A strange little side quest
Between one round of Fireboy and Watergirl in the Crystal Temple and the next, this is worth knowing: Early computer role-playing games helped turn rules, inventories, exploration and character progression into systems that could support long-form digital adventures. That old idea kept changing rather than disappearing. Computer Space reached arcades in 1971 and became one of the earliest commercial electronic arcade games, even though its controls proved demanding for many players. That history is one reason familiar mechanics can still feel new when they are recombined well.
