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.
#2Universal 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.
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
The arcade flyer for North America.
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
Does the model look sexy or tough?
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
Calling all He-Man fans.
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 front.
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.
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.
#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 Xbox fans, geeks, retro gaming enthusiasts, RPG enthusiasts and gamers!
In case you missed the news, GungHo America announced that the remastered editions of the classic Japanese role-playing games (JRPGs) Lunar: The Silver Star and Lunar: Eternal Bluewill be released together in a single package titled Lunar Remastered Collection which is set for a Sprint 2025 release window (release date to follow) for multiple platforms, including Xbox Series X|S and the aging Xbox One!
Feeling excited or curious? Watch and learn from the official trailer of Lunar Remastered Collection released by GungHo (which is the same publisher behind the Grandia HD Collection).
To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the official press release of GungHo. Some parts in boldface…
The LUNAR Remastered Collection breathes new life into the beloved classics LUNAR: Silver Star Story Complete and LUNAR 2: Eternal Blue Complete (PlayStation 1 version), both originally developed by GAME ARTS. This revamped collection retains the charm of both titles while introducing exciting new enhancements and quality-of-life improvements!
Fans of the LUNAR series can wax nostalgic with 90s-esque animated cutscenes, iconic characters with the classic JRPG charm, and old-school turn-based combat with a twist. JRPG enthusiasts and long-time supporters of the series alike will undeniably be captivated by the game’s romantic storytelling and stunning soundtrack, and witness firsthand how LUNAR paved the way for generations of JRPGs to come.
Gameplay shot from Lunar: Silver Star Story Complete which was supposedly remastered with high-definition in mind (which could explain the blurry upper and lower portions of the screen).
The trailer of Lunar Remastered Collection showed this sharp and lively looking image of an anime sequence. Here is hoping all the anime cutscenes in the two games will be of the highest quality possible with high-definition in mind.
The key features announced are as follows:
Strategic Turn-Based Action: Play through two magical worlds in LUNAR: Silver Star Story Complete and LUNAR 2: Eternal Blue Complete as you fight it out in turn-based battle style, where each character’s speed, distance, position, and attack reach must all be accounted for.
Powerful Voices and Captivating Animated Sequences: Immerse yourself in battles with fully-voiced attacks and incantations in either Japanese or an all-new English voiceover by playable characters and enemies. Not to mention, the timeless and stylistic animated sequences that will still capture the hearts of players today.
Relive the Classic or Go Remastered: Choose between classic or remastered mode — an option that allows fans to travel back in time to the games’ PS1 releases, or see them in a new light with wide-screen support, revamped PS1 pixel art, and high-definition animated cutscenes.
Two New Language Options: LUNAR Remastered Collection not only includes Japanese and English subtitles and sound, but also two new subtitle language options, French and German.
Speed up Battle + Improved Strategy Settings: Save time and speed through battles with the flip of a switch! Additionally, new options have been added to the original strategy settings for streamlined combat.
For the newcomers reading this, Lunar: The Silver Star was developed by Game Arts (also the same team behind Grandia and Grandia II) and released on the Sega CD (Mega CD in other countries) add-on for the Genesis (Mega Drive) console in 1992. Years later, that game had a huge remake as Lunar: Silver Star Story Complete on Sega Saturn (1996), PlayStation (1998) and Windows PC (1999).
A similar approach of releases happened too with the sequel Lunar: Eternal Blue which started on Sega CD. Its remake was titled Lunar 2: Eternal Blue Complete which was released on Sega Saturn (1998) and PlayStation (1999).
Historically, Lunar: Silver Star Story Complete and Lunar 2: Eternal Blue Complete were published in America by Working Designs (closed down since 2005) with its very own stylized way of translating the Japanese content into English (note: localized as opposed to straightforward translation), in-depth approach to English dubbing, and elaborate packaging (with unique stuff) done with the fans and collectors in mind. Working Designs was also responsible for releasing the two Lunar RPGs’ original versions on Sega CD and the company established close ties not only with Sega of America but also Game Arts itself.
Lunar: Silver Star Story Complete for PlayStation print ad.
Lunar 2: Eternal Blue Complete for PlayStation print ad.
With regards to story concepts and characters, Lunar: The Silver Star tells the tale of Alex Noa – a young and resilient fighter who recently passed the White Dragon’s trial–as he embarks on his journey to become a Dragonmaster. As Alex revels in his success in passing the trial, a mysterious Magic Emperor unexpectedly enters the fold, aiming for world domination.
Lunar: Eternal Blue follows the story of Hiro, an inquisitive archaeologist, and friends as they journey to help a mysterious girl from the Blue Star, Lucia, to seek out the Goddess Althena and stop Zophar – a relentless and evil God of Destruction who plots the demise of Lunar – from wiping out their existence.
Watch out for the official 2025 release date of Lunar Remastered Collection.
As of this writing, Lunar Remastered Collection for Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S and Xbox One has yet to appear on the Xbox online store. For updates about the upcoming retro gaming collection of RPGs, visit https://www.lunarremastered.com/
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. Vendetta UK and North American arcade flyers
Vendetta arcade flyer for North America
Vendetta arcade flyer for the UK.
In 1991, Konami released the 2D side-scrolling beat-them-up game Vendetta in arcades around the world achieving commercial success. While it is hard to tell if the promotions helped the game commercially, there is no doubt that the arcade flyers for the North American and United Kingdom (UK) markets were indeed very eye-catching.
The North American Vendetta arcade flyer had a photographic approach showing models playing characters supposedly representing the Cobras gang and the Dead End gang. The display of wooden boxes and the rope was done to symbolize the rough city environments of the game. On the other hand, the UK arcade flyer has illustrated artwork that captured the look of the Cobras gang from the game.
2. Star Control II: The Ur-Quan Masters print ad
This ad has great art that strongly emphasizes its science fiction concept.
This print ad of Star Control II: The Ur-Quan Masters (PC version) really caught my attention when I read gaming magazines in the early 1990s. The painted artwork showing a human and a hideous alien in the background with a planet, space ships and space stations filling the rest of the space was very captivating to look at. So captivating, it enticed me to search for the game but our PC at home had really low specs. Strangely enough, I played another version of Star Control II on a rented 3DO Interactive Multiplayer console in 1995. For the newcomers reading this, the game was critically acclaimed and was declared as one of the very best PC games ever made. Enjoy looking at the print ad above.
3. Space Channel 5 print ad
The visual style and character designs are the result of the game designer’s research that includes interviews with lots of young girls over their interests and tastes in video games.
When Sega launched their Dreamcast console in Japan in late-1998, their financial health was already in a very bad state and the future looked grim. Even as they faced tremendous odds, Sega still went on to aggressively sell Dreamcast consoles with exclusive games and Space Channel 5 was one of them.
First released in Japan in 1999, Space Channel 5 was a musical, puzzle-oriented game that was the result of Tetsuya Mizuguchi’s work backed with research he did that included interviewing young girls to find out what their tastes in gaming are. The print ad showing the highly stylized protagonist Ulala and a few screenshots really caught the attention of gamers and kept the Dreamcast in their minds. While the game did not achieve commercial success as a Dreamcast-exclusive, Sega went on to release a version of Space Channel 5 on the PlayStation 2 console, plus sequels.
4. Cybernator print ad
The mention of Terminator and RoboCop rivaled the artwork when it comes to grabbing people’s attention.
I remember seeing the print ad of Konami’s Cybernator (Japanese title: Assault Suits Valken) in several comic books I read back in 1992. I never got to play it but the print ad’s artwork was memorable as I was fond of robots in anime, movies and video games back then. What was arguably the most memorable aspect of the print ad was the line that mentioned RoboCop and the Terminator in a comedic way. This is a creative way to market the game.
5. NBA Basketball 2000 print ad
There were a lot more NBA video games back in the 1990s.
NBA Basketball 2000 was one of those basketball videos games of the 1990s that was not published by EA Sports nor published by the other established game publishers like Sega, PlayStation and Konami. In fact, the one thing on the ad that caught my attention was Fox Sports Interactive which published some sports videos games during the decade. The print ad also served as a reminder that there were a lot more NBA video games for gamers to choose from during the 1990s.
6. Food Fight arcade flyers
Food Fighter arcade flyer with illustrated artworks.
Food Fight arcade flyer with a photographic touch and actors.
I never got to play the 1980s game Food Fight in the arcades nor did I ever had the opportunity to play it on Atari consoles and Xbox 360. Released in 1983 in the arcades by Atari, Food Fight was designed to allow players to control a character moving through a 2D field to consume an ice cream on a cone (placed on the opposite end of the field) before it melts while avoiding the chefs who are out to chase and block the player.
The arcade flyer with illustrated artwork on the characters interacting with the arcade machine is really amusing to look at. Equally amusing is the other arcade flyer that had a photographic approach showing two kids (one playing the arcade machine and the other about to throw a pie) and four chefs. Considering the nice visual concepts Atari came up with for the arcade flyers, Food Fight actually never became a commercial hit selling only a few thousand arcade units.
7. X-Kaliber 2097 print ad
This print ad from the 1990s had a nice visual style.
The Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES) had plenty of 2D side-scrolling adventure games and among them was X-Kaliber 2097 released by Activision (now a Microsoft-owned company and integral part of Xbox) in America in 1994. The game had a really interesting story concept about a chaotic far future society plagued by overwhelming crime and violence. The print ad showed a mild taste about the game’s concept and gameplay, but it was more effective when it comes to showing the formidable foes that await the playable protagonist Slash. This print appeared in several comic books I read and was eye-catching.
8. Jet Moto 3 print ad
When was the last time the police caught you for over-speeding?
This print ad for Jet Moto 3 had a clever concept of showing a police officer apprehending a jet biker for over-speeding. The visual presentation was done in photo-realistic fashion to make the sci-fi aspect of the video game look real. The ad made me interested enough to do some research of Jet Moto 3 a few months before finally buying it for my PlayStation console.
9. Wipeout 3 print ad
Were you fond of futuristic racing and techno music back in 1999?
Released in 1999, Wipeout 3 was one of those video games that showcased what the PlayStation (originally launched in Japan in 1994) could do in terms of visual fidelity, special effects and frame rates. The print ad, which had a radical visual concept emphasizing intensity and energy, had style listing down vertically the technical details of the game which required a close look in order to be read. With only two screenshots displayed, the ad makers smartly included the E3 acclaim of “Best Racing Game of E3” as well as the names of artists behind the game soundtrack on the lower-right corner. This print ad was cool and intriguing to look at.
10. Breath of Fire II print ad
This was a good effort to lure American gamers to buy and play Breath of Fire II.
When Breath of Fire II was released on the SNES in America in late 1995, Japanese role-playing games (JRPGs) were not yet wildly popular among American gamers. To grab the attention of gamers, Capcom and the ad makers came up with the eye-catching image of a sword and posted key questions to emphasize the fantasy aspect of Breath of Fire II. While the game received mixed reviews upon its North American release, Nintendo Power listed it as 171st best game in its Top 200 Games chart published in 2006.
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 – specifically about fighting games that were released in the 1990s. The said decade marked the time when Street Fighter II became a massive hit in the video arcades (and on game consoles) which sparked a wave of new fighting games from business competitors. In that same decade, 3D polygonal fighting games were also released which added greater choices of fighting games at the arcades and on game consoles that players could choose from.
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. Dead or Alive Japanese arcade flyer
Dead or Alive was the start of new success that impacted the direction of Tecmo in the gaming industry.
The above arcade flyer of Dead or Alive gave Japanese arcade operators and gamers a taste of what to expect with the game. While the screenshots showed some resemblance with what gamers saw in Virtua Fighter 2, the character designs Tecmo and its developers came up with were unique.
Before Dead or Alive was released in Japanese arcades in 1996, company Tecmo was in financial trouble and they asked Tomonobu Itagaki to make a fighting game similar to Sega’s polygonal blockbuster Virtua Fighter. A breakthrough for Tecmo happened when Sega announced they were licensing their Model 2 arcade to third-party companies which paved the way for Itagaki’s team to make Dead or Alive with it. The game became a big hit and it paved the way for Tecmo to release it on Sega Saturn and PlayStation, and the sequels that followed years later.
2. North American Soulcalibur Dreamcast version print ad
Namco came up with a creative approach to emphasize heart-and-soul promoting their game and the Dreamcast.
On September 9, 1999, Sega launched their Dreamcast console in America. With a gap of around ten months between the Japanese launch (November 1998) and the American launch, Sega had time to prepare Dreamcast’s release to American gamers with a huge lineup of games (both Sega’s games and from other publishers). Fortunately for Sega, they had Namco (their rival on arcade games) supporting their console.
Behind the scenes, Namco’s developers worked hard to not only port their arcade hit Soulcalibur to the Dreamcast, but to enhance the graphics using the console’s more advanced technology. The visual enhancements include rendering all of the games stages (and backgrounds) into full 3D polygonal environments. Namco also implemented different game modes and added even more content to ensure satisfaction to Dreamcast gamers.
The above 3-page print ad of Soulcalibur on Dreamcast was undeniably strategic and captivating to look at. The ad described the console as the heart, showed Soulcalibur character Mitsurugi (one of the game’s most popular characters) in the middle and then described the game (with 3 screenshots of game rendered with Dreamcast graphics) as the soul. It was a strong way to promote both the game and the console. In the years that followed, Soulcalibur grew into a popular fighting game franchise and the Dreamcast version will always be remembered as the crucial turning point.
3. X-Men: Children of the Atom arcade flyer
Anyone who read lots of X-Men comic books in the 1990s should be able to tell which character was drawn by which artist.
When Capcom first released X-Men: Children of the Atom in the arcades in the mid-1990s, I was surprised because I did not anticipate the day would come when the company behind Street Fighter II would actually make a 2D fighting game showcasing the Marvel’s mutants. Even more intriguing was the X-Men art Capcom used for the arcade flyer to promote the game. I recognize Jim Lee’s artworks of Magneto, Cyclops and Colossus. The art of Wolverine shown was drawn by Andy Kubert. It was a wise move for Capcom (with Marvel as a business partner) to use established X-Men comic book artworks instead of having their internal illustrator draw the characters. That being said, this arcade flyer still looks great and captivating to look at.
4. North American Ranma ½: Hard Battle print ad
A print ad promoting the game while saving some space to promote the anime and comic books.
By 1993, Street Fighter II and its upgraded follow-ups were wildly popular both in the arcades and on game consoles around the world. At the same time, there were many other 2D fighting games released to compete with and cash-in on Street Fighter II’s success. Believe it or not, the established anime franchise Ranma ½ saw a video game adaptation in the form of a 2D fighting game – Ranma ½: Hard Battle.
The North American print ad above published by DTMC (in cooperation with Viz Communications) promoted the game (one screenshot, the SNES game box and images of the characters as they appeared in the game) as well as Ranma ½ on anime videos and comic books. The way it was presented, the print ad promoted Ranma ½: Hard Battle without much heart nor passion.
5. Fatal Fury: King of Fighters arcade flyer
An intriguing visual presentation on the front.
You get to know the characters and what the game features are.
There is no doubt that Fatal Fury: King of Fighters is the most significant game that SNK made. Apart from being the company’s first fighting game for the Neo Geo system, it established the fictional “king of fighters” tournament that became the core concept for The King of Fighters series of games in the years that followed. Fatal Fury itself is notable for being designed by Takashi Nishiyama, a former Capcom employee who created the original Street Fighter game. What Nishiyama could not do with Street Fighter, he accomplished while making SNK’s fighting game. Compared with the combo-oriented approach of Street Fighter II, Fatal Fury was designed to emphasize the timing of special moves, confrontational play, cooperative play and the 3D-like spacing between characters (background row and foreground row in each stage) while telling a story in a solid way.
The above arcade flyer of Fatal Fury has this unique looking artwork on the front showing stylized rectangular shots of the major characters Terry Bogard, Andy Bogard and Joe Higashi. On the other side of the flyer are the details that emphasized the creative concept of the game, who the characters are and what they could expect with regards to gameplay features. This flyer is still captivating to look at and it could entice you to try playing the original Fatal Fury game before trying out the sequels and spin-offs.
6. Marvel vs. Capcom: Clash of Super Heroes arcade flyer
This is NOT a comic book crossover.
If there is anything that truly emphasizes the essence of a fictional crossover in terms of visuals, it’s the art that Capcom and Marvel agreed to for Marvel vs. Capcom: Clash of Superheroes which is evident on the front of the above arcade flyer. By looking at how the Marvel characters were drawn, it looks like someone at Capcom illustrated the artwork as the Capcom characters still maintained that particular art style seen in the artworks of the Japanese company’s other games like Street Fighter, Darkstalkers, Mega Man and Strider. Regardless, the artwork still is amusing to look at.
7. Art of Fighting arcade flyer
The front of the flyer.
The cast of characters showcased on the other side of the flyer.
Following the success of Fatal Fury, SNK went on to release Art of Fighting in arcades in 1992 and it became successful enough for the company to make sequels. With regards to the realm of fantasy, Art of Fighting was part of the same fictional universe as Fatal Fury and The King of Fighters, and there were times when its own characters appeared in other SNK games.
Art of Fighting’s arcade flyer had an energetic visual concept on the front with a rectangular lightning portion on the left balanced with five screenshots of the game itself. Once you get to the other side of the flyer, you will see really nice art of the characters with Ryo Sakazaki and Robert Garcia as the most dominating figures. Sakazaki and Garcia are the major characters of the Art of Fighting series. This flyer confidently introduced the characters and succeeded in making them look interesting.
8. Fighter’s History arcade flyer and print ad
Great looking front artwork showing the game’s characters, posing and some action.
If you look closely at the controls, you will see the six-button layout and functions which are the same with those used in Street Fighter II.
Data East offered two ways for gamers to enjoy Fighter’s History – pay a high price for the SNES version or gamers can go play the game in the arcade by dropping a few coins.
In 1993, Data East released their fighting game Fighter’s History in the arcades around the world. Along the way, the company released their arcade flyer which had a very captivating art work on the front featuring their characters and some action. The other side of the flyer showed the technical details on how to play, how the control works and who the characters are. Fighter’s History was nicely received in the arcades and the success led Data East into porting the game for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES). If you look at the print ad above, you can see how clever Data East was promoting the SNES version of the game while keeping an image of the arcade machine which serves like a subtle reminder that the same game is still available in video arcades.
Shortly after the release of Fighter’s History in the arcades, there were gamers who noticed that it had certain visual and gameplay elements that made it so familiar with what Street Fighter II had. When Capcom became aware of the similarities, they sued Data East claiming that Fighter’s History was too similar to their game and that copyright infringement was committed. Capcom lost the case ultimately and Data East went on to release two more Fighter’s History games.
9. Virtua Fighter 3 arcade flyer
Virtua Fighter 3 truly raised the standards for arcade game graphics back in 1996.
When it comes to gaming innovation and standing out among the rest, Sega did exactly those when they released Virtua Fighter 3 in arcades in 1996 and it had the best-looking and really mind-blowing graphics at the time. Developed by AM2 (led by Yu Suzuki) on the very expensive Model 3 arcade hardware, Virtua Fighter 3 broke new ground on graphics as it moved over 1 million polygons per second, had highly detailed visuals on the characters and surroundings, realistic reflection effects, detailed shining, parallel lighting and high-specular Gouraud shading to name some. Even the characters’ eyes followed the opponent’s position.
The Virtua Fighter 3 arcade flyer showcased their reflective, metallic character Dural who in turn was part of the graphical showcase (emphasizing reflections, smooth animation and liquid metal effects) when the game was previewed in the 1996 AOU event in Japan. The words “The New Standard” written on the lower-left corner of the front of the flyer was justified and truthful.
10. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Tournament Fighters print ad
This print ad had a nice visual presentation and was easily recognizable to the many TMNT fans.
In 1989, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (TMNT) franchise made quite a splash on video games which is not surprising as the multimedia franchise was already a popular in the West. More video game adaptation of TMNT were released in the early 1990s providing fans and gamers a lot of fun gameplay at the arcades (click here) and on consoles. Konami had the video game rights of TMNT and in a clear response to the sudden popularity of fighting games, they released Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Tournament Fighters on the most popular game consoles of the time achieving varying levels of success critically and commercially (note: the SNES version stood out as the best). This print ad of the fighting game was effective in visually promoting the three console versions and the displayed text contained enough information to lure the attention of both fans and gamers.
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.
#1Dance Away behind-the-scenes video – Way back in 1994, I saw the Japanese anime feature film Project A-ko (1986) on Laserdisc format (dubbed in Japanese with English subtitles). As I viewed it, I noticed there were three English language songs that played in the background and the one I enjoyed most was the song Dance Away which was performed by Annie Livingstone (with supporting vocals by Samantha Newark and the late Valerie Stevenson). Project A-ko’s behind-the-scenes information revealed the three singers working together on Dance Away which you can watch in the video below. These singers have beautiful voices and were really talented to watch.
#2 AI and automation are taking over grocery stores and drive-thru lanes – In America, inflation spiked so much under the Biden administration which contributed a lot to higher prices of food and the suffering of consumers who need food. That being said, the food industry has invested a lot on artificial intelligence (AI) and automation so that they can lower labors costs and somehow improve sales to keep the businesses alive. In fact, technology is becoming much more integrated in places where people buy food and that also means making orders not in front of a human worker but in front of a computer (example: a touch-screen monitor where you choose what to order). Watch and learn from the video below.
#3 Assorted videos about The Last Starfighter – Released way back in 1984, The Last Starfighter was a memorable movie that carefully blended science fiction concepts, adventure, fine performances and video game elements together. It was also one of the early movies Hollywood made that extensively used computer-generated imagery (CGI) which defied the era’s standard of using practical and optical effects. Now available on 4K Blu-ray format, The Last Starfighter is a popular subject of varied YouTube videos and I selected some for your enjoyment below. However, if you have not seen The Last Starfighter yet, I urge you watch it first before seeing any of the movie reaction videos featuring it. You make the decision.
#4 HolyLandSite’s Capernaum to Bethsaida walking tour video – I love Israel and I will always stand with it. For the newcomers reading this, Israel is where the Holy Land is and it has always been the land that the Lord God designated to the Jewish people. Recently HolyLandSite released another video showcasing a walking tour in the Galilee region specifically from Capernaum to Bethsaida. If you have not read the Holy Bible extensively, Lord Jesus spent a great deal of his ministry in Galilee. I myself had been to the Galilee region and many times during the pilgrimage tour there and in other parts of Israel, I witnessed the Holy Bible come to life on-location. Watch the video below.
#5More people in Iran coming to Lord Jesus– It is not a fantasy to say that the current regime of Iran (in power since 1979) made their nation a terrorist state. Iran is truly sponsoring terrorist groups in the Middle East and they have Hamas, Hezbollah and other terrorists doing their work to destroy Israel. While the Iranian regime is clearly evil and murderous (note: their leaders declared in their own language death towards America, Israel and England), there are many Iranians who do not follow their government. In fact, there are Iranians who even left Islam behind to come to Jesus whom they accepted as their Lord and savior. Be aware that the Iranian government had harmed their fellow Iranians many times and this includes human rights violations. That being said, the people in Iran who desired Lord Jesus and freedom from their oppressive government need our prayers of support. Watch and learn from the video below.
#6 Rocky II (1978) reaction/review videos – If you have been watching movies for decades and if you have been following the career of Sylvester Stallone, then you would be already aware of the significance of the 1976 film Rocky. Considering its success, Rocky spawned several sequels and a few spin-off movies through the decades. Going back to the late 1970s, Sylvester Stallone came up with the effort to make the sequel Rocky II (1979) which itself became featured in several movie reaction/review videos and retrospectives. Watch the videos I selected for you all 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 from the 1980s and 1990s. In addition, there will be a few flyers of arcade games.
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 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. Contra arcade flyer
A clever visual concept by Konami towards gamers and arcade operators.
Details on the other side of the flyer.
Before it established itself as a popular gaming franchise with console gamers, Contra truly started in the arcades in 1987. First released in Japan on February 1987, Konami went on to release the game in arcades in the United States a month later and the flyer you see here was the Americanized promotion they came up with. Instead of hiring male actors or models to play soldiers, they hired a slim lady to appear with a female Rambo look standing in front of a Contra arcade machine. On the other side of the flyer are details that players and arcade operators can learn from. By today’s standards, this arcade flyer of Contra is still eye-catching and even amusing to look at.
2. College Football’s National Championship print ad
This ad has a strong visual appeal to gamers who like football.
This is another one of those video game ads I saw while reading comic books in the 1990s. College Football’s National Championship was a Sega Genesis-exclusive American football video game published by Sega (with the Sega Sports brand) to capitalize on gamers who want college football to play with at home. This print ad has a nice visual presentation of the college teams’ logos, screenshots and details of what gamers could expect when they buy and play the game. College Football’s National Championship received mostly positive reviews and it must have sold well because Sega went on to release a sequel to this game.
3. Robotron X print ad
This Robotron game was made at a time when 3D polygons became common for making video games.
Having played the classic game Robotron: 2084 on PC back in the 1980s, I was very surprised to see this print ad in 1996 promoting a brand new Robotron game for PlayStation as well as Windows PC. For the newcomers reading this, Robotron: 2084 was a classic which heavily influenced game designers who went on make other fan-favorite games like Smash TV and Llamatron. What makes Robotron X notable apart from being an official follow-up to the classic game was the fact that it was made at a time when game developers did their stuff to modernize gaming with 3D polygons for visuals while trying to come up with gameplay inspired by the classics. While Robotron X did not make a major impact on gaming, the classic Robotron: 2084 went on to be released in several multi-platform compilations such as Williams Arcade’s Greatest Hits, Midway’s Greatest Arcade Hits, and Midway Arcade Treasures.
4. Space Jam game print ad
If you saw the movie in 1996, were you able to play this video game adaptation?
What makes 1996 a memorable year for basketball fans was the Michael Jordan’s return to prominence (having previously retired for less than two years before returning to the NBA in 1995) and leading a very powerful Chicago Bulls team to what was their 4th NBA championship title. In that same year, Jordan starred in the live-action/animated movie Space Jam which grossed an impressive $250 million worldwide. On the same month the movie came out, the Space Jam video game adaptation was also released on PlayStation and Sega Saturn. This print ad was part of the multimedia hype of the movie and the game itself had a very similar design and visuals concept with NBA Jam but ultimately it failed to become a hit with critics and gamers. Not even the combined visual might of Jordan and Warner Bros. characters could achieve success.
5. Magic Johnson’s Fast Break print ad
Still on basketball video gaming, the side-scrolling Magic Johnson’s Fast Break game was released on the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) for console gamers to enjoy. Unsurprisingly, this ad had nice black-and-white art work of Magic Johnson as the dominant figure while leaving little space left to show the game box and only one screenshot. The real meat of this print ad are the details laid down in text description.
6. Virtua Fighter 2 for Sega Genesis print ad
Clearly a late effort by Sega to sell something to its many Genesis owners/fans in America at a time when PlayStation and Nintendo 64 started dominating 5th console generation sales.
In the history of arcade gaming and fighting games, Virtua Fighter 2 was a worthy follow-up to its groundbreaking predecessor. VF2 also made its way on the Sega Saturn which essentially maintained the great gameplay and 60 frames-per-second animation even though the 3D polygonal graphics were noticeably lower in quality compared to its arcade version. With VF2 in the arcades and on Saturn selling well, I was surprised to see this print ad of Sega releasing a totally different version of the game on the aging Sega Genesis console. Virtua Fighter 2 on Genesis had 2D graphics, sprites for the characters and a side-scrolling visual design. In fairness, the game developers exerted effort to recapture some of the gameplay elements within the Genesis limitations and 2D graphics. This print ad is a reminder of Sega’s American division selling a product to the remaining active Genesis owners.
7. Ring King print ad
Ring King itself clearly lacked promotional space in this ad.
In 1987, Data East released their arcade hit game Ring King on the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) and prepared this print ad involving Ray Leonard, Jr. (on the foreground in boxing gear) and conveniently with the famous Sugar Ray Leonard and Thomas Hearns (with the promo of their first fight together in the background). Also conveniently, the company inserted their other games on the lowest part of the ad. Ultimately, the presence of Ring King itself was minimized only showing the game cover and two screenshots. This is clearly an eye-catching ad but there was not enough emphasis on the game itself.
8. Super Spacefortress Macross arcade flyer
The arcade flyer released only in Japan.
Have you ever seen the classic anime movie Macross: Do You Remember Love? I really love watching that movie and I played and finished the video game adaptation on PlayStation in 1999. What I never got to play was the arcade game adaptation of it which was released by Banpresto in Japan in 1992. This flyer promoting the game has a strong visual presentation thanks to the artwork made for it. Only one screenshot was shown as well as a clip from 1984 the animated movie (note: the arcade game itself has some images directly from the film plus some newly created ones added) but this ad still had what it takes to capture the attention of the many Macross fans in Japan. This arcade game was eventually released with an English translation in America and Australia.
9. 2-in-1 print ad featuring Super C and Snake’s Revenge
A memorable and intriguing print ad from Konami promoting sequels.
This is one of the ads that Konami came up with to promote at least two games using a single-page ad format. I saw this ad in many comic books I read decades ago and its visual concept always caught my attention especially since I played the console game Contra a lot. At the high end of the ad were two fictional newspaper headlines highlighting the respective conflicts of Snake’s Revenge (with a nuclear danger concept) and Super C (with emphasis on alien invaders). These two games were sequels to the classics Metal Gear and Contra, and Konami clearly knew how to take advantage of the older games’ success and do their best to sell the sequels to gamers who love action-packed gaming as well as fantasized armed conflicts. Like the 2-in-1 ad showcasing Contra and Jackal, this was Konami’s aggressive move to sell war-inspired games to the NES userbase which was mostly composed of children and teenagers.
10. True Lies game print ad
There is nothing like taking advantage of the imagery of a Hollywood superstar to promote a video game based on the related movie.
Here is a video game ad I saw in many comic books I read in 1994-1995. True Lies (starring Arnold Schwarzenegger) was one of the big summer season movie hits of 1994 and the video game was part of the business tie-ins with the film. The people who made this print ad made the smart moves of showing not just one but three images of Schwarzenegger to promote the game while leaving some space to show what the game looked like. The True Lies game even had stills from the movie to emphasize the flow of the plot.
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 from the 1980s and 1990s. In addition, there will be a few flyers of arcade games as well as promotional posters of a notable console game that was released only in Japan.
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 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. M.I.A.: Missing in Action arcade flyer
This is an effective way of catching the attention of both players and arcade operators. I can imagine the woke, the SJWs and rabid feminists getting easily offended by this.
Konami was a very prominent producer of games back in the 1980s. Not only did the company produce high-quality and enjoyable military-themed games on consoles and computers, Konami also made its presence felt in the highly competitive sector of arcade games. In 1989, they released the arcade conversion kit of M.I.A.: Missing in Action and this flyer is the best know promotion of it. M.I.A.: Missing in Action is the follow-up to Konami’s hit game Rush’n Attack.
Visually, the flyer’s display of four screenshots combined with a dominating photographic image of prisoners of war (POWs) getting delightfully released by an attractive female Rambo-type rescuer were designed to catch the attention of young adult and adult gamers. The text descriptions (note: there were more details on the back of the flyer), however, were geared towards arcade operators who were looking for new games to acquire without the hassle of having to buy an entire arcade cabinet. That being said, this flyer was a clever way to appeal to arcade operators and the people who love playing arcade games.
2. Fonz arcade flyer
Simplistic yet effective to look at. If you are an arcade operator, this flyer conveniently has key information displayed.
Believe it or not, Sega was already active in arcade games way back in the 1970s. In this particular flyer, Sega’s arcade game Fonz (also called Moto-Cross, Man T.T.) offered players the unique experience of driving a digital vehicle using actual handlebars on the machine that were meant to create an immersive and realistic feel. If you look closely, the flyer has lots of details written with arcade operators and players in mind.
3. Haunted Castle arcade flyer
Indeed, this game is part of the Castlevania game franchise. It was one of the first Castlevania games released for arcades.
Arguably, Konami is best known for the Castlevania game series which covered handheld gaming devices, personal computers, video game consoles and even arcades. Haunted Castle (Japanese title: Akumajō Dracula) is the 2nd arcade game of the Castlevania franchise and it is not a port of any console game. Like the arcade flyer of M.I.A.: Missing in Action, this one was crafted to lure the attention (and money) of arcade operators looking for conversion kits to replace their old games. The visual presentation is eye-catching and even though the Castlevania brand was nowhere to be seen, Castlevania fans could tell this this arcade offering was part of their favorite game franchise.
4. The Super Dimension Fortress Macross: Do You Remember Love? flyer and poster
The poster promoting the release of the game for Sega Saturn in Japan.
The flyer promoting the Sega Saturn game’s 1997 release as well as the 15th anniversary of Macross.
In 1997, the 15th anniversary of the Macross multimedia franchise was celebrated in Japan and among the highlights was the release of The Super Dimension Fortress Macross: Do You Remember Love? on the Sega Saturn. To promote the game and the franchise itself, lots of flyers and posters were released in Japan. If you look at the illustrated images on the promotional materials closely, you will realize that they are not from the original 1982-83 Macross anime TV series but rather from the The Super Dimension Fortress Macross: Do You Remember Love? animated movie of 1984 (read my retro movie review by clicking here).
While it might be baffling to some as to why the original anime TV series was not used as the source material for the 15th anniversary celebration through gaming, the 1984 anime feature film was actually more adaptable for a video game project (read my retro review by clicking here). It is so obvious, you just have to ask yourselves this question – how can the game developers compress the entire concepts of the 36-episode Macross anime series into one game while ensuring fun gameplay? Regardless, the game was a lot of fun to play and I enjoyed playing the PlayStation version in 1999.
5. Venom/Spider-Man: Separation Anxiety print ad
A clear effort to sell the game to gamers as well as fans of Spider-Man and Venom.
In 1994, Acclaim released Spider-Man and Venom: Maximum Carnage (based on the 1993 comic book storyline Maximum Carnage) on Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES) and Sega Genesis ultimately becoming popular with comic book fans and gamers who enjoyed sidescrolling beat-them-up games.
Subsequently, Acclaim and develop Software Creations reunited to release the sequel Venom/Spider-Man: Separation Anxiety a year later on the two leading 16-bit consoles as well as on personal computer (PC). If there is anything notable about this eye-catching print ad, it is the fact that its visual presentation (with graphics on-par with the previous year’s game) cleverly hides the fact that it did not have much new to offer gamers with regards to gameplay and story cutscenes (which the previous game prominently had). Eventually, this game attracted weaker reviews from game critics and has since been forgotten.
6. Tecmo Super Bowl SNES print ad
From the time when Tecmo was still a strong producer of sports video games.
In 1991, Tecmo Super Bowl was released on the aging Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) and because its game design greatly entertained gamers, it became a tremendous commercial success. Not even the very high launch price of $54.99 stopped it from selling a lot.
To keep the commercial success and public interest going, Tecmo announced a new version of the game for the more powerful SNES console with the simple title of Tecmo Super Bowl. If you look closely at the print ad, you will notice that gameplay screenshots were not used at all. Instead, they showed images of the nicely illustrated art works they prepared as eye candy for the game with the intention of making it look cinematic. This is very curious because gameplay itself was the main selling factor of the NES version of Tecmo Super Bowl. I can only guess that Tecmo was not ready to show gameplay images by the time this print ad was made.
7. X-Men 2: Clone Wars print ad
The art used is too alienating for promoting this game.
During the age of the 16-bit consoles, there was a variety of X-Men video games released and produced by different companies. In 1993, an X-Men game published by Sega was released exclusively on the Genesis console which turned out to be fun for gamers and received mostly positive reviews from the critics. Sega went on to publish the sequel X-Men 2: Clone Wars and this print ad caught my attention because of how exaggerated the characters looked. It’s so strange, it’s as if the artist took visual reference from a somewhat blocky 3D polygonal portrait then tried to make them look hand-drawn. I wonder if anyone from Sega regretted this.
Author Carlo Carrasco 