Showing posts with label Super Dodge Ball for NES print ad (1989). Show all posts
Showing posts with label Super Dodge Ball for NES print ad (1989). Show all posts

Saturday, December 27, 2014

Super Dodge Ball for NES (1989)

Super Dodge Ball for NES advertisement
Ad published in the May 1989 issue of EGM (no. 1)

Historical Background & Graphical Analysis 

An off-shot of River City Ransom, the addictive Super Dodge Ball (1989) became quite popular at the end of the 80s. Practically the same game for the NES made future reincarnations on the SNES and Nintendo handhelds, a testament to the solid gameplay and fun mechanics of the original release. 

And, you know, actually playing like Dodge Ball plays in real life: a combination of brutality and fun for most of the people involved. But I digress. What's interesting here is the Cold-War era copy of the print ad, taken directly out of the 1980 Moscow Olympiad where the USA performed the now legendary Miracle on Ice by defeating the USSR with a final score of 4-3 ("Do you believe in miracles???!!!", a very young Al Michaels shouted from the TV booth at the end of the match).  

That same spirit is imported into the copy of Super Dodge Ball, making this probably one of the most interesting sports ads in NintendoLand, never mind the super-deformed characters and questionable nationalism of the prose.



Original Copy:
Super Dodge Ball 
Thrash, Bash and Smash the Competition 
Team USA is on its way to a Cinderella success story in the Super Dodge Ball World Cup Championships. From out of nowhere, this scrappy bunch of rookies is advancing to the final round of competition. But, seven powerful teams still stand between Team USA and their ultimate challenge: the long awaited grudge match with the undefeated defending world champions, Team Russia. Only you can lead the U.S. to victory over the highly favored competition, and give them the chance to crush the mighty Soviets. 
  • 1 or 2 players
  • Multi-dimensional, high-resolution graphics
  • 3 increasing levels of challenge
Watch for details on the Super Dodge Ball World Cup. It's coming soon to a city near you Co-Sponsored by CSG Imagesoft Inc and Sony Corporation of America