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 Tron
was a Disney movie that came out in 1982. It was very heavily involved with the arcade culture of the time.
The idea of programs having a life of their own. A large computer network that kept growing.
Kind of seems familiar now :) I mean don't you think the grid bugs could be spider-bots?
I remember the geeky programmers in their little cubicles. The movie was released along with an arcade game. This was cool because it was a movie based on an arcade game character and the real arcade game was based on the movie :)
There were four parts to the game. The MCP tower, similar to breakout. Grid bugs sort of like robotron. The tank maze that was almost like the
Atari 2600 version of combat. And the light cycles. The light cycles inspired a number of clone games.
The best of which is a new game called crash that can be found here.
There is also a TRON MUD with links to other
Tron sources.
Hmm, know who did the music for the movie?
Ok that crash game was the best until I found GLTron. This is so awesomely
amazing I can't describe it. And it also illustrates the concept of a 3D light
cycle game as neat but impossible to play. As a 2D game it works. Just goes to
prove flashy isn't always playable.
  YES! click the music link above. TRON is now on CD. Finally Jan 2002 and I am the proud owner of the 20th anniversary edition of the
Tron DVD.
Redone and enhanced and just the best I have ever seen. Watching it on my
computer here I have noticed some things I have never seen before. Like the
cameo appearance of pacman. All the times I have watched the VHS tape I heard
pacman in the one scene. But it wasn't until I got the DVD that I actually got
to "capture" pacman :) And then there are all the
deleted scenes and music and Wow. But even with all the historical documentaries
and director comments it still does not recreate the experience of seeing this
movie in the theater in 1982. There is just too much to compare it to today.
Computers are too common. I think the only reference people might miss today is
when Flynn says, "C'mon you skuzzy data." Well actually there
are probably a lot more. The whole religious concept
behind the users is totally lost today. I want to hear from anyone that knows
what batch programming is or ever actually needed to turn a trace on :)
Tron Fans.
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