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Mr. Roger's Plays Donkey Kong, Heirloom PC Cases, Best of Sega Master, C-64 Games on the Wii
Mr. Rogers: What, you thought Mr. Rogers wasn't into gaming?I've been so busy lately that I haven't been able to keep up with my blog reading...And boy, have I missed some cool stuff. Let me run through some of the most interesting posts. First off, from Kotaku comes this snippet of A Mr. Roger's Neighborhood episode featuring Donkey Kong. Fred Rogers reveals himself to be a true hacker, asking not just to play the game but to see inside the box to see how it works. Fun! And, by the way, anyone who thinks Fred Rogers was a pedo is truly sick. Next up, Racketboy runs through the best games for Sega's Master System, starting off with Phantasy Star. Psycho Fox, anyone? Thirdly, buried in this site is an announcement that Epyx will be releasing some of its C-64 titles for the Wii. Sorry, no titles as of yet...!
Do you like fighting games? If so, don't miss this lineup of posters and teasers for the classic fighters. That's right--it's more vintage ads from Gamesetwatch! I love these things...
And, for all you classic computer buffs...Oh, boy, do I have something worth salivating over: an illustrated interview with Robert Tinney, cover artist for that awesome PC mag BYTE. If you like vintage computers, this article is a MUST. I love these covers--they're very abstract, but at the same time perfectly get the point across. Brilliant!
Finally, I have something for all you folks hankering for a better-looking way to house your computer's innards. How about one of these? That's right--a classy all-wood case that'll elevate your PC to the "heirloom level." I can't say that I'd be willing to ante up for one, but...If you've got a James Bond or Austin Powers fetish, I don't see how you can resist.
And, last but not least...Let's welcome Bill's new addition to his family! Olivia Loguidice, born Sep 26th! Let's hope for pics soon! If anyone is interested in sending the Loguidices some baby gifts and the like, email me at mattbarton.exe AT gmail.com.
- Matt Barton's blog
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Comments
PeeWee vs. Mr. Rogers
I don't doubt that there are plenty of great kid's shows on the air today. I know that Steve Johnson (of Everything Bad is Good for You) definitely thinks that television programming has been getting more complex (even if not more educational in the traditional sense).
Granted, I didn't watch much PeeWee when I was growing up. By the time he was on the air, I was already too old for kid's shows. However, I have seen several reruns on the Cartoon Network. Unlike Mr. Rogers, which seems to be definitely limited to small kids, teenagers and young adults seem to really like PeeWee. I suppose one way of looking at the program is as a form of the "Theater of the Absurd," and consider it almost a work of high art.
On the other hand, I have to wonder if guys like PeeWee are responsible for the current "ADHD" state of so many TV shows...Somehow, I think that if the G4 network had debuted in the 80s, it would have been a much more straightforward channel than the spastic crap it is in the 2000s. Mr. Rogers had a way of relaxing a kid and getting him or her to focus on something for more than just a few seconds. PeeWee's Playhouse jumps and skips about so rapidly that a kid never gets a chance to focus on anything. PeeWee himself seems more like some nut from an insane asylum; Mr. Rogers seems more like that friendly neighbor that makes you feel better about being human.
PeeWee's Playhouse
I don't have much time at the moment to provide a more insightful response, but I disagree a bit with Matt's opinion. The difference with the groundbreaking PeeWee's Playhouse was that it was meant to be enjoyed on many levels, even by adults, which is probably the reason why it's part of Cartoon Network's Adult Swim today. It definitely influenced what was to come, with lots of extra silliness and multi-leveled writing.
Actually having a toddler and a newborn, I get to see lots of modern childern's TV. Shows like Blue's Clues, Dora the Explorer, Little Einsteins, Playhouse Disney, The Doodlebops, Hi-Five, etc., all take inspiration from both the Mr. Rogers and PeeWee schools of thought. These shows are very straightforward, very visual, very musical and fairly educational and entertaining. In other words, I think this is a great time for toddler programming, Teletubbies - which is really pre-toddler stuff in many ways - and similar ilk excluded, which is mostly visual programming.
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Bill Loguidice, Managing Director
Armchair Arcade, Inc.
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[ http://www.MythCore.com ]
Fred Rogers and the VCR
One nice anecdote which that page talks about (and is also discussed by Lessig in his book Free Culture) is how Fred Rogers championed the VCR. I mean, how can anyone read his testimony and not have an almost gut-level response to this guy's niceness?
Man, I agree. Whew, that line about "I'm opposed to people being programmed by others" just smacks you right in the face. Mr. Rogers was a great inspiration to everyone who grew up with his show. It's truly pathetic that all kids have now are spaz shows like Teletubbies. Kid's TV definitely started going downhill with shows like PeeWee's Playhouse.
Fred Rogers RIP
I watched that Mr. Roger's clip the other day. It's funny to see the kids on Kotaku arguing about Fred referring to Mario as a carpenter. Heck, his name wasn't even Mario at that point. Yesterday was the first I'd heard of anyone making charges of pedophilia against him. Snopes has a rebuttal of the charge, along with rebuttals to the urban legends that he was a sniper during the Vietnam war. People are nuts.
Reading about people like Fred Rogers is always an emotional experience. The Wikipedia page on Fred Rogers has some great anecdotes. Soft spoken, serious people with that kind of devotion... we'll just never have enough of them. Never.