What if you could live your life over again?

November 25, 2002 7:32 PM

Alter EgoWhat if you could live your life over again? This straightforward virtual life simulator is fun and involving, and I almost wonder if I didn't learn a thing or two in the process. Wonderful implementation of the concept.
posted by oissubke (19 comments total)

Repeat from about a year ago.
posted by gleuschk at 7:38 PM on November 25, 2002

I would have invested in dot coms...oh wait...
posted by iamck at 7:44 PM on November 25, 2002

cool.
This is fun.
Thanks.
posted by Espoo2 at 8:03 PM on November 25, 2002

i played this somewhere else before...but it wasn't web-based, it was a dos program. not exactly, but a lot of the same ideas were. it was a pretty cool game. thanks.
posted by angry modem at 8:33 PM on November 25, 2002

This is great. I can't stop.
posted by sklero at 9:05 PM on November 25, 2002

angry_modem: i played this somewhere else before...but it wasn't web-based, it was a dos program. not exactly, but a lot of the same ideas were. it was a pretty cool game. thanks.

Same name.
Same game?

Wow. 1983's a long time ago in computer world.
posted by skryche at 9:38 PM on November 25, 2002

I played until childhood, when I was kidnapped and tortured until I died. Seriously.
posted by Hildago at 9:45 PM on November 25, 2002

Same game, or at least severe rip-off of same game.

I hate these things. Always lose horribly, and then blame the game.
posted by son_of_minya at 9:52 PM on November 25, 2002

hahaha

"The thrill of victory! You stumble across the crib like a punch-drunk sailor and firmly grasp the rail on the other side. You've taken your first steps! Soon you will be tripping the light fantastic, chasing women and running away from spankings."
posted by rudyfink at 10:25 PM on November 25, 2002

I gave up when the game told me I couldn't be neutral and reach for the round object,or be neutral and ignore the round object, or be angry and reach for the round object. I guess that'll teach me to trust my feelings.
posted by Guy Smiley at 12:19 AM on November 26, 2002

I got kidnapped too! I wonder what percentage of people get kidnapped in this game...
posted by faustessa at 1:01 AM on November 26, 2002

Just a word of advice,

Don't try and play this with a 56k dial-up connection, it pretty much makes the life-simulation game take as long to play as it takes to live an entire actual life.
posted by dgaicun at 2:05 AM on November 26, 2002

I got kidnapped too! I wonder what percentage of people get kidnapped in this game...

It must have been updated this year. You know, with all the kidnappings and everything.
posted by iamck at 2:49 AM on November 26, 2002

Great... there goes my day... thanks for the link!
posted by mkultra at 6:42 AM on November 26, 2002

Guy Smiley: I gave up when the game told me I couldn't be neutral and reach for the round object ...

I noticed that also, and the problem of unsupported choices applies throughout. "It's your Dad's birthday and you want to make his breakfast". No I bloody don't.
posted by raygirvan at 9:15 AM on November 26, 2002

Kidnapped, too. I was playing this game as if I was growing up in the 1970's.
posted by Joey Michaels at 11:29 AM on November 26, 2002

Later, I tried to catch a softball and my health was only above average. Naturally, I died.
posted by Hildago at 9:57 PM on November 26, 2002

You can purchase three computers:
Select an action:
?
A 32K COMPUTER WITH CASSETTE TAPE DRIVE ($225)
A 128K COMPUTER (BIG NAME WITH THREE INITIALS) WORK ALIKE WITH DUAL DISK DRIVES ($1500)
A SUPER-POWERFUL 512K COMPUTER WITH 10 MEGABYTE HARD DISK ($3499)

Yeah, I think this is ported directly from that DOS game.

Still fun though. I went through high school as a smart and popular glasses wearing baseball jock with poor health. Go figure.

?
posted by ursus_comiter at 6:50 AM on November 27, 2002

Of course, The Sims lets you dabble in the love that dare not speak its name, whereas Alter Ego assumes that marriage and kids are in your future.

Yeah, twenty years is a long time.
posted by Epenthesis at 9:23 AM on November 27, 2002