arcade games – Page 5 – Author Carlo Carrasco

Retro Gaming Ads Blast – Part 24

December 16, 2024December 16, 2024carlocarrasco

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. Jangou Lady arcade flyer

*If you were to play Mahjong digitally, does sex appeal motivate you to do so?*

Are you fond of playing the tile-based game Mahjong? Believe it or not, there were indeed ways to play Mahjong in digital form inside the arcade or in gambling joints in Japan. The game Jangou Lady allows users to play rounds of Mahjong but with a notable additive – the digital art of women which serves as an attraction. In the sex appeal is clearly evident on this arcade flyer from the 1980s.

2. Star Wars: Return of the Jedi arcade flyer

Way back in 1983, Return of the Jedi delighted moviegoers in the cinemas throughout America. Behind the scenes, video game giant Atari acquired the movie license to make the 1984 arcade game Star Wars: Return of the Jedi. The arcade flyer’s front featured a highly detailed hand-drawn art of Darth Vader, the Death Star, Luke Skywalker and Storm Troopers on hover bikes, and the Millennium Falcon which reflect the selected elements of the movie that were turned into playable sections. The image of the arcade machine was understandably inserted as it came with an unusual controller. This flyer is still captivating to look at.

3. Over Drive arcade flyer

*This arcade flyer is a reminder that Konami was notable for hiring pretty and sexy women for their print ads.*

In 1990, Konami produced a racing game for the arcades with a unique style of presentation. That game was Over Drive and it stood out among the many racing games in the arcade mainly because of its first-person view (with a digital version of the steering wheel and driver’s hands at the bottom of the screen) and unique approach on sprite-scaling. To promote the game, Konami hired sexy models for photography for use in both the arcade flyer and the exterior images on the machine. Having sexy models posing with a winning driver added to the motorsport racing vibe needed to promote the game.

4. American Gladiators for NES print ad

*I saw American Gladiators on TV but never played this game.*

American Gladiators was a syndicated TV show that featured a variety of games in which amateur athletes compete with the established gladiators to succeed and become the next American Gladiator. Due to its success, it was not surprising that video game adaptations of the show were realized just a few years after its debut. In 1991, GameTek released the American Gladiators game on the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) and promoted it with this print ad that showcased their established gladiators of the time. This ad’s design was made to catch the attention of the fans.

5. Arch Rivals for NES print ad

*I remember seeing a lot of people crowding in front of an Arch Rivals machine in the local arcade long ago.*

Years before NBA Jam, there was Arch Rivals. Arch Rivals was a full court basketball video game in which players are allowed to punch players from the opposition in order to steal the ball and score. Over a year after the game’s 1989 arcade debut, the NES version was released and the publisher came up with a print ad showcasing a hilarious and cartoony artwork (the same art used for the game’s box cover) which gave readers a clear idea of what to expect. The art used is timeless and it still is funny to see.

6. Sega Sports print ad

*See any Sega Sports video game you like?*

Back in the 1990s, Sega excelled with sports video games. They were so aggressive, they established their sub-brand Sega Sports and this particular print ad showed one page promoting assorted sports video games (basketball, golf, baseball, tennis, boxing and American football) for the Sega Genesis and the other page with an exaggerated image of a guy with the line “Relive your jock itch” posted. Historically, a lot of American players and owners of the Genesis are slightly older than those on NES and Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES) during the 1990s and the strong sports games approach is a key factor.

7. Plumbers Don’t Wear Ties print ad

*When I first saw this print ad, it did not interest me as the presentation is lousy.*

The 3DO console is remembered for having a lot of games that used full-motion videos and photo slides regardless of what game designs came with them. Back in the 1990s, games designed as visual novels or dating simulations were still new in console gaming in the West. Following the PC version’s release, a 3DO port of Plumbers Don’t Wear Ties came out in 1994 and it received overwhelmingly negative reviews. The print ad here promoted the game as “an interactive romantic comedy” and fake quotes were displayed to fool ignorant readers that the game was entertaining. The print ad’s visual design had a mess of poorly implemented images. Ironically, this ad accidentally gave readers the idea that it was a slideshow game.

8. Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story and Demolition Man games print ad

*If you saw the movies, did you play their respective video game adaptations?*

The 1990s is remembered for the many movie-based video games that got released. Back in those days, a lot of Hollywood movie productions had video game adaptations as part of the business process and this is evident with the Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story and Demolition Man games released by Acclaim. For this particular print ad, the marketing team came up with a single-page ad to promote the two games with heavy emphasis on movie imagery leaving little room left for screenshots and other details. The way I look at this old print ad, it seems that Acclaim was aiming for not just movie fans but also gamers who like 2D fighting games and 2D action-adventure games.

9. Army Men: Sarge’s Heroes print ad

*This print ad by 3DO is still funny to see.*

In the late 1990s, The 3DO Company focused mainly on producing video games on multiple platforms and they had their own video game franchise based on the green plastic figures with a military theme. In 1999, they released Army Men: Sarge’s Heroes for PlayStation and Nintendo 64 (N64). To market the game, they had a hilarious visual concept of several solders freezing on an ice tray as a long green soldier marching on. This print ad always caught my attention while reading game magazines and it still is funny to stare at.

10. Sega Ages print ad

*I can only speculate that Sega accepted Working Design’s financial offer for the publishing rights in North America.*

Sega Ages is a series of ports and remakes of Sega’s own games (arcade and console) bundled together as compilations released on the modern consoles of the time. While Sega itself published Sega Ages on their Saturn console and Europe, the North American compilation was published by Working Designs under their separate brand Spaz which this particular print ad showed. While the classic Sega games of After Burner II, OutRun and Space Harrier often caught my attention, this ad made me wonder why did not Sega publish this compilation on the Saturn in North America themselves. Looking at this ad now remains awkward.

11. Sega Saturn North American print ad

*Did you ever own a Sega Saturn in 1995?*

While a lot of gamers and retailers were caught off-guard by Sega’s surprise early launch of the Saturn console in America, they still went ahead aggressively marketing the machine knowing they have a few months’ head start before the American launch of PlayStation. This print ad was designed to intrigue readers showing a bald lady whose head was made to look like the planet Saturn and next to her were images of Sega’s hottest games of the time – Virtua Fighter 2 and Virtua Cop. Sega relied strongly on imagery to promote their console with this print ad. It was somewhat weird yet eye-catching.

12. NBA Action ’95: Starring David Robinson print ad

*David Robinson was the MVP of the NBA in 1995 but he failed to lead his team to the NBA championship back then. He would late win the NBA championship in the shortened 1999 season.*

As mentioned early, Sega was aggressive the sports videos games and almost all of them were their own console exclusives. Their tradition of hiring professional athletes as endorsers continued during the age of the Genesis and Game Gear when they hired an NBA superstar as an endorser resulting in the Sega Sports basketball game titled as NBA Action ’95: Starring David Robinson. By the time the video game was released, Robinson was already the reigning Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the NBA. This print ad of Robinson in action still looks impressive but with a big catch – the superstar’s 1995 MVP achievement was arguably forgotten as he and his team (San Antonio Spurs) got eliminated by the Hakeem Olajuwon-led Houston Rockets in the Western Conference Finals. It did not help that Olajuwon outplayed Robinson a lot in that very playoff series. That is a sad reminder that also came with this Sega Sports print ad.

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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 at https://www.instagram.com/authorcarlocarrasco

What to watch on YouTube right now – Part 45

December 11, 2024December 9, 2024carlocarrasco

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 A look back at Tobal No. 1 – The 1990s will always be remembered as the decade when fighting games became wildly popular. While franchises like Tekken, Virtua Fighter, Street Fighter and The King of Fighters literally flooded the arcades and consoles, game developers at DreamFactory (a subsidiary of Square) were dissatisfied with the state of fighting games at the time and this eventually led to the creation of Tobal No. 1, one of the most unique games of its genre ever made. To learn more about it, watch the video below.

#2 Assorted videos of Air Force One (1997) – Watching Air Force One (starring Harrison Ford) on the big screen in 1997 was a fun experience for me. It was one of the many so-called Die Hard clones of the 1990s which featured one brave, vulnerable hero fighting terrorists while confined in a place where escape is not option. For your enjoyment, I selected one trivia video and a few reaction videos of Air Force One. As it is a great film, I encourage you to watch it first in case you have not seen it. Otherwise, go watch the selected videos below.

#3 Slope’s Game Room’s look back at the Choplifter series – I first played Choplifter on the Family Computer back in the late-1980s and it really was both unique and fun to play. It was a side-scrolling adventure game with military action but it was not an all-offense experience. In fact, the game gives you opportunities to rescue hostages and the game development history is pretty interesting to discover. As such, I encourage you to watch Slope’s Game Room’s retrospective of Choplifter.

#4 The games of Square in the 1990s remembered – If you know your video game history, Square Enix was established in 2003 as a result of a merger between Square (AKA SquareSoft) and Enix. When Square was still an independent, standalone company it released a lot of memorable games on the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES) and the PlayStation in the 1990s. If you love retro gaming and if you are interested to discover (or rediscover) what Square released back in the 1990s, then this video is for you.

#5 Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau receives response from returning US President Donald Trump regarding new tariffs – Justin Trudeau – the super woke and out-of-touch Canadian Prime Minister – told the returning US President Donald Trump that new tariffs would kill the economy of Canada. The result is a memorable response from Trump. To see what happened and how the public reacted, watch this Sky News Australia video. Lastly, never ever trust Trudeau. You will regret it believing in him as he is a very bad leader.

#6 Kamala Harris being hit by her donors and her fellow Democrats for reckless campaign spending – The defeated Commie Kamala Harris is now the target of her US presidential campaign donors and even her fellow Democrats. You see, her campaign team raised at least $1.5 billion and ended up with a debt of at least $20 million due to reckless spending and irresponsible handling of money. Apart from literally BUYING the support of celebrities and Hollywood Communists, the Harris campaign spent excessively on online ads, private jets and others. The donors are very furious and a lot of Democrats realized that the laughing hyena Kamala Harris severely damaged the political party. That being said, Kamala Harris would be delusional enough to actually run for US President again in 2028. Watch and learn from Sky News Australia’s video.

#7 You, Me and the Movies react to Friday the 13th Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan – Years I ago, I posted my retro review of Friday the 13th Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan. The 1989 Friday The 13^th sequel was so sloppy and bad with its presentation, it sometimes could be funny to see and it’s okay to ridicule it. If you want to discover Jason Takes Manhattan without spending too much time, you should watch the reaction video of You, Me and the Movies.

8. The collapse of the Assad dictatorship in Syria – In case you missed the news, a new chapter in the history of Syria has officially started as the dictatorship of Bashar al-Assad officially ended with the Islamist rebels taking over the country. Assad and his family are now in Russia. While there is euphoria going on in Syria, you should not allow yourselves to be deceived because the civil war in Syria was never a case of “good versus evil”. Assad was allied with Russia and terrorist state Iran. Meanwhile, the Syrian rebels are allied with the Islamist Turkish forces, Jihadists, terrorists and they have Al-Qaeda members in their ranks. Syria now has a new beginning but where will it go? Watch the videos I selected for your viewing and learning.

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What to watch on YouTube right now – Part 44

December 4, 2024November 29, 2024carlocarrasco

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

#1 Konami’s failed fighting games of the 1990s – Remember back in the 1990s when a lot of fighting games were released on the arcades and game consoles? Japanese game companies Namco and Capcom released a lot of memorable fighting games of different styles such as Street Fighter II, Tekken, Marvel vs. Capcom, Tekken 3, Soulcalibur, X-Men: Children of the Atom, X-Men vs. Street Fighter and so on. Sega released Virtua Fighter games while Midway released Mortal Kombat games, and SNK had Fatal Fury, King of Fighters and Art of Fighting games. Looking back at the fighting game craze of the 1990s, I noticed that Konami – best known for Metal Gear, Contra, Gradius and Suikoden – released their own fighting games but never achieved the tremendous success that its competitors had. The retro gaming video is a must-see.

#2 Calvin Dyson’s lengthy review of The World is Not Enough – I can hardly believe that it has been twenty-five years since the James Bond movie The World Is Not Enough was released in cinemas as the 20^th century was ending. The 3^rd film of Pierce Brosnan as Agent 007 received mixed reviews from the critics and some fans found it to be really brainless and excessive with action which negatively affected the cinematic narrative. To find out if the 1999 Bond movie aged well or not, YouTuber Calvin Dyson recently posted his lengthy retro review and you can watch it now.

#3 In-depth documentary of Smash TV – Remember way back in 1990 when Smash T.V. (also referred to as Smash TV) was released in the arcades and attracted a lot of players with its enjoyable game design and concept? The game was a hit and went on to be ported to many platforms afterwards, and I played its Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES) version a lot. To find out how hit game started and who were the key people behind its production, watch the video documentary of PatmanQC now.

#4 Defeated Kamala Harris, Sharon Stone, Alec Baldwin and others highlighted in Lefties Losing It episode – It has been a few weeks since Donald Trump pulled off the greatest American comeback by winning again the US presidential election. Even until now, the Leftists are still agonizing over Trump’s victory and many of them cannot accept the reality of what happened. In the latest Lefties Losing It episode below, you will see a drunk-like Kamala Harris talking to her supporters, Sharon Stone bashing others and more. Watch it!

#5 Electric vehicles sparked into fire disasters as a result of salt water caused by Hurricane Helene – This news video should convince you not to buy and drive an electric car or any type of electric vehicle for that matter. Salt water touching the ion batteries of electric vehicles spark flame and this leads into fire incidents that simply could not be solved quickly. Hurricane Helene’s powerful wind brought salt water into affected communities and not even electric vehicles parked inside the garage were spared. Avoid electric vehicles and stick with vehicles that run on fossil fuel.

#6 Ashleigh Burton’s Fantastic Four (2005) reaction video – Back in 2005, I never saw Fantastic Four in the local cinema. I was never a Fantastic Four fan nor did the team-up of Stan Lee and Jack Kirby starting the said superhero team interested me. Believe it or not, I finally saw the movie on home video in 2009. In recent times, YouTuber Ashleigh Burton posted her reaction video of Fantastic Four and it is fun to watch.

#7 Phantasy Star IV retrospective – Thanks to my physical copy of Sega Genesis Classics, I was able to play Phantasy Star IV: The End of the Millennium on my Xbox Series X console. For the newcomers reading this, Phantasy Star IV was a sci-fi Japanese role-playing game (JRPG) released on the Sega Genesis (Mega Drive in other markets) in Japan in 1993 followed by released in America and Europe in 1995. The production side of the game has very interesting details and you can learn all about it in GTV Japan’s retrospective video below.

#8 A look at Disney’s The Black Hole – Long before the Walt Disney Company became the super woke entity of modern times, they released the expensive sci-fi film The Black Hole. As far as the Disney legacy is concerned, the 1979 movie is significant as it marked a serious change of direction the company took with its movies. Disney was already known for wholesome and family oriented movies and TV shows and eventually entered a period of uncertainty. The Black Hole was both Disney’s attempt to cash-in on the sci-fi and disaster film craze of the 1970s and attract more adult moviegoers. You can learn more about this forgotten movie by watching the videos below.

#9 Popcorn in Bed’s What Lies Beneath reaction video – I saw What Lies Beneath inside a crowded cinema here in the Philippines way back in 2000. Directed by Robert Zemeckis, the film was an inspired work of suspense and horror mainly told through Michelle Pfeiffer’s character. I still remember some comments of disappointment over Harrison Ford’s lack of screen time compared with Pfeiffer’s. Regardless, you have to see Popcorn in Bed’s reaction video right here.

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Retro Gaming Ads Blast – Part 23

December 2, 2024November 13, 2024carlocarrasco

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. Raiders of the Lost Ark game print ads

*The print ad with strong Indiana Jones imagery.*

*The print ad with the movie theater exterior image and the small image of the Atari 2600 console.*

Directed by Steven Spielberg, Raiders of the Lost Ark was one of the best adventure movies ever made as well as the start of the iconic character Indiana Jones. Given its huge commercial success, an official video game adaptation for the Atari 2600 was released in 1982 and game designer Howard Scott Warshaw even met with Spielberg during the game’s development.

To promote the game, Atari released two print ads – one ad had a movie theater exterior visual concept to emphasize they have the official video game adaptation based on the movie while the other ad showed the game’s official artwork and game box cover while emphasizing a savings offer. Atari really did what they could to sell a game while riding on the success of Raiders of the Lost Ark.

2. Phoenix print ad

*Even without any screenshots, this print ad’s art still gives viewers a clear idea of what to expect.*

Similar to what they did with Galaxian and Joust, Atari made this print ad promoting Phoenix which was a 2D sci-fi shooting game that was similar with Space Invaders in design. Colorized, hand-drawn artwork resembling the 2D sprites of the game was done to capture the attention of people. The art is so good, it made up for the lack screenshots of the game.

3. Moon Patrol arcade flyer

Moon Patrol was a 2D sci-fi side-scrolling adventure game first released in the arcades in 1982. To sell the game to arcade operators, publisher Williams created the North American arcade flyer that heavily used hand-drawn comic book-style artworks on both sides while using available space on the other side for the descriptive text, contact details and the image of an arcade machine. What is very clear is that no screenshots of the game were shown to stand out which explains why a lot of hand-drawn art was used. The picture of the machine showing a screen of Moon Patrol was the closest thing to see a screenshot on this flyer. Personally, I really like the style and quality of the hand-drawn artwork as it made the flyer look lively.

4. Paperboy arcade flyers

*The arcade flyer showing the Paperboy machine and screenshots. The hand-drawn art is nice.*

*This one uses comedy showing a grown man riding a bike as a paper delivery “boy”.*

*I really like the stronger emphasis on the in-game graphics of Paperboy which dominates the space. What you see is what you get in the arcade.*

The first time I ever played the classic Paperboy was in the arcade inside a Las Vegas hotel way back in 1989, and it sure was a challenging yet fun experience. Before its arcade debut in 1985, the developers took a lot of risks making the game which includes coming up with a bicycle handle bar for each machine to have. To promote the game, Atari made at least three arcade flyers that creatively emphasized what the game’s concept was about, how did it play, why does the machine have bicycle handlebars and why players can expect fun. Atari’s promotional efforts paid off as Paperboy became a huge hit in the arcades not only in America but also in Japan.

5. Frogger multi-platform print ad

*This print ad is still amusing to look at.*

After Frogger became a hit in the arcades, Parker Brothers secured the rights to port the game on Atari consoles, the Intellivision, TI-99/4A, vic-20, the Commodore computers and ColecoVision. To promote their Frogger ports, the single-page print ad was made showing a player in the foreground playing in front of screens that each showed what the game looked like on each platform. Parker Brothers found tremendous success selling 4 million copies of Atari 2600 version of Frogger at a time when there were only 13 million units of Atari 2600 in existence. By the year 2005, video game sales of Frogger reached 20 million worldwide across different platforms.

6. Predator 2 print ad

*This is one very edgy print ad as used an official image from the movie.*

If there is anything memorable about the 1990 film Predator 2, it is the fact that it had the story and the alien hunter itself within a metropolitan setting. That being said, the Sega Genesis Predator 2 video game had a suitable design of shooting and adventuring within the urban settings. This video game ad really captured the vibe of the movie (even showing the reddish human skull with spine on the Predator’s left hand) and clearly showed what gamers could expect. This old ad is still captivating to look at and its edgy approach is still intact.

7. Atari Jaguar print ad

*Did you ever own an Atari Jaguar console?*

When I was reading video game magazines back in the 1990s, I always found print ads of the Atari Jaguar intriguing to look at. I was very young when I first played the Atari 2600 and its games at home, and later played some Atari games in the arcade. To me, seeing Atari Jaguar print ads like this one gave me moments of nostalgia and it made me wonder if Atari knew what it was doing with their so-called 64-bit game console. They did what they could to promote their console and the games within this 2-page print ad.

8. Vs. print ad

*This print ad easily reminds me of the 1990s.*

By 1997, both the arcades and the video game console market were filled with lots of 2D and 3D polygonal fighting games. Japan was the hot spot of the production of 3D polygon fighting games and the developer Polygon Magic (based in Japan) made Fighters’ Impact which Taito released in Japanese arcades and the PlayStation. The said game was picked up by THQ for a late-1997 release on the PlayStation in America under the title Vs. I never played this game but I heard that the game’s development included gang-oriented characters designed by Marvel Comics artist Kurtis Fujita. This Vs. ad is a lively reminder about the hip-hop fashion that made its way into video games.

9. GoldStar/LG Electronics 3DO print ad

*This is a very weird way to market a video game machine.*

Back in the 1990s, the South Korean electronics company GoldStar (which was part of the umbrella of LG Electronics) had the license to produce 3DO game consoles with its own style. In some ways, the GoldStar 3DO console looked like a premium console on the outside. Unfortunately, the GoldStar 3DO print ad here had a very sloppy presentation as the ad makers used very weird art of a brain-with-eyes holding a 3DO controller leaving little space left to promote the console and games (without any screenshots). The text description was sloppily done. This is a bad example of promoting video game hardware and games.

10. Pandemonium 2 print ad

*I saw this ad but never played the game.*

Looking back at 1997, I find it strange that I never got to play Pandemonium 2 on the PlayStation even though I saw its print ad in magazines. I had a lot of fun playing Pandemonium! on the console in 1996 but somehow missed out on its sequel. Looking back at the Pandemonium 2 print ad, I was surprised with how the game developers redesigned the two playable protagonists, especially Nikki who was clearly made to look very sexy. The word “libido” (meaning sexual drive) was deliberately placed above Nikki. The ad also had a hypnotizing mix of colors which I believe was also deliberately done by the ad makers. I can only wonder how the game played.

11. Mission: Impossible print ad

In 1990, Ultra Games (a label of Konami) released the Mission: Impossible video game on the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) in America. Developed by Konami, the game was an adaptation of the 1988 TV series and it had an ambitious design with regards to level design and gameplay. To promote the game, the ad makers came up with a visual design showing the game’s box (which had a nice painted art on the cover) on the foreground and several screenshots resembling TV monitors on the background. Even by today’s standards, this print ad still looks good and captivating even if you are not too familiar with Mission: Impossible on TV.

12. The Lawnmower Man Sega CD and Genesis print ad

*Are you fan of The Lawnmower Man movie?*

Back in 1992, there was a lot of buzz generated by the movie The Lawnmower Man as it had a disturbing concept that involved virtual reality and, more notably, author Stephen King sued the filmmakers to remove his name from the title because the film differed so much from the source material. Of course, those developments did not stop the production of video game adaptations of the movie. This print ad promoting the Sega CD and Sega Genesis versions of the game heavily used the images of CyberJobe which were among the most memorable images from the film. Looking at the ad, the ad makers could have made the screenshots look a little larger to really sell the games.

13. Ground Zero: Texas print ad

*The shotguns really made this ad eye-catching.*

I never played the Sega CD video game Ground Zero: Texas but I knew that it was one of those games that heavily relied on video footage while giving players moments to interact. Back in 1993, there was an increase in the number of video games that carried lots of live action footage to drive the narrative and players were given options in order to progress. What is very notable about the game is not the game design but the very 2-page ad used to promote it. The image showing four people pointing their shotguns towards the viewer was easily the most captivating part of the ad. Even though there was vacant space in between, the screenshots of the game were displayed to be really small.

14. Alien vs. Predator for SNES and Game Boy print ad

*This ad caught the attention of a lot of people back then.*

Back in 1990, Dark Horse Comics launched the 4-issue mini-series of Aliens vs. Predator which turned out to be a very intriguing and engaging crossover comic book tale featuring two iconic sci-fi species of monsters. The success of the comic books led to the production of many video games which delighted both fans of Predator and Aliens. In 1993, Activision released Alien vs. Predator on the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES) and the single-page print ad they came up with was engaging to look at. The SNES game box with the fine looking painted art was the main visual highlight leaving just enough space for the descriptive text, the Game Boy cover and two screenshots. Believe it or not, this video game was not related at all with the Alien vs. Predator arcade game and Atari Jaguar console game.

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What to watch on YouTube right now – Part 43

November 27, 2024November 19, 2024carlocarrasco

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

#1 When Atari invaded Japan – Here in the Philippines, me and my friends played video games on the Atari 2600 consoles in our respective homes during the first half of the 1980s. What I did not know back then was the fact that Atari did its best to sell its console and video games in nearby Japan. It turns out, their console in Japan was the Atari 2800. Watch and learn about this particular part of video game history with the video of GTV Japan below.

#2 A look back at Superman: The Animated Series – When it comes to animated series of the 1990s related to superheroes, X-Men: The Animated Series, Batman: The Animated Series and Spider-Man: The Animated Series are often remembered by long-time fans and geeks. The animated series of Superman, however, does not get remembered as much even though it had good quality animation and presentation. Of course, it should be remembered that the 1990s was the same decade when DC Comics had Superman killed, introduced the Supermen, brought Superman back to life and even had the Clark Kent identity destroyed which probably overshadowed the animated series. To discover more of Superman: The Animated Series, watch the video below.

#3 Examining the original 2099 comics franchise of Marvel Comics – You might have heard about 2099 among the many comic books Marvel published through the decades. The futuristic of Marvel’s shared universe originally started in late 1992 when the comic book speculator boom was still intense. It started strongly with Spider-Man 2099 followed by Ravage 2099, Doom 2099 and Punisher 2099. In the 2^nd half of 1993, X-Men 2099 followed and even more related comic books got released. Of course, the 2099 franchise of the 1990s eventually ended. How and why it all happened like that, you can learn by watching Owen likes Comics’ video below.

#4 You, Me and the Movies’ Excalibur reaction – Excalibur is an epic medieval fantasy movie about the legend of King Arthur and his knights released in 1981. I first saw the film on TV in 1988 and it was an intriguing viewing experience. I replayed it on physical disc format in 2003 and eventually recognized Patrick Stewart, Helen Mirren, Liam Neeson and Gabriel Byrne looking much younger. If you want to discover more of Excalibur through the reaction of You, Me and the Movies, watch the video posted below. It’s a fun watch.

#5 Assorted videos about Planet of the Apes (1968) – Planet of the Apes of 1968 is considered by many as a great science fiction film as well as a philosophical and intelligent viewing experience. While it is an engaging viewing experience, I find the concept of human evolution and the so-called genetic links between humans and apes to be nothing more than fantasies. Considering its fame, it is no surprise that a lot of YouTubers made their own videos about it and you can watch the selected videos below.

#6 A look back at Robotron: 2084 – Robotron: 2084 is a 2D, multi-directional shooting game first released in arcades way back in 1982. I never played the arcade version but managed to play it on an IBM PC around the mid-1980s. The history behind the game is quite rich in details and you can enjoy learning about it by watching the video of PatmanQC below.

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Retro Gaming Ads Blast – Part 22

November 18, 2024October 21, 2024carlocarrasco

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. 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

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

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.

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What to watch on YouTube right now – Part 41

November 13, 2024November 12, 2024carlocarrasco

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

#1 Varied videos of Friday The 13^th Part 2 – While it is a fact that Friday The 13^th Part 2 is not exactly a great slasher horror movie, it is still an improvement over its predecessor and first established Jason Voorhees as the deadly antagonist. Its production values were also better as well. Believe it or not, there are lots of retro movie video reviews and movie reaction videos about it and I posted below the best ones you can enjoy.

#2 When people push science too far (dramatized with XCOM games) – Science can be helpful but if scientists allow it to overwhelm and control them, science can be disastrous. In fact, science can make someone much less human. The YouTuber Woahvi made the video below to make a point about going extreme with science while using footage and concepts of the popular video game XCOM: Enemy Unknown (and the sequel) which I myself played a lot. There is a lot of engaging stuff to see in the video and I encourage you to watch it now.

#3 Commiewood in chaos over Donald Trump’s amazing comeback – It is a known fact that Hollywood has too many Commies, woke nuts and other Leftists. Unsurprisingly, Commiewood blindly supported the Democrats and their presidential candidate Kamala Harris. Because Donald Trump pulled off the greatest American comeback by winning the US Presidential Election, Commiewood elements are agonizing and falling apart. Watch and learn from the videos below.

#4 A look at Undercover Cops – I never played Undercover Cops on the arcade nor on console. In fact, I don’t even remember seeing it anywhere back in the 1990s. I recently visited the YouTube channel of PatmanQC and decided to watch his retrospective video about Undercover Cops. It is a fun video to watch to discover what the game is about and what I missed out on. Watch it!

#5 Critical Drinker’s Production Hell videos about Star Trek V: The Final Frontier and Full Metal Jacket – Apart from his reviews and analytical videos about movies, I find Critical Drinker’s Production Hell series engaging to watch. He clearly does his own research about the troubled productions of movies as well as conflicts between certain people involved. I encourage to watch his videos about Star Trek V: The Final Frontier and Full Metal Jacket. Each video is loaded with details and Critical Drinker’s presentation is great.

#6 The reckless spending and debt of Kamala Harris and the Democrats – If you want a modern look at spending done so recklessly that it led to debt and division, look at the failed US Presidential campaign of Commie Kamala Harris. To say the least, Harris and the Democrats raised over a billion Dollars and spent massively to literally buy the endorsements of celebrities, pay to have Harris in shows and podcasts, transport die-hard supporters from state to state to create the illusions of massive attendance, and more. Watch and learn from the detailed, explanatory video of Sky News Australia below.

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Have you been to X-Site amusement center inside Festival Mall lately?

November 11, 2024October 23, 2024carlocarrasco

In times of prosperity or hardship, Festival Mall (originally named Festival Supermall) in Filinvest City, Alabang, Muntinlupa City continues to attract families and shoppers. Since the mall’s early days in 1998, its amusement center X-Site kept on succeeding on attracting visitors and providing them bouts of varied fun in return to what the customers paid for. X-Site is a lively form of entertainment-focused capitalism that just keeps on moving forward and attracting visitors.

Located at the 3^rd floor (note: officially referred to as the 2^nd Level or 2L or 2^nd Floor by the mall. The 1^st floor and 2^nd floor of the mall are referred to as Lower Ground Floor and Upper Ground Floor respectively), the X-Site Amusement Center has a wide floor space with a high ceiling.

The way it was designed, X-Site has several arcade games (lots of fun retro games included), merchandiser games, a virtual reality ride, KTV booths, motion-sensing dance spot, the ring toss, entertainment stores, indoor sports games, redemption games, bumper cars, and the indoor roller coaster (which explains the need of having a high ceiling). Watch below the YouTube video and the images I prepared below.

*At the arcade games section inside X-Site.*

Having a high ceiling made it possible to have an indoor roller coaster (tracks above the machines and people in this image). Other amusement centers in Alabang had lower ceilings which made their places feel small or tight when compared to X-Site.

*Some newer machines plus indoor sports games added into the arcade games section.*

*This is the place for those who love dancing and music.*

When I was much younger and Festival Mall was still new, I played lots of games at the arcade of X-Site. Elevator Action Returns, Tekken 2, Tekken 3, Marvel vs. Capcom: Clash of Super Heroes, Street Fighter Alpha 3 and Tekken Tag Tournament were some of the games I played there as far as I could remember. I never rode the indoor roller coaster because my fondness for roller coasters had faded away even before Festival Mall opened its doors (May 1998).

Back in 1998, I know a few friends whose had not even visited Festival Mall (at the time we talked) yet they already heard of the positive word-of-mouth feedback about the indoor roller coaster of X-Site.

*The indoor roller coaster of X-Site remains a favorite ride for those who kept coming back.*

On December 25, 2023, I visited Festival Mall to look around. I passed by X-Site and I saw an unusually large number of people there composed of young people, children and their parents/guardians.

For the newcomers reading this, December 25 here in the Philippines is a time of having fun during the Christmas season and also it is the day when the annual Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF) opens in cinemas. This explains why a lot of people spend time at the shopping malls and it is a cultural thing here in the Philippines.

Considering the fact that the original cinemas of Festival Mall have deteriorated leaving only 2 or 3 screens operating (note: the mall also has modern cinemas at the expanded side), a lot of people still visited the mall to watch the MMFF movies that opened on December 25. As for the large number of people who flocked to X-Site that same day, I can only speculate that some of them might have been moviegoers passing the time as they wait for the next screening of movies to watch.

*I took this shot of X-Site on December 25, 2023. Look at the high number of people on the floor.*

If you plan to visit Festival Mall in Alabang and if you are craving for fun rides or games, then you might want to visit X-Site Amusement Center.

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For more South Metro Manila community news and developments, come back here soon. Also say NO to fake news, NO to irresponsible journalism, NO to misinformation, NO to plagiarists, NO to reckless publishers and NO to sinister propaganda when it comes to news and developments. For South Metro Manila community developments, member engagements, commerce and other relevant updates, join the growing South Metro Manila Facebook group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/342183059992673

Retro Gaming Ads Blast – Part 21

November 4, 2024October 17, 2024carlocarrasco

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. Galaxian for Atari print ad

*A unique approach to the art done by the advertisers.*

Developed by Namco, Galaxian was a 2D sci-fi shooter that debuted in arcades in 1979. It was so successful and widely acclaimed, it got ported to varied game consoles and home computers as the years passed by. For its release on the Atari 2600 and Atari 5200, this print ad was created to catch the attention of fans and gamers by utilizing artwork that resembled the look of 2D sprites from the game. That being said, no screenshots of Galaxian on the Atari consoles were shown because the artwork used looked detailed and were attention-grabbing already.

2. 1943: The Battle of Midway arcade flyer

In 1987, Capcom released in the arcades 1943: The Battle of Midway which was their follow-up to 1942. The arcade flyer itself was designed to strongly promote the game using a combination of screenshots, short-but-clear text descriptions and the great looking piece of artwork which really emphasized the World War II concept. Behind it all, this game was made by Japanese developers with the Western markets in mind and the irony is that the game has players control Americans fighting the Japanese fleet.

3. Top Gunner arcade conversion kit flyer

*Show this nice looking image to the woke nut or modern day Communist near you. Watch and observe his or her reaction.*

To make things clear, Top Gunner is actually the run-and-gun game Jackal and the alternative titles was mainly used in North American arcade distribution and also reflected Konami’s move of coming up with titles inspired by blockbuster movies of the time. To promote its 1986 arcade release in America as a conversion kit, the advertisers had three models playing soldiers on a military jeep to immerse gamers into the core concept of the game – moving armed military jeeps from one location to another while fighting bad guys. The approach used for the visual concept is indeed inspiring, especially during the Cold War. Top Gunner/Jackal became a hit in both arcades and consoles.

4. Joust for Atari print ad

*While I played Joust on console, I don’t remember seeing this print ad before.*

Made by Williams Electronics, Joust was one of those early 1980s arcade games that eventually made its way to the Atari 2600 console which was massively popular in North America. Strangely enough, the artistic approach Atari’s advertising came up with for the console version of Joust was similar with that of the ad of the Atari version of Galaxian (see item #1 above) in which artwork was used to resemble the 2D sprites of the game. Regardless, the images of this ad showed what a joust looked like – a martial game between two armed combatants going against each other while riding an animal.

5. Kid Chameleon print ad

*Can you relate with Kid Chameleon’s identity crisis?*

During the early years of the Sega Genesis, Sega of America exerted efforts to make new games that were not only exclusive to their console but also stand out among the many 2D side-scrolling adventure games by coming up with a protagonist with a unique personality that could somehow resonate with young kids and teenagers.

Developed by their internal experts (Sega Technical Institute), the company released Kid Chameleon in 1992 and they came up with the above print ad that had detailed hand-drawn art of the lead character as well as a wordy text description which was a clear attempt to help young gamers (including teenagers) get connected with both the game and the protagonist. The advertisers even had space to spare to accommodate two screenshots of the game.

6. Terminator 2: Judgment Day (AKA T2: The Arcade Game) for Sega Genesis print ad

*This print ad appeared on the many comic books I read long ago.*

Back in the early 1990s, Terminator 2: Judgment Day was a massive success in the global box office and this resulted in Arnold Schwarzenegger’s popularity to soar very high while also establishing the Terminator as an essential pop culture figure. Apart from comic books and merchandise, video games based on the movie were made and the one that stood out the most was the arcade shooter game initially titled Terminator 2: Judgment Day (later retitled as T2: The Arcade Game).

The arcade mega hit eventually got ported to the Sega Genesis and this print ad really looked flashy with its visual presentation showing screenshots and a zoomed-in look at how the Terminator T-800 looked like in the Genesis version complete with a few explosions in the background. It should be noted that this flashy print ad cleverly concealed the visual downgrades and the redrawn images as the Genesis itself could never come close to matching the high quality visuals of the arcade version.

7. CYBERPad print ad

*I never owned the CYBERPad, nor have I ever used one.*

During the so-called 16-bit console generation (actually the 4^th console generation), there were lots of licensed console peripherals made by independent companies in support of the Sega Genesis and Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES). The company Suncom Technologies came up with the CYBERPad controller for the two consoles and they boasted in their print ad that the product had a programmable control pad that allowed users to create combinations for each game with convenience in mind. The CYBERPad also allowed the saving of the programmable moves and it had a rapid-fire feature and even a slow-motion function. The CYBERPad was made to make the gameplay experience more user-friendly.

8. GamePro magazine sweepstakes print announcement

*If you look closely, this print announcement by GamePro technically advertised the game consoles, the arcade game and Lara Croft to its readers.*

In 1999, GamePro magazine celebrated its 10^th anniversary and to keep on resonating with gamers and maintaining the loyalty of their fans, they organized a reader sweepstakes with prizes worth over $25,000 to be won by the few winners. GamePro boasted a date with an unnamed model who played the iconic Lara Croft (Tomb Raider). Certain arcade machines plus the modern consoles of the time – including the brand-new Sega Dreamcast – were also at stake. The way it was presented, this GamePro print announcement was enticing to read.

9. Smash T.V. for SNES print ad

*Smash T.V. was a lot of fun on both arcade and console.*

The arcade hit Smash T.V. made its way to the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES) in 1992 and the publisher came up with a print ad that had captivating artwork, six screenshots and a text description that emphasized that a lot of fun awaits gamers on the console version. In my view, this old ad is still amusing to look at.

10. David Robinson’s Supreme Court print ad

It was a smart move by Sega to get NBA superstar David Robinson as the endorser of this basketball video game exclusive on the Sega Genesis. This ad was published many years before Robinson finally won an NBA championship.

As part of its strategy in competing with Nintendo during the 4^th console generation, Sega of America was focused on producing exclusive sports video games for the Genesis console backed by endorsements of sports professionals. In 1992, they released David Robinson’s Supreme Court on the Genesis and unsurprisingly their print ad used a large, stylized image of the NBA superstar dunking backed with an exciting text description plus screenshots showing the game’s use of the isometric view for gameplay. This is still worth looking at.

11. Taito’s “heat wave” print ad

*An amusing and creative way to sell video games.*

If your company lacks money to effectively market your video games individually, you can try making a single ad promoting them together. This is what Taito did in this print ad which showcases multiple games for different platforms and they used artwork of a player experiencing the so-called heat wave. This is a nice stroke of creativity on the part of Taito.

12. Jurassic Park Interactive print ad

*This was a creepy print ad promoting the 3DO-exclusive Jurassic Park Interactive.*

When it comes to video game consoles, having exclusive games is essential as long as they are of high quality, highly playable and enjoyable. The 3DO company acquired a license of the Jurassic Park movie and made the exclusive game Jurassic Park Interactive hoping it would sell a lot and lift up 3DO hardware sales.

This print ad, which features a zoomed-in image of the Raptor from the game, was more focused on selling the 3DO console than the video game as seen on the descriptive text. 3DO ran a promo selling the console which would entitle the buyer to get Jurassic Park Interactive and another game free. Nothing was done to describe the console’s multimedia capabilities of showing videos, images and graphics of the game (which was essentially a collection of mini-games). This print ad shows ignorance on the part of the 3DO company and the ad maker as it showed desperation happening really early in the console’s life. Notably, Jurassic Park Interactive was the only video game adaptation to use actual footage (note: the faces of the actors were edited out) and music from the film.

13. RoboCop 2 print ad

*You want to become RoboCop to save the city of Detroit from criminals?*

Way back in 1990, RoboCop 2 was a big hit in cinemas here in the Philippines and in some places around the world. As typical of the time, licenses to make video games based on the movie were released resulting in RoboCop 2 games for multiple platforms. The print ad featured two different images of RoboCop – one from the movie poster and the other from an official artwork. The descriptive text does a fine job to immerse readers into the story concept of the game but showing only two screenshots was a lackluster effort to sell the game.

14. Star Trek: The Next Generation – Echoes from the Past print ad

*Space…the final frontier waiting for Sega Genesis gamers.*

Released in 1994, Star Trek: The Next Generation – Echoes from the Past delivered the Star Trek TNG adventure experience to Sega Genesis gamers. In fact, it is the exact same experience that SNES gamers got the same year. In reality, Star Trek: The Next Generation – Echoes from the Past is actually a port of Star Trek: The Next Generation – Future’s Past on the SNES and the screenshots on the print ad are giveaways about it. In fairness to the ad makers, this print ad never attempted to deceive gamers that it promoted a totally different Star Trek TNG game.

15. Dinosaurs for Hire print ad

*This print ad caught my attention and made me interested in the game and the comic book series. Even though it was small, Malibu Comics’ logo was still recognizable.*

Dinosaurs for Hire (sometimes referred to as Tom Mason’s Dinosaurs for Hire) was a 2D side-scrolling platform adventure game based on the comic book series of Tom Mason. Published by Sega, it was a Genesis-exclusive game and this print ad had a catchy text description, a few screenshots and the eye-catching artwork of a triceratops facing the viewer. This print ad is still good to look at. If you’re thinking about searching for existing copies of the game, I encourage you to also read some Dinosaurs for Hire comic books before playing. By the way, Tom Mason also wrote several comic books of the Ultraverse.

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Retro Gaming Ads Blast – Part 20

October 21, 2024October 16, 2024carlocarrasco

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. River Raid print ad

*This River Raid print ad appeared on comic books and magazines long ago.*

Decades before it became an industry giant with the best-selling Call of Duty games, Activision became a standout publisher in the early 1980s with River Raid on the Atari 2600. Designed by Carol Shaw, River Raid was a huge success ending up as the 2^nd best-seller on the Atari 2600 as well as Activision’s best-selling game for the year 1983. Apart from showing one screenshot and the box cover of the game, the print ad of River Raid had this mesmerizing 3D image that caught many gamers’ attention and helped them feel like they will pilot on dangerous missions. The 3D image was futuristic in its own style became forward-moving 3D sequences in video games became reality many years later.

2. Galaga North American arcade flyer

*The front of the flyer showing three Galaga machines that arcade operators can choose from.*

*Key details about Galaga were nicely presented on the rear of the flyer.*

In the history of gaming, Namco’s Galaga was played by countless millions of gamers and it is still highly regarded as an arcade classic as well as one of the most enjoyable arcade games ever made. In preparation for the North American launch (October 1981), Midway prepared the arcade flyer showing the three types of machine on the front that arcade operators can choose from. On the rear is the really neat approach of explaining the details of the game, what kind of gameplay is to be expected, and how to play. Whether you are an individual player or the manager of an arcade joint, this flyer suits your needs.

3. Area 51 arcade flyer and conversion kit flyer

The front of this Area 51 flyer had an enticing message for arcade operators as well as other business owners/managers who are interested in having a machine to add value to their business joints. Atari was already in deep money problems by the time they started making this game.

*The Area 51 arcade conversion kit is a cheaper alternative for businesses who want the game.*

Moving on to the 1990s, Atari was already struggling financially and desperately needed a hit to lift them up fast. A light gun shooter project was approved as arcade shooters were in good demand and after overcoming serious hurdles during production internally, Atari hired independent team Mesa Logic to take charge of development. After being granted extra time and more creative freedom, the project under Mesa Logic’s handling became a sci-fi shooter titled Area 51. The game became a huge hit in the arcades for Atari resulting in sales of more than 20,000 arcade cabinets as well as a major financial boost for the company (note: Atari still exists today). Atari went on to release Atari 51 versions for PlayStation, Sega Saturn and PC in America in 1996. The Atari 51 flyers you see here are still captivating to look at and were crucial in generating buzz among arcade operators, business joints that had space for arcade cabinets and gamers.

4. Panasonic 3DO print ad

*The makers of this print ad forgot to mention the 3DO is also a game machine.*

Back in 1993, the 3DO Interactive Multiplayer console manufactured by Panasonic (a licensee of the 3DO Company) was launched with a CD-ROM drive, multimedia features and gaming capabilities (with a 3-button control pad). This print ad strongly emphasized the 3DO’s ability to play high-quality sound and full-motion videos using the Sea of Cortez software which functioned as an interactive movie. Obviously, this did not resonate well with people who loved to play games and by the time the 3DO Company and its partners started marketing games, they could not save the 3DO console from fading to obscurity. The console shown in the ad is specifically model Panasonic FZ-1 R·E·A·L 3DO Interactive Multiplayer. Panasonic was one of five companies that were licensed by the 3DO Company.

5. MechWarrior 3050 SNES print ad

*If you were unaware of the 1994 game BattleTech, then this ad would have fooled you into thinking it is promoting a brand new game.*

In 1995, the popular BattleTech entertainment franchise arrived on the Super Nintendo Entertainment (SNES) system with MechWarrior 3050 and its print ad had a really blazing artwork of an armed mech in fire which gave readers the illusion of a new and original game. In reality, MechWarrior 3050 was actually a port of BattleTech which was released on the Sega Genesis in 1994. The Genesis game was published by Extreme Entertainment Group while the SNES game was published by the more famous Activision. If you look closely at the MechWarrior print ad, you can tell how hard they tried to sell the game like it was brand new and all-original.

6. Cliffhanger video game print ad

*This print ad had Sylvester Stallone hanging on a cliff to be relevant with the title of both the film and the game. They could not show images of Stallone in hard action scenes.*

For fans of Sylvester Stallone, 1993 was a big and exciting year as the Hollywood icon appeared in two major action films – Cliffhanger and Demolition Man. Cliffhanger was released first and there were video game adaptations of it released on game consoles, handhelds and computers. This print ad of the Cliffhanger video game had an image of Stallone hanging on a cliff to emphasize the title. The ad makers cleverly posted selected gameplay screenshots and quoted GamePro and Electronic Gaming Monthly (EGM) to make the game look credible and worthy of purchasing. The marketing led to nowhere as the game received mostly negative reviews from critics and it faded to obscurity. Lastly, the Cliffhanger game ad had a noticeable amount of space wasted. They could have made the screenshots and text look somewhat bigger to sell the game.

7. Ballz: The Director’s Cut print ad

*I never got to play this game on the 3DO.*

Here is another ad of the video game released on the failed 3DO console. As its title made obvious, Ballz: The Director’s Cut is an enhanced version of the original Ballz game of 1994 that was released on other consoles. The print ad had an eye-catching piece of artwork and posted beside it were selected shots of the gameplay. Strangely enough, the creative writing on the lower part of the ad does not make any sense and did nothing to convince gamers to play the game. As Ballz: The Director’s Cut was released in 1995, this ad shows the revised 3DO console from Panasonic (model: Panasonic FZ-10 R·E·A·L 3DO Interactive Multiplayer).

8. NFL GameDay 2000 print ad

*Did you find this ad funny to look at in 1999?*

To promote the PlayStation-exclusive NFL GameDay 2000, Sony publisher 989 Sports and the ad makers decided to implement a humorous look at football TV coverage by having two sportscasters wearing shorts in front of a TV camera that was only showing their heads and upper bodies. The TV sets on the side show screenshots from the game to emphasize the sports gaming experience. Ultimately the game scored mostly positive review from the critics.

9. WildC.A.T.S: Covert Action Teams print ad

*WildC.A.T.S. art by Jim Lee was used to promote the SNES video game.*

When Image Comics launched in 1992, WildC.A.T.S: Covert Action Teams was Jim Lee’s creator-owned comic book franchise and its launch issue was a big seller. Years later, WildC.A.T.S. grew in popularity with comic book fans and the franchise achieved multi-media status by venturing into TV (with an animated series) and video games. This print ad promoting the video game adaptation had no screenshots to show which kept fans and gamers guessing how the game will turn out in terms of gameplay and game design. It was obvious that the people who made this print ad had to rely on the best WildC.A.T.S. artwork they could find drawn by Jim Lee. This ad made me laugh back in the old days because if you did not look closely, it might fool you into thinking it was more about comic books than the game on the SNES.

10. Cutthroat Island print ad

*Exciting imagery without Geena Davis and Matthew Modine was used to promote the video game adaptation.*

I never saw the Hollywood mega-flop Cutthroat Island nor have I ever played any of its multiple video game adaptations (released on SNES, Sega Genesis, Sega Game Gear and Game Boy). The video game print ad, however, caught my attention back in 1995 because the ad makers cleverly used a photograph from one the many expensive movie sequences filmed and the hard, physical work by the filmmakers was clearly visible. Then the ad makers had four screenshots placed on the lower-left part and inserted descriptive text that sounded exciting. Lastly, the ad mentioned a sweepstakes promo.

Without using any images of stars Geena Davis and Matthew Modine, this ad was a strong attempt to get gamers excited for the video game adaptation. Like the movie itself, this game flopped and has faded away to the land of the forgotten.

11. AH-3 Thunderstrike print ad

*Captivating artwork, vibrant colors and orderly text descriptions made this an effective ad.*

AH-3 Thunderstrike is one of the better games that was released on the Sega CD add-on (requires the Sega Genesis console) in 1993. Similar with MechWarrior 3050, the game was actually a port of Thunderhawk which itself was released on the Amiga and MS-DOS PC in 1992. The print ad showcased a captivating artwork (which was also used on the game’s box cover), a few screenshots and strategically placed text descriptions to sell the game. This ad still looks good.

12. James Bond 007 print ad

*This print ad appeared in many comic books in 1984.*

This is a print ad I saw many times while reading comic books in 1984. James Bond 007 for Atari 2600 was an ambitious licensed video game as it featured levels that were inspired by missions in the James Bond movies Diamonds are Forever, The Spy Who Loved Me, Moonraker and For Your Eyes Only. Keep in mind that programmers back then had to deal with memory limitations and primitive tools to make games.

To promote the game, original art of Agent 007 was used which did not resemble the James Bond star of the time – Roger Moore. Strangely enough, the illustrated James Bond slightly resembled Timothy Dalton whose debut as 007 happened in 1987. Adding further zest to the add was the use of fictionalized quotes pointing to fantasized critics as sources (example: Vincent Can’tbe is a reference to real life critic Vincent Canby). The use of a pink background made this catchy ad look really odd.

13. Choplifter III: Rescue Survive print ad

*A captivating print ad that brought gamers’ attention to the Choplifter series again.*

This print ad of Choplifter III: Rescue Survive has a striking look showing a military officer who needs your help as he has been stranded behind enemy lines. The presentation reflects the long-time tradition of the Choplifter game franchise which has been about piloting an armed helicopter to the opposition’s territory, shooting at bad guys and then rescuing the hostages or prisoners-of-war (POWs). The game eventually gathered mostly positive feedback from video game critics.

14. Defender of the Crown print ad

*Cinemaware took a gamble with the visual concept of this print ad.*

Released in 1986 for home computers, Defender of the Crown was made with a high level of quality backed with solid artistry. To capture gamers’ attention, Cinemaware came up with this print ad showcasing a pretty model looking somewhat seductive which reflects what happens in the game when players rescue a damsel in distress. The selected screenshots showed what the game looked like on different platforms, and the lower part of the ad made the game feel like it was a historical epic waiting to be discovered. Defender of the Crown eventually became a big hit with computer gamers.

+++++

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