Relive the glory days of the Commodore 64 - but ensure you don’t read the rules first…

This article comes fromDen of Geek UK.

What were you trying to achieve?

Just press the damn button, or risk unfolding the tiniest folded leaflet of all time with smudged print.

The instructions were so small, and usually presented in a concertina effect.

Then try folding it up and getting it back in the box again.

Really, reading and acting upon video game instructions was a two man job back then.

One person would play the game, and shout What key is it?

What key is it?

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My video game education involved a lot of shouting.

Who had patience for that?

The small robots would drift so gracefully through the decks of a large, elegant starship.

For a long time I thought this was a game of survival.

Hide your tiny robot in the corner for the longest time possible.

How do you do this?

You press your button randomly some more.

Sitting alone in the giant darkened starship.

I preferred hanging out with the small floaty gentle robots.

I only know this because Ive just looked it up; I had no clue at the time.

There was no Google back then.

There was only pressing the button, and that was your salvation and your tragedy.

I had no idea what I was doing.

The sense of achievement was mighty indeed, all the more for starting from absolute scratch.

I never got to that stage.

Looking back now, I wonder if perhaps there was a map amongst the tiny tiny folded instructions.

Ive just Googled it and apparently, yes, there was a map in the instructions.

I bet the novella explained what all the riding around was for.

Some games are so good that they need no instructions.

Teaching yourself is all part of the fun, and you learn fast inBoulder Dash.

Run under a boulder?

If you stood still too long he would blink and you and tap his foot.

Im sure I wasnt alone in this.

Sometimes instruction is needed in life.

In fact, in most aspects of life instruction is mandatory.

I think maybe thats why I like to go without it when I play a video game.

Its a complex piece of work, and rewarding for that.

Its strange how they entertained me by being a mystery as well as a source of fun.