Michael Jordan – Author Carlo Carrasco

What To Watch On YouTube Right Now – Part 156

September 30, 2026September 23, 2026carlocarrasco

Welcome back my readers, YouTube viewers and all others who followed this series of articles focused on YouTube videos worth watching.

Have you been searching for something fun or interesting to watch on YouTube? Do you feel bored right now and you crave for something to see on the world’s most popular online video destination?

I recommend you check out the following videos I found.

#1 Virtua Fighter anime revisited – Remember back in the 1990s when Sega struck gold with the groundbreaking success of the first Virtua Fighter game? Virtua Fighter was their first 3D polygonal fighting game and it easily attracted attention as well as tons of money from arcade gamers and later console gamers. Virtua Fighter also sparked strong sales for the Sega Saturn console in Japan. Along the way, Sega itself got involved in anime productions with their ownership of TMS Entertainment and by the year 1995, the Virtua Fighter anime TV series was launched. To be clear, the Virtua Fighter anime series was not a simple production as the creators behind it made something cohesive as well as the characters worth following. To learn more about the said anime, watch the GTV Japan video below.

#2 A look at the legacy of Reggie Lewis – When the late Reggie Lewis first entered the NBA as a rookie, the Celtics were still the best in the Eastern Conference and their famous starting five of Larry Bird, Kevin McHale, Robert Parish, Dennis Johnson and Danny Ainge were aging. During his second season, Lewis improved heavily as he replaced the injured Larry Bird, and he went on to become a very productive Celtic over the next several years. Tragedy struck in 1993 when Lewis died at age 27 and the details behind his heart condition and death are complicated to say the least. What most people did not know was that Lewis entered the NBA to lift his family (note: his mother was a drug addict) up from poverty. The legacy of Reggie Lewis is explained in detail in the video below and I encourage you all to watch it.

#3 The Creepiest Episodes of Unsolved Mysteries – Recently, YouTuber Minty Comedic Arts posted a video about the ten creepiest episodes of Unsolved Mysteries (hosted by the late Robert Stack). In that video, I saw most of the creepy episodes featured and there were a few ones that I saw for the first time. Indeed, almost all the episodes of Unsolved Mysteries can be viewed for free on YouTube and there are some that were missing due to legal reasons. Now is the time to watch Minty’s video below. Tell me if you find them creepy.

#4 American cheese in Japan – With the intensifying demand for cheese around the world, there is now a so-called battle for market share. In Japan, most cheese offered are imported and their prices have gone up significantly affecting the restaurants and local consumers. Along the way, cheese produced in the United States have entered Japan in growing numbers and it is being offered to local businesses and consumers for their consumption and cooking needs. America has key advantages with regards to production of milk and cheese and there is a renewed focus on exporting products aggressively. Watch and learn from the Nippon TV video below.

#5 The Unreleased Marvel 2099 Video Game of the 1990s – Thirty years ago, I read a video game magazine and got excited over the news about an official video game based on the Marvel 2099 comics franchise. I already read lots of issues of Spider-Man 2099, X-Men 2099, Ravage 2099, Punisher 2099, Doom 2099, and the 2099 Unlimited quarterly series. That said, I was delightfully surprised that the Marvel 2099 game was set for release on PlayStation. Then as time passed by, nothing happened and the unreleased game was forgotten. To find out exactly what happened, go watch the in-depth video below.

#6 Chopping Mall reaction videos – How many times have you seen a horror movie or a cinematic misadventure that happened inside a shopping mall? In 1986, the low-budget techno-horror movie Chopping Mall (original title: Killbots) was released and it had a lot of scenes filmed inside the Sherman Oaks Galleria (which was also a location for Commando and Fast Times at Ridgemont High) in California. What makes Chopping Mall unique is its concept of security robots going rogue and harming people which brings back vibes of The Terminator. In today’s age of rampant artificial intelligence (AI) development, Chopping Mall has gotten more socially relevant and it has been featured in many movie reaction and retro review videos on YouTube. I found for you guys and gals the more engaging videos of the said movie.

#7 Adults Who Went to the Extreme for Disney and Buried Themselves with Debt – What is the worst thing you can do with your time and money with regards to entertainment from the woke Disney company? A few years ago, a survey found that 24% of all Disney-goers accrued debt during their trips along with 45% of parents with children (aged below 18). To be very clear, visiting a Disney theme park with the family is very costly and the very expensive rates on the food, transportation, accommodations, souvenirs and services related with Disney won’t fade away. Even with those painful prices, there still are certain adults who put themselves at huge financial risks because they could not restrain themselves from enjoying anything Disney. The Disney adults are real, and they lack discipline on spending. In the long run, these people are morally and spiritually lost. You better not follow their bad examples, and you can find out why by watch the informative 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 @CarloCarrascoPH 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 155

September 23, 2026September 17, 2026carlocarrasco

Welcome back my readers, YouTube viewers and all others who followed this series of articles focused on YouTube videos worth watching.

Have you been searching for something fun or interesting to watch on YouTube? Do you feel bored right now and you crave for something to see on the world’s most popular online video destination?

I recommend you check out the following videos I found.

#1 You, Me and the Movies react to Swordfish – Let’s be clear here. No matter how much the movie critics rejected it, the 2001 film Swordfish remains very entertaining to watch and the creativity behind it made it memorable. I still remember the sudden impact the movie had on the public shortly after it opened in cinemas twenty-five years ago…a lot of moviegoers were stunned by the elaborate explosion early in the story and many people were so impressed with John Travolta’s performance as Gabriel, they forgave him for his involvement in the super bad movie Battlefield Earth. Considering how entertaining Swordfish really is, there are still too few movie reaction videos of it on YouTube. Fortunately, You, Me and the Movies posted their Swordfish reaction video and I encourage you all to watch it.

#2 Totally Whatever reacts to From Russia With Love – My favorite among all the James Bond movies of the late Sean Connery is still From Russia With Love. I enjoyed the film’s approach on espionage storytelling laced with Cold War political influence mixed with thrills and misadventures that are grounded that were believable. Some people find it boring while others enjoyed it for what it is. That said, I encourage you to watch Totally Whatever’s reaction video of the 1963 James Bond movie.

#3 The Dream Team of 1992 and their Impact on the World– In the history of basketball, nothing can ever be more groundbreaking than the Dream Team of 1992. I’m talking about the American basketball team that played in the Olympic Games with NBA legends like Magic Johnson, Michael Jordan, Larry Bird, John Stockton, Chris Mullin, Karl Malone, and Charles Barkley to name some. Behind the scenes, getting the NBA legends to work together as a true team was challenging due to egos and, fortunately, serious adjustments were made over time. To rediscover the Dream Team and how they impacted the whole world through basketball, watch the video below.

#4 Traditional and Popular Edo Cuisine in Japan – When it comes to Japanese food, have you ever heard of Edo cuisine? Edo cuisine refers to the style of cooking that developed in the city of Edo (modern-day Tokyo) during the Edo period (1603–1868). Unlike the refined, slow-paced banquets favored by the imperial aristocracy in Kyoto, Edo cuisine’s development was shaped by a booming population of hasty merchants, construction workers and the samurai. As such, Japan’s original street food culture came to be. In modern Japan, there are places where visitors can find and enjoy Edo cuisine. Watch the video below and pay attention to the details.

#5 Arcade Games Made to Suck Money from Players – If you were fond of playing games in the video arcades, chances are you may have felt like you spent too much money on playing one or two particular games that did not reward you enough in terms of fun. Indeed, there were arcade games that were design to absorb as much money from players, especially those who are obsessed with completing them or getting satisfied from the gameplay. Watch and learn from the video below.

#6 Sega Saturn and Nintendo 64 – Console gaming in the second half of the 1990s was indeed a wild period. While the PlayStation eventually outsold the competition, there are indeed very distinct features and unique gaming experiences that the Sega Saturn and Nintendo 64 offered to gamers. The two said consoles also have unique game designs as the people behind Sega and Nintendo’s respective offices had their own approach on designing them. For another round of retro gaming, watch the video below.

#7 Ashleigh Burton reacts to Rhinestone – Have you ever seen the 1984 comedy film Rhinestone? The first time I saw it was on local TV and I was really laughing at the scene wherein Sylvester Stallone started singing so wildly in a rural community whose residents love country music. This movie has a colorful performance by the late Dolly Parton (who died recently) and there is indeed chemistry between her and Stallone. By today’s standards, this comedy is considered by Stallone fans an anomaly given his huge success in 1980s Hollywood cinema with action films. If you really want to see comedy from Stallone and Parton, I encourage to watch Ashleigh Burton’s reaction video below.

#8 EOM Reacts to early X-Men movies – Were you able to watch the first three live-action X-Men movies as they were released within a 6-year period? I did. I saw X-Men (2000), X2: X-Men United (2003) and X-Men: The Last Stand (2006) in different cinemas in two cities. Each cinematic experience was entertaining but as a long-time X-Men comic book reader, I could tell that liberties were taken on the characters, settings and other elements. In recent times, YouTube EOM Reacts posted his reaction videos of the three mentioned X-Men movies and they are fun to watch one-by-one. I encourage you to watch them now.

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What To Watch On YouTube Right Now – Part 154

September 16, 2026September 10, 2026carlocarrasco

Welcome back my readers, YouTube viewers and all others who followed this series of articles focused on YouTube videos worth watching.

Have you been searching for something fun or interesting to watch on YouTube? Do you feel bored right now and you crave for something to see on the world’s most popular online video destination?

I recommend you check out the following videos I found.

#1 Ashleigh Burton reacts to A View to a Kill – It has been over a year since Asheigh Burton made a Roger Moore-led James Bond movie reaction video. That said, she recently posted her reaction video of A View to a Kill and that film happens to be Moore’s final movie as Agent 007. In my honest opinion, Roger Moore was at his best as Bond in 1981’s For Your Eyes Only before everything went downhill with his last two 007 flicks. As such, I can say that Ashleigh Burton enjoyed A View to a Kill more than I did and her reaction video is fun to watch. Go watch her reaction video now!

#2 Sega Lord X examines Bram Stoker’s Dracula on Sega CD – When Bram Stoker’s Dracula (directed by Francis Ford Coppola) was released in cinemas worldwide in 1992, there was a lot of marketing for it and its presence through local media was felt. The same cannot be said about the official video game adaptations which was limited to video game-related publications. Among those video games was the Sega CD game of Bram Stoker’s Dracula which was somewhat ambitious in design connected with its use of full-motion video and digitized elements for the 2D side-scrolling gameplay. In his retrospective video, Sega Lord X offers viewers a close look at Bram Stoker’s Dracula on Sega CD which is engaging to watch.

#3 When Michael Jordan taught the Orlando Magic a big lesson – Remember back in 1995 when Michael Jordan came out of retirement to significantly boost the Chicago Bulls? The Bulls won 13 of the 17 remaining regular season games with Jordan and they reached as far as the Eastern Conference Semifinals against the 1^st-seeded Orlando Magic. While the Bulls got stronger with their NBA legend, the fact was Michael Jordan was still far from recovering 100% of the basketball greatness he had in 1993 (the year he had a sudden retirement after winning another NBA championship and losing his beloved father). The series with the Orlando Magic has always been remembered for Nick Anderson’s remarks of “45 is not 23” which eventually led to a huge consequence later. This is about trash talk that compelled Jordan to react with action not only within the 1995 series against the Orlando Magic but also beyond it. Watch and learn from the video below.

#4 A look at Hong Kong – Have you ever visited Hong Kong? There is this YouTube video about the city and there are many real-life elements and locations that are unique to see. Back in the 1990s, Hong Kong was also known for its neon lights shown during nights and the city itself became the visual inspiration for the fictional New Port City in the Ghost in the Shell anime feature film of 1995. There is a lot to learn about Hong Kong in the video below.

#5 Nuclear Fusion in Japan – What is nuclear fusion? It is the reaction in which two or more light atomic nuclei combine to form a single heavier nucleus, releasing a massive amount of energy in the process. As of now, nuclear fusion is being developed in Japan and the Japanese are investing a massive amount of over three trillion Yen on it. With said investment, the government of Japan aims to achieve fusion power generation in the 2030s and capture 30% of the global market. Watch and learn from the Nippon TV video below.

#6 You, Me and the Movies react to Hudson Hawk – If you enjoyed watching Bruce Willis in Die Hard films, do you enjoy watching him in action-comedy movies? Way back in 1991, Willis starred in Hudson Hawk which was an expensive action-comedy film that ended up as a huge critical and commercial failure in America. Even though it flopped big-time, it did not n necessarily destroy Willis’ career and the film somehow gained a cult following. There are also some film buffs online who admitted even enjoying it. Perhaps there is something within Hudson Hawk that was good and misunderstood. To learn more about the movie, watch the reaction video of You, Me and the Movies below.

#7 Totally Whatever reacts to Predator and Predator 2 – I enjoy watching the reaction videos posted by Totally Whatever. I took time to watch their reaction videos of 1987’s Predator (a true action classic which has Arnold Schwarzenegger and a memorable cast) and the 1990 sequel Predator 2 (which starred Danny Glover). Considering how different each movie was and how unique the presentations and characters were, the reaction videos to the Predator films are fun to watch. I encourage you watch the videos below.

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Retro Gaming Ads Blast – Part 45

August 3, 2026August 1, 2026carlocarrasco

Welcome back readers, fellow geeks and electronic gaming fans!

In this edition of the Retro Gaming Ads Blast (RGAB) series, we will take a look at another batch of retro gaming print ads from the 1980s to the 1990s.

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

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

1. Tron Arcade Flyer

*The rear. The details were clearly written for arcade operators.*

Remember how dazzling the 1982 movie Tron was when you first saw it? That film had groundbreaking computer-generated graphics and the filmmakers worked very hard to tell a story covering both the real and digital worlds. Along the way, the movie had strong video game vibes which resonated with gamers at a time when arcade gaming was wildly popular in America. Believe it or not, an official arcade game of Tron was released the same year as the movie and it was a massive success. The arcade flyer perfectly captured the vibe and look from the movie and the machine itself had a control stick the same with what was shown to viewers. This old flyer is still great to look at.

2. Green Beret Japanese Arcade Flyer

Konami was a highly prolific game publisher in the 1980s and it had lots of games that became huge blockbusters. During the decade, their game developers were strongly influenced by both Hollywood action movies and the Cold War. In 1985, Konami released the militaristic game Green Beret in Japanese arcades and to promote it, they created an arcade flyer featuring a very stylish artwork highlighting military images of soldiers (including a guy smoking) and warfare. This ad still looks great and it was not surprising it helped the game achieve huge commercial success. Green Beret was released in America as Rush’n Attack.

3. Darius Japanese And North American Arcade Flyers

Released in arcades worldwide in 1987, Darius is a 2D side-scrolling shooter game from Taito which had a science fiction concept of the starship Silver Hawk (piloted by players) which sets on a mission to destroy an evil empire before it could destroy the world called Darius. The game was successful, most notably in Japan and it eventually led to sequels being released later. What I find intriguing is how the arcade game was promoted in Japan and in North America. The Japanese arcade flyer had this intriguing artwork that reflected a blend of sci-fi with a touch of horror. The North American flyer had a strong sci-fi touch with a male and female model wearing costumes (that made them look futuristic) standing beside the Darius machine. Which flyer looks more appealing to you?

4. Data East’s Arcade Alley Print Ad

*Fun and excitement emphasized in this print ad.*

There is nothing like porting arcade hits to computer systems for gamers to enjoy. In 1988 there in Europe, U.S. Gold released Data East’s Arcade Alley for computer systems and it included ports of popular Data East games like Kung Fu Master, Express Raider, Breakthru, Tag Team Wrestling, Last Mission and Karate Champ. U.S. Gold’s print ad showed a guy in the middle of a video arcade looking on both sides to pick which game to play which strongly emphasized the essence of the game collection (offered in cassettes and disk). This old ad is still amusing to look at.

5. Blasteroids European Print Ad

Blasteroids, the third entry in Atari’s popular Asteroids games series, was released in European arcades by Image Works and eventually landed on computer systems there. For Europe, the ad makers came up with artwork showing a creepy, green space monster surrounded by a few spaceships to emphasize the game’s concept. The said monster eventually appeared on the game covers of the computer ports of Blasteroids later. This ad shows creative adjustments taken to promote games in different parts of the world.

6. Dream Team USA Japanese Print Ad

The legends of the NBA in the Japanese version of EA’s Team USA Basketball. Retitling the game as Dream Team USA made more sense because “Dream Team” was a much more popular reference than “Team USA Basketball”.

Remember how wildly popular the Dream Team (Team USA in Olympic basketball) was in 1992? With NBA legends Larry Bird, Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, Charles Barkley, Karl Malone, John Stockton and more representing America in the basketball tournament of the Olympic Summer Games in Barcelona, Spain, the Dream Team (a media-led reference for the team) was easily the main attraction not only for basketball fans worldwide but also those who craved for excitement in international sports events. That said, Electronic Arts secured the license to make an official video game about the Dream Team and actually released the game Team USA Basketball within 1992 for the Sega Genesis. As basketball is popular also in Japan, EA released the game there titled as Dream Team USA and came up with a Japanese print ad to seriously capture gamers’ attention. This ad is still effective in delighting both basketball and video game enthusiasts.

7. Super Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back And Return Of The Jedi Print Ad

*No screenshots of games used. Just the official images from the posters of the two movies.*

Back in the 1990s, there was a resurgence of the original Star Wars trilogy across different forms of media. Apart from the VHS re-releases of Star Wars, The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi, there was a slew of video games of Star Wars released during the decade and the fans had new stuff to entertain themselves with. Along the way, the company THQ secured the rights to Super Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back and Super Star Wars: Return of the Jedi for re-release to coincide with the 1997 “Special Edition” theatrical releases of their respective movies. THQ’s print ad simply used official images of Return of the Jedi and inserted a tiny bit of The Empire Strikes Back, and they did not show any screenshots that could have been helpful for Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES) and Game Boy users. Still, it was smart for THQ to print two excerpts of game reviews to sell the games.

8. Super Mario RPG North American Print Ad

*A mesmerizing ad for the acclaimed Super Mario RPG.*

Remember back in the 1990s when Nintendo and role-playing game giant SquareSoft had a very healthy business relationship that proved successful? Before their eventual breakup (related to Square signing with Sony for PlayStation development), the two companies joined forces to make a fully featured role-playing game for the SNES featuring Super Mario and related characters…Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars. To promote the game, Nintendo (the publisher) created a mesmerizing 2-page print ad highlighting their characters while emphasizing the role-playing and fantasy aspects of the game. At the time of its release, Super Mario was often identified with platform games and the Super Mario RPG print ad was a serious attempt to lure fans into RPGs which the SNES was already rich with. This ad, which I first saw in gaming magazines in 1996, still looks great.

9. NBA Shootout ’97 Print Ad

*Did you play this on PlayStation in 1997?*

If there is anything I miss about 1990s console gaming, it is the fact that there were a lot of NBA-licensed video games that were offered to players with different tastes in basketball gaming. Sony had its own exclusive NBA games series called NBA Shootout and they were pretty aggressive selling its own basketball games along with the PlayStation going up against the likes of Electronic Arts (NBA Live), Sega and others. This is reflected in this 2-page print ad of NBA Shootout ’97 which was a PlayStation-exclusive release. They featured a photograph of Lakers’ Eddie Jones about to dunk and showed screenshots as well as the descriptive text written with excitement. Since it first started, NBA Shootout was basketball in full 3D polygonal graphics backed with motion-captured moves and dunks that players could enjoy only PlayStation. This ad is a reminder that Sony used to make official NBA games and there is a lack of variety and players’ choice of NBA gaming in today’s world.

10. Legend of Legaia North American Print Ad

*Perhaps someone at Sony Computer Entertainment America (SCEA) thought Legend of Legaia was a horror video game.*

There was a time when Sony produced Japanese RPGs (JRPGs) exclusive for PlayStation consoles. One of them was Legend of Legaia which had a combat system that emphasized martial arts and it had an interesting fantasy concept. For its 1999 North American release, Sony came up with a very bizarre 2-page print ad that had digital artwork with a very strong horror vibe and the visual designs within the three screenshots shown were clearly not related with it. How this ad was made remains unclear. This is easily one of the most misguided gaming ads of the 1990s.

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What To Watch On YouTube Right Now – Part 140

June 3, 2026May 25, 2026carlocarrasco

Welcome back my readers, YouTube viewers and all others who followed this series of articles focused on YouTube videos worth watching.

Have you been searching for something fun or interesting to watch on YouTube? Do you feel bored right now and you crave for something to see on the world’s most popular online video destination?

I recommend you check out the following videos I found.

#1 Retro Videos Of Scary Movie (2000) – Some of you might be aware that a brand new Scary Movie (2026) is coming out very soon. Although it’s nice to see Anna Faris and the Wayans brothers in the trailer of the new movie, I am not very motivated to see it. That said, I am more nostalgic about the original Scary Movie of 2000 and that film is significant as there are many retrospective videos about it in YouTube. As such, I posted below the selected videos of Scary Movie (2000) for your enjoyment.

#2 How Tekken 3 Was Made Possible On PlayStation – When I first played Tekken 3 in the arcades in 1997, I was already an avid fan of Tekken 2 which I played a lot on the PlayStation console. Back then, I wondered how Namco would be able to port Tekken 3 on PlayStation are the arcade version had much more powerful hardware. A year later, Tekken 3 was released on PlayStation and I played it a lot. The more I played it, the more impressed I was with how the game looked and felt on PlayStation. Not only that, Tekken 3 on PlayStation had features that the original arcade version did not offer. To find out how Namco made the “impossible port” of Tekken 3 using the PlayStation’s aging hardware, watch the video below.

#3 1990s NBA Plays That Are Still Great To Watch – Remember how exciting NBA basketball action was back in the 1990s? It was during the 1990s when the NBA became a global phenomenon, when the NBA had such super stars like Michael Jordan, Reggie Miller, Charles Barkley, Shaquille O’Neal and others who made great basketball plays. Back in those days, the Internet was slowly emerging and there obviously was no social media to amplify the great NBA moments. Posted below is a video that looks back at sixty great NBA plays that would have rocked the world had social media existed much earlier.

#4 Lunch At Ginza – Have you ever been to Ginza when you visited Japan? For the newcomers reading this, Ginza is the premier upscale district in Tokyo famous for shopping, fine dining and entertainment. Believe it or not, there are places in Ginza where visitors can have lunch at affordable rates and be satisfied. Watch and learn from the Nippon TV video below.

#5 You, Me And The Movies React To Resident Evil: Degeneration – When the computer-generated movie Resident Evil: Degeneration was released in 2008, it created a lot of buzz for the dedicated fans of the Resident Evil video games, particularly those who followed the iconic characters Leon Kennedy and Claire Redfield (the Resident Evil 2 characters). The limited theatrical releases did not stop the movie from achieving good box office numbers and it went on to sell a lot on DVD and Blu-ray later. But has the movie aged well and does anyone here enjoy it more than the live-action Resident Evil movies of Milla Jovovich? Watch the reaction video below and observe how it impacts You, Me and the Movies.

#6 Shoplifting Rampage By Hijabi Muslim Goes Very Wrong – Did you notice any woman wearing a hijab who engaged in theft lately? Overseas, someone committed shoplifting and things went very wrong. If you manage a store or if you care much about preventing the crime of theft from happening, you better watch the video below and pay close attention to the details. Do not let the Islamists manipulate you and never let them terrorize you.

#7 Origin of The Jackal – You ever heard of The Jackal in comic books? The Jackal is one of Spider-Man’s super villains and he is involved in one of the most tragic events of the icon’s life and also in the sagas about clones. Veteran creator J.M. DeMatteis called the Jackal as “a terrific villain.” To get to know more about the Jackal, watch the video below.

#8 Rhetorical Thrill Reacts To Toy Soldiers – Remember back in the 1990s when there was a slew of action or adventure films with terrorists as the antagonists? This was the so-called “Die Hard effect” in reference to the 1988 classic action film that starred Bruce Willis. In 1991, the movie Toy Soldiers was released and it was about an all-male boarding school that got occupied by terrorists, and only a group of rebellious students can achieve a breakthrough. Recently, Rhetorical Thrill posted her reaction video about Toy Soldiers and it is entertaining to watch.

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Retro Gaming Ads Blast – Part 33

August 1, 2025July 30, 2025carlocarrasco

Welcome back readers, fellow geeks and electronic gaming fans!

In this edition of the Retro Gaming Ads Blast (RGAB) series, we will take a look at another batch of retro gaming print ads – including arcade flyers – from the 1980s and 1990s.

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

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

1. E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial Atari 2600 print ad

*If you have seen Steven Spielberg’s 1982 movie, were you able to play the Atari 2600 video game? I did!*

Atari invested a lot on its video game based on Steven Spielberg’s E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial as the film was a massive box office success. In addition to their Atari 2600 video game print ad showing E.T. with Elliot, they ran another print ad with a concept of the sci-fi character needing people’s help. They came up with original artwork showing E.T. holding a box of the Atari 2600 E.T. video game, then posted details about how to acquire a copy of the game (with prices for regular customers and club members) and posted a toll-free 1-800 phone number. They also offered a $5 discount for those who order the E.T. or Raider of the Lost Ark video game and another cartridge. This old ad had commerce written all over it.

2. Bulls vs. Lakers and the NBA Playoffs Sega Genesis print ad

*Before NBA Live, there was this old NBA video games series by Electronic Arts.*

Based on the 1990-91 NBA season and the NBA finals match-up between the Chicago Bulls and the Los Angeles Lakers, Bulls vs. Lakers and the NBA Playoffs was Electronic Arts’ exciting game for the Sega Genesis which already had lots of sports-loving gamers. They made a 2-page print ad that was cleverly designed to make both gamers and NBA fans excited. It is not an accident that the ad showed comparative images (in-game footage and real-life basketball photos) of NBA superstars like Larry Bird, Michael Jordan, Karl Malone and Charles Barkley on the right. With the strong visual presentation, emphasis on popular NBA players and other details posted, this old ad is still fun and exciting to look at.

3. Japanese Smash T.V. print ad

Yes, it is true! The console port of the arcade classic Smash T.V. was released on the Super Family Computer (Super Famicom) in Japan back in the 1990s. While I cannot understand the Japanese text shown on the ad above, it still looks exciting as the official artwork plus a screenshot of the game were displayed. The revealed retail price of 7,800 Yen is alone eye-catching as there were many games in Japan launched below that price in the next console generation. I can only wonder how many gamers in Japan bought and enjoyed Smash T.V.

4. U.S. Championship V’Ball arcade flyers

*The very colorful and striking arcade flyer for the Japanese market.*

In 1988, Technos – the company behind the Double Dragon video games – released U.S. Championship V’Ball in video arcades in Japan and in America. The way it was promoted in Japan, Technos came up with an arcade flyer that had a comic-inspired hand-drawn artwork that easily gave viewers a strong American beach volleyball vibe. For the American arcade market, Taito (licensed by Technos) used different artwork showing two men in action. If you ask me, the Japanese arcade flyer is more dynamic to look at. Regardless of art style and presentation, both arcade flyers emphasized beach volleyball to gamers clearly.

5. Pitfall 3D: Beyond the Jungle print ad

*The 2-page print ad of Pitfall 3D: Beyond the Jungle.*

When Activision decide to make a new Pitfall video game with polygonal graphics and with 3D platform gameplay, it was not surprising at all as this was the trend that defined 1990s gaming. In 1998, Pitfall 3D: Beyond the Jungle was released for the PlayStation and it received a divisive reception from the critics. If you look closely at the print ad, the words “Next Generation Adventure” was written in the lower-right part and it was clear the game’s quality did not justify them.

6. Atari 2600 and games print ads

*Our household had an Atari 2600 console and many games.*

*Atari’s promotion of its console, the games and interactive entertainment with the TV.*

For a number of years decades ago, Atari dominated the video game console market in America with the Atari 2600 sold in the millions. While Atari today is no longer the video game giant it used to be, there is no denying the fact that they really changed the way people enjoyed the use of their television sets in American homes by offering them lots of video games for the Atari 2600 console. By looking at the above print ads, you can see that the company was not only aggressive with their marketing but also made interactive electronic entertainment more acceptable to countless families.

7. Burning Rangers North American print ad

*I remember this ad from video game magazines I read in 1998.*

Released in 1998 for the Sega Saturn, Burning Rangers was a high-quality exclusive game. To promote it in America, Sega came up with the print ad showing a few screenshots and a dominating image of a fire fighter cooling down on a kid’s personal pool. The image emphasized the element of fire in the game even though it lacked the more sci-fi elements used on the characters and setting. It should be noted that by 1998, the Sega Saturn was no longer in high demand in America as gamers overwhelmingly chose PlayStation and Nintendo 64 (N64) consoles and games. In retrospect, this was one of Sega’s final hard marketing moves done with a Saturn game.

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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 91

July 25, 2025July 22, 2025carlocarrasco

Welcome back my readers, YouTube viewers and all others who followed this series of articles focused on YouTube videos worth watching. Have you been searching for something fun or interesting to watch on YouTube? Do you feel bored right now and you crave for something to see on the world’s most popular online video destination?

I recommend you check out the following videos I found.

#1 The tragic story of singer Phyllis Hyman – More than thirty years ago, the world lost a very talented singer when Phyllis Hyman died and investigators determined that she took her own life by overdosing on sleeping pills and vodka. Beyond the pieces of evidence found, there were a lot of factors in real life that led to death such as Phyllis Hyman’s struggles with bipolar disorder, depression, music industry complexities and more. For the newcomers reading this Hyman recorded several albums from 1970s to the early 1990s. She was the artist behind the songs Somewhere in My Lifetime, You Know How to Love Me, Old Friend and even the rejected song for the 1983 unofficial James Bond movie Never Say Never Again. If you are interested to learn more about the late Phyllis Hyman and discover her contributions in music and how her life was, watch the video below.

#2 How frozen pizzas are made in great numbers – Do you enjoy eating pizza that was previously frozen? I personally don’t like frozen pizzas because their texture and taste are not as good as those of pizza baked in the oven. Even so, frozen pizza still has a huge industry overseas and millions of them are being made and distributed to groceries and other retailers. In case you are wondering how is the frozen pizza prepared, automation is the answer and you can learn about it from the video below.

#3 Movie with strong summer vibes – If you were watching a new movie during the summer season or if you saw a movie with a summer setting, does it deliver to you the summer vibe at all? Certain movies from long ago did exactly that and you can see what movies are those by watching the video below.

#4 John Carpenter’s The Thing revisited – The first time I ever saw John Carpenter’s 1982 film The Thing was on cable TV in the mid-1990s. Then in 2011, a prequel film with the same title was released but it only made me interested in the original. While John Carpenter’s film did not have much of an impact on me (note: I admire Kurt Russell’s performance and the impressive practical effects), it did with YouTubers through their respective reaction videos. Watch the selected videos below (note: I added Minty Comedic Arts’ video for those who enjoy trivia).

#5 Michael Jordan’s 1997 flu game heroics remembered – Remember way back in the 1997 NBA Final when Michael Jordan played in Game 5 at Utah feeling sick? Before the game started, something terrible happened to him the previous night and the Chicago Bulls badly needed him as the series was tied at 2-2. Worse, the fifth game was held at the Delta Center and it was always filled with the very loud fans of the Utah Jazz. How did Jordan overcome his sickness to pull off basketball heroics? Watch the retrospective 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

Retro Gaming Ads Blast – Part 32

July 2, 2025June 26, 2025carlocarrasco

Welcome back readers, fellow geeks, nostalgia buffs and electronic gaming fans!

In this edition of the Retro Gaming Ads Blast (RGAB) series, we will take a look at another batch of retro gaming print ads – including arcade flyers – from the 1980s and 1990s.

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

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

1. E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial Atari 2600 print ad

*I saw the movie and played the Atari 2600 game.*

Way back in 1982, Steven Spielberg’s small production E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial touched countless moviegoers and became a massive hit around the world. Along the way, an official video game adaptation for the Atari 2600 console was made by Atari anticipating big success coming. The above print ad appeared in many comic books I read and the artwork easily caught my attention since I saw the movie. Apart from the fact that the artist’s take on the boy Elliot did not resemble actor Henry Thomas, no screenshot of the game was shown which is very odd because Atari made the adaptation their biggest offering to consumers. As typical of the times, Atari inserted a few other games below for conveniently promoting them along with E.T. and the Atari 2600. Given the massive failure of the game, this print ad is a sad reminder from gaming’s past.

2. Pro Tennis arcade flyer

Still in 1982, Data East released Pro Tennis in the arcades. This arcade flyer has a pretty neat hand-drawn artwork that looked like it came from a comic book, and the ad makers managed to insert one screenshot to make it clear to both players and arcade operators what to expect. This is still a nice flyer to look at.

3. 3-in-1 Atari 2600 print ad

*I was able to play Missile Command, Asteroids and Superman on Atari 2600 a long time ago.*

In the old days, we had an Atari 2600 console in our household and it lasted around 5 years for electronic entertainment. Atari was known for aggressively marketing its consoles and video games, and the above print ad was their creative way of promoting 3 games – Superman and the classics Missile Command and Asteroids – together. The biggest feature of the print ad was the large-sized text description that strongly reflected what each game was about. This is a memorable ad!

4. Super BurgerTime Japanese arcade flyer

Remember the arcade classic BurgerTime? The sequel Super BurgerTime was released in Japanese arcades in late-1990 and the arcade flyer the producers came up with had a very cartoony art style. The rear of the flyer was filled with lots of details, instructions and screenshots to really have arcade operators and players informed. The producer even inserted a new portion promoting BurgerTime Deluxe on Nintendo Game Boy.

5. A Nightmare on Elm Street NES print ad

*If you were able to play this game on the NES, did you have nightmares?*

By the end of the 1980s, there were already five movies of the A Nightmare on Elm Street franchise that got released in cinemas and a dedicated following of fans was present. Eventually, an official video game adaptation was released on Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) in 1990 which was surprising since the movies were all rated R and the console itself was popular with young gamers (kids to teenagers). To promote the game, the notorious publisher LJN came up with a print ad that prominently showed series antagonist Freddy Krueger (played by Robert Englund), a few screenshots, the text description and the game box cover. Look back at this old print ad is strange because it shows Freddy Krueger TWICE which means the ad makers could not come up with any original artworks nor a different background for the antagonist.

6. NBA Showdown print ad

*While this ad did not mention Michael Jordan, he was still included in the video game.*

By 1993, EA Sports (Electronic Arts’ sports brand) arguably established itself as the leader of NBA-licensed video games. At the time, console gamers can expect each new NBA game from the publisher to have full rosters and statistics of players based on the season and playoffs that passed. NBA Showdown, which reflected the 1992-93 season, was promoted with this 2-page print ad that had a rectangular image taken during the 1993 NBA Finals (Chicago Bulls and Phoenix Suns) placed on the left, screenshots and text description on the right. The ad made references to Shaquille O’Neal, Patrick Ewing, Tim Hardaway and other NBA players to excite gamers. This ad is still good to look at.

7. Super Smash T.V. Sega Genesis print ad

*Were you able to play the Sega Genesis version?*

In 1991, the arcade classic Smash T.V. was ported to the Sega Genesis console under the title Super Smash T.V. and this print ad had a rectangular layout showing a zoomed-in capture of game footage with the huge enemy Mutoid Man. The stylized line (in rectangular layout) strongly reflected what gamers could expect in the game. The ad maker also inserted the confirmation that a Game Gear version was coming. This ad is a unique way of promoting both the Genesis and Game Gear versions of Smash T.V.

8. Pitfall: The Mayan Adventure print ad

*This print ad is still eye-catching and entertaining to look at.*

In the mid-1990s, Activision went big with the comeback of the Pitfall! game series by releasing Pitfall: The Mayan Adventure on multiple consoles. This two-page print ad had a touch of dark comedy by using a prominent image of a crocodile swallowing a person while avoiding blood and gore. With the little space remaining, the ad makers crammed in the text description and screenshots plus the game’s package covers. Notably, the text description maintained its tone and focused on describing the game properly. The marketing campaigns of Activision was effective as Pitfall: The Mayan Adventure went on to sell in the millions.

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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 84

June 20, 2025June 17, 2025carlocarrasco

I recommend you check out the following videos I found.

#1 Minty Comedic Arts examines Not Another Teen Movie – As it is undeniably true that Hollywood produced a lot of teen movies from the 1980s into the 1990s, it was inevitable that a parody movie referencing them would get released. 2001’s Not Another Teen Movie did exactly that and by today’s standards, the parody production itself has lots of interesting details to explore which you can see in Minty Comedic Arts’ video below.

#2 Michael Jordan’s memorable moves in Game 6 of the 1998 NBA Finals – Remember when Michael Jordan led the Chicago Bulls to its 6^th NBA championship in 1998? It took him and his team a lot of effort to win over the revenge-hungry Utah Jazz (which had the homecourt advantage) in the NBA Finals of that year. But there’s more! Before the 1997-98 season even started, there was a lot of intrigue and tension behind the scenes within the Chicago Bulls. Not only that, the Indiana Pacers pushed the Bulls to a full seven games in the Eastern Conference Finals. These developments only added more to the build-up of Jordan’s successful leading of his team to the championship and you can discover more by watching the retrospective video of YouTuber Post2k below.

#3 Slope’s Game Room examines Radiant Silvergun and Ikaruga – Have you ever played Radiant Silvergun or its spiritual sequel Ikaruga? Both games were shooters developed by Treasure, and each of them were widely praised by gamers – especially fans of arcade shooters – around the world. Radiant Silvergun arguably revived the shoot-them-up genre in arcades while Ikaruga had more puzzle-inspired elements to its gameplay. To find out who made the games and what were the inspirations behind the game designs, watch the retrospective video of Slope’s Game Room below.

#4 Reaction videos of Jurassic Park III – When Jurassic Park III opened in cinemas in 2001, I was not too excited about it because The Lost World: Jurassic Park was a major disappointment, and my interest in cinematic dinosaurs was weak. I eventually saw the movie at a time when the lineup of movies screened in cinemas was really weak (note: Jurassic Park III was already over a month old in the cinemas) and I got barely entertained. To this day, some Jurassic Park franchise fans are divided over the 3^rd movie’s quality – some found it faster-paced and more fun than its 1997 predecessor while others viewed it as a very rushed side story pretending to be a sequel. That being said, if you want to see how Jurassic Park III impacted YouTubers, watch the reaction videos (and video review) below.

#5 You, Me and the Movies react to The Thing (1982) – When The Thing was first released in 1982, the reception from movie critics was negative and the film ended up grossing less than $20 million in the American box office. The movie found its audience on home video, cable TV and television and through the decades, its reputation with moviegoers improved dramatically. Some even called it one of the best science fiction and horror films of all time. If you are wondering how The Thing impacts today’s YouTubers, watch the reaction video of You, Me and the Movies.

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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 77

May 23, 2025June 1, 2025carlocarrasco

I recommend you check out the following videos I found.

#1 Popcorn in Bed reacts to Cold Mountain – Were you fortunate enough to watch Cold Mountain in 2003? It is an American Civil War movie that has a very notable cast that includes Jude Law, Nicole Kidman, Renée Zellweger, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Natalie Portman and Donald Sutherland. Not too many people in online movie-focused communities or social media groups talk about the movie. Strangely, there are very few movie reaction videos of Cold Mountain on YouTube. This past March, Popcorn in Bed posted a reaction video about the film and how it impacts her emotionally make it a must-see.

#2 PatmanQC examines the history of Pitfall! – While I was fortunate enough to play lots of video games on the Atari 2600 decades ago, I never played Pitfall! That game produced by Activision was a massive hit on the said console and how the game and its company started is fascinating to discover. In case you did not notice, Pitfall! grew into a game franchise and it was one of the early video games to have merchandising. Discover more about it in PatmanQC’s in-depth video below.

#3 You, Me and the Movies react to A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984) – The 1980s is the so-called golden age of slasher horror movies. One particular slasher horror flick of 1984 focused on the concepts of nightmares, the bogeyman and the fear of dying while sleeping. You can discover more by watching the reaction video of You, Me and the Movies below. Observe how it draws reactions from them.

#4 Slope’s Game Room examines Smash T.V. – Here is more nostalgic fun for those of you who love retro gaming. Slope’s Game Room’s retrospective video of the arcade classic Smash T.V. is a lot of fun to watch and the YouTuber really paid close attention to the details for viewers to learn. When was the last time you played Smash T.V.?

#5 Ashleigh Burton reacts to Alien Resurrection – Way back in late-1997, I saw Alien Resurrection inside the movie theater here in the Philippines carrying some excitement in me. After the movie ended, I left the cinema feeling numb. That being said, you have to see how Alien Resurrection drew reactions from Ashleigh Burton and perhaps you could relate with her perception of the movie.

#6 Scottie Pippen, the Chicago Bulls and Jerry Krause – Remember back in the 1990s when the Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen and the Chicago Bulls won six NBA championships? Behind the scenes, Scottie Pippen’s years with the Bulls (led by Jerry Krause) were actually filled with frustrations and his salary was tiny when compared to other NBA superstars of the era. To find out what happened and what were the factors behind it all, watch the two videos of Secret Base below.

#7 Minty Comedic Arts presents Cool World trivia – Recently, YouTuber Minty Comedic Arts posted a new trivia video about the 1992 live-action/animated hybrid movie Cool World. Directed by Ralph Bakshi and starring Brad Pitt and Kim Basinger, Cool World had an original concept that was eventually altered into its final cinematic form. There are lots of intriguing details to discover and I urge you all to watch Minty Comedic Arts’ 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

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