"Electronic Detective" was a computerized detective game, manufactured by Ideal in 1979. It included twenty "Suspect Cards" (that, by the way, would be a little politically incorrect today, and included various predictable 1970's stereotypes), and the player had to deduce which of them was the criminal, using the keypad built into the game.
Apparently, the game was incredibly complicated. The copy I recently bought did not work, (which is too bad, because it would have been worth upwards of thirty bucks) but did happen to include the "Sample Game" flexi-disc, and I'm always up for mysterious recordings.
You see, the legendary Don Adams was the pitch man for the game. He's pictured on the front of the box, and also appeared in the television commercials. Therefore, he would also be narrating the flexi-disc that teaches you how to play, right? Right?!
Unfortunately, nope, he isn't. Instead we have a guy doing the best imitation of a Brooklyn gumshoe that he can muster. The various button combinations, as well as writing it all down on your "fact sheet" really get in the way of the narrator having any fun with the material.
The funniest moment is near the beginning, when he simulates the beginning of an actual game (even though he makes it very clear, you are not using the actual computer to play an actual game). He says, ugently: "You hear two gunshots! BLEEEP-ZAP, BLEEEP-ZAP Followed by a funeral dirge! BOOP BOOP BEEP DEEP BOOP....." This is supposed to symbolize a murder (and funeral), but it couldn't be further from the truth. To bring Don Adams back into the mix: "Would you believe....a Cylon Raider firing at a Simon game?" Don Adams? More like MAD's Don Martin.
And now, you can hear it for your own self:
Hey any chance up updating the link to the flex-disc recording? It has expired.
ReplyDeleteNevermind, it's on YT.
ReplyDeleteThanks for letting me know, though--I linked the YT video!
ReplyDelete"Electronic Detective" sounds like a typical product of its time, a bit silly but also fun. Hearing about the instructional recording, I can feel the nostalgic atmosphere. Thanks for sharing this memory!
ReplyDeleteYou're welcome! As a small child, Don Adams was my hero. I would rush home from school to religiously catch GET SMART reruns...about that time, they were running ads for the movie. I scampered to my mother and begged to go see it. "What's it called?" she asked. "THE NUDE BOMB." I replied, and was met with an resounding "NOOOOOOOO!"
ReplyDelete