The release of California Games on the virtual console is the first opportunity I've had to make up for the massive piracy of my youth. It's the first such release that I remember playing. And pretty much, if I remember playing it I was playing a pirated copy. The first C64 game I recall buying was Pool of Radience, so anything before that is sure to have been pirated.
Anyway, California Games is part of the Games series that included Summer Games, Winter Games, World Games, etc. I think this was the last one. There was a game called Barbarian Games or something, with drinking games and cow tossing, but I don't think that was an Epyx game.
As these games go this is a pretty good one. The events are simple, but compared to say, running in a straight line, they come off pretty good. There are only six events, and they are pretty brutal. I was benefited by a look at the VC operations guide, something I never had as a kid.
The game follows the same conventions as Summer Games. Up to 8 people can compete in one or more events. Instead of choosing a country, each dude selects a appropriatly Californian sponsor like Ocean Pacific. High scores are recorded, and there's a pratice mode. That's about it.
My favorite events are skating, hackysack, and surfing. BMX is ok, but punishingly hard. The controls on the skating game are extra wonky, and the frisbee is too simple. I know Californians are laid back, but I don't think a guy throwing a frisbee to another guy constitutes a competitive sport.
Despite the difficulty there is something charming about the events. It's usually entertaining when your dude bites it, and its relatively painless to try again.
I don't know if any of my $5 is going to get to the original developers, but it made me feel a bit better anyway. I have about 100 more games to go I'm afraid.
I'm a bit baffled why Summer Games II has been put out on VC but not Summer Games or Winter Games. Or for that matter, M.U.L.E, Archon, Mail Order Monsters, Racing Destruction Set, Impossible Mission, Raid on Bungelen Bay, etc, etc ,etc. I can't be the only nerd in the US who was playing C64 games instead of NES. A lot of us got hooked on programming from the 64 and probably have lucrative IT careers. Give us a chance to spend our money!