Every once in a great while, one runs across a truly great, timeless game. Chess is one example. Hide & Go Seek is another. This past December, my gracious employer acquired an Ultracade machine for the break room. At 5 credits per quarter, this has been a big hit with the staff and tenants, but a recent motherboard failure resulted in something wonderous: an upgrade.

In addition to the several dozen cheesy 1980’s games, we got Robotron 2084. This 1982 stand-up video game uses two joysticks, one to move the hero on the playfield, the other to direct his lazer beams in any of eight directions. The graphics are remedial, the colors horribly garish, but the gameplay itself is superb. If you can’t afford your own stand-up machine, get a copy for Windows.