After enjoying the big reveals and surprises of the Xbox Games Showcase this past June, things went downhill in recent times. For one thing, I really don’t like the changes Microsoft is implementing on Xbox Game Pass (click here and here to learn the details). With regards to new Xbox stuff this year, the fantasy role-playing game Avowed has been delayed to February 2025 while Indiana Jones and The Great Circle still has no firm 2024 release date as of this writing.
When it comes to games I’ve been playing a lot with my Xbox Game Pass (XGP) subscription, Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes was recently patched but it still did not solve the game crashing and shutdown on my Xbox Series X. Rabbit & Bear and 505 Games still have a lot more work to be done to significantly fix and improve Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes on Xbox Series X.
My Xbox enjoyment improved when I started playing the original Grandia after purchasing Grandia HD Collection on the Xbox online store. For the newcomers reading this, Grandia HD Collectioncontains Grandia (released on PlayStation and Sega Saturn) and Grandia II (released on Dreamcast and PlayStaion 2) and those games have remastered visuals with high-definition TVs (HDTVs) in mind. In my experience, I played and finished Grandia on the original PlayStation console way back in 1999. I never played its sequel but will do so some time later.
As soon as I downloaded Grandia HD Collection on my Xbox Series X, I started playing Grandia for the first time in decades but with HD visuals and other refinements.
Developer Game Arts did amazing work creating the fantasy world and visual concepts that made Grandia a special game to play.
After watching a nice introduction (in animation), the story started with a short scene introducing Mullen, Lieutenant Leen and their superior General Baal. After that, the game’s focus shifted to the port town of Parm with a stylish floating camera sequence showcasing in real-time the polygonal location and the inhabitants (presented as detailed 2D animated bitmap sprites). Shortly after, the youngling Sue and the aspiring adventure Justin got introduced.
As of this writing, I played Grandia for several hours and already surpassed the End of the World (the wall that separated the initial world from the mysterious other. I already have Justin, Sue, Feena and Gadwin in my party.
This is the lounge for the upper class passengers on board a ship. Grandia is a fine example of combining 2D sprites with detailed polygonal environments.
Much early during my playthrough – specifically before witnessing Feena’s first appearance – I had fun rediscovering the unique locations Game Arts created. The town of Parm is a pretty unique location to start the game with. The Sult Ruins were designed with with sneaking and adventuring in mind. Through these and other locations, you will see how creative the game developers really were when it came to world-building as well as giving each location its own unique style and feel.
Because it had been so long since I finished this old Japanese role-playing game (JRPG), I had to orient myself with the game’s functions using the Xbox Series X controller and the technical options that came with the software. I quickly got used to the way the characters’ moved (in response to the controller), the way I was able to move the in-game camera around and how the functions responded to the buttons pressed. In just a few minutes, the Grandia gameplay familiarity came back to me.
Battles are always fun to play and grinding (playing many battles to gain experience points to level up) is not as stressful when compared to other JRPGs.
Game Arts came up with clever views of a local community like this to give gamers a unique look of this part of the game’s world.
Oh yes, the battles are still a lot of fun to play! During battles, there is this bar on the lower part of the screen showing the icons of your characters and monsters/enemies moving from left to right. Once the icon reaches a crucial point at the right, the game will enable you to take your turn and decide which action to execute. Once you made your choice of action, your character will be animated accordingly. It should be noted that striking enemies will not only reduce their hit points but also delay the flow of their icons on the bar. As such, battles can be strategic with regards to the actions you take and which enemy you targeted.
With regards to leveling-up, you don’t just gain experience points to develop and improve your playable characters. You will also improve their use of weapons and magic as they involve leveling-up. Along the way, you will get opportunities to acquire weapons and armor, and you can have different types of magic implemented into your character with the use of the Mana Eggs. The freedom of choice is clearly evident in the gameplay.
In addition to enjoying the gameplay and options, I appreciate the Game Arts’ approach on telling the story, the light-hearted way of presenting the characters and how they implemented creative pay-offs to the build-ups that preceded them. I also enjoyed the many visual concepts the developers came up with to make Grandia’s fantasy world, cultures and people come to life.
While I am still several hours away from finishing Grandia again, I can say that my current enjoyment of is literally returning with a vengeance and it helped me forget about the Xbox-related disappointments.
Right now, I am enjoying Grandia in HD and I intend to finish it again.
Feena with Sue and Justin. These characters are memorable and amusing to watch.
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.
#1Darlene Zschech’s newest worship music videos – In recent times, pastor Darlene Zschech released through her official YouTube channel the latest worship music videos of the songs Testament, Shout to the Lord and Cry of the Broken. For the newcomers reading this, Darlene Zschech is a Christian worship leader as well as an accomplished worship musician. She is based in Australia and she and her husband are with Hope Unlimited Church (HopeUC). She is a truly anointed woman of the Lord God and you can learn more about her by visiting her official website. Enjoy the worship music videos below.
#2 Grandia retrospective videos – I had a lot of fun playing and completing the Japanese role-playing game Grandia on PlayStation way back in 1999. I recently bought Grandia HD Collection which has Grandia and the sequel Grandia II (this I have yet to play) with enhanced visuals. That said, I have been replaying Grandia on my Xbox Series X and I can say that I am enjoying it. The gameplay features, the game design, the writing and visual presentation of Grandia have aged well. To get to know more about Grandia, watch the selected videos below.
#3 HolyLandSite’s newest Mount of Olives tour video – HolyLandSite published their latest video about their Mount of Olives tour in Israel. This time around, the video includes Mary Magdalene Church, Tomb of Prophets, the Chapel of Ascension and other sites. To truly grasp the relevance of this video of HolyLandSite, you must have strong faith in the Lord and in His Word. Be aware that as the world turns chaotic and more people turn to evil, Rapture could happen anytime and that means the return of Lord Jesus will follow. I encourage you to watch the video with faith and you will realize it is more than a tourism video. Pay close attention to the bible teachings.
#4 Popcorn in Bed’s sports-related movie reaction videos – Recently, YouTuber Popcorn in Bed published two movie reaction videos that happened to be sports-related. One was about ice hockey and the other was about running and the 1924 Olympic Games. While the films Miracle and Chariots of Fire are inspiring, be mindful that creative liberties were taken at the expense of historical accuracy which is often the case with movies. Still, Popcorn in Bed’s reactions are amusing to watch and II encourage you watch the videos below.
#5 Rocky (1976) movie reaction/review videos – Still on the topic of sports-related movies, Sylvester Stallone’s Rocky is arguably the most iconic of them all. Not only did it bring fame to Stallone, it also won the Academy Award for Best Picture and was selected by the Library Congress for preservation in the United States National Film Registry for being “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant”. Naturally, Rocky has been featured in a lot of movie reaction/review videos and you can watch some of them below.
#6 Israel’s Prime Minister points to terrorist state Iran and its useful idiots – During his speech to the United States Congress (both lower and upper houses of Congress) in Washington, D.C., Israeli Prime Minister mentioned the truth about terrorist state Iran which has terrorist proxies around the Middle East as well as many brainwashed supportive protesters (the useful idiots) composed of Islamists, Communists, socialists, Marxists, liberals, the woke and other Islamo-Leftist elements. Netanyahu is correct that Iran’s axis of evil exists and there is a clash between civilization and barbarism (this points to Iran, the terrorists and woke extremists who support terrorism). It is also clear that all the people who hate Israel and sided with Islamic terrorists are on the wrong side and God is watching. Watch and learn from 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 and 1990s. In addition, there will be a few flyers of arcade games.
For the newcomers reading this, Retro Gaming Ads Blast (RGAB) looks back at the many print ads of games (console, arcade, computer and handheld) that were published in comic books, magazines, flyers and newspapers long before smartphones, social media, the worldwide web and streaming became popular. To put things in perspective, people back in the 1980s and 1990s were more trusting of print media for information and images about electronic games and related products.
With those details laid down, here is the newest batch of retro gaming print ads for you to see and enjoy…
1. Japanese Contra arcade flyer
The front of the Japanese arcade flyer of Contra.
The other side of the flyer.
As mentioned before, Konami’s long-running Contra games franchise first started in the arcades in Japan. As seen in the Japanese arcade flyer, it was clear that the company not only had a clear vision of Contra’s visual concepts but also was pretty organized with explaining lots of details (examples: the 8-direction controls, types of weapons or ammunition available, level design differences) that both players and arcade operators can learn from. If you look closely at the rear of the flyer, you will see the two characters already identified as Lance and Bill which clearly showed the Japanese creators had the creative details really organized.
2. Virtual Bart print ad
Anyone who loved The Simpsons would easily recognize the characters of this print ad.
Decades ago, The Simpsons made big waves on television and quickly emerged as a fine addition to American pop culture. That being said, it was not surprising at all that video games based on the show got made and Virtual Bart was one of them. This Virtual Bart print ad appeared in some comic books I read in 1994 and the ad makers made efficient use of the single-page layout showing that the game was not a mere 2D side-scroller as its concept emphasized Bart Simpson’s virtual reality escapades. This game, which had mini-games and different gameplay styles, received review scores ranging from negative to positive.
3. Wild Arms 2 print ad
This is NOT an effective way to promote a video game.
Now this is one of the most weird and the most uninteresting game print ads of the 1990s. For the newcomers reading this, Wild Arms 2 was a sequel to the 1997 hit game Wild Arms released on the original PlayStation console. Due to the 1997 game’s success, a fan base of Wild Arms was established and the 1999 sequel was anticipated by the fans. In a very odd and illogical move, Sony Computer Entertainment came up with the Times Square setting for Wild Arms 2’s North American print ad and because they allowed so much other text and images (appearing as billboard ads) on the buildings in the background, details about the game itself got overshadowed. By simply looking at this print ad, it is simply too easy to overlook Wild Arms 2 as the featured game. Can you see the references to Wild Arms 2 here?
4. RollerGames arcade flyer
Pretty ladies posing on the front of the flyer.
Clearly the details were prepared with arcade operators in mind.
Based on the competition-oriented TV show, the RollerGames arcade game from Konami was both unique and fun to play. As with their other arcade flyers, Konami hired models to emphasize RollerGames’ core concept by appearing in full costume (as roller-skating participants), and then inserted screenshots of the game. The rear of the flyer had the technical details in simplistic fashion and they were clearly written with arcade operators in mind. The 3-paragraph text descriptions emphasized what players could expect, what options are available and how the game connects with the TV program it was based on.
5. The Jetsons: Invasion of the Planet Pirates print ad
Anyone among you is a Jetsons fan?
Based on the animated series, The Jetsons: Invasion of the Planet Pirates was released on the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES) in America as well as on the Super Famicom in Japan in the mid-1990s. This game’s print ad had eye-catching artwork, carefully laid down key details (including the promise of cartoon quality graphics) and showed a few screenshots. The game attracted mixed reviews from critics and I don’t know any fellow gamer who played it.
6. Sega Saturn games print ad
An aggressive single-page ad promoting the exclusive games on Sega Saturn.
If you are a game console manufacturer that also owns several game development teams, you really have to promote your hardware and software aggressively. This is exactly what Sega did in the North American market sometime after the embarrassing launch of the Saturn console there. As seen in this print ad, Sega aggressively promoted their Saturn-exclusive games – including their juggernaut Virtua Fighter 2 – to make it clear to their fans (and Saturn console owners) that they are focused to entertain them. The ad also served as Sega’s effort to lure in new gamers and potential Saturn owners given the fact that Virtua Fighter 2, Virtua Cop and Sega Rally Championship were already big arcade hits. As history turned out, the Saturn ended up a commercial disappointment in America but still succeeded in Japan.
7. Galaxian arcade flyer
Have you ever played Galaxian in the arcades?
In September 1979, Namco released Galaxian in the arcades in Japan and it became a big hit there eventually finishing as the nation’s 2nd highest-earning arcade game of the year. Before the year even ended, Namco approached Midway of releasing Galaxian outside of Japan and this led to the game appearing in American arcades in November. Unsurprisingly, Galaxian drew lots of American players and their money which really helped Midway selling 50,000 arcade units in a few years’ time. This arcade flyer from Midway clearly showed what the Galaxian arcade unit looked like and how the controls were physically set up. I like the way the details and images were organized and how the limited page space was put to good use.
8. Heavy Barrel print ad
A really eye-catching and amusing print ad to look at.
Originally released in the arcades by Data East, Heavy Barrel was released on the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) in 1990. Similar with Contra and Jackal, this game had a strong military theme and shooting-oriented gameplay complete with missions that instantly reminded players about war. The military aesthetic and the showing of guns are easily the most eye-catching part of this print ad geared towards the NES userbase which had lots of young children among the players. To say the least, Heavy Barrel’s print ad was entertaining to look at.
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.
#1The miraculous rescue of hostages – In case you missed the news, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) successfully rescued four Israeli hostages, fought with the Palestinian terrorists and brought the hostages home safely. This not some high-risk operation turned lucky. This operation was a blessing from the Lord God whose covenant with the Jewish people has always been true and standing to this day. All the praise, honor, thanks and glory to Him! Ignore the lies of the Islamo-Leftist mainstream news media and focus on the truth by watching the selected videos below…
#2 European Union (EU) elections resulted in the fall of the Satanic Left – Very recently, a series of elections took place in Europe which determined the composition of the European Union (EU) parliament. European voters who have grown sick and tired of the policies of the Satanic Left (examples: mass migration, taking care of illegal aliens at taxpayers’ expense, fascist climate change policies, government corruption) made their choices by electing more conservative and more nationalistic/patriotic candidates. In Italy, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni saw her party gain power while the President of France had no choice but to dissolve French parliament (National Assembly) and call for a snap election. Watch and learn more from the videos below…
#3 Documentary of the Houston Rockets’ amazing 1995 NBA championship defense – Never underestimate the heart of a sports champion. That is the moral lesson behind the unbelievable successful NBA championship defense the Houston Rockets achieved in 1995. For the newcomers reading this, the Rockets won the title in 1994 but ended up ranking only 6th place on the Western Conference the following season. This meant that the Rockets had no home court advantage through the NBA Playoffs of 1995. How they defied expectations and overcame tough obstacles to win a 2nd straight NBA championship must be seen in the selected NBA documentary video. Enjoy!
#4 A very deep look back at Lost Odyssey – Lost Odyssey is not just a very notable video game released only on Xbox 360 many years ago. It was arguably the most defining, traditional Japanese role-playing game (JRPG) that can be best described as a Final Fantasy game without the name. To be clear, Lost Odyssey involved the combined talents of Japanese greats Hironobu Sakaguchi (Final Fantasy creator), Takehiko Inoue (famous manga artist) and Nobuo Uematsu (musician always know for Final Fantasy), and it was an ambitious JRPG that also happened to be an Xbox-exclusive game. If you wish to know more about Lost Odyssey, what it has in common with Final Fantasy games and why it remains a very notable game, watch the documentary below…
#5PatmanQC’s Ring King retrospective – Retro gaming YouTuber PatmanQC published recently his retrospective video about the 1980s game Ring King (also titled as King of Boxer) which is fun and informative to watch.
#6 You, Me and the Movies’ The Blob (1958) reaction – Recently the 1958 version of The Blob was featured by You, Me and the Movies in a movie reaction video which is entertaining to watch.
#7 RK Outpost examines woke Star Wars – It is no secret that under the umbrella of the woke Disney company and the Lucasfilm leadership of Kathleen Kennedy, the established entertainment franchises of Star Wars and Indiana Jones got ruined. Sad to say, Star Wars continues to be made with extreme wokeness and rabid feminism, reaching the point of completely ruining the sci-fi franchise as we know it. Watch and learn from RK Outpost’s videos below…
#8 The evil of Palestinian terrorist group Hamas – It cannot be denied that Palestinian terrorist group Hamas is pure evil. So pure is their evil, they want nothing less than committing complete genocide against Israel and its people. To his day, pro-Palestine zealots cannot even tell the difference between good and evil, and right and wrong. For the Palestinians and its brainwashed supporters (all supported secretly by terrorist state Iran), terrorism, violence and murder are the only ways to achieve what they want. Watch and learn from the videos below…
#9 2024 Xbox Games Showcase videos – Following the lackluster Sony State of Play and Summer Game Fest, Team Xbox and its partners came out blazing with the 2024 Xbox Games Showcase recently. In my view, it was a big improvement over last year’s showcase (which itself was quite good) and there were highlights that should not be ignored. Posted below are selected videos for your viewing pleasure.
Welcome back Xbox fans, geeks and gamers! It has been over a month since Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes was launched on multiple platforms worldwide and like many other gamers who are currently subscribed to Xbox Game Pass (XGP), I downloaded it and played it a lot although there were a some technical setbacks that happened along the way.
For the newcomers reading this, Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes is a brand new and stylized turn-based Japanese role-playing game (JRPG) developed by Rabbit & Bear studio which was led by the late Yoshitaka Murayama and involved the talents of notable creators who collectively worked on Konami’s Suikoden RPG series.
In-game world exploration is done with a 3D polygonal environment and your character is a 2D sprite.
A battle against a very large monster.
Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes is a fantasy role-playing game that has a lot in common with the first two Suikoden RPGs in terms of fantasy concepts, gameplay, game design, mini-games, and the recruiting of many characters. Having finished Suikoden and Suikoden II on the PlayStation myself, I can clearly say that this new JRPG is technically a Suikoden game without the name.
As of this writing, I played Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes for over 80 hours on my Xbox Series X console. While I am at the point of moving the story forward leading the army (led by the playable protagonist Nowa) in the struggle against the empire led by Dux Aldric (who reminds me a lot of Suikoden II’s Luca Blight), I have decided to focus first on side quests, resource collecting, the mini-games and recruiting more characters. This RPG was designed to allow players to have sufficient freedom to take on side activities on the side and explore the world for recruits and resources.
The cooking contest functions very much look those in Suikoden II.
Somehow General Elektra reminds me of Valeria in the first two Suikoden games.
While this is not a game review, I can say that I am enjoying Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes with the way it was designed, how the story was written (lots of intrigue related to the in-game geopolitics which are balanced with fantasy quests), how the characters were presented and the assorted variety of gameplay content. It has been almost three years since this game (along with Rising) was first announced for Xbox Game Pass (click here and here) and considering the fun I had already, I can say the wait was worth it. The mini-games are, for the most part, fun to do and you can watch the short video clips from my progress in the game.
There were some technical setbacks along the way. Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes did not run properly on my Xbox Series X resulting in the game crashing and even sudden console shutdowns. I got these console readings of “overheating” and “insufficient ventilation” with the game and these incidents happened only with it. As such, I had to open my Xbox, cleaned up the interior and removed as much dust as I could. Since then, the game developers patched the game but still it pushed my Xbox so hard, game crashing and sudden shutdowns still occurred from time to time. I also noticed there are certain locations within the game that resulted in the sudden acceleration of the Xbox Series X internal fan. Very clearly Rabbit & Bear’s technical support team still has a lot of work to do to meet customer satisfaction.
Each time you successfully recruit a new character, you will see this quick and flashy visual presentation.
Along the way, I observed that other games such as Resident Evil 4 remake, Shadow of the Tomb Raider, Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla, and the most recent release Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II respectively pushed my Xbox Series X to perform hard (with the internal fan run fast) but there were no game crashes and no sudden shutdowns at all. Only Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes resulted in “overheating” and “insufficient ventilation” readings and disruptions.
Considering the hassles, I managed to get the fun and discoveries with Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes on my Xbox. Here is hoping that the game developer will soon release another patch for Xbox Series X to make the game run well while consuming less power somehow. Given the fantastic presentation of the game, technical disruptions on Xbox Series X should not have happened at all.
There is so much to explore and discover in this game!
So what are you waiting for? If you are already a subscriber to Xbox Game Pass, you can download Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes on your Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, or the aging Xbox One. If you have extra money and want to support Rabbit & Bear studio, buying the digital copy of the game is the recommended option. For more information about the Suikoden-inspired JRPG, visit https://www.xbox.com/en-US/games/eiyuden-chronicle
Welcome back readers, fellow geeks and electronic gaming fans!
In this edition of the Retro Gaming Ads Blast (RGAB) series, we will take a look at another batch of retro gaming print ads from the 1980s and 1990s.
For the newcomers reading this, Retro Gaming Ads Blast (RGAB) looks back at the many print ads of games (console, arcade, computer and handheld) that were published in comic books, magazines, flyers and newspapers long before smartphones, social media, the worldwide web and streaming became popular. To put things in perspective, people back in the 1980s and 1990s were more trusting of print media for information and images about electronic games and related hardware.
With those details laid down, here is the newest batch of retro gaming print ads for you to see and enjoy…
1. Enemy Zero print ad
I should say Sega did a solid job by making this intriguing and eye-catching print ad for Enemy Zero.
The first time I saw this print ad of Enemy Zero in the late 1990s, I was intrigued by its visual concept and it got me interested to learning more about the game. Enemy Zero was a sci-fi video game developed by Warp and released as a console-exclusive on the Sega Saturn. Since I never owned a Saturn, I never got to play the game but I was inspired to learn more about Warp (which developed the hit game D). As it turns out, Enemy Zero started as a project for PlayStation but because of Sony’s failure to fulfill the pre-orders of D on PlayStation (100,000 copies ordered but less than 30,000 copies printed by Sony), Warp’s head Kenji Eno decided to make Enemy Zero exclusive to the Sega Saturn. Enemy Zero was published by Sega worldwide while Warp published it in Japan, and the game sold between 500,000 to 700,000 copies (based on Eno’s claim).
2. Bionic Commando print ad
For the American market, Capcom showed what the game box and front cover art would look like, then added the details and two screenshots for readers to examine.
Back in the late 1980s, I played Bionic Commando and managed to finish it after enduring lots of challenges along the way. It was a very unique adventure game as it used a highly unusual method of moving from one platform to the next by means of a futuristic grappling gun. This particular print ad showcased what the game’s actual box looked like (with cover artwork made for North America) and used two screenshots from the game. This ad hardly captures the excitement and intensity that awaited gamers and yet it manages to give people a clear look at the grappling concept. While the North American version of the game has certain content altered, it still had the same gory ending (and Adolf Hitler as the main villain) as the Japanese version.
3. RoboCop print ad
This served as an extension of the impact of the very violent 1987 movie.
RoboCop made huge impact on moviegoers as well as people who love science fiction and the R-rated action films Hollywood studios released in the 1980s. That being said, it was not surprising that a video game of RoboCop was released on the Nintendo Entertainment System (Family Computer in Japan) by Data East and the print ad they came up with cleverly used imagery from the movie poster and the screenshots showed exactly what RoboCop fans expected to see such as the enemy robot ED-209 and thugs. This game strongly reflects the business trend of the 1980s when companies made merchandise and adaptations of R-rated blockbuster films to sell to kids and teenagers.
4. Gex 3: Deep Cover Gecko print ads
This print ad for Europe had a James Bond vibe.
March 1998 Playmate of the Month on the hood of the car looking at Gex.
The 2-page print ad of Gex 3: Deep Cover Gecko.
In 1999, Eidos Interactive – the company behind the wildly popular Tomb Raider games of the decade – became aggressive marketing Gex 3: Deep Cover Gecko for PlayStation and Nintendo 64. They were so aggressive, they featured actress and Playboy’s Playmate of the Month (March 1998) Marliece Andrada alongside their star character Gex in the marketing which was not limited to America. For the newcomers reading this, a multimedia approach was implemented on the narrative of the game’s PlayStation version which explains why it has full-motion video sequences featuring Andrada as the character Agent Xtra. As seen in these print ads, Eidos Interactive had Andrada looking pretty and sexy to really sell the game.
5. Barkley Shut Up and Jam! print ad
Anyone here a Charles Barkley fan?
I remember the many types of basketball video games that were released on game consoles back in the 1990s. While there were NBA video games that had in-depth rosters of players with seasonal gaming in mind, there were other basketball-related video games that were not about the said league but featured an NBA star. In this print ad, publisher Accolade prominently featured NBA star Charles Barkley to promote the game Barkley Shut Up and Jam!, posted some words emphasizing sports intensity, and showed one screenshot to assure gamers that this is a basketball game. While the critical reception was mixed, the game must have sold enough to convince Accolade to release a sequel two years later with Barkley still the endorser.
6. The Death and Return of Superman print ad
This print ad clearly aimed for the fans of the comic books as well as gamers looking for an action-packed game to play.
Now this is one very eye-catching print ad that appeared in comic books and magazines in the 1990s. Anyone who knows comics would recognize the grey fist (with sharp bones protruding on the knuckles) belonging to Doomsday who killed Superman in Superman #75 (1993), and the bloody presentation on the famous S was very aggressive for its time. The game itself was an adaptation of the two storylines (published in 1992 and 1993 respectively) that saw Superman’s death, his return and the appearances of new Supermen. While sales figures are not available, The Death and Return of Superman eventually attracted mixed reviews from the critics.
7. Dragon Force print ad
This was printed in magazines at a time when Working Designs had a strong business relationship with Sega.
While the Sega Saturn was undeniably a huge commercial disappointment in North America, the console still had some great games that was widely praised by game critics and heavily bought by gamers. One of those outstanding games on the console was Dragon Force (developed by Sega and J-Force in Japan, localized in America by Working Designs) which received great critical acclaim and achieved commercial success both in Japan and in America. The popular magazine Electronic Gaming Monthly named Dragon Force as the Saturn Game of the Year as well as Strategy Game of the Year in 1996. As a Working Designs release, this print ad has an ambitious fantasy concept visually emphasized, detailed lines of descriptions and screenshots that strongly appealed to the gamers, anime enthusiasts and those who love fantasy. This ad is also a sad reminder that the business relationship between Sega and Working Designs went downhill afterwards (read: Bernie Stolar) and the sequel Dragon Force II was never released outside of Japan.
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 of Sega from the 1990s which was a notable period of time when they went from being a prominent video game company into a desperate, struggling entity by the end of the decade. All the Sega ads in this edition are promotions of their own video games that were exclusive to their consoles during the 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 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 hardware.
With those details laid down, here is the newest batch of retro gaming print ads for you to see and enjoy…
1. Phantasy Star IV print ad
This was the last single-player Phantasy Star game released. There is no sign of Sega revisiting the franchise for another single-player experience.
Long before the emergence of online console gaming that involved a high number of players, Sega released Phantasy Star IV for the Genesis console in America in 1994 which was praised by gamers and critics. This one also turned out to be the last single-player role-playing game (RPG) of the Phantasy Star series as Sega eventually turned it into a series of online RPGs since the year 2000.
This print ad is significant because a lot of gamers today are not aware that Phantasy Star started as a series of single-player RPGs the same year Final Fantasy debuted in Japan. Anyone interested to play Phantasy Star IV on a modern console should buy the Sega Genesis Classics collection.
2. Eternal Champions print ad
This 2-page print ad appeared in many comic books and some magazines that I read long ago.
Back in the 1990s, the fighting game genre became wildly popular with gamers at the arcades and on consoles at home. Capcom literally sparked a wild fire with the Street Fighter II game and its upgraded editions, and other companies went on to make their own 2D fighting games to cash in. Sega was one of them and they released their own 2D fighting game Eternal Champions for the Sega Genesis console.
Unsurprisingly, the game was marketed aggressively and this 2-page print ad really stood out as it had the great looking painted art on the right, screenshots and details of the game, and most notably made a sarcastic reference to Street Fighter II. Eternal Champions sold enough copies, it led to the release of the sequel Eternal Champions: Challenge from the Dark Side and two spin-off games. I can only guess that referencing Street Fighter II was helpful in achieving commercial success.
3. Streets of Rage 3 print ad
This ad caught my attention easily when I saw it in comic books I read.
Streets of Rage (Japanese title: Bare Knuckle) was one of the most defining game franchises Sega came up with and it started on the Sega Genesis console. It was a series of side-scrolling, 2D beat-them-up games that ensured action and excitement for gamers. As the first two games were critically and commercially successful, Sega was confident in aggressively marketing Streets of Rage 3 and the print ad seen had a very attention-grabbing artwork.
The artistic style emphasized power and intensity as it shows a damaged wall with the shape of a human body (symbolizing that someone was thrown through it) and then there were images of people on the other side. The game went on to attract mostly positive reviews although it paled in comparison to its predecessors in terms of sales.
4. Shining Force II print ad
The first time I saw this ad, it made me interested to buy a Sega Genesis console to play it.
As Sega was so prolific with making and releasing games across different genres, they had their own tactical role-playing game series with Shining Force and the first game released on the Sega Genesis was a critical and commercial success. That being said, the company was confident with releasing Shining Force II on the same console more than a year later achieving critical and commercial success.
The North American print ad of the game had a visual presentation that closely captured the foreground-background style (characters facing the distance) used in-game, and the advertising team use photographic imagery to achieve a fantasy look. Very cleverly, Sega inserted the Sega Game Gear title Shining Force Shining Force: The Sword of Hajya into the ad. This print ad made me interested in acquiring a Sega Genesis for Shining Force II.
5. Genesis does what Nintendon’t print ad
With the famous line heavily emphasized, this print ad showed how bullish Sega really was in competing with Nintendo.
Now this print ad of Sega’s has the most definitive and best-known advertising line in the so-called 16-bit console generation: Genesis does what Nintendon’t. This was Sega’s aggressive marketing push to convince gamers to buy the Genesis console to play games and experience thrills of fun that they would not find on a Nintendo console at the time. Genesis was launched in America in 1989 with “16-bit” emphasized a lot, and the technological rival Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES) was released in the same market more than two years later.
The 2-year advantage helped Sega establish the Genesis as the next-gen machine for gaming at home and there were years in the 1990s when Sega’s console outsold Nintendo’s in America during the so-called 16-bit war. The Genesis also had lots of exclusive games plus strong software support from third-parties. While the SNES would eventually outsell the Genesis in other parts of the world, it was in America where Sega proved to be very competitive and successful.
6. Knuckles’ Chaotix print ad
Sega was aggressive with marketing this game for the 32X.
In late 1994, Sega released in America and in Japan the 32X which was an add-on device for the Sega Genesis designed enhance its power while serving as a transition (a warm-up) into the so-called 32-bit era of console gaming. The 32X was the result of corporate decisions involving the American and Japanese executives of the company.
To keep 32X customers happy and boost hardware sales, Sega adjusted the development of Knuckles’ Chaotix (a Sonic spin-off) from being a Sonic project 32-bit console Sega Saturn into a standalone game for the add-on device. Even though Sega knew the game’s development was rushed, they went on to strongly promote the game and the print ad shown here was quite eye-catching.
The image of a fist with a ring showing the character Knuckles (a character from the Sonic games) emphasizes power and the colors used seem to express intensity. Then there were the selected screenshots shown without descriptive text. Although Sega tried hard, Knuckles’ Chaotix (launched in 1995) received mixed-to-positive reviews and sadly sold poorly. Unsurprisingly, the sales of the 32X dropped further and by then a lot of consumers knew that the Sega Saturn (the true successor to the Genesis) was all set to launch in America and Europe within 1995.
7. Sonic 3D Blast for Sega Saturn print ad
Too bad Sega and its teams failed to make the true Saturn Sonic game.
Back in the 1980s and 1990s, having a high-quality, console-exclusive game featuring a company mascot was crucial to sell game consoles while keeping dedicated fans happy. Like what Nintendo did with their icon Mario, Sega achieved great commercial success with the three Sonic the Hedgehog games they released exclusively on the Sega Genesis console and this naturally created expectations they would make new Sonic games on the Saturn console. Unfortunately, Sega and its teams failed to complete development of the Saturn-exclusive game Sonic X-treme and the company cancelled it which sent shockwaves through the games industry news.
With the 1996 holiday shopping season too crucial to ignore, Sega commissioned a Saturn version of the game Sonic 3D Blast which was originally made for the Genesis console. Sonic 3D Blast on the Saturn took seven weeks to make and there were some graphical enhancements implemented. While Sonic 3D Blast’s Genesis version attracted a positive reception from critics (and sold 700,000 copies), the reception for the Saturn version was mixed. This print ad of Sonic 3D Blast on Sega Saturn is a reminder of the company’s failed attempt to take their icon to the next-generation. They never replicated the big success they had with Sonic on the Genesis.
8. Die Hard Arcade print ad
Each time I saw this print ad, it easily reminded me of the classic action film of 1988.
Like many other movie franchises, Die Hard has many video game adaptations released through the decades. In 1997, Sega released Die Hard Arcade (Japanese title: Dynamite Deka) on the Sega Saturn and the game critics praised it for its fun gameplay as well as its flawless conversion of the arcade version (released in 1996). To say the least, the development history of Die Hard Arcade is not as straightforward as many would think. To get the details and explanations of the development of the game, click here.
As for the print ad itself, this one cleverly used official game art as the background with imagery which instantly reminded me of what I saw in the classic 1988 movie that starred Bruce Willis. This ad made me interested to buy a Sega Saturn or find a place to rent it to play the game.
9. Shenmue Japanese print ad
Simplistic with presentation and yet engaging to look at. The Dreamcast-exclusive Shenmue sold over a million copies in Japan alone.
When Shenmue was released exclusively on the Sega Dreamcast in Japan on December 29, 1999, it turned out to be a very mind-blowing experience for many gamers due to its ambitious game design, the intense attention to detail implemented, very high production values, in-depth exploration and very immersive gameplay.
It was the open-world game released at a time when “open-world” was not even a standard gaming term. Often called the masterpiece of the legendary game designer Yu Suzuki, Shenmue sold over 1.2 million copies in Japan and went on to be released worldwide in the months that followed. Sadly, the game failed to make a profit due to its very high budget of $70 million (which Suzuki himself said in English during an interview) and the fact that the number of Dreamcast units already sold to gamers was not massively high.
The Japanese print ad of Shenmue had a simplistic looking visual concept and yet it was engaging to look at because the way the characters appeared was how they appeared in the game during gameplay which was astounding. Take note that back in the 1990s, it was common for video game marketing materials to show human characters in high detail but in reality the polygonal models of those characters appeared looking blocky and much less detailed during gameplay.
Welcome back Xbox fans, geeks and gamers who love Japanese role-playing games (JRPGs)! In case you missed the news, Grandia HD Collection is now available for Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S and the aging Xbox One console and you can order the digital copy by clicking here.
For the newcomers reading this, Grandia HD Collection on Xbox consoles was officially released on March 26, 2024. It is a collection of two very solid role-playing games (RPGs) from the previous console generations, namely Grandia (originally released on Sega Saturn in Japan in 1997) and Grandia II (originally released on Sega Dreamcast in Japan in 2000). Although the said HD collection has been available for weeks, it was only very recently that an official Xbox trailer of it was published on the ID@Xbox YouTube channel and you can watch it right below…
Personally, I find it very strange why the trailer was released on the ID@Xbox YouTube channel instead of the official Xbox YouTube channel (as of this writing). Perhaps someone at Team Xbox confused the Grandia RPGs to be productions by small and independent studios which is wrong because both games were developed by Game Arts (the same team responsible for the Lunar RPGs and also a publisher of games). Right now, it seems that internal woke problems over at Team Xbox (for reference, click here, here and here) are preventing them from realizing the significance of Grandia and Grandia II.
Apart from the rather late Xbox trailer, a late Grandia HD Collectionannouncement was published on Xbox.com. To put things in perspective, posted below are selected excerpt from the Xbox announcement written by Gung Ho Online Community Coordinator Allyson Nicholas. Some parts in boldface…
I am excited to announce that the remaster of the classic role-playing series, Grandia HD Collection, has launched on Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S! Whether you are returning to these iconic games or entering these worlds for the first time, the series’ dynamic attack system, rewarding magic and skill progression, and immersive storylines offer dozens of hours of heroic adventures.
Getting You up to Speed on All Things Grandia – The Grandia HD Collection brings two role-playing games that have defined the genre for decades to come to contemporary audiences.
Screenshot from Grandia. The game has fully polygonal environments and the characters and creatures are presented as detailed 2D sprites.
Grandia follows Justin, a young adventurer who fatefully inherits a magic stone and thus sets out to uncover the mysteries of a lost civilization. In his search, he attracts all types of attention. Some good, in that he meets other adventurers who aid him along on his quest. However, some are bad, like the Garlyle Forces who work to keep him from unraveling the truth of the past.
Meet the Crew
Justin – Driven by his curious and fearless nature, Justin often dives headfirst into situations without thinking. He possesses the mysterious Spirit Stone—an artifact passed down through his family—which plays a pivotal role in his adventures.
Sue – Justin’s childhood friend from the town of Parm. She often joins him on his misadventures, bringing to them her courageous optimism and unexpected maturity that balances out Justin’s impulsiveness. She is almost always accompanied by her flying ball of fluff Puffy, who is as mysterious as he is adorable!
Feena – The most well-traveled of the bunch, Feena has an independent spirit and impressive skillset that garners the respect of those around her, especially Justin. As the journey unfolds, players delve deeper into her multifaceted character and mysterious past.
Screenshot of Grandia II showing Ryudo and his companions fighting a large monster. The characters and monsters are polygonal.
Grandia II acquaints us with Ryudo, a Geohound who does odd jobs to get money alongside his loyal eagle companion, Skye. One fateful day, he receives a request from the Church of Granas to serve as a bodyguard to one Elena, Songstress of Granas. Together, they bring out pieces of each other that neither of them knew existed amidst their journey to rid the world of Evil in the form of Valmar, God of Darkness.
Meet The Crew
Ryudo – A mercenary with a tough exterior and noble heart. He takes on various jobs for money—despite the moral implications—and is accompanied by his trusted bird companion, Skye.
Elena – The epitome of innocence and purity, Elena’s world is opened wide when she begins to journey alongside Ryudo.
Millenia – Uninhibited, playful, and mischievous, Millenia is a force to be reckoned with. Her origins and the nature of her existence cause her relationship with the party to take many interesting and unexpected turns.
Two fun Japanese RPGs now available for Xbox gamers to enjoy in a single collection.
For the Xbox fans who want to have a good amount of fun, there is a lot to be excited for this month and next month as Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes (April 23) and Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II will be released on Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Windows PC and Xbox Game Pass (XGP) weeks apart. The good news is that Grandia HD Collection on Xbox is already available for anyone willing to purchase it. The Grandia RPGs are undeniably retro gaming highlights that RPG fans should play, especially now that both games have been remastered and enhanced with high-definition in mind.
Finally, an old wish of mine came true as GungHo Online Entertainment America, Inc. (GOEA) officially announced that the Grandia HD Collection – which contains the classic Japanese role-playing game Grandia and its sequel Grandia II – will be released on Xbox consoles on March 26, 2024. For the newcomers reading this, the said collection of the two Grandia RPGs was previously released for the Nintendo Switch and on PC in 2019. Grandia HD Collection has been listed on the Xbox store.
This surprise development is definitely much more exciting and better than Team Xbox’s releasing four Xbox-original games on PlayStation and Nintendo consoles. For your excitement and enlightenment, watch the latest Grandia HD Collection announcement and trailer below…
To understand what the collection contains, posted below is an excerpt from the official announcement by GOEA. Some parts in boldface…
The GRANDIA HD Collection features two genre-defining role-playing games: GRANDIA and GRANDIA II. These games send players on epic adventures with protagonists Justin and Ryudo, respectively, to explore the worlds of GRANDIA and protect them from the forces of evil.
Two Nostalgic Stories: Fans can follow both iconic journeys in the world of GRANDIA with various upgrades once more. Discover what lies beyond the End of the World with the young adventurer Justin in GRANDIA and, eons later, protect the world from eternal darkness with mercenary Ryudo in GRANDIA II.
Modernized Visuals: This version of GRANDIA and GRANDIA II includes enhanced UI, sprites, and texture art that brings the iconic look of the retro classics to contemporary standards, including widescreen support and visually enhanced original cinematics.
A battle from Grandia.
This is what a battle looks like in Grandia II which had fully polygonal graphics.
Classic Old-School Combat: The GRANDIA series features classic RPG combat, with physical attacks and elemental spells in a battle system that combines real-time and turn-based mechanics. The addition of Hard Mode gives players a memorable challenge as they explore the world of GRANDIA II.
Language Support: The GRANDIA HD Collection includes Japanese and English audio options, as well as language support for English, French, German, Japanese, Korean, and Chinese (simplified and traditional).
I am really delighted that Grandia HD Collection is coming to Xbox (note: made for the Xbox One console which is fully compatible with Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S consoles) as I played and enjoyed the original Grandia game on PlayStation way back in 1999.
I do remember Grandia having a very imaginative fantasy world with a story cleverly structured to take players from one location to another to visit new places, meet new characters or tribes of people, and engage in quests. Playing that game was a whole lot of fun because developer Game Arts (the same team behind the Lunar RPGs) crafted a battle system that is highly playable and addicting. As I played Grandia, I saw the playable characters really develop not just with their personalities but also their battle and magic abilities.
Not only that, the music written by Noriyuki Iwadare was great to listen as I played. I also love the artistic approach applied on Grandia which had 2D sprites for the characters and monsters, nicely textured 3D polygonal environments, and very imaginative artworks (including those in animated cutscenes).
Grandia had characters and monsters in 2D sprite forms, as well as detailed textures on the 3D polygonal environment.
Of course, the many quests gradually built-up the tension of the main plot which turned out to be a grand event. Game Arts knew how to execute handsome pay-offs in relation to the build-up that preceded them. That being said, Grandia’s conclusion was really memorable to see.
If there is anything I hope to see within the Grandia HD Collection, it would be improvements on the English translation and the voice acting of the characters because the PlayStation version of Grandia that I played was lackluster with those mentioned elements. Clearly Sony Computer Entertainment (the publisher of Grandia on PlayStation) did not aim high with quality for the game’s American release.
As for Grandia II, I never got to play it as I never had a Sega Dreamcast nor a PlayStation 2 (PS2) console. I do remember some Dreamcast gamers expressing fondness and high enjoyment of the game and there were even a few who enjoyed it more than its predecessor. That being said, Grandia II’s inclusion in the Grandia HD Collection is an added incentive for me to purchase the collection for my Xbox Series X.
A mini-game in Grandia II. The sequel went all-in with 3D polygons which made it a big showcase of art and graphics on the Sega Dreamcast. The PlayStation 2 version of this game reportedly had inferior graphics.
Welcome back readers, fellow geeks and retro gaming fans!
In this edition of the Retro Gaming Ads Blast (RGAB) series, we will examine print ads from the 1990s that caught my attention and I will explain why they are worth look back at. In retrospect, the 1990s was a decade of serious changes in the world of electronic gaming as the industry saw the shift of graphics from 2D sprites and flat backgrounds to 3D polygons, the shift from cartridges to CDs for software distribution, and more.
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. Castlevania: Bloodlines print ad
Creepy looking but not horrific. The simplistic approach turned out to be effective on making Sega Genesis gamers excited for this Castlevania release.
During the early stage of the so-called 16-bit console wars, Konami’s Castelvania series made the huge next-generation leap with Super Castlevania IV on the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES) which gave gamers loads of fun challenges along with technological improvements that added to the gameplay. Being a prolific multiplatform game maker, Konami knew it could not abandon its fans who own the 16-bit console of Sega and this led them to making a unique Castlevania experience with the Sega Genesis in mind – Castlevania: Bloodlines.
The above print ad of Castlevania: Bloodlines was very eye-catching as it showed a photographic presentation of the grave of the Belmont family (note: Simon Belmont is arguably the most known hero of the series) backed with a detailed text description as well as screenshots that showed exactly what Castlevania fans expected with gameplay and presentation. While the visual style of the ad had a subtle approach to horror, it succeeded in informing the public that another fun-filled Castlevania experience was coming. The game went on to be a hit among gamers and critics.
2. The Granstream Saga print ad
THQ really tried hard to sell The Granstream Saga in North America at a time when a lot more Japanese RPGs started coming into the market.
Back in the late 1990s, there was a slew of Japanese role-playing games (JRPGs) that got released on the PlayStation console in North America arguably because of the massive sales success of Final Fantasy VII in 1997. In 1998, THQ (note: then a newcomer in video gaming) made the daring move to release The Granstream Saga in North America and it was part of the company’s plan of releasing more RPGs. With regards to the 1998 print ad, THQ marketing team wisely emphasized the fact that the game launched at #1 in Japan (published by Sony) although, strangely, the rest of the short descriptive text did not emphasize the fact that the game was one of the first fully polygonal RPGs ever released. The ad had one image of an animated cut scene while there were two gameplay images. When I first saw the print ad, I became interested with The Granstream Saga as I was fond of both RPGs and anime. I never got to play it due to a lack of time and money back then.
3. NBA Action 98 print ad
Do you find this print ad funny or disturbing or both?
The first time I saw Sega’s print ad of NBA Action 98 (a polygonal NBA basketball video game for the Sega Saturn), it caught my attention quickly mainly because of the concept of the imagery showing a really tall guy leaving the place after getting stretched to be tall (as emphasized by an adult operating a machine to stretch another kid’s body to get taller) as a kid from outside looks on. While it looked hilarious at first, the photographic imagery also had an unintentional dark tone as the adult operating the machine looked like he was torturing the kid. This print ad was really eye-catching in a rather disturbing fashion to me, so much so I did not have any interest left to check out the advertised game. The small size of the screenshots and the hard-to-read descriptive text did not help at all. In my view, this was a marketing misfire by Sega.
4. Flashback: The Quest for Identity print ad
This was indeed an eye-catching print ad.
Back in the 1990s, the CD-ROM was cutting edge technology in the world of computing and CDs (compact discs) helped game companies have their game content as well as multimedia files (example: full motion videos or animated scenes) released together conveniently. In the middle of the decade, a version of the game Flashback: The Quest for Identity (note: a game with computer-generated animation scenes previously released on PC) was released in cartridge format for the Sega Genesis as well as the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES). This was a big deal back in the days of the so-called 16-bit console war and the above print ad clearly emphasized it with the description “The First CD-ROM Game in a Cartridge!” The advertisers also assured consumers that the in-game 24 frames-per-second frame rate, the Hollywood-inspired high-quality visuals and related gameplay elements were intact for consoles. When I saw this particular ad, I became convinced to buy the game for my SNES (read my retro review by clicking here). To see how Flashback looks like on Sega Genesis, watch this.
5. Albert Odyssey: Legend of Eldean print ad
To make things clear, Albert Odyssey: Legend of Eldean is not based on any anime property. It was the 3rd game of its series and the first and only one to be released in English.
There is no denying the fact that Working Designs (closed since 2005) contributed a lot to console gaming by localizing and releasing several Japanese role-playing games (JRPGs) in America at a time when such games were not yet popular. Apart from the Lunar RPGs and Dragon Force, the company brought Albert Odyssey: Legend of Eldean to the Sega Saturn console in America and they had a very eye-catching print ad promoting it. Like their ads for Lunar RPGs, the Albert Odyssey: Legend of Eldean print ad had a dominating anime-style artwork that highlighted the fantasy concept and characters, plus screenshots and in-game animated (note: not anime but detailed pixel artworks) sequences that were meant to attract RPG enthusiasts and gamers looking for the next-generation console gaming experiences. It should be noted that Albert Odyssey: Legend of Eldean was actually the 3rd game of its franchise that started in Japan, and it was the first and only Albert Odyssey game to ever be released in English. To this day, Albert Odyssey: Legend of Eldean still has not been re-released nor remastered for other consoles and original Sega Saturn copies of the game are very expensive to acquire. That being said, this particular print ad is a lively reminder of Albert Odyssey’s only Western release.
6. Resident Evil 3: Nemesis print ad
Capcom efficiently showed the new monster Nemesis, screenshots of the game and the return of Jill Valentine in this 1999 print ad.
After the release of the best-selling and acclaimed Resident Evil 2, Capcom approved the production of several Resident Evil projects that include sequels and spin-offs. Along the way, Sony announced in 1999 that the PlayStation 2 console will come out in 2000 and this had an impact on Capcom’s RE projects as many of them were being developed for the aging PlayStation (PS1) console. Before the PS2 announcement, Capcom had a PS1 RE game project with its story set on a cruise ship. That project was abandoned following the PS2 announcement and because Capcom did not want to leave its fans to wait too long for another Resident Evil adventure on PS1, they reviewed their list of proposed spin-off games and went ahead making Resident Evil 3: Nemesis (Japanese title: Biohazard 3: Last Escape) for a late 1999 release while the PS1 console was still in good demand.
In the above 1999 print ad, Resident Evil 3: Nemesis was shown with 3 screenshots assuring RE fans that the game has the tried-and-tested design of polygonal characters/monsters moving within pre-rendered environments, the action, the horror and adventure elements of the previous games. More notably, the new monster Nemesis had the biggest image and he rightfully became the main antagonist until the very end.
Lastly, the RE3 print ad featured the return of Jill Valentine (one of the protagonists of the first Resident Evil) and this time she had a clear sexualized look wearing a tube top and a mini-skirt. As I mentioned in my RE3 retro game review, I believe that the sexualized look of Jill was done by the game developers who were most likely influenced by the sexy appeal and iconography of the character Lara Croft from the Tomb Raider series of games. Like Lara Croft, Jill is sexy and capable of fighting with guns and other weapons. Whatever the intention of Capcom and the development behind the game, the print ad (which even had wrongful details about the timing of the story) clearly worked on getting RE fans and gamers’ attention as Resident Evil 3: Nemesis sold more than 3 million copies on PS1.
Author Carlo Carrasco 