uVme have released another new retro game. The new release is named Paddlong and has been inspired by the hugely popular game Pong, which was first released in 1972.

Pong was the first game to become a success with the public and it appears it is still a hit as the new retro game Paddlong has gone down well with uVme fans. The simplicity of the game makes it very addictive and very easy to pick up and play. You won’t need any previous gaming experience to give this game a go.

See how good you are at Paddlong by clicking here.

You can play Martian Ball at the uVme games site.

The eighties saw some significant developments in both the home computer and console market. The public now had a large choice in what computers, consoles and games they could buy. Here is what happened following the crash of 1983.

History of Games 1984 to 1989

1984 - Atari undertook a market study to discover what the public wanted. They then released the 7800 which was compatible with the 2600 software already available.

1984 - Apple’s Macintosh is released in January, one of the first computers to feature GUI (graphical user interface)

1985 - Nintendo released the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) in America with successful sales thanks to Mario. What Nintendo also attributed their success to was granting licenses to software companies and manufacturing the cartridges themselves. This control over software prevented duplicate games being produced, which was what lead to the crash in 1983. It also meant they ensured only quality games were released.

1987 - Not following Nintendo’s new approach to software, Sega’s Sega Master System did not achieve the same success. By now it was clear how successful Nintendo’s NES had become, far outselling the Sega Master System and Atari’s 7800.

1987 - The new IBM PC made graphics cards more common in home computers. In 1987 IBM started using the VGA, allowing for more colourful games. IBM were now a main supplier in the home computer market.

1989 - After Nintendo had dominated the console market, Sega released their own 16 bit console: Genesis or also known as the Megadrive. It now had 3rd party software developers.

1989 - Nintendo released the handheld Gameboy. Although Atari also announce a handheld that year, the Lynx, it is not released until 1990 giving Nintendo an advantage in sales.

The eighties was quite an eventful decade for the gaming market which is why Gaming in the eighties has been spilt into two parts. If you missed part 1 you can read it here.

Play Tetrablock now on the uVme games site!

A brand new game has been added to the uVme site today! Blob Factory is now live and ready to be played!

Two tournaments have already been begun with the launch of the new uVme game Blob Factory. One of those tournaments will end tomorrow so we’ll soon see who the best Blob Factory players are. The other tournament will last for a week.

I’ve already been practicing by playing for free and I’m hooked! Blob Factory is certainly going to rival Fruit Frenzy and Speed Pool for the title of most popular game.

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You can play Blob Factory now by logging on to the uVme website.

As soon as Speed Pool was added to the line up of uVme games I was hooked! I have always enjoyed pool down the pub with mates but why am I so addicted to this game?

This pool game differs from 9 Ball Pool as it says in the title it is Speed Pool. All the balls must be potted as fast as possible. All the reds must be potted first before finishing on the black. The faster you pot a ball the more points you receive for it. There is no hanging around with this game. Fouls are given in the form of minus points should you pot the white, miss the ball or pot the black before all the reds have been potted. Get big points by potting as many balls as early on as possible.

When you compare Speed pool to 9 Ball Pool, the controls for the game are so much easier to use; you still have all the same controls but they have been displayed in a much more user friendly way.

The difficulty in Speed Pool resides in the ability to remain calm. (put picture of me in)

As tension and heart rates rise the miss of a pot can lead to panic, frequently leading to the miss of a second easy shot and before you know it that top score is out of reach and you’ve been beaten by your girlfriend. Speed is very much the key, but ensuring a pot is far more important; it doesn’t matter how fast you take two shots it will always be quicker to take just the one.

With only the exception of the final black Speed Pool allows the reds to be potted in any order!

9 Ball Pool requires the use of accurate spin and power with almost every shot, with time not on your side, Speed Pool can be successfully played with good use of power alone as more often than not you will end up on another red.

uVme WebLog’s Speed Pool round up

The fast and furious action Speed Pool will give even hard core gamers a sweaty mouse hand, coupled with quick game turnaround and the satisfaction of beating your friends this is one of the top games on the uVme platform.

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If you have not yet discovered the craze that is Sudoku, then the uVme game Mystic Sudoku may not have appealed to you. For those that it did appeal to, you may have been a little disappointed at first to find that it differs slightly from a regular Sudoku puzzle.

The aim of Mystic Sudoku is to fill each square, row and column with the numbers 1 to 9, without any number being repeated. If you do place a number in a row, column or square where it is already present then you will lose a life. You will need to pay close attention to this as you place the numbers as you only have three lives. The game will finish when you either run out of lives, run out of time or you complete the grid.

While it follows the principle of a Sudoku puzzle, there is more trial and error involved than accuracy and long, careful thinking. To begin with you are only given four numbers, one in each corner, making it impossible to know where each number goes. It is up to you to work out as best you can where each number can go without repeating a number from 1 to 9 in any row, column or square.

If you are familiar with Sudoku then you’ll get the idea. If you haven’t played Sudoku before then it may take you a while to get used to. It’s a different approach to the puzzle but it does give those that are familiar with Sudoku a slightly different challenge.

The appearance of Mystic Sudoku has been nicely designed with an ancient style theme. Suitable music also adds to the game’s atmosphere. While sound is not important to the game the background music does enhance the gamer’s experience, and fits the style of the game very well. The graphics and the music all make the player’s experience much more enjoyable.

uVme WebLog’s Mystic Sudoku round up

Mystic Sudoku will appeal to those with a passion for puzzles. You will need skills in logical quick thinking and attentiveness to get high scores. There is definitely an advantage for players familiar with Sudoku puzzles although there is a slightly different approach required. It may take newcomers a few goes at Mystic Sudoku before they are able to develop an effective strategy for filling the puzzle in quickly.

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Play Basket Ball now on the uVme games site.

In the early 80s home computers were becoming increasingly more popular. Arcade games also made a big leap forward in the 80s. A wider variety of games were released and new technologies were incorporated.

History of Computer Games 1981 to 1983

1980 - Flash Attack, a strategy game was released allowing two people to play against each other by linking their computers.

1981 – This was a great year for the computer games market. Namco’s Pac-Man was released as an arcade game. With over 99,000 units sold it became one of the most successful videogames of all time. Also released in 1981 were: Galaga by Midway, Frogger by Konami, GORF and then Ms. Pac-Man also from Midway.

1982 - Another year of great of releases including:
Atari’s console the 5200 including a console version of Pac-Man
Nintendo’s Donkey Kong arcade game
Universal’s Mr. Do!
Atari’s Pole Position arcade game
Tron by Bally Midway
Zaxxon by Sega/Gremlin

By 1983 cracks were starting to show in the video gaming console industry. With so many companies producing games a price war ensued driving down the prices of games. Stock prices for companies dropped, companies such as Mattel suffered million dollar loses, and hundreds of jobs were lost. Meanwhile handheld computers and home computers were doing much better in the gaming market: Nintendo released a handheld Donkey Kong and Acorn released the BBC and Electron home computers.

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Related Posts

The History of Games

Games Before Computers

Gaming in the 70s

Play Jigsaw War now on the uVme games site.