Retro Gaming Adverts in old Comics

[Cauterize]

http://retrogamedepot.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/BubbleBobbleHi-Custom-193x300.jpghttp://retrogamedepot.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/GameAndWatchHi-Custom-193x300.jpghttp://retrogamedepot.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/MetalGearHi-Custom-193x300.jpg (http://retrogamedepot.com/blog/scans/retro-gaming-adverts-from-american-comics-part-1)

Running a new feature on the blog, currently scanning in lots of old Video Game adverts from old American comics around the late 80s, early 90s.
There are some real gems in the comics ive flicked through, so expect some more appearing soon!

Check them out here: http://retrogamedepot.com/blog/scans/retro-gaming-adverts-from-american-comics-part-1

[Ed Oscuro]

I've seen an old Masters of the Universe ad in a '82 (I *believe,* that would actually put it about the time of Wrath of Khan) Star Trek comic, and in a later one (about '87 I guess) a Zanac one (gosh, love that art - I should take a look at it again and compare it to the actual game box art).

[Steve1978]

That Metal Gear ad is certainly memorable. I could study that for a long while.

[Neil Koch]

That Metal Gear ad was pretty handy back in the day when I got a rental of the game that didn't have an instruction booklet.

[digitalpress]

A few of us here went on a TEAR (literally!) scanning in magazine and comic ads. We even dug up some really obscure stuff in magazines you'd never expect to promote games - especially in the 80's.

http://www.videogamearchive.com/dpsightz/adverts/index.htm

I don't know what the goal of your project is, but you're welcome to borrow a few of these as long as you're not planning on creating another archive. We put a LOT of time into this!

[JohnnyBlaze]

I could be wrong but I'm guessing that he wants to do a weekly feature highlighting some of the ads that we saw in our comic books growing up. He'll probably pick a few each week to showcase.

As for your archive, Joe, it DOES look like you put a lot of time into it. What don't you have in that archive?

[Pantechnicon]

I always enjoyed 8-bit ads like this one (http://www.videogamearchive.com/dpsightz/adverts/multi8/multi8_popeye.jpg), which had the thankless task of trying to sell one game to multiple console user bases with (unlike today) significant differences in graphics power. It's almost like a two-edged sword; you want to show everybody what the game looks like on their system. But at the same time you're potentially scaring off customers who won't want the game because it looks so much better on the "other" system.

It's also kind of funny how in the example I linked Atari systems takes up 5 of the 8 screenshots, but 4 of those 5 Atari screenshots are completely identical, due to them all using essentially being the same system under the hood. I didn't know or understand this any of this at the time, and I can remember poring over ads like that trying to figure out exactly what the differences were, between, say, the Atari 800 and 5200 versions of the game, and just assuming they had to be there in one form or another :roll:.

[guitargary75]

Cool post!

[Superman]

Those scans are interesting. Thanks!

Is the game and watch ad supposed to be Mario and Donkey Kong?


Pantechnicon, that was a great ad!

I remember in the 16 bit era, games some would say which version of the game the screenshots were from. I wondered why they didn't just use the particular version of the game for each game. I always tended to think they were just cutting costs, rather than showing the best version of the game.

[JohnnyBlaze]

I remember in the 16 bit era, games some would say which version of the game the screenshots were from. I wondered why they didn't just use the particular version of the game for each game. I always tended to think they were just cutting costs, rather than showing the best version of the game.

Or maybe the certain port didn't look the greatest, so they used shots from another port that looked better.

[Cauterize]

I don't know what the goal of your project is, but you're welcome to borrow a few of these as long as you're not planning on creating another archive. We put a LOT of time into this!

Well...


I could be wrong but I'm guessing that he wants to do a weekly feature highlighting some of the ads that we saw in our comic books growing up. He'll probably pick a few each week to showcase.

..that really!

Keep in mind that alot of these ads have never been seen in the UK before, so im hoping to bring some light onto them.

Thanks for the comments guys, ill post another update sometime soon :)

[Fanboy]

The most memorable comic book ad was always the Star Wars Arcade ad for the 8-bit machines. Not they layout (boring), not the model (ugly guy), not the effects (silly), but the fact that they seemingly chose to photograph straight up the guy's nose and it is chock-full-o-boogers.

http://www.theoldcomputer.com/Libarary%27s/Pictures/PressAdverts/star_wars_arcade_ad.jpg

[ShinobiMan]

I remember seeing a lot of these ads in comics back in the day. Especially the Bubble Bobble one. Thanks!

[NayusDante]

I started buying comics about a year ago in the hopes of actually getting into the whole scene. Sadly, I remain more of a manga person, but now I collect American comics mostly for the game ads. I'll probably cross-check my library for anything that isn't already up there, sometime this weekend.

Now I know why I never knew about new games growing up: I didn't read comics.

[calthaer]

I've always found the video game ads in comic books interesting...and the ads themselves ranging from corny to cool. I remember that Metal Gear one (it was all over the place), and I think I remember some for Castlevania III and some other NES games...I would have to check.

There are also some interesting and obscure comic book series that are about video game characters, too...I have some limited-run Double Dragon series upstairs somewhere, and there were also some Zelda, Mario, and Captain N comics back in the day, too.