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 videos I found.
#1 A Notable, Dark Scene In The Godfather – Early this year, the lost world the legendary actor Robert Duvall who passed away at age 95. He truly was one of the greatest actors ever not only in Hollywood but in global cinema. I best remember Duvall as Tom Hagen in The Godfather and it just so happens that the film has a very notable deleted scene and if you read the novel focused on Jack Woltz, you will realize the darkness behind it. For your viewing, posted below is a video focused on Tom Hagen and Jack Woltz, and the deleted scene itself.
#2 The History Of Raccoon City And The Resident Evil Events –This year marks the 30th anniversary of the best-selling Resident Evil game franchise. Having played the first three Resident Evil games on PlayStation, Raccoon City was the hot spot of misadventures, zombie outbreaks, and criminal science. As more RE games got released, Capcom expanded the lore with background tales, audio recordings, artworks and more. If you want to dive deeply into the fictional history of Raccoon City and why its legacy is tied with the Umbrella corporation, go watch the video below.
#3 The Wholesome Hotel In Las Vegas – The first time I ever visited Las Vegas was in 1989. I was only 13-years-old back then and our family stayed in Circus Circus Hotel and Casino. Even though the hotel had gambling joints within, I still noticed how family-friendly the place was as it had an indoor circus venue, circus games, makeshift museums and a video arcade (where I played many classic arcade games). If there were any significant changes that happened through the decades, it would be the presence of an indoor amusement park with rides which reflects the hotel’s focus on attracting families and tourists who have limited budgets. Here’s another close look at Circus Circus in Las Vegas.
#4 Rushed And Incomplete RPGs – If there is any way to quickly describe a role-playing game (RPG) in video game format, it would be the fact that it was made to be lengthy and have a lot of content created for it. Like what happened in movies, productions of RPGs face similar problems with regards to lacking time and/or money which in turn would force the game makers to cut down their designs just to complete it. In the history of video games, the first PlayStation console was rich with RPGs in the late 1990s. Some of them turned out to be rushed and incomplete. To find out which ones, watch the retro gaming video below.
#5 Looking For “Luxury” Buffets In Japan? – With the Japanese Yen hovering about 150 per one American Dollar, a lot of foreigners find Japan a more affordable place to explore and experience. In certain places, tourists can find buffets that they consider “luxurious”. But what exactly makes a food joint luxurious and what would a traveler hope or want to eat there? Watch and learn from the Nippon TV video below.
#6 Eraser Revisited – Almost 30 years ago, the action movie Eraser (starring Arnold Schwarzenegger) was released in cinemas and I had a fun time watching it. When it comes to action film roles of Schwarzenegger, the US Marshal John Kruger was very unique to watch. It should be noted that James Cromwell had another schemer-type of role in the film. To discover more about the 1996 movie, watch the videos below.
Welcome back my readers, YouTube viewers and all others who followed this series of articles focused on YouTube videos worth watching. Have you been searching for something fun or interesting to watch on YouTube? Do you feel bored right now and you crave for something to see on the world’s most popular online video destination?
I recommend you check out the following videos I found.
#1 Dead Rising Revisited – I can hardly believe that it will be twenty years since I first play Dead Rising on a rented Xbox 360 console. Released by Capcom in August 2006, Dead Rising is a zombie apocalypse adventure game developed by a Japanese team with Keiji Inafune (Mega Man) as producer. As its story was mainly set in a shopping mall, the game was easily compared with the Dawn of the Dead movies. When I first played it, I was hooked as the gameplay was pretty playable and the in-game action was entertainingly exaggerated. That said, now is a good time to revisit Dead Rising with the video below.
#2 The Binions In Las Vegas –I have toured Las Vegas twice in my life. Still, I never actually visited Binion’s Gambling Hall and Hotel which is located in Downtown Las Vegas on the Fremont Street Experience. Historically, it is know as the place where the World Series of Poker started and it had a unique gambling atmosphere with classic table games and low-limit slots. However, if you look even deeper into the history of the Binions place and the family that originally owned, there is something darker and intriguing to discover. Watch and learn from the video below.
#3 Night Of The Living Dead (1968) Revisited – What is there to say about the original Night of the Living Dead movie from 1968? The George Romero-directed zombie apocalypse movie has long been declared as the most definitive zombie horror movie and was considered as the turning point in horror film-making. As such, it is not surprising to see the movie (in public domain since the beginning) featured in multiple movie reaction videos and retrospective videos on YouTube. For your curiosity and enjoyment, watch the videos below.
#4 Notable Places Beneath Tokyo Tower – The last time I toured Japan was way back in 1997. During that same trip, I visited Tokyo Tower and enjoyed a fine view of the city several feet above ground. As our city tour moved on a somewhat tight schedule, I was not able to fully explore Tokyo Tower. That said, Nippon TV posted recently a video about the places to shop, visit and dine beneath the famous tower. Watch and learn from the video below.
#5 Street Fighter Alpha 2 SNES Version Examined – Back in 1996, I was an avid arcade gamer and Street Fighter Alpha 2 was my favorite among the many 2D fighting games available in local arcades. In late-1996, copies of Street Fighter Alpha 2 running on the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES) were displayed in game stores which caught my attention because I never expected the console to be capable of processing the game and making it playable (note: Street Fighter Alpha games of the time were prominently released on PlayStation and Sega Saturn). To examine closely the quality of the SNES port of Street Fighter Alpha 2, watch the video below.
#6 Democrats’ Chuck Schumer Proved Himself Pathetic – Do you have a high-ranking representative or leader in government who does NOT care about you and the nation at all? The Democrats of America today are a bunch of unhinged, twisted, wicked and unpatriotic people who do not really care about the American people. One of them is the Democrats’ leader in the US Senate Chuck Schumer who prioritized the rainbow pride flag over America. Watch the video 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 to the 1990s focused mainly on role-playing games (RPGs) from the East and the West. This is the RPG Special!
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 to the 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. Dragon Warrior II Print Ad
The art style used made this one looked similar with Dungeons & Dragons.
When Dragon Quest was released in America titled as Dragon Warrior, its sales there came nowhere close to what it sold in Japan. The game, however, sold enough copies to convince Enix to bring the sequel Dragon Warrior II (Japanese title: Dragon Quest II) to the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) in America and they came up with an ad that had obvious Western-style artwork to emphasize the fantasy elements. By comparison, the Japanese version of the game used the distinct art of Akira Toriyama (Dragon Ball Z). Back in those days, there was this belief that Toriyama’s art style would not be effective in promoting the game in America.
2. Breath Of Fire Japanese Print Ad
This is how Breath of Fire looked like in Japanese print media.
In 1993, Capcom officially broke into the Japanese role-playing game (JRPG) genre with Breath of Fire on the Super Family Computer (Super Famicom). The print ad they came up with for the Japanese market showed several characters – including Ryu and Nina who would later become recurring characters as sequels were released – with designs that had elements of anime and manga styles blended which contrasted the gritty and realistic approach of Western fantasy art. The ad made it clear to readers that new adventures in a fantastic world await them. The game achieved enough commercial success in Japan which convinced Capcom to make a sequel (plus more in the years that followed).
3. Phantasy Star II North American Print Ad
The 3-page ad showcasing Phantasy Star II and many other games.
After selling a good amount of copies of the original Phantasy Star worldwide on the Sega Master System, Sega knew they were on to something. They confidently produced the sequel Phantasy Star II for their brand-new Sega Genesis console in 1989 and aggressively promoted it in America with a daring 3-page print ad. If you look closely, majority of two of the pages were used to promote Phantasy Star II with screenshots (including a big one with a TV), the text description and the console. The spaces below allowed Sega to promote their many other games in convenient fashion. The result is huge success for Sega as more than 1.6 million copies of Phantasy Star II were sold worldwide. Sega would go on to make even more Phantasy Star games.
4. Estopolis Denki II Japanese Print Ad
Estopolis Denki II print ad in Japan.
When Estopolis Denki was released on the Super Famicom in Japan, sold enough copies to justify not only bringing the game to Western markets as Lufia & The Fortress of Doom but also the production of a follow-up titled Estopolis Denki II. To promote it, Taito made a Japanese print ad that had a captivating art style (with the characters looking more realistic and a floating land that had a gritty touch), some screenshots and the promise of fantastic adventures. While the game’s title sounded like a sequel, its story was actually set in the past. Estopolis Denki II would be released in the West as Lufia II: Rise of the Sinistrals.
5. Lufia II: Rise of the Sinistrals North American Print Ad
Clearly Natsume did not have any game critics quotes to use to promote Lufia II.
When the first Lufia RPG was released in America on the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES), it became a commercial hit finishing as the top SNES game in the February 1994 sales chart. The sequel Lufia II: Rise of the Sinistrals was published by Natsume in America in 1996 and they daringly called it “The Ultimate Role Playing Game!” in its print ad utilizing the official artwork of a major character, two screenshots and descriptive text giving readers an idea on what to expect. This ad strongly relied on the visual elements while the first game’s American print ad (made by Taito) emphasized the critical acclaim received.
6. Chrono Trigger North American Print Ad
A lot of Dragon Ball Z fans recognized the art style of Akira Toriyama here.
Chrono Trigger, the JRPG that had the dream team creators of Hironobu Sakaguchi (Final Fantasy creator), Yuji Horii (Dragon Quest creator) and Akira Toriyama (Dragon Ball Z creator) behind the production, was easily the most ambitious game SquareSoft released in 1995. As part of the marketing strategy for the North American market, Square came up with a 2-page ad that had Toriyama’s art as the dominant image while using the remaining space for screenshots, the description and the SNES box cover placed strategically. Such a creative visual design was eye-catching and even memorable. Chrono Trigger became a huge commercial and critical hit in the West and it has long been regarded as a classic JRPG.
7. Secret of Evermore North American Print Ad
The creepy red images overshadowed the promotion of Secret of Evermore in America. Some readers might have been scared away by this ad.
Still in 1995, Square released Secret of Evermore for the SNES. Unlike most of Square’s RPGs, Secret of Evermore was developed by an American team in Washington state which explains why the game has a very distinct tone and strongly Western art style (note: the gameplay was patterned after that of Secret of Mana). To promote the game, Square came up with a very odd-looking 2-page print ad that had two dominating red images – eyes of a man on top and the front of a dog below) that felt like a forced approach to emphasize the game’s concept of the hero (a teenager boy) and his loyal dog (a very capable fighter). They used the remaining space for screenshots (which made gamers believe it was a sequel to Secret of Mana), the game box cover and a not so helpful text description. In my view, this print ad was a marketing misfire and Square could have produced hand-drawn art of the hero and his dog instead of the creepy red pictures.
8. Star Ocean: The Second Story North American Print Ad
A really odd-looking print ad.
The Star Ocean JRPG franchise of Enix had its first game released in Japan only. That first game on Super Famicom sold a lot of copies which led to the production of the sequel Star Ocean: The Second Story. By the late 1990s, Enix itself had a partnership with developer tri-Ace on the Star Ocean games. Somewhere along the way, Sony Computer Entertainment America (SCEA) secured the publishing rights of Star Ocean: The Second Story for not only America but also in other parts of the world. For the American market, Sony came up with a very odd-looking 2-page print ad that had a mail service form on the left. The form emphasized the concept of being away for a long time (reflecting the science fiction and extensive fantasy adventuring of the game itself) which incidentally was the eye-catcher of the ad. The other half of the page showing the game’s title, screenshots and detailed text description got overshadowed. This is another marketing misfire.
9. The Legend of Dragoon North American Print Ad
The movie poster-inspired print ad is memorable to look at.
Given how success Sony was with selling PlayStation consoles worldwide and how massively successful the Final Fantasy RPG franchise of SquareSoft was, it was not surprising that they decided to make their very own big-budget and exclusive JRPG with the intention to succeed and possibly establish a franchise. The result was the PlayStation-exclusive game The Legend of Dragoon which was made with a budget of $16 million and lasted three years in development. The game was released in Japan in late-1999 and sold at least 280,000 copies (note: majority of that in its first week of sales). In preparation for the June 2000 launch in America, Sony produced a print ad that had a very strong movie poster vibe showing what looked like painted art of the characters with vivid colors in the background and the title on the lower part. If you look closely, the credits were deliberately stylized over the way movie posters showed credits. While the game was not the massive hit Sony hoped for, it went on to become a million-seller and a great majority of its sales were from America. By today’s standards, the movie poster-like ad used to promote The Legend of Dragoon is memorable and an inspired piece of marketing work.
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 videos I found.
#1 Resident Evil 3: Nemesis Revisited – Looking back in the years 1998 and 1999, the Resident Evil franchise of games became wildly popular and was even considered by some as Capcom’s most important franchise. The huge success of Resident Evil 2 convinced Capcom to approve a line of several Resident Evil-related projects for release on different platforms. One of those projects was Resident Evil 3: Nemesis which was actually a side-story game released in late-1999 and eventually sold in the millions for the company. The reception from the fans was mixed…some fans felt it was a worthy follow-up to RE2 while others felt it was unsatisfying. To understand how RE3 came to be, which content got cut and what exactly happened behind the scenes, watch the retrospective video below.
#2 The Many Scams And Rip-offs In Las Vegas –Las Vegas can be a fun place to visit if only you have enough money, you know where to go and if you have the knowledge to prevent yourself from getting scammed or paying for the wrong things. Every day, a lot of people got fooled into paying questionable products/fees/services and getting cheated by different types of people in Las Vegas. To protect yourself and do the right things before visiting Las Vegas, watch and learn from the video below.
#3 Escape From New York Revisited – What can there be said about the 1981 movie Escape From New York? On face value, it looks like an action movie with a terrifying portrayal of New York City but it was something else. Director John Carpenter wrote the film as his reaction to the Watergate scandal, and their team hired Kurt Russell to play Snake Plissken. Even though it was never a massive blockbuster film, Escape From New York has some socially relevant themes and entertained people in different ways which explains why it has become the subject of many YouTube videos. Posted below for you are selected reaction videos plus one trivia video of the movie.
#4 The Hidden Villages Of Japan – When it comes to exploring Japan, there are a lot of places to visit way outside of the metropolitan areas. Nippon TV recently posted a video about Japanese villages that have been hidden in the mountains of the central part of the country. These places have been well preserved and the same can be said about their culture and traditions. There is also the famous “Samurai Road” that is scenic and should interest people who enjoy traveling along mountain trails. Watch and enjoy the video below.
#5 A Look Back At Stardust Of Las Vegas – The first time I visited Las Vegas was in 1989, and I saw the Stardust Resort and Casino while riding the car. I never had the chance visit Stardust but I noticed its appearances on TV and movies. Opened in 1958 and closed in 2006, Stardust was indeed a lively establishment of the Las Vegas trip having attracted lots of tourists and gamblers. Its legacy, however, is not very pretty as there were lots of criminal elements and scandals that happened behind the scenes. To learn about the history of Stardust, watch the video below.
Welcome back my readers, YouTube viewers and all others who followed this series of articles focused on YouTube videos worth watching. Have you been searching for something fun or interesting to watch on YouTube? Do you feel bored right now and you crave for something to see on the world’s most popular online video destination?
I recommend you check out the following videos I found.
#1 Tremors Revisited And Explained – By today’s standards, Tremors is a classic among monster movies (AKA creature features) Hollywood released. With the way it was written and presented, Tremors is always fun to watch again. I have seen it many times and yet it is worth repeating from start to finish. Behind the scenes, there were a lot of stuff, adjustments and unexpected developments that happened during production. If you wish to see such stuff, watch and learn from the Tremors videos of Represent This below.
#2 A Look At Excalibur In Las Vegas –I never had the opportunity to visit Excalibur in Las Vegas. During its first several years of operation, Excalibur welcomed countless tourists with its fantasy-themed atmosphere, designs, facilities and entertainment. Imagine having a meal while watching two knights riding horses and performing a joust in front of you. Imagine seeing members of the hotel staff wearing fantasy costumes. Like Circus Circus Hotel and Casino, Excalibur was a fine hotel that catered to families while still having casinos for gamblers. To learn more about what Excalibur was and what made it stand out among the hotels of Las Vegas, watch the video below.
#3 Meals At The Expressway In Japan – How often do you stop for a meal when traveling along a major highway? In many parts of the world, highways or expressways have clusters of gas stations, convenience stores, groceries and restaurants for travelers who need some relief from the stress of long travel. For many travelers, traveling far while being hungry can be a problem. In recent times, Nippon TV posted a video about meals and food items that travelers can find along expressways and the variety is interesting to see. Watch and learn from the video below.
#4 Cleopatra Movie Revisited – Way back in 1963, the movie Cleopatra starring Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton was released. The historical epic was made at a staggering cost of $44 million which was almost three times more expensive than 1959’s Ben-Hur. Behind the scenes, 20th Century Fox was in very deep financial trouble and many hard business risks were taken to make Cleopatra. Elizabeth Taylor, who signed a record-setting $1 million contract for the film, had health problems that added to the delay of the production. The film even lost its original movie director. To learn more about the history and the behind-the-scenes intrigue of Cleopatra, watch the video below.
#5 Innerspace Revisited – Innerspace (stylized as InnerSpace) from 1987 is a fun movie to watch and it has fine performances from Dennis Quaid, Meg Ryan and Martin Short. That said, it is not surprising to see Innerspace featured in reaction videos and retrospective videos by YouTubers. For your enjoyment, watch the videos below.
#6 Breath Of Fire Retrospective – When Breath of Fire was first released in 1993, it was a surprising Japanese role-playing game (JRPG) as it had a somewhat fresh concept and it was released by Capcom (already famous for fighting games). The first game was successful enough to convince Capcom to make sequels (released on other game consoles as technology evolved) achieving varying degrees of critical and commercial success. Going back to the original game, some wondered what made it notable and how the game came to be. To find out the history of Breath of Fire and what its story was about, watch the video below.
Welcome back my readers, YouTube viewers and all others who followed this series of articles focused on YouTube videos worth watching. Have you been searching for something fun or interesting to watch on YouTube? Do you feel bored right now and you crave for something to see on the world’s most popular online video destination?
I recommend you check out the following videos I found.
#1 Dawn Of The Dead Remake Revisited – Back in 2004, I saw the Dawn of the Dead remake inside a cinema located inside a shopping mall here in the Philippines. The Zack Snyder-directed film only inspired me to look for the 1978 original version of Dawn of the Dead directed by the late George Romero. The only thing the two films have in common is the concept of desperate people taking refuge inside a shopping mall during a zombie apocalypse. Zack Snyder’s film was more about violent action with horror elements blended with it. As Snyder went on to direct high-profile DC Comics superhero movies and produced other such projects of Warner Bros., it was natural for film buffs to gravitate to 2004’s Dawn of Dead which was his directorial debut. To learn more about the said remake and see the cinematic elements that formed the style of Snyder, watch the videos below.
#2 Premium Sushi, Hearty Tempura And Wagyu Beef For Breakfast In Japan –If you were traveling overseas, how hungry do you get when you start the day? Would you go for a simple and affordable breakfast or would you want something special in the morning? In Tokyo, there are these food joints that offer customers a luxurious breakfast with Wagyu beef, special tempura and premium sushi to name some. Already, local and foreign tourists are flocking to such food joints for the premium breakfast experience and you can learn more from the Nippon TV videos below.
#3 The Different Versions Of Final Fantasy VI – Among all the many Final Fantasy games released since 1987, Final Fantasy VI is still my favorite of them all. I first played the classic Japanese role-playing game (JRPG) on Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES) in 1994 which was titled “Final Fantasy III”, and it has a great epic story, a huge cast of playable characters, lots of unique gameplay features and great game design. Through the decades, Final Fantasy VI was ported to many consoles, mobile devices and even on personal computer. You might be wondering which version of Final Fantasy VI is the best in terms of visual quality, which one is the most available and which one is the most updated version. That said, you can find out by watching the video below.
#4 Castlevania II: Simon’s Quest Revisited – When Castlevania II: Simon’s Quest was first released on the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) in 1987, many fans who enjoyed the first game were alienated by how different the sequel felt, looked and played. It still was horror-themed 2D adventure game with Simon Belmont as the playable protagonist again but the creative team of Konami implemented role-playing elements and open-world exploration into the gameplay. Major game design changes aside, Castlevania II still has a lot more than meets the eye and you can find out by watching the video below. Surely it will challenge what you know about Simon Belmont and the Castlevania lore.
#5 Why Feminists Support Islam – Let’s be very clear here. Islam is a truly ugly religion and it is incompatible not only with Western democracy and values, but also with several other cultures around the world. The strange thing is that modern-day feminists actually support Islam even though the ugly religion itself goes against women’s rights, against personal liberty and against freedom as we know it. In the video below, Ayaan Hirsi Ali explains in detail why mainstream feminists today support Islam, why feminism today is very twisted and why feminists even aligned themselves with Islamic terrorists.
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 videos I found.
#1 Timecop Revisited – I am not a fan of Jean-Claude Van Damme but his 1994 movie Timecop managed to entertain me when I first saw it on home video. After watching it, I learned that it was based on the Timecop literary property and stories published by Dark Horse Comics. Directed by Peter Hyams, Timecop ended up as one of the better movies of JCVD and it even has its own fanbase. If you want to discover more about the cinematic Timecop, watch the videos posted below.
#2 Inhumanoids Revisited –I remember seeing some episodes of the animated TV series Inhumanoids on local TV and I can say it was easily the most bizarre and even shocking thing to watch. Inhumanoid has a very dark and even cynical tone, and it had gruesome scenes which were really disturbing to see. Behind the scenes, Inhumanoids was animated by Japan-based Toei and involved Hasbro, Sunbro and even Marvel Productions. To find out what made Inhumanoids so disturbing, watch the video below and pay attention to the details.
#3 Luxurious Breakfast Spots In Tokyo – Have you ever thought about having a luxurious breakfast while traveling overseas? In Tokyo, Japan’s most famous city, there are indeed places where visitors can have breakfast with the premium experience. These luxurious places have something unique to offer to customers who have more than enough money to spend for the morning meal. Watch and learn from the Nippon TV video below.
#4 Remember The Rotoscoped Lord Of The Rings – Decades before Peter Jackson and his team rocked the world of moviegoers with memorable Lord of the Rings film trilogy, an animated LOTR was actually made. I am talking about the 1978 rotoscoped animated film The Lord of The Rings directed by Ralph Bakshi which I first saw on home video after seeing Peter Jackson’s LOTR. I found the 1978 LOTR a really unique animated viewing experience and it definitely involved a lot of production work without any use of computers. To find out more about the animated LOTR film, watch the video below.
#5 You, Me and The Movies React To Can’t Hardly Wait – When Can’t Hardly Wait was shown in cinemas in 1998, it faded away as not enough moviegoers were attracted watch it. However, the movie did not fade into obscurity and it actually got new fans as it was discovered on home video, cable TV, pay-per-view and streaming. More importantly, the movie itself was pretty funny the cast led by Jennifer Love Hewitt delivered fine performances as teenagers. Slowly but surely, new retrospective videos about Can’t Hardly Wait are emerging on YouTube and the most entertaining video is the reaction by You, Me and The Movies which I encourage you to watch right now.
#6 Square Enix In The 2000s – Back in the 1990s, Squaresoft and Enix were separate Japanese gaming companies that released a lot of Japanese role-playing games (KRPGs) which entertained many millions of gamers. Square was famous for the best-selling Final Fantasy games while Enix had the wildly popular Dragon Quest franchise. In the 2000s, a series of changes happened in the video game industry and the two companies merged into Square Enix. Since then, a lot of Final Fantasy and Dragon Quest games with evolved designs and styles of presentation were released under a single publisher. There is a lot more to discover what happened behind the scenes as documented in the in-depth video below from Gaming Broductions.
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 videos I found.
#1 Discover Shiriyaki Onsen In Japan’s Kanto Region – Japan has a lot of wonderful sites and special places of nature that are worth visiting. Within the Kanto region (which contains Tokyo) is the wonderful place called Shiriyaki Onsen which stands out nicely among the hot springs there. Nippon TV recently produced a feature of the place and you can find out more by watching the video below.
#2 Disasters That Hit Cruise Ships And Troubled The Passengers –Spending days at sea on a cruise ship can be a nice way of having a vacation with momentum. However, bad weather conditions can ruin such vacations. Worse, the cruise could turn into bouts of danger and already there have been cruise ships that got hit hard with bad weather at sea which in turn placed the passengers in deep danger. Even as they are inside the cruise ship during powerful storms and big waves at sea, passengers and the crew have to deal with interior damage, falling debris and furniture that moved a lot. You can learn about what happened to the unfortunate ones at sea by watching the video below.
#3 You, Me and the Movies React To Orca: The Killer Whale – When Steven Spielberg and Universal Pictures struck box office gold with Jaws in 1975, it was not surprising that many filmmakers and producers scrambled to cash in on the “creature feature” trend of movies at that time. Indeed, there were imitations or “monster movies” that were inspired by Jaws released during the late 1970s. One of those films was Orca: The Killer Whale (AKA Orca) which had a lot of similarities with Spielberg’s massive blockbuster due to it featuring an aquatic monster and having the sea as the main environment. Still, Orca has certain creative elements that made it stand out in a very disturbing way and its cast has Richard Harris, Charlotte Rampling and Bo Derek. To find out about Orca, watch the movie reaction video below.
#4 The Monster Squad Revisited – What can be said about The Monster Squad? The 1987 movie directed by Fred Dekker was a failure in the American box office and yet it still has a dedicated fan base. A lot of people who support the movie point to its monster lineup composed of horror movie icons like Dracula, Frankenstein’s monster, the mummy, the wolfman and the creature from the black lagoon. As such, it is not surprising to see YouTubers make retrospective features and reaction/review videos about The Monster Squad which have been posted below for your viewing.
#5 The Many Ports Of Final Fantasy IV – Since it was first released in Japan on the Super Famicom, Final Fantasy IV became a critical and commercial success. It was released on the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES) in America titled as “Final Fantasy II” which further expanded the game’s reach with many gamers who don’t understand Japanese. Furthermore, the classic Japanese role-playing game (JRPG) was ported to multiple systems through the decades and it even had a 3D polygonal remake on the Nintendo DS. To find out the many ports of Final Fantasy IV and which ones stood out technically and visually, watch and learn from the video below.
#6 Ranting For Vengeance Hits Woke Hijackers On Resident Evil – Let us be very clear here. The woke/socialist/LGBTQ/commie/SJW mob cannot help but be very loud with their twisted ideology and they simply cannot stop themselves from literally hijacking pop culture as we know it. In this case, the Leftists are trying to claim the Resident Evil games franchise for themselves and they are only getting worse as the release of Resident Evil Requiem moves closer. In response to this, Ranting For Vengeance posted three RE-related videos, slammed the woke mob and exposed who the fake fans are. You can find out more by watching his videos 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 to the 1990s, particularly on role-playing games (RPGs) from the East and the West. This is the RPG Special!
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 to the 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. Phantasie North American and Japanese Print Ads
The North American print ad.
The Japanese print ad.
Released by Strategic Simulations in the mid-1980s, Phantasie was a fantasy role-playing game that became a huge commercial success paving the way for not only ports on other computer systems of the time but also sequels later. The ad they came up with for the North American market had strong fantasy vibes and the screenshots gave readers the impression that it looked playable or user friendly. For the Japanese market, Phantasie was ported to the MSX system and they came up with an ad using radically different art work that had a horror vibe.
2. Phantasy Star Japanese Print Ad
Phantasy Star in the Japanese print ad sharing the spotlight with After Burner.
In the 1980s, role-playing games started gaining popularity with Japanese console gamers and there were game developers who were inspired by established RPGs from the West. Enix released two Dragon Quest games and each of them sold a lot of copies on Nintendo’s Family Computer (Famicom). At the time, Sega already had the Master System (called the SG-1000 and its variants with revisions) in the console market and they were way behind Nintendo on hardware sales. Knowing there is a market for console RPGs, Sega went on to make their exclusive RPG Phantasy Star. In 1987, a print ad was released showing Phantasy Star sharing the spotlight with Sega’s blockbuster game After Burner in the background. While the ad felt a bit disorienting to see, the game achieved much-needed success for Sega which in turn brought the game to the Master System in America in 1988. The game sold more and eventually led to sequels in the years that followed.
3. Ultima III Japanese Print Ad
Remember the old days when anime or comic book-style artwork was used to promote games in the Japanese print media?
Released in Japan under the title Ultima: Kyoufu no Exodus, Ultima III: Exodus was a breakthrough for the series as the Famicom version marked the first console release for Japanese gamers (note: the game was also offered for MSX and other computer systems in the country). The anime-style artwork used for the print ad is the same virtually the same with the front cover of Famicom version. Very notably, the art on the covers of the PC-88 and PC-98 versions were different.
4. Lunar: The Silver Star Japanese Print Ad
Game Arts’ Lunar: The Silver Star as advertized in Japanese magazines.
By the 1990s, console RPGs were very popular as franchises like Dragon Quest and Final Fantasy each released sequels that sold a lot of copies. The company Game Arts decided to make a role-playing game which can tell stories better using animation with voiceovers and music while being very playable and enjoyable. They came up with Lunar: The Silver Star and released it on the Mega-CD add-on (connected with the Mega Drive console of Sega) in 1992. As such, it was not surprising to see the print ad having anime-style artwork as the game itself had several minutes of anime cutscenes complete with audio. As most Japanese role-playing games (JRPGs) did not have playable anime cutscenes for storytelling, Lunar: The Silver Star really stood out. Sometime later, the small American company Working Designs would handle the game’s English version and start a healthy business relationship with Game Arts.
5. Dungeons & Dragons: Warriors of the Eternal Sun North American Print Ad
A print ad that strongly appealed to both Sega Genesis gamers as well as fans of Dungeons & Dragons.
By the year 1992, the fantasy games franchise Dungeons & Dragons was wildly popular as players around the world kept enjoying the tabletop RPG modules (using dice, pen paper) as well as many computer and video games already available. Sega acquired a D&D license and eventually released Dungeons & Dragons: Warriors of the Eternal Sun exclusively on their Genesis console in 1992. To promote it, Sega produced a 2-page print ad that had one half showing the game’s box placed with jewelry while using the other half to show the screenshots, descriptive text and other details. The way it was presented, the print ad was cleverly structured to attract the attention of Sega Genesis gamers as well as Dungeons & Dragons fans. The game ended up as the first and only official D&D product for the console.
6. Shadow Sorcerer North American Print Ad
This is one of many Dungeons & Dragons computer games released. The use of painted art for marketing was done many times.
In the history of the Dungeons & Dragons franchise and electronic gaming, it was on computers where the more ambitious and more intricate licensed games were played by many fans. In 1991, the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons (AD&D) electronic game Shadow Sorcerer was released on MS-DOS PC, Amiga and the Atari ST. The painted artwork used on the print ad was virtually the same as that on the box covers of the MS-DOS and Amiga versions. I can only guess that the ad markers must have paid a lot of money on the painted art and decided to use it for both marketing and packaging since it looked so detailed.
7. Estopolis Denki Japanese Print Ad
The 2-page Japanese print ad of Estopolis Denki.
In 1993, a brand-new Japanese developer called Neverland was established and its first project was the fantasy role-playing game Estopolis Denki for the Super Family Computer (Super Famicom). That same year, publisher Taito released the game and they promoted it with a 2-page print ad that featured a whimsical looking hand-drawn art work on one half and utilized the other half with details, screenshots and part of the art that was used on the game’s Super Famicom box cover. While Japanese game sales are not available, it seems Estopolis Denki sold enough to convince the publisher to release the game in North America as Lufia & The Fortress of Doom.
8. Lufia & The Fortress of Doom North American Print Ad
If you were able to play Lufia & The Fortress of Doom on the SNES, were you able to see this ad in a comic book or in a magazine?
Upon release in America in late 1993, Taito scored gold as Lufia & The Fortress of Doom on the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES or Super NES) became a critical and commercial success. In fact, it literally gained steam during the early months of availability and ended up as the top-selling SNES game in America for the month of February of 1994. Take note that at this particular point of time, RPGs on game consoles in America were not yet in high demand as gamers’ tastes were different. When it comes to the marketing, Taito came up with a single-page print ad showing fantasy artwork, the game’s box cover and the published quotes from game critics who gave the game positive reviews. This is smart marketing on the part of Taito.
9. Record of Lodoss War Japanese Print Ad
The Japanese print ad of Record of Lodoss War for Super Famicom.
Have you ever heard of the Record of Lodoss War fantasy franchise? That one started as a series of fantasy novels by Ryo Mizuno who previously worked on an RPG project. Record of Lodoss War was eventually adapted into comics, anime and video games. One of those games was released on the Super Famicom in December 1995 published by Kadokawa Shoten which in turn made the one-page print ad for the Japanese market. Using established art from the anime OVA (original video animation) series was a strategic move by the publisher as millions of Japanese people viewed it. Unsurprisingly, the art on the ad is almost the same as the one displayed on the game box cover.
10. Fallout North American Print Ad
A gritty looking print ad of the original Fallout PC game.
In my gaming life, I played Fallout 3, Fallout 4 and Fallout: New Vegas on Xbox consoles. When the first-ever Fallout game was released in 1997, I did not notice it as I was more into console gaming than PC gaming. The above print ad appeared is several PC gaming magazines and it clearly shows what it offered which gamers eventually ended up enjoying a lot. The mechanical helmet – protection for the user during battles and from radiation in the nuclear wasteland – on the left side of the ad became a key symbol of the Fallout franchise as further games also featured mechanical helmets. Fallout was highly acclaimed for featuring open-ended gameplay and its immersive post-apocalyptic setting. It sold enough copies to convince publisher Interplay to proceed with a sequel and the rest was history.
11. Xenogears Japanese and North American Print Ad
Japanese advertisement of Xenogears.
This North American print ad of Xenogears clearly showed the main character, a robot, the sci-fi setting and the visual style of the game.
Xenogears was a sci-fi JRPG I played on the PlayStation in 1998 but I was unable to finish it. Before it was released in America, there was speculation that Squaresoft would not be able to produce an English version for international release due to its religious content. The game was highly challenging to translate into English due to religious themes and psychological elements. Regardless, the game achieved successes commercially and critically in both Japan and America. Xenogears has since been considered by many as a classic JRPG and to play it today is pretty challenging as an existing PlayStation One, PlayStation 3 or PlayStation Vita is required as well as the physical PlayStation disc itself (note: digital copy of Xenogears for PS Vita). Square Enix – which previously remastered Chrono Cross and several Final Fantasy games for modern gaming platforms – has yet to remaster Xenogears for those with modern game consoles, mobile devices and the PC.
12. Final Fantasy Anthology Print Ad
I remember seeing this 2-page print ad in many gaming magazines I read.
By the year 1999, Squaresoft established itself as the best role-playing game company as they achieved critical and commercial success with Final Fantasy VII in 1997, Brave Fencer Musashi, Parasite Eve and Xenogears in 1998. For 1999, Squaresoft decided to bring ports Final Fantasy V and Final Fantasy VI – both games were released in cartridge format on Super Famicom/Super NES some years prior – to their fans who owned PlayStation consoles by releasing the collection called Final Fantasy Anthology. For the North American market, Squaresoft aggressively promoted the 2-game collection with the above 2-page print ad on several video game publications. One half featured exquisite artwork by Yoshitaka Amano and the other half showed the screenshots, descriptions and details. Clearly the ad was made with Final Fantasy fans in mind and it was also clever with the use of nostalgia.
13. Final Fantasy VII North American Print Ad
While it did not show any of the characters, this 2-page print ad of Final Fantasy VII appeared in many gaming magazines and ultimately made the public aware of the game which went on to sell millions.
There is no denying that Final Fantasy VII is the most defining Japanese RPG of the 1990s. Given its huge pre-release promotions, the critical acclaim and the tremendous sales achieved in North America and Europe, the game arguably made the JRPG sub-genre more popular among gamers and game publishers while also making the original PlayStation console the must-have machine for video gaming. The above print ad is one of several released through print media and even though it did not show any characters, the image of a futuristic looking city caught the attention of not just gamers but also others who loved entertainment.
Welcome back Xbox fans, Japanese role-playing game (JRPG) enthusiasts, Final Fantasy fans and fellow geeks!
Over a week ago, Square Enix officially releasedFinal Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade for Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S plus Windows PC and Xbox Cloud Gaming. For Xbox gamers who love JRPGs and the Final Fantasy games franchise, this development marked the end of a years-long wait for the big budget remake of Final Fantasy VII to be released on their consoles.
This is Aerith Gainsborough in the big-budget remake?
There are multiple reasons why FF7 Remake will have sold well on Xbox, even beyond the fact that it’s one of the most requested Xbox releases of the past few years. For one, it’s available at the pretty low launch price of just £39.99 / $39.99, and as a “limited early” bonus, it even comes with the original version of Final Fantasy 7 as well. Don’t forget it’s an Xbox Play Anywhere title too, which means you get a free PC version when buying it on console.
Meanwhile, Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade co-director Naoki Hamaguchi expressed his happiness that Xbox gamers are enjoying the game and he already confirmed that the remaining chapters of the Final Fantasy VII Remake trilogy will be released on Xbox. Read his Twitter post below.
Final Fantasy VII Legacy and Cultural Significance
Historically, the original Final Fantasy VII was released on PlayStation in 1997 and it became a massive commercial juggernaut which arguably made the JRPG more popular among Western gamers. Characters like Cloud Strife, Barret Wallace, Tifa Lockhart, Aerith Gainsborough, and Yuffie Kisaragi became wildly popular not only among Final Fantasy fans but with JRPG enthusiasts. Sephiroth meanwhile became one of the most defining villains of video gaming.
Battles in the game are often fast, intense and filled with visual spectacle.
The road to the big budget remake was a long one and it eventually Final Fantasy VII Remake was released as an exclusive game on PlayStation 4 in 2020. A year later, the upgraded version called Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade was released on PlayStation 5.
Xbox gamers who purchase Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade can expect the following: Quests, mini-games, and missions set in expanded areas of Midgar. There are also some new characters and content that adds even more depth to the story.
The main cast in Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade.
Author Carlo Carrasco 