Ah, HERE we go! My fondest arcade memories are of Roadblasters, the coolest game Izzy's had to offer. Through the years that place went through a lot of machines, but Roadblasters stayed there, year after year...probably because it was so popular. Its coolness was only matched by "Cosmo Gang: The Video!" which was like Galaga

only with crazy cartoon aliens (that talked) (a lot). Cosmo Gang lasted 1 and 1/2 years. But Roadblasters was always there. The thing was intense--I would put the majority of my quarters into there every time we ate at Izzy's in a futile effort to get as far as I could (I knew I'd never beat it). One day (in 1998) I went to Izzy's and it was no longer there, replaced by "Super Sprint," which stunk!

I was pretty certain I'd never see it again until Christmas 2000. I was searching for games to put on my "gift list" when I saw...ROADBLASTERS WAS ON AN ARCADE COMPILATION, FOR PLAYSTATION!! Yes! ("Super Sprint" was also avaliable for purchase too, on another collection...but who'd want it?) Unfortunately, I didn't have the money to buy it. So I put it on my list. Christmas came and went, and I got a confession from my mom that she couldn't find the game at all. It was RIGHT THERE when I wrote it down, but apparently somebody purchased the last copy shortly after I had done so and left. I called around, and no other store even remotely close to my house had it. Somebody had evidently bought the LAST COPY IN THE ENTIRE STATE OF OREGON... I called a shop that specialized in finding rare games. They said they'd find it and call me back on Monday. On Tuesday I called them back and asked them why they hadn't called. They re-put my number down and said they'd call back on Friday. On Saturday I gave up on them. A month later I suddenly thought of something...WHY NOT LOOK FOR ROADBLASTERS ON THE WEB! I could've killed myself for not thinking of it earlier. I typed it into a search engine and...AMAZON.COM WAS SELLING IT FOR $3.95!!! And they were sold out. I looked around some more. Yahoo's market was selling it for $15. Since I didn't have a credit card, my stepdad said he'd order it for me the next day. The next day, I turned the computer on. It made a noise like a lawnmower and kept making it for the next two minutes, until it finally stopped. Then, when I tried to get online, it wouldn't work. And my stepdad was due home in a half-hour. With relief, I discovered that it did work...you just had to leave it sitting for 5 minutes or so. But how was I going to explain this noise to my stepdad, who would say "Take it in the shop" and turn it off????? I WAS THIS CLOSE HERE!!!! Well, he came. And I turned the computer back on. And it made the noise. And...he didn't notice at all. Strange how parents' minds are wired. Anyway, he ordered the CD, and I had finally won! The following week, I went back into Izzy's and...the Roadblasters machine was sitting right there, in its usual place, as if nothing had happened since 1998. So many events in my life are like this that it's embarrassing. Final picture: from the 1970's! Can you guess what it's called? Seriously??? "Rip-Off."

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