1983's video games: Pole Position and Donkey Kong lands at home (in Japan)

"Prepare to qualify". I'd forgotten how those words instantaneously brought sweat to the palms in this, the number-one arcade game of the year.

I played a few rounds here: https://www.retrogames.cc/arcade-games/pole-position-world.html, and it took me a few tries to get the feel for it again (it's only been thirty-something years). I felt like the curves were going to need more steering than they did, so I kept on exploding against a billboard (we've all been there) until I loosened up a bit and at least made it to the checkpoint on the third try. 

It was never a favourite game of mine, to be honest, but a few rounds made for a nice re-visit. 

https://www.retrogames.cc/nes-games/donkey-kong-japan.html

Then, staying on the same site, it was time for a game that I have re-visited many, many times over the years - a little bit on the NES Classic, a bit more often on the Wii, and every now and then in an arcade. This was supposedly the version for the Famicom in 1983, which was the Japan-only version of the NES. At this time, and even when I got the NES, I never had Donkey Kong so it was always an arcade game for me until the Wii. 

I was dying in embarrassing fashion until I figured out the controls - getting bonked on the head by that first barrel dropped while I tried to find jump. Of course, it was "z". Why did I naturally want to use "a"? 

Anyway, I was off and running, and doing pretty well for three rounds - making double barrel jumps like I was the King of Kong and speeding through the elevator level as always because it freaks me out.

I think if I ever talk to young 'uns in mythological terms about a video game, it will be this one. I'll simply tell them this: the game was hard, kids. It really is merciless right off the start.

By the time I hit the third go-around I wasn't quite ready for the game upping the ante and spent my lives in a storm of barrels.