Disclaimer: This is my original work with details sourced from reading the comic book and doing personal research. Anyone who wants to use this article, in part or in whole, needs to secure first my permission and agree to cite me as the source and author. Let it be known that any unauthorized use of this article will constrain the author to pursue the remedies under R.A. No. 8293, the Revised Penal Code, and/or all applicable legal actions under the laws of the Philippines.
Welcome back science fiction enthusiasts, 1980s arts and culture enthusiasts, movie fans and comic book collectors! Today we go back to the year 1989 to take a look at a significant event of the Predator entertainment franchise – the comic book launch of Predator.
For the newcomers reading this, Predator started as a sci-fi action movie in 1987 directed by John McTiernan (Die Hard) and starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, Carl Weathers, and Jesse Ventura to name some. The writers and creators were Jim Thomas and John Thomas. As the movie became a huge commercial success, it led to the start of its own multi-media entertainment franchise covering video games, toys, novels and comic books. It also led to the release of more movies including a crossover film with the Alien franchise.
With those details laid down, here is a look back at Predator #1, published in 1989 by Dark Horse Comics with a story written by Mark Verheiden and drawn by Chris Warner. The is the first chapter of a 4-issue mini-series and it would later be referred to as Predator: Concrete Jungle.
The cover.
Early story
The story begins during a very hot summer day in 1991 New York City. A man killed his own wife using a shotgun which eventually leads to the arrival of cops, medics and his arrest. The two detectives Errol Rasche and John Schaefer (brother of Dutch) have been working together in the local war against crime and they have a tendency to do things that violate their superiors’ orders.
In one of the rundown buildings of New York, a secret meeting between two gangs got terribly disrupted by a Predator who attacked from the outside. Chaos and destruction followed.
Shortly after, Rasche and Schaefer arrive outside the same building which has been surrounded and isolated by the local police. When a man suddenly fell out of the building and crashed on top of a police car, the two detectives decide to enter willfully violating the order to stay out.
Once they enter the room where the secret gang meeting was held, Rasche and Schaefer are shocked to see many skinned and dead bodies inside. Schaefer is convinced that what happened was not the result of a gang war…
Quality
A gang meeting about to be disrupted by the unseen Predator.
This comic book – written as a not-too-obvious sequel to the 1987 movie – is absolutely very intriguing to read from start to finish. Mark Verheiden clearly wrote a crime story that happens to involve the species of deadly hunters from outer space. In fact, this comic book has very notable elements that also made it into the core concept of the 1990 movie Predator 2.
Story is set within a massive city that happens to be suffering from a heat wave – check! There is rampant crime and conflicts between gangs – check! The Predator causes huge disruptions on the criminals – check! The detectives willingly violate protocol to solve cases – check! One of the detectives is gradually getting closer to retiring and his pension – check. It’s almost as if this comic book was a huge influence on the people who made Predator 2.
Going back to the story, this is a strong tale of crime and urban war told through the exploits of detectives Schaefer and Rasche who have worked many years together, they treat each other like brothers (similar to Predator 2’s Mike Harrigan and Danny Archuleta).
With their record of disobeying orders, Schaefer and Rasche simply involve themselves in cases believing they have the right know the details on the spot and to solve problems their way even though their superiors don’t need them. This is the anti-authoritarian portrayal of law enforcers that easily reminded me of certain TV shows and movies of the 1980s.
All throughout, the story by Verheiden is nicely structured, has lots of engaging details to follow and carefully blends sci-fi elements with detective storytelling. Verheiden clearly knows how to build up tension, keep the narrative progressing and use action or spectacle with precise timing.
When it comes to the visuals, Chris Warner’s style is very good. His approach on drawing the characters made them look exquisite and visceral at the same time. In fact, there were some shots of people in this comic book which reminded me of Todd McFarlane’s way of drawing people during his early works in comics. Lastly, I should say that Warner’s approach on hard action and his way of drawing of the Predator must be seen.
Conclusion
Rasche and Schaefer defy orders. Schaefer (holding the gun) is the brother of Arnold Schwarzenegger’s character in the Predator movie of 1987.
I really enjoyed reading Predator #1 (1989). This is indeed really fine work by the Verheiden-Warner team and as far as building up the lore of the Predator goes, they clearly succeeded and their contributions here strongly influenced the creation of Predator 2 which opened in cinemas in late 1990. This comic book has the visceral touch and violence that make it comparable with both the 1987 and 1990 movies.
Overall, Predator #1 (1989) is highly recommended!
Welcome back, my readers, YouTube viewers and all others who followed this series of articles focused on YouTube videos worth watching. Have you been searching for something fun or interesting to watch on YouTube? Do you feel bored right now and you crave for something to see on the world’s most popular online video destination?
I recommend you check out the following topics and the related videos I found.
#1Ashleigh Burton’s Logan reaction video – Finally, after posting several X-Men-related reaction videos on her YouTube channel, YouTuber Ashleigh Burton posted her reaction to the great movieLogan. As it is a great film, you must watch it entirely first. If you have seen it already, then I urge you to watch Burton’s reaction video below.
#2 Woke Hollywood continues to freak out over Donald Trump’s comeback as US President – Remember all those many Hollywood elitists who went all out to fool Americans to vote for Commie Kamala Harris for US President? A lot of them plus Hollywood media are still freaking out over Harris’ loss to Donald Trump (who pulled off the greatest American comeback ever). Watch the videos from Midnight’s Edge and RK Outpost below. Pay close attention to the details.
#3 1990s explanatory video about the Fighter’s History – Street Fighter II case – Back in the 1990s, Capcom USA sued Data East over the video game Fighter’s History for infringing on Street Fighter II. As part of its efforts defending Fighter’s History, Data East released to the media an explanatory video (lawsuit exhibit video) which was recently posted on YouTube for millions of people to watch for the first time ever. Watch it now.
#4 Examining Final Exam – Have you ever seen the 1981 movie Final Exam? It was a low-budget, independently made slasher horror movie that looks inspired by Halloween (1978), Friday The 13th (1980) and even National Lampoon’s Animal House (1978). While it is a fact that the movie faded away into obscurity for decades, it suddenly gained attention among film buffs arguably because of its 2023 release on 4K Blu-ray format. Apart from that, Final Exam has a very interesting story of production and execution, and you can learn more about it in the two videos below.
#5 Spotlight on Predator 2 – While it is clear that the 1990 sci-fi action movie Predator 2 does not match the greatness of its predecessor, it still aged well and clearly succeeded in expanding the lore of the Predator entertainment franchise. It also established very creatively the link between Predator and the Alien film franchise. That being said, it is not surprising that the movie became the subject of several YouTubers’ retro movie review videos and movie reaction videos. Before you watch the selected videos below, I encourage you to watch the film first in case you have not seen it. Otherwise, enjoy the selected videos below.
#6 Halo 2 remembered – Twenty years ago this month, Microsoft launched Halo 2 on the original Xbox console with massive hype and success. I could never forget the excitement leading towards its launch followed by the fun I had playing the single-player campaign. The only problem I had with Halo 2 was the abrupt ending. Regardless, Halo 2 is still memorable and if you feel nostalgic about it, watch the video below. Remember, this is a look back at the time when Team Xbox invested a lot not only on Halo 2 but also on making Xbox fans happy with exclusive content.
Welcome back readers, fellow geeks and electronic gaming fans!
In this edition of the Retro Gaming Ads Blast (RGAB) series, we will take a look at another batch of retro gaming print ads – including arcade flyers – from the 1980s and 1990s.
For the newcomers reading this, Retro Gaming Ads Blast (RGAB) looks back at the many print ads of games (console, arcade, computer and handheld) that were published in comic books, magazines, flyers, posters and newspapers long before smartphones, social media, the worldwide web and streaming became popular. To put things in perspective, people back in the 1980s and 1990s were more trusting of print media for information and images about electronic games and related products.
With those details laid down, here is the newest batch of retro gaming print ads for you to see and enjoy…
1. Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back Atari print ads
I could not forget the first time I saw this print ad while reading a comic book.
This ad showed the Atari 2600 controller.
Even during its early years under George Lucas, the Star Wars entertainment franchise made its way into video games due to its massive popularity and Parker Brothers really made moves to cash in. This resulted in the Atari 2600 video game adaptation (1982) of The Empire Strikes Back which focused mainly on the memorable Hoth battles between Rebel fighters and the Empire’s AT-AT walkers. Parker Brothers came up with two print ads and each had a different visual concept: one had nicely drawn art along with two screenshots shown while the other had painted art of the AT-AT while showing the Atari joystick. These old print ads still look great and exciting.
2. Double Dragon Japanese and North American arcade flyers
If you read manga (Japanese comics) in Japan, then the art style of this arcade flyer should look familiar to you.
The character designs seem inspired by 1980s Hollywood action cinema.
Released in 1987, Double Dragon became a huge hit in the arcades of Japan, America and Europe resulting in financial gains for developer Technōs Japan and publisher Taito. What I find intriguing was the fact that the Double Dragon arcade flyers for Japan and North America had drastically different art styles used to promote it. The Japanese flyer had art style that is more common with manga while the North American had artwork that seemed inspired by Hollywood action movies (as well as the rise of martial arts films in America during the 1980s). The American flyer even had the two characters identified as Hammer and Spike and they both looked American. This is a classic example of using different approaches to promote a game in each market.
3. Universal Soldier print ad
The people who made this print ad made sure to use the names of the stars to help sell the game.
Even though its worldwide ticket sales did not reach $100 million, the 1992 movie Universal Soldier still caught a lot of attention from moviegoers simply because it had Jean-Claude Van Damme and Dolph Lundgren as the stars. Unsurprisingly, the movie had a video game adaptation and because publisher Accolade wanted to cash-in on the film’s hype, they made some deceptive moves by rebranding one of its games (already development) as a tie-in. Advertised as an official adaptation, Universal Soldier was actually a rushed conversion of Turrican II: The Final Fight. This print ad – which even showed the stars’ names – is a reminder of the deception Accolade pulled off.
4. Sega CD print ad
Do you find this Sega CD print ad hilarious?
When Sega was making waves with its Sega Genesis (Sega Mega Drive in Japan), the company was quick to react to the growing use of the compact disc (CD) format as a useful storage medium for video games. The Sega CD (Mega CD in Japan) was released as an add-on device to work with the Genesis console and Sega’s American team came up with a series of promotions. This print ad is just one of the promotions and ad makers came up with a “crazed” or “electrified” gamer dominating one page while showing the Genesis, the Sega CD and screenshots of games (running on CD) on the other page. By today’s standards, the Sega CD print ad is funny and catchy to look at.
5. Snatcher for Sega CD print ad
I find this Snatch print ad looking odd. The ad makers could have done more to focus on the game itself.
First released in Japan in 1988, Snatcher was a cyberpunk visual adventure game that was one of the early works of the famous Hideo Kojima (Metal Gear series). Due to its design and approach on visuals to tell a story, it was not surprising that a Sega CD version of it got released in 1994. To promote the game to the growing number of North American Sega CD gamers at the time, Konami came up with this rather unusual print ad showing the face of a smiling lady dominating the space leaving little room to show the screenshots and the game’s cover. The visual concept is engaging but it takes effort to notice it was promoting the Sega CD version of the video game. This old ad would have worked better had the ad makers increased the sizes of the screenshots and the game cover.
6. Jurassic Park for Sega CD print ad
Does the T. Rex look scary to you?
As part of its drive to add more games to the Sega CD add-on and help it sell more units, Sega acquired the Jurassic Park license and went on to produce an adaptation utilizing the technological features of the Sega CD. To aggressively promote the game, Sega came up with this print ad that had a Tyrannosaurs Rex (looking through spaces) on one page and then several screenshots plus text descriptions on the other. For a click-and-point Jurassic Park game, this ad was really exciting and intriguing to look at.
7. Atari Jaguar print ad
This was indeed an eye-catching ad.
In the early 1990s, Atari made an aggressive move to compete in the arena of video game consoles which they used to dominate from the late 1970s until 1983. This time around, they came up with the Jaguar console which had some pretty advanced technologies for the time. As part of their North American marketing campaign, Atari unleashed an ad showing game screenshots on the first page and huge artwork of a jaguar coming after Sonic, Mario and Yoshi (mascots of Sega and Nintendo respectively) symbolizing that the Atari Jaguar had more power and better technology than the Genesis and the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNS). While it was engaging to look at early on, this print ad is now an embarrassment as the Jaguar console failed terribly. Lastly, the marketing of the Jaguar as a 64-bit machine was never real.
8. George Foreman, The Simpsons and Spider-Man Game Gear print ad
This ad appeared in a lot of comic books in the 1990s.
In the early 1990s, Sega released the Game Gear handheld gaming device which instantly placed them in competition with Nintendo’s Game Boy. Through its Flying Edge label, Acclaim Entertainment promoted George Foreman’s KO Boxing, The Simpsons: Bart vs. the Space Mutants, and Spider-Man for the Game Gear hoping to sell well. This 3-game print ad highlighted the popular figures who had a lot of space for attracting attention. The ad maker managed to insert two screenshots per game, the game covers and a text description to inform consumers what they were being offered. A good ad to look at.
9. Time Gal for Sega CD print ad
The presentation here looks nice but Time Gal herself looked like she was drawn by a different artist.
Originally released in the arcades in Japan in 1985, Time Gal made its way to the Sega CD add-on in the early 1990s. It was a highly unusual video game as it was an interactive movie (with lots of anime footage) made with the use of Laserdisc technology for its arcade version. It played lots of anime scenes and players must choose the on-screen options to execute the character’s next action in order to progress. For the Sega CD version for North America, this print was made to capture the attention of consumers using the protagonist’s sex appeal on the cover art with four screenshots placed on the sides to show what to expect. I noticed that Time Gal on the cover art looked different from how she appeared in the anime sequences. At least the ad makers tried hard to sell the game.
10. Mortal Kombat print ad
Still an effective ad to promote a blockbuster game and make people informed it was coming to multiple platforms.
Considering how successful it was in the arcades, the 1993 release of Mortal Kombat for game consoles and handhelds was unsurprisingly highly anticipated and publisher acclaim came up with this single-page ad. The presentation involved the use of a photographic background of many spectators (to emphasize excitement and popularity), media quotes and screenshots to effectively promote the game.
11. Equinox print ad
Take a close look. Tell me if you find it funny.
I never played Equinox but I heard the loud buzz about its design as a 3D isometric game that had elements of exploration, platform play and puzzle solving. The people responsible for this print ad emphasized the concept that the game is so addicting to play, players will still play it as they get older. This ad has a subtle yet effective approach with humor.
12. James Bond 007: The Duel print ad
Timothy Dalton’s image as James Bond was sourced from Licence to Kill for this game’s ad.
Here is another decades-old James Bond video game print ad I found. Released a few years after Licence to Kill, James Bond 007: The Duel was notable not for its gameplay nor game design but for the fact that it used the image of Timothy Dalton as 007 for its print ad and the opening scenes in the game itself. Dalton’s Bond image here was never new nor originally taken for the game as it came directly from Licence to Kill’s publicity library. Each time I saw this ad, I was only reminded of the 1989 movie which I still enjoy watching.
13. Neo Geo AES console print ad
Do you find this ad both sexy and funny?
Decades ago, SNK made a huge splash in the arcades with lots of really fun games released with their Neo Geo (stylized as NEO GEO) hardware. In 1990, they released the cartridge-based Neo Geo AES console in Japan and America and it carried the same technology as the arcade hardware. To promote the console in North America (note: the Neo Geo console and its games were very expensive), SNK came up with this catchy and funny print ad showing a sexy woman feeling annoyed that her man spends more time with Neo Geo gaming than with her. This was a clever way of emphasizing the arcade-perfect experience in the comfort of home, and it was funny to look at.
14. Gradius II Japanese arcade flyer
Great looking painted art was used for this 1988 arcade game.
Since the original Gradius was a big hit in arcades in Japan in 1985, it was not surprising that Konami released Gradius II three years later. With regards to the use of painted art, the artist showed the game’s spaceship in a dominating position emphasizing high-speed travel and excitement. The image, which also looks more colorful, is a complete reversal of the painted art used in the flyer of the previous which showed the rear of the spaceship as it moves towards a larger spaceship (the opposition). This arcade flyer art still looks great as it has a timeless charm.
Welcome back, my readers, YouTube viewers and all others who followed this series of articles focused on YouTube videos worth watching. Have you been searching for something fun or interesting to watch on YouTube? Do you feel bored right now and you crave for something to see on the world’s most popular online video destination?
I recommend you check out the following topics and the related videos I found.
#1Varied videos of Friday The 13th Part 2 – While it is a fact that Friday The 13th Part 2 is not exactly a great slasher horror movie, it is still an improvement over its predecessor and first established Jason Voorhees as the deadly antagonist. Its production values were also better as well. Believe it or not, there are lots of retro movie video reviews and movie reaction videos about it and I posted below the best ones you can enjoy.
#2 When people push science too far (dramatized with XCOM games) – Science can be helpful but if scientists allow it to overwhelm and control them, science can be disastrous. In fact, science can make someone much less human. The YouTuber Woahvi made the video below to make a point about going extreme with science while using footage and concepts of the popular video game XCOM: Enemy Unknown (and the sequel) which I myself played a lot. There is a lot of engaging stuff to see in the video and I encourage you to watch it now.
#3 Commiewood in chaos over Donald Trump’s amazing comeback – It is a known fact that Hollywood has too many Commies, woke nuts and other Leftists. Unsurprisingly, Commiewood blindly supported the Democrats and their presidential candidate Kamala Harris. Because Donald Trump pulled off the greatest American comeback by winning the US Presidential Election, Commiewood elements are agonizing and falling apart. Watch and learn from the videos below.
#4 A look at Undercover Cops – I never played Undercover Cops on the arcade nor on console. In fact, I don’t even remember seeing it anywhere back in the 1990s. I recently visited the YouTube channel of PatmanQC and decided to watch his retrospective video about Undercover Cops. It is a fun video to watch to discover what the game is about and what I missed out on. Watch it!
#5 Critical Drinker’s Production Hell videos about Star Trek V: The Final Frontier and Full Metal Jacket – Apart from his reviews and analytical videos about movies, I find Critical Drinker’s Production Hell series engaging to watch. He clearly does his own research about the troubled productions of movies as well as conflicts between certain people involved. I encourage to watch his videos about Star Trek V: The Final Frontier and Full Metal Jacket. Each video is loaded with details and Critical Drinker’s presentation is great.
#6 The reckless spending and debt of Kamala Harris and the Democrats – If you want a modern look at spending done so recklessly that it led to debt and division, look at the failed US Presidential campaign of Commie Kamala Harris. To say the least, Harris and the Democrats raised over a billion Dollars and spent massively to literally buy the endorsements of celebrities, pay to have Harris in shows and podcasts, transport die-hard supporters from state to state to create the illusions of massive attendance, and more. Watch and learn from the detailed, explanatory video of Sky News Australia below.
Welcome back readers, fellow geeks and electronic gaming fans!
In this edition of the Retro Gaming Ads Blast (RGAB) series, we will take a look at another batch of retro gaming print ads – including arcade flyers – from the 1980s and 1990s.
For the newcomers reading this, Retro Gaming Ads Blast (RGAB) looks back at the many print ads of games (console, arcade, computer and handheld) that were published in comic books, magazines, flyers, posters and newspapers long before smartphones, social media, the worldwide web and streaming became popular. To put things in perspective, people back in the 1980s and 1990s were more trusting of print media for information and images about electronic games and related products.
With those details laid down, here is the newest batch of retro gaming print ads for you to see and enjoy…
1. Galaxian for Atari print ad
A unique approach to the art done by the advertisers.
Developed by Namco, Galaxian was a 2D sci-fi shooter that debuted in arcades in 1979. It was so successful and widely acclaimed, it got ported to varied game consoles and home computers as the years passed by. For its release on the Atari 2600 and Atari 5200, this print ad was created to catch the attention of fans and gamers by utilizing artwork that resembled the look of 2D sprites from the game. That being said, no screenshots of Galaxian on the Atari consoles were shown because the artwork used looked detailed and were attention-grabbing already.
2. 1943: The Battle of Midway arcade flyer
This is a fine looking flyer.
In 1987, Capcom released in the arcades 1943: The Battle of Midway which was their follow-up to 1942. The arcade flyer itself was designed to strongly promote the game using a combination of screenshots, short-but-clear text descriptions and the great looking piece of artwork which really emphasized the World War II concept. Behind it all, this game was made by Japanese developers with the Western markets in mind and the irony is that the game has players control Americans fighting the Japanese fleet.
3. Top Gunner arcade conversion kit flyer
Show this nice looking image to the woke nut or modern day Communist near you. Watch and observe his or her reaction.
To make things clear, Top Gunner is actually the run-and-gun game Jackal and the alternative titles was mainly used in North American arcade distribution and also reflected Konami’s move of coming up with titles inspired by blockbuster movies of the time. To promote its 1986 arcade release in America as a conversion kit, the advertisers had three models playing soldiers on a military jeep to immerse gamers into the core concept of the game – moving armed military jeeps from one location to another while fighting bad guys. The approach used for the visual concept is indeed inspiring, especially during the Cold War. Top Gunner/Jackal became a hit in both arcades and consoles.
4. Joust for Atari print ad
While I played Joust on console, I don’t remember seeing this print ad before.
Made by Williams Electronics, Joust was one of those early 1980s arcade games that eventually made its way to the Atari 2600 console which was massively popular in North America. Strangely enough, the artistic approach Atari’s advertising came up with for the console version of Joust was similar with that of the ad of the Atari version of Galaxian (see item #1 above) in which artwork was used to resemble the 2D sprites of the game. Regardless, the images of this ad showed what a joust looked like – a martial game between two armed combatants going against each other while riding an animal.
5. Kid Chameleon print ad
Can you relate with Kid Chameleon’s identity crisis?
During the early years of the Sega Genesis, Sega of America exerted efforts to make new games that were not only exclusive to their console but also stand out among the many 2D side-scrolling adventure games by coming up with a protagonist with a unique personality that could somehow resonate with young kids and teenagers.
Developed by their internal experts (Sega Technical Institute), the company released Kid Chameleon in 1992 and they came up with the above print ad that had detailed hand-drawn art of the lead character as well as a wordy text description which was a clear attempt to help young gamers (including teenagers) get connected with both the game and the protagonist. The advertisers even had space to spare to accommodate two screenshots of the game.
6. Terminator 2: Judgment Day (AKA T2: The Arcade Game) for Sega Genesis print ad
This print ad appeared on the many comic books I read long ago.
Back in the early 1990s, Terminator 2: Judgment Day was a massive success in the global box office and this resulted in Arnold Schwarzenegger’s popularity to soar very high while also establishing the Terminator as an essential pop culture figure. Apart from comic books and merchandise, video games based on the movie were made and the one that stood out the most was the arcade shooter game initially titled Terminator 2: Judgment Day (later retitled as T2: The Arcade Game).
The arcade mega hit eventually got ported to the Sega Genesis and this print ad really looked flashy with its visual presentation showing screenshots and a zoomed-in look at how the Terminator T-800 looked like in the Genesis version complete with a few explosions in the background. It should be noted that this flashy print ad cleverly concealed the visual downgrades and the redrawn images as the Genesis itself could never come close to matching the high quality visuals of the arcade version.
7. CYBERPad print ad
I never owned the CYBERPad, nor have I ever used one.
During the so-called 16-bit console generation (actually the 4th console generation), there were lots of licensed console peripherals made by independent companies in support of the Sega Genesis and Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES). The company Suncom Technologies came up with the CYBERPad controller for the two consoles and they boasted in their print ad that the product had a programmable control pad that allowed users to create combinations for each game with convenience in mind. The CYBERPad also allowed the saving of the programmable moves and it had a rapid-fire feature and even a slow-motion function. The CYBERPad was made to make the gameplay experience more user-friendly.
If you look closely, this print announcement by GamePro technically advertised the game consoles, the arcade game and Lara Croft to its readers.
In 1999, GamePro magazine celebrated its 10th anniversary and to keep on resonating with gamers and maintaining the loyalty of their fans, they organized a reader sweepstakes with prizes worth over $25,000 to be won by the few winners. GamePro boasted a date with an unnamed model who played the iconic Lara Croft (Tomb Raider). Certain arcade machines plus the modern consoles of the time – including the brand-new Sega Dreamcast – were also at stake. The way it was presented, this GamePro print announcement was enticing to read.
9. Smash T.V. for SNES print ad
Smash T.V. was a lot of fun on both arcade and console.
The arcade hit Smash T.V. made its way to the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES) in 1992 and the publisher came up with a print ad that had captivating artwork, six screenshots and a text description that emphasized that a lot of fun awaits gamers on the console version. In my view, this old ad is still amusing to look at.
10. David Robinson’s Supreme Court print ad
It was a smart move by Sega to get NBA superstar David Robinson as the endorser of this basketball video game exclusive on the Sega Genesis. This ad was published many years before Robinson finally won an NBA championship.
As part of its strategy in competing with Nintendo during the 4th console generation, Sega of America was focused on producing exclusive sports video games for the Genesis console backed by endorsements of sports professionals. In 1992, they released David Robinson’s Supreme Court on the Genesis and unsurprisingly their print ad used a large, stylized image of the NBA superstar dunking backed with an exciting text description plus screenshots showing the game’s use of the isometric view for gameplay. This is still worth looking at.
11. Taito’s “heat wave” print ad
An amusing and creative way to sell video games.
If your company lacks money to effectively market your video games individually, you can try making a single ad promoting them together. This is what Taito did in this print ad which showcases multiple games for different platforms and they used artwork of a player experiencing the so-called heat wave. This is a nice stroke of creativity on the part of Taito.
12. Jurassic Park Interactive print ad
This was a creepy print ad promoting the 3DO-exclusive Jurassic Park Interactive.
When it comes to video game consoles, having exclusive games is essential as long as they are of high quality, highly playable and enjoyable. The 3DO company acquired a license of the Jurassic Park movie and made the exclusive game Jurassic Park Interactive hoping it would sell a lot and lift up 3DO hardware sales.
This print ad, which features a zoomed-in image of the Raptor from the game, was more focused on selling the 3DO console than the video game as seen on the descriptive text. 3DO ran a promo selling the console which would entitle the buyer to get Jurassic Park Interactive and another game free. Nothing was done to describe the console’s multimedia capabilities of showing videos, images and graphics of the game (which was essentially a collection of mini-games). This print ad shows ignorance on the part of the 3DO company and the ad maker as it showed desperation happening really early in the console’s life. Notably, Jurassic Park Interactive was the only video game adaptation to use actual footage (note: the faces of the actors were edited out) and music from the film.
13. RoboCop 2 print ad
You want to become RoboCop to save the city of Detroit from criminals?
Way back in 1990, RoboCop 2 was a big hit in cinemas here in the Philippines and in some places around the world. As typical of the time, licenses to make video games based on the movie were released resulting in RoboCop 2 games for multiple platforms. The print ad featured two different images of RoboCop – one from the movie poster and the other from an official artwork. The descriptive text does a fine job to immerse readers into the story concept of the game but showing only two screenshots was a lackluster effort to sell the game.
14. Star Trek: The Next Generation – Echoes from the Past print ad
Space…the final frontier waiting for Sega Genesis gamers.
Released in 1994, Star Trek: The Next Generation – Echoes from the Past delivered the Star Trek TNG adventure experience to Sega Genesis gamers. In fact, it is the exact same experience that SNES gamers got the same year. In reality, Star Trek: The Next Generation – Echoes from the Past is actually a port of Star Trek: The Next Generation – Future’s Past on the SNES and the screenshots on the print ad are giveaways about it. In fairness to the ad makers, this print ad never attempted to deceive gamers that it promoted a totally different Star Trek TNG game.
15. Dinosaurs for Hire print ad
This print ad caught my attention and made me interested in the game and the comic book series. Even though it was small, Malibu Comics’ logo was still recognizable.
Dinosaurs for Hire (sometimes referred to as Tom Mason’s Dinosaurs for Hire) was a 2D side-scrolling platform adventure game based on the comic book series of Tom Mason. Published by Sega, it was a Genesis-exclusive game and this print ad had a catchy text description, a few screenshots and the eye-catching artwork of a triceratops facing the viewer. This print ad is still good to look at. If you’re thinking about searching for existing copies of the game, I encourage you to also read some Dinosaurs for Hire comic books before playing. By the way, Tom Mason also wrote several comic books of the Ultraverse.
Welcome back fellow geeks, Blu-ray collectors and movie buffs!
If you are looking for new movie about America’s iconic President Ronald Reagan to watch in the comfort of your home, be aware that the Blu-ray disc (with DVD and digital copy) of the film Reagan (2024) will be released on November 19, 2024, according to a Blu-ray.com update. The good news here is that pre-orders for it are already being accepted online and you can go for it by clicking right here. The movie was directed by Sean McNamara.
Reagan Blu-ray disc includes DVD and digital copy.
In this movie (released on August 30, 2024 in cinemas), Dennis Quaid played the iconic Ronald Reagan. The supporting cast includes Penelope Ann Miller as Nancy Reagan (the First Lady), Jon Voight as Viktor Petrovich, Robert Davi as Leonid Brezhnev, and Kevin Sorbo as Rev. Ben Cleaver.
The official description is as follows: From dusty small-town roots, to the glitter of Hollywood, and then on to commanding the world stage, REAGAN is a cinematic journey of overcoming the odds. Told through the voice of Viktor Petrovich, a former KGB agent who followed Reagan’s ascent, REAGAN captures the indomitable spirit of the American dream.
To see what the film looks like, watch the official movie trailer below.
In my honest view, Ronald Reagan is clearly the most defining President of the United States not only in the 1980s but in the entire 20th century as he used the full might of his office to push back hard against Communism while also lifting Americans up from the social downturn and rebellious norms that hurt the nation since the 1960s.
Reagan is known for reviving patriotism and economic progress (focused on capitalism and the Reagnomics policies) in America. It has been argued again and again that had Reagan never been US President, America would have fallen deeper into turmoil and the Communists would have gained ground in the Cold War.
1980 US Presidential Election material from Ronald Reagan’s campaign. The words “make America great again” was spoken by him long before US President Donald Trump’s time. If you think about it carefully, Reagan was an ordinary American who became President of the United States.
It was only right that a proper movie about President Reagan was made. Of course, knowing the traditions of Hollywood, I am anticipating that creative liberties were taken in order to make the cinematic narrative work. I am based here in the Philippines and it is frustrating for me that this movie was never released in local cinemas. That being said, I am closely watching this as a possible addition to my Blu-ray movie collection.
Looking back at the official trailer above, it looks like the filmmakers did a good job making Dennis Quaid look, move and sound like President Reagan. The movie looks like it has a strong focus on the Cold War through Reagan which really interests me.
US President Ronald Reagan in real life.
The cinematic President Reagan played by Dennis Quaid.
Welcome back, my readers, YouTube viewers and all others who followed this series of articles focused on YouTube videos worth watching. Have you been searching for something fun or interesting to watch on YouTube? Do you feel bored right now and you crave for something to see on the world’s most popular online video destination?
I recommend you check out the following topics and the related videos I found.
#1Donald Trump’s decades-long journey to becoming US President – No matter what your political views are, there is no denying that Donald Trump’s incredible 2016 election victory as President of the United States was the culmination of a very long journey that started since 1980s. As Trump kept doing lots of business, he observed what went wrong in America, what the nation lost to other countries with regards to trade or diplomacy, why many ordinary Americans became forgotten, and more. Watch Trump’s journey in the video below.
#2 A look back at Street Fighter II V (anime) – If you are a long-time gamer like me, chance are, you must have played one of the many games of Street Fighter II. If you have played the games, were you able to watch the short-lived anime series titled Street Fighter II V? Loosely based on Super Street Fighter II Turbo, the anime series started in 1995 and was directed by Gisaburō Sugii who was responsible for the anime movie of 1994. I found two YouTube videos revisiting Street Fighter II V posted below for your enjoyment.
#3 Fox News interview shows Kamala Fit is too dishonest and too out-of-touch to be US President – If there is anything notable with the incumbent United States Vice President Kamala Harris – the one woke candidate the Democrats nominated after pushing Joe Biden out of the way – is that she has a very distorted view of reality and she is very unfit to become US President. Her recent interview with Fox News is the worst yet and the consequences are still being felt as I write this down. Watch the selected videos below to find out.
#4 A look back at Koudelka – During the late stage of the first PlayStation console’s life, Japanese role-playing games (JRPGs) became really popular with gamers in Europe and America. Back in 1999, the role-playing game Koudelka was released on PlayStation in Japan and an international release followed in 2000. That game did not achieve critical acclaim and was never a big seller. As many old-time gamers have forgotten about its existence, Koudelka’s production history is rather intriguing and surprising to discover.
Koudelka was developed by Sacnoth which was founded by former Squaresoft employee Hiroki Kikuta (Secret of Mana, Trials of Mana, and Soukaigi). To find out why Koudelka had an unusual RPG concept and style of gameplay, I encourage you to watch the retro gaming video below.
#5 More Iranians need Israel’s help – It is a fact that the Islamic regime of Iran has a long record of brutalizing Iranians who do not follow their evil moves. In short, the people of Iran are not their wicked government. That being said, the dissenting Iranians are reaching out to Israel for help in the form of military action against the evil regime. Watch the video of The 700 Club below. It includes statements from Iran’s Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi.
#6. George Romero was hired to make a Resident Evil motion picture – Back in the late 1990s when the Resident Evil game franchise really soared in popularity and became bankable for Capcom, a movie project was approved and the late George A. Romero (Night of the Living Dead, Dawn of the Dead, Creepshow) was hired to write and direct it. It should be noted that Capcom hired Romero to make the Resident Evil 2 commercial which became very popular and contributed to the game’s big success. Eventually, Romero’s drafts of the script got rejected and Constantin Film replaced him with Paul W. S. Anderson resulting in the 2002 Resident Evil movie.
If you are fascinated with Romero’s short-lived involvement with the Resident Evil movie project, you should watch the related videos posted below…
#7. China’s Bonnie and Clyde – Have you been following the YouTube channel Dark Asia with Megan? Every week, there is always a new episode about true crime stories that took place within Asia and the host Megan is often great with her presentation and she clearly does a lot of research. Recently an episode about China’s very own Bonnie and Clyde was released. I saw it and it is very intriguing to watch. For the newcomers reading this, Bonnie and Clyde refers to real-life American bandits and serial killers who caused a lot of trouble from 1931 to 1934. Hollywood even released a movie in 1967 glorifying them. As for who exactly were China’s Bonnie and Clyde, and what had they done, I encourage you to watch Dark Asia with Megan’s episode below.
#8. Kamala Harris supporter shouts at toddler – Going back to the 2024 US Presidential campaign, a supporter of Communist Kamala Harris (the US Vice President since 2021) was caught on camera yelling at and traumatizing a toddler. I know for a fact that liberals, Leftists, Marxists, socialists and woke Americans can be quite wild but the die-hard Kamala supporter who screamed at the toddler clearly has crossed the line. It makes me wonder if the Democrats ever oriented their supporters to be civil and in control. Watch the Sky News Australia Lefties Losing It video below.
#9. Kamala Harris got booed at her own campaign rally! – The presidential campaign of Commie Kamala Harris is clearly failing not only because the opinion polls – most of which are Left-leaning and oversampling Democrat voters – are showing her falling further behind Donald Trump but also because unfortunate events have been happening at her campaign rallies. The new embarrassment this time is Harris getting booed at her own campaign rally! Watch the videos below.
Welcome back, my readers, YouTube viewers and all others who followed this series of articles focused on YouTube videos worth watching. Have you been searching for something fun or interesting to watch on YouTube? Do you feel bored right now and you crave for something to see on the world’s most popular online video destination?
I recommend you check out the following topics and the related videos I found.
#1In-depth look at the making of Silent Hill – It has been over twenty-five years since Konami released Silent Hill on PlayStation. That horror-themed adventure game added to the evolution of horror gaming and it stood out differently from Capcom’s Resident Evil series of survival horror games. I recently viewed a very in-depth video by thegamingmuse who spent a lot of effort researching the game development history of Silent Hill, who the creators were and what challenges came along the way leading to the game’s eventual release. The video is over a hundred minutes long but I assure you it is full of details that will give you insight about how the game materialized.
#2 Electric cars are still very dangerous and deadly – I mentioned before that no matter how nice the promotions are, electric cars are still dangerous to have as they can spark fire randomly, damage properties nearby and even kill you. In recent times, there were these two electric cars in different locations that sparked into flames randomly. One of them was not even charging at all while being parked in a residential community’s parking area. That electric car suddenly caused a huge fire that destroyed many cars parked nearby while also forcing many residents to leave their units. The fact is electric vehicles are not safe and are not reliable. The future of the automobile is absolutely NOT electric. Watch and learn from the videos below.
#3 Star Trek: Generations reaction video by Popcorn in Bed (PIB) – Before I first saw Star Trek: Generations in the cinema in 1995, I was excited over the promised cinematic crossover between the iconic captain James T. Kirk and captain Jean Luc Picard. Having seen a mix of movies of the original Star Trek crew plus episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation, the concept of a crossover was really intriguing. After watching Star Trek: Generations, I left the cinema disappointed not only because the Kirk-Picard crossover (William Shatner and Patrick Stewart together on-screen) was not so great but also because the pacing and direction were not cinematic in execution. In fact, I find Star Trek: Generations’ concept more suitable in comic book format.
Of course, the flawed movie has its fans and slowly it is being discovered by YouTubers for the first time in their lives. Popcorn in Bed (PIB) recently posted the reaction video of Star Trek: Generations and she previously spent months watching all the seven TV seasons of Star Trek TNG. How would she react to the movie and how it impacted her, you have to watch it below.
#4 Terrorist state Iran’s hatred towards Israel explained – With its evil regime that started in 1979, Iran is both a terrorist state as well as the center of evil in the entire Middle East. No matter how many times a Democrat-led United States bowed to them and made desperate deals with them, Iran’s top leaders kept cheering (in their local language) death to America, England and Israel. In other words, Western ideals and democracy are completely unacceptable to Iran’s evil regime. The Ayatollah regime of Iran is so wicked, their government even brutalizes Iranians who do not follow their ways.
For Iran, the existence of Israel (the land that God designated to the Jewish people) unacceptable and their hatred towards them is so powerful, they sponsored terrorist groups like Hamas and Hezbollah to launch waves of attacks to destroy the Jewish state. Terrorist state Iran is doing what Satan always wanted and the evil regime is still obsessing with dominating the Middle East with destruction and the imposition of their religious beliefs on others. Iran is also obsessed with world domination and they will also attack Europe and America. To find out more, watch TBN Israel’s compelling video explaining Iran’s hatred towards Israel.
#5 The high number of deaths caused by electric cars that went wrong – Going back to electric cars, I posted a video that discusses in detail a hot issue that electric vehicle fanatics and the mainstream news media do not want to talk about – the high number of deaths caused by electric cars that went wrong. Watch it now.
#6. Kamala Harris simply cannot be trusted – In recent times, Kamala Harris appeared in several TV shows to reach out to as many voters as she could as the US Presidential Election gets closer. Harris has huge problems: dishonesty, inconsistency and a distorted view of reality. In other words, the Democrats’ presidential nominee is very out of touch with reality and she does not seem to care much about the American people who have been suffering from rising crime, the higher costs of living, the deterioration of public order in connection with the rising number of illegal aliens in America, and much more.
In short, Harris is so woke, she has no real solutions for the American people. She cannot even define herself clearly as she is obsessed with identity politics, vibes and wokeness. She cannot even focus on policy and governance. Kamala Harris is clearly unfit to become President of the United States (the Democrats will have to CHEAT AGAIN to elect her). Watch and learn from the selected videos below.
#7. Understanding America’s Electoral College – In light of the US Presidential Election happening on November 5, 2024, now is a good time to learn about the Electoral College and how it works on electing the next President. Contrary to popular belief, the popular vote does not determine the winner of the election as there is a state-by-state mechanism and the ones who actually determine the winner are the electors. Confused? Watch the two PragerU videos below.
#8 Dragonslayer reaction video by You, Me and the Movies – I was a very young boy when I first saw Dragonslayer inside the cinema back in 1981 here in the Philippines. Being so young, I was not yet aware that the fantasy movie was a Disney-Paramount joint effort. The public word of mouth back then was that the movie was a visual spectacle as it had Industrial Light and Magic (ILM) work on the special effects while the Go Motion effects were handled by Phil Tippett. To make things clear, I am NOT a fan of Dragonslayer but I should say that YouTuber You, Me and the Movies recently posted their movie reaction of it which is entertaining to watch.
#9 The elimination of Hamas terrorist leader Sinwar plus the attempted attack against Israel’s PM Netanyahu – In recent times, I posted about the unexpected elimination of Yahya Sinwar who was the leader of the Iran-sponsored Palestinian terrorist group Hamas and the mastermind of the October 7, 2023 terrorist attacks against Israel. Sinwar was a mass murderer and a real-life demon who always hated Israel and the Jewish people. He was also one of the favorite terrorist allies of Iran. Apart from Sinwar, Iran had its Lebanon proxies Hezbollah attempt to assassinate Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu only to fail. The war against Islamic terrorism continues and the TBN Israel news video explains the details for you all.
Welcome back readers, fellow geeks and electronic gaming fans!
In this edition of the Retro Gaming Ads Blast (RGAB) series, we will take a look at another batch of retro gaming print ads – including arcade flyers – from the 1980s and 1990s.
For the newcomers reading this, Retro Gaming Ads Blast (RGAB) looks back at the many print ads of games (console, arcade, computer and handheld) that were published in comic books, magazines, flyers, posters and newspapers long before smartphones, social media, the worldwide web and streaming became popular. To put things in perspective, people back in the 1980s and 1990s were more trusting of print media for information and images about electronic games and related products.
With those details laid down, here is the newest batch of retro gaming print ads for you to see and enjoy…
1. River Raid print ad
This River Raid print ad appeared on comic books and magazines long ago.
Decades before it became an industry giant with the best-selling Call of Duty games, Activision became a standout publisher in the early 1980s with River Raid on the Atari 2600. Designed by Carol Shaw, River Raid was a huge success ending up as the 2nd best-seller on the Atari 2600 as well as Activision’s best-selling game for the year 1983. Apart from showing one screenshot and the box cover of the game, the print ad of River Raid had this mesmerizing 3D image that caught many gamers’ attention and helped them feel like they will pilot on dangerous missions. The 3D image was futuristic in its own style became forward-moving 3D sequences in video games became reality many years later.
2. Galaga North American arcade flyer
The front of the flyer showing three Galaga machines that arcade operators can choose from.
Key details about Galaga were nicely presented on the rear of the flyer.
In the history of gaming, Namco’s Galaga was played by countless millions of gamers and it is still highly regarded as an arcade classic as well as one of the most enjoyable arcade games ever made. In preparation for the North American launch (October 1981), Midway prepared the arcade flyer showing the three types of machine on the front that arcade operators can choose from. On the rear is the really neat approach of explaining the details of the game, what kind of gameplay is to be expected, and how to play. Whether you are an individual player or the manager of an arcade joint, this flyer suits your needs.
3. Area 51 arcade flyer and conversion kit flyer
The front of this Area 51 flyer had an enticing message for arcade operators as well as other business owners/managers who are interested in having a machine to add value to their business joints. Atari was already in deep money problems by the time they started making this game.
The Area 51 arcade conversion kit is a cheaper alternative for businesses who want the game.
Moving on to the 1990s, Atari was already struggling financially and desperately needed a hit to lift them up fast. A light gun shooter project was approved as arcade shooters were in good demand and after overcoming serious hurdles during production internally, Atari hired independent team Mesa Logic to take charge of development. After being granted extra time and more creative freedom, the project under Mesa Logic’s handling became a sci-fi shooter titled Area 51. The game became a huge hit in the arcades for Atari resulting in sales of more than 20,000 arcade cabinets as well as a major financial boost for the company (note: Atari still exists today). Atari went on to release Atari 51 versions for PlayStation, Sega Saturn and PC in America in 1996. The Atari 51 flyers you see here are still captivating to look at and were crucial in generating buzz among arcade operators, business joints that had space for arcade cabinets and gamers.
4. Panasonic 3DO print ad
The makers of this print ad forgot to mention the 3DO is also a game machine.
Back in 1993, the 3DO Interactive Multiplayer console manufactured by Panasonic (a licensee of the 3DO Company) was launched with a CD-ROM drive, multimedia features and gaming capabilities (with a 3-button control pad). This print ad strongly emphasized the 3DO’s ability to play high-quality sound and full-motion videos using the Sea of Cortez software which functioned as an interactive movie. Obviously, this did not resonate well with people who loved to play games and by the time the 3DO Company and its partners started marketing games, they could not save the 3DO console from fading to obscurity. The console shown in the ad is specifically model Panasonic FZ-1 R·E·A·L 3DO Interactive Multiplayer. Panasonic was one of five companies that were licensed by the 3DO Company.
5. MechWarrior 3050 SNES print ad
If you were unaware of the 1994 game BattleTech, then this ad would have fooled you into thinking it is promoting a brand new game.
In 1995, the popular BattleTech entertainment franchise arrived on the Super Nintendo Entertainment (SNES) system with MechWarrior 3050 and its print ad had a really blazing artwork of an armed mech in fire which gave readers the illusion of a new and original game. In reality, MechWarrior 3050 was actually a port of BattleTech which was released on the Sega Genesis in 1994. The Genesis game was published by Extreme Entertainment Group while the SNES game was published by the more famous Activision. If you look closely at the MechWarrior print ad, you can tell how hard they tried to sell the game like it was brand new and all-original.
6. Cliffhanger video game print ad
This print ad had Sylvester Stallone hanging on a cliff to be relevant with the title of both the film and the game. They could not show images of Stallone in hard action scenes.
For fans of Sylvester Stallone, 1993 was a big and exciting year as the Hollywood icon appeared in two major action films – Cliffhanger and Demolition Man. Cliffhanger was released first and there were video game adaptations of it released on game consoles, handhelds and computers. This print ad of the Cliffhanger video game had an image of Stallone hanging on a cliff to emphasize the title. The ad makers cleverly posted selected gameplay screenshots and quoted GamePro and Electronic Gaming Monthly (EGM) to make the game look credible and worthy of purchasing. The marketing led to nowhere as the game received mostly negative reviews from critics and it faded to obscurity. Lastly, the Cliffhanger game ad had a noticeable amount of space wasted. They could have made the screenshots and text look somewhat bigger to sell the game.
7. Ballz: The Director’s Cut print ad
I never got to play this game on the 3DO.
Here is another ad of the video game released on the failed 3DO console. As its title made obvious, Ballz: The Director’s Cut is an enhanced version of the original Ballz game of 1994 that was released on other consoles. The print ad had an eye-catching piece of artwork and posted beside it were selected shots of the gameplay. Strangely enough, the creative writing on the lower part of the ad does not make any sense and did nothing to convince gamers to play the game. As Ballz: The Director’s Cut was released in 1995, this ad shows the revised 3DO console from Panasonic (model: Panasonic FZ-10 R·E·A·L 3DO Interactive Multiplayer).
8. NFL GameDay 2000 print ad
Did you find this ad funny to look at in 1999?
To promote the PlayStation-exclusive NFL GameDay 2000, Sony publisher 989 Sports and the ad makers decided to implement a humorous look at football TV coverage by having two sportscasters wearing shorts in front of a TV camera that was only showing their heads and upper bodies. The TV sets on the side show screenshots from the game to emphasize the sports gaming experience. Ultimately the game scored mostly positive review from the critics.
9. WildC.A.T.S: Covert Action Teams print ad
WildC.A.T.S. art by Jim Lee was used to promote the SNES video game.
When Image Comics launched in 1992, WildC.A.T.S: Covert Action Teams was Jim Lee’s creator-owned comic book franchise and its launch issue was a big seller. Years later, WildC.A.T.S. grew in popularity with comic book fans and the franchise achieved multi-media status by venturing into TV (with an animated series) and video games. This print ad promoting the video game adaptation had no screenshots to show which kept fans and gamers guessing how the game will turn out in terms of gameplay and game design. It was obvious that the people who made this print ad had to rely on the best WildC.A.T.S. artwork they could find drawn by Jim Lee. This ad made me laugh back in the old days because if you did not look closely, it might fool you into thinking it was more about comic books than the game on the SNES.
10. Cutthroat Island print ad
Exciting imagery without Geena Davis and Matthew Modine was used to promote the video game adaptation.
I never saw the Hollywood mega-flop Cutthroat Island nor have I ever played any of its multiple video game adaptations (released on SNES, Sega Genesis, Sega Game Gear and Game Boy). The video game print ad, however, caught my attention back in 1995 because the ad makers cleverly used a photograph from one the many expensive movie sequences filmed and the hard, physical work by the filmmakers was clearly visible. Then the ad makers had four screenshots placed on the lower-left part and inserted descriptive text that sounded exciting. Lastly, the ad mentioned a sweepstakes promo.
Without using any images of stars Geena Davis and Matthew Modine, this ad was a strong attempt to get gamers excited for the video game adaptation. Like the movie itself, this game flopped and has faded away to the land of the forgotten.
11. AH-3 Thunderstrike print ad
Captivating artwork, vibrant colors and orderly text descriptions made this an effective ad.
AH-3 Thunderstrike is one of the better games that was released on the Sega CD add-on (requires the Sega Genesis console) in 1993. Similar with MechWarrior 3050, the game was actually a port of Thunderhawk which itself was released on the Amiga and MS-DOS PC in 1992. The print ad showcased a captivating artwork (which was also used on the game’s box cover), a few screenshots and strategically placed text descriptions to sell the game. This ad still looks good.
12. James Bond 007 print ad
This print ad appeared in many comic books in 1984.
This is a print ad I saw many times while reading comic books in 1984. James Bond 007 for Atari 2600 was an ambitious licensed video game as it featured levels that were inspired by missions in the James Bond movies Diamonds are Forever, The Spy Who Loved Me, Moonraker and For Your Eyes Only. Keep in mind that programmers back then had to deal with memory limitations and primitive tools to make games.
To promote the game, original art of Agent 007 was used which did not resemble the James Bond star of the time – Roger Moore. Strangely enough, the illustrated James Bond slightly resembled Timothy Dalton whose debut as 007 happened in 1987. Adding further zest to the add was the use of fictionalized quotes pointing to fantasized critics as sources (example: Vincent Can’tbe is a reference to real life critic Vincent Canby). The use of a pink background made this catchy ad look really odd.
13. Choplifter III: Rescue Survive print ad
A captivating print ad that brought gamers’ attention to the Choplifter series again.
This print ad of Choplifter III: Rescue Survive has a striking look showing a military officer who needs your help as he has been stranded behind enemy lines. The presentation reflects the long-time tradition of the Choplifter game franchise which has been about piloting an armed helicopter to the opposition’s territory, shooting at bad guys and then rescuing the hostages or prisoners-of-war (POWs). The game eventually gathered mostly positive feedback from video game critics.
14. Defender of the Crown print ad
Cinemaware took a gamble with the visual concept of this print ad.
Released in 1986 for home computers, Defender of the Crown was made with a high level of quality backed with solid artistry. To capture gamers’ attention, Cinemaware came up with this print ad showcasing a pretty model looking somewhat seductive which reflects what happens in the game when players rescue a damsel in distress. The selected screenshots showed what the game looked like on different platforms, and the lower part of the ad made the game feel like it was a historical epic waiting to be discovered. Defender of the Crown eventually became a big hit with computer gamers.
Welcome back Xbox fans, geeks, retro gaming enthusiasts and all gamers from around the world!
I was born in the mid-1970s. My video gaming experience started with the arcade games. A few years later, my console gaming experience started with the Atari 2600 console (which was our first console at home) and for about five years my friends (who also had the same console in their respective homes) and I enjoyed playing games on it.
Also this year, I bought myself a physical copy of Atari 50: The Anniversary Celebration to add even more retro gaming fun on my Xbox Series X and it has been an enjoyable experience so far. There is absolutely nothing like replaying the Atari 2600 games I enjoyed plus being able to play other games released on other Atari consoles I never had. I also love the fact that the collection (you can by the physical Xbox copy by clicking here) also has Atari’s own arcade games. This is truly a blast of retro gaming fun!
From my play session of the arcade version of the classic Missile Command.
Thanks to the Atari 50: The Anniversary Celebration, I finally got to play the Cloak & Dagger arcade game that was featured in the 1984 movie.
Historical insight about the classic game Centipede.
Atari’s arcade game Liberator.
Content from the arcade flyer of Missile Command now viewable in high-definition!
Atari 50: The Anniversary Celebration is not just a collection of video games from the past. It has a stylish presentation that makes it an interactive museum which allows you to look at the arcade flyers, the print ads, the official artworks of games, historical highlights and most notably lots of videos showing interviews of surviving Atari creators/producers who reveal very important details about what they went through, what the company culture was like, and more.
Those who were interviewed include Nolan Bushnell (who established Atari, Inc.), David Crane, Jerry Jessop, Bill Rehbock, Owen Rubin, Allan Alcorn, Tod Frye, Wade Rosen, Eugene Jarvis, and Howard Scott Warshaw. These are the guys who not only established Atari as a major gaming industry leader but also laid the foundations of console gaming as a crucial part of home entertainment in general. Also discussed was Atari’s efforts of bringing their arcade games to the consoles at home.
Adding further insight to Atari’s history were video interviews of Ed Fries (a key figure behind the establishment of Xbox), Cliff Bleszinski (Gears of War trilogy) and Tim Schafer (Psychonauts games).
My physical copy of Atari 50: The Anniversary Celebration which I enjoyed a lot on my Xbox Series X.
Author Carlo Carrasco 