This Week’s Game Ads A-Go-Go: Visual Hyperbole
Thursday, May 25th, 2006
This is just a friendly reminder that this week’s Game Ads A-Go-Go on GameSetWatch is dedicated to visual hyperbole in game ads. Check it out now, funk soul brother.
Archive for the 'Gaming History' Category
Retro Scan of the Week: Epyx 500XJ Joystick
Monday, May 15th, 2006
This is from a late-80s Epyx catalog. The Epyx 500XJ joystick is actually my favorite Atari 2600-compatible joystick. It uses microswitches exclusively (instead of conductive rubber pads or metal “domes”), making it responsive with a great tactile feel, and yet rugged to stand up to lots of playing. The design of the stick’s base is very ergonomic, fitting perfectly in your left hand. The only awkward thing about it is the button placement: repeatedly hitting the button by “curling” your index finger upward can get painful fast. Still, if you build up your finger muscles, it’s a gem of a joystick. I’d love to get a NES version of this stick just for novelty’s sake.
I’m sure many of you are also familiar with the Epyx Fast Load Cartridge, which is also on this catalog page. Feel free to share and discuss your memories of your C64 past…while I unpack more computers.
This Week’s Game Ads A-Go-Go: Bad Game Ad Puns
Thursday, May 11th, 2006
This week’s Game Ads A-Go-Go on GameSetWatch is dedicated to bad video game advertisement puns.
Ach! Back to moving.
Retro Scan of the Week: “Permanent Video Game Instructions”
Monday, May 8th, 2006
Wow — these instructions are so permanent that they have outlived the rugged plastic case they were grafted onto! The instructions in question are actually stuck like a sticker on the flip side of the piece you see here. I bet if a set of Permastruct (TM) instructions got caught in a nuclear blast, you’d inspect the site later to find only a smoldering pile of radioactive gravel and, of course, a concise guide on how to play Bionic Commando.
Of particular note is the presumed Permastruct (TM) mascot– we’ll call him Permaman — with his back to the camera, throwing an awkward, off-balance punch at absolutely nothing while shouting vague sardonic threats at the Permastruct (TM) logo. Tony the Tiger would get committed if found pulling a similar stunt on a box of Frosted Flakes. But then again, Tony’s not permanent. Permaman ain’t gotta take no crap from nobody.
This Week’s Game Ads A-Go-Go:
“A Brief Guide to Gaming Diseases”
Thursday, April 27th, 2006
This week in Game Ads A-Go-Go on GameSetWatch, I’ve assembled a brief guide to some particularly nasty video game diseases. Bring a copy of Dr. Mario — you’re gonna need it.
Retro Scan of the Week: Little Timmy and the Arm-length Power Glove
Monday, April 24th, 2006
In this action-packed scan of the NES Power Glove manual cover, we see little Timmy hopping from leg to leg, trying to get in on the finger-bolt-shooting action. “Oooh! Oooh! Lemmie try!” he begs Lighting Finger Man. “Sorry, little Timmy. I think that glove is a little big for you,” LFM replies. “You must also understand that with great Power Gloves comes great responsibility,” he continues, “You are not yet ready to wield the awesome power of this lethal device.”
[Note: The mysterious stains on the manual cover are not mine. For that, you can thank the previous owner.]
Retro Scan of the Week: Happy Pac-Man and Floating “Video Wafers”
Monday, April 17th, 2006
Look at the little spud, frozen mid-stride in a moment of pure ghost-running bliss. As a continuation of last week’s Retro Scan, here are two pages from the manual of the Atari 2600 version of Pac-Man. The game itself was a terrible translation of the arcade hit (for Pac-Man done right on the 2600, see Ms. Pac-Man). The graphics were so bad that the manual tells you about the “video wafers” (lines, in lieu of pellets) that Pac-Man eats in this game. Also, the bonus fruit have become “vitamins” — because they’re square.
I wonder if Pac-Man would be so happy if he knew that Atari would be burying thousands (if not millions) of copies of his game in a landfill a few years later.
This Week’s Game Ads A-Go-Go:
“The Dirty Mind of a Gamer”
Thursday, April 13th, 2006
This week, over on GameSetWatch, I take a look at ads that are ripe for twisted interpretation. The only thing missing is your dirty mind.
Retro Scan of the Week: “Good Gobbling and Good Luck”
Monday, April 10th, 2006
From the golden era of fancifully-rendered video game character depictions comes this gem, a scan from the instruction manual of the Atari 800 version of Pac-Man. Considering what we actually see in the game, the illustrator (“HIRO”) has chosen quite a liberal interpretation of Pac-People, drawing them as anthropomorphic, rubbery stick figures with giant round heads. For more of Hiro’s skinny Pac-Men, check out this buck-toothed Pac-Guy running for his life while eating floating discs from the cover of the manual.
This Week’s Game Ads A-Go-Go: Proof that Video Game Companies Want You to Die
Thursday, March 30th, 2006
“At some point in the early nineties it became wildly fashionable for video game publishers to threaten your bodily health. Everything was “In Your Face!” and “Attitude!” and “Play it Loud!” which is exactly why I played it quietly. Unlike my other gaming brethren, I didn’t want to die.”
