By 1979 our family was already on our third video game console. We owned a standalone Pong system in 1977, sold it for a Magnavox Odyssey 2 in 1978, and upgraded to an Atari 2600 in 1979.
Grandma O’Hara visited Oklahoma the spring of 1979 as well. At least I think that was the year. I specifically remember sitting down in our living room floor with her and watching The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe during (I think) that same visit. According to Wikipedia, that animated film first aired on April 1st, 1979. Of course it’s possible that we caught a re-run (and we did own a VCR…), but that date kind of feels right.
I can’t imagine most 50-year-olds who grew up during the Great Depression being all that interested in playing video games, but somehow my grandma’s five-and-a-half year old grandson (me) talked her into playing Atari with him. I don’t remember all the games we played together, but I specifically remember we played Bowling.
In Atari’s version of Bowling, players move their bowler up or down inside the lane and then press the joystick’s red fire button to send the ball rolling down the lane. At the other end of the lane are ten pins, represented by dots (tiny squares, really). There are multiple game variations built in to the game cartridge. One variation doesn’t allow the ball’s trajectory to be altered once it leaves the bowler’s hands. Another allows it to be altered after the bowler releases the ball but only once, as if the ball were thrown with a spin. The easiest variation allows the ball to be controlled all the way down the lane with the joystick. I once read a doctor’s description of performing a lobotomy. After inserting an icepick into his patient’s brain, he wiggled it all around for a few seconds in hopes of doing the most damage. This is the exact same technique (sans icepick) I used in Atari’s Bowling — wait for the ball to enter the pins and then thrash the joystick around in hopes of hitting as many pins as possible. While the intended outcome of the two actions are exact opposites (in a lobotomy you’re actually hoping for a 7-10 split…) the concepts are similar.
The difficulty switches on the Atari itself can make the game easier or harder for individual players. I don’t remember exactly how we had the game configured but since I knew what an Atari was and grandma didn’t, I can assure you the game was set up to make things as easy for me and as difficult for her as possible. One memory that leads credence to this theory was that during the game, my grandma swore. A lot. Of course she didn’t swear in English; instead, she uttered a few words in either Russian or Polish (the Irish comes from my grandpa’s side) and then told me not to repeat them.
After one game of bowling, grandma quit. And by that I mean, she quit playing video games. She blamed her loss to me on poor vision in one eye, claiming that because of it she had no depth perception. Although I too am essentially legally blind in one eye now, I’m still pretty sure I can play Atari’s Bowling with no problem. Grandma later got a computer and played Solitaire and Poker on it (both online and off), but I don’t recall her ever playing Bowling or the Atari or any other video game system again.
I have fond memories of playing Atari bowling with my Grandpa back in the day. I actually still like playing it now. I love the sound it makes when you get a strike (woot woot woot woot wow or close to that haha). My Grandpa picked up an Atari VCS in October 1977 (before it was officially called the 2600). I was 5 at the time. We use to play Combat and Bowling when I’d come over to visit for the weekend. He passed away 13 years ago (this coming March) and when he passed, my Grandma, like yours who didn’t play video games, but to this day at 90 still loves playing Solitaire on her computer, called me up a few months after he passed and said “I found the old Atari in the garage, would you like to have it?”. Of course I said YES!!! and went to pick it up. It still had the original box (receipt inside when it was purchased at K-Mart) and a box full of game cartridges. I love and cherrish that Atari. By the way, nice post. Your Grandma sounds like she was a hoot. Most Grand parents from our timeframe are all pretty nifty :)