Tag: Ellen Ripley

Retro Gaming Ads Blast – Part 3

Retro Gaming Ads Blast – Part 3

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Welcome back readers, fellow geeks and electronic gaming fans!

In this edition of the Retro Gaming Ads Blast (RGAB) series, we will examine print ads from the 1980s and 1990s that caught my attention and I will explain why they are worth look back at.

For the newcomers reading this, Retro Gaming Ads Blast (RGAB) looks back at the many print ads of games (console, arcade, computer and handheld) that were published in comic books, magazines, flyers and newspapers long before smartphones, social media, the worldwide web and streaming became popular. To put things in perspective, people back in the 1980s and 1990s were more trusting of print media for game details and images.

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

1. Japanese print ad of Super Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back

Do you know any Star Wars fan who is aware of the error in this Japanese print ad of Super Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back?

Back in 1993, the sequel Super Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back was released on the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES) in the West and on the Super Famicom in Japan. Having played all three Super Star Wars game, I can say that this sequel was a huge improvement over its predecessor technically and also with gameplay (read my retro review by clicking here).

Like its predecessor, the game was released in Japan by JVC Musical Industries and in the above Japanese market print ad, the marketing team wisely used the game’s official artwork to give gamers a clear view of the concept derived from the 1980 movie plus a few screenshots showing gameplay. What I find hilarious to read is the line (highlighted in red and all capitalized no less): MAY THE FORCE WITH YOU. Clearly someone from the Japanese marketing team who prepared that line lacked English proficiency or might not have watched the movies dubbed in English. In the 1977 movie, Han Solo said to Luke, “May the Force be with you.”  

2.  Spider-Man (Atari 2600) print ad

This is an entertaining way to promote a video game based on a comic book icon.

We are back again with the Parker Brothers company and their promotion of the Spider-Man video game for the Atari 2600 which I myself played long ago. Unlike before, the print ad this time was mainly about the Spider-Man game and somehow Parker Brothers coordinated with Marvel Comics to make a comic book-inspired ad. In the above print ad, Spider-Man was shown playing the game about him with an Atari 2600 controller and console, and the Green Goblin taunts him as he plays. This type of ad is a stroke of genius because it shows the Marvel Comics’ icon as a player and the gameplay was emphasized accurately. Even if viewers are not too fond of video games, they can still find themselves interested in reading the literary adventures of Spider-Man.

3. Advanced Dungeons & Dragons: Treasure of Tarmin print ad

Apart from emphasizing the fantasy concept of the Dungeons & Dragons franchise, this print ad’s hand-drawn art was strong enough to spark viewers’ curiosity and make them interested in the game or even in the Intellivision console.

Here is a print ad I saw many times while reading comic books in 1983. The game at hand is Advanced Dungeons & Dragons: Treasure of Tarmin released on the Intellivision, and it is the sequel to Cloudy Mountain. Like the ad of its predecessor, the above print ad relied heavily on the spectacle of fantasy (and even a bit of horror) by having hand-drawn art as the eye candy promoting Advanced Dungeons & Dragons: Treasure of Tarmin. If you look closely, only one screenshot from the game was shown and it was enough to tell gamers that the new game has a completely different visual presentation from that of Cloudy Mountain. Considering the primitive nature of computer graphics and game design of the era, having detailed comic book-inspired artwork was effective to grab viewers’ attention with the intention to make them interested in buying the game. In today’s age of computer graphics and social media, this type of ad for video games is rare to see.

4. G.I. Joe: Cobra Strike print ad

The G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero franchise’s early entry into video games.

Going back to Parker Brothers, the company developed and published the first-ever licensed game of the G.I. Joe franchise – G.I. Joe: Cobra Strike for the Atari 2600. In promoting the game, a 2-page ad was released with comic book-style art work (featuring Cobra Commander and Duke representing different sides) dominating the space, with descriptive text and a hand-drawn illustration of the gameplay (read: not a real screenshot) as well as the game box flling the remaining space. In my personal experience, I saw this ad before I even got to watch an episode of the popular G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero animated TV series, and before I got to read an issue the related comic book series (which started before the TV series). Looking back at the above print ad, I can still remember the time when I was puzzled by the two characters simply because I was not yet familiar with them. Take note that the video game and the ad were released at a time when the G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero started rising quickly in popularity on toys, comic books and animation.  

5. Alien 3 (SNES) print ad

This print ad appeared in several comic books I read in 1993.

Way back in 1992, I had one of the most depressing cinema viewing experiences with Alien 3 which had a very troublesome production and lacked a solid foundation behind its creativity. Then in the summer of 1993, print ads of the video game Alien 3 for Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES) appeared in several comic books I read at the time. The above print ad was actually entertaining to look at. For one thing, the ad makers used three wide layers of screenshots from the game depicting different areas. Then I noticed the details which showed there were more aliens for gamers to encounter (versus only one in the movie) and the playable lead character Ellen Ripley was armed with guns (versus no guns in the movie) being able to fight the monsters. Not only that, the ad makers knew the specific details from the Alien film franchise which is reflected in the ad referencing the Face-hugger aliens, the acid from the creatures and, of course, the alien eggs. To this day, there are old-time gamers who found the Alien 3 SNES game more entertaining than the movie.

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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

A Look Back at Aliens vs. Predator #4 (1990)

A Look Back at Aliens vs. Predator #4 (1990)

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Disclaimer: This is my original work with details sourced from reading the comic book and doing personal research. Anyone who wants to use this article, in part or in whole, needs to secure first my permission and agree to cite me as the source and author. Let it be known that any unauthorized use of this article will constrain the author to pursue the remedies under R.A. No. 8293, the Revised Penal Code, and/or all applicable legal actions under the laws of the Philippines.

Welcome back superhero enthusiasts, 1990s culture enthusiasts and comic book collectors! Today we go back to the year 1990 to take a close look at one of the more significant non-superhero crossover comic book events ever published – Aliens vs. Predator!

In my previous review, things changed for the worse for the humans as their colonial community gets overwhelmed by the presence of Aliens and Predators. Risking her own life, Machiko Noguchi does what she could to protect her constituents. Along the way, one certain Predator that was restrained and examined in the laboratory eerily decides to help the humans.  

With those details laid down, here is a look back at Aliens vs. Predator #4, published in 1990 by Dark Horse Comics with a story written by Randy Stradley and drawn by Phill Norwood. This is the final issue of the mini-series.

The cover.

Early story

The story begins with Noguchi and Miriam flying in a Copter and right below them is the chaos composed of a cattle stampede and the ongoing conflict between Alien Xenomorphs and the armed Predators. While flying, Noguchi and Miriam spot a lone Predator climbing up a tower while fighting off several Xenomorphs chasing him unrelentingly. It turns out the said Predator was Miriam’s own patient at the laboratory and she urges Noguchi to help him.

As part of the tower separates itself, the Predator is about to fall down and the Copter piloted by Noguchi comes closer to help him. Miriam uses a communicator to help the Predator realize they are helping him. As the Predator hangs on to one part of the Copter, an Alien jumps towards the vehicle causing Noguchi to react instinctively by jerking the controls. The Copter then spins on its axis as the nearby tower collapses.

The Copter begins to fall down on the street below…  

Quality

Even as this comic book is packed with lots of action scenes, thrills, and Aliens-Predator fights, the creative team succeeded in emphasizing the narrative all throughout.

I am delighted to say that the Stradley-Norwood duo succeeded with maintaining the high quality works of this mini-series and concluded it with impact. At the heart of the story is the theme of survival with the humans being symbolized as casualties of a raging conflict between the fully determined and instinctive Aliens and the strategic and technological Predators.  

Through the protagonist Machiko Noguchi, readers will realize that as a species, humans can survive not only by having a powerful will to progress backed with focus, but also by communicating and cooperating with an intelligent non-human species that shares their traits. In this case, the non-human species I’m referring to are the Predators. That being said, the Aliens are the non-human species with limited intelligence, fully determined to hunt anyone or anything, and absolutely do not care about morals nor the existence of any species they find different from themselves. All the symbolism about the three species got portrayed powerfully and creatively throughout the story here.

As before, the plot moved at a medium pace and details are emphasized through dialogue, visuals and narrations without ever dragging the pace down. This shows how the creative team proved to be efficient with explaining the details as they focused on telling the story in ways to keep readers engaged.

I should mention that the protagonist Machiko Noguchi became even more significant in this comic book. Without spoiling the details, I can say she blossomed into a heroic figure who risks her life to help many even as she faces tremendous odds. In case you are wondering, Noguchi is NOT a rip-off of Ellen Ripley as she is the colonial overseer dedicated to the corporation. It just so happens that Noguchi shares common traits with the cinematic icon such as bravery, the refusal to give up and having the will to help others even while risking her own life. I can only imagine Ripley and Noguchi conflicting with each other if they were together under normal circumstances.

Noguchis’s short but intense union with the cooperative Predator was told very believably which added depth to the story as well as impact on the conclusion.

As this is the final issue of the mini-series, the creative team really ramped up the big-payoff to what was built up before. In fact, the final conflict here seems to show that Stradley and Norwood were aware about what made the cinematic final conflicts of Aliens (1986) and Predator (1987) entertaining and memorable to moviegoers. That being said, I can say that certain action and sci-fi elements from those movies were implemented in this comic book’s final conflict which I found really engaging, inspired and fun to read.

Conclusion

The union between Machiko Noguchi and this particular Predator is a must-read!

Aliens vs. Predator #4 (1990) is truly a great comic book as well as a powerful conclusion to this very significant comic book mini-series. The creative team not only told the whole storyline with great quality, a steady pace and strong engagement all throughout. It is also here where you will get to see Machiko Noguchi become very significant not only within the Aliens-Predator comic book universe of Dark Horse Comics but in sci-fi comics in general. The ending of this comic book is very powerful and served also as a big pay-off to what preceded it. This is a genuine sci-fi comic book classic!

Overall, Aliens vs. Predator #4 (1990) is highly recommended!

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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

A Look Back at Superman vs. Aliens #2 (1995)

A Look Back at Superman vs. Aliens #2 (1995)

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Disclaimer: This is my original work with details sourced from reading the comic book and doing personal research. Anyone who wants to use this article, in part or in whole, needs to secure first my permission and agree to cite me as the source and author. Let it be known that any unauthorized use of this article will constrain the author to pursue the remedies under R.A. No. 8293, the Revised Penal Code, and/or all applicable legal actions under the laws of the Philippines.

Welcome back superhero enthusiasts, 1990s culture enthusiasts and comic book collectors! Today we go back to the year 1995 to examine another chapter of the Superman vs. Aliens mini-series.

In my previous retro review, an object from space on Earth and Superman (who previously as Clark Kent learned of the Kryptonian language from the signals transmitted by the object) intervened the discovery of it in the presence of Lexcorp. After much talk and an agreement, Superman went into space with one of Lexcorp’s space ships (under the watch of Dr. Kimble who leads the corporation’s space division) leaving behind Lois Lane at the space station with Kimble. Deep in space, Superman arrives and discovers a ruined city with physical signs of struggle. What he does not realize is the presence of eggs and the Xenomorphs lurking within the new environment.

With those details laid down, here is a look back at Superman vs. Aliens , published in 1995 by Dark Horse Comics and DC Comics with a story written and drawn by Dan Jurgens with ink work done by Kevin Nowlan.

The cover.

Early story

The story begins in space when a space ship sent home by Superman is about to collide with the space station near Earth. As one of the crew members failed to take remote control of the incoming ship, a very determined Dr. Kimble takes over the controls and eventually took command of the said ship. Lois Lane, who showed signs of self-restraint and deterioration of her professionalism as a journalist, watches. As Kimble, Lane and the crew members approach the ship at the station’s docking bay, one passenger was found dead (a Chestburster alien came out of him) while three others were still alive.

As Dr. Kimble and personnel brought the surviving passengers in the infirmary, Lois Lane takes advantage of the situation by climbing up the ship to examine it closely. She knows that without the ship, her beloved Clark Kent/Superman is stranded in space. She is completely unaware of the presence of a fully grown Xenomorph alien watching her from a dark corner.

Meanwhile at the ruined city on the other side of the galaxy, a blindfolded Superman is carefully guided by the armed Kara going to a place that has medical equipment and supplies…

Quality

Lois Lane during her encounter with the Xenomorph inside the space station.

This is a solid follow-up to what was established in issue . In this comic book, the creative team gradually raised the stakes as two sides of the story were told extensively in alternating fashion – the side of Superman and Kara in deep space, and the other side of Lois Lane and Dr. Kimble (clearly the 3rd most important character in this mini-series) inside the space station.

As the story went on, Superman became even more vulnerable not only because he grew weaker as he has been cut off from the sun (a primary source of energy for him), but also because struggling with the aliens wore him down a lot and he still insists on avoiding any acts of killing due to what happened to him previously. As the Man of Steel became more vulnerable, Kara (who is experienced already in fighting the Xenomorphs which she referred to as the uglies) became an even more significant character (next to Dr. Kimble) and she became a highly essential partner for the icon.

Even for us readers, Kara creatively became even more engaging as she shared memories of events (note: exposition) that happened sometime prior which explains why her city got ruined and how the Aliens arrived and made her people’s problems even worse. The visualization of the said events were efficiently done for a good immersion into the past.  

While the Superman-Kara thread emphasized survival facing tremendous odds, the Lois-Kimble thread became a more significant part of this mini-series as the space station became the new place for Xenomorph attacks. While Dr. Kimble remained obsessed with achieving results with scientific discoveries and corporate interests in mind, Lois Lane became the hunted similar in the style of Ellen Ripley in 1979’s Alien.

If you are looking for action, you will find a lot of them in both threads of the story. While just one Xenomorph on the space station led to some incidental action moments, a lot more action happened on Superman-Kara’s side of the story as they (along with a few human survivors on the ruined city) faced a huge horde of aliens that kept on attacking them from all sides. If you are looking for superhero spectacle, you won’t find it here as the action is more grounded with sci-fi’s interpretation of reality and Superman here is weaker and a lot more worn down physically. Then again, this is not surprising given the tone and concept the creators aimed for.

Conclusion

Superman and Kara struggling hard as they are surrounded by lots of Aliens. One of Kara’s fellow people is present in this shot.

Superman vs. Aliens (1995) is really engaging to read and there were lots of fun moments along the way. Even as the creators were building up something for the third and final issue, they managed to pull off big pay-offs to what was built up in issue . While the lack of superhero-style spectacle is clear, it is not a problem at all as there is a lot of action involving the many Xenomorphs in the ruined city plus the bouts of suspense and incidental action executed during Lois Lane’s encounter with a single but deadly Alien. Considering how much fun and engagement this comic book has, it remains to be seen how the next issue will live up to it.

Overall, Superman vs. Aliens (1995) is highly recommended!

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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

Better than Streaming: Do you have Aliens 30th Anniversary Edition Blu-ray in your collection?

Better than Streaming: Do you have Aliens 30th Anniversary Edition Blu-ray in your collection?

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Welcome back, fellow geeks, Blu-ray collectors and movie buffs! Long before he went all-in with digital filmmaking and made the Avatar movies, James Cameron made a huge impact in the sci-fi action genre with the use of practical effects when they were still the standard in Hollywood filmmaking.    

After making waves with The Terminator in 1984, Cameron went on to make the sequel Aliens which became a huge success and remains a fine example of how to do sequels. To be very clear, the production of Aliens (which starred Sigourney Weaver who returned as Ellen Ripley) has a very detailed and colorful history about notable twists in Hollywood that connect it with The Terminator. As Arnold Schwarzenegger worked on a Conan sequel, production of The Terminator got delayed and along the way, Cameron – who got involved in the Alien sequel – used the extra time to make the script for Aliens (note: working title was Alien II) which was 90 pages long. That script was submitted to Fox’s then new president Larry Gordon who loved it and agreed to wait until Cameron completed The Terminator just so that he could direct Aliens.

Aliens was released in cinemas in 1986 and went on to gross over $130 million worldwide while winning mostly positive feedback from movie critics. When the film was shown on TV in 1989, a modified cut with additional scenes were shown. In 1991, the extended cut of Aliens was released on LaserDisc format and it was 20 minutes longer than the theatrical version.

In the year 2016, the 30th anniversary celebration of the movie happened with the release of a commemorative and feature-loaded Blu-ray and it contained the movie’s two cuts!

Aliens 30th Anniversary Edition Blu-ray.

On face value, the Aliens 30th Anniversary Edition Blu-ray is quite enticing to both movie fans and collectors as it contains the following content:

  • Theatrical Version and Special Edition of the movie (2 cuts)
  • NEW The Inspiration and Design of Aliens featurette
  • Deleted and Extended Scenes
  • Superior Firepower: Making Aliens
  • Superior Firepower: Making Aliens Enhancement
  • Pre-Production Galleries
    • The Art of Aliens
    • Gateway Station and Colony
    • Vehicles and Weapons
    • Aliens
  • Casting
    • Cast Portrait Gallery
  • Deleted Scene Montage
Look at all that stuff you will get with Aliens 30th Anniversary Edition Blu-ray! (photo source – Blu-ray.com)

Personally, I love watching Aliens which in my view is among the very best works of James Cameron and also the best movie of the entire Alien/Aliens film franchise. Through the decades I saw both the theatrical version and the special edition on different formats from video tape to LaserDisc, DVD and cable TV. The movie has Sigourney Weaver’s finest performance; a story that was crafted with a lot of inspiration; it has great action scenes, stunts and a very clever presentation of showing the Xenomorphs; it has very engaging music by the late James Horner; it has several moments of suspense that effectively served as build-ups for the action or intense pay-offs that followed; it has great creature effects by Stan Winston which proved to be an evolution of H.R. Giger’s designs; the Alien Queen was made possible by James Cameron and Stan Winston and ultimately became an essential addition into the Alien/Aliens lore; and ultimately this film moved the entire Alien/Aliens movie franchise forward creatively while respecting what was established in the first movie of 1979 (directed by Ridley Scott, written by Dan O’Bannon and Ronald Shusett).

Aliens also serves as a lively look back at the actors who made nice contributions. There was the late Bill Paxton who went on to appear in more films directed by James Cameron. There was The Terminator actor Michael Biehn who joined the film as a replacement. Lance Henriksen, who also appeared in The Terminator, played the new android Bishop which led to further appearances in two other films of the Alien film franchise.

As much as I love the movie, I have yet to acquire the Aliens 30th Anniversary Edition Blu-ray. In the back of my mind, a 4K Blu-ray release of Aliens could be announced suddenly and I have preference for 4K Blu-ray viewing. Be aware that already there is a 4K Blu-ray version of Alien in the market and even the hugely disappointing prequel Alien Covenant has a 4K Blu-ray release. With the woke Disney company in control of 20th Century Fox, there is no telling when will Aliens have a 4K Blu-ray version.

To know more about Aliens, watch the following videos below…

In case you are interested or if you have made up your mind, you can order a copy of Aliens 30th Anniversary Edition Blu-ray right now by clicking https://www.amazon.com/Aliens-Blu-ray/dp/B01I0K018W?tag=bluray-021-20&linkCode=ogi&th=1&psc=1&m=ATVPDKIKX0DER

If you wish to join a group of movie enthusiasts and talk about cinema, visit the Movie Fans Worldwide Facebook group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/322857711779576

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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