Smash T.V. – Author Carlo Carrasco

Cloak & Dagger Is Fun And Challenging To Play On My Xbox Series X

August 27, 2025August 27, 2025carlocarrasco

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

If you are disappointed with modern console gaming and if you don’t like what the game makers are doing, retro gaming will restore the fun and help you forget about the disappointment.

When I was a very young boy, I saw Cloak & Dagger on home video. The movie – starring Henry Thomas and Dabney Coleman – was a thriller laced with Cold War elements, espionage and video gaming. In fact, the video game giant of the time – Atari – was involved in the movie production and their arcade game Cloak & Dagger appeared in the form of a fictional Atari 5200 game. Each time I saw the gameplay footage while watching the movie (read my retro review by clicking here), I was thrilled and always wanted to play it.

Finally, in 2024, I was able to play Cloak & Dagger on my Xbox Series X after purchasing the physical copy of Atari 50: The Anniversary Celebration. Since then, I’ve been replaying Cloak & Dagger a lot in the comfort home and it sure is challenging and fun.

To be clear, this is not a retro game review of Cloak & Dagger. Rather, it is a nostalgic close look at the Atari video game that happened to be featured in the 1984 movie which in turn was released on 4K Blu-ray in 2022. Combine that with the Atari 50 release also in 2022, the Cloak & Dagger game made a comeback in the retro gaming radars of many while also becoming available to play with on modern consoles and Windows PC.

Game design and gameplay

In the arcade game, you play Agent X (the 2D sprite colored green and wearing the hat) and you will encounter challenges from enemies (often robot guards which can fire shots at you), conveyor belts that can impact your movement and the possibility of the giant bomb exploding.

Developed by Atari for the arcade, Cloak & Dagger is a 2D multi-directional shooter in which you play Agent X (who appears wearing a hat, a mask and a coat) whose mission is to infiltrate the massive base of an enemy that goes very deep underground (33 levels/floors).

Each level the player enters require surviving obstacles and defeating (or avoiding) the enemies (robot guards are the most common opposition while the crawling eye occasionally appears) and then move to the other side of the level in order to get into another elevator to keep on descending. The ultimate goal is to reach the final level below to recover top secret plans from Dr. Boom (the main villain and the one responsible for stealing the said plans), destroy his underground bomb factory (which explains the existence of oversized bombs and many explosives on conveyor belts) and get out.

As registering high scores was the trend of video gaming back then, players will be rewarded with shooting at the enemies (example: robot guards are worth 50 points each when asleep or 200 points when awake, while the main villain Dr. Boom is worth 50,000 points) as well as interacting with in-game items such as the unarmed explosives (10 points when shot but worth 100 when collected), armed explosives (50 points each when destroyed) and mystery boxes (worth 200 to 1,800 points plus random effects on the player such as extra life, improved speed and even extra life). For every 30,000 points scored, the player will be granted an extra life. In many levels are gigantic bombs that players can ignite using the Fuse button for extra points.

*Between levels, you will see an animated Agent X during the short rides in the elevator.*

The game is very challenging because so much is going on around you. The robot guards will always fire shots at you while the conveyor belts often move items and explosives (both the armed and unarmed). You can ride a converyor belt to move around but make sure you do not touch the armed explosives (red containers) as they will kill you upon contact.

Other items players can collect are the extra boxes (resulting in extra life) and the secret maps (which partially reveal safe paths through each fourth level).

When it comes to the controls, Cloak & Dagger has a dual joystick (twin sticks) setup similar to Robotron 2084 and Smash T.V. (read my retrospective look at it by clicking here). One joystick allows players to move Agent X around while the other allows shooting projectiles (using Agent X’s weapon) at any direction. The fuse action (for igniting the oversized bombs in the enemy lair) is done by simply pressing a button. As I am playing this game on Xbox Series X, the game’s controls functioned well on the Xbox controller. Both precision and response of the game are sharp with the Xbox controller.

When it comes to the enjoyment and overall value of Cloak & Dagger, I can say that it is indeed more challenging and more chaotic when compared to the more notable twin stick games Robotron 2084 and Smash T.V. For one thing, each level has different layouts complete with obstacles or hazards plus enemies that will certainly challenge players. Many levels have conveyor belts moving unarmed explosives, armed explosives (which you must avoid touching because you will die upon direct contact) and items around which form obstacles when it comes to shooting robot guards on the other side (note: you can use the obstacles defensively when the robot guards fire at you).

From time to time, you will enter a somewhat sparse looking level like this which actually has mines hidden. The locations of the mines do get revealed in specific moments but only for a few seconds. That being said, it is always best to be able to collect maps that appear on conveyor belts.

Apart from the robot guards and the crawling eye, there are also forklifts which don’t attack you but their solid exterior will deflect any projectile you fire at them and send them back to your direction.

To be clear, you are not required to destroy all the robot guards (or the huge crawling eye enemies) in each level. You can simply try to avoid obstacles and enemies to make it to the next elevator to keep on descending although doing so means scoring much lesser points. Picking up items will add points and randomly alter your character’s capabilities (by picking up mystery boxes).

Adding pressure to you on each level is the giant bomb located in the middle which you can ignite using the fuse action. Once ignited, you only have a few seconds left to make it to the next elevator as the giant bomb will explode and spread fire throughout the whole level. Igniting the said thing will grant you a lot of points provided you survive and made it to the elevator going down.

*To be able to play the Cloak & Dagger arcade game on your console or on PC, purchase a copy of the Atari 50 collection.*

Cloak & Dagger is indeed a fun game but the opposition, the obstacles, time limit (indicated by the giant bomb) and chaotic turn of events make it more challenging than Midway’s two notable twin stick shooters. The game would have been more forgiving and more playable if only it did not have the one-hit-death embedded on it. Considering the challenges each level has and the many levels players have to go through, it would have made more sense to have Agent X have a life bar/health meter/shield and be able to absorb some enemy projectiles (before dying).

Of course, the game was never designed to be like that and the one-hit-death is also found in Robotron 2084 and Smash T.V. That being said, if you played Cloak & Dagger with a high level of success and completed everything without losing all your lives, then you would be a great achiever.

Pop culture significance

It has been reported that Cloak & Dagger – which was released as an arcade kit for machines that ran Robotron 2084, Joust, Defender and Stargate – did not have a big presence in the arcades in America. The 1984 movie dramatically increased public awareness of it.

When Cloak & Dagger was still in game development (created and led by Russell Dawe) under the title “Agent X”, Atari and certain movie producers became aware of each other’s projects and decided to work together. The deal made business sense as Atari could benefit from reaching a mainstream audience through the cinemas while the movie producers joined in the 1980s Hollywood trend of movies that featured powerful computers, software and artificial intelligence as seen in WarGames (1983), Superman III (1983), and The Terminator (1984).

Much to the credit of the filmmakers, the presence of the game actually added good value to the plot. The film’s concept of the Cloak & Dagger game becoming a very wanted object (plot device actually) resulting in chases, intense action scenes and suspense turned out to be very believable as well. It should be noted that director Richard Franklin took inspiration from Alfred Hitchcock which gave the film a unique touch on the suspense and shock scenes. Check out the movie clip below…

When it comes to the Cloak & Dagger game appearing within the movie of 1984, you will see how the filmmakers and Atari cleverly created the illusion of the game operating on the Atari 5200 console by showing not only video game footage, but also having Henry Thomas acting like he’s playing it using the Atari 5200 controller (which has an analog joystick and buttons on one side). When I was a young boy watching the movie, I found the game footage very entertaining and wanted to play it.

*Cloak & Dagger portrayed as running on Atari 5200 in this scene with Henry Thomas and Dabney Coleman.* (photo source – AtariProtos.com)

*A Cloak & Dagger arcade cabinet seen in the background (right side).* (photo source – IMDB.com)

If you are an Xbox gamer who intends to play Cloak & Dagger now, buy the Atari 50 collection in digital format by clicking https://www.xbox.com/en-US/games/store/atari-50-the-anniversary-celebration/9N3TFDSQ531T

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

Retro Gaming Ads Blast – Part 33

August 1, 2025July 30, 2025carlocarrasco

Welcome back readers, fellow geeks and electronic gaming fans!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

3. Japanese Smash T.V. print ad

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

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

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

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

5. Pitfall 3D: Beyond the Jungle print ad

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

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

6. Atari 2600 and games print ads

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

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

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

7. Burning Rangers North American print ad

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

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

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Retro Gaming Ads Blast – Part 32

July 2, 2025June 26, 2025carlocarrasco

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

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

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

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

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

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

2. Pro Tennis arcade flyer

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

3. 3-in-1 Atari 2600 print ad

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

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

4. Super BurgerTime Japanese arcade flyer

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

5. A Nightmare on Elm Street NES print ad

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

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

6. NBA Showdown print ad

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

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

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

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

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

8. Pitfall: The Mayan Adventure print ad

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

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

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I am having a lot of fun with Smash T.V. on my Xbox Series X

June 11, 2025June 9, 2025carlocarrasco

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

I finally did it! I finally played the arcade version of the classic game Smash T.V. as I recently purchased Midway Arcade Origins (Xbox 360) on the Xbox store. Thanks to backward compatibility, Midway Arcade Origins operated smoothly on my Xbox Series X and it comes with more than thirty arcade games owned or published by Midway Games from the early 1980s to the early 1990s.

My history of playing Smash T.V. is awkward. The very first time I played the game was not in the arcade but with the Smash T.V. port released on the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES).

The classic game debuted in arcades in 1990 and during that precise point of time, I rarely visited arcades here in the Philippines. I started visiting arcades more starting in 1992 as the fighting game craze started luring new gamers driven by the popularity of Street Fighter II. To the best of my memory, I saw very few arcade machines of Smash T.V. and never got to play the game. In fact, there were very few arcade machines that had the dual joystick control set-up which was exactly required to play Smash T.V.

*The 2D sprite activity and action can get pretty wild and intense on-screen during battle. Expect lots of waves of enemies coming in before you proceed to the next room.*

To make things clear, arcade games were already popular here in the Philippines and there were lots of local arcades particularly in shopping malls. As for playing Smash T.V. on the SNES, it was fun but the SNES control pad was not ideal for the immense in-game shooting.

Going back to Midway Arcade Origins, I played Defender first and had some bouts of fun with it. After that, I went back to the main selection and scrolled through the many other games offered until I saw Smash T.V. and selected it. As soon as I started playing, I was immediately engaged as the fun kept growing as I played.

*Apart from dealing with dangerous enemies, you will also encounter in-game hazards such as this room releasing snakes a lot.*

Firstly, the game made fine use of the two analog sticks of the Xbox controller which was the closest thing to matching the dual joysticks set-up of the original arcade game. The left analog stick was for movement while the right analog stick allowed me to shoot in different directions. The severe limitations on shooting on the controller of the SNES were completely gone, and as I played the game more on Xbox, I found myself moving around enemies and obstacles while being able to fire at directions where shooting was needed.

Secondly, Smash T.V. on Midway Arcade Origins is the genuine arcade experience from the controls to the functionality, gameplay, the visual design and 2D sprites that dominated the screen. For those who don’t have the original arcade machine, this is the closest thing to enjoying the arcade fun of Smash T.V. in the comfort of home. I can also say that the game ran smoothly on my Xbox Series X and not a single case of slowdown nor any cases of visual distortions ever happened!

*To really defeat an end-of-level boss like this one, you need to use whatever special weapons or power-ups that appeared during battle. Be mindful of the enemy’s powerful defense and attacks.*

*This face particular end-of-level boss deteriorates further as I kept on attacking him with special weapons.*

More on the gameplay, it is undeniably challenging as many enemies enter and their different abilities to attack you ensures lots of intense moments of action and struggle to survive. The on-screen action is often intense and still the gameplay did not grow tiresome to me. More on the combat, there are always huge and powerful enemies (end-of-level boss) at the conclusion of each level and defeating them will push you to use special weapons as soon as they pop up.

Lastly, there is also the prize aspect of the game (which has a dystopian TV concept inspired by the 1987 film The Running Man starring Arnold Schwarzenegger) which allows you to collect prizes (in cash or prize items) while playing. The prizes can add a lot to your score and even your potential entry into the online leaderboards (see below).

*There is nothing like collecting prizes in the game! It is as thrilling as the action.*

*Between the levels are the bonus segments in which the value of the prizes you collected will be added to your overall score (technically in-game money earned).*

Thirdly, I really like the online leaderboards and score attack mode that came with Midway Arcade Origins. For Smash T.V., the score attack challenge is to score as many points as you could using only one turn (which comes with the initial six in-game lives). Score attack does not allow any continues (that is for free play mode) and this was enough to make me focus on my skills, moves and timing when it comes to fighting waves of several enemies that entered the in-game arenas.

I was able to make my presence felt online as the servers for the leaderboards are still functioning and recording in-real time the scores achieved.

*Every time you encounter new enemies, you have to observe how they move, attack and behave.*

Smash T.V. is a classic not only because of its immense fun gameplay, entertainment impact and timeless game design, but also because it was a creative wonder from significant game creators such as Eugene Jarvis (Defender, Robotron 2084), John Tobias (Mortal Kombat) and Mark Turmell to name a few. The game borrowed elements from The Running Man and the creators made their own concept that mixed well with the game design they came up with. The result is a highly playable, challenging and ultimately enjoyable video game. To learn more about the creation and history of Smash T.V., watch the in-depth videos of PatmanQC and Slope’s Game Room below.

Smash T.V. is a lot of fun and its gameplay never gets old. It is currently my favorite of all the games in Midway Arcade Origins and it is an excellent addition to my retro gaming experience on my Xbox Series X.

If you are an Xbox fan who is interested in retro gaming and if you have already decided to play Smash T.V., buy Midway Arcade Origins by clicking https://www.xbox.com/en-US/games/store/midway-arcade-origins/bs97kvxlt9lk

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What to watch on YouTube right now – Part 77

May 23, 2025June 1, 2025carlocarrasco

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

I recommend you check out the following videos I found.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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What to watch on YouTube right now – Part 45

December 11, 2024December 9, 2024carlocarrasco

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.

#1 A look back at Tobal No. 1 – The 1990s will always be remembered as the decade when fighting games became wildly popular. While franchises like Tekken, Virtua Fighter, Street Fighter and The King of Fighters literally flooded the arcades and consoles, game developers at DreamFactory (a subsidiary of Square) were dissatisfied with the state of fighting games at the time and this eventually led to the creation of Tobal No. 1, one of the most unique games of its genre ever made. To learn more about it, watch the video below.

#2 Assorted videos of Air Force One (1997) – Watching Air Force One (starring Harrison Ford) on the big screen in 1997 was a fun experience for me. It was one of the many so-called Die Hard clones of the 1990s which featured one brave, vulnerable hero fighting terrorists while confined in a place where escape is not option. For your enjoyment, I selected one trivia video and a few reaction videos of Air Force One. As it is a great film, I encourage you to watch it first in case you have not seen it. Otherwise, go watch the selected videos below.

#3 Slope’s Game Room’s look back at the Choplifter series – I first played Choplifter on the Family Computer back in the late-1980s and it really was both unique and fun to play. It was a side-scrolling adventure game with military action but it was not an all-offense experience. In fact, the game gives you opportunities to rescue hostages and the game development history is pretty interesting to discover. As such, I encourage you to watch Slope’s Game Room’s retrospective of Choplifter.

#4 The games of Square in the 1990s remembered – If you know your video game history, Square Enix was established in 2003 as a result of a merger between Square (AKA SquareSoft) and Enix. When Square was still an independent, standalone company it released a lot of memorable games on the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES) and the PlayStation in the 1990s. If you love retro gaming and if you are interested to discover (or rediscover) what Square released back in the 1990s, then this video is for you.

#5 Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau receives response from returning US President Donald Trump regarding new tariffs – Justin Trudeau – the super woke and out-of-touch Canadian Prime Minister – told the returning US President Donald Trump that new tariffs would kill the economy of Canada. The result is a memorable response from Trump. To see what happened and how the public reacted, watch this Sky News Australia video. Lastly, never ever trust Trudeau. You will regret it believing in him as he is a very bad leader.

#6 Kamala Harris being hit by her donors and her fellow Democrats for reckless campaign spending – The defeated Commie Kamala Harris is now the target of her US presidential campaign donors and even her fellow Democrats. You see, her campaign team raised at least $1.5 billion and ended up with a debt of at least $20 million due to reckless spending and irresponsible handling of money. Apart from literally BUYING the support of celebrities and Hollywood Communists, the Harris campaign spent excessively on online ads, private jets and others. The donors are very furious and a lot of Democrats realized that the laughing hyena Kamala Harris severely damaged the political party. That being said, Kamala Harris would be delusional enough to actually run for US President again in 2028. Watch and learn from Sky News Australia’s video.

#7 You, Me and the Movies react to Friday the 13th Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan – Years I ago, I posted my retro review of Friday the 13th Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan. The 1989 Friday The 13^th sequel was so sloppy and bad with its presentation, it sometimes could be funny to see and it’s okay to ridicule it. If you want to discover Jason Takes Manhattan without spending too much time, you should watch the reaction video of You, Me and the Movies.

8. The collapse of the Assad dictatorship in Syria – In case you missed the news, a new chapter in the history of Syria has officially started as the dictatorship of Bashar al-Assad officially ended with the Islamist rebels taking over the country. Assad and his family are now in Russia. While there is euphoria going on in Syria, you should not allow yourselves to be deceived because the civil war in Syria was never a case of “good versus evil”. Assad was allied with Russia and terrorist state Iran. Meanwhile, the Syrian rebels are allied with the Islamist Turkish forces, Jihadists, terrorists and they have Al-Qaeda members in their ranks. Syria now has a new beginning but where will it go? Watch the videos I selected for your viewing and learning.

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What to watch on YouTube right now – Part 44

December 4, 2024November 29, 2024carlocarrasco

I recommend you check out the following topics and the related videos I found.

#1 Konami’s failed fighting games of the 1990s – Remember back in the 1990s when a lot of fighting games were released on the arcades and game consoles? Japanese game companies Namco and Capcom released a lot of memorable fighting games of different styles such as Street Fighter II, Tekken, Marvel vs. Capcom, Tekken 3, Soulcalibur, X-Men: Children of the Atom, X-Men vs. Street Fighter and so on. Sega released Virtua Fighter games while Midway released Mortal Kombat games, and SNK had Fatal Fury, King of Fighters and Art of Fighting games. Looking back at the fighting game craze of the 1990s, I noticed that Konami – best known for Metal Gear, Contra, Gradius and Suikoden – released their own fighting games but never achieved the tremendous success that its competitors had. The retro gaming video is a must-see.

#2 Calvin Dyson’s lengthy review of The World is Not Enough – I can hardly believe that it has been twenty-five years since the James Bond movie The World Is Not Enough was released in cinemas as the 20^th century was ending. The 3^rd film of Pierce Brosnan as Agent 007 received mixed reviews from the critics and some fans found it to be really brainless and excessive with action which negatively affected the cinematic narrative. To find out if the 1999 Bond movie aged well or not, YouTuber Calvin Dyson recently posted his lengthy retro review and you can watch it now.

#3 In-depth documentary of Smash TV – Remember way back in 1990 when Smash T.V. (also referred to as Smash TV) was released in the arcades and attracted a lot of players with its enjoyable game design and concept? The game was a hit and went on to be ported to many platforms afterwards, and I played its Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES) version a lot. To find out how hit game started and who were the key people behind its production, watch the video documentary of PatmanQC now.

#4 Defeated Kamala Harris, Sharon Stone, Alec Baldwin and others highlighted in Lefties Losing It episode – It has been a few weeks since Donald Trump pulled off the greatest American comeback by winning again the US presidential election. Even until now, the Leftists are still agonizing over Trump’s victory and many of them cannot accept the reality of what happened. In the latest Lefties Losing It episode below, you will see a drunk-like Kamala Harris talking to her supporters, Sharon Stone bashing others and more. Watch it!

#5 Electric vehicles sparked into fire disasters as a result of salt water caused by Hurricane Helene – This news video should convince you not to buy and drive an electric car or any type of electric vehicle for that matter. Salt water touching the ion batteries of electric vehicles spark flame and this leads into fire incidents that simply could not be solved quickly. Hurricane Helene’s powerful wind brought salt water into affected communities and not even electric vehicles parked inside the garage were spared. Avoid electric vehicles and stick with vehicles that run on fossil fuel.

#6 Ashleigh Burton’s Fantastic Four (2005) reaction video – Back in 2005, I never saw Fantastic Four in the local cinema. I was never a Fantastic Four fan nor did the team-up of Stan Lee and Jack Kirby starting the said superhero team interested me. Believe it or not, I finally saw the movie on home video in 2009. In recent times, YouTuber Ashleigh Burton posted her reaction video of Fantastic Four and it is fun to watch.

#7 Phantasy Star IV retrospective – Thanks to my physical copy of Sega Genesis Classics, I was able to play Phantasy Star IV: The End of the Millennium on my Xbox Series X console. For the newcomers reading this, Phantasy Star IV was a sci-fi Japanese role-playing game (JRPG) released on the Sega Genesis (Mega Drive in other markets) in Japan in 1993 followed by released in America and Europe in 1995. The production side of the game has very interesting details and you can learn all about it in GTV Japan’s retrospective video below.

#8 A look at Disney’s The Black Hole – Long before the Walt Disney Company became the super woke entity of modern times, they released the expensive sci-fi film The Black Hole. As far as the Disney legacy is concerned, the 1979 movie is significant as it marked a serious change of direction the company took with its movies. Disney was already known for wholesome and family oriented movies and TV shows and eventually entered a period of uncertainty. The Black Hole was both Disney’s attempt to cash-in on the sci-fi and disaster film craze of the 1970s and attract more adult moviegoers. You can learn more about this forgotten movie by watching the videos below.

#9 Popcorn in Bed’s What Lies Beneath reaction video – I saw What Lies Beneath inside a crowded cinema here in the Philippines way back in 2000. Directed by Robert Zemeckis, the film was an inspired work of suspense and horror mainly told through Michelle Pfeiffer’s character. I still remember some comments of disappointment over Harrison Ford’s lack of screen time compared with Pfeiffer’s. Regardless, you have to see Popcorn in Bed’s reaction video right here.

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Retro Gaming Ads Blast – Part 21

November 4, 2024October 17, 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. 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

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 4^th 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.

8. GamePro magazine sweepstakes print announcement

*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 10^th 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 4^th 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.

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