Original ad published in EGM's 1994 Video Game Buyer's Guide (late 1993).
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Historical Background and Graphical Analysis
One of the uglier mascots for the Super Nintendo, Irem’s Rockey Rodent (1993) was another of the hundreds of video games of the 90’s that tried to establish protagonist with a ‘tude.
Irem is a Japanese developer famous for Kung-Fu Master (1984) and the R-Type series. Super R-Type was released for the SNES just two years before Rockey Rodent and became one of the console’s first hits. Their complete video game catalogue is abundant and diverse.
It was a prototypical side-scrolling space shooter that harkened to its 8-bit pedigree to entice early SNES buyers. By all accounts, Super R-Type was a very impressive game. I played it extensively because it was hard as nails, fast and featured great gameplay. The only downfall—like most early games on Nintendo’s 16-bit console—being the terrible slowdown at critical moments.
So it was just natural for Irem to try to capitalise this success with their own mascot. Everyone was doing the same thing at the time, just check out the long list of platforming ads featured in this blog! Rocky is one ugly beast. His special feature is a modifiable haircut. That’s it. His motives are egotistical and the story of the game is completely forgettable (trying to get your money back).
The artwork is very unappealing. The protagonist is prominently featured. Problem is, he is ugly as sin. There are some actual game screens in upper part of the ad, but you could see Irem did not invest much creativity here.
Check out the game’s box-art. It features the exact same pose as the ad, just with a different background. This wouldn’t be a problem if the rodent was attractive or aesthetic in some way, but it fails in that crucial aspect.
Rocky Rodent print ad copy
Go hairwire with your SNES
He’s quicker than a greased hairball. Tighter than a hairpin turn. He’s got hair with an attitude. And the fastest can of hairspray in the west. He’s trouble in the fast lane. Tricks in a can. Cars, trucks and uncool dudes pull over. He’s good road—from Irem. Move hair fast to your nearest video store for Rocky Rodent!
Original ad published in EGM's 1994 Video Game Buyer's Guide (late 1993).
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Historical Background and Graphical Analysis
Cool Spot (1993), developed by Virgin, was an above-average platformer that enjoyed some popularity thanks largely to its elaborate character animation.
This was the era of famous mascots. Every company labored to place their own mascot inside gamer’s heads. Some are still with us, like most Nintendo branded mascots; others have passed to a better life (Bubsy). Cool Spot was created by the 7-Up brand to compete for gamers sugary palates, fueled by decades with Mountain Dew and other of drinks.
Most sugar-filled beverages were still innocuous for the public eye in the early 90s. Dr. Pepper, the owner of the 7-Up brand in the United States, though it would be a good idea to produce a video game to establish the brand with a younger audience. Pepsico, the Worldwide distributor of 7-Up, played along with the marketing scheme. Today Cool Spot the mascot has been all but forgotten, but it remains as an interesting exercise in branding and technology.
As I stated before, the game does posses a unique feature. The animation of both the Genesis and Super NES releases is top notch, as well as the sound and music. It’s a well produced game. Cool Spot follows the lead established by early animation stand-out games like Castle of Illusion. Starring Mickey Mouse (1990) for Sega’s machine. By 1994, in the last stages of their console lives, both 16-bit consoles featured superbly animated games like Aladdin (1993) and The Lion King (1994). Animation-wise, the Super NES jumped to a whole different level in late 1994 with Donkey Kong Country.
The two-page spread of the ad is very attractive. There’s ample space for the whites, and the copy, if grandiloquent, is appropriate for the directed audience. The mascot is placed strategically so your eyes naturally flow to it after you see actual game screens of the game, finishing with the ad’s copy. A classic “Z-pattern” layout.
Original ad published in EGM's 1994 Video Game Buyer's Guide (late 1993).
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Historical Background and Graphical Analysis
For decades, nerds fantasised about a Predator vs. Alien franchise until Hollywood, cheap special effects and the 2000’s gave us a disposable franchise that made the original franchises seem like modern masterpieces. Robocop versus The Terminator was born from that same nerdy yeast and gave us a very short comic-book run in 1992 that saw the advent of this video game in 1993.
But whilst the Robo vs Terminator comic-book featured some interesting turns to the paper-thin storyline of both franchises, the video game was completely generic. Frank Miller had little input on this product by Virgin that was made, like most video game movie adaptations, for the sole purpose of making money.
Both the SNES and Genesis received a version of the game and both were mediocre, with bland gameplay and sound that made no justice to the above-average graphics. Hundreds of side-scrollers were produced during the 90’s, and Robocop versus The Terminator had no particular saving-grace, except for the Hollywood name on the box. Both were the hot franchises of the period, but produced little quality on various console gaming products (check out Robocop’s 2 video game art).
Still, the crossover promised high value. It’s a winning formula if done correctly, but to this day has not been fully realised in any medium. Both Robocop and The Terminator exude coolness and, I believe, there lies the problem. Which one should get more screen time? Since both are enormously popular, you will always have fanatics of one franchise bitching about how said movie or video game did not give their character enough importance. So a fool-proof idea suddenly becomes a marketing nightmare.
At least the print ad for the game got it right. You see a two-page spread that splits each character in one page each. The cool red background gives great contrast to both of the metal monsters. And while the copy is weak, the overall impact of the ad in strong. A titan against a titan. At least in commercial value.
Original ad published in EGM's 1994 Video Game Buyer's Guide (late 1993).
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Historical Background and Graphical Analysis
Secret of Mana, the incomparable Action-RPG released for the Super Nintendo in 1993, remains one of the most beautiful video games ever made. Square Soft had gained some notoriety in North America since 1991 with Final Fantasy II (in the reality, the fourth releases of the franchise in Japan). But Secret of Mana was a much different game, both in concept and aesthetics.
Many compare SOM with The Legend of Zelda. A Link to the Past (1991), Nintendo’s mega-hit for their 16-bit powerhouse. The reality is that Mana surpassed even Nintendo in both technical quality and gameplay.
For starters, you could play Mana with three people. Each character—the hero warrior, the female healer and the sprite magician—had a wealth of usable weapons and magic options that could be easily selected with Square’s innovative “ring-menu” system. Press “select”, spin the ring and that’s it. This integration would be all but forgotten in later Square Soft releases. For Mana, it was perfect. It made three-player cooperative gameplay a breeze.
Perfect also Mana's music. Back in the day I would hook up my SNES to my stereo and enjoy most games with two big, fat, Pioneer speakers my dad used to own since the 70’s. Mana was easily the clearest, sharpest, most melodious video game I had ever heard on any console. (Maybe too sharp, since my channels clipped during certain parts of songs that featured many layers of string arrangements).
Up to 1993, Mana could claim that achievement. In musical terms, it was better than the above mentioned Final Fantasy II,Act Raiser (1990) and Streets of Rage (1991)—and this is saying quite a lot. Sound was very good, with an added “bass” to every hit you connected with different weapons.
As for the graphics, take a look at the random screen I selected below. Magical. Dreamy. Colours are contrasty, balanced and character sprites animate in a very pleasing manner. The generic boy-saves- the-world storyline served, in reality, as a vehicle for a fantasticly entertaining experience.
It was a just a joy to advance through the magical worlds presented to you. Who cared if the characters fitted tired stereotypes? You came to Mana for the action and the high-sky production values. EGM declared it 1993’s RPG of the year.
As for the print advertisement, it still remains a sight to behold. Thankfully, Square Soft decided to keep the Japanese box-art of Mana for their American campaign. As many gamers know, the American box-art is just a cropped version of the Japanese art, but since Japanese is read vertically in most instances and Occidental languages in a horizontal manner, Square just cropped part of the Oriental artwork and pasted it on the SNES release.
The ad you see here features the box-art Japanese gamers would purchase. In a smart move, Square included a cool 8 x 12 poster of the vertical artwork in the American release of the game.
The artwork recreates the general mood of the game and delivers a truly aesthetic experience. As with most Japanese RPG’s, the tree of life is a very important component of the overall plot of the game. The tree represents the cosmic bond between life and death and it must remain balanced for the world to function properly.
Off the top of my head, I remember The Legend of Zelda. Ocarina of Time (1998) and Final Fantasy VII (1997) having this same tree of life plot as a very important part of their overall story. You’ll find that most enemies or antagonists want to break the world balance that the tree maintains. The tree is both a symbol of this life and death balance and the divine connection that society keeps with mother nature.
Most high civilisations, as Joseph Campbell stated in his well-known analysis of mythologies, share the tree symbol:
All the high civilisations of the world are to be thought of as the limbs of one great tree, whose root is heaven….This celestial order then became the model for mankind in the building of an earthly order of coordinated wills—a model for both kings and philosophers, inasmuch as it seemed to show for the supporting law not only of the universe but of every particle within it (Campbell, Primitive Mythology, 1991, p. 149).
If there is no tree, Occidental civilisations use some other manifestation of nature to keep earthy structures in check (stars, seasons, etc).
American gamers have been nourished by this Oriental philosophy through video games, in most cases, without even knowing it. This has been going on for decades. It’s hard to find a better example of this Buddhist/Shintoist way of thinking in another Japanese video game.
Like movies, video games are vehicles that transmit modern myths in a popular manner. In this case, what’s interesting is that they are Oriental motifs, religious symbols and mythologies. Their field of study remains largely untouched.
As a side note, Secret of Mana 2 was never released in North America for reasons no one understands, even today. Every indication points to another classic game by Square Soft. You can search the web for fan translations and ROM to play on emulators, but I fear that pales in comparison to the actual physical experience of playing it on a Super Famicom. I'll leave you to a very good YouTube review of the game:
Secret of Mana for SNES print ad copy:
Uncover the Secret of Mana
16 megs of action and adventure
More bosses and enemies to wage battle against
Sophisticated Mode 7 effects
Seamless flight animation
Long game play
Simultaneous 3-player capability.
“Get ready for the ride of your life.”
Nintendo Power, May 1993
“A visual and audio tour de force.”
EGM, April 1993
“A spectacular 16-bit blend of action and role-playing all in one.”
Super NES Buyers Guide, May 1993
Brought to you from the makers of the first Final Fantasy series.
Original ad published in the December 1991 edition of GamePro.
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Historical Background and Graphical Analysis
Around the end 1991, the most fun you could buy for Sega’s 16-bit machine was made by Electronic Arts. This was before the company absorbed every bit of good will left on the planet. In the early 90s, EA had already left an indelible mark on the video game console market with the MaddenFootball series, and, of course, Road Rash.
Road Rash is possibly the most famous fighting motorcycle game ever made. It was first released on Genesis/MegaDrive and the ported and remade to fit different consoles, lastly in 2003’s Game Boy Advance game called Road Rash Jail Break.
The same fundamental formula is applied in every Road Rash itineration: race against a bunch of bikers and try to arrive in first place by any means possible. Therein lies the fun part of the game: you can kick, bat, punch and push the other competitors so they fall from their bikes or crash into incoming traffic. There’s also the police, they’ll chase you and try to block your way. It’s pretty hectic. Races are full of crazy obstacles, hills and brutal curves.
Graphics are very good for Genesis standards. The game’s music was done by prolific EA and industry composer Rob Hubbarb (famous for the early Madden music on Sega’s platform). The sound department, like many Genesis games, leaves a lot to be desired. Sounds are wimpy, for lack of a better word. But the overall package is very entertaining. A stand-out cartridge for the system.
The print ad campaign is also very well done. This is a three-page ad: one individual teaser page followed by a two-page spread. I think the print material perfectly encapsulates the atmosphere of the game. Every feature is well describe with actual screenshots and the idea is well transmitted to the print medium, including the game's sense of speed.
It would have been easy for EA to copy-paste the box-art of the game and market that. But they showed they trusted their product and gamers responded with enthusiasm. Bravo!
Original ad published in the December 1990 edition of EGM (no. 17)
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Historical Background and Graphical Analysis
Sega’s 16-bit juggernaut is widely accepted as the best console for shooting games, or “schumps”. Thunder Force III is one of the brightest spots in a long list of excellent games of the genre, such as Gaires, Truxton and Sol-Feace, and of course, other Thunder Force games. All were released at the start of the 90’s or the end of the previous decade. All were great.
Thunder Force III (1990) was developed by Technosoft, a now defunct Japanese company famous for Herzog Zwei (1989), the precursor of real-time strategy games. That game was also released for the MegaDrive/Genesis and is a sort of cult-hit. Some PC developers took note of its gameplay mechanics. The legendary Dune II (1992), for example, borrowed some conceptual elements of Herzog Zwei.
The third instalment of the series features incredible music, tight gameplay and very good graphics. The sound, like most Genesis games, is feeble. But that is just a kink in an otherwise rock-solid game that was the first of the series to embrace a full side-scrolling experience throughout the entire game, and not a mix of vertical and horizontal stages like Thunder Force II.
It’s interesting that most side-scrolling shooters--like Sol-Feace, for example--feature excellent artwork in their box-art or their marketing print material. The very attractive image you see here could easily be hanged on any gamer’s room or basement. Shooters have always approached their print material this way. Check out Atari 2600’s box-art for Vanguard (1982), one of the very first console games of the genre.
I believe the reason is that most schumps are very simple in conceptual design and rarely feature a human as the main protagonist of the story. Instead, your space ship is the real star of the adventure. That liberates graphical designers to extend their imaginations as far as the wish, given that in most sci-fi settings practically anything goes.
Those awesome mechanical phoenix you see in Thunder Force’s III advertisement are actual enemies in the game. Your ship maintains good proportions and the ad’s diagonals take your eyes from the main title to the action and lastly to the (weak) copy of the text and actual game-screens. Color contrast plays an important role in the ad: red, blues and whites dominate the entire frame and balance beautifully.
This is very good planning, exemplary for anyone interested in graphical design or editorial layout.
Thunder Force III for Genesis print ad copy
Thunder Force III
Just when you thought you had seen it all…
A new challenge radiates forth from worlds beyond imagination. Surge through scrolling lava flows and the thrust of massive rock caves. Avoid losing control amid perilous bubbles in murky depths….to encounter even greater challenges in realms of deeper dimensions.
Original ad published in the December 1990 edition of EGM (no. 17)
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Historical Background and Graphical Analysis
Strider is the game that positioned Genesis as the machine for serious 16-bit gaming. Developed by Capcom for arcades, the best console version you could find was ported directly by Sega in 1989 to their system in awesome 8-megabyte glory.
Strider won EGM’s 1990 game of the year and to this day and remains one of Genesis’ best action side-scrollers. It was also released on various home consoles of the same period, but none as complete as the version you see advertised here.
The game was practically perfect, save for a lack of “punch” in the main sound effects. The music is fine, but the audio seems very thin when compared to the arcade.
In the year 2000, Sony's Playstation saw the release of Strider 2 as a cool 2.5-D platformer. The game was good, but not groundbreaking by any means and, not counting the name, is more of a spiritual successor than anything else. Other versions of the game followed on modern consoles, but nothing truly revolutionary since the seminal game of the Genesis.
Sega’s was wise to forego the original artwork of the game and go with a full two-page spread of the awesome graphics gamers would find in their faithful port. (The full HD version of the ad can be seen in my G+ channel).
This was the campaign that presented the famous “Nintendont” concept, which created quite a stir in gaming circles and innumerable nerdy discussions.
Yet, more than two decades later, you can confirm the strategy was a success, if only temporal. Nintendo’s 16-bit machine would slowly demonstrate its techinical superiority. The first years of the 16-bit wars, however, placed two machines that seemed well-matched versus one another.
It was tough call and opinions went back and forth in the early 90’s as to the superiority of both of them. The year 1990 was would remain inside Sega’s dominion.
A classic game that featured an aggressive marketing strategy by Sega with an ad chock-full of real in-game screenshots. Lines are clear and the large copy is greatly benefited from a masterful use of white spaces. A treat to the eyes that connected both your emotional and rational sides before a purchase (I still have my original copy!). What more could you ask?
Original Strider for Genesis print ad copy
Genesis does Strider.
The first and only 8-meg game ever.
1990 game of the year
As selected by Electronic Gaming Monthly
It’s here. Strider—the most powerful home video game ever. The ultimate arcade hit. From hard hitting non-stop action action to the awesome graphics and radical gameplay. Strider is definitely here!
An evil Syndicate has violently overthrown Russia and is using their scientific and military might to take control of the world. You land your hang glider in an industrial town and begin your quest to defeat the evil mastermind. You use your incredible acrobatic skills as you leap onto moving platforms, climb to the top of I-beams with your grappling hook and slide with heels dug in down steep slopes while you evade razor sharp pokes.
With your only weapons, a trusty laser sword and swift hover craft, you take on mutant centipedes, ancient dinosaurs, pirates, mad dogs, monkey-like mechanical robots and finally the evil mastermind in his mechano-skeletal headquarters.
It’s what happens when 8-meg power combines with the only true 16-bit system. Only on Genesis by Sega.
Hang gliding deep into enemy territory is just the start. past these gleaming turrets lie frozen wastes, mechanical jungles and gigantic battleships.
Beware of of the burly machine gunners. Unleash your laser sword. Watch for the special item to get a super sword.
Use your grappling hook to clamber up vertical walls, while fierce guards attack without mercy.
On the top of a building, climb rickety scaffolding to build your stamina. Also collect a mechanical attack bird here.
Collect two drones and you get the white mechanical panther to help in your assault, as he leaps at the moon.
Mad wolves lunge at you from deep in the arctic wastes. Here you can get a friendly droid to help you battle the enemy.
In the midst of angled scaffolding, mechanised defenders rock on ball bearings as they try to blast you into atoms.
Within the forest you fling yourself onto swinging vines and meet Amazon women. Don’t fall—deadly piranha fish infest the waters below.
Automatic cannon fire assaults you aboard the fleet cruiser of the evil empire. Soon you’ll face its largest cannon—it’s awesome.
You must face and defeat such mechanical minions of death, before you reach the inner sanctum of Number One.
Original ad published in the December 1990 edition of EGM (no. 17)
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Historical Background and Graphical Analysis
The much-loved MegaMan 3 (1990) was a smash-hit from Capcom that perfect the original formula devised in the previous blue bomber’s adventures. Today, most critics agree that MegaMan 2 and 3 are the best versions, ever, for the series. That’s saying a lot, considering that 100 different games starring MegaMan have been released to this day!
The full list of MegaMan games is a site to behold. However, every gamer knows the series achieved legendary status on the NES, where tight gameplay, imaginative bosses and fantastic music created memorable experiences that were later copied on modern consoles.
MegaMan 3 stands head-to-head against the second game of the series, which, I believe, only surpasses it because of its unforgettable music. The third game would be just as famous for another reason: it’s probably the only video game by any company that features the protagonist shooting an enemy in the crotch.
That blast-in-the-balls artwork was dully copied to the advertisements of the game, which ran in every video gaming console in 1990. Every kid from the era remembers the ad you see here because of its (un)intentional humor. Even parents buying the game had a good laugh over Capcom’s faux-pas.
Besides that, it’s a well designed advertisement. The copy is solid. You see actual screens-shots in the lower-left corner. Plus, you see MegaMan in the background and even another enemy farther back, while SparkMan is strategically placed in the foreground in a menacing position.
The artwork benefits greatly from the huge depth-of-field presented in the scene. It clearly places the potential buyer in an reflexive mood, yearning to join the blue bomber inside the science fiction surroundings of his quest.
MegaMan 3 for NES print ad copy:
MegaMan 3. Anything else you need to know?
SnakeMan, HardMan, GeminiMan, MagnetMan, Needle Man, ShadowMan, SparkMan and TopMan. They’re the eight new robomasters in MegaMan 3. Defeat them all and you’ll still have Dr. Wily to deal with. And possibly even a few of your old enemies from 1 and 2. Okay, now the only question that remains is how fast you can to the store and get 3.
You’ll slide through secret tunnels to avoid bulldozing robots.
It’s hard to top TopMan’s dangerous spins.
You and your sidekick Rush will fly over enemy territory to avoid the walking time bombs.
Original ad published in the December 1990 edition of EGM (no. 17)
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Historical Background and Graphical Analysis
The most famous lizard in the World made his debut on the Game Boy in 1990 with a self-titled game that produced little impact on the video game landscape.
Yet, Godzilla has seen at least 45 different digital incarnations on quite a few home consoles. The complete list of Godzilla games is a study in the popularity of the green monster. Not just in video games, but in Western society in general. The 90's in particular saw an onslaught of different games on all kinds of consoles.
Before Godzilla on the Game Boy, the most obvious reference gamers had of the nuclear reptile was on the NES megahit Rampage (1986), by Midway. It was great game that embodied the spirit of every giant monster-movie fan: wanton two-player destruction that involved battling it out for points against an also very famous ape.
Sadly, the Game Boy game developed and published by non other than Toho Co iself was nothing like Rampage. Just take a look a the pic below and you’ll understand where I’m coming from.
The ad of the game is playful. A toy Godzilla promoting a video game seems innocent enough. Who cares if it’s fakeness transpires through the page? This is Godzilla and it should be a light-hearted affair. The 2014 Hollywood flick takes the original story and turns it into a serious product, but the truth is Godzilla has always been synonymous with big fun and big laughs.
Original ad published in the March 1992 edition of GamePro. Press to view or download image in higher resolution.
Super Off Road and Double Dragon where two very popular arcade games during the late 80's that were ported to different home consoles, most famously the NES. The Sega Genesis versions of these two carts, published by Ballistic (an Accolade label) came out much later to little fanfare.
The problem with these games was that slightly inferior versions had been widely played by kids with their Nintendo consoles. Double Dragon had been mashing buttons on the 8-bit console since 1988. Yes, it featured no co-op mode and inferior graphics compared to the arcades, but the experience was there, right in your living room (Double Dragon II. The Revenge [1990] would address these issues and become equally famous on the NES).
The Genesis version, available four years after the NES cartridge was a more faithful port in both the graphical and gameplay departments, but little else.
This time-period coincided with big Hollywood flicks starring ultra macho representations of men, like Stallone, Arnie, Van Damme and Chuck Norris. Video game publishers took note of this tendency and released lots of beat-em-ups to ride the wave. Off the top of my head, I'm thinking of Bad Dukes, Streets of Rage and, of course, Final Fight.
Super Off Road had been playable one year prior on the NES and there was little if no advantage on the Genesis version of the game. It was a solid arcade game, most famous for the steering wheel and gas pedal combo you had to master to achieve any sort of success. On home consoles, this experience was lost. Radio controlled cars were very popular at the time, so maybe Accolade figured they'd find some tangential market if they released it on Sega's machine.
The print ad itself is very generic. Its only redeemable feature is that it represents a tendency of the era: more than one game advertised on the same page. Taxan and other companies would do the same in these pre multi-million budget era of gaming.
And here's Super Off Road on the Genesis.
Double Dragon & Super Off Road for Genesis copy:
Rock ’n Roll
Rock around a dirt track with Super Off-Road!
Roll with the villains’ punches in Double Dragon! You’ll find all the action you can handle when you bring these two Arcade Blockbusters home to play on your Sega Genesis!
Super Off Road separates the men from the boys. And the boys from their lunch. These babies burn nitro. And rubber. And other computer off-roaders if you’re good enough. This Blockbuster game has 32 course configurations. Plus big-time obstacles like oil pits, sand hills, pot holes and rock pillars.
Double Dragon is a chilling challenge. Rat infested slums. Your girl kidnapped. And that’s not Mom heading your way. Meet the Shadow Boss. Evil. Tough. Hangs around with a gang of Ninja warrior. They’ve got a hobby. Terminating you. Tor survive you must master special Ninja fighting techniques. Like four types of kicks and three types of punches.
Original ad published in the March 1992 edition of GamePro
Historical Background and Graphical Analysis
G.I. Joe. The Atlantis Factor for the Nintendo Entertainment System is another one of those games made exclusively to cash-in on a well-known 80’s franchise.
If you lived through the 80’s, G.I. Joe was very popular animated series that served as a propaganda tool for the United States Armed Forces (USAF) in their Cold War efforts to disseminate the American Way of Life. For those of you who are not American, G.I. stands for General Infantry in military jargon.
This was normal at the time. After all, the USSR was a very real and present danger to the United Stated and it’s allies. Other games of the era, like Desert Storm. Return to the Gulf (1992), were guilty of equally blatant propaganda.
The G.I. Joe franchise is much older than the 80s, but that decade saw the massification of this pro-US message in many and varied forms of media. One of the most incisive efforts was made in popular culture, such as the animated series that gave us characters as Duke, General Hawk, Snake Eyes, Blizzard, Captain Grid-Iron, Wet Suit and Rock ’n Roll. The most famous antagonist was of course the reptiled-voice Cobra Commander, followed, possibly, by the cool Storm Shadow. Ebay has rekindled the interest for some of the action-figures of these characters, and there's a thriving on-line scene with truck-loads of information of the subject.
As 2-D platformers go, G.I. Joe. The Atlantis Factor (1992) is as generic as you can get. Capcom already had made the acclaimed Bionic Commando(1988) before this game, as well as three Mega Man hits. Maybe that’s why this product seems so “half-done”. The gameplay is average; the graphics, bleh. The difficulty is up there with the 10 most frustrating games for the NES. Curiously enough, this was actually the second G.I. Joe game Nintendo’s machine (the first one was released by Taxan).
Today, the US military has advanced enormously in their propaganda efforts. There’s a well know First Person Shooter called “America’s Army” that’s entirely playable and, better yet, totally free. Their printed ads in video game magazines are very professional and clear (I’ll post some of them some other time). Their “presence” in practically every historical FPS, like Call of Duty, is polished and rarely threads the unjustified violence territory.
But in the 80’s things had to be done a different way. Games like these—and the printed ads that accompanied them—were done as a means to connect with the minds of kids that needed some kind of ideological moulding. You could hardly resist such vehicles of mass popular culture.
At least they tried a little harder than modern Hollywood crap like 2009's G.I. Joe: The Rise of the Cobra ("loud and dumb", as one reviewer on Rotten Tomatoes correctly described it)
G.I. Joe. The Atlantis Factor print ad copy:
G.I. Joe vs Cobra in the Atlantis Factor
(This time winner takes all.)
That power-crazed maniac Cobra Commander is back. This time, the snake’s raised the ancient island of Atlantis out of the ocean and turned it into a base for taking over the world. He’s got an invincible army. Space weapons too. But hey, you’re a member of the G.I. Joe team and you’re up for the fight. You’ve got to make it through lethal territories and destroy Cobra’s awesome weapons complex and gunships. Blow it and it might as well be the end of the world. Get psyched and enlist today.
Original ad published in the March 1992 edition of EGM (no. 32)
Historical Background and Graphical Analysis
Lagoon (1991), developed by ZOOM Inc and published by Kemco, was an unforgiving action-RPG for the Super NES in the vein of the acclaimed Ys games for TurboGrafx CD-ROM.
But while Ys I and Ys II where definitive products for NEC’s machine, early Super NES adopters had little to satisfy their RPG appetite with. Sure, The Legend of Zelda. A Link to the Past (late 1991) and Final Fantasy II (mid 1991) had been released already to wide acclaim, but the SNES had nothing that gamers of the period identified as a fresh series of action play.
Both Zelda and Final Fantasy were very different from Lagoon. The first was more of an action-adventure game and the second was a traditional JRPG. The middle ground was covered by games like Lagoon, which combined action elements with JRPG number-crunching.
Japanese RPGs were not very popular in America at the time Lagoon was released. Final Fantasy II (IV in canon nomenclature) would be a sort of sleeper-hit only to be revalidated with the released of Final Fantasy III in 1994 (VI in Japan). It’s only comparison was the awesome Ys series and those featured full CD music and animated cut-scenes. So Lagoon was forgotten as a solid action-RPG and little else.
You can sense this middle-ground in the graphical elements of the ad. Run-on-the-mill monsters are prominently displayed while two game-screens are hidden in the upper-right corner. Kemco supposed American gamers would be attracted to the fantasy elements of the game and little else, certainly not its RPG elements. The ad is colorful, but generic.
Lagoon for SNES print ad copy:
Come on in,
the water's fine.
Here’s one RPG game where you can dive right in. And you know what you must do. Only you can save Lakeland from the dark forces that possess Lagoon. Instantly you’ll be submerged in your quest. Wade through complex labyrinths, battling evil at every twist and turn. Whether you’re and experienced RPG player or just looking for hours of Super NES adventure, it’s time to test the waters.
Original ad published in the March 1992 edition of EGM (no. 32)
Historical Background and Graphical Analysis
FaceBall 2000 (1991) for Nintendo Game Boy holds the privilege for being the first 3-D shooter for any handheld system. It's a retake of the 1987 Midi Maze game for Atari ST (and Maze War before it), which introduced the know ubiquitous concept of "death-match" in every first person shooter. Also, it was very cool indeed as 4-player game on your Game Boy.
First-person shooters exploded in 1992 after Wolfenstein 3-D was released for the PC. So FaceBall 2000 actually predates what is considered the first and still one of the best games of the genre. Bullet Proof Software, of course, introduced only the most basic aspects of the shooter in the tiny Game Boy. It's sparse graphics and repetitive soundtrack did not help establish it as a shooting legend.
The ad does give some insight about the gaming landscape of the early 90s. The text is written to convince you about the new gaming experience related to a first-person shooter. It even mentions "virtual reality", which would gain serious traction in the years to come. This was, more or less, the start of the FPS in console gaming, handheld or otherwise. A quirky footnote in gaming history.
Faceball 2000 for Game Boy print ad copy:
Wipe the smile off this face!
(And maybe a few of your friends, too!)
Here’s your chance to wipe the smiles off those annoying happy faces once and for all! In FaceBall 2000, “Have a Nice Day” takes on a whole new meaning—in first-person perspective, with 3-D graphics and 360º maneuvering!
Get into your Game Boy
And we mean into! FaceBall 2000 is a new virtual reality game. You don’t just see your character, you are your character. Feel like you’re actually inside your Game Boy as you move through CyberScape’s more than 70 treacherous mazes—or the Arena, in fast paced rounds of high-tech combat.
Bring your friends along!
Sure. You can take on the Smilies alone. But with your Game Link cable or Four Player Adapter, those faces can belong to your friends! Play one-on-one, two against two, or free-for-all!
It pay$ to play together
Don’t miss your chance to get up tp $5 back with our multiplayer rebate! You’ll find all the info inside your FaceBall 2000 package when you ope it up for the game of your life! But hurry. Some of your friends might be buying FaceBall 2000 right now. If they get in too much practice without you, the smile that gets wiped might be your own!
Watch out! They only look happy!
More than four times the fun with Four Player Adapter!
Original ad published in the March 1992 edition of EGM (no. 32)
Historical Background
Before McDonald's garnered the terrible reputation of today, there was actually some kind of magical aura that allowed the fast-food giant some lax social behavior. McKids (1992), by Virgin Games, tries to unite video gamers with their french fries with a generic platforming experience. It's a no-so-subtle piece of marketing that could only be made--and purchased--before our health-conciuos times.
The great McDonald's divide can be traced to the media uproar caused by shock documentary Super Size Me (2004). The big M would transform its menu shortly after. Today, McDo has somewhat successfully mutated from an artery-clogging corporation to a gigantic food chain that offers some kind of healthy eating options.
You had to admire the marketing cojones they displayed in the 90s by believing gamers would buy their crappy product just because their burgers delivered an efficient and cheap way to fuel countless of hours of fun with their home consoles. In that respect, junk food can't be beat. It's the best bang for the buck if you're a serious games, calorie wise, willing to sacrifice body and soul to beat challenging games.
Doctors would opine differently. Doctors who have never played an 8-hour marathon of Dark Souls or Mario Kart.
Graphical Analysis
Yep, its ugly, politically correct and very generic, just like the game itself. What's interesting is that this ad you see here was just the end of a 16-page insert included in the March 1992 issue of EGM that was a sort of mini-guide for the game. So, in reality, this was an 8-page spread advertisement paid by McDonald's.
McKids for NES Print Ad Copy:
M.C Kids
One cool game. Two cool kids.
For pricing and order, please call 800-VRGIN07
Visa, Mastercard, American Express and checks accepted
Original ad published in the March 1992 edition of GamePro
Historical Background
Dungeon-crawling fans were very well served upon the release of Nintendo's SNES. You had Drakkhen (1991) and the Might and Magic series. It was no surprise that Arcana (1992), by HAL Laboratory, followed the lead of those two and added some superb orchestral music and nice graphics.
All of these 3-D dungeon games, of course, come from the PC world. The great ancestor of the all, at least in modern video game times, is the seminal Dungeon Master (1987), for D.O.S. All the established RPG tropes of Dungeons and Dragons were digitally ported to that well known series. Up until this year Phantasy Star (1987) for the Sega Master System, was the best implementation of the first-person dungeon crawl for home consoles. (Sega's game also featured impressive artwork)
Arcana is most remembered today for its very hard difficulty level. It's a game that entices the player with atmospheric music and colorful graphics, yet underneath those production elements lies a somewhat frustrating dungeon-crawl. One reviewer notes the obvious resemblance to Sega's Shinning in the Darkness (1991), for Genesis, but opines that Arcana is a much more polished video game.
JRPG's were just starting to gain any traction in North America. Arcana and its cousins were better suited for the US market. That was the social and financial convention of the time. Hal Laboratory was know outside of Japan for The Adventure Lolo series of games, which hit the NES in 1989. Later, they developed Earthbound and Kirby franchises, published by Nintendo.
Graphical Analysis
Well, at least the advert is different. It's not everyday that you see a young witch with cleavage in a family oriented magazine. All the traditional RPG bases are covered with the graphic art: the sword, the cards, fire, and some king of danger that emanates from the woman's pout. At the bottom you see actual game screens, always a plus.
It's not a bad attempt by any standard. It's just very...ordinary. I would have preferred that the main figure of the advert be moved to either the right or left third of the page to achieve a more dramatic effect. That way the copy would appear lighter, less cramped. The fire-laden background is too garish. Maybe white would have been better?
Arcana for Super NES print ad copy:
Arcana
The future of the kingdom
is in the cards…and in your hands…
Somewhere in the temple of Balnia a passageway to the other side has been opened. Vile creatures of all kinds have been recruited by the corrupt magician Galneon to help him reincarnate the wicked Queen Rimsala. The Region of Evil seems assured. Only one brave warrior stands in his way. Last of the mystical Cardmaster sect, the untrained Rooks must use what little he knows of the ancient art to thwart the conspiracy and restore his tiny kingdom of Elemen to its previous glory. OnlyRooks holds the key that will unravel Galneon’s plan.
arcana Ar-ka-ne [L, fr.neut of arcanas secret, fr arcere to enclose, defend] 1. Mysterious knowledgde known only to a select few. 2. Ancient rites and spiritual powers understood only by initiates. 3. The secrets of the Cardmasters, nos fast disappearing. 4. The exciting new RPG from HAL America.
