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.
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. Jangou Lady arcade flyer
If you were to play Mahjong digitally, does sex appeal motivate you to do so?
Are you fond of playing the tile-based game Mahjong? Believe it or not, there were indeed ways to play Mahjong in digital form inside the arcade or in gambling joints in Japan. The game Jangou Lady allows users to play rounds of Mahjong but with a notable additive – the digital art of women which serves as an attraction. In the sex appeal is clearly evident on this arcade flyer from the 1980s.
2. Star Wars: Return of the Jedi arcade flyer
Really nice art based on the movie.
Way back in 1983, Return of the Jedi delighted moviegoers in the cinemas throughout America. Behind the scenes, video game giant Atari acquired the movie license to make the 1984 arcade game Star Wars: Return of the Jedi. The arcade flyer’s front featured a highly detailed hand-drawn art of Darth Vader, the Death Star, Luke Skywalker and Storm Troopers on hover bikes, and the Millennium Falcon which reflect the selected elements of the movie that were turned into playable sections. The image of the arcade machine was understandably inserted as it came with an unusual controller. This flyer is still captivating to look at.
3. Over Drive arcade flyer
This arcade flyer is a reminder that Konami was notable for hiring pretty and sexy women for their print ads.
In 1990, Konami produced a racing game for the arcades with a unique style of presentation. That game was Over Drive and it stood out among the many racing games in the arcade mainly because of its first-person view (with a digital version of the steering wheel and driver’s hands at the bottom of the screen) and unique approach on sprite-scaling. To promote the game, Konami hired sexy models for photography for use in both the arcade flyer and the exterior images on the machine. Having sexy models posing with a winning driver added to the motorsport racing vibe needed to promote the game.
4. American Gladiators for NES print ad
I saw American Gladiators on TV but never played this game.
American Gladiators was a syndicated TV show that featured a variety of games in which amateur athletes compete with the established gladiators to succeed and become the next American Gladiator. Due to its success, it was not surprising that video game adaptations of the show were realized just a few years after its debut. In 1991, GameTek released the American Gladiators game on the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) and promoted it with this print ad that showcased their established gladiators of the time. This ad’s design was made to catch the attention of the fans.
5. Arch Rivals for NES print ad
I remember seeing a lot of people crowding in front of an Arch Rivals machine in the local arcade long ago.
Years before NBA Jam, there was Arch Rivals. Arch Rivals was a full court basketball video game in which players are allowed to punch players from the opposition in order to steal the ball and score. Over a year after the game’s 1989 arcade debut, the NES version was released and the publisher came up with a print ad showcasing a hilarious and cartoony artwork (the same art used for the game’s box cover) which gave readers a clear idea of what to expect. The art used is timeless and it still is funny to see.
6. Sega Sports print ad
See any Sega Sports video game you like?
Back in the 1990s, Sega excelled with sports video games. They were so aggressive, they established their sub-brand Sega Sports and this particular print ad showed one page promoting assorted sports video games (basketball, golf, baseball, tennis, boxing and American football) for the Sega Genesis and the other page with an exaggerated image of a guy with the line “Relive your jock itch” posted. Historically, a lot of American players and owners of the Genesis are slightly older than those on NES and Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES) during the 1990s and the strong sports games approach is a key factor.
7. Plumbers Don’t Wear Ties print ad
When I first saw this print ad, it did not interest me as the presentation is lousy.
The 3DO console is remembered for having a lot of games that used full-motion videos and photo slides regardless of what game designs came with them. Back in the 1990s, games designed as visual novels or dating simulations were still new in console gaming in the West. Following the PC version’s release, a 3DO port of Plumbers Don’t Wear Ties came out in 1994 and it received overwhelmingly negative reviews. The print ad here promoted the game as “an interactive romantic comedy” and fake quotes were displayed to fool ignorant readers that the game was entertaining. The print ad’s visual design had a mess of poorly implemented images. Ironically, this ad accidentally gave readers the idea that it was a slideshow game.
8. Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story and Demolition Man games print ad
If you saw the movies, did you play their respective video game adaptations?
The 1990s is remembered for the many movie-based video games that got released. Back in those days, a lot of Hollywood movie productions had video game adaptations as part of the business process and this is evident with the Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story and Demolition Man games released by Acclaim. For this particular print ad, the marketing team came up with a single-page ad to promote the two games with heavy emphasis on movie imagery leaving little room left for screenshots and other details. The way I look at this old print ad, it seems that Acclaim was aiming for not just movie fans but also gamers who like 2D fighting games and 2D action-adventure games.
9. Army Men: Sarge’s Heroes print ad
This print ad by 3DO is still funny to see.
In the late 1990s, The 3DO Company focused mainly on producing video games on multiple platforms and they had their own video game franchise based on the green plastic figures with a military theme. In 1999, they released Army Men: Sarge’s Heroes for PlayStation and Nintendo 64 (N64). To market the game, they had a hilarious visual concept of several solders freezing on an ice tray as a long green soldier marching on. This print ad always caught my attention while reading game magazines and it still is funny to stare at.
10. Sega Ages print ad
I can only speculate that Sega accepted Working Design’s financial offer for the publishing rights in North America.
Sega Ages is a series of ports and remakes of Sega’s own games (arcade and console) bundled together as compilations released on the modern consoles of the time. While Sega itself published Sega Ages on their Saturn console and Europe, the North American compilation was published by Working Designs under their separate brand Spaz which this particular print ad showed. While the classic Sega games of After Burner II, OutRun and Space Harrier often caught my attention, this ad made me wonder why did not Sega publish this compilation on the Saturn in North America themselves. Looking at this ad now remains awkward.
11. Sega Saturn North American print ad
Did you ever own a Sega Saturn in 1995?
While a lot of gamers and retailers were caught off-guard by Sega’s surprise early launch of the Saturn console in America, they still went ahead aggressively marketing the machine knowing they have a few months’ head start before the American launch of PlayStation. This print ad was designed to intrigue readers showing a bald lady whose head was made to look like the planet Saturn and next to her were images of Sega’s hottest games of the time – Virtua Fighter 2 and Virtua Cop. Sega relied strongly on imagery to promote their console with this print ad. It was somewhat weird yet eye-catching.
12. NBA Action ’95: Starring David Robinson print ad
David Robinson was the MVP of the NBA in 1995 but he failed to lead his team to the NBA championship back then. He would late win the NBA championship in the shortened 1999 season.
As mentioned early, Sega was aggressive the sports videos games and almost all of them were their own console exclusives. Their tradition of hiring professional athletes as endorsers continued during the age of the Genesis and Game Gear when they hired an NBA superstar as an endorser resulting in the Sega Sports basketball game titled as NBA Action ’95: Starring David Robinson. By the time the video game was released, Robinson was already the reigning Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the NBA. This print ad of Robinson in action still looks impressive but with a big catch – the superstar’s 1995 MVP achievement was arguably forgotten as he and his team (San Antonio Spurs) got eliminated by the Hakeem Olajuwon-led Houston Rockets in the Western Conference Finals. It did not help that Olajuwon outplayed Robinson a lot in that very playoff series. That is a sad reminder that also came with this Sega Sports print ad.
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. Galaxian for Atari print ad
A unique approach to the art done by the advertisers.
Developed by Namco, Galaxian was a 2D sci-fi shooter that debuted in arcades in 1979. It was so successful and widely acclaimed, it got ported to varied game consoles and home computers as the years passed by. For its release on the Atari 2600 and Atari 5200, this print ad was created to catch the attention of fans and gamers by utilizing artwork that resembled the look of 2D sprites from the game. That being said, no screenshots of Galaxian on the Atari consoles were shown because the artwork used looked detailed and were attention-grabbing already.
2. 1943: The Battle of Midway arcade flyer
This is a fine looking flyer.
In 1987, Capcom released in the arcades 1943: The Battle of Midway which was their follow-up to 1942. The arcade flyer itself was designed to strongly promote the game using a combination of screenshots, short-but-clear text descriptions and the great looking piece of artwork which really emphasized the World War II concept. Behind it all, this game was made by Japanese developers with the Western markets in mind and the irony is that the game has players control Americans fighting the Japanese fleet.
3. Top Gunner arcade conversion kit flyer
Show this nice looking image to the woke nut or modern day Communist near you. Watch and observe his or her reaction.
To make things clear, Top Gunner is actually the run-and-gun game Jackal and the alternative titles was mainly used in North American arcade distribution and also reflected Konami’s move of coming up with titles inspired by blockbuster movies of the time. To promote its 1986 arcade release in America as a conversion kit, the advertisers had three models playing soldiers on a military jeep to immerse gamers into the core concept of the game – moving armed military jeeps from one location to another while fighting bad guys. The approach used for the visual concept is indeed inspiring, especially during the Cold War. Top Gunner/Jackal became a hit in both arcades and consoles.
4. Joust for Atari print ad
While I played Joust on console, I don’t remember seeing this print ad before.
Made by Williams Electronics, Joust was one of those early 1980s arcade games that eventually made its way to the Atari 2600 console which was massively popular in North America. Strangely enough, the artistic approach Atari’s advertising came up with for the console version of Joust was similar with that of the ad of the Atari version of Galaxian (see item #1 above) in which artwork was used to resemble the 2D sprites of the game. Regardless, the images of this ad showed what a joust looked like – a martial game between two armed combatants going against each other while riding an animal.
5. Kid Chameleon print ad
Can you relate with Kid Chameleon’s identity crisis?
During the early years of the Sega Genesis, Sega of America exerted efforts to make new games that were not only exclusive to their console but also stand out among the many 2D side-scrolling adventure games by coming up with a protagonist with a unique personality that could somehow resonate with young kids and teenagers.
Developed by their internal experts (Sega Technical Institute), the company released Kid Chameleon in 1992 and they came up with the above print ad that had detailed hand-drawn art of the lead character as well as a wordy text description which was a clear attempt to help young gamers (including teenagers) get connected with both the game and the protagonist. The advertisers even had space to spare to accommodate two screenshots of the game.
6. Terminator 2: Judgment Day (AKA T2: The Arcade Game) for Sega Genesis print ad
This print ad appeared on the many comic books I read long ago.
Back in the early 1990s, Terminator 2: Judgment Day was a massive success in the global box office and this resulted in Arnold Schwarzenegger’s popularity to soar very high while also establishing the Terminator as an essential pop culture figure. Apart from comic books and merchandise, video games based on the movie were made and the one that stood out the most was the arcade shooter game initially titled Terminator 2: Judgment Day (later retitled as T2: The Arcade Game).
The arcade mega hit eventually got ported to the Sega Genesis and this print ad really looked flashy with its visual presentation showing screenshots and a zoomed-in look at how the Terminator T-800 looked like in the Genesis version complete with a few explosions in the background. It should be noted that this flashy print ad cleverly concealed the visual downgrades and the redrawn images as the Genesis itself could never come close to matching the high quality visuals of the arcade version.
7. CYBERPad print ad
I never owned the CYBERPad, nor have I ever used one.
During the so-called 16-bit console generation (actually the 4th console generation), there were lots of licensed console peripherals made by independent companies in support of the Sega Genesis and Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES). The company Suncom Technologies came up with the CYBERPad controller for the two consoles and they boasted in their print ad that the product had a programmable control pad that allowed users to create combinations for each game with convenience in mind. The CYBERPad also allowed the saving of the programmable moves and it had a rapid-fire feature and even a slow-motion function. The CYBERPad was made to make the gameplay experience more user-friendly.
If you look closely, this print announcement by GamePro technically advertised the game consoles, the arcade game and Lara Croft to its readers.
In 1999, GamePro magazine celebrated its 10th anniversary and to keep on resonating with gamers and maintaining the loyalty of their fans, they organized a reader sweepstakes with prizes worth over $25,000 to be won by the few winners. GamePro boasted a date with an unnamed model who played the iconic Lara Croft (Tomb Raider). Certain arcade machines plus the modern consoles of the time – including the brand-new Sega Dreamcast – were also at stake. The way it was presented, this GamePro print announcement was enticing to read.
9. Smash T.V. for SNES print ad
Smash T.V. was a lot of fun on both arcade and console.
The arcade hit Smash T.V. made its way to the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES) in 1992 and the publisher came up with a print ad that had captivating artwork, six screenshots and a text description that emphasized that a lot of fun awaits gamers on the console version. In my view, this old ad is still amusing to look at.
10. David Robinson’s Supreme Court print ad
It was a smart move by Sega to get NBA superstar David Robinson as the endorser of this basketball video game exclusive on the Sega Genesis. This ad was published many years before Robinson finally won an NBA championship.
As part of its strategy in competing with Nintendo during the 4th console generation, Sega of America was focused on producing exclusive sports video games for the Genesis console backed by endorsements of sports professionals. In 1992, they released David Robinson’s Supreme Court on the Genesis and unsurprisingly their print ad used a large, stylized image of the NBA superstar dunking backed with an exciting text description plus screenshots showing the game’s use of the isometric view for gameplay. This is still worth looking at.
11. Taito’s “heat wave” print ad
An amusing and creative way to sell video games.
If your company lacks money to effectively market your video games individually, you can try making a single ad promoting them together. This is what Taito did in this print ad which showcases multiple games for different platforms and they used artwork of a player experiencing the so-called heat wave. This is a nice stroke of creativity on the part of Taito.
12. Jurassic Park Interactive print ad
This was a creepy print ad promoting the 3DO-exclusive Jurassic Park Interactive.
When it comes to video game consoles, having exclusive games is essential as long as they are of high quality, highly playable and enjoyable. The 3DO company acquired a license of the Jurassic Park movie and made the exclusive game Jurassic Park Interactive hoping it would sell a lot and lift up 3DO hardware sales.
This print ad, which features a zoomed-in image of the Raptor from the game, was more focused on selling the 3DO console than the video game as seen on the descriptive text. 3DO ran a promo selling the console which would entitle the buyer to get Jurassic Park Interactive and another game free. Nothing was done to describe the console’s multimedia capabilities of showing videos, images and graphics of the game (which was essentially a collection of mini-games). This print ad shows ignorance on the part of the 3DO company and the ad maker as it showed desperation happening really early in the console’s life. Notably, Jurassic Park Interactive was the only video game adaptation to use actual footage (note: the faces of the actors were edited out) and music from the film.
13. RoboCop 2 print ad
You want to become RoboCop to save the city of Detroit from criminals?
Way back in 1990, RoboCop 2 was a big hit in cinemas here in the Philippines and in some places around the world. As typical of the time, licenses to make video games based on the movie were released resulting in RoboCop 2 games for multiple platforms. The print ad featured two different images of RoboCop – one from the movie poster and the other from an official artwork. The descriptive text does a fine job to immerse readers into the story concept of the game but showing only two screenshots was a lackluster effort to sell the game.
14. Star Trek: The Next Generation – Echoes from the Past print ad
Space…the final frontier waiting for Sega Genesis gamers.
Released in 1994, Star Trek: The Next Generation – Echoes from the Past delivered the Star Trek TNG adventure experience to Sega Genesis gamers. In fact, it is the exact same experience that SNES gamers got the same year. In reality, Star Trek: The Next Generation – Echoes from the Past is actually a port of Star Trek: The Next Generation – Future’s Past on the SNES and the screenshots on the print ad are giveaways about it. In fairness to the ad makers, this print ad never attempted to deceive gamers that it promoted a totally different Star Trek TNG game.
15. Dinosaurs for Hire print ad
This print ad caught my attention and made me interested in the game and the comic book series. Even though it was small, Malibu Comics’ logo was still recognizable.
Dinosaurs for Hire (sometimes referred to as Tom Mason’s Dinosaurs for Hire) was a 2D side-scrolling platform adventure game based on the comic book series of Tom Mason. Published by Sega, it was a Genesis-exclusive game and this print ad had a catchy text description, a few screenshots and the eye-catching artwork of a triceratops facing the viewer. This print ad is still good to look at. If you’re thinking about searching for existing copies of the game, I encourage you to also read some Dinosaurs for Hire comic books before playing. By the way, Tom Mason also wrote several comic books of the Ultraverse.
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. Vendetta UK and North American arcade flyers
Vendetta arcade flyer for North America
Vendetta arcade flyer for the UK.
In 1991, Konami released the 2D side-scrolling beat-them-up game Vendetta in arcades around the world achieving commercial success. While it is hard to tell if the promotions helped the game commercially, there is no doubt that the arcade flyers for the North American and United Kingdom (UK) markets were indeed very eye-catching.
The North American Vendetta arcade flyer had a photographic approach showing models playing characters supposedly representing the Cobras gang and the Dead End gang. The display of wooden boxes and the rope was done to symbolize the rough city environments of the game. On the other hand, the UK arcade flyer has illustrated artwork that captured the look of the Cobras gang from the game.
2. Star Control II: The Ur-Quan Masters print ad
This ad has great art that strongly emphasizes its science fiction concept.
This print ad of Star Control II: The Ur-Quan Masters (PC version) really caught my attention when I read gaming magazines in the early 1990s. The painted artwork showing a human and a hideous alien in the background with a planet, space ships and space stations filling the rest of the space was very captivating to look at. So captivating, it enticed me to search for the game but our PC at home had really low specs. Strangely enough, I played another version of Star Control II on a rented 3DO Interactive Multiplayer console in 1995. For the newcomers reading this, the game was critically acclaimed and was declared as one of the very best PC games ever made. Enjoy looking at the print ad above.
3. Space Channel 5 print ad
The visual style and character designs are the result of the game designer’s research that includes interviews with lots of young girls over their interests and tastes in video games.
When Sega launched their Dreamcast console in Japan in late-1998, their financial health was already in a very bad state and the future looked grim. Even as they faced tremendous odds, Sega still went on to aggressively sell Dreamcast consoles with exclusive games and Space Channel 5 was one of them.
First released in Japan in 1999, Space Channel 5 was a musical, puzzle-oriented game that was the result of Tetsuya Mizuguchi’s work backed with research he did that included interviewing young girls to find out what their tastes in gaming are. The print ad showing the highly stylized protagonist Ulala and a few screenshots really caught the attention of gamers and kept the Dreamcast in their minds. While the game did not achieve commercial success as a Dreamcast-exclusive, Sega went on to release a version of Space Channel 5 on the PlayStation 2 console, plus sequels.
4. Cybernator print ad
The mention of Terminator and RoboCop rivaled the artwork when it comes to grabbing people’s attention.
I remember seeing the print ad of Konami’s Cybernator (Japanese title: Assault Suits Valken) in several comic books I read back in 1992. I never got to play it but the print ad’s artwork was memorable as I was fond of robots in anime, movies and video games back then. What was arguably the most memorable aspect of the print ad was the line that mentioned RoboCop and the Terminator in a comedic way. This is a creative way to market the game.
5. NBA Basketball 2000 print ad
There were a lot more NBA video games back in the 1990s.
NBA Basketball 2000 was one of those basketball videos games of the 1990s that was not published by EA Sports nor published by the other established game publishers like Sega, PlayStation and Konami. In fact, the one thing on the ad that caught my attention was Fox Sports Interactive which published some sports videos games during the decade. The print ad also served as a reminder that there were a lot more NBA video games for gamers to choose from during the 1990s.
6. Food Fight arcade flyers
Food Fighter arcade flyer with illustrated artworks.
Food Fight arcade flyer with a photographic touch and actors.
I never got to play the 1980s game Food Fight in the arcades nor did I ever had the opportunity to play it on Atari consoles and Xbox 360. Released in 1983 in the arcades by Atari, Food Fight was designed to allow players to control a character moving through a 2D field to consume an ice cream on a cone (placed on the opposite end of the field) before it melts while avoiding the chefs who are out to chase and block the player.
The arcade flyer with illustrated artwork on the characters interacting with the arcade machine is really amusing to look at. Equally amusing is the other arcade flyer that had a photographic approach showing two kids (one playing the arcade machine and the other about to throw a pie) and four chefs. Considering the nice visual concepts Atari came up with for the arcade flyers, Food Fight actually never became a commercial hit selling only a few thousand arcade units.
7. X-Kaliber 2097 print ad
This print ad from the 1990s had a nice visual style.
The Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES) had plenty of 2D side-scrolling adventure games and among them was X-Kaliber 2097 released by Activision (now a Microsoft-owned company and integral part of Xbox) in America in 1994. The game had a really interesting story concept about a chaotic far future society plagued by overwhelming crime and violence. The print ad showed a mild taste about the game’s concept and gameplay, but it was more effective when it comes to showing the formidable foes that await the playable protagonist Slash. This print appeared in several comic books I read and was eye-catching.
8. Jet Moto 3 print ad
When was the last time the police caught you for over-speeding?
This print ad for Jet Moto 3 had a clever concept of showing a police officer apprehending a jet biker for over-speeding. The visual presentation was done in photo-realistic fashion to make the sci-fi aspect of the video game look real. The ad made me interested enough to do some research of Jet Moto 3 a few months before finally buying it for my PlayStation console.
9. Wipeout 3 print ad
Were you fond of futuristic racing and techno music back in 1999?
Released in 1999, Wipeout 3 was one of those video games that showcased what the PlayStation (originally launched in Japan in 1994) could do in terms of visual fidelity, special effects and frame rates. The print ad, which had a radical visual concept emphasizing intensity and energy, had style listing down vertically the technical details of the game which required a close look in order to be read. With only two screenshots displayed, the ad makers smartly included the E3 acclaim of “Best Racing Game of E3” as well as the names of artists behind the game soundtrack on the lower-right corner. This print ad was cool and intriguing to look at.
10. Breath of Fire II print ad
This was a good effort to lure American gamers to buy and play Breath of Fire II.
When Breath of Fire II was released on the SNES in America in late 1995, Japanese role-playing games (JRPGs) were not yet wildly popular among American gamers. To grab the attention of gamers, Capcom and the ad makers came up with the eye-catching image of a sword and posted key questions to emphasize the fantasy aspect of Breath of Fire II. While the game received mixed reviews upon its North American release, Nintendo Power listed it as 171st best game in its Top 200 Games chart published in 2006.
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.
#1Mosab Hassan Yousef: My Father Founded Hamas video – In America, there are lots of young people who are protesting in public supporting Palestinian terrorists while condemning Israel. These pro-Palestine have shown ignorance about the facts and none of them knows exactly what Palestinian culture is like when compared to Mosab Hassan Yousef (son of a founder of Palestinian terrorist group Hamas).
In an interview with PragerU, Yousef talks comprehensively about his past with the Palestinians (Arabs who adopted the Palestinian identity which only started in the 20th century), the time he was active as a Hamas member, his relationship with his father who founded Hamas, and why he left the terrorist group to cooperate with Israel and migrated overseas. Yousef confirms that Hamas is pure evil and the Palestinian culture has hatred and violence deeply rooted within. Watch this video now.
#2 Jaws 3 4K Blu-ray has footage that involved the use of AI – I am a collector movies on physical media. I don’t just buy any movies on Blu-ray and 4K Blu-ray format because I am selective with regards to quality, enjoyment and replay value. When it comes to new releases on 4K Blu-ray format, I cannot ignore the observations pointing out that the footage of Jaws 3 (AKA Jaws 3D) on 4K Blu-ray involved the use of AI (artificial intelligence) which resulted in bad visual results. It seems that more people in Hollywood are getting obsessed with remastering old movies using AI, removing the film grain and other digital methods that ruin the visuals. For insight, watch the videos below.
#3 Michael Jordan’s “The Shot” of 1989 – When it comes to those game-winning basketball shots, Michael Jordan had lots of those during his years with the Chicago Bulls. Before he won his first NBA championship, Jordan successfully scored the winning jump shot over Craig Ehlo to beat the Cleveland Cavaliers 101-100 in the 5th game of the 1989 NBA playoffs’ first round. That shot became iconic and there is a lot more behind the scenes that preceded. Watch the selected video below.
#4 Virtua Fighter 3 retrospective video – When Sega released Virtua Arcade 3 in the arcades in 1996, it was the best-looking 3D polygonal fighting game at the time and it often drew players leaving them really satisfied. Virtua Fighter 3 was the product of the most cutting edge arcade technology of the time (with the Model 3 arcade hardware) as well as the hard-work and in-depth craftmanship by developer AM2 led by the legendary designer Yu Suzuki. To know more about Virtua Fighter 3, watch the video below.
#5Popcorn in Bed’s James Bond reaction videos – On August 2023, YouTuber Popcorn in Bed started posting reaction videos of James Bond movies. With the exception of the films of Daniel Craig and George Lazenby as Agent 007, Popcorn in Bed posted two selected movie reaction per James Bond actor (example: 2 Bond films of Sean Connery, 2 Bond films of Roger Moore). To give you a taste of what Popcorn in Bed did, watch the selected videos below. To watch more, click here.
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 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. Lufia & The Fortress of Doom for Sega Genesis print ad
Considering the eventual scrapping of the Sega Genesis port of Lufia & The Fortress of Doom, this old print ad might as well serve like a tomb stone.
I want to start with this mostly black print ad about the Japanese role-playing game (JRPG) Lufia & The Fortress of Doom coming to the Sega Genesis console. This game was released on the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES) in America and on the Super Famicom in Japan in 1993 and achieved commercial success for the Japan-based publisher Taito. In an attempt to keep on building up the success, a port of the game for the Sega Genesis (Sega Megadrive in other countries) was announced but ultimately it got canceled. It should be noted that Taito’s American division close down in 1995 and the sequel Lufia II: Rise of the Sinistrals was released in America by a different publisher. That being said, this particular print ad is a sad reminder of a broken promise for Sega Genesis gamers as well as Lufia and JRPG fans who wanted to play the 1993 RPG on a different console.
2. Cloak & Dagger arcade flyer
The front of the arcade flyer. There is even a mention of the Cloak & Dagger movie.
Details of the game explained with arcade operators in mind. I find it odd that there is a vacant amount of blank space on this side of the flyer.
Cloak & Dagger, the Atari arcade game that appeared in the 1984 movie of the same name (read my retro movie review by clicking here), has always been an arcade conversion kit as this arcade flyer showed. For the newcomers reading this, an arcade conversion kit allows the arcade operator to replace an old game without having to buy a brand-new arcade machine. Very cleverly, Atari targeted arcade machines of Robotron: 2084, Defender, Stargate and Joust (all were from the competitor Williams Electronics) with Cloak & Dagger. The Cloak & Dagger flyer’s front shows a picture of the pieces of hardware (for insertion into the arcade cabinet plus some physical adjustments) plus decorations for the exterior of the arcade cabinet. The other side of the flyer contains the technical details that make it convenient for arcade operators to understand on how to convert the older games (limited to the above-mentioned Williams games).
3. NBA Live 95 for Sega Genesis print ad
This print ad is still exciting to look at, especially when you are still passionate with basketball.
Back in late 1994, Electronic Arts (EA) revamped their NBA-licensed basketball game franchise with NBA Live 95 which came with a major game redesign that includes the isometric on-court perspective, T-meter for free throw shooting and more. NBA Live 95 was also the first entry of the NBA Live franchise and brand which lasted for decades. This print ad of the Sega Genesis version of NBA Live 95 has the clever display of several screenshots along with pics of the shot clock emphasizing suspense. The basketball action images themselves are not only eye-catching but strong enough to get gamers excited. This is still a solid print ad to look at.
4. X-Men: Mutant Apocalypse print ad
An X-Men game by Capcom.
If there is anything significant about X-Men: Mutant Apocalypse, it is the fact that it was Capcom’s first-ever X-Men-based production that was also released a month before their own hit arcade game X-Men: Children of the Atom came out. Setting aside Capcom’s involvement, this game contains notable elements from the comic books that strongly resonated with dedicated X-Men fans. Apart from the two screenshots and the game box cover, this print ad has X-Men artwork by Andy Kubert who already was the regular artist of the X-Men monthly series.
5. Space Ace multi-platform print ad
Anyone who is a fan of Don Bluth’s works in animation should be able to recognize the art style of this ad.
First released in the mid-1980s, Space Ace was a LaserDisc video game that was designed and produced by the legendary animator Don Bluth (An American Tail, The Land Before Time, Anastasia). After achieving success in the arcades, new versions of Space Ace were subsequently released on many other platforms, including the consoles and computers that used disc drives in the mid-1990s which this print ad emphasized. By looking at the lower part of the print ad, you will see Sega CD, 3DO, Macintosh and PC as targeted platforms. The most notable visual feature of the ad was, unsurprisingly, official art of Space Ace.
6. BurgerTime arcade flyer
The front of this flyer could make you crave for burgers.
The technical and creative details on the rear of the flyer.
Bally/Midway came up with this arcade flyer of BurgerTime which itself went on to become a beloved classic game. The front showed a very enticing looking hamburger that looked like it could fill a person’s belly and tingle his or her taste buds. Then they showed the hand-drawn in-game characters looking like they really are interacting with the hamburger. The back of the flyer shows details that emphasize what the game is about, why it could be a fun arcade addition and what the specs are. This is an engaging arcade flyer.
7. NCAA Final Four Basketball print ad
Do you know anyone who played this college basketball video game?
If there is anything notable about video gaming in the 1990s that is missing today, that would be the presence of multiple basketball video games released by different game publishers. Along the way, there were some college basketball video games such as NCAA Final Four Basketball developed by Bitmasters and published by Mindscape. This print ad had enough screenshots to show what the game looked like and how it played. The ad also mentioned that the game had 64 real NCAA teams and logos as well. This 1994 video game did not have a strong reception from game critics although it received a very high rating by GamePro magazine. NCAA Final Four Basketball has long been forgotten.
8. Indiana Jones’ Greatest Adventures print ad
An eye-catching print ad from a more memorable time when the Indiana Jones franchise was still under the full control of George Lucas and his enterprise.
Indiana Jones’ Greatest Adventures was an ambitious 2D side-scrolling adventure game that also served as an adaptation of the first three Indiana Jones movies (1981-1989) of Steven Spielberg and George Lucas. Like the Super Star Wars trilogy of games that preceded, this one was a challenging and lengthy game filled with lots of action. This print ad only showed Indy’s whip and hat but the screenshots, the text description and the game box cover (which has a young Harrison Ford as the iconic Jones) were more than enough to convince viewers that this was an Indiana Jones game.
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.
#1Gus Abelgas Forensics features Antonio P. Antonio justice story – Last March, the surviving family of the late Antonio P. Antonio (APA) rejoiced when the Parañaque Regional Trial Court found suspect Nelson Antonio guilty of murdering his father (legal term: parricide) in 2013. It was a quest for justice that got fulfilled after more than a decade and along the way the family endured lots of challenges as they adjusted to life without their father (read my previous blog posts by clicking here and here). Recently, the local TV show Gus Abelgas Forensics produced an episode (note: Tagalog language) focused on the story of the late Antonio P. Antonio with special attention paid to the details of the investigation, the analysis of the evidence and information revealed by family members who were interviewed. The episode was released in full on YouTube and I recommend you watch it right now.
#2 Critical Drinker’s videos about Apocalypse Now and Fitzcarraldo – Critical Drinker is one of the most notable and more engaging YouTubers when it comes to entertainment. Apart from doing reviews or commentaries about movies and shows, he has a series of videos that closely examine the troubled entertainment productions. Posted below are his videos about Apocalypse Now (which was filmed here in the Philippines) and Fitzarraldo (notorious for manually hauling a 320-ton steamship up a steep hill as well as cases of deaths and plane crashes).
#3 Ashleigh Burton’s reaction video of Air Force One – If you are a Harrison Ford fan who ended up being depressed over his work in Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, then it is time to look back at the actor’s more exciting works from long ago apart from the Star Wars and Indiana Jones movies. Recently, YouTuber Ashleigh Burton released her reaction video of the 1997 blockbuster film Air Force One which had Ford play a brave and fighting US President. Her reaction video is entertaining to watch and you can see it below.
#4 Reggie Miller’s memorable play on May 25, 1998 – Way back in 1998 here in the Philippines, I saw live on cable TV Game 4 of the NBA Eastern Conference Finals series between the Chicago Bulls and the Indiana Pacers. I was rooting for the Pacers as my all-time favorite NBA legend Larry Bird was the coach and they had a very solid team with Reggie Miller, Rik Smits, Mark Jackson and others. The game is best remembered for Reggie Miller’s stunning 3-point shot which involved pushing Michael Jordan out of the way to get the ball. Not only that, Miller had a sprained left ankle to do it all. Take note that the Pacers was one of very few times to push Jordan and the Bulls into a full seven games in a best-of-seven series. Watch the video below and enjoy.
#5 X-Men: Apocalypse movie reaction videos – As X-Men: Days of Future Past was such a great film to watch, there was hope that follow-up X-Men movies starring James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, Nicholas Hoult and Jennifer Lawrence will turn out great and offer moviegoers fine alternatives to the many superhero movies being released by Marvel Studios, Sony Pictures and Warner Bros. Then X-Men: Apocalypse was released in 2016 and I saw it on opening day inside a local IMAX cinema here in the Philippines. I left the cinema feeling entertained but the overall fun factor of the movie paled in comparison with its 2014 predecessor. If you want to see the YouTubers’ opinions of X-Men: Apocalypse, watch the videos below.
#6 Top Hat Gaming Man’s Double Dragon history videos – Top Hat Gaming Man is an engaging YouTuber to follow when it comes to retro gaming. Among his many videos that examined the history of video games, he published videos focused on the Double Dragon game series which used to be wildly popular. If you are a Double Dragon fan or if you are simply interested to discover how was Double Dragon first created, watch the selected videos below.
Welcome back, my readers, YouTube viewers and all others who followed this series of articles focused on YouTube videos worth watching. Have you been searching for something fun or interesting to watch on YouTube? Do you feel bored right now and you crave for something to see on the world’s most popular online video destination?
I recommend you check out the following topics and the related videos I found.
#1Woke Disney’s discriminatory practices confirmed and caught on camera – Being woke means being foolish and wicked. What was discussed before about the woke Disney Company’s distorted approach on hiring workers as well as promoting their current workers was confirmed to be true as a Disney executive confirmed it openly on camera. A lot of footage has been recorded of him talking about Disney’s discrimination against white males as they empower people of minorities (colored people, the under-represented ethnic groups, etc.). You should watch the two videos I selected from Midnight’s Edge ad RK Outpost. Woke Disney should be brought to justice!
#2 Video documentary about Sega’s Streets of Rage franchise – YouTuber PatmanQC recently published another informative and entertaining look at the history of Sega’s popular Streets of Rage game franchise. This includes the behind-the-scenes development of the first game that hit the arcades, as well as the different versions that appeared on multiple platforms.
#3 Somewhere in Time videos – Somewhere in Time (1980) was a film that starred the late Christopher Reeve, Jane Seymour and Christopher Plummer. While it was never successful in movie theaters, it became a big hit on cable TV, public TV and home video. As its legacy lived on, it is not surprising that there are several movie reaction videos, video reviews and other features about it on YouTube. Posted below are some selected videos for those of you who wish to discover more of Somewhere in Time.
#4 A look at the rise and fall of the Orlando Magic – Back in the mid-1990s, a lot of my friends (who love basketball) became fans of the Orlando Magic which had Shaquille O’Neal, Penny Hardaway, Nick Anderson (the guy who missed 4 crucial free throws in specific NBA Finals game), Horace Grant and Dennis Scott. Their excitement really went overboard when the Magic of 1994-95 successfully won the Eastern Conference Finals and entered the NBA Finals to face off with the defending champion Houston Rockets. Of course, as recorded by history, the Magic got swept away by the Rockets even though they had the home court advantage. If you are nostalgic about 1990s NBA action or if you want to see how different the Orlando Magic was back in the 1990s, then you should watch the video below.
#5Stockton to Malone (but still no NBA championship) – Still on the topic of basketball, do you remember the so-called golden age of the Utah Jazz when they had Karl Malone and John Stockton who together were among the very best players in the NBA back then? For the newcomers reading this, the Utah Jazz made it to the NBA Finals of 1997 and 1998 but lost each time to Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls. Long before those championship series happened, the Utah Jazz became a serious playoff contender in 1988 (pushing the LA Lakers to seven games in the Western Conference Semifinals) and went on to struggle in the years that followed. As for Stockton and Malone, they each had great basketball achievements but never won a championship. To learn more with a lot of details plus in-depth analysis, watch the video below.
#6 Heart of Darkness retrospective video – Way back in 1998, I played the video game Heart of Darkness on the PlayStation console but never got to finish it. While the cinematic cutscenes are not outstanding, the graphics used for gameplay was eye-catching thanks to the developers’ artistic and technical approach. This should not be surprising as the game was supervised by Eric Chahi who was best known for Another World. To learn more about Heart of Darkness’ production history, watch the video below.
#7 A look at Salamander (AKA Life Force) – Still on the topic of retro gaming, I had fun memories playing Salamander (titled Life Force in North America) on the Family Computer (Famicom) back in the late-1980s. It was a sci-fi 2D scrolling shooter that not only featured side-scrolling levels but also vertical levels. Developed and published by Konami, Salamander was a spin-off of Gradius (an acclaimed 2D side-scrolling shooter on its own) but it became successful in entertaining players with the two-player mode, unique challenges, fine gameplay features and outstanding visuals. To learn more about Salamander, watch the selected videos below.
#8 Friday The 13th Part 3 videos – If there is anything significant about Friday The 13th Part 3 (1982) other than being filmed in 3D, it is the fact that it marked a creative turning point for the franchise. It was in this movie that the film series really started to take shape with Jason Voorhees as its feature antagonist. That being said, it is not surprising that there are lots of retro reviews/reactions and feature videos about it. Watch the selected videos below.
Welcome back readers, fellow geeks and electronic gaming fans!
In this edition of the Retro Gaming Ads Blast (RGAB) series, we will take a look at another batch of retro gaming print ads from the 1980s and 1990s. In addition, there will be a few flyers of arcade games.
For the newcomers reading this, Retro Gaming Ads Blast (RGAB) looks back at the many print ads of games (console, arcade, computer and handheld) that were published in comic books, magazines, flyers and newspapers long before smartphones, social media, the worldwide web and streaming became popular. To put things in perspective, people back in the 1980s and 1990s were more trusting of print media for information and images about electronic games and related products.
With those details laid down, here is the newest batch of retro gaming print ads for you to see and enjoy…
1. Contra arcade flyer
A clever visual concept by Konami towards gamers and arcade operators.
Details on the other side of the flyer.
Before it established itself as a popular gaming franchise with console gamers, Contra truly started in the arcades in 1987. First released in Japan on February 1987, Konami went on to release the game in arcades in the United States a month later and the flyer you see here was the Americanized promotion they came up with. Instead of hiring male actors or models to play soldiers, they hired a slim lady to appear with a female Rambo look standing in front of a Contra arcade machine. On the other side of the flyer are details that players and arcade operators can learn from. By today’s standards, this arcade flyer of Contra is still eye-catching and even amusing to look at.
2. College Football’s National Championship print ad
This ad has a strong visual appeal to gamers who like football.
This is another one of those video game ads I saw while reading comic books in the 1990s. College Football’s National Championship was a Sega Genesis-exclusive American football video game published by Sega (with the Sega Sports brand) to capitalize on gamers who want college football to play with at home. This print ad has a nice visual presentation of the college teams’ logos, screenshots and details of what gamers could expect when they buy and play the game. College Football’s National Championship received mostly positive reviews and it must have sold well because Sega went on to release a sequel to this game.
3. Robotron X print ad
This Robotron game was made at a time when 3D polygons became common for making video games.
Having played the classic game Robotron: 2084 on PC back in the 1980s, I was very surprised to see this print ad in 1996 promoting a brand new Robotron game for PlayStation as well as Windows PC. For the newcomers reading this, Robotron: 2084 was a classic which heavily influenced game designers who went on make other fan-favorite games like Smash TV and Llamatron. What makes Robotron X notable apart from being an official follow-up to the classic game was the fact that it was made at a time when game developers did their stuff to modernize gaming with 3D polygons for visuals while trying to come up with gameplay inspired by the classics. While Robotron X did not make a major impact on gaming, the classic Robotron: 2084 went on to be released in several multi-platform compilations such as Williams Arcade’s Greatest Hits, Midway’s Greatest Arcade Hits, and Midway Arcade Treasures.
4. Space Jam game print ad
If you saw the movie in 1996, were you able to play this video game adaptation?
What makes 1996 a memorable year for basketball fans was the Michael Jordan’s return to prominence (having previously retired for less than two years before returning to the NBA in 1995) and leading a very powerful Chicago Bulls team to what was their 4th NBA championship title. In that same year, Jordan starred in the live-action/animated movie Space Jam which grossed an impressive $250 million worldwide. On the same month the movie came out, the Space Jam video game adaptation was also released on PlayStation and Sega Saturn. This print ad was part of the multimedia hype of the movie and the game itself had a very similar design and visuals concept with NBA Jam but ultimately it failed to become a hit with critics and gamers. Not even the combined visual might of Jordan and Warner Bros. characters could achieve success.
5. Magic Johnson’s Fast Break print ad
Still on basketball video gaming, the side-scrolling Magic Johnson’s Fast Break game was released on the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) for console gamers to enjoy. Unsurprisingly, this ad had nice black-and-white art work of Magic Johnson as the dominant figure while leaving little space left to show the game box and only one screenshot. The real meat of this print ad are the details laid down in text description.
6. Virtua Fighter 2 for Sega Genesis print ad
Clearly a late effort by Sega to sell something to its many Genesis owners/fans in America at a time when PlayStation and Nintendo 64 started dominating 5th console generation sales.
In the history of arcade gaming and fighting games, Virtua Fighter 2 was a worthy follow-up to its groundbreaking predecessor. VF2 also made its way on the Sega Saturn which essentially maintained the great gameplay and 60 frames-per-second animation even though the 3D polygonal graphics were noticeably lower in quality compared to its arcade version. With VF2 in the arcades and on Saturn selling well, I was surprised to see this print ad of Sega releasing a totally different version of the game on the aging Sega Genesis console. Virtua Fighter 2 on Genesis had 2D graphics, sprites for the characters and a side-scrolling visual design. In fairness, the game developers exerted effort to recapture some of the gameplay elements within the Genesis limitations and 2D graphics. This print ad is a reminder of Sega’s American division selling a product to the remaining active Genesis owners.
7. Ring King print ad
Ring King itself clearly lacked promotional space in this ad.
In 1987, Data East released their arcade hit game Ring King on the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) and prepared this print ad involving Ray Leonard, Jr. (on the foreground in boxing gear) and conveniently with the famous Sugar Ray Leonard and Thomas Hearns (with the promo of their first fight together in the background). Also conveniently, the company inserted their other games on the lowest part of the ad. Ultimately, the presence of Ring King itself was minimized only showing the game cover and two screenshots. This is clearly an eye-catching ad but there was not enough emphasis on the game itself.
8. Super Spacefortress Macross arcade flyer
The arcade flyer released only in Japan.
Have you ever seen the classic anime movie Macross: Do You Remember Love? I really love watching that movie and I played and finished the video game adaptation on PlayStation in 1999. What I never got to play was the arcade game adaptation of it which was released by Banpresto in Japan in 1992. This flyer promoting the game has a strong visual presentation thanks to the artwork made for it. Only one screenshot was shown as well as a clip from 1984 the animated movie (note: the arcade game itself has some images directly from the film plus some newly created ones added) but this ad still had what it takes to capture the attention of the many Macross fans in Japan. This arcade game was eventually released with an English translation in America and Australia.
9. 2-in-1 print ad featuring Super C and Snake’s Revenge
A memorable and intriguing print ad from Konami promoting sequels.
This is one of the ads that Konami came up with to promote at least two games using a single-page ad format. I saw this ad in many comic books I read decades ago and its visual concept always caught my attention especially since I played the console game Contra a lot. At the high end of the ad were two fictional newspaper headlines highlighting the respective conflicts of Snake’s Revenge (with a nuclear danger concept) and Super C (with emphasis on alien invaders). These two games were sequels to the classics Metal Gear and Contra, and Konami clearly knew how to take advantage of the older games’ success and do their best to sell the sequels to gamers who love action-packed gaming as well as fantasized armed conflicts. Like the 2-in-1 ad showcasing Contra and Jackal, this was Konami’s aggressive move to sell war-inspired games to the NES userbase which was mostly composed of children and teenagers.
10. True Lies game print ad
There is nothing like taking advantage of the imagery of a Hollywood superstar to promote a video game based on the related movie.
Here is a video game ad I saw in many comic books I read in 1994-1995. True Lies (starring Arnold Schwarzenegger) was one of the big summer season movie hits of 1994 and the video game was part of the business tie-ins with the film. The people who made this print ad made the smart moves of showing not just one but three images of Schwarzenegger to promote the game while leaving some space to show what the game looked like. The True Lies game even had stills from the movie to emphasize the flow of the plot.
Welcome back, my readers, YouTube viewers and all others who followed this series of articles focused on YouTube videos worth watching. Have you been searching for something fun or interesting to watch on YouTube? Do you feel bored right now and you crave for something to see on the world’s most popular online video destination?
I recommend you check out the following topics and the related videos I found.
#1The miraculous rescue of hostages – In case you missed the news, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) successfully rescued four Israeli hostages, fought with the Palestinian terrorists and brought the hostages home safely. This not some high-risk operation turned lucky. This operation was a blessing from the Lord God whose covenant with the Jewish people has always been true and standing to this day. All the praise, honor, thanks and glory to Him! Ignore the lies of the Islamo-Leftist mainstream news media and focus on the truth by watching the selected videos below…
#2 European Union (EU) elections resulted in the fall of the Satanic Left – Very recently, a series of elections took place in Europe which determined the composition of the European Union (EU) parliament. European voters who have grown sick and tired of the policies of the Satanic Left (examples: mass migration, taking care of illegal aliens at taxpayers’ expense, fascist climate change policies, government corruption) made their choices by electing more conservative and more nationalistic/patriotic candidates. In Italy, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni saw her party gain power while the President of France had no choice but to dissolve French parliament (National Assembly) and call for a snap election. Watch and learn more from the videos below…
#3 Documentary of the Houston Rockets’ amazing 1995 NBA championship defense – Never underestimate the heart of a sports champion. That is the moral lesson behind the unbelievable successful NBA championship defense the Houston Rockets achieved in 1995. For the newcomers reading this, the Rockets won the title in 1994 but ended up ranking only 6th place on the Western Conference the following season. This meant that the Rockets had no home court advantage through the NBA Playoffs of 1995. How they defied expectations and overcame tough obstacles to win a 2nd straight NBA championship must be seen in the selected NBA documentary video. Enjoy!
#4 A very deep look back at Lost Odyssey – Lost Odyssey is not just a very notable video game released only on Xbox 360 many years ago. It was arguably the most defining, traditional Japanese role-playing game (JRPG) that can be best described as a Final Fantasy game without the name. To be clear, Lost Odyssey involved the combined talents of Japanese greats Hironobu Sakaguchi (Final Fantasy creator), Takehiko Inoue (famous manga artist) and Nobuo Uematsu (musician always know for Final Fantasy), and it was an ambitious JRPG that also happened to be an Xbox-exclusive game. If you wish to know more about Lost Odyssey, what it has in common with Final Fantasy games and why it remains a very notable game, watch the documentary below…
#5PatmanQC’s Ring King retrospective – Retro gaming YouTuber PatmanQC published recently his retrospective video about the 1980s game Ring King (also titled as King of Boxer) which is fun and informative to watch.
#6 You, Me and the Movies’ The Blob (1958) reaction – Recently the 1958 version of The Blob was featured by You, Me and the Movies in a movie reaction video which is entertaining to watch.
#7 RK Outpost examines woke Star Wars – It is no secret that under the umbrella of the woke Disney company and the Lucasfilm leadership of Kathleen Kennedy, the established entertainment franchises of Star Wars and Indiana Jones got ruined. Sad to say, Star Wars continues to be made with extreme wokeness and rabid feminism, reaching the point of completely ruining the sci-fi franchise as we know it. Watch and learn from RK Outpost’s videos below…
#8 The evil of Palestinian terrorist group Hamas – It cannot be denied that Palestinian terrorist group Hamas is pure evil. So pure is their evil, they want nothing less than committing complete genocide against Israel and its people. To his day, pro-Palestine zealots cannot even tell the difference between good and evil, and right and wrong. For the Palestinians and its brainwashed supporters (all supported secretly by terrorist state Iran), terrorism, violence and murder are the only ways to achieve what they want. Watch and learn from the videos below…
#9 2024 Xbox Games Showcase videos – Following the lackluster Sony State of Play and Summer Game Fest, Team Xbox and its partners came out blazing with the 2024 Xbox Games Showcase recently. In my view, it was a big improvement over last year’s showcase (which itself was quite good) and there were highlights that should not be ignored. Posted below are selected videos for your viewing pleasure.
Author Carlo Carrasco 