Man takes 17 years to beat game!

ammo · 08-21-2005, 04:11 PM

Few years ago but very funny!

http://www.thetoque.net/021008/ghosts.htm

NOT FAR AWAY-- David Spears has had a burden lifted from him as heavy as a suit of armor. The 36-year-old game enthusiast had spent almost half of his life dealing with an unforgivable shame: he had never defeated the arcade game "Ghosts 'N Goblins." But thanks to some hard work, and some luck, he recently beat the game that had been haunting him for seventeen years.
Ghouls 'N Ghosts was the spooky sequel to Ghosts 'N Goblins.

Ghosts 'N Goblins was developed in 1985, as one of many popular new side-view scrolling platformer games. The player controlled the "knight in shining armor", and with a variety of weapons at his disposal fought against legions of evil creatures on the standard quest to save the princess.

"It was freakin' hard," admitted David. "You started out with a throwing lance--yah, a lance--and you had to use it to fight off these ceaseless waves of undead hordes. There was no save-game feature either, so it was all-or-nothing each time you played."

David began playing arcade games when he was a teenager, during the dawn of video games. He was instantly hooked on Ghosts 'N Goblins when it was introduced by Capcom in the mid 80's. David easily spent half of his Burger King paycheques at the arcade, feeding quarter after quarter into the hungry machine.

Unfortunately, David's lack of skill, combined with the often slow reaction time of the game, made it impossible for him to get past the third level. His frustration mounted when his local arcade closed in 1988, forcing him to travel eight miles to a 7-Eleven on the other side of town. That was the closest place to find the game.
David looks at the machine that took hundreds (maybe thousands) of hours of his life away from him.

Over the years, David continued to invest time and silver into the taunting game. David was like a ghost himself, often disappearing from parties and other social functions, just so that he could try one more time. Eventually he gave up, and went on to finish college.

The game was forgotten for a while, but in 1998, a friend introduced David to MAME (Multiple Arcade Machine Emulator). Soon after that, there was a copy of Ghosts 'N Goblins running on his Pentium II computer.
????: NamePros.com http://www.namepros.com/the-break-room/117405-man-takes-17-years-beat-game.html

"I still sucked at the game," said David, "but at least it wasn't 'goblin' up any more of my money. Oh sure, I burned up all my sick days from work, and I lost some friends, but it was a small price to pay for my obsession. But I still couldn't beat that *#&$ game!"

David's fortune changed when he was recently dismissed from his job due to excessive absenteeism.

"I got canned from the food processing plant, and I used my final paycheque to buy a HotRod game controller," said David. "After I installed that, I discovered a Ghosts 'N Goblins walk-thru page, with all sorts of hints and other useful tips."

David used the advantage of being unemployed, and the lucky coincidence of becoming single (he didn't spend enough time with his girlfriend) to lock himself in his apartment and focus on completing the game that had been a curse to his existence.
????: NamePros.com http://www.namepros.com/showthread.php?t=117405

"I spent 37 hours straight, fighting that game for every inch of grass, ice, and lava," sighed David. "But it finally paid off!"

David defeated the game on August 23rd, 2002, at 5:32 A.M. There was no fanfare, no celebration--just a quiet nod to the game that had been his nemesis for two decades.

David pondered his proud victory for a moment before he announced: "Now I'm ready for Ghouls 'N Ghosts!"

NuPagady · 08-21-2005, 04:51 PM

Oh wow... That's what I call real addiction!

Element · 08-21-2005, 06:34 PM

Holy junk, I would of though he would of died by now.

AsclepiusZ · 08-21-2005, 06:41 PM

thats just sad

axilant · 08-21-2005, 07:52 PM

thats worse than me O.o; And ive played a game for a week straight before... but i actually get somewhere... :-/

Robson · 08-21-2005, 08:28 PM

Poor guy, better luck next time!

Cobalt · 08-21-2005, 08:35 PM

Its funny he finds a strategy guide like 16 years into the game

What a loser.

Iravan · 08-21-2005, 08:39 PM

Wow Man I feel so much pity for him

What a Loser!

snoopi · 08-21-2005, 09:18 PM

Why is he a loser? I don't get it...

Iravan · 08-21-2005, 09:29 PM

You can Do so much wiht your life, but play game 17 years - thats not good IMHO

**Michelle** · 08-22-2005, 12:08 AM

Well you sure gotta hand it to the guy for persistence

RJ · 08-22-2005, 12:21 AM

That's an inspiring story. Maybe its time I go dust off my old copy of Mike Tyson's Punch Out.

taheny · 08-22-2005, 12:49 AM

I remember that game, very well. I don't believe I managed to get past the 3rd level - and no, I'm not still trying :-)

That article reminds me of something one would read in the Onion. I would be very surprised if it was true. I'm almost certain it is a figment of the writer's imagination.

snoopi · 08-22-2005, 01:01 AM

Originally Posted by Iravan

You can Do so much wiht your life, but play game 17 years - thats not good IMHO

????: NamePros.com http://www.namepros.com/showthread.php?t=117405

Everybody has a passion (or should I say a bad habbit?) with something in his life... The sad thing is that for some people, not 17 years, but a life is not enough to overcome their bad habits... (see smokers, gamblers etc.)

That's why I believe this man is not a loser, but a winner!

mapia · 08-22-2005, 03:50 AM

poor guy.

Iravan · 08-22-2005, 07:45 AM

Quote:

Everybody has a passion (or should I say a bad habbit?) with something in his life... The sad thing is that for some people, not 17 years, but a life is not enough to overcome their bad habits... (see smokers, gamblers etc.)

That's why I believe this man is not a loser, but a winner!

Ya I guess...

My Guru once told ua a story about a guy who went for 25 years into (dont know english word) the forest, to meditate, and live an asetic life. After 25 yeard he comes back and tells his guru that he can now walk on water. The Guru tells him how foolish he has been to waste 25 years of his life when he could have done so much more at home.
????: NamePros.com http://www.namepros.com/showthread.php?t=117405

Basically letting a game almost control you like an addiciton isnt healthy. I am glad for the guy for getting over it... but still in a way disguated that you would let somehting take a hold of you like that. Even though it may be a sickness I still disapprove

**Michelle** · 08-22-2005, 07:50 AM

I sit here for hours on end. Does that make me sick

Iravan · 08-22-2005, 07:55 AM

Quote:

I sit here for hours on end. Does that make me sick

Sickness is in the Eye of the Beholder!

**Michelle** · 08-22-2005, 08:01 AM

Originally Posted by Iravan

Sickness is in the Eye of the Beholder!

Great answer

nasaboy007 · 08-22-2005, 09:11 AM

now THAT's a hard core gamer. im NOTHING compared to him lol

Stephen · 08-22-2005, 12:49 PM

He must of really been addicted to that game. What a waste of time...

Jakey · 08-22-2005, 01:22 PM

wow..just wow.

johnny6 · 08-22-2005, 01:35 PM

well... just imagine how psyched he must have been when he did win.... pure, unadulterated joy, no matter how stupid, is a great thing, no?

Iravan · 08-22-2005, 01:50 PM

Quote:

well... just imagine how psyched he must have been when he did win.... pure, unadulterated joy, no matter how stupid, is a great thing, no?

That is true...

gchick · 08-22-2005, 04:08 PM

i never heard of that game before....

08-21-2005, 04:11 PM	THREAD STARTER #1 (permalink)
ammo Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Cornwall! Posts: 2,251	Man takes 17 years to beat game! Few years ago but very funny! http://www.thetoque.net/021008/ghosts.htm NOT FAR AWAY-- David Spears has had a burden lifted from him as heavy as a suit of armor. The 36-year-old game enthusiast had spent almost half of his life dealing with an unforgivable shame: he had never defeated the arcade game "Ghosts 'N Goblins." But thanks to some hard work, and some luck, he recently beat the game that had been haunting him for seventeen years. Ghouls 'N Ghosts was the spooky sequel to Ghosts 'N Goblins. Ghosts 'N Goblins was developed in 1985, as one of many popular new side-view scrolling platformer games. The player controlled the "knight in shining armor", and with a variety of weapons at his disposal fought against legions of evil creatures on the standard quest to save the princess. "It was freakin' hard," admitted David. "You started out with a throwing lance--yah, a lance--and you had to use it to fight off these ceaseless waves of undead hordes. There was no save-game feature either, so it was all-or-nothing each time you played." David began playing arcade games when he was a teenager, during the dawn of video games. He was instantly hooked on Ghosts 'N Goblins when it was introduced by Capcom in the mid 80's. David easily spent half of his Burger King paycheques at the arcade, feeding quarter after quarter into the hungry machine. Unfortunately, David's lack of skill, combined with the often slow reaction time of the game, made it impossible for him to get past the third level. His frustration mounted when his local arcade closed in 1988, forcing him to travel eight miles to a 7-Eleven on the other side of town. That was the closest place to find the game. David looks at the machine that took hundreds (maybe thousands) of hours of his life away from him. Over the years, David continued to invest time and silver into the taunting game. David was like a ghost himself, often disappearing from parties and other social functions, just so that he could try one more time. Eventually he gave up, and went on to finish college. The game was forgotten for a while, but in 1998, a friend introduced David to MAME (Multiple Arcade Machine Emulator). Soon after that, there was a copy of Ghosts 'N Goblins running on his Pentium II computer. ????: NamePros.com http://www.namepros.com/the-break-room/117405-man-takes-17-years-beat-game.html "I still sucked at the game," said David, "but at least it wasn't 'goblin' up any more of my money. Oh sure, I burned up all my sick days from work, and I lost some friends, but it was a small price to pay for my obsession. But I still couldn't beat that *#&$ game!" David's fortune changed when he was recently dismissed from his job due to excessive absenteeism. "I got canned from the food processing plant, and I used my final paycheque to buy a HotRod game controller," said David. "After I installed that, I discovered a Ghosts 'N Goblins walk-thru page, with all sorts of hints and other useful tips." David used the advantage of being unemployed, and the lucky coincidence of becoming single (he didn't spend enough time with his girlfriend) to lock himself in his apartment and focus on completing the game that had been a curse to his existence. ????: NamePros.com http://www.namepros.com/showthread.php?t=117405 "I spent 37 hours straight, fighting that game for every inch of grass, ice, and lava," sighed David. "But it finally paid off!" David defeated the game on August 23rd, 2002, at 5:32 A.M. There was no fanfare, no celebration--just a quiet nod to the game that had been his nemesis for two decades. David pondered his proud victory for a moment before he announced: "Now I'm ready for Ghouls 'N Ghosts!"

08-21-2005, 06:34 PM	#3 (permalink)
Element NamePros Regular Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: United States Posts: 647	Holy junk, I would of though he would of died by now. __________________ PolarisWorld \| Formula 1 Valencia \| Villas La Manga \| Real Estate Valencia Extra Virgin Olive Oil \| Security in Spain \| SEO Directory \| Real Estate Spain

08-21-2005, 08:28 PM	#6 (permalink)
Robson NamePros Regular Join Date: Jan 2005 Posts: 653	Poor guy, better luck next time! __________________ DateinaDash.com - Speed Dating & Singles Party Events in London!

08-21-2005, 08:39 PM	#8 (permalink)
Iravan TSAS Host Join Date: Jun 2005 Posts: 2,482	Wow Man I feel so much pity for him What a Loser! __________________ FREE Traffic-ExitTraffic.us ArcadeFree.net - For Sale

08-21-2005, 09:18 PM	#9 (permalink)
snoopi Senior Member Join Date: May 2004 Location: E.U. Posts: 1,038	Why is he a loser? I don't get it... __________________ WebProxy.cc - Browse what & when you want! :kickass: Brand New Media Site Script MyMediaScript.com:kickass:

08-21-2005, 04:51 PM	#2 (permalink)
NuPagady NamePros Regular Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Lithuania Posts: 482	Oh wow... That's what I call real addiction!

08-21-2005, 06:41 PM	#4 (permalink)
AsclepiusZ NamePros Regular Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Good question..... Posts: 520	thats just sad

08-21-2005, 07:52 PM	#5 (permalink)
axilant Account Closed Join Date: May 2004 Location: /etc/passwd Posts: 2,178	thats worse than me O.o; And ive played a game for a week straight before... but i actually get somewhere... :-/

08-21-2005, 08:35 PM	#7 (permalink)
Cobalt Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: North Dakota Posts: 1,378	Its funny he finds a strategy guide like 16 years into the game What a loser.

08-21-2005, 09:29 PM	#10 (permalink)
Iravan TSAS Host Join Date: Jun 2005 Posts: 2,482	You can Do so much wiht your life, but play game 17 years - thats not good IMHO __________________ FREE Traffic-ExitTraffic.us ArcadeFree.net - For Sale

08-22-2005, 12:08 AM	#11 (permalink)
Michelle Be Happy... Don't Worry Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: UK Posts: 16,047	Well you sure gotta hand it to the guy for persistence

08-22-2005, 12:21 AM	#12 (permalink)
RJ NamePros Webmaster Join Date: Feb 2003 Posts: 12,930 Follow @DomainBuyer	That's an inspiring story. Maybe its time I go dust off my old copy of Mike Tyson's Punch Out. __________________ @DomainBuyer facebook

08-22-2005, 12:49 AM	#13 (permalink)
taheny NamePros Regular Join Date: Oct 2004 Posts: 632	I remember that game, very well. I don't believe I managed to get past the 3rd level - and no, I'm not still trying :-) That article reminds me of something one would read in the Onion. I would be very surprised if it was true. I'm almost certain it is a figment of the writer's imagination.

08-22-2005, 03:50 AM	#15 (permalink)
mapia NamePros Member Join Date: Aug 2005 Posts: 76	poor guy.

08-22-2005, 07:50 AM	#17 (permalink)
Michelle Be Happy... Don't Worry Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: UK Posts: 16,047	I sit here for hours on end. Does that make me sick

08-22-2005, 09:11 AM	#20 (permalink)
nasaboy007 Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: NJ Posts: 1,219	now THAT's a hard core gamer. im NOTHING compared to him lol __________________ Hacksar.com - Your source for random computer tips and tricks! MySiteMemberships.com - Keep track of your site registration information! Like my post? Rep is appreciated!

08-22-2005, 12:49 PM	#21 (permalink)
Stephen Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Georgia, USA Posts: 3,245	He must of really been addicted to that game. What a waste of time...

08-22-2005, 01:22 PM	#22 (permalink)
Jakey Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Washington Posts: 1,449	wow..just wow. __________________ MMA Pound For Pound

08-22-2005, 01:35 PM	#23 (permalink)
johnny6 Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: North Carolina Posts: 2,130	well... just imagine how psyched he must have been when he did win.... pure, unadulterated joy, no matter how stupid, is a great thing, no? __________________ Find the best property managers

08-22-2005, 04:08 PM	#25 (permalink)
gchick Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Twitter world Posts: 1,561 Follow @sassygirlster	i never heard of that game before....

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