America – Page 18 – Author Carlo Carrasco

What to watch on YouTube right now – Part 52

January 15, 2025January 12, 2025carlocarrasco

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.

#1 Akira revisited – The 1988 anime feature film Akira has often been cited as a masterpiece and some pointed it for making anime more popular in the West. For the newcomers reading this, Akira actually started in Japan as a manga/comic book series before getting adapted into anime. Strangely enough, the literary Akira was still publishing when the 1988 feature film was released. As of this writing, there are two English-dubbed versions of it in existence and the Blu-ray copy I own has them both.

It is not surprising that the animated Akira got featured by many YouTubers in the form of retro reviews, reaction videos, documentaries and video analysis. If you have not seen Akira, I encourage you to watch it on Blu-ray first. Otherwise, enjoy the selected videos below.

#2 Universal City Studios, Inc. v. Nintendo Co., Ltd. (the Donkey Kong case) – Have you ever played Donkey Kong back in the 1980s? That is a classic game from Nintendo. It was a hit in the arcades and made its way to multiple platforms in the years that followed. Believe it or not, Univeral Studios sued Nintendo alleging that Donkey Kong was a trademark infringement of King Kong. The video below will explain the details as to what happened and I can say it is also amusing to watch.

#3 PatmanQC examines Q*bert – Released in the arcades in 1982, Q*bert became a hit in America and went on to become one of the highest grossing arcade games in 1983. A very fun game, it is remembered for cleverly blending puzzle play with 3D-like movement and avoidance of both obstacles and enemies. You might be wondering who came up with Q*bert, what led to its production and what inspired the game creators to design it. To find out, watch PatmanQC’s detailed examination of Q*bert below…

#4 The Terminator’s connection with The Outer Limits explored – Remember watching 1984’s The Terminator? That was the memorable sci-fi action movie from director James Cameron which went on to become a multimedia franchise of movies, a TV series, comic books, video games and more. If you truly believe that the story is a purely original work written by Cameron (and by those who were involved behind the scenes), you will have to think twice because The Terminator’s sci-fi concept shares some notable similarities with a certain episode of The Outer Limits written by Harlan Ellison. To find out more, watch the video below…

#5 Al Jazeera is the terrorist news network and Qatar’s tool of deception – I will say it out loud right here: Al Jazeera is absolutely not a professional news outlet. Al Jazeera is, in fact, the Islamic terrorist news network and also the tool of Qatar which itself has sinister plans. Qatar may be a small nation but its ambitions for greater influence on the Middle East are very big and they have sinister intentions to grow big. Be aware that Qatar funded anti-Israel movements through American universities. That being said, I urge you all to boycott Al Jazeera. To take a close look at the evil of Al Jazeera and why Qatar should be held accountable, watch the video below.

#6 Ashleigh Burton reacts to The Amazing Spider-Man 2 – Back in 2014, I saw The Amazing Spider-Man 2 in the local cinema which was fully crowded. Even though I had modest expectations, I still left the cinema feeling disappointed. I was convinced that Sony Pictures, Andrew Garfield and director Marc Webb really had nowhere else to go with the way they were handling the Spider-Man film franchise. The Amazing Spider-Man 2 remains a divisive film and yet I had more fun with it by watching Ashleigh Burton’s reaction video. Watch it now.

#7 Popcorn in Bed reacts to Million Dollar Baby – When was the last time you saw YouTuber Popcorn in Bed get emotional and cry during a movie reaction video? If you have already seen Clint Eastwood’s Million Dollar Baby, then you should be aware of its very heartbreaking moments directly related to its very tragic concept. Popcorn in Bed recently reacted to the film and how it impacted her on an emotional level is a must-watch.

#8 SHIFT’s 2024 King of Thong video (Miami Swim Week) – A thong is “an article of swimwear or underwear with the back portion consisting of a narrow strip of cloth that passes between the buttocks and connects with a waistband.” Several months ago, the swimsuit fashion YouTube channel SHIFT posted a video of its coverage of the 2024 Miami Swim Week focusing on a show of King of Thong. For almost nine minutes, you’ll see lots of women appear in thongs showing lots of skin with carefully selected tunes playing. It’s a must-watch for those who enjoy women’s swimwear fashion and thongs. Also, there might be some fashion models you could recognize.

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Thank you for reading. If you find this article engaging, please click the like button below, share this article to others and also please consider making a donation to support my publishing. If you are looking for a copywriter to create content for your special project or business, check out my services and my portfolio. Feel free to contact me with a private message. Also please feel free to visit my Facebook page Author Carlo Carrasco and follow me on Twitter at @HavenorFantasy as well as on Tumblr at https://carlocarrasco.tumblr.com/ and on Instagram athttps://www.instagram.com/authorcarlocarrasco

Retro Gaming Ads Blast – Part 26

January 13, 2025March 16, 2025carlocarrasco

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. Asteroids Deluxe arcade flyer

Given the fact that Asteroids was a massive hit for Atari in the arcades, it was not surprising that a sequel was made called Asteroids Deluxe. In preparation for its 1981 release, Atari made this Asteroids Deluxe arcade flyer showing three machine that arcade operators can choose from complete with technical details displayed. They even emphasized the QuadraScan video graphics as a technological advancement with regards to graphics. By today’s standards, this arcade flyer is still sensible with regards to promoting the game to both arcade operators and players.

2. Missile Command arcade flyer

*Engaging art work on display at the front of the arcade flyer.*

Released in the arcades in 1980, Missile Command is a classic game from Atari and its concept of defending cities from incoming enemy missiles proved to be relevant with people living with the fear of a nuclear missile attack during the days of the Cold War. In my experience, I mainly played the Atari 2600 version and it was only recently I finally started playing the arcade classic on my Xbox Series X using the Atari 50 Collection software. As for the arcade flyer itself, Atari simply used highly detailed painted art for the front which clearly emphasized the science fiction portrayal of a military officer using a console inside a base to come up with defensive response to incoming ballistic missiles. The game was a massive hit in the arcades and in my view, Atari’s simply yet direct way of promoting the concept of Missile Command with the arcade flyer remains compelling to look at.

3. Gun.Smoke European arcade flyer

*Nice art on the front of this arcade flyer for the European market.*

Long before they struck gold with Street Fighter II, Japanese company Capcom scored a hit with gamers in the arcades with 1985’s Gun.Smoke. It was a vertically scrolling run-and-gun game with an Old West setting and it was designed by Yoshiko Okamoto (Final Fight and Street Fighter II). To promote the game for European arcades, Capcom simply used hand-drawn artwork for the arcade flyer’s front which emphasized the Wild West setting, and an American Cowboy and bounty hunter named Billie Bob who is the playable character gamers got to play. In my view, the artwork gave the game a strong Wild West image that is also memorable.

4. Sei Senshi Amatelass arcade flyer

Released in Japanese arcades in 1986 by Nichibutsu, Sei Senshi Amatelass is a vertical scrolling run-and-gun game with a science fantasy concept. To promote the game and really sell its concept, Nichibutsu hired a model posing with a sword and a shield in fantasy inspired costume. Using the remaining spaces of the flyer, some screenshots and an image of the arcade machine were displayed. This flyer showed the company exerting effort to sell Sei Senshi Amatelass with a touch of beauty and subtle sexiness.

5. Sweet Gal arcade flyer

*Seriously, are you interested in playing mahjong in digital form?*

Here is another digital mahjong arcade game from Nichibutsu…Sweet Gal. As typical of the company, a model was hired to add subtle sexiness into the promotion of the game and they even added a digital image of a sexy girl. Sweet Gal clearly was promoted to attract men who enjoy playing mahjong in electronic format and there were some arcade spots in Japan that catered to such mahjong enthusiasts.

6. Moon Patrol print ad

*This is a fun-looking, comic book style way of promoting a video game.*

Here is one of those video game print ads I saw while reading comic books back in the early 1980s. Moon Patrol is a sci-fi, side-scrolling game by Atari known for introducing full parallax scrolling in side-scrolling games. Instead of showing screenshots of the console versions of the game, this print ad used nice looking hand-drawn artworks presented with a comic book-inspired style to emphasize the concept. I still remember how captivating this ad and its super short story was the first time I saw it. It was enough to make me interested in the game.

7. Tron Atari 2600 games print ad

*Calling all Tron fans to look at this.*

I was very captivated by the 1982 sci-fi movie Tron which I saw on home video. It had very flashy computer-generated visuals, a very memorable story and the fine performance by Jeff Bridges. Tron was also very reflective about the video game culture of its time. When I first saw this print ad while reading a comic book, I was really excited. If you look closely, it had nice artwork dominating the space and screenshots that each promoted the games Tron: Deadly Discs and Adventures of Tron. Even though the graphics were primitive, I still recognized the Tron-related images which added to my excitement.

8. Q*bert print ad

*This print ad by Parker Brothers really captured the essence of the game.*

The puzzle-oriented 2D action game Q*bert became an arcade hit in America shortly after its 1982 release and even went on to become one of the highest grossing arcade games in 1983. Q*bert is one of those 2D games that cleverly blended puzzle play with 3D-like movement and avoidance of both obstacles and enemies. As expected, the game made its way into gaming console and this particular print ad had artwork that strongly captured the very essence of the game complete with the very catchy line “It’s not easy being Q*bert, but it’s fun.”

9. Masters of the Universe: The Power of He-Man print ad

I saw this print ad of Masters of the Universe: The Power of He-Man (for Atari 2600 and Intellivision) while reading a comic book long ago. Like the Tron games ad, this made me excited as I was fond of watching the He-Man cartoon series of the 1980s. While the selected screenshots caught my attention, it was the hand-drawn art of He-Man facing off with Skeletor and his minions that captivated me simply because it reminded me of the animated series. This is a fine example of promoting a video game that would instantly resonate with fans of He-Man and the Masters of the Universe franchise.

10. UFO Robo Dangar North American arcade flyer

*The giant robot concept of this game gave some viewers the impression that it was based on some giant robot anime series from Japan even though the art work used does not suggest it.*

Here is another arcade game from Nichibutsu but for the North American market and without the use of a model and without the subtle sexiness. UFO Robo Dangar is a 2D vertically scrolling science fiction shooting game and players get to control a giant robot (composed of flying vehicles that merged into one mechanical body) that has to go through countless waves of enemies in order to advance from one level to another. The arcade flyer used nice looking sci-fi art of ships with the game’s title having a robot and several screenshots of the game. The flyer even made a hard pitch towards arcade operators that UFO Robo Danger will transform their games into profits with proven longevity.

11. Aliens Japanese arcade flyer

*The other side of the flyer of the 1990 arcade hit Aliens.*

Quite arguably, Konami’s 1990 arcade hit Aliens is the best video game of any game design to be based on the 1986 film directed by James Cameron. Not only was Aliens a big hit in the arcades, it also won an award from the American Amusement Machine Association (AAMA). Aliens was released in Japanese arcades in February of 1990 and Konami released an arcade flyer that was much more visually striking than its North American arcade flyer. The front had detailed artwork of the Xenomorph while the rear had the instructions and screenshots presented in an orderly manner. The photograph of the Xenomorph alien was added intensity on selling the game. This is still a great looking arcade flyer.

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What to watch on YouTube right now – Part 51

January 8, 2025January 7, 2025carlocarrasco

I recommend you check out the following topics and the related videos I found.

#1 The dirty business behind Caffeine – Have you been drinking coffee, or sodas or energy drinks a lot over the past twelve months? Chances are, you are dependent on caffeine for your livelihood and your own lifestyle. Sadly, a lot of people out there are not even aware about the subject of caffeine in American history, in business and health studies. YouTuber fern has this in-depth look at caffeine and why there dirty business behind it. Watch and learn.

#2 You, Me and the Movies react to Ace Ventura: Pet Detective – Despite being negatively received by movie critics in 1994, Ace Ventura: Pet Detective still went on to become a surprise hit in the cinemas grossing over $107 million worldwide and establishing Jim Carrey as an effective cinematic comedian. The film has an effective formula on making viewers laugh with Carrey’s performance, the jokes, the unfortunate turn of events, the funny one-liners and the like. I saw the film on home video in 1995 and I revisited it by watching the reaction video of You, Me and the Movies. If you have not seen Ace Ventura: Pet Detective, go watch it first. Otherwise, the reaction video below is entertaining to watch.

#3 The hunt for Ted Bundy explained by fern – Way back in 1989, I saw The Deliberate Stranger on local TV here in the Philippines. It was an engaging portrayal of the very notorious serial killer Ted Bundy (executed in 1989) who was responsible for the kidnapping, rape and murders of several young women and girls. While a lot of documentaries about Bundy have been released, fern’s visual presentation and explanatory observation of the killer’s story is a must-see.

#4 A look at the history of the Ikari Warriors trilogy – Back in the mid-1980s, I played Ikari Warriors (Japanese title: Ikari) on the Nintendo Family Computer (Famicom) and it was a fun game and even relatable. Why relatable? Because at the time of its release, the fictional character Rambo (played by Sylvester Stallone) and the Cold War were still present in our minds. As it turned out, Ikari Warriors was originally intended to be an official video game adaptation of Rambo: First Blood Part II but no agreement was made. Regardless, the game still had Rambo-inspired designs for the playable characters, an obvious Vietnam-inspired environment and lots of shooting-oriented action. It became so successful commercially, it eventually spawned two sequels. To know more about the history of the Ikari Warriors trilogy, watch PatmanQC’s video below.

#5 A look at 50 underrated arcade games from the 1990s – The 1990s was a wild time for people who love playing games in the arcades. While the decade was often perceived to be all about fighting games defining the arcade experience, there still was a greater variety of arcade games of different genres or game designs. This retro gaming video from Marvelous Gamers is a fun look back at the 1990s arcade games that got overlooked.

#6 Ashleigh Burton reacts to National Lampoon’s Vacation – If you are looking for a 1980s comedic viewing experience with a theme about going on holiday, then you should focus on National Lampoon’s Vacation directed by the late Harold Ramis and starring Chevy Chase. Released in cinemas in 1983, the movie became a box office hit grossing over $60 million in the American box office and it won a lot of rave reviews from the critics. If you have seen the movie and want to revisit it without the need to spend time watching it all over again, you should watch the reaction video by the jolly YouTuber Ashleigh Burton.

#7 Popcorn in Bed reacts to Quantum of Solace – I will say it clearly – Quantum of Solace was a very disappointing follow-up to Casino Royale (2006) as it was so negatively impacted by the strike of the Writers Guild of America as well as the lack of focus within the production. By the time I left the cinema, Quantum of Solace left me feeling numb and unsatisfied. That being said, I encourage you to see the reaction video of Popcorn in Bed (who also reacted to Casino Royale) and witness how the 2008 James Bond movie affected their viewing experience.

#8 Justin Trudeau officially resigns from office – I really do not like Justin Trudeau. As Prime Minister of Canada, he has been very out of touch with his people and does not seem concerned with them. Under the super woke and feminist Trudeau, the costs of living in Canada has gone way up, housing is too expensive and crime has gone up. There is also division and infighting within his Liberal Party which is not helping Canadians at all. Trudeau’s failed leadership should be a lesson to everyone that woke nuts, Satanic Leftists and outrageous liberals should not be voted to lead the government. Liberals do not care about common sense at all. Watch and learn from the videos below.

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What to watch on YouTube right now – Part 50

January 6, 2025January 1, 2025carlocarrasco

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.

#1 HolyLandSite’s examination of Kursi and Lord Jesus’ power over the demonic realm – Kursi is a place in the east side of the Sea of Galilee in the region of Gerasenes (or Gadarenes) in Israel where two men possessed by demons stayed at. HolyLandSite produced this video to emphasize the biblical relevance of the place, what happened and, most of all, the immense power Lord Jesus had over the demonic forces that caused huge problems for people back then. This is a biblical examination of the place and a lively reminder of the light and authority of Lord Jesus, the Savior and Hope of ALL nations. Grab a copy of the Holy Bible and then watch the video from start to finish.

#2 GTV Japan examines Nintendo’s crisis – Remember back in the late 1980s when a shortage of ROM chips prevented Nintendo from releasing games on time? Back in those days, microchips were essential for manufacturing cartridges of games for consoles. A lot of people believed that Nintendo, which already had several restrictions on game publishing and business with 3^rd party game companies, deliberately created the shortage for their advantage. There is a lot more details and developments that happened beyond the perceived shortage and the video by GTV Japan has a very in-depth look at it in the video below.

#3 What the hard drive of terrorist Bin Laden contained – Remember when America found and eliminated the mass murderer and terrorist Osama Bin Laden in 2011? YouTuber fern published a video focused on one particular aspect related to the operation that took Bin Laden down – the sensitive information contained in his hard drive. The video also has a key analyst interviewed who provided a lot of insight. Watch the video now.

#4 Wokeness in Japan exposed – Believe it or not, there definitely is wokeness in Japan and it was exposed a lot during their news media coverage of the 2024 US Presidential Election which Donald Trump won. In fact, a certain Japanese professor who was included in the media outlet’s coverage (being in the studio with others) was so liberal, he got frustrated as Commie Kamala Harris lost and he even reiterated the Democrats’ buzz words like “threat to democracy”. Think about it very carefully. The Democrats and their Satanic Left pawns have been spreading their distorted views in Japan and influenced some people there. The woke-minded in Japan may not realize it but they are looking and sounding awkward (if not pathetic). Perhaps some woke nuts of Japan love Islamic terrorists and I know they have pro-Palestine zealots. Watch and learn from the video below.

#5 Controversial Alice Guo featured in episode of Dark Asia with Megan – Alice Guo (AKA Guo Hua Ping), the controversial former mayor of Bamban who has been detained for various charges, is now the subject of a new episode of Dark Asia with Megan. For the newcomers reading this, Alice Guo is notorious in the Philippines not only for her links with POGOs (Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators) but also for her very questionable background with regards to citizenship, family and origin. She even escaped the Philippines temporarily before getting brought back. In fact, Alice Guo’s case raises a lot of questions about national security, espionage and foreign infiltration into the systems of governance in the Philippines. Watch and learn from the Dark Asia with Megan video.

#6 PatmanQC examines Donkey Kong – Long before Donkey Kong Country became a massive critical and commercial hit with gamers around the world, there was the original Donkey Kong in 1981. I never played the arcade version but I played Donkey Kong on the Atari 2600 back in the early 1980s and it was a fun game. A short time later, I played the ColecoVision version and was impressed to see the graphical improvements. The production history of Donkey Kong is really interesting and PatmanQC produced not just one but two documentary videos about the game.

#7 Popcorn in Bed and You, Me and the Movies react to Vertigo – Vertigo, the classic film directed by Alfred Hichcock, was one of the first twenty-five films selected for preservation in the US National Film Registry for being “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant”. That being said, it is not surprising that it has been the subject of several movie reaction videos on YouTube. If you have not seen it, I encourage you to watch it entirely first when you have the chance. Otherwise, I encourage you to watch the reaction videos of Popcorn in Bed, and You, Me and the Movies below.

#8 Ashleigh Burton reacts to Signs – Back in 2002, I saw Signs inside a packed local cinema during the evening. The film directed by M. Night Shyamalan and starring Mel Gibson kept moviegoers in suspense and occasionally pulled off some sudden scary moments. That being said, you have to see Ashleigh Burton react to it.

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What to watch on YouTube right now – Part 49

January 1, 2025December 19, 2024carlocarrasco

Happy New Year to all 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.

#1 You, Me and the Movies react to The Tower (2012) – The Tower (2012) is a South Korean disaster film that drew huge audiences in its country and found some success overseas. Its concept will remind long-time movie buffs about 1974’s The Towering Inferno which itself was an inspiration for director Kim Ji-hoon. If you want to discover The Tower but you are not willing to spend time and money to see it, I encourage to watch You, Me and the Movies’ reaction video.

#2 Alien versus Predator games history examined by Slope’s Game Room – I really enjoy watching the retro gaming videos of YouTuber Slope’s Game Room. This time around, Slope examines the history of video games featuring one of the most memorable sci-fi crossovers ever: Alien versus Predator. For the newcomers reading this, there was a time when Alien and Predator were separate sci-fi film franchises. How a crossover between them happened and what video games were made are explained in detail in the video below.

#3 The rise of cold coffee in America – Do you like drinking coffee that is actually cold? Over the past several years in America, spending on cold coffee skyrocketed and outpaced hot coffee. To be clear, cold coffee includes iced coffee, cold brew and frozen coffee drinks. Already, cold coffee sales really grew for certain businesses that sell coffee. To find out why Americans are buying more cold coffee and what possibly started the trend, watch the video below.

#4 Changing the Middle East – There is no denying the fact that Israel will be remembered for significant gains against Iran-sponsored terrorists in 2024. They did not have much support from Biden-led America but Israel still succeeded in eliminating Yahya Sinwar (Hamas) and Hassan Nasrallah (Hezbollah). Israel also succeeded in hitting military targets in terrorist state Iran which crippled them significantly. Also the collapse of the wicked Assad regime in Syria proved to be a huge loss for Iran which had a sinister alliance with Bashar al-Assad (who abandoned Syria).

With Donald Trump set to return as United States President on January 20, 2025, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu expressed confidence of changing the Middle East. Netanyahu talked with Trump recently and you can learn more by watching CBN News’ video.

If you have accepted Jesus as your Lord and Savior, I encourage you to pray to Him in support of Israel and the new Trump administration to change the Middle East in 2025. Pray to Him for the Christians in Syria who will soon be affected negatively by the new regime’s plan to impose Sharia Law. Pray to Him for the rescue or release of the hostages of the October 7, 2023 attacks.

#5 Lefties losing it – In case you did not notice, the Democrats in America don’t just have wicked and dishonest leaders. They also have Hollywood celebrities as Democrat activists who are actually phony intellectuals who love to fool their fellow Americans. A lot of Democrat leaders and activists are actually out of touch with the people and reality in general, which is what this Lefties Losing It video from Sky News Australia emphasized clearly. Watch and learn from start to finish.

#6 PatmanQC examines Gun.Smoke – Developed by Capcom, Gun.Smoke debuted in the arcades in 1985 and eventually got ported to different platforms. I never played the arcade version but I had fun with Gun.Smoke on the Nintendo Family Computer (Famicom) Disk System. It was a run-and-gun shooter with an Old West setting and its designer was Yoshiki Okamoto (1942, Street Fighter II and Resident Evil). The production history of the game is quite interesting and you can find out more in PatmanQC’s video.

#7 Ashleigh Burton reacts to The Naked Gun 2½: The Smell of Fear – I love watching Ashleigh Burton’s movie reaction videos, especially the ones that has her laughing a lot. She’s a jolly YouTuber and often entertaining. That being said, you have to watch her reaction to 1991’s The Naked Gun 2½: The Smell of Fear.

#8 Popcorn in Bed reacts to Star Trek: Nemesis – Were you able to watch the entire Star Trek: The Next Generation (Star Trek: TNG) series from 1987 to 1994? I never had the privilege to watch all seven seasons but I managed to watch several random episodes of it and got to know the characters enough before proceeding to watch all four Star Trek: TNG movies from 1994 to 2002. Star Trek: Nemesis (2002) was released in American theaters right in the middle of intense box office competition with a Harry Potter movie, a James Bond movie and a Lord of the Rings movie. Apart from its box office failure, there was something wrong that happened behind the scenes during Star Trek: Nemesis’ production which explains its disappointing quality. If you want to discover the movie but you don’t want to spend too much time nor money on it, I encourage you to watch Popcorn in Bed’s reaction video.

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2025

January 1, 2025December 31, 2024carlocarrasco

Happy New Year to everyone!

2025 is finally here. So much has happened in 2024, particularly in the Middle East and in America. Israel clearly led the war against Islamic terrorists who were led by the terrorist state of Iran. The good news is that Israel made tremendous gains against the terrorists (example: the elimination of Yahyah Sinwar) which tremendously weakened the axis of evil of Iran.

Over there in America, Donald Trump got re-elected as US President and his second non-consecutive term will officially start on January 20, 2025. Trump’s victory over Commie Kamala Harris is easily the greatest American comeback of all time and also a major push back against American Communism and Satanic Leftists.

Thank the Lord for the two major developments overseas. Israel and the Trump-led America will become a huge force together to reshape the Middle East for the better. God’s moves should remind you all that He is always around, He is watching everyone and He will help the faithful overcome the forces of evil. Be thankful to Him for blessing you, guiding you and loving you.

I am thankful to the Lord for the special features I published (related to events I personally attended), the continued trust with my business clients, the continued donations from the readers and the tremendous milestone of registering over one million lifetime hits (page views) worldwide with my official website and blog at www.CarloCarrasco.com

With regards to what was achieved with my website and blog, I am thankful to our Lord and also happy to share with you the numbers for the year 2024. Over 73,000 hits (page views) worldwide were achieved in the past year with over 50,000 visitors worldwide recorded, plus the tremendous surge of likes counted within the WordPress network reaching over 1,400 likes worldwide (almost 1,700% higher than the previous year).

The top nations of hits and visitors are the Philippines, the United States, Norway, the United Kingdom, Canada, Nigeria, Spain and Australia. As mentioned earlier, the lifetime hits count of my website has exceeded 1,000,000 worldwide.

As before, the blogging of local community developments, magnified news articles, special features, Christian teachings, entertainment pieces and other forms of content will continue. There is no slowing down for me as I am dedicated to not only keep on publishing relevant updates but also maintain the good connections (and the trust) of varied communities, organizations, businesses, local churches and many other people. My thanks to the Lord God for these growing achievements and connections, and I am also grateful to you readers and other stakeholders for your continued trust in my website and blog.

For 2025, I encourage you all to never lose faith in the Lord and keep moving forward with unwavering faith in Lord Jesus who is our Savior, our Way Maker, our Redeemer and the Hope of ALL nations! Keep moving forward with faith in Him and the Word of God.

Lord Jesus is the light who overcomes darkness. God our Heavenly Father sent His Son Jesus to us so we can be saved. That being said, I prepared the following scriptures from the Holy Bible for your enlightenment below…

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.

Then God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light. And God saw the light, that it was good; and God divided the light from the darkness.

Genesis 1:1-4 (NKJV)

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.

John 1:1-5 (NKJV)

Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying,

“I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.”

John 8:12 (NKJV)

Nevertheless the gloom will not be upon her who is distressed,

As when at first He lightly esteemed

The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali,

And afterward more heavily oppressed her,

By the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan,

In Galilee of the Gentiles.

The people who walked in darkness

Have seen a great light;

Those who dwelt in the land of the shadow of death,

Upon them a light has shined.

You have multiplied the nation

And increased its joy;

They rejoice before You

According to the joy of harvest,

As men rejoice when they divide the spoil.

For You have broken the yoke of his burden

And the staff of his shoulder,

The rod of his oppressor,

As in the day of Midian.

For every warrior’s sandal from the noisy battle,

And garments rolled in blood,

Will be used for burning and fuel of fire.

For unto us a Child is born,

Unto us a Son is given;

And the government will be upon His shoulder.

And His name will be called

Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God,

Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

Of the increase of His government and peace

There will be no end,

Upon the throne of David and over His kingdom,

To order it and establish it with judgment and justice

From that time forward, even forever.

The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.

Isaiah 9:1-7 (NKJV)

For God is one, and there is one Mediator between God and the sons of men—the true man, Jesus, the Anointed One.

1 Timothy 2:5 (TPT)

Jesus said to him,

I am the Way and the Truth and the Life; no one comes to the Father except by (through) Me.

John 14:6 (AMPC)

This is how much God loved the world: He gave his Son, his one and only Son. And this is why: so that no one need be destroyed; by believing in him, anyone can have a whole and lasting life. God didn’t go to all the trouble of sending his Son merely to point an accusing finger, telling the world how bad it was. He came to help, to put the world right again. Anyone who trusts in him is acquitted; anyone who refuses to trust him has long since been under the death sentence without knowing it. And why? Because of that person’s failure to believe in the one-of-a-kind Son of God when introduced to him.

John 3:16-18 (MSG)

To have strong faith in Lord Jesus in this new year and in the years ahead, let me tell you that challenges will always come not just in the form of circumstances but also in the presence of people around you. There are still a lot of woke zealots, religious zealots, idolaters, secularists, atheists, overbearing people, political correctness believers, the Satanic Left, the Islamists, the climate change extremists, diversity believers, inclusion believers, the political troublemakers and others who will just keep on spreading chaos because they believe so much in their wicked agendas and their self-centered beliefs. Many of them oppose God and disregard both decency and common sense as we know it. They want darkness to spread over others.

That being said, I urge you to reject their ways and stand with the Word of God to keep moving forward knowing that Lord Jesus is the Light, the Savior and the Hope of ALL nations. Learn from the holy scripture below.

Beloved, do not imitate what is evil, but what is good. He who does good is of God, but he who does evil has not seen God.

3 John 1:11 (NKJV)

Reject the evil ways of the world and keep moving forward with the path of the Lord. Follow the lead of the Holy Spirit and preach His Word so that the lost and the unsaved around you will stop being wicked and realize Lord Jesus is the Savior of all! Always be the fearless and aggressive church of Lord Jesus!

Once again, Happy New Year!

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Retro Gaming Ads Blast – Part 25

December 30, 2024June 7, 2025carlocarrasco

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.

With those details laid down, here is the newest batch of retro gaming print ads for you to see and enjoy…

1. Defender arcade flyer

*Perhaps Atari did not have enough original artwork of Defender to be used in this arcade flyer. So they ended up using footage of an astronaut on the moon.*

Very long ago, I played the classic game Defender a lot on the Atari 2600. Strangely enough, I never played its arcade version as my visits to arcades were quite limited as I was so young back then. When it comes to the arcade flyer of Defender, I find the use of stock footage of an astronaut on the moon as the artistic backdrop baffling because the game’s concept was all about fighting back alien invaders and protecting the citizens. Ironically, the image blended well with the photos of two arcade machines showcased.

2. Amidar Atari 2600 print ad

*Does this ad make you think about King Kong or animals?*

When I was a young boy, I saw this Parker Brothers print ad of Amidar appear in many superhero comic books I read. I never played the game on the Atari 2600 nor in the arcades. Each time I saw this ad, I always wondered how the game played and what its creative concept was all about. The constant showing of a giant gorilla on the game box cover reminded me of King Kong.

3. Reactor Atari 2600 print ad

*Parker Brothers made this ad imagining gamers getting very engaged with reactor once they start playing it.*

Reactor was one of those video games that was somewhat influenced by the subject of nuclear technology, particularly about the nuclear reactors. This is another game I never played on console nor in the arcades. This Reactor print ad by Parker Brothers for the Atari 2600 has a visual style and creative concept that I still find fascinating to look at.

4. Punch-Out!! arcade flyer

*This was years before Nintendo hired Mike Tyson to endorse the console version of Punch-Out!!*

In 1984, Nintendo released the original Punch-Out!! game in the arcades and literally punched its way through to the top of American arcades that year while also scoring big in other arcades around the world. While the game proved to be very playable and a lot of fun, it could be argued that the intriguing image Nintendo used for the North American arcade flyer – a boxer down after literally getting beaten by the Punch-Out!! machine – made an impact on both gamers and arcade operators.

5. Arumana no Kiseki flyer

*Is the famous Indiana Jones theme music playing inside your mind right now as you look at this art?*

Released in 1987 on the Disk System of the Nintendo Family Computer (Famicom) in Japan, Arumana no Kiseki was one of the many 2D adventure games Konami released that entertained gamers. When compared to Castlevania – strongly influenced by American horror movies – this game was very influenced by the Indiana Jones movies of Steven Spielberg which is very evident in this promotional flyer.

In fact, some gamers who could not read the Japanese title actually thought this was an official Indiana Jones video game because the artwork was so suggestive. Having played and finished the game myself, I can say that Arumana no Kiseki was simply an Indiana Jones-inspired adventure game that had its own creative concept and unique settings and characters.

6. Devastators arcade flyer

*The 1980s female Rambo smiling towards you.*

By looking at the track record of Konami closely, you will notice that many of their games in the 1980s were influenced by Hollywood movies and they hired pretty or sexy models for their arcade flyers. This arcade flyer of Devastators is no exception and you can clearly see the Rambo-inspired lady smiling while carrying a weapon. Devastators itself had strong Rambo vibes for its concept.

7. S.P.Y. Special Project Y arcade flyer

*Somehow the picture of this flyer reminds me of Miami Vice.*

Still with Konami, S.P.Y. Special Project Y is 1989 arcade game that featured action sequences in which players fight against countless enemies in order to progress with the minimal story. This game had certain spy movie elements and to promote it, Konami came up with this arcade flyer showcasing three sexy women wearing swimwear accompanied by two men who looked more like operators or schemers. Can you imagine yourself as an arcade operator looking at this flyer trying to decide to buy the game?

8. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles arcade flyer/poster

*This arcade flyer is still great and exciting to look at, even if your not a TMNT fan.*

Now this is one of the most definitive arcade games Konami ever made. Released in late 1989, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles became a massive arcade hit in North America constantly attracting lots of fans and casual gamers to play at each machine. The demand was so great, Konami had no choice but to hire a company to manufacture more machines. When it comes to promoting the game, Konami cleverly used a mix of artworks for the TMNT characters and fantasy environment while having a hired model playing April O’Neil blending in smoothly.

Having seen the 1980s animated series myself, I can say that the ad makers struck gold when it came to making a promotional image that Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle fans can easily recognize and go to the arcade to play the game.

9. Batman arcade flyer

*If you saw the 1989 movie, did you play this in the arcade?*

The live-action Batman movie of 1989 was simply inescapable as there was so much hype, merchandising and promos connected with it. When it came to video games, it was not surprising that a lot of companies talked with Warner Bros. and eventually Atari made the official arcade game based on the movie (for insight on the production, watch PatmanQC’s video by clicking here). This early-1990s arcade flyer had a simplistic approach showing a few screenshots and descriptive text while having the live-action Batman (note: Michael Keaton in costume) dominating in the middle. Simplistic yet effective in telling gamers and arcade operators what to expect.

10. Xevious arcade flyer

*This arcade flyer is exciting and creative to focus on.*

Xevious is a long-running series of video games owned by Namco. Since the early 1980s, several Xevious video games were released on arcades, consoles and mobile devices. Believe it or not, the original Xevious game was published by Atari for North American arcades and the company came up with this dynamic looking flyer to promote it. The arcade flyer really looks dynamic due to the hand-drawn art surrounding the photo of the machine. Even by today standards, this flyer still looks modern and energetic.

11. Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves print ads

*Tell me if this ad makes you want to play the game.*

*Original artwork here was meant to immerse viewers into the fantasy setting of the game based on the movie.*

If you saw the 1991 movie Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, were you able to play the video game adaptation? Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves on the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) was notable for being specially featured in the Nintendo Power magazine and its game design was truly ambitious at the time. To promote the game and take advantage of the movie’s popularity, Virgin Games came out with two print ads targeting movie fans and NES gamers.

The first print ad above had lots of selected screenshots surrounding the game’s box and crammed the descriptive text. The 2^nd print ad had original artwork to emphasize the fictional setting and used only three screenshots. Looking at both print ads, it was clear that the ad makers had no permission to use the likeness of Kevin Costner as Robin Hood. The same with other actors and their characters. Regardless, the ads still reminded me enough of the movie while keeping me informed about the video game.

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Philippines attracted more international visitors than last year but still behind 2024 target

December 24, 2024December 18, 2024carlocarrasco

When it comes to attracting visitors from overseas, the Philippines improved over the 5.45 million international visitors of 2023 but they have yet to hit the declared 2024 target of 7.7 million international visitors and time is already running out, according to a BusinessWorld news report.

To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the BusinessWorld news report. Some parts in boldface…

INTERNATIONAL visitors to the Philippines totaled 5.65 million as of Dec. 15, according to the Department of Tourism (DoT), well behind the pace needed to achieve the 7.7 million target for the year.

“South Korea remains our top source market, followed by the US and Japan,” Tourism Secretary Christina G. Frasco said at a briefing on Tuesday.

“To further expand our reach, we have intensified efforts to engage emerging opportunity markets, sharing the unique story of the Filipino and showcasing the rich array of experiences our country has to offer,” Ms. Frasco added.

The mid-December total is equivalent to 73.4% of the target for the year.

The DoT said that South Korea accounted for 1.15 million or 20.3% of the total arrivals, followed by the US with 889,489 or 15.7%, and Japan 367,747 or 6.5%.

Rounding out the top five were China, which sent 306,549 visitors or 5.4%, and Australia with 249,140 or 4.4%.

The other leading sources of visitors were Canada, Taiwan, Singapore, the UK, and Malaysia.

“We have graduated from measuring tourism merely by the number of people arriving, but rather on the more important numbers” like spending, length of stay, and return visits, she added.

Ms. Frasco said tourism receipts as of Dec. 15 amounted to P712 billion, exceeding the P697 billion booked in 2023.

“Tourists are now spending an average of over 11 nights in the country, and over 70% are repeat visitors,” she added.

Let me end this post by asking you readers: What is your reaction to this recent development? Do you think it is still possible for the Philippines to be able to attracted at least 6.5 million international tourists by December 31, 2024? Do you think the Philippines could do better or worse in 2025? What do you think is the one single issue that made it hard for the Philippines to attract more visitors from overseas? Do you think the new law of Value-Added Tax (VAT) refund for foreign tourists will make an impact by the middle of 2025?

You may answer in the comments below. If you prefer to answer privately, you may do so by sending me a direct message online.

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A Look Back at Backlash #6 (1995)

December 20, 2024December 10, 2024carlocarrasco

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 superhero enthusiasts, 1990s arts and culture enthusiasts, Image Comics fans and comic book collectors! Today we go back to the year 1995 to take a close look at one of the many tales of the original WildStorm universe through one of the comic books of the Backlash series.

For the newcomers reading this, Backlash is one of the major characters of the WildStorm universe which started in the early 1990s when the famous Jim Lee was one of the founding fathers of Image Comics. Backlash, Deathblow, Wetworks, Gen13 and WildCATS: Covert Action Teams were all connected with each other and many of the major characters were linked together in the Team 7 series of prequel stories.

With those details laid down, here is a look back at Backlash #6, published in 1995 by Image Comics with a story written by Brett Booth, Jeff Mariotte and Sean Ruffner. Booth and Dan Norton were the illustrators.

Early story

The story begins inside the Wildlife Organization Research institute in northern Montana. After Dane and Grail (the Filipino soldier Salvador Joel Alonday) of Wetworks easily took out two guards, a third one suddenly tried to attack them only to be killed by Backlash. While the three of them are on a stealth mission, Backlash tells Dane that it’s not too late for Wetworks to pull out as it is not their fight. Dane dismisses the remark and insists on pursuing their objective.

Over at a medical institute in Detroit, Taboo and Cyberjack are operating on their own mission which is directly linked with that of Backlash and Wetworks.

Quality

*Backlash and the WildC.A.T.S. at the team’s headquarters.*

As the sixth issue of its series, this tale has a lot at stake and the writers took their time to balance the build-up with pay-offs and twists. Without spoiling the plot, I can say that a lot is at stake for Backlash as there is something really personal about the missions and the final scene. I can also say that this is a well-crafted comic book that was clearly made with Backlash fans in mind even as the creative team did their parts in expanding the lore of the original WildStorm universe using a clever mix of science fiction and paramilitary action.

I really enjoy reading this comic book and it also has some fine moments that defined Backlash’s personality. The added crossovers with WildC.A.T.S. and Wetworks added not only to the spectacle but also to the depth of the plot. This Backlash comic book is clearly not another adventure but an actual turning point for the former Team 7 member and the series as a whole. That being said, I am looking forward to reading the next issue.

Conclusion

*Backlash with Dane and Grail of Wetworks during the mission.*

Backlash #6 (1995) is a very solid read. Not only was it an improvement over the previous issue, it raised the stakes high and managed to live up to the expectations. The build-up is really powerful and the way the story ended justified it. I can say that anyone who managed to start reading each of the first five issues of Backlash will experience the power of the ending of this comic book. That being said, you better read all the previous issues before reading this one.

Overall, Backlash #6 (1995) is highly recommended.

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What to watch on YouTube right now – Part 46

December 18, 2024December 12, 2024carlocarrasco

I recommend you check out the following topics and the related videos I found.

#1 American shopping malls could solve the nation’s housing problems? – It is no secret that there is a shortage on housing in the United States. In recent times, there is a trend that sounds unbelievable at first but it is indeed happening – the conversion of certain shopping malls into new residential places. You have to watch the CNBC video below to find out more. Perhaps you want to check if the failing shopping mall near you is being converted into new housing for your community.

#2 Japanese RPGs with mature stories – Role-playing games made by Japanese game developers always have stories to tell regardless of the types of game design and gameplay features that were made. There are JRPGs with fantasy tales that were inspired by other works of the genre while other tales were made to be original by their respective game developers. From time to time, developers come up with stories that can be described as mature. To find out what I mean, I encourage you to watch the video by Gaming Broductions below.

#3 Slope’s Game Room examines the legacy of Paperboy – Among all the arcade games I played inside Circus Circus Hotel in Las Vegas in 1989, Paperboy was the one that stood as the most memorable. The game was a lot of fun and its presentation was also humorous in a cartoony way. Then there was also the bicycle handle the arcade machine had for controlling my character. By today’s standards, it is unlikely you will find an existing and working machine of Paperboy in your local arcade. If you are a newcomer and you want to learn more about the origin and impact of the Paperboy game franchise, watch the video by Slope’s Game Room.

#4 A look back at 2001’s Swordfish – Hollywood today keeps on making sub-par action movies because a lot of filmmakers as well as production teams are obsessed with identity politics and woke garbage. Not only are there woke and Leftist activists among Hollywood’s workers, there are private investors funding film projects with DEI (Diversity, Equity and Inclusion). That being said, it is more entertaining to watch action movies from the pre-woke era of Hollywood and among them is Swordfish (2001) which starred John Travolta, Hugh Jackman, Don Cheadle and Halle Berry. The film is not exactly a gigantic blockbuster nor was it an action genre classic. In fact, it is flawed and does not require much thinking from viewers. But the mere fact that it is NOT WOKE makes it much more entertaining to watch than any of the action movies made by woke Hollywood people over the past several years. To get to discover Swordfish, watch GoodBadFlicks’ exploratory video and TBR Schmitt’s movie reaction video below.

#5 You, Me and the Movies’ Cliffhanger reaction video – Way back in 1993 here in the Philippines, there was a short period when both Steven Spielberg’s Jurassic Park and Sylvester Stallone’s Cliffhanger played simultaneously in the cinemas which resulted in a huge amount of moviegoers lining up for tickets. While Jurassic Park is iconic, Cliffhanger has a more intriguing pre-production and production history. Even though Carolco had major financial problems and Stallone had a fear of heights, the film was eventually made and became a big hit worldwide. To find out if Cliffhanger is still entertaining, watch You, Me and the Movies’ reaction video.

#6 A look back at Die Hard with a Vengeance – I still remember way back in the middle of 1995 how disruptive Die Hard with a Vengeance was as soon as it opened in cinemas here in the Philippines. People left and right suddenly started making plans to watch the film and find out what kind of opposition John McClane (Bruce Willis) would face. While I found the 1995 movie inferior to the classic Die Hard of 1988, it still was enjoyable. For some reason, the film was released in Philippine cinemas as “Die Hard 3” and on local TV as “Die Hard 3: With a Vengeance.” If you have seen the movie and you want to revisit it, watch the follow videos I selected.

#7 Die Hard Arcade documentary by PatmanQC – Decades ago, there was a Sega-produced video game that had a notable movie license – Die Hard Arcade. I had friends who enjoyed that game so much in the local arcades and later on Sega Saturn. A few of them even were convinced to replay Die Hard (1988) on home video. You might be wondering if Sega and 20^th Century Fox collaborated to make Die Hard Arcade for many people to enjoy. Actually, it’s more complicated than that and to find out why, I encourage you to watch PatmanQC’s Die Hard Arcade documentary now.

8. Woke Disney’s Snow White movie massively rejected online – Even if there were no controversies at all, I really have no intention to watch the 2025 Snow White movie of woke Disney. Even until now, a lot of members of the public have been rejecting it online and no matter what Disney does, they just keep on failing to salvage the film. Watch and learn from the video of RK Outpost below.

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