Mad Magazine - Video Games in Real Life

[Devin]

Hey all. I finally found a copy online of one my favorite MAD Magazines parodies from back in the 80's.

 

In this parody, MAD Magazine created a series of "video games" based on real life. Actually, many of these are do-able on the Atari 2600!

 

Enjoy.

[LS_Dracon]

Walk - Don't walk, I think can be a button smash game, if you press the button, the old man step foward, if you stop to press the button, he stops and return to the other side, slowly.

 

So you need to decide if worth keep going to foward or auto-return when the car aproaches.

 

Madness XD

[ComputerSpaceFan]

TV Spin Off might make a cool paddle game.

[LS_Dracon]

Walk - Don't Walk mockup.

For some reason, I think would be cool if this game uses ancient 2600 grahic style

[Ethaniel]

they look hilarious! actually the photos resemble more to game and watch games but either way they look funny

i remember i had an issue of 99 or so here in greece where they had more 3d-ish "games". i would scan them but noone would understand... but i guess the greek version was just translated from the US issues.

anyway thanks for the scans Devin

[Devin]

Walk - Don't Walk mockup.

For some reason, I think would be cool if this game uses ancient 2600 grahic style

 

That looks great.

[Devin]

As a kid, I thought quite a bit how these could be made into real games - especially when I learned to program.

 

• Walk-Don't Walk - Exactly how LS_Dracon said!
   
  
• Subway Rush Hour - Definitely a button masher. Another approach would to have you control a "sweeper" that pushes them in. Naturally, they would be like herding cats.
   
  
• Insult the Intelligence TV Commercial - This one could be really fun. The human player would naturally be able to move up and down. The TV could have two moves: push right and the T.V. glows like it is going to fire - and right to fire. It would be a game of guessing - kinda like a psychological game.
   
  
• Big City Doggie Do - Q-Bert-ish?
   
  
• International Terrorist - The game is quite simple. It might be fun if the terrorist side and try to fake-out the Guard.
   
  
• Rich and Famous Crook - Doesn't seem feasible.
   
  
• Professional Hockey - Oh yaaaa... good 'ole beat 'em up!
   
  
• Guns vs. Butter Budget - Doesn't seem feasible.
   
  
• Political Asylum - This seems like more of a one-player game. Basically, its a space shoot 'em up.
   
  
• Piling up the Bull - Button masher?
   
  
• Smoker's vs. Non-Smokers - This can pretty much the same game as "Insult the Intelligence T.V Commercial". However, in this version, both players can have timers - breathing for the non-smoker and addiction for the smoker!
   
  
• Television Spin-Off - Definitely a paddle game like ComputerSpacceFan said.
   
  
• Great American Divorce - It would be more fun if the items scrolled vertically like the carriage in Outlaw! If two players get to the same item, they can tug-o-war!
  

[SRGilbert]

What issue was that in? What was on the cover?

[Devin]

What issue was that in? What was on the cover?

 

I think it is April '82.

[Kweepa]

Sorry to necropost... found this with a google search.

 

Thank you Devin for finding this article!

 

I remember it fondly, and even wrote SMOKERS vs NON-SMOKERS for my BBC micro back in the day. It made a surprisingly playable game - the non-smoker ran out of breath, and held down a key to suck air back in, while the smoker hit a key to blow smoke. It all worked in BASIC - I just changed screen colours to indicate the breath/smoke in the lungs and to show the arm with the cigarette, and only had to update the little blocks in the lungs.

[Flojomojo]

Necro-post! This snip of the Raiders manual for VCS is reminiscent of these