ATARI 2600 SUNSTRIKE AND THE INFINITE PYRAMID This side-scrolling game consisted of 6 playable characters- an innovation, to be sure, in 1981- crossing a dozen playable fields. A blue fireball deposits Clay Reeves from Earth into the Temple of Inguz, where Merriwyn of Kolpar must make a timely rescue. From there, the duo grows in size to a half-dozen characters, battling foes such as the Voidons and Sulinar Vix, as they search the Pyramid for Ing, the mighty living rocket ship, who can lift them safely on their way. The comics series originally had the origin story of Sunstrike and his companionship with Merriwyn and company in issue one, then did something unusual with issue two: a depiction of three variations of the plot of the previous issue, with a different destination of the dark side of the Moon for one, and the introduction of the Champion, who pointed Sunstrike towards the plane of the King of Swords. Issue three picked up the original ending of issue one, and one of t...

Here’s a story inspired by seeing a vintage pinball machine, during an annual camping trip with my family .- Cecil A man with a certain maniacal glee in his eyes leads another man into People’s Crossing, pictured here: The other fellow’s dressed in a Hawaiian shirt. He’s putting out a cigar as they travel over the bridge. He coughs, then says: Blamed walk to the top of this mountain best be worth it. Mr. Anthony, you are considering turning back? Not on your life, Sandu! We’ve got five grand riding on your proof that you can demonstrate what I will agree is Extra Sensory Perception. If you hadn’t walked up from nowhwere, told me my name, that I go by ‘R.A.’- that I’m a gambling addict, that I’ve seen it all but you can go one better, money guaranteed- and my blamed social security number! Why aren’t you selling lottery numbers? Sandu: Power made of belief- beyond every day levels, in this cynical world- can move that entire mountain top, RA. My sense of a tremendous ...