{"id":3373,"date":"2015-02-05T23:48:51","date_gmt":"2015-02-05T23:48:51","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.controlpadblues.com\/?p=3373"},"modified":"2015-02-05T23:48:51","modified_gmt":"2015-02-05T23:48:51","slug":"snapsnap","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.controlpadblues.com\/?p=3373","title":{"rendered":"*snap*snap*"},"content":{"rendered":"

I enjoy kicking back, popping some corn and watching a great flick from time to time.\u00a0 My DVD collection is extensive enough that I never get tired of the old favourites, but there\u2019s still a pretty big list of popular movies that I have yet to see for one reason or another. \u00a0The Godfather<\/em>, Scarface<\/em>, 2001: A Space Odyssey<\/em>, the list goes on\u2026 even with Back to the Future<\/em> and Indiana Jones<\/em>, I enjoyed the first ones, but haven\u2019t taken the time to watch their sequels.<\/p>\n

Now, I wouldn\u2019t exactly consider the Addams Family<\/em> movies as being on my \u201cmust see\u201d list, but I do remember them being incredibly popular.\u00a0 They really seemed to be everywhere for a while in the early-to-mid 90\u2019s; McDonalds Happy Meals and collectible cups, lunch boxes, cartoons, toys, and of course, video game tie-ins.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"1993<\/a>

1993 – Ocean<\/p><\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n

While there were two games based on the Addams Family<\/em> movies, Pugsley\u2019s Scavenger Hunt<\/em> was based on the Saturday morning cartoon.\u00a0 I didn\u2019t watch that either, and the only reason I actually had any interest in giving the game a try was due to the incredible power of marketing\u2026<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"np45\"<\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

This issue of Nintendo Power<\/em> was \u2013 to say the least \u2013 pretty underwhelming.\u00a0 There weren\u2019t any mind-blowing game announcements in the Pak Watch section, no fun tips or tricks in Classified Information, and the contest that month was also pretty lackluster\u2026 surprisingly, the only interesting part was a walkthrough of the game on the cover.\u00a0 I enjoyed the colorful screenshots on display, so I decided to give the game a shot.<\/p>\n

Pugsley\u2019s Scavenger Hunt<\/em> plays a bit like Mega Man<\/em> in that you can tackle the levels in any order you want.\u00a0 The idea is to collect an item from each room in the household, each of which having a specific theme \u2013 in looking at a playthrough just now, the only level I actually remember playing through was the bathroom one\u2026 go figure.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"addams-family-the-pugsleys-scavenger-hunt-02\"<\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

In retrospect, I think I just enjoyed the graphics and art style from this stage more than any other.\u00a0 Check out the detail on that soap scum!!<\/p>\n

Anyway, it\u2019s a pretty straightforward platformer, and there certainly isn\u2019t anything revolutionary about it\u2026 it was your typical TV show cash-in.\u00a0 Plain and simple!<\/p>\n

There are two things I vividly remember doing the weekend I rented this game.\u00a0 That actually explains why I don\u2019t remember the game all that well \u2013 I was too busy doing other things that were obviously much more fun!<\/p>\n

The first memory is about going to my friend Mike\u2019s birthday party.\u00a0 It was hockey-themed, and pretty much just consisted of playing table hockey inside and having a street hockey tournament outside.\u00a0 I also remember us going down the street and around the corner, out of our parents\u2019 line of sight, just so we could light a firecracker or two.<\/p>\n

The part I was most excited about was the party favours we got just for showing up.<\/p>\n

There was something like 15 kids at the party, so the names of 15 NHL teams were written down on pieces of paper and put in a hat.\u00a0 One by one, we drew from the hat, and whatever team name we had drawn, we\u2019d get an official cap with that team’s logo on it.<\/p>\n

These hats were really awesome and top-of-the-line, too \u2013 I remember some of them being close to $100 or so\u2026 that made these party favours pretty damn cool.<\/p>\n

For some reason, I was among the last to draw.\u00a0 I didn\u2019t exactly have a favourite NHL team at the time, but I did have a favourite color \u2013 green.\u00a0 While the other kids hoped to get a Montreal Canadiens, Toronto Maple Leafs or Calgary Flames hat, I was hoping for a Minnesota North Stars or Hartford Whalers one.<\/p>\n

As I reached into the hat for the draw, I closed my eyes and hoped for something cool\u2026\u00a0 I ended up getting an even better one than I expected.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"This<\/a>

This exact hat! \u00a0Well, this design, anyway.<\/p><\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n

The Sharks were still a new team, and I wasn\u2019t all that familiar with them. \u00a0Once I had a spiffy new aqua-colored baseball cap with their logo on it, I became a bit of a fan. \u00a0I ended up adopting the Detroit Red Wings as my favourite NHL team since my dad had been a fan since the Gordie Howe days, but I have a handful of teams I always root for on the side. \u00a0The Sharks have consistently had great teams through the years, but have yet to win the Stanley Cup\u2026 maybe soon!<\/p>\n

The second thing I remember doing that weekend was going to a maple syrup shack with my dad.<\/p>\n

The day after the party, we hopped into our 1990 Nissan Sentra and headed out to Keswick Ridge, NB.\u00a0 Dad listened to his Merle Haggard cassette on the car stereo, and although I didn\u2019t enjoy the music all that much, there was something pretty damn infectious about \u201cOkie from Muskogee\u201d.<\/p>\n

Apparently, Muskogee is a place where even squares could have a ball\u2026 I didn\u2019t quite understand why they \u201cwaived old flooring down at the courthouse\u201d, however.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"Ahhh.<\/a>

Ahhh. Old Glory. *Not* old flooring.<\/p><\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n

Anyway, Dad knew the older gentleman who ran the sugar shack and thought it would be a good idea for us to pay him a visit.\u00a0 I wasn\u2019t really into maple syrup that much at the time, but I really was quite impressed with how far out in the woods his cabin was.\u00a0 It was so quiet, and the most peaceful spot I\u2019ve ever been in.<\/p>\n

I remember how muddy the dirt road was getting there, and how the sun was shining through the trees as we walked through the woods.\u00a0 It wasn\u2019t quite spring, and although there was still a fair amount of snow on the ground, it had morphed into that \u201ccrystallized ice\u201d stuff it turns into when the warmer weather rolls around.<\/p>\n

We found the little shack, walked in, and there was this older fellow in overalls on the other side spreading something really nasty-looking on a piece of bread.\u00a0 Sure, there were giant boiling vats of sap (or whatever it is that makes maple syrup), and the place smelled great, but all I could focus on was whatever the hell he had started putting on that slice of bread just as we walked in.<\/p>\n

Was it pate?\u00a0 Was it some sort of Spam-like ham spread?\u00a0 I really had no idea, and as he walked over to shake our hands, I swore I could still smell it on him\u2026 it was kinda like cat food.<\/p>\n

We talked for a little while, and since there wasn\u2019t anything ready for us to sample (unless we waited a few hours), we ended up leaving after about 15 minutes.<\/p>\n

It was a memorable trip deep into the woods, and I had a fantastic time seeing a bit of the maple syrup-making process, but I was gagging on the car ride back home just thinking about the smell of whatever he was eating.\u00a0 I\u2019m kinda gagging now just thinking about it, actually.<\/p>\n

Whatever the old man was spreading on that slice of bread had more of an effect than anything else that weekend.\u00a0 It\u2019s pretty sad that I remember that more than Pugsley\u2019s Scavenger Hunt<\/em>\u2026<\/p>\n

That Merle Haggard though, man. \u00a0Great voice.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n