Tag: JRPG

Retro Gaming Ads Blast – Part 37

Retro Gaming Ads Blast – Part 37

carlocarrasco

Welcome back readers, fellow geeks and electronic gaming fans!

In this edition of the Retro Gaming Ads Blast (RGAB) series, we will take a look at another batch of retro gaming print ads – including arcade flyers – from the 1970s to 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, posters and newspapers long before smartphones, social media, the worldwide web and streaming became popular. To put things in perspective, people back in the 1980s and 1990s were more trusting of print media for information and images about electronic games and related products.

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

1. Cabal Japanese arcade flyer/poster

Can you feel the action and intensity here?

When it was first released in video arcades in Japan in late 1988, Cabal was another game inspired by military action movies of Hollywood which explains the art work done for the arcade flyer and poster shown above. The Vietnam War was still fresh in people’s minds and the concept of having one or two players firing their weapons against enemy soldiers resonated with gamers who saw Hollywood’s military action flicks. That said, it is not surprising that Cabal became a huge hit in Japan before getting released in arcades around the world.

2. Willows Japanese arcade flyer

The front.
The rear.

Remember the 1988 high fantasy adventure film Willow? That film was produced by George Lucas and was a bold new production of Lucasfilm shifting away from Star Wars. Believe it or not, an official arcade game adaptation of Willow was made by Capcom and they promoted it by having images of Val Kilmer and Warwick Davis on the front of the arcade flyer (opposite the illustrated versions of their characters). The game, which was a side-scrolling platform game with run-and-gun elements, went on to be an arcade hit in Japan and eventually pleased gamers worldwide.

3. Super Punch-Out!! North American print ad

This is funny to look at.

Historically, Nintendo’s Punch-Out!! series started in the arcade in 1984 and the first game was the result of the company’s effort to make a new game using arcade cabinets with two screens. The 2nd game – Mike Tyson’s Punch-Out!! – became a huge critical and commercial hit (over 2 million copies sold in 1988) on console and it made great business sense for Nintendo for release another Punch-Out!! for its console gamers to enjoy in the comfort of home. In 1994, Super Punch-Out!! was released on the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES) in America and to promote it, the company came up with a hilarious 2-page ad that showed fictional high school graduates with boxing-related injuries. The imagery creatively connected with the words “biggest Punch-Out ever” and “Graduating Class of ‘94”.

4. EA Sports 3-in-1 SNES games print ad

EA Sports games on the SNES.

In 1994, Electronic Arts (EA) released their sports games NBA Live 95, NHL 95 and Madden NFL 95 for consoles at the time. Even though the Sega Genesis sold better than Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES) in America at the time, EA went on to aggressively market their 3 sports video games on Nintendo’s console using a 3-in-1 games print ad. In retrospect, the SNES for the most part had better graphics and sounds than the Genesis which is reflected clearly on EA Sports games of the time. This print ad still looks fun and exciting.  

5. Atari Jaguar CD print ad

Were you able to play any game on the Atari Jaguar with the CD add-on included?

Apart from the obvious advances of technology that impacted video games, the 1990s is also known for the rise of CD-ROM as a medium for gaming. In an effort to boost sales of the Atari Jaguar console (launched in America in 1993 for around $250) and capitalize on the trust of the fans and console owners, Atari launched a CD-ROM add-on device for about $150 in 1995. To promote it, the company went aggressive with the 2-page ad showing the add-on fully connected on top of the main console, showing off some games and posting a text description emphasizing hardware power and the advantages that come with the CD technology. Even in the captured image, the Atari Jaguar CD still resembled a toilet. This is an aggressive ad campaign that failed as less than 20,000 Atari Jaguar CD units were sold by the time it was discontinued in 1996.

6. 3DO print ad

While it lacks intensity, this 3DO ad emphasized the games.

Without showing any hardware, the 3DO Company came up with this 2-page print ad that had a slightly adulterated tone (look at the left page) and aggressively marketed the 3DO console games available at the time. Games like Demolition Man, Shock Wave, Road Rash and Super Street Fighter II Turbo were the standout titles which clearly showed the company made the effort to emphasize gaming more than multimedia features. This 1990s ad tackled the generations with a touch of humor.

7. Lethal Enforcers II: Gun Fighters Sega Genesis print ad

This is a fun ad to look at.

When Lethal Enforcers II: Gun Fighters was released in the arcades in 1994, it became a commercial success for Konami which went on to announce it would port the game to consoles of Nintendo and Sega at the time. While the port for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES) was never released, Lethal Enforcers II: Gun Fighters made its way to the Sega Genesis and Sega CD. The print ad of the Sega Genesis version (Sega CD mentioned in small text) had an inspired design emphasizing the Old West, shooting and the conflict between cowboys and Indians. The screenshots gave people the clear idea that Old West was the setting (versus modern day in the previous game). This is still fun to look at.

8. Syphon Filter

Syphon Filter went on to become a surprise hit game in 1999.

In 1999, Sony’s 989 Studios released Syphon Filter exclusively on the PlayStation console. This single-page print ad showed a few screenshots on the bottom and several action snippets with a night vision touch ultimately emphasizing the stealth aspect within the gameplay. The marketing proved to be effective as the game sold a lot at retail and went on to establish a new game franchise exclusive to PlayStation consoles.

9. Parasite Eve II Japanese print ad

Were you a big fan of Aya Brea and the Parasite Eve franchise in the late 1990s?

Following the critical and commercial success of Parasite Eve in 1998, SquareSoft proceeded with Parasite Eve II and the production (note: initially for a spin-off game before becoming a sequel) did not even involve the main creators of the first game. Instead the company had a different team of developers – including those who previously worked on Resident Evil games for Capcom – in Osaka to make the sequel. This explains why Parasite Eve II had stronger survival horror gameplay resembling a Resident Evil game. As major changes were made during the production, it was decided that Aya Brea would become the main protagonist and already the character was already popular with gamers. That being said, the marketing of Parasite Eve II for the Japanese market heavily featured Aya Brea with subtle sexiness, beauty and action in mind. The marketing intensified leading to its eventual December 16, 1999 release in Japan.

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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

Retro Gaming Ads Blast – Part 36

Retro Gaming Ads Blast – Part 36

carlocarrasco

Welcome back readers, fellow geeks and electronic gaming fans!

In this edition of the Retro Gaming Ads Blast (RGAB) series, we will take a look at another batch of retro gaming print ads – including arcade flyers – from the 1970s to 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, posters and newspapers long before smartphones, social media, the worldwide web and streaming became popular. To put things in perspective, people back in the 1980s and 1990s were more trusting of print media for information and images about electronic games and related products.

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

1. Super Contra North American arcade flyer

Have you seen many Hollywood action movies of the 1980s? Does this arcade flyer remind you of something?

After Konami struck gold with Contra in 1987, it was inevitable that sequels and spin-offs will be made. In 1988, they released the follow-up Super Contra in the arcades and to promote it in America, the company came up with artwork that easily gave gamers the impression they are seeing Sylvester Stallone as a fantasized Rambo and another armed guy who might remind them of Arnold Schwarzenegger’s character in Commando or Dutch in Predator. To capitalize on the movie references even more, the American arcade flyer had the line “He’s not human. He’s not alien. He’s the predator!!” As it was the 1980s, this creative approach to promotion was not surprising as Konami and its game makers were influenced by Hollywood movies.

2. Double Dragon II: The Revenge North American arcade flyer

The artwork used in this arcade flyer remains intriguing to look at.

I never played Double Dragon II: The Revenge in the arcade, but I played it on the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES). That being said, I was surprised to see how this old North American arcade flyer has the same hand-drawn artwork used on the cover of the NES version. Take note that the arcade game was released in 1988 while the NES port was released in early 1990. I can only guess that Technos decided to use the same artwork not only for convenience but to have a definitive image emphasizing Double Dragon II to gamers wherever they are.

3. Devastators North American arcade flyer

The front.
The rear.

Devastators is another Konami arcade game that had a strong war theme and it was influenced by Hollywood action films of the 1980s. This particular arcade flyer for the North American market is almost identical with the Japanese arcade flyer as both have the same artwork on the front and almost the same visual layout on the rear. The most obvious difference is the use of English text for the North American flyer.

4. Assault North American arcade flyer

The front.
The rear.

Released in American arcades by Atari, Assault is a multi-directional shooter that had a twin-stick control layout (similar with the classic Battlezone) and players experienced intense battles as well as immersive visual effects such as sprite scaling and environment rotation of up to 360 degrees. To promote the game (this originated in Japan by Namco), Atari came up with this arcade flyer that had selected screenshots and descriptive text on both the front and the rear (which showed the arcade cabinet). Assault was a hit with gamers at the arcades and it was not released on consoles until 2009.

5. Sega CD print ad

Having a socially relevant message can be catchy but it leaves little room for excitement.

As the Sega Genesis console became a huge commercial success in North America, Sega itself became ambitious about what CD-ROM technology would do for video games. Sega in Japan tasked its Consumer Products Research and Development Labs to create a CD-ROM add-on which resulted in the Sega CD (Mega-CD in other parts of the world) which launched in America in 1992. To promote the add-on towards existing Genesis console owners as well as potential new customers, Sega of America came up with the above 2-page print ad that had a social message on the right and an image of a man standing in front of large monitors (showing Sega CD game footage) on the left. While it looked like an odd way of promoting video game hardware, it still remains catchy to see.

6. Panasonic 3DO print ad

Panasonic knows how to promote entertainment hardware for people’s homes.

Still in the field of CD-ROM gaming, Panasonic had competitive presence in video gaming when its Panasonic FZ-1 R.E.A.L. 3DO Interactive Multiplayer (with technology licensed by The 3DO Company) was launched in America in 1993. If you look at the print ad closely, you will notice that the descriptive text emphasized the multimedia entertainment aspect more than video gaming. The dominating artwork used does not come from a particular video game as it was made to emphasize home entertainment in general. It’s not surprising that the Panasonic 3DO and other 3DO machines from other manufacturers failed commercially.

7. Shaq Fu print ad

The close-up of Shaquille O’Neal’s face on the left made him looked less recognizable.

Yes, it is true! There was indeed a video game endorsed by Shaquille O’Neal and it was not a basketball game. Shaq Fu is a 1994 2D fighting game with adventure elements and a story in which gamers play O’Neal as martial artist (note: O’Neal himself participated in the game’s production). To promote the game, Electronic Arts came up with a 2-page print ad that had a very odd black-and-white close-up image of O’Neal’s face on the left leaving small screenshots and hard-to-read text on the right (even though there was some vacant space remaining. I remember seeing this ad while reading a video game magazine and the ad ended up looking more like a promotion of O’Neal (already an NBA superstar) than the game itself. By today’s standards, this print ad is an example of a marketing misfire.

8. Kasumi Ninja print ad

Do you even remember seeing this print ad in magazines?

Remember the 1990s video game trends of digitized human images and disturbingly violent 2D fighting games sparked by Mortal Kombat? The Atari Jaguar-exclusive game Kasumi Ninja was made to capitalize on those trends and it failed badly. Apart from the low sales of the Jaguar console, Atari as publisher came up with the above 2-page print ad that was not appealing to gamers’ eyes and it had almost no excitement overall. This is another marketing misfire.

9. Parasite Eve North American and Japanese print ads

Following the successful release of Final Fantasy VII, this ad excited PlayStation gamers and JRPG enthusiasts for Parasite Eve’s 1998 release in America.
A stronger horror presentation in this print ad for the Japanese market. There were already a lot of people in Japan who enjoyed horror.

Starting in the mid-1990s, Squaresoft (now Square Enix) really became aggressive with video game creativity and experimentation as they launched several new projects that eventually got released on PlayStation in the late 1990s until 2000. One of those daring new projects was Parasite Eve which was a role-playing game (RPG) that had visual elements – particularly pre-rendered backgrounds – and a style of exploration that reminded gamers of Resident Evil. The game was a sequel to the Japanese science fiction horror novel of the same name and it involved the creativity of Final Fantasy creator Hironobu Sakaguchi (credited as producer). To promote the game, the 2-page North American print ad had protagonist Aya Brea on the right and the enemy on the left with a cryptic line placed strategically between them. The North American ad clearly stated that the game is a cinematic RPG. By comparison, the Japanese print ad of Parasite Eve has a strong horror vibe which is not surprising because of the novel’s horror elements and the fact that Squaresoft was capitalizing on the popularity of horror-related entertainment in Japan. By today’s standards, Parasite Eve is truly a product of the late-1990s and it has a dedicated fanbase.

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Thank you for reading. If you find this article engaging, please click the like button below, share this article to others and also please consider making a donation to support my publishing. If you are looking for a copywriter to create content for your special project or business, check out my services and my portfolio. Feel free to contact me with a private message. Also please feel free to visit my Facebook page Author Carlo Carrasco and follow me on Twitter at  @HavenorFantasy as well as on Tumblr at https://carlocarrasco.tumblr.com/ and on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/authorcarlocarrasco

What to watch on YouTube right now – Part 107

What to watch on YouTube right now – Part 107

carlocarrasco

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.

Lost Odyssey Revisited – Back in 2008, I played Lost Odyssey on my Xbox 360 console and it was my most anticipated game of the time as I enjoyed playing Final Fantasy role-playing games (RPGs) on different consoles several years prior. In my experience, Lost Odyssey truly is a Final Fantasy game without the name and it remains an Xbox 360-exclusive game that happens to be compatible with Xbox One, Xbox Series S and Xbox Series X consoles (still available digitally online). For the newcomers reading this, Final Fantasy creator and former Square Enix producer Hironobu Sakaguchi co-wrote the story of Lost Odyssey and his own independent studio Mistwalker laid the foundation and the other studio Feelplus did the coding of the game. Not only that, famous game musician Nobuo Uematsu composed and scored the music of the Xbox RPG. To find out how the game was conceptualized, how its production happened and why it became an Xbox-exclusive game, watch the selected retrospective videos below.

No Kings Protest Fails – In America, the Satanic Leftists, the woke extremists, the climate change zealots and other pawns of the Democrats organized the No Kings protests which eventually failed. The Leftists hatred for US President Donald Trump is so intense, they became out of touch with reality and they end up hating America. Lastly, many on the Left cannot tell the difference between a president and a king. The Democrats meanwhile are still obsessed with embracing immorality, destroying the traditional American family, empowering Islamic terrorists and support illegal immigrants. Watch and learn from the videos below.

#3 Delicious Meals With Big Portions In Japan – If you plan to do food trips while touring Japan, what exactly will you be looking for among the many food joins there? If you crave delicious food with big servings, there are indeed places to visit, and you can find what they offer and where could visit them by watching the Nippon TV video below. A friendly reminder for all who intend to visit Japan as foreign tourists…always behave yourselves by following local rules and being respectful to the Japanese.

VKunia Reacts To Scary Movie – In 2000, Scary Movie was released in cinemas in America on July which was during the summer blockbuster season. The horror comedy parody film succeeded beyond expectations making almost $280 million worldwide on a budget of less than $20 million. Here in the Philippines, Scary Movie opened on November 1 of 2000 and I saw it that day inside the local cinema which was almost full. I noticed a lot of local moviegoers enjoyed its crude comedy under direction of Keenen Ivory Wayans and the performance of Anna Faris. Recently, VKunia posted her reaction video of Scary Movie and her reactions are similar to how the moviegoers around me reacted on November 1, 2000. Watch her video below.

WarGames Revisited  – Back in the 1980s, the Cold War was still hot in people’s minds and information technology (IT) itself was gradually becoming important in America. The 1983 movie WarGames featured a tale about war simulation, hacking, artificial intelligence (AI), the use of super computers for military operations and more. Back then, US President Ronald Reagan saw the film and this led to discussions with members of Congress, advisers and the Joint Chiefs of Staff. A review of full nation security was eventually ordered by Reagan. In today’s age, artificial intelligence is very common and it is causing varied disturbances worldwide which makes WarGames still relevant. To see how the movie impacts YouTubers, watch the selected reaction videos below.

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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 athttps://www.instagram.com/authorcarlocarrasco

What to watch on YouTube right now – Part 106

What to watch on YouTube right now – Part 106

carlocarrasco

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.

You, Me and the Movies React To G.I. Joe: The Movie – When I was very young, me and my friends were fortunate enough to watch the 1987 animated movie G.I. Joe: The Movie on home video which was in high demand for rental in our entire village. We were all very entertained and astounded by the feature film and, unsurprisingly, a lot of G.I. Joe fans in the community started talking about it. Considering its pop culture significance and the involvement of Don Johnson as Lt. Falcon, it is surprising that there are actually few reaction videos of G.I. Joe: The Movie on YouTube as of this writing. Recently, You, Me and The Movies posted its reaction video which I found entertaining. If you have not seen G.I. Joe: The Movie yet, watch it entirely first. Otherwise, enjoy the reaction video below.

Panzer Dragoon Saga Revisited – I never played any of the Panzer Dragoon games released by Sega. What caught my attention was the critical acclaim Panzer Dragoon Saga received in 1998 and it was not only a Sega Saturn-exclusive game but also a role-playing game (RPG). I found this retrospective YouTube video of Panzer Dragoon Saga and it has a fascinating look at the game’s production, history and the fact that two members of game developer Team Andromeda died. Watch it now.

#3 Explore a 7-Eleven Convenience Store In Japan – Months ago, Nippon TV (NTV) posted an exploratory feature news video about the many interesting stuff foreign visitors will find inside a 7-Eleven convenience store in Japan. Apart from the usual food and beverage stuff people expect to see inside convenience stores, 7-Eleven stores in Japan has its own features ranging from unique products to the consumer-friendly services available. The good thing about Nippon TV’s feature video is that the information is presented in English. Watch the video below.

The Fifth Element Revisited – What can be said about the 1997 sci-fi film The Fifth Element? For me, it was a zany action movie that had a strong European touch on comedy and expressions, and it so happens that it had the famous Bruce Willis as the action hero. Of course, the film managed to arouse certain emotions or reactions from moviegoers, and the same can be said about YouTubers who did reaction videos about it. Watch and enjoy the selected reaction videos of The Fifth Element below.

Steven Spielberg’s Animation Legacy  – If you have extensively researched the work and creative history of Steven Spielberg, then you should be aware of his involvement in the production of animated movies…both hand-drawn and computer-generated. Since the 1980s, Spielberg produced animated feature films that happened to be directed by others, and I saw An American Tale as a young boy. Much later in life, I saw The Adventures of Tintin which Spielberg himself directed. Spielberg’s history with animation is extensive and you can discover a lot by watching the video below.

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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 athttps://www.instagram.com/authorcarlocarrasco

What to watch on YouTube right now – Part 76

What to watch on YouTube right now – Part 76

carlocarrasco

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.

Reactions and retro review of Friday The 13th: The Final Chapter – If you have seen at least a majority of the many Friday The 13th movies, which one do you think is the best of them all? For me, it is the fourth movie Friday The 13th: The Final Chapter and you can read my retro movie review of it by clicking here. Already there are many movie reaction and retro review videos about the 1984 film on YouTube, and I selected the entertaining ones for you to see below.

#2 The failure of BuzzFeed  – I never relied on BuzzFeed for updates nor entertainment stuff. As I was browsing YouTube, I noticed this video by It’s Blanko focused on BuzzFeed which has been in trouble for some time now (click here, here and here). Recently, BuzzFeed, Inc. tapped into AI (artificial intelligence) for audience engagement and growth. The video below is quite comprehensive with its examination of BuzzFeed’s culture, business practices and how it struggled years later.  

PatmanQC examines the history of Atari’s Star Wars arcade game – Now on to retro gaming! Way back in 1989 in a Las Vegas hotel, I played the Star Wars arcade game produced by Atari. It was an enjoyable experience as the game design was pretty immersive, fun and responsive. It was also one of the early first-person view games that I experienced as a gamer. Storywise, the game was set during the Rebels’ attack on the Death Star. To find out more about the history and making of the arcade classic, watch PatmanQC’s in-depth video below.

Retrospective on Parasite Eve – Back in 1998, Square released Parasite Eve, a role-playing game (RPG) that emphasized horror over fantasy, and a story that had some grittiness related with its police story concept. I finished the game on PlayStation and ultimately I was not too impressed with the game nor was there any incentive for me to replay it. While it was commercially successful enough to spawn two sequels, Parasite Eve has been pretty much forgotten by the public and Square Enix showed no signs of reviving its franchise. That being said, I found a retrospective that should interest both Parasite Eve fans and younger gamers who are interested in the 1998 game.

The Denver Nuggets’ memorable 1994 elimination of the Seattle Supersonics – If you are fond of basketball and if you are interested to discover a great upset in the history of the NBA Playoffs, you should check out the shocking fall of the Seattle Supersonics to the Denver Nuggets in the elimination round of the 1994 NBA Playoffs. Back then, Seattle was in the Western Conference while the Nuggets were at . Dikembe Mutombo led the Nuggets and their team was fortunate to have talented supporting players to help them outclass Shawn Kemp and the Sonics. To learn all the details, watch the video below.

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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 athttps://www.instagram.com/authorcarlocarrasco

What to watch on YouTube right now – Part 75

What to watch on YouTube right now – Part 75

carlocarrasco

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.

Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith makes big comeback – This year marks the 20th anniversary of Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith and its impact was felt when it finished 2nd in the American box office with its anniversary theatrical release. The George Lucas-directed movie grossed $25.5 million on April 25-27, 2025. For the newcomers reading this, Revenge of the Sith’s successful return to cinemas was celebrated by long-time fans as it was George Lucas’ Star Wars, and not the woke garbage from Kathleen Kennedy and the woke Disney company. To learn about the significance of Revenge of the Sith’s return, watch the videos below.

#2 Ashleigh Burton, Popcorn in Bed, VKunia and Decker Shado react to Revenge of the Sith  – Revenge of the Sith is the real Star Wars as it was made and released many years before woke Disney made the unfortunate deal with George Lucas. I myself was fortunate enough to have seen the movie inside the cinema during its opening week here in the Philippines way back in 2005. To see how Revenge of the Sith impacts viewers, watch the respective video reactions by Ashleigh Burton, Popcorn in Bed, VKunia and Decker Shado (review) below.

PatmanQC examines the history of Centipede – Centipede was an Atari game that I played a lot on the Atari 2600 a long time ago. It was simple with its game design and yet it was a lot of fun to play with. I never got to play the arcade version of Centipede in the old days but thanks to the Atari 50 collection I own, I finally played the arcade Centipede on my Xbox Series X. The development Centipede is interesting and you can learn more about it and the games by watching PatmanQC’s in-depth video below.

Lunar games retrospective – If you are feeling nostalgic or interested in the Lunar franchise of video games, then Gaming Broductions’ retrospective video should interest you. For the newcomers reading this, the Lunar franchise started on the Sega CD (Mega CD in other markets) with Lunar: The Silver Star which was a Japanese role-playing game (JRPG) developed by Game Arts. Sequels and spin-offs were released in the years that followed and the Lunar franchise was revived for modern consoles with the Lunar Remastered Collection. Watch the video to discover more about Lunar games.

Popcorn in Bed reacts to Cape Fear (1991) – Remember when Robert De Niro played a very bad guy in 1991’s Cape Fear? Believe it or not, that particular movie was actually a remake of the original 1960s version and it even got nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture. There were moviegoers who got terrified by Cape Fear in 1991 and you can see for yourselves how it impacted YouTuber Popcorn in Bed in the reaction video below. By the way, Nick Nolte was really good in his role in the film.

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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 athttps://www.instagram.com/authorcarlocarrasco

Lunar Remastered Collection now available on Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One

Lunar Remastered Collection now available on Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One

carlocarrasco

Welcome back Xbox fans, geeks, RPG players, retro gaming enthusiasts and other gamers!

Published GungHo Online fulfilled what they promised before…Lunar Remastered Collection is now available for gamers to enjoy on Xbox Series X|S and the aging Xbox One console. Xbox gamers who love Japanese role-playing games (JRPGs) and retro games can order a digital copy of Lunar Remastered Collection by clicking here or the physical copy by clicking here.

To get things started, watch the official launch trailer of Lunar Remastered Collection below.

For the newcomers reading this, Lunar Remastered Collection’s release marks the first time ever that the Lunar role-playing game (RPG) series appeared on any Xbox console. The series developed by Game Arts first started way back in 1992 with Lunar: The Silver Star on the Sega CD (Mega CD in other markets) which was an add-on device on the Sega Genesis (Mega Drive). Lunar: Eternal Blue was released also on Sega CD in 1994.

During the 5th console generation, both games were remade – Lunar: Silver Star Story Complete and Lunar 2: Eternal Blue – were released on Sega Saturn and the PlayStation, taking advantage of each console’s capabilities for better presentations technically and artistically. The remade Lunar games each had technical enhancements and animated cutscenes. In case you are wondering, the stories of the two games are set around one thousand years apart.

As seen in the launch trailer above, Lunar Remastered Collection includes a lot of features to suit the tastes of gamers such as the option to choose between classic and remastered modes, adjustable battle speed, the option to choose between English and Japanese voice-overs, and more.

Remember this battle from Lunar: Silver Star Story Complete?

For those who want the best quality for viewing anime cutscenes, the remastered mode features enhanced visuals that make the anime footage look more presentable on HDTV. As for the English voice-overs, be aware that the voices of the characters and enemies are all new. This means that the previous English voice-over works produced by Working Designs (defunct since 2005) for the North American versions of Lunar: Silver Star Story Complete and Lunar 2: Eternal Blue are simply not available.  

More on Lunar Remastered Collection for Xbox consoles, Xbox Wire published a feature interview with GungHo America’s Senior Graphic Designer Amy Nguyen and there are lots interesting details to discover. You can read the feature interview by clicking https://news.xbox.com/en-us/2025/04/18/lunar-remastered-collection-logo-amp-package-design/

Unlike what happened in the Grandia HD Collection, the 2D sprites in the Lunar remastered games were not filtered. Their organic sprite look was maintained.

If you are a long-time JRPG enthusiast, or if you are an avid retro gamer, or if you are a long-time Lunar RPG fan who already owns a modern Xbox console, Lunar Remastered Collection is worth checking out. It is the latest retro gaming release this year that Xbox gamers can enjoy. Watch the YouTube video below for reference as to how the game looks on Xbox.

If you intend to purchase Lunar Remastered Collection for your Xbox, you can do so by clicking https://www.xbox.com/en-US/games/store/lunar-remastered-collection/9MTLLLG0S7RN for the digital copy, or by clicking https://a.co/d/0vhAIqL for the physical copy.

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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 athttps://www.instagram.com/authorcarlocarrasco

Playing the remastered Suikoden on my Xbox Series X is a lot of fun

Playing the remastered Suikoden on my Xbox Series X is a lot of fun

carlocarrasco

Welcome back Xbox fans, geeks, RPG enthusiasts and other gamers!

I have been playing the remastered version of the mid-1990s Japanese role-playing game (JRPG) Suikoden (Japanese title: Genso Suikoden) on my Xbox Series X as I now own the digital copy of Suikoden I & II HD Remaster: Gate Rune and Dunan Unification Wars.

For the newcomers reading this, Suikoden I & II HD Remaster: Gate Rune and Dunan Unification Wars was released on March 6 and it contains Suikoden and Suikoden II (Japanese title: Genso Suikoden II). This is a cause for a celebration not only for fans of the Suikoden game franchise (created by the late Yoshitaka Murayama during his time at Konami) and JRPG enthusiasts but also for people who love retro gaming.

With Suikoden I & II HD Remaster: Gate Rune and Dunan Unification Wars now available on multiple platforms, gamers – both the veterans as well as the younger players – now have the golden opportunities to play the first two Suikoden games.

Suikoden on Xbox

A lot of characters got their share of the spotlight in short scenes like this in Suikoden.

As mentioned earlier, Suikoden is my most played game on my Xbox Series X since March 6. The release of Suikoden games on Xbox platforms is highly significant given the fact that the franchise has often been identified with PlayStation for so long. What many gamers do not know is the fact that Suikoden was also released on the Sega Saturn and Windows PC in Japan in the late-1990s.

As history showed, most Suikoden RPGs released by Konami from 1995 to 2006 mainly on the original PlayStation console (the first two games) and PlayStation 2 (the third, fourth and fifth games). Spin-off games were released on PlayStation, PS2, Game Boy Advance and Nintendo DS. That being said, there were absolutely no Suikoden games on the original Xbox console and Xbox 360.

The release of Suikoden I & II HD Remaster: Gate Rune and Dunan Unification Wars on Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S and the aging Xbox One is indeed a game-changer. There are lots of Xbox gamers who are fond of Japanese RPGs and there are also Suikoden fans who happen to own Xbox consoles. The Xbox ecosystem itself now has lots of role-playing games (RPGs) released in this current console generation and there are lots of Xbox players who love RPGs.  As such, Konami made the right move bringing the Suikoden franchise to Xbox consoles.

Playing the first Suikoden again but in shinier form

The group battle in the game. The remastered work includes presentation in high-definition and a variety of visual enhancements. The frame rate is also stable.

Since the launch of Suikoden I & II HD Remaster: Gate Rune and Dunan Unification Wars, I have been playing the first Suikoden game a lot on my Xbox Series X. It has been a fun-filled nostalgic gaming experience on my part and I can also say that Konami – for the most part – did a good job remastering the game with high-definition visuals in mind.

Visually, this is the best the first Suikoden RPG ever looked! The in-game character sprites and creatures/monsters sprites from before have been preserved and because everything is in high-definition, the said sprites look larger and you can see the detailed pixels within them. When it comes to the visual effects to emphasize in-game magic and other spectacles, the new effects implemented resulted in a lot of pleasing eye candy.

Mini-games like this one added fun and variety to the game. If you keep winning in this one, you can make a lot of in-game money.
The occasional close-ups during group battles like this added to the spectacle of playing. The enhanced visuals also made this look better.

When it comes to the character portraits, they have been redrawn from scratch by Junko Kawano and each artwork per character looked clearer and more detailed than before. Some long-time Suikoden fans might find the new character portraits looking too clean and might make them miss the older artworks.

Suikoden’s story is about the Scarlet Moon Empire, political developments, corruption that goes beyond politics, and how they all affect the people. The playable protagonist is the son of the imperial general Teo McDohl, and through him you will witness political intrigue and unexpected twists that will compel you to stick closer with your family friends to escape the empire and form a new army of rebels by recruiting members across the land.

Even in subtle forms, the enhanced visuals made dramatic scenes like this look more lively.

While the storytelling is satisfactory at best, there is a wide variety of characters who collectively added colors to the narrative. This is due to the many types of personalities that the important characters have. Take for example Matthiu who is the calm and calculating strategist, Viktor is the brave and brash rebel, and Gremio is very dedicated to protecting the protagonist no matter what happens. Along the way, character development is truly limited which is not surprising because a lot of characters shared the spotlight.

In terms of game design and gameplay features, Suikoden has aged well. The battle systems – solo battle, group battle, army battle – are still functional, efficient and fun to do. While some grinding (leveling-up) is needed, it is not stressful to do because the auto-battle options make the group battles flow smoothly, especially when your characters (up to six) are collectively strong enough to overwhelm the enemies.

This is the formation of the members of your party. Those with short-range attacks should be placed on the front row but they need strong defense values to keep on fighting. Characters with long-range attacks are ideally placed in the back row.
Meet Odessa.

The gameplay is just as fun to do as before. I really like the fact that up to six characters can be part of my party/group as I went adventuring and focused on story scenes. The solo and army battles are understandably few but the payoff (in return to the build-up leading to them) was worth it. I should state that the unite attacks (limited to specific characters who are present in the party) are fun to watch and the creators’ approach on presenting the battle animations and spectacle are great to see.

A great, long border wall in the game.

While the gameplay is clearly fun, Konami’s remaster team did not fix one old problem the game had since the start – limited spacing of items per character. Each character has his/her/its own pieces of clothing to wear, specifically for the body, head and two accessories. The game counts those clothing items as part of the overall item spacing per character. Once you have the four items for a character to wear, the remaining spaces for carrying other items (examples: medicine, ore, anti-toxin) become severely limited for the character.

Along the way, there is the constant need for you to purchase stronger pieces of clothing to increase the defense value of the newest character who joined your army. That being said, you must earn a lot of money, take time to out purchase items, and equip them on new characters while dealing with limited storage per character. The item management problem is the one thing that prevented the gameplay from achieving perfection.

My long-time experience with the Suikoden franchise

Viktor is the brash and brave fighter who becomes part of the Liberation Army. He is an important supporting character which you will easily realize.

In my personal gaming history, I played and finished the original game on PlayStation way back in 1996. While I really enjoyed the game and its unique gameplay features, I never replayed it as my taste on PlayStation gaming kept changing in 1997. When Wild ARMs and Final Fantasy VII landed on PlayStation, I forgot about Suikoden until its sequel was released in English in 1999.

Fortunately, Suikoden II was so much bigger and better than its predecessor and it remains the most defining game of the entire Suikoden franchise (read my retro review by clicking here). That being said, I will start playing the remastered Suikoden II on my Xbox Series X soon.

Having played the remastered first game on my Xbox console, I can say that it was a fun-filled trip on my end. At the same time, I remembered scenes and several small character moments in between that I have forgotten long ago. Although a lot of characters were presented, following the narrative was still easy to do since it was light compared to what Suikoden II told.

Conclusion

A shot of a feast within the army of rebels with their leader Tir McDohl. The young McDohl is the playable protagonist.

With the first Suikoden alone, I can say I got really good value and enjoyment with my purchase of the digital copy of Suikoden I & II HD Remaster: Gate Rune and Dunan Unification Wars for my Xbox Series X. This is a fine example about retro gaming literally saving the day when Team Xbox failed to deliver the promised great fun with their own games.

If you are an Xbox fan who loves retro gaming as well as Japanese RPGs, and if you have decided to purchase Suikoden I & II HD Remaster: Gate Rune and Dunan Unification Wars, you can do so by clicking https://www.xbox.com/en-us/games/store/suikoden-i-ii-hd-remaster-gate-rune-and-dunan-unification-wars/9nrgnstzlchj

If you prefer a physical copy for your Xbox console, click https://www.xbox.com/en-us/games/store/suikoden-i-ii-hd-remaster-gate-rune-and-dunan-unification-wars/9nrgnstzlchj

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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 athttps://www.instagram.com/authorcarlocarrasco

What to watch on YouTube right now – Part 55

What to watch on YouTube right now – Part 55

carlocarrasco

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.

VKunia’s Akira reaction video – In recent times, I published blog post that had several videos of reviews, analysis and exploration of the 1988 anime feature film Akira. This time around, I posted for your viewing pleasure the Akira reaction video of VKunia. What I like about it is that VKunia herself is quite reactive to what was shown. Watch her reaction video below…

Royal Space Force: The Wings of Honnêamise reviewed and analyzed by Cinemology 101 – Way back in 1985, the ambitious anime feature film Royal Space Force: The Wings of Honnêamise was released in theaters and eventually made its way into the West with English translation in the cinemas in 1988 and on home video a few years later. While I was not exactly entertained by it on home video, I still was left intrigued by its highly imaginative world, art and animation quality that was comparable in some ways with Akira. YouTuber Cinemology 101 (AKA The Cinemologists) posted its review and explanatory video of the film which is very comprehensive to watch.

Hong Kong Action cinema of the 1980s revisited – If there is anything I miss from the 1980s, it is the dynamic action that came in different styles from the Hong Kong action movies of the time. By comparison, I am disgusted with Hollywood’s so-called modern approach of recording action that involves shaky camera handling and the quick cuts on editing. In Hong Kong action movies, the filmmakers recorded action with stable camera handling and using the right angles to capture the action visibly and clearly. Watch and learn from the video below…

PatmanQC examines Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Turtles in Time arcade – Back in 1991,  Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Turtles in Time was released in the arcades and it became a big hit for Konami as it earned the approval of the critics and the coins of many gamers who paid for bouts of fun. The game was designed to be very playful and it also had a lot of stuff that resonated with TMNT fans. To find out who were responsible for the game and what inspired their work, watch the in-depth video by PatmanQC.

Lunar games retrospective by Xygor Gaming – In case you missed the news, the first two Japanese role-playing games (JRPGs) of the Lunar series – Lunar: Silver Star Story Complete and Lunar 2: Eternal Blue – will be released for modern consoles in a package on April 18, 2025 called Lunar Remastered Collection. If you are fond of Japanese RPGs of the 1990s or if you want to discover what the Lunar series is about, watch the in-depth retro gaming retrospective video by Xygor Gaming.

Sorority House Massacre explored by GoodBadFlicks – Recently, it was revealed that the 1986 horror movie Sorority House Massacre will be released on 4K Blu-ray this coming April. I never saw the movie but heard that it was criticized for being too familiar with a certain slasher horror movie from 1978. Regardless, you can learn about it by watching GoodBadFlicks’ explanatory video and perhaps it can provide insight as to why the movie is being released on 4K Blu-ray.

US President Trump’s efforts against illegal immigration make waves overseas – Even though I am not an American citizen, I personally oppose illegal immigration. I simply believe that no government should ever let lots of foreigners to trespass into the country, violate the national sovereignty and consume taxpayer-funded resources. It is a great thing that Donald Trump is officially back as US President and this early, his efforts fighting illegal immigration is making a lot of impact even overseas. The Leftist leader of Colombia gave in to Trump in humiliating fashion, and you can learn all about it in the Sky News Australia video below. Lastly, let me remind you all that illegal aliens are criminals by default, and they certainly are NOT refugees.

Palestinian discredited! – By now, many of you should know that I will always stand with Israel and the Jewish state. Let me tell you the truth that Palestine never started as country, never started as people but rather it started as a name imposed by the evil Roman empire on Israel centuries ago. The Palestinian identity only started in the 1920s, and the Palestinians have a history of chaos, violence and disruption. History and the facts are on the side of Israel, not the Palestinians. Watch and learn from the video below…

Assorted videos of The Matrix – If have seen 1999’s The Matrix, do you personally consider it to be the most revolutionary action movie of all time? Was it the most definitive movie of 1999? Or have you forgotten much about it? If you are feeling nostalgic about the movie, watch the videos below.

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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 athttps://www.instagram.com/authorcarlocarrasco

Lunar Remastered Collection scheduled for release on Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One on April 18, 2025

Lunar Remastered Collection scheduled for release on Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One on April 18, 2025

carlocarrasco

Welcome back Xbox fans, geeks, retro gaming enthusiasts, RPG enthusiasts and gamers!

GungHo Online recently announced the release date of the anticipated retro Japanese role-playing games (JRPGs) collection Lunar Remastered Collection which is April 18, 2025.

For the newcomers reading this, the said collection contains the two memorable fantasy role-playing games (fantasy RPGs) which are Lunar: Silver Star Story Complete (enhanced version of Lunar: The Silver Star) and Lunar 2: Eternal Blue Complete (enhanced version of Lunar: Eternal Blue). Since the releases of the original versions in the 1990s, the Lunar RPGs have been released on a variety of consoles such as Sega CD, PlayStation and Sega Saturn.

Lunar Remastered Collection will be the first-time the Lunar RPGs will be released on Xbox consoles. It will launch on April 18, 2025.

For the JRPG-loving Xbox fans, the said Lunar Remastered Collection is indeed coming to Xbox Series X|S and the aging Xbox One. Strangely enough, as of this writing, the said collection has yet to appear on the Xbox online store.

While GungHo confirmed there will be physical copies of Lunar Remastered Collection coming out, it is uncertain if such copies of the Xbox version will be released. The press release mentioned that physical editions “will be available exclusively through Amazon for $54.99 USD” for the North American market. As for the European market, only the PlayStation 4 (PS4) and Nintendo Switch will have physical copies through Clear River Games.

If you are an Xbox fan who loves Lunar and JRPGs in general, are you discouraged about the potential lack of physical copies of Lunar Remastered Collection? If you really want it badly, better express your opinions and questions directly to Team Xbox and GungHo via Twitter, or by email.

For updates about Lunar Remastered Collection, visit https://www.lunarremastered.com/

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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 athttps://www.instagram.com/authorcarlocarrasco