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33-Slowly We Forgot and Eventually Lost It

Puck Monster Tabletop Game By Gakken, 80s

這篇文章的拍攝工作做得很愉快,因為我只需要一心一意地玩遊戲機,再請身旁的人幫我拍照。

偶爾心血來潮,或者想轉換心情,我也會拿出這台座檯式《Puck Monster》來玩,通常是玩一兩局,想來也真的很久沒有像這次痛快淋漓地打一場了。

預備一個「認真」的心情,深呼吸一下,啟動電源,漆黑的畫面「咻」地閃現開場的畫面,響起可以一起哼唱的主題旋律,那份久違的興奮感再次回來。

The photoshoot for this article was a very pleasant experience; because all I needed to do was pose as a model and play games. The actual shooting work was other people’s job.

Occasionally, I would take out my tabletop console, Puck Monster, to play a game or two. This happens either on a whim, or when I need a change of mood. When I think about it, I realize that it has been quite a while since I had such a whale of a time with this console.

Prepare myself for “focused” mode. Take a deep breath. Turn the console power on. The screen brightens up and the opening scene appears. The innately catchy theme song starts playing. The long-lost excitement hits me once again.

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我是出生在任天堂家庭遊戲機(俗稱紅白機)誕生的80年代,遊戲機對我來說是跟電視機並存的。幾乎是筆桿還沒執好,遊戲手把已是我在遊戲國度騁馳的韁繩了。我算是比較早擁有遊戲機的小孩,所以家裡老是聚集一幫樂而忘返的同學,只是他們時而露出的豔羨目光,讓我知道現實生活裡物質計較所帶來的難受,遠遠不及單純的遊戲那樣快樂。

I was born in the 80s when Nintendo’s Famicom game console (commonly known as the Red/White Console) was unveiled to the world. Back then, both the game console and TV were an indispensable part of my life. Even before I could properly hold a pen, I had mastered the skills of holding my game  console controller. Indeed, I was one of those kids that were lucky enough to own a game console rather early. Because of that, my house became a meeting place for my classmates. We had so much fun; but then, sometimes, they would cast these envious glances that made me realize comparison is the base on which envy stands.

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回顧那些我曾經心愛(甚至不能自拔)的許多電子遊戲,我依然是對早期的二維平面遊戲情有獨鍾,不論是從八爪魚演變而來的《Space Invader》怪物角色,還是由一個缺了一塊的薄餅而誕生的《Pac-Man》,原始的8-bit遊戲總是別有一番獨特的玩味,人的創意和想像力自然彌補了所謂的失真,讓遊戲集中在反應與畫面同步的樂趣本身,用不著指示說明便能立刻上手,衝高分的重複模式更讓人想一玩再玩。

Among the numerous video games that I used to love (or perhaps, rather, I was actually addicted to them), I especially have a soft spot for the early 2D, 8-bit graphic games. Whether it is the octopus-like aliens in Space Invader, or Pac-Man that is in the shape of a pizza missing a slice, the 8-bit games are uniquely fun and entertaining. Human creativity and imagination can bring forth a game’s greatest potential and allow players to fully indulge in the game without having to read through the instruction manual. Trying to continually beat a new high score can keep players engrossed for hours.

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《Pac-Man》於1980年推出,原名是《Puck Man》,是繼《Space Invader》在日本推出造成硬幣短缺的轟動後,再下一城延續前所未見的遊戲熱潮之作。這台座檯式《Puck Monster》便見證著後來慢慢由遊戲機中心發展到家庭遊戲機的時間。它保留了遊戲機中心大型機台的造形,只能玩單一遊戲,也是它的趣味所在,擁有它總算圓了自己兒時小小的夢,在家裡添置一部大型機台,把家變成天堂般的遊戲機中心。

The iconic Pac-Man game, which in Japan was originally called “Puck Man”, came out in 1980 following the launch of Space Invaders which had allegedly caused a shortage of 100 Yen coins in Japan. The tabletop Puck Monster console exists to  remind us of the evolution from the original video game arcade to a more portable home video game console. It has the appearance of a mini-arcade machine and features only one game. Believe it or not, even though it comes with only one game, it’s extremely fun! Owning a Puck Monster somehow fulfilled my childhood dream of having an arcade machine at home.

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遊戲機最初的出發點是製造趣味和歡樂。對於一個曾以遊戲機度日的少年來說,儘管這總被視為虛度光陰的行為,但比起眾多難以理解的社會遊戲規則,電子遊戲確實有擺脫現實時間的魔法,不然也不知該如何熬過成長中那些漫長而苦悶的日子。「可以玩樂的時候,便徹底盡情地玩樂吧」,這是我的人生格言,因為到我領悟的時候,已意味著我正在喪失這個我以為再自然不過的能力。

Video games were developed to bring fun and joy to the player. For someone like me, who used to spend days and nights playing video games, I believe they do possess magic that can temporarily sweep you away from reality. Though some might consider gaming a waste of time, I honestly don’t know how I could have made it through the long and depressing days of my youth without my game console. And I’ve also come to realize that by the time I finally understand the motto of “have as much fun as you can,” I may have already lost the ability to have fun.

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