eating dots and avoiding four little ghosts captured my pre-teen imagination.  The sounds still echo in my memory bank as I remember mastering level after level, eating the power pellets and chasing after the Pinky, Blinky, Inky, and Clyde.  Of course, I had had practice playing the arcade version prior to owning the home copy.  Perhaps I picked up my love for fresh fruit and pretzels from playing Pac-Man.

Ms. Pac-Man

The thing I love about Pac-Man is that the video game was only the beginning.  There was a spin off featuring a female version, called Ms. Pac-Man.  A bow and lipstick helped players tell her and Pac-Man apart.  The two eventually got married and had Baby Pac-Man.  And like his famous parents, he too got his own game, but this time it was pinball game with video.

I wish I had this album still....

Just like today, anytime there is anything popular out there, we get lots of new products too.  There were stuffed toys, breakfast cereal, and a Saturday morning cartoon featuring the Pac-Man family and their ghostly enemies.  I collected Pac-Man trading cards and stickers and I had an awesome Pac-Man album with really cool artwork.  As much of a pack rat as I am, this item didn't get saved.  I'd love to have it again.

Through the years, just like everything else Pac-Man has evolved.  His look has changed, but his mission has remained the same, eat those pellets and power up! I'm still a fool for old school and like to play the original arcade version.  Dave & Buster's even has a giant screen version of it.  I had a chance to play it last summer.

Thanks to modern day technology, I don't have to drop quarter after quarter into the machine.  I can play the game on my phone and online.  I've promised myself if I ever win a large sum of money, I'll buy an arcade version because more than 30 years later, I still have Pac-Man fever.