Podd - Top 85 Games for the BBC Micro (61)

In at #61 it's everyone's favourite red potato, Podd! Bit of a chalk and cheese entry, as I know some people loathe this game, but as a young child of the 80s, Podd brings back very fond memories. Watch me as I try to figure out some verbs that Podd can do. Stay for the fireworks finale! Enjoy...

[@danimationstips]

Discovering verbs is one thing this game teaches, learning to spell them is the other. This was a cute, memorable experience as a child. Apparently the "pop" verb brought some young children to tears.

[@Retropangolin]

I had to go and find podd pop , well worth it !!

[@Peachpuff312]

podd can pop was my favourite and eventually got banned in the classroom LOL #80saussiethings

[@OneSwitch]

How could you loathe this? Lovely educational title.

[@ColinHoad]

I agree! Fear not, I don't count myself among the haters ;-)

[@Josephinedraper]

I remember Podd from childhood and have been playing around with it recently trying to find all 120 verbs. Harder than you'd think. Blush is an animation you didn't mention that is quite different to all of the others.

[@ColinHoad]

Thank you, I don't think I ever knew that one - given he already has a red face, I'm now wondering what a blushing Podd would look like 😄

[@rickandh]

I was just imagining if he could swear with his middle finger but I doubt he doesn’t though cause things like that wouldn’t be designed in the game for kids to try and make him do 😂😂😂😂😂😂

[@ColinHoad]

I mean, I'm fairly sure kids *tried* to get him to do that (and worse!) but he was programmed to be family friendly 😅

[@pjgathergood6987]

I have vague feeling my school may have had Podd, although I'd have likely been above the target age range and never used it there, but that 'treasure trove' of educational software I picked up about 1990/90 that I've mentioned had it in. A fun little title, needless to say many a rude word was typed in, just in vain hope that the programmer(s) might have just snuck one apt animation for response.
It's an odd one of does this count as a game or not - I could never decide either. It would have been fun for children of the era to use, possibly one of their first computer experiences, though I do have to say it becomes very limited very quickly. They maybe could have added variety by having one or two things for Podd to interact with... In my memory I was certain that there was a way to get him to do smell the flower, but loading it up today, it appears not. He dances well, though! :)

[@ColinHoad]

Given its age and the intended audience, I think it does what it does well - giving children a sense of control over the computer, coupled with a simple exploration of verbs ("doing words" as my primary school teacher called them). It gets old fairly quickly, as an adult... but the quest to find new things to make Podd do was an ongoing one for me, as a young child 😁

[@pjgathergood6987]

@@ColinHoad Totally agree with you on what it does and does it well, I always felt it could do with a couple of add-on packages, putting Podd into different rooms/environments for him to interact with using the same programming. It might just be me but even when I picked it up in my youth, it felt like it might have been considered for the first in a series featuring Podd but ended up as a lone release... but that might just be my interpretation on it! :)

[@KigurumiAlice]

Pod can boogey 😮...pop. ...grow

[@ColinHoad]

Podd can do all these things - and more! 😄