So lately, I’ve come to the realization that there are still parts of this world undiscovered by us mere mortals.

I’ve always loved the idea of playing a game where you explore a forgotten world buried deep within the jungles of some faraway country. Now, I know people are going to be screaming like harpies, saying, “But hey, guy over there, we have technology that’s mapped out every corner of the world, so what’s the point of exploring?”

Well, I have to say to you, for that matter of fact, that you have some nerve, because that’s only the surface of the planet. What about deep underground?

I’ve been playing a lot of great games lately and watching videos of this guy who plays Final Fantasy games under strict guidelines, and honestly, it brought me back to when I was a child playing great adventure games as a tender young fella growing up in the early ’90s.

I was always in love with the notion of exploration. Of course, if you’re going exploring, there always has to be a hidden temple somewhere. I think it’s buried somewhere deep inside all of our brains. That idea of being cut off from the world, surrounded by the dead and forgotten, knowing you’ll succeed if you just keep pushing onward into that darkened death pit up ahead.

Although, I’ve always wondered just how much gold one adventurer can carry before it stops them dead in their tracks.

Also, do these people actually sleep inside the old forgotten temples they’re exploring in faraway jungles?

I’d be terrified of spiders.

And zombies.

And ghosts.

You know, that reminds me of a time when I was absolutely addicted to Pac-Man.

It was late ’91, around this same time in August, when the warmth of the setting sun would slowly give way to those cool nights where you could hear the crickets performing in the moonlight. There was this strange sense of peace that would wash over your soul because, for that brief moment, everything felt right.

No matter how shitty the world gets, or how much worse it will probably become, I like thinking back to memories like that.

I had this cousin who, to give him credit, was about eight years older than me, and he had all these great games. He even had those little tabletop handheld arcade cabinets. You know the ones? Like Frogger?

They were so damn cool.

And he hardly ever played them.

Long story short, he became a drunk, got kicked out of the family, and here I am living the glamorous life of a Blogger and Game Developer of One.

I work a dead-end job. I enjoy programming. I love spending time with my children, my wife, and my cat.

Although the cat occasionally seems to believe she’s in charge of the entire operation.

Still, it’s nice being able to enjoy myself and explore different forms of media and programming. You know what I mean?

Anyway, like I was saying, Pac-Man for the Atari 2600 was obviously the greatest version ever made.

Of course, you can’t say something like that without somebody jumping out from behind a dumpster shouting that Pac-Man 2 for the Sega Genesis was actually the greatest game in the series.

That’s sarcasm, by the way.

Because in all honesty, that game annoyed the ever-loving hell out of me.

You’re controlling Pac-Man like he’s some hunted beast escaping crazed paranormal lunatics who seek to feast upon the flesh of this poor, defenseless space man of sorts, a creature hopelessly addicted to eating food pellets and consuming crack rocks just to survive the mean streets of nineteen-eighties Detroit.

But strangely enough, thinking about all of this got me thinking about those small things that keep me grounded. The memories, the games, the sounds of summer nights, and the little things that keep the evil and dastardly Space Invaders away.

With my ongoing quest to find a new job, it would certainly be nice if something came along. Until then, I’ll keep quoting my favorite zombie movie, Day of the Dead, humming along to some awesome rocking beats, and usually thinking about this project I’ve been spending a few evenings working on.

I’ve had this idea for a platform adventure game where you play a character seeking adventure, treasure, and glory.

Because at the end of the day, isn’t that what we all want?

Adventure.

Treasure.

Glory.

Or at least enough treasure that we don’t have to work a dead-end job anymore.

For the time being, I’m slapping together something I’ve wanted to make for years.

And honestly, that’s the truth.

Back when I first met my wife, I remember sitting in my car after a night of heavy gaming and caffeine binging, thinking about how much I wanted to make something like this. The idea never completely disappeared. It just sat there somewhere in the back of my brain waiting for me to finally do something about it.

So that’s what I’m doing.

If everything goes well, I’ll be posting some pictures in my next article.

Until next time, be good people, like and share this blog post, and let’s make something great.