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15 retro games worth revisiting

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“Do you know my child, back in my day…”, how many times have you been trapped into a conversation with an adult who began a rant about his glory days with this exact same sentence? Let me guess: you lost count, right? You can’t really blame them though now can we? With a future so uncertain, it is our past that we fondly cling to and hope to relive. That said (and since we are not getting any younger ourselves), I have compiled a list of retro games that is guaranteed to send you in a wild trip to the beautiful city of Nostalgia-Ville. And just so I can make you feel terribly old, I will mention the year when these games were published.

1. Prince of Persia (1989): The original Prince of side-scrolling platform games. Admit it. You loved every hateful moment when the 8-bit prince fell off ledges, was impaled by spikes, got his butt incinerated by fire pits, squashed by closing walls, stabbed by some random guy in a turban. I don’t remember anyone ever actually completing the game.

2. Midtown Madness (1999): When you see a draw bridge pulling up, what do you do? A) Slow down and come to a stop or B) Just ram the accelerator and use the raising platform as a ramp for the most spectacular stunt jump ever? If you chose the latter, then you have probably played this game. Midtown Madness, unlike every other racing game, did not limit you to the tracks but gave you an large, open, functioning, city to wreck havoc in.

3. Wolfenstein 3D (1992): Revisit the era where you killed Nazis before you learnt about World War or even knew how to spell the bloody word. This game is so old that all you might probably remember was the pixeleted gore, your parents’ worried faces when they saw you take delight in a killing spree with a mini-gun and that funny moustache guy. Yes. THE funny moustache guy.

4. Serious Sam – The Second Encounter(2002): “Give a man a bullet and he’ll want a gun. Give a man a gun and he will be giving bullets away.” Where can you get such an inspirational quote if not from Serious Sam, a man who preaches from the barrel of his fully loaded mini-gun? This game had what every 12 year old wanted – absolutely mindless violence. So what are you waiting for? Go kick some alien guts again!!!

5. Project I.G.I (2000): This tactical shooter came as quite a surprise. It was too polished a game for its time and had guns that actually sounded like guns (somewhat) and did not go ‘pew-pew-pew’. One of the most popular shooters back in the days, it coined the catch phrase – “I am going in.”

6. Medal of Honour – Allied Assault (2002): Unlike Wolfenstein, by the time you got to play this, you probably got the idea about what a ‘Nazi’ was. Or not, as the case may be. This first person shooter was the only WWII game I seem to recall where I was shooting down antique planes, running away from the intimidating Tiger tank, throwing a ‘frag’ in a room full of ‘baddies’, sighing in relief after finding a ‘medi pack’ when my health was dangerously close to zero…ahh the history (pun intended)!

7. Counter Strike (1999): The first multiplayer you ever played and loved. The reason why you “borrowed” money from your dad so you could go with your friends to the nearest Cybercafe and hook up a LAN session. Come on now. Show the kids of today why everyone in you locality called you “The Headshot King”.

8. Pokemon Red and Blue (1999): Almost every kid who got this game can relate to how much agony the very first decision I was pushed to make – Charmander or Squirtel? (i.e.Charizard or Blastoise?) I mean, seriously! What were the game developers thinking putting such a crucial decision into the hands of a kid, who had watched every episode of Pokemon and adored these pokemons? How could one child choose between two icons? Oh, did someone choose Bulvasaur? Seriously? Why?

9. Super Mario (1985): The original badass. How many people you know can shatter bricks with their head, jump enormous gaps in a single bound, shoot fireballs from his hands, eat mushrooms that grow from odd places, hold their breath underwater infinitely, scour fortresses to defeat dragon/turtle hybrid to save a freaking mushroom guy who tells you that the princess is in the next castle only to find the same guy again every f*@#ing time?

10. Age of Empires 2 – Age of Kings: “Hololo” Boom! Your Moslem Castle is now converted to a French Catholic! “Holololo” Pow! The guy you shot on the face with your ballista is now fully healed. Age of Empires. A game that transcended age and logic. A classic. A point and click strategy game that had you playing for hours at end, collecting resources and forginh empires. Now that you are drowning in the sea of nostalgia, can somebody please tell me – “How do you turn this on?”

11. Contra (1987): You see your partner lying down cold and dead near you and you are down to your last life, all the while the nefarious ‘boss’ is laughing at your imminent termination. You move left to dodge a bullet only to find a wave of laser beam shooting down from that direction. You leap, tuck and roll. The boss gurgles in delight, amused by your pointless acrobatics. But suddenly you see a ‘bonus’ float in the sky. You shoot it and down falls a mini-gun. You smirk. The Boss is not laughing anymore.

12. Grand Theft Auto – Vice City (2002): Every kid in town has played this. And why not? It has guns, bullets, bombs, babes, cars, attack helicopters and more guns. And remarkably, your rocket launcher could fit in your pants. Many have sank countless hours in causing nothing but total anarchy in this game. Nobody gave a damn about completing the campaign, all everyone wanted to do was get a concubine in their car and shoot her to get the money back. Whoops! Did I say that out loud?

13. Diablo 2 (2000): The RPG game that kept every fanboy/girl tossing and turning at night, wondering “Should I spend my gold on that armour or that sword?” I had spent a considerable amount of time mulling over issues such as distributing skill points, choosing the perfect perks, developing my character, making sure I was well stocked in potions and antidotes before I tried to tackle a dungeon. *Sigh* Those memories…

14. Age of Mythology (2002): The lesser cousin of Age of Empire. That is how I recall this game. Yet it was fun to play this game. You can never really get enough of games where you click on little men, order them to do build stuff, tell them to produce more men, tell them to kill someone else, unleash destructive wrath if some mortal displeases you….yea that’s what being a God is like in a nutshell.

15. Baldur’s Gate (1989): This game was one of my all time favourite RPGs. Based on the modified version of the gold old Pen and Paper D&D game rules, this game was a huge success. Unfortunately, it was mostly unheard of in our part of the world during the time of its release. Why Then did I put this game in the list you ask? Because it is a brilliant old school RPG with ton of flexibility and replayability options that you must play to make up for the good times you have missed as a kid.

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DUB News

Economics dept. of Dyal Singh College hosts Campus Connect

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The Department of Economics, Dyal Singh College recently hosted Campus Connect, a TEDxGateway initiative in their college. The guest speaker was Mr Vicky Roy, a highly acclaimed international photographer.

Roy started off his speech by giving the students a glimpse into his early life and childhood. He seemed to remember every detail by heart, which he very generously and honestly shared. He had a very difficult upbringing and lived in a state of despair with his grandparents, from where he eventually ran away, ending up in Delhi. He stayed at a shelter home, lived on platforms, rag-picked and finally found himself under the solace of an NGO named  ‘Salaam Baalak Trust’. He matriculated and decided to pursue photography as a career because he wanted to explore the world. Under the guidance of various mentors, he traveled the world, understood the nuances of the skill and captured precious moments with his camera. His first job offered him a humble paycheck of Rs. 3000/- per month as an assistant to a Delhi-based photographer and soon he found himself achieving new heights on global platforms. He swept New York, Manhattan, Bahrain, London and every other corner of the world with his touching work and won many accolades. The way he talked truly reflected upon his humble and calm demeanor which took all of the students by awe.

Roy has successfully completed projects like ‘Street Dreams’ and ‘Home Street Home’ that have earned him wide popularity across the globe. He even photo-documented the reconstruction of The World Trade Center in New York City. Coming back to his home, Delhi, he established a  library consisting of books solely on photography as he aims to widen his reach to the younger, aspiring photographers who cannot afford these expensive books which his library provides free of cost.

At the end of his speech, students were given an opportunity to ask him questions which he readily answered, underlying his honest motive of earning a lot of money while traveling the whole world whilst changing people’s perceptions towards slum children, reflecting upon his story from rags-to-riches. This session was really inspiring and healthy, motivating the young audience to pursue their dreams.

Guest post by Kanika Kashyap

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DUB Speak

Beyond the cliché: Possibilities after Commerce

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It is a known fact that education in commerce, in Delhi University and elsewhere, demands sky-high marks in board exams. It is also a known fact that students pursuing Commerce walk away with some of the best pay packages from some of the best firms in the business. But contrary to popular belief, a graduation in commerce does not leave one restricted to the corporate world with an MBA or a CA qualification as the only career options. Students of commerce can, and should, be open to other options as well, both in the world of commerce and finance and beyond.

Law

Law, as a career, has been a sought-after one of late. It is a well-paying field with opportunities both in the public and the private sector. For graduates of Commerce, corporate law would seem to be the best option if one wants to step into the legal sector but at the same time, a degree in Commerce is no hindrance if one wants to get into any other branch of law.

Entrepreneurship

Often known as a feasible option only for those with financial back-up, entrepreneurship is about knowing how to make a venture successful. Yes, it entails starting from scratch but for students of Commerce, this should be made slightly easier owing to the fact that their entry into the world as entrepreneurs (if they so wish) will be based on a sound knowledge of how to make things work. Moreover, entrepreneurship allows one to venture into any field that one wants to.

Corporate Communications

While this might sound like a part of the 9 to 5 life again, corporate communications is more than just marketing and crisis management; creative fields like Advertising and Public Relations are also part of it. And the ad industry is a major, major part of the media industry. So, if one has the flair for creativity coupled with a sense of business, this is the way to go. Communications Management is quite in vogue too.

Civil Services

In a country like ours, the civil services are never going to lose their popularity. It is what a large number of graduates aspire towards. And while it is common for these aspirants to have taken up liberal arts subjects like History and Philosophy in college, there is no dearth of doctors and engineers, and yes, Commerce graduates, making it to the top. In fact, Commerce & Accountancy is an option for the Mains.

The Academia Way

An M.Com, M.Phil and PhD are not things of the past for a student of Commerce, academia continues to bring opportunities to commerce graduates and post-graduates, especially so with the mushrooming of B-Schools. And like law, the job sector spans the public and the private.

Arts

A Commerce graduate can always pursue a post-graduation in Arts, if she or he has the desire and the aptitude to do so. Almost every university of good repute in the country holds entrance exams for M.A. courses. Hence, it is about the aptitude and not about giving leverage to some courses over others.

Journalism

A commerce graduate can potentially become an excellent corporate journalist if they have the requisite spark and flair in them. While some Universities only admit journalism graduates to their PG journalism programmes, some do not impose such restrictions. Numerous diploma courses and private training programmes by media houses themselves are also open for commerce graduates.

The Job Sector

As mentioned earlier, Commerce graduates can walk away with jaw-dropping packages even before the completion of their graduate degree. There’s banking and finance, there’s marketing and business development, there’s human resource and talent acquisitions and much more.

In conclusion, no degree should restrict somebody from pursuing what one wants to. A commerce graduate can be a successful chef and a liberal arts student can make a great manager just as well. If you must know, Hrithik Roshan, too, is a commerce graduate.

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Flicks

Movie Review: Haider

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Haider is one of the best directed movies of our age. Although the plot remains similar to that of the greatest tragedy of all time, Shakespeare’s ‘Hamlet’, Vishal Bharadwaj has made understandable alterations to adapt the story line perfectly. The film has a very strong star cast for justification of each role. Shahid Kapoor, Shraddha Kapoor, Tabu, Kay Kay Mennon, Narendra Jha and Irfan Khan play the pivotal roles in the film.

The movie is set in the hills of Kashmir. Haider (Shahid Kapoor), a young boy, returns home after he hears of his father’s disappearance. Although perplexed by the conditions he observes on his arrival, he decides to continue his journey on his own to find his father. He’s even confronted with the fact that his mother was in a relationship with his uncle. Haider goes to each and every army camp in search for his lost father. Arshia (Shraddha Kapoor), his love-interest, gets a message from Roohdar (Irfan Khan) to inform Haider about his lost father. After enough struggles, Haider understands the plot. Towards the end of the movie, Haider is in dilemma, split between the urge to uncover the truth and the need to remain safe.

One of the best aspects of the movie is the gripping sound track that follows throughout the film. On the other hand, the songs are not as catchy as typical Bollywood music. The Bollywood touch is seen in the second half, which consists of a romantic song picturised between the protagonists. In my opinion, is was a little unnecessary in the rising and gripping plot. No other director could have portrayed the ghost scene as swiftly and simply as Vishal did. Hats off! Shahid Kapoor did a commendable job. After a very long time, he portrayed a character of such intensity and he nailed it. Tabu, who played the mother’s role, did a splendid job while portraying her love as a mother and also as an accomplice. The rounded character needed a senior artist and Tabu definitely did justice to it.

Haider is undoubtedly a must watch for every age group. The movie is sure to keep you glued to your seat and your eyes fixed on the screen.

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Arts & Culture

Durga Puja in the City of Djinns

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Come winter and one rejoices not just with the onset of festivals but also with the complete change of atmosphere. The most spectacular aspect of the 10-day period of festivities is the way 3 festivals connect people across religious communities and beliefs. I had the opportunity to finally get a glimpse of Delhi’s Durga Puja.

Durga Puja is a five-day festival beginning on the sixth day or Sashti of the Navratri week. The day is commemorated by establishing an idol of the Goddess with a Puja in the day and during the evening. For each of those five days, the Goddess is worshipped, celebrated, pleased and praised for her qualities and beauty. The following days involve worshipping and finally on Ashtami, married women fast for their families. This day also includes the Sandhi Puja, wherein 108 diyas are lit around the Goddess and the calm and glowing environment beckons one to talk to Maa and convey one’s feelings. Navami sees a Hawan to purify the air around. Dashami is the last day, when the Goddess is prepared for return to her marital home, by immersing her in water. The day signifies new beginnings and ventures. On Dashami, married women wear white saris and smear red gulaal on each other’s face, celebrating their womanhood. In some places, people also dance with Dhunuchi, the coal-lit diya, as a gesture to please Maa Durga. Children study on this day to gain wisdom and blessings for a brighter future. The rituals include chanting mantras and offering Patanjali to Maa. On the eleventh day, or Ekadashi, Shanti Jal is sprinkled on the devotees and mantras are recited, requesting the Goddess to return next year again.

Like any other festival, the customs include wearing new clothes on every day and a range of delicacies to feast on. While food during the Puja includes pulao, khichdi, puri and Bengali sweets, namely rasgullas, sandesh, mishti doi, coconut-stuffed pancakes and date-jaggery kheer, the Dashami delicacies include steamed hilsa, hot and spicy fish, prawns in coconut milk, mutton, chicken and potatoes in poppy seed paste.

Here’s how Durga Puja was celebrated in two of the most famous pandals of Delhi:

Chittaranjan Park

Kolkata is my hometown. Till last year I had celebrated my ‘Durga Puja Week’ in the ‘City of Joy’, however this year I didn’t get the opportunity to do so. Frankly, I was not expecting much from Delhi’s Puja, but it would not be wrong to say that I made a huge mistake by underestimating Chittaranjan Park’s potential to surprise me.

The same fervour, the same atmosphere and the same excitement – thousands of people were forming queues to enter into the pandals in different blocks. What irritated me a bit was that it was a little less organized. However I did have the patience to enter 3 Pandals in C.R. Park itself. The ‘Kali Mandir’ Puja was nostalgic and had an earthy atmosphere. The Idol was one of the beautiful pieces of art I had ever seen. Then we walked our way towards the ‘Mela Ground’. The area is extremely big. It reminded me of Kolkata’s very own Maddox Square. The beautiful idol here had a traditional vibe to it. Finally we went to the ‘Cooperative Ground, Durga Puja Samity’ Puja. This was quite different. The Idol like others was beautiful, but the pandal had a ‘stairway to heaven’ theme to it. There was a separate stage for cultural events, where people danced, sang and kept the festive spirit alive.

Civil Lines

I was lucky to be able to visit one of the oldest pandal in the capital, at Civil Lines, opposite Indraprastha College for Women, hosting Durga Puja since 1910. The aura of orange and yellow drapes and ceilings with colorful lanterns immediately caught my eye. Mr. B. Mukherjee, the convener of the Puja informed me that the first idol worshipped here was brought from Benares in 1912. Later, in 1915, the organizers first arranged for an idol from Delhi itself. I got to be a part of the morning puja – I chanted the mantras with flower petals in my hands, and realised that they were the Sanskrit shlokas we chanted in school. Although everything I laid eyes on was mesmerising, I will especially mention how smitten I was with the Idol. As she stood magnificently, towering her faithful devotees, the shimmer of small glasses around her produced an everlasting impression on me. The charna-amrit after the Puja and the prasad consisting of fruits, dates and sweets left me all the more holy.

If you missed the opportunity this year, keep in mind that there is a 104-year old Durga Puja right here in North Campus and make a point to visit it next year.

With inputs from Ishaan Sengupta.
Featured image credit: www.tourmyindia.com

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Five facts you did not know about the Delhi Metro

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The metro has become an important of all of our lives, hate it or love it, we just can’t ignore it. We might end up cribbing about the crowd and the journey but we just can’t deny the fact that the way DMRC has connected almost every part of Delhi/NCR giving us a cheap and fast mode of transport is simply remarkable.
Being a regular and old metro commuter I thought that I knew almost everything about metros but (and this is hard to accept) here are some facts that even I had no idea about.

  • Do you roll your eyes at times when metro goes through a slight power cut where all lights and AC go off for a few seconds? This is actually called the neutral zone where the power supply is being shifted from one sub-station to another because the overhead extension (OHE) cannot supply power from just one station to such a vast metro line and hence, has designated sub-stations.

And we always thought there was something wrong with the metro!

 

  • Delhi metro has more than 200 trains. Together, these trains travel 69,000 kms everyday. The Earth’s circumference is a mere 40,075 kms.

 

  • DMRC have kept in mind their social responsibility and have made an orphanage for street children at Tis Hazari which is run by an NGO called Salaam Balak Trust. These kids are provided a library, computer room, study room, music room and open space for other activities.

 

  • Delhi Metro premises have no dustbins except in restaurants because eating or drinking is not permitted in the Delhi metro. Despite this, people do drink and eat but the metro premises are still mostly clean.

I have personally seen people keep the wrappers back in their bag instead of throwing them on the floor.
Metro is even inculcating good habits in us, apparently.

 

  • Most of the Blue line stations harvest rain water and Delhi metro is also the first railway project in the world to earn carbon credits after being registered with the United Nations under the Clean Development Mechanism and have earned 400,000 carbon credits by saving energy through the use of regenerative braking systems on its trains.

 

The DMRC has indeed made me a proud citizen and I will make sure I am more informed about the Delhi metro from now on.

This is not it, for a few more unknown Delhi metro facts, hit the link – Facts and trivia about Delhi metro

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Campus Central

DU kicks off Swachhata Abhiyaan, DUTA slams for cancelling holiday

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Untitled The programme began with the recital of ‘Ramdhun’ at 8.30 am after which the Deputy Dean Equal Opportunities Cell administered an oath to the gathering at Gandhi Bhawan. Vice Chancellor Dinesh Singh launched the Abhiyan urging students and staff members to undertake the task of cleanliness themselves without depending on civic workers. He further urged the University to continue the campaign every week if not every day, for full five years. The gatheting consisted of about 750 students and teachers. The Abhiyan concluded for the day at St.Stephens College. South Campus also partook in the drive. In Motilal Nehru College, an oath was administered by the officiating Principal, Dr. J.N. Gupta, post which participants picked up a broom each and began cleaning the college. The bust of Motilal Nehru stationed in front of the gate was cleaned with water. A day earlier, a committee was formed to ensure cleanliness of the college throughout the year. Lady Shri Ram College, Deen Dayal Upadhyaya College and Kamla Nehru College were among the off-campus participant college. The environment society of KNC, Green Beans Society, projected a presentation on cleanliness while the Indian dance society presented a Kathak performance. The Vice-Principal recounted the importance of the day and assigned various duties to departments for keeping the college clean in their plan of action. Meanwhile, Delhi University Teachers’ Association (DUTA) has accused the University of ‘maladministration’. The accusation came as a reaction to DU’s decision of cancelling a public holiday and making attendance compulsory for the cleaning drive. According to DUTA, the manner of issuing a ‘whimsical diktat’ demanding presence of teachers in their respective colleges on Gandhi Jayanti will reduce any serious effort to implement cleanliness to mere tokenism. The letter issued by the university administration included a copy of a letter from Ministry of HRD whose directions are, according to DUTA, “not ipso-facto applicable to university employees”. Ishani Rajkhowa [email protected]]]>

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Five delicacies we lavished on this Durga Puja

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Kolkata is my hometown. Till last year I had celebrated my ‘Durga Puja Week’ in the ‘City of Joy’, however this year I didn’t get the opportunity to do so. So I had to be content with the ‘Pujas’ that Delhi had put on offer. Frankly, I was not expecting much, but it would not be wrong to say that I had made a huge mistake by underestimating Chittaranjan Park’s potential to surprise me.
The same fervour, the same atmosphere and the same excitement. Billions of people walking, forming queues for entering into the pandals in different blocks. When it turns out to be tiresome as a result of travelling so much, a person turns to satisfying his belly’s needs. They are immediately rewarded in the form of various stalls put up by chef’s and dhaba cooks trained in authentic Bengali cuisine and street food. Here is a list of things you should definitely try while you are out their slogging to get a glimpse of the Goddess’ idol:

Phuchka – Delhi-ites call this dish the ‘Pani – Puri’ or ‘Paani- batasha’. What makes it different from the Delhi adaptation is that the water used in it does not contain excessive Pudina. The taste is quite different to the ones provided in Delhi. You’ll generally get 4 – 5 phuchkas for 10 bucks.
puchka
Fish Fry, Cutlets and Fingers – These batter dipped, bread coated fish pieces available in varying sizes can make your day, if you are a sea food lover. The sauce, be it mustard or ketchup (whatever they offer) has the ability to complement the fish and straightaway seduces your palate. You find these for 25 – 50 bucks in the stalls outside the pandals.

Egg – Chicken Rolls – This avatar of a Kathi Roll, rolled with a parantha rather than a Roti might be heavy but has the capability to bombard your palate with the ooziness of the egg and the Juiciness of the grated and minced chicken.  This generally costs about 60 rupees.

egg chicken roll

Sweets (Mishti,Sandesh) – ‘Mishtir Dokan’(Bengali sweet shops) are abundant in Chittaranjan Park. The variety in sweets can make it a hard choice for you but eventually whatever sweet you choose is sure to intimidate and surprise you in a positive way. You will surely have a happy face while you are pandal hopping. This costs around 15 – 20 bucks a piece. Do not forget to try the Rosogulla and the Mishti Doi ( you get this at  20 rupees per hundred grams).
mishti doi
Biryani – Completely independent from the famous ‘Hyderabadi Biryani’, this rice based dish is to be eaten during the dinner time. What makes it so special is that that the chicken or the mutton is prepared in an authentic Bengali way to provide the diner with a traditional Bengali appetite. The spiciness of the meat with the rose water rice can make your day and ensure that you get a good night sleep.
kolkata-biryani

This just about sums up the five things you should savour on while you are out there on a quest of ‘Pratima Darshan’. There are a lot of other things that are available which you should try as well.

 

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