1991 Nintendo Training Video - Priceless

[Kaboomer]

This video is freakin' hilarious. Check out the other video too for some major mullet action and yummy day old popcorn.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WYjgHLFZMa0

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-L81-HtD5lI&feature=related

[bitrate]

The 2nd link doesn't seem to be working.

[Kaboomer]

The 2nd link doesn't seem to be working.

Fixed :)

[tubeway]

The narrator looks like the boss from office space. :)

[Matt-El]

I think there's a problem with the EEPROM

[TonyTheTiger]

Wait, so are you telling me I have to put the controllers into port 1?

[tubeway]

Wait, so are you telling me I have to put the controllers into port 1?

Yes. Now bake me a pie.

[bitrate]

I particularly like how, to the guy opening the store, turning on a heat lamp on day old popcorn seems like a perfectly natural way of making it "nice and hot and fresh".

He almost forgot, but it's a good thing he remembered to turn on that heat lamp, otherwise that popcorn would have been disgusting.

[Gameguy]

The first one was great, though it still could have been funnier. There needed to be more truth in it. LOL
"There are generally two types of people who'll try to return Nintendo products back to the store, scumbags and idiots.....sometimes they're a combination of the two...."



I particularly like how, to the guy opening the store, turning on a heat lamp on day old popcorn seems like a perfectly natural way of making it "nice and hot and fresh".

He almost forgot, but it's a good thing he remembered to turn on that heat lamp, otherwise that popcorn would have been disgusting.
I wonder how long that place stayed in business. LOL

[MegaDrive20XX]

I laughed my ass off when he bumped into the shelf. I thought he tripped at first LOL

The Nintendo Training Video makes me drool over all the shrink wrapped NES and GameBoy games. I'd give anything for a damn time machine right about now.

[Sonicwolf]

Yes. Now bake me a pie.


You would think this video was made in the 50s considering it makes it seem like any mother is willing to bake a pie for someone for helping them and bring it down to a store when they have kids to attend to and/or a job.

It is nice to see all of that Nintendo Entertainment System and GameBoy original stuff in such nice condition and on sale. I was born in 1990 so I cannot remember such an amazing time.

[Superman]

Those were some great videos.

Watching the training video reminded me of watching The Wizard!

[Push Upstairs]

What the hell did that guy smear all over his NES?

In my retail video game experience, if any NES came in looking like *that* there would be an entire roach metropolis living inside it.

[tubeway]

You would think this video was made in the 50s considering it makes it seem like any mother is willing to bake a pie for someone for helping them and bring it down to a store when they have kids to attend to and/or a job.

Single Nintendo mom looking to get a little action and some video game discounts, perhaps?

[JustRob]

Was that John Billingsley in the first video? The nerdy dude with the tape on his glasses?

[darkhades]

Was that John Billingsley in the first video? The nerdy dude with the tape on his glasses?

lol, yea that's him!

[MrSparkle]

I particularly like how, to the guy opening the store, turning on a heat lamp on day old popcorn seems like a perfectly natural way of making it "nice and hot and fresh".

He almost forgot, but it's a good thing he remembered to turn on that heat lamp, otherwise that popcorn would have been disgusting.

i dated a girl who worked in a few movie theaters that isnt so far from the truth. at the end of the day they put the popcorn back into giant bags only to be put out the next day and the next. It comes to them prepopped and has a shelf life of several months ;)

[theChad]

What the hell did that guy smear all over his NES?

In my retail video game experience, if any NES came in looking like *that* there would be an entire roach metropolis living inside it.

That's not mud...

[XYXZYZ]

Imagine an Xbox 360 training video. Customer says "the damn thing doesn't work" and you say "Send it to Microsoft!" the end.

[StakeRaiser]

The narrator looks like the boss from office space. :)

It does look and sound like Gary Cole

Yeahhhhhhhhhh... Why don't you go ahead and.....

[2Dskillz]

Yeah no one has ever baked me a pie for explaining the finer points of controller plug in. Does anyone have a scan of that troubleshooting chart that they used in the video. I would love to read that.


Do you think that it is important to make those faces while calling in yesterdays sales, or did that fall while emptying the drop box just knock something loose?

[swlovinist]

Great videos, took me back in the day in which it seemed that every corner and every street had a video store like that.

[Tupin]

The second video was pretty interesting. I wonder where he expected the video to be shown after it was found.

No wonder they don't put big popcorn machines in rental stores anymore, all the employees just kept reheating old popcorn and not making new batches. LOL

[c0ldb33r]

The first comment on youtube for the Nintendo video when I saw it was

This is strangely fascinating.

And, yeah, I've got to agree. It is strangely fascinating and I don't know why.

[Gentlegamer]

LOL (literally) at the first scene: palming the crap covered NES console

[Frankie_Says_Relax]

Ya know ...

... I was all set to watch this and find wicked misrepresentations of consumers, sales people, and the best way to deal with customer service issues ...

but from my years in game retail management ... I've got to say, I can't find much to pick apart in terms of the core problems and the best way to deal with solutions.

Sure, the video is dated in terms of clothing ... but even in this modern era of gaming those first three customers trying to return stuff are absolute perfect archetypes of game system returns. I'm sure you could replace the NES with the sticky soda on it with a PS3 or a DS and make the same training video.

Of course the video doesn't get into the more aggressive/abusive cases, but I'm pleased to see that they recognize at least a few realistic scenarios.

[Gentlegamer]

Great videos, took me back in the day in which it seemed that every corner and every street had a video store like that.That store seemed to be affiliated with a chain, but I definitely remember the abundance of mom and pop video stores that looked just like it.

[jokker]

Yeah I would love to see that too! It would make an awesome poster for the wall of any retroroom.


Yeah no one has ever baked me a pie for explaining the finer points of controller plug in. Does anyone have a scan of that troubleshooting chart that they used in the video. I would love to read that.


Do you think that it is important to make those faces while calling in yesterdays sales, or did that fall while emptying the drop box just knock something loose?

[Vigilante]

I agree with Frankie.

Watching the video, you could put any manufacture in there and it would be the same video... it's like taking the Dell, HP, and IBM customer service exams.

[kupomogli]

Who else looked to see what games you could recognize in the video? Some like Astyanax, Ghostbusters, or Final Fantasy I noticed through the video. Others due to the fact that they're a little blurred, paused and could tell what most of the others were.

[InsaneDavid]

Does anyone have a scan of that troubleshooting chart that they used in the video. I would love to read that.

I know I have one of those somewhere, I'll look for it later unless someone beats me to it.

[Tupin]

Who else looked to see what games you could recognize in the video? Some like Astyanax, Ghostbusters, or Final Fantasy I noticed through the video. Others due to the fact that they're a little blurred, paused and could tell what most of the others were.
I can see Duck Tales, Dragon Power, Goonies II, Fester's Quest, and Metroid.

[skaar]

Man I want to go to that store :)

[CastlevaniaDude]

Gah, that is awesome seeing the gigantic NES and Game Boy displays in the background. Good find.

[kupomogli]

I can see Duck Tales, Dragon Power, Goonies II, Fester's Quest, and Metroid.

I noticed Duck Tales when it was close up. Saw the others but had to actually pause and look at the games. There are probably half I didn't know what were though. Too blurred to tell.

[SnowKitty]

The narrator looks like the boss from office space. :)


It does look and sound like Gary Cole

Yeahhhhhhhhhh... Why don't you go ahead and.....

ahahahahaha he does look kinda like lumberg XD

[StakeRaiser]

I've picked out

The Guardian Legend (BEST GAME EVA)
Fun House
Starship Hector
Goal
Mickey Mousecapade
Metal Gear
City Connection
Kung Fu
Anticipation
Adventure Island 2
Bases Loaded 1 and 2
Abadox
Dirty Harry
Dig Dug 2
Dance Aerobics
Dragon Power
Chessmaster
California Games

I could probably do more if I really wanted to give myself a headache

[Astrocade]

That store seemed to be affiliated with a chain, but I definitely remember the abundance of mom and pop video stores that looked just like it.

Back then, "Authorized World of Nintendo" dealers all had the same three or four certain floor pans depending on the size of the store. This was to establish a professional, uniform look and to ensure that Nintendo's game packs were all prominently displayed. That's why you could go into Sears and the NES displays would be the same as your local independent game store.

All part of Nintendo's attempt to choke a crippling monopoly on the game market...

[Sonicwolf]

Single Nintendo mom looking to get a little action and some video game discounts, perhaps?
LOL. That comment made my day. haha.

[guitargary75]

OMG! Funny as hell!@_@

[Kaboomer]

I've picked out

The Guardian Legend (BEST GAME EVA)
Fun House
Starship Hector
Goal
Mickey Mousecapade
Metal Gear
City Connection
Kung Fu
Anticipation
Adventure Island 2
Bases Loaded 1 and 2
Abadox
Dirty Harry
Dig Dug 2
Dance Aerobics
Dragon Power
Chessmaster
California Games

I could probably do more if I really wanted to give myself a headache

I posted over on nintendoage.com too and they have done the same thing. I think they have a nearly complete list by now :) http://nintendoage.com/forum/messageview.cfm?catid=5&threadid=15714

[c0ldb33r]

Of course the video doesn't get into the more aggressive/abusive cases, but I'm pleased to see that they recognize at least a few realistic scenarios.
It'd be interesting to hear those stories - I encourage you to start a thread about it.

[Mr. Smashy]

I love that rental store opening video. It really took me back to when I used to live just outside of Winnipeg in '91. Believe me, the guy from the video wasn't the only one around there that looked like a caricature of Burton Cummings from the Guess Who.

It's been ages since I've seen a Canadian $2 bill.

[CreamSoda]

Look at all that classic SEALED Nintendo merchandise in the first video!!!!

LOL at the guy in the second video when he backs into the shelf.

[krooper13]

Anyone else think the 1st customer was a Larry David proto type?

[norkusa]

Haha, I think the host of this video played Magie's boyfriend Rick in the tv show Northern Exposure.

[Jorpho]

I am reminded again of those poor souls who had to man the Nintendo Customer Service lines back in those days, bless 'em.

[Frankie_Says_Relax]

It'd be interesting to hear those stories - I encourage you to start a thread about it.

Ever have a toaster NES hurled at your head by an angry customer?

I have.

[MachineGex]

The narrator looks like the boss from office space. :)

Thats the guy from "Eight is Enough". He was the oldest son. He had a huge coke problem back in the 80's, I bet this was one of his last gigs.

[Rob2600]

Ever have a toaster NES hurled at your head by an angry customer?

I have.

My coworkers and I have had Game Boy Color boxes thrown at us by a guy who waited until Christmas Eve to look for one for his son. We told him we were sold out and he snapped.

I guess he didn't realize there were literally four other stores in our mall that sold video games, in addition to the dozen other stores along the highway.

[CelticJobber]

Thats the guy from "Eight is Enough". He was the oldest son. He had a huge coke problem back in the 80's, I bet this was one of his last gigs.

Yeah, that's Grant Goodeve. And checking IMDb this wasn't his last work for Nintendo, as he did the voice for Wolf O'Donnell in Star Fox Assault. And he's done other videogame voice-over work too.

[rbudrick]

My sister used to work in a movie theater and she came home with a trash bag of popcorn every now and then when our old trash bag ran out. They made theirs fresh many times daily, but we ate the dregs, HAH!

-Rob

[FrakAttack]

Was that John Billingsley in the first video?

http://i102.photobucket.com/albums/m112/FrakAttack/game_boy_phlox.png "Well you don't have to get all huffy about it."