If you’ve been keeping up with this blog (or been binge-reading it for
the past hour or so), you may notice that I have a bit of a history with old
games. Well, being a millennial, I suppose it comes naturally. I’ve been
playing with computer and video games since I was a tot, and I have a huge
preference for olden games from the saintly days of yore. I suppose my mother
had a big influence on that, which is weird because I wouldn’t exactly peg her
as a game geek, but on the other hand, most of what she bought me was
educational, so I guess she and I are both geeks of some reference.
Whatever.
Ever see a game that looks like it’s going to be every bit as cheesy
as it sounds? Well, in the spirit of continuing to wax nostalgia… here’s
Crayola Art Studio 2.
GAAAAH!!!!! Looking at this now, this is about as cheesy as cheese
could get! Wisconsin can’t even manufacture this much cheese! So many fonts and
colors, the wacky setup, and…. WHAT’S WITH THE TV AND BIKE HORN??!!!! Was
someone sniffing Sharpies before they made this??!!!!! This makes the intro to Hey Vern, It’s Ernest! look sane!
Looking back on it now, I realize just how ridiculous this game was.
But back then… and to an extent, still now… THIS GAME ROCKED!!!!
This was nothing short of an amazing part of my childhood. I enjoyed
games like Kid Pix and SimTunes, but could only play them at
school because I didn’t have a Mac. I also have no idea what Crayola Art Studio ONE was, but who
cared! Best game intro ever, completely danceable, AND it was a two-stager!
The first was Crayola Art Adventures, which was for the little kids.
It was kinda boring, but still had its value. Because most of the “Art” was
structured, then “free color,” I felt a little stinted using that. The second
part, the actual “art studio” was AWESOME! The challenges were more fitting for
my age, plus you had your OWN CANVAS. You could make awesome slideshows with
drawings and animations, and you could even save them to a miniature “gallery”
or print them. Unfortunately, and obviously, you couldn’t print the animations.
Whatever. It was still cool.
In each room, there were all kinds of things to click on to set off
animations, etc., and in the studio, there was a phone that you clicked to hear
a random joke. There must’ve been at least 5 or 10 jokes, and I used to know
every one of them. I don’t remember them, but I’m certain my mother must,
considering the number of times she’s heard them from me or the game. (Oops.
Sorry, Mom… if you happen to be reading this blog.)
Yeah, this game was jam-packed with wacky sound effects, bright
colors, and crazy animations to keep the child’s interest and to bug the living
daylights out of parents (Again, sorry, Mom.) Oh, and didn’t even mention the
part of the game where you can find out the history of Crayola, plus how
crayons and markers are manufactured. Having been raised on Sesame Street and Mr. Roger’s Neighborhood (among many others), this was insanely
exciting for me to watch, especially since it was “hosted” by kids, plus “explained”
by a cartoon crayon and marker.
Like Qwirks, this is a game
that I miss. I need to find these games! Well, if you happen upon Crayola Art Studio 2, let your kid try
it out, or try it yourself, because why not? I can almost guarantee that you
will enjoy it… provided you’re not like these cynical internet critics. J
See ya!
What’s your favorite cartoony sound effect?
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