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Retro Gaming Ads Blast – Part 16

August 26, 2024July 9, 2024carlocarrasco

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. A-Jax North American arcade flyer

*Another one of Konami’s arcade flyers showing a pretty fashion model with a touch of militarism.*

A-Jax (also referred to as Ajax) is another one of the many military themed games Konami released for the arcades in the 1980s. It was a 2D vertically scrolling shooter in which players use aircrafts to shoot enemies both in the air and on the ground. The game was a hit in Japanese arcades and Konami came up with the North American arcade flyer showing three screenshots, an archive footage shot of a military helicopter and a sexy lady (with a light military look) with a machine gun. The style of presentation was similar in style with the North American arcade flyers of Contra and M.I.A.: Missing in Action.

2. The Combatribes print ad

*The short comic book approach was used to emphasize the setting and concept of the video game.*

Technos, the Japanese company behind the wildly popular Double Dragon games franchise, proved to be successful with the arcade release of The Combatribes. In an attempt to keep the wave of success moving, Technos released The Combatribes on the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES) in 1992 and someone involved with the North American marketing came up with the idea of creating a comic book-style presentation for the print ad. Creatively speaking, the comic book approach was done to emphasize the story and visual concepts of the game, and entice readers to play it. By today’s standards of video game marketing, this print ad’s approach is both unusual and notable.

3. Dead or Alive 2 Dreamcast port print ad

*This was a wide print ad that appeared on magazines and it sure was eye-catching. It was an effective way to promote the game and inform people of the Sega Dreamcast’s presence in the market.*

When Dead or Alive 2 was released in the arcades in 1999, a lot of gamers were astounded by it as developer Team Ninja (led by Tomonobu Itagaki) made it much bigger and a lot better than its 1996 predecessor. Team Ninja really went all out making the sequel utilizing Sega’s NAOMI arcade technology, inviting martial artists to do motion-capture, and having a very ambitious game design. Since the game was developed with the NAOMI hardware, porting the game for the Sega Dreamcast was reportedly convenient and smooth for the developers who went on to add more gameplay features and modes. Publisher Tecmo came up with this wide print ad (promoting the Dreamcast release) showcasing three characters, six screenshots and text descriptions emphasizing the universal acclaim the game received. The promotional approach was simple yet effective.

4. Jet Moto (PC version) print ad

In November 1996, the futuristic all-terrain hoverbikes racing game Jet Moto was released on the PlayStation which went on to sell well and attract mostly positive reviews. Sony Computer Entertainment eventually released a version of the game for the personal computer (PC) in November 1997. As seen in the above print ad, the network play option and compatibility with Direct3D video accelerators were emphasized as such features resonated with the interests of PC gamers of the era. This print ad showed how willing Sony was to release PlayStation hits on PC back then.

5. Elevator Action Returns Japanese arcade flyer

When Taito released Elevator Action Returns (also titled as Elevator Action II in other nations) in the arcades in 1994, it became a hit as gamers enjoyed its action-packed gameplay, ambitious 2D visual presentation and varied level designs that clearly went beyond its 1983 predecessor. The front of the Japanese arcade flyer has really nice art showing the three playable protagonists on an elevator on their way to do their mission. The back of the flyer shows screenshots (which emphasized the varied level designs), text descriptions explaining how the game played (English version printed), and what the features are. Another text description confirmed that terrorists are the antagonists that players will be dealing with which was reflective of the rise of Islamic terrorism in the 1990s. Oh yes, if you look closely you will the word “item” misspelled as “items”.

6. Sunset Riders print ads

*The Sunset Riders arcade machine, the SNES version, screenshots and a can of pork-and-beans on this ad.*

*This print ad appeared in some comic books I read long ago.*

After enjoying a lot of success in the arcades with their 1991 game Sunset Riders, Konami went on to release ports of it to the Sega Genesis in 1992 and the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES) in 1993. With regards to conversions and procedural/artistic changes between the arcade and console ports, the SNES version had few changes implemented compared to the one released on the Genesis. As seen in one of the print ads of Sunset Riders on SNES, it came with 7 arcade levels, 2-player mode and additional shooter stages. What the print ads did not reveal were notable replacements of specific characters in key parts of the game such as the dynamite-tossing female bandits getting replaced by male bandits, North American Indian villains getting replaced with outlaws, etc.

7. Jackal Japanese arcade flyer

*Whoever was the artist Konami hired truly delivered great-looking art!*

Konami’s military themed game Jackal (Japanese title: Tokushu Butai Jackal) debuted in Japanese arcades in October 1986 and became a hit. The Japanese market arcade flyer had great looking artwork on the front that strongly emphasized the very concept of the game (players move military jeeps to shoot at enemies as they move into enemy territory). One of the characters (the one wearing the red beret) somewhat resembles the late Sean Connery which only shows that someone within Konami’s development team took inspiration from movies. This arcade flyer’s front still looks great.

8. Aliens North American arcade flyer

*A good amount of effort was done to truly capture Aliens’ concept using hired models (as Ripley and Newt), a Xenomorph physical model and a suitable background.*

*The key details presented on the rear of the flyer. The Xenomorph’s presence adds tension.*

In 1990, Konami released their ambitious arcade game Aliens which was loosely based on the 1986 movie that starred Sigourney Weaver and was directed by James Cameron. As Konami’s Aliens license was only temporary and the movie was so highly regarded, the Japanese company’s marketing team really had to exert extra effort to truly capture the film’s sci-fi horror concept in order to make a strong presentation towards arcade operators and their paying customers (the gamers).

Apart from showing screenshots on the front, the creative team hired a blonde model as Ellen Ripley holding a gun and a young girl as the character Newt, and have them pose convincingly in front of a Xenomorph model (darkened in the foreground). On the back of the flyer, the team heavily revealed the details using the text description to emphasize the gaming experience and story concept. The technical details, meanwhile, were presented in simplistic, easy-to-follow fashion. Aliens was a smash hit in the arcades and there are long-time gamers who regard it as one of the best game adaptations of the 1986 movie. This arcade flyer is a strong reminder that the featured game was never ever ported to any game console nor to any personal computer.

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

Retro Gaming Ads Blast – Part 15

August 12, 2024August 15, 2024carlocarrasco

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.

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

1. X-COM: UFO Defense print ad

*While there were no screenshots of the game for PlayStation, the art here was enough to catch your attention.*

Back in 1994, X-COM: UFO Defense (original European title: UFO: Enemy Unknown) became an unexpected hit with PC gamers as it gathered lots of positive reviews from the critics and sold a lot on the PC DOS (disk operating system) format. In an obvious attempt to continue the commercial success, a port of the game was released for the PlayStation console in 1995. Publisher MicroProse and its marketing partners came up with this eye-catching print ad to promote the PlayStation version. While no screenshots were shown, the artwork used turned out to be effective in catching attention while emphasizing the sci-fi concept of the game.

2. Star Command print ad

*Long before Starfield, there was Star Command.*

Way back in 1988, I first saw my friends play the sci-fi role-playing game (sci-fi RPG) Star Command on the PC DOS format. A short time later, I played the game on our home computer and finished the single-player campaign. This print ad, which has lots of descriptive text, has a strong visual presentation that entices players to play the game and discover the vast amount of content (space travel, missions, battles, encounters with aliens) that the game developers prepared. For its time, the Star Command print ad was captivating to look at.

3. The Daedalus Encounter print ad

*This print ad was an attempt to catch the attention of both gamers and people who want to watch live-action spectacle.*

Released on PC, Macintosh and the 3DO game console in 1995, The Daedalus Encounter was a sci-fi video game that worked as an interactive movie (with puzzles) starring Tia Carrere. To promote the 3DO version, publisher Panasonic came up with an ad that emphasized the sci-fi concept and the cinematic experience (including a few stills of cutscenes) leaving little room about how the game plays. Take note that this game was released at a time when the CD-ROM format started gaining popularity as a reliable optic media format which opened opportunities for game companies to include full-motion videos.

4. Gradius Japanese arcade flyer

*The original Gradius has always been fun to play and the enjoyment also made it on game consoles as more games were released.*

Still on the realm of sci-fi, Konami launched their 2D side-scrolling shooter Gradius in the arcades in Japan in 1985. The arcade flyer here used a huge amount of space for the game’s official artwork which is very captivating to look at as it clearly emphasized the sci-fi concept. On the side are five screenshots that tell gamers what to expect when playing. The promotions paid off nicely for Konami as Gradius became an instant hit in Japanese arcades and eventually found strong commercial success in the arcades in Europe and America. By today’s standards, this game is a classic and the Gradius game franchise has produced several sequels and spin-offs released on multiple platforms.

5. Super Cobra print ad

*This ad I saw while reading comic books long ago. The game itself was fun.*

Here is a game I played on the Atari 2600 over forty years ago. Super Cobra was a 2D side-scrolling game in which players control an armed helicopter that has to move from left to right, attacking enemies, and avoiding enemy projectiles while maintaining the fuel supply. This ad, which appeared on some comic books I read, utilized the game art that was used on the box cover although the single screenshot displayed looks exaggerated when compared to what I saw and played.

6. Destruction Derby print ad

*The Destruction Derby print ad that had no screenshots of the game.*

In 1995, Sony launched the PlayStation console in America and in Europe. In Europe, publisher Psygnosis promoted their ambitious game Destruction Derby (a 3D polygonal racing game that emphasized vehicular damage) for both PlayStation and the PC that same year. As this Destruction Derby print ad did not show any screenshots, Psygnosis and their marketing team or partner decided to pounce on positive gaming media quotes and the sexy model to promote their game. Their marketing move paid off nicely as over a million copies of Destruction Derby were sold by August 1996.

7. Virtua Cop 2 print ad

*A lot of people found this Virtua Cop 2 print ad looking very weird.*

When Sega of Japan forced its American division to launch the Sega Saturn console in the United States in 1995 without any pre-release marketing, it resulted in a series of disappointments that include low sales, too few games launched and strained ties with their business partners. In 1996, Sega started to become more aggressive to sell more Saturn units and more 1^st party exclusive games such as Virtua Cop 2 (for the Saturn) which itself was a big hit arcade hit. As the company clearly aimed to make the console version of Virtua Cop 2 a hit, they approved this print ad which had a very intriguing visual concept showing video game images reflected on the glasses on the police man. As Virtua Cop 2 required a light-gun peripheral to be played accurately like in the arcade, this print ad utilized very little space for the Sega Saturn Stunner.

8. Contra: Legacy of War print ad

*The print ad of Contra: Legacy of War.*

When I first heard that a brand new game of Contra would be released on the still-new PlayStation and Sega Saturn in the mid-1990s, I was excited as I always enjoyed the original game I played on the Family Computer. This print ad of Contra: Legacy of War brought my excitement way down as it showed that the game no longer utilized the 2D side-scrolling design and came up with a design that emphasized 3-dimensional environments and polygons. The change in design was too alienating for me as all the previous Contra games had the 2D side-scrolling format as the main designs (leaving little room for the occasional sprite-scaling 3D sequences in some games). I finally played Contra: Legacy of War on PlayStation on November 1996 and it was a huge letdown!

9. Out Run arcade flyers

*Sega Out Run arcade machines in different forms.*

*This Out Run flyer really has nice art.*

In the history of arcade games, Sega’s Out Run was a massive success not only in Japan but also in America and Europe. Designed by Yu Suzuki (Virtua Fighter, Shenmue), Out Run was a pseudo-3D driving game in which players get to drive a Ferrari Testarossa convertible (which is always visible to the player) from one scenic destination to the next avoiding traffic as much as possible. This was indeed a labor of love on the part of Yu Suzuki who himself spent time in Europe to gain inspiration on designing the game. As Out Run was a hit, Sega made different types of machines of the game that arcade operators can choose from depending on how much space their respective arcades have left and how the local players prefer to play it. It should be noted that in one of the flyers above, the original sound track was promoted as well.

10. Hook SNES version print ad

*If you look closely at the SNES box front cover art, you will notice that Peter Pan and Captain Hook looking nothing like the actors who portrayed them in Steven Spielberg’s movie.*

In late-1991, Steven Spielberg’s movie Hook was released in cinemas and revived public interest in the fairy tale of Peter Pan. Typical of the entertainment business of the time, video games based on the movie were released on different platforms in 1992 and among them was a version on the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES). Apart from showing the game’s box, the print ad of Hook on SNES cleverly included positive quotes from GamePro, Game Players Nintendo Guide and the Super NES Buyer’s Guide to convince readers that the game is worth their time.

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Space Shooter Chorus set for release on Xbox consoles on December 3, 2021

September 29, 2021September 28, 2021carlocarrasco

Are you looking for a new and exciting shooter-type video game on your Xbox? You might want to check out Chorus (stylized as Chorvs)as it was recently announced that it will be released on Xbox platforms (Xbox One, Xbox Series S and Xbox Series X) on December 3, 2021, and the good news is that you can order a copy of it now online and receive the Elder Armor Skin Set.

In case you are wondering, Chorus is a science fiction 3D space shooter developed by Deep Silver FISHLABS and published by Deep Silver. You get to play as the female pilot named Nara and you must guide her on a quest to destroy the dark cult that made her. You will get to fly an AI-controlled spaceship called Forsaken and together you will not only travel through the depths of space and engage in battle, but also explore lots of places that will test your abilities to fly and figure which paths to take.

To put things in perspective, posted below is the excerpt from the game’s official announcement published on Xbox.com written by Deep Silver’s Global Community Manager David Robson. Some parts in boldface…

*This flight into an asteroid field looks really intriguing and suspenseful.*

Chorus is an exciting sci-fi adventure where you play as Nara, an ace pilot with a haunted past, alongside her sentient starfighter, Forsaken, as you unravel their mysterious backstory and join their fight for redemption.

A cinematic single-player experience, Chorus empowers you with devastating weapons and mind-bending abilities, known as the Rites of Power, to fight to free the galaxy from the oppressive cult, the Circle.

*Huge structures like that are just waiting to be explored.*

Nara’s journey spans across the galaxy and beyond the boundaries of reality in a dark new universe teeming with mystery and rife with conflict. Explore epic locations, such as sprawling space stations and strange plains of existence beyond our own, and experience thrilling zero-g dogfights; the fast-paced spectacular action evolves the spirit of classic space shooters.

Originally unveiled during last Summer’s Inside Xbox event, Chorus will support Smart Delivery on the Xbox family of consoles, ensuring players get the best experience on both Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S with a single purchase.

The game is also fully engineered to take advantage of Xbox Series X|S hardware, you can enjoy glorious sci-fi visuals, 4K resolution at 60fps, advanced enemy ship destruction, higher quality volumetrics, and richer environmental effects.

*Nothing like communicating with someone while enjoying a magnificent view of space.*

Based on the 2020 unveiling video and the most recent video, Chorus sure looks flashy and it is easily the most eye-catching 3D polygonal space shooter of this new console generation. Games of this kind are not too many and if the game turns out to be very good, it could win the approval of game critics and the gamers themselves. I personally am interested with Chorus but also cautious. While its art direction and use of 3D polygons and effects look great, I am concerned that the gameplay might lack variety and end up being repetitive. Will there be many interesting objectives to accomplish within the game apart from the typical fly-search-attack approach seen in many other shooter-type games? Will the story cutscenes be compelling for gamers when it comes to following the story? Will the in-flight communication with other characters be varied and interesting? Will there be a lot of customization options for your spaceship? Will there be options for players to make decisions that would affect the story? We can only find out this December.

*Players will be offered options to customize their spaceship.*

To its credit, Chorus has a story concept that looks promising on face value and if the game developers could strike a fine balance between storytelling and gameplay to ensure bouts of fun for gamers complete with a good amount of variety, then the game might just be a hit waiting to be realized. As stated in the official announcement above, this game has been made to take advantage of the advanced technologies of the Xbox Series consoles ensuring that gamers will have a truly great looking game on both 1080p and 4K. The version on Xbox Series X is, unsurprisingly, the 4K60 (4K resolution with 60 frames-per-second frame rate) experience gamers will find. Anyone looking forward to Chorus should mark their calendars for December 3, 2021!

In closing this piece, posted below are Xbox-related videos for your viewing pleasure. Also do not forget to watch out for the Xbox livestream of the Tokyo Game Show on September 30, 2021.

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Thank you for reading. If you find this article engaging, please click the like button below and also please consider sharing this article to others. 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 as well. Also please feel free to visit my Facebook page Author Carlo Carrasco and follow me at HavenorFantasy@twitter.com

Carlo Carrasco’s Game Review: Gears of War 4 (Xbox One, Single Player Campaign)

May 9, 2019June 13, 2024carlocarrasco

Believe it or not, I completely missed out on Gears of War 4 on Xbox One back in 2016. I simply had other priorities and I was unable to raise the money needed to buy the game. A year after that, I downloaded the demo of the game and managed to play

Finally, thanks to a recent sale online at Xbox LIVE, I purchased the game at last and recently managed to finish it. Gears of War 4 proved to be a lot of fun and even until now it still is a gem of game design and visual art.

To put things in perspective, I played the first three main Gears of War games from 2006 to 2011 and those games were mainly designed by the talented Cliff Bleszinski who had NO INVOLVEMENT with the latest game. Gears of War 4, by the way, is the first-ever internally developed game of Microsoft through its studio The Coalition.

The good news is that Gears of War 4 manages to be fun and it is easily the best cover shooter game on Xbox One right now.

On face value, it looks like the creative team led by Rod Fergusson (The Coalition studio leader) and director Chuck Osieja decided to play safe on game design by retaining the gameplay functions from the past. Quite easily, I managed to reclaim that old Gears of War feel in terms of control, shooting, moving and aiming. Like past GOW games, you must take cover for protection from the bullets fired by the enemies then peak, aim and shoot. Then when possible move forward to take cover at the next protective object and make your way to beat the other side. Then there is the classic reload function which, when well timed, can grant you temporary stronger firepower.

*Melee attacks in Gears of War 4 have improved and are more satisfying.*

But as the game progressed, the new gameplay features emerged. For the first time, I can finally grab an enemy (who is crouched taking cover) from the other side of a protective object or barrier, pull the enemy and get to do a melee attack (or shoot with the gun). There is also the feature of the knocking the enemy off balance (by means of jumping over cover to kick the enemy on the other side) as well as performing the shoulder charge. Take note however that these new gameplay features – which add some depth on the classic GOW gameplay – can be used by the enemies against you.

And then there are the new weapons like the Buzzkill (watch those flying sawblades ricochet!) and the Dropshot (challenging to use but very satisfying when the target gets hit!) that add new dimension to the gameplay.

More on gameplay, if you are expecting enemy artificial intelligence (AI) to be the same as before (remember all the Locusts?), you will realize that’s not the case at all. The new enemies behave differently in combat and you will be compelled to change your strategies. Expect to see the enemies (which include robots) be more tactical with their movements and attacks, and you will also realize you will need to move out of cover more and search for a new place to take cover at.

That’s not all. The weather effects impact the gameplay a lot this time. There are these wind flares that not only blow strongly (watch the environment move) but also generate electricity that you must avoid touching. When the weather changes, you will not only have to take cover but be more strategic moving around as well as adjusting your aim when firing at the enemy (example: strong wind can alter the direction of the Buzzkill sawblade you fire). Lastly, there is a motorcycle chase scene that is quite action packed!

Visuals? This game really looks very great! The art is top-notch. The animation, the textures, the special effects and lighting effects really make a great showcase of the Xbox One, especially the Xbox One X (4K resolution with high-dynamic range). The character faces are very detailed. Facial expressions really will convince you into thinking you’re watching real people instead of computer-generated ones.

When it comes to storytelling, Gears of War 4 takes place 25 years after the previous game. You play as JD Fenix (son of hero Marcus Fenix and Anya Stroud) who is accompanied by Del and Kait. In terms of personality, JD is witty, striving to figure out things and he does not carry the cynical mindset of his iconic father. Del is also witty although the lousy execution of humor won’t bring much out of him. Kait has the strong, fighting lady personality while also turning out to be ignorant and self-centered. The good news here is that their respective voice actors performed nicely.

Back to the plot, the Coalition of Ordered Governments (COG) has been reformed but something is not right and right from the start JD and Del deserted the coalition to join the group called the Outsiders. Government leadership is felt in the story and having the COG as the anti-hero element really makes Gears of War 4’s world really look and feel new. Forget about the memories of fighting for the COG in the old GOW games, Gears of War 4 is a whole new world to figure out what’s been happening while fighting to survive. If you are the kind of gamer who has the anti-authoritarian mindset, then this game is for you.

Strangely enough, this game’s story has some notable similarities with the 2015 blockbuster film Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens. Without spoiling the story, I should say that Gears of War icons like Marcus Fenix (the central figure of the franchise) return in supporting roles. Instead of being the hero, he is the mentor to his son JD and even to you the gamer. This creative gamble by the developers fell short as JD is not really compelling as the protagonist.

While the gameplay is very good, the storytelling this time lacks the depth of Gears of War 3 but that is because new game’s story was structured to show how much had changed in the world and society in general. Gears of War 3, by comparison, is a war story and the resulting build-up from the first two games led to it having a very engaging conclusion.

Back to Gears of War 4, the ending lacked punch and yet it has a lot of intrigue or even shock, especially if you paid very close attention to the small but key details in the previous games. The ending feels underwhelming as it happened following the high-octane, final battle sequence of the game. The conclusion really lacked punch. By the way, there is a post-credits ending scene to watch out for.

Overall Gears of War 4 is a good 3rd-person shooter and in some ways it has features that progressed from the classic Gears of War game design. Now that the game costs much less, it is a great bargain! At the same time, it makes sense now to play GOW4 as Gears 5 (Gears of War 5) is expected to be released this year.

Gears of War 4 is recommended.

Thank you for reading. If you find this game review engaging, please click the like button below and also please consider sharing this article to others. Also my fantasy book The World of Havenor is still available in paperback and e-book format. 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 as well. Also please feel free to visit my Facebook page Author Carlo Carrasco and follow me at HavenorFantasy@twitter.com

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