This isn't about games where you type words to perform actions like text-adventures or Scribblenauts - this is literally typing the code into your computer manually, bit by bit. Magazine editors would write a few sloppy reviews then call it a day and nip to the pub, choosing to fill the remainder of the mag with thousands of lines of computer instructions all photocopied from dodgy continuous paper print-outs. The listings usually omitted entire subroutines thus rendering the game useless - you know, just to add to the fun and upping the risk factor should you decide to go for it. Sitting in front of your BBC Micro, ZX Spectrum, Commodore 64 or Dragon 32 et al the game was entered one single letter at a time. It would be like copying an entire book using a typewriter - for fun! Sometimes it would take days to do it all and at no point until it was all inputted could the player enjoy the fruits of this extended qwerty marathon. And then, when it's all typed in, when the reward is going to be an ASCII version of Pacman with the letter C as the main character gobbling up full stops, you would finally type RUN only to be greeted by Syntax Error on line 3017. At that point you had two choices - learn to code so you can fix it... or frustratingly smash something nearby. Sometimes you'd do both.
A Welsh semi-retired television producer and actor known for low end work that astonishingly people actually watched and even garnered some awards. Originally residing in the electrically-challenged Amish areas of Pennsylvania he has written a few books (Hollywood Pants and Hollywood Horrible Hints and Terribly Fake Tips vols 1 & 2) which you can buy on amazon and all great book stores.
After a brief stint in Australia he now finds himself back in the Welsh valleys of his home country noting that it hasn't changed a bit!
