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vgprintads · 3 years
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And that’s a wrap!
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Here we are... on the final page.
When I started this Tumblr back in 2013, I didn’t think there would be ‘room’ on the Internet for another video game blog. Another opinion to be drowned out by the masses; another “content curator” to fall down the cracks.
Surprisingly, it turns out that there is always an interest for video games and related media, even in the saturated ‘market’ of this niche of media commentators. Almost 29,000 denizens displayed an interest in what I had to offer, and I’m certain at least 2/3 of them weren’t bots. Seeing some posts get a modest amount of popularity for striking a nostalgic chord did make me feel that I was doing something right and for awhile I was thinking I would never stop doing this.
But times change. So do attitudes.
At the start of 2020 you may remember that I took a month off to recoup: to distance myself from online life for awhile. To get away from the drama and the comparisons that I have adopted as being a cultural norm. At the time, I had become burned out from digging up daily content and getting it ready for the week. When I came back, I knew that it was time to wind things down: almost everything I shared this year came from the draft folder with almost nothing special between them. After years of putting pressure on myself to take things a couple steps further with my finds (subtle links between games; monthly themes) I feel I had begun to phone in what had gone from a hobby to a data entry job that I didn’t get paid for. 
And I’m going to miss it. But things aren’t how they were when I first started.
Which brings me to the world of social media as a whole, starting with Tumblr. Simply put, this place is the last of a dying breed and I don’t think it has much longer. The microblog with loose restrictions and a traditional blog format with the benefit of easier exposure. It was nice for awhile. But on top of the infamous adult ban and poor enforcement of it, the architecture is falling apart and I wouldn’t be surprised if the remaining staff at headquarters is a skeleton crew of bored techies and some suits pushing it all into Internet Hospice. It’s a shame, because as we know the other social media giants have evolved into nasty, unscrupulous little blights on civilization that are only tolerated by anyone who needs to hustle their craft.
Meanwhile, there’s my changing attitude towards... well, everything. I’ve been depressed long before I came here and that has evolved into bitterness, resentment, and even budding misanthropy. To spare you the rabbit hole of a emotion-driven rant, I’ll just say that I’ve defaulted back to the “why bother” state of mind that allows me to deflect responsibilities that I deem unnecessary, but now with far more nihilism. Or to put it another way, I need to sort a lot of things out. For that I need to cut myself away from what I have been doing and really find myself.
None of this is out of hatred for those who follow this blog or find its themes fascinating. You all did nothing wrong. Nothing will be deleted and will be here for your enjoyment for as long as the lights stay on at Tumblr HQ. I just burnt myself out big time and have collapsed into an emotional black hole.
There’s just.... so much stuff going on in my head these days. Things I can’t unlearn or unsee. For now, that requires more attention.
This has all been a bummer, I know. Some of you even expressed how much it sucks that another good Tumblr is closing down. Some off-site expressed how much niche blogs like this one make their days. I have even considered reviving this concept down the line once I feel comfortable doing so, but likely as a more traditional blog. So stay tuned! Maybe they’ll be an announcement one day! 
But until that day comes, if it ever does, I wish for anyone who can give to support The Internet Archive and RetroMags, whose passionate archivists helped keep this project going and made finding daily updates easier. Additionally, for one last time, I’d like to advertise TangoBunny’s adult gaming zine TangoPunk, which I have humored contributing to. 
Finally, to close all this out...
Thank You.
Thank you for accompanying me on this adventure for the past 7 years. For the responses, exposure, and feelings of purpose. For giving me the opportunity to learn so much about gaming culture.
Thank You. 
Now go have fun, but be safe. Game on, but never forget the sweat and tears behind the media we consume. And never gaze into the abyss unless you absolutely understand the consequences.
In the name of Harman... ~Paulrus-Keaton?
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vgprintads · 3 years
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‘Eternal Arcadia’ [aka: ‘Skies of Arcadia’]
[DC] [JAPAN] [PROMOTIONAL FOLDER] [1999]
Little Skies of Arcadia promotional I picked up in Japan last year, featuring some proto-designs of Vyse and the gang. Bigger mystery is why this ad is also a functional folder!
Source: personal collection
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vgprintads · 3 years
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‘VZones’
[PC] [UK] [MAGAZINE] [2000]
When you market your MMO like a PSA about teen drinking and drug addiction. The lady from The Prodigy’s ‘Smack My Bitch Up’ video is probably in the club down the street.
Source: Games Domain Offline, May 2000 (#5) || Internet Archive; GameMags1957
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vgprintads · 3 years
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‘Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow’
[DS] [USA] [MAGAZINE] [2006]
“Ever since the solar eclipse of 2035, my life has never been the same. It was then that I realized that I, Soma Cruz, am the rebirth of Dracula… It was in his castle that I learned the truth… That I possessed the power to seize the souls of my enemies. That evil power almost engulfed me, but my friends pulled me from the brink.
About a year has passed since then, and I thought my troubles were over…” ~Soma Cruz, Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow
Source: Electronic Gaming Monthly, February 2006 (#200) || personal collection
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vgprintads · 3 years
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‘Helltaker’
[PC] [WEB] [VIDEO, TRAILER] [2020]
You woke up one day with a dream. Harem full of demon girls. You’ve opened the portal in hopes of fulfilling your wildest desires. Hellfire burns through your lungs, death awaits around every corner and everything looks like from a cutesy mobile game. You are in hell. ~Steam Blurb
Source: Steam; @vanripper
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vgprintads · 3 years
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‘Metroid Prime’
[GCN] [UK] [MAGAZINE, TEASER] [2003]
“Ten years ago, below the surface of planet Zebes, the mercenaries known as Space Pirates were defeated by interstellar bounty hunter Samus Aran. Descending to the very core of the Pirate stronghold, Samus exterminated the energy-based parasites called Metroids, and defeated Mother Brain, the leader of the Pirate horde. But the’ Space Pirates were far from finished. Several Pirate research vessels were orbiting Zebes while Samus fought on the surface below. After the fall of Mother Brain, the ships escaped, with the hopes of finding enough resources to rebuild their forces, and take their revenge. After discovering a possible Pirate colony on planet Tallon IV, Samus has again prepared for war, hoping to end the Pirate threat forever.”  ~Unused Narration, Metroid Prime
Source: NGC Magazine, March 2003 (#78) || Internet Archive; chris85
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vgprintads · 3 years
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‘Final Fantasy I & II: Dawn of Souls’
[GBA] [UK] [MAGAZINE] [2005]
Final Fantasy I & II: Dawn of Souls is a re-release of the two remakes of the original Famicom (NES) games with additional extras. This release also reduces the difficulty level of both games and has a few other gameplay modifications (for example, stats can no longer decrease in Final Fantasy II).
Final Fantasy I features four “Soul of Chaos” dungeons, unlocked during the course of the plot. These elemental dungeons are for high-level players, and contain a collection of bosses taken from later Final Fantasy games. Final Fantasy II includes an extra storyline known as the “Soul of Rebirth.” This mode is unlocked after completing the game and acts as an epilogue, featuring characters killed off in the main story. Both games gain a bestiary that tracks all the monsters the player has fought and their stats and weaknesses. ~MobyGames
Source: NGC Magazine, February 2005 (#103) || Internet Archive; chris85
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vgprintads · 3 years
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‘Disgaea: Hour of Darkness’
[PS2] [USA] [MAGAZINE, TEASER] [2003]
“The Netherworld - a realm darker than the deepest abyss, located far beneath where mortals tread. It is a cursed land where evil reigns and foul beings dwell. Nobody knows its whereabouts, but everybody fears its existence…
The story takes place two years after the death of King Krichevskoy, the ruler of the Netherworld. His son Laharl awakens from a long sleep, unaware of his father’s death. Meanwhile, scheming demons vie for supremacy over the Netherworld. With the help of his subordinate Etna and her underlings, the egocentric, self-absorbed Prince Laharl must fight to regain the throne and claim his birthright.” ~Official Blurb
Source: Play, July 2003 (#19) || Internet Archive; Sketch the Cow
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vgprintads · 3 years
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‘Sega Saturn - “Beautiful, Naked Woman”‘
[SAT] [USA] [MAGAZINE, SPREAD] [1996]
“This is probably the most controversial advertisement to ever run in GamePro, and it came straight from Sega’s marketing department. Readers pelted the GamePro editors with hate mail and threatened to cancel their subscriptions when this two-page centerfold ran in 1996 promoting the Sega Saturn gaming system. It didn’t do Sega any good, though, as the Saturn crashed and burned once Sony moved into position with the PlayStation. Take note: sexy ad campaigns do not a successful next-gen console make.” ~Mike Weigand, GamePro (”The Most Controversial Video Game Ads of All Time” 7/6/2006)
Source: GamePro, June 1996 (#93) || RetroMags; E-Day
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vgprintads · 3 years
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‘Beach Spikers: Virtua Beach Volleyball’
[GCN] [UK] [MAGAZINE] [2002]
“Beach Spikers is an action beach volleyball game for one to four players. Several modes of gameplay are included: arcade (a conversion of the arcade game), world tour (the player creates a team, develops a relationship with their partner to increase her ability, and aims to be the world champs), vs mode (play against other players or the CPU) and a tutorial mode. Several mini-games are also featured, such as beach countdown where teams play volleyball with a bomb and hope it doesn’t explode on their side of the net, and beach flags where the player needs to capture a flag before their opponent.” ~MobyGames
Source: Nintendo Official Magazine (UK), November 2002 (#122) || Internet Archive; GameMakerArchive
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vgprintads · 3 years
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‘Spyro 2: Gateway to Glimmer’ [aka: ‘Spyro 2: Ripto’s Rage!’]
[PS1] [UK] [MAGAZINE] [1999]
A historiated initial is an initial, an enlarged letter at the beginning of a paragraph or other section of text, that contains a picture. Strictly speaking, a historiated initial depicts an identifiable figure or a specific scene, while an inhabited initial contains figures (human or animal) that are decorative only, without forming a subject. Both sorts became very common and elaborate in luxury illuminated manuscripts. These illustrated initials were first seen in the Insular art of the early 8th century. The earliest known example is in the Saint Petersburg Bede, an Insular manuscript of 731-46, and the Vespasian Psalter has another. ~Wikipedia
Source: GamesMaster, Christmas 1999 (#89) || Internet Archive; Kerrazzy
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vgprintads · 3 years
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‘Hori Game Repeater’
[FC] [JAPAN] [FLYER] [1984]
“The Hori Game Repater is the 1980s equivalent of a macro recorder. It allows you to record your gameplay as discrete button presses (think piano rolls) and to play it back at a later time. It should playback with perfect accuracy if the game doesn’t have any elements of randomness or luck added to it, otherwise the results may not be consistent across repeated playbacks. (…)The only connection between the Famicom and the Game Repeater is the EXT controller input. The Famicom only sees game controller activity. Subsequent playbacks would yield different gameplay if random events are used in the game, leading to desync issues in severe cases. The only sync between both devices AFAIK is by daisy chaining the Famicom’s AC adapter through the Game Repeater, that way it can power on your Famicom in sync with the start of the recording.” ~133MHz, Famicom World
Source: Koiの自己顕示+2
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vgprintads · 3 years
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‘Clock Tower: Ghost Head’ [aka: ‘Clock Tower II: The Struggle Within’]
[PS1] [JAPAN] [MAGAZINE, SPREAD] [1998]
“[Clock Tower: Ghost Head] is the third game in the Clock Tower series, and is considered a spin-off in its home country of Japan where it was not a numbered release. The story follows 17-year-old Yu Midoshima who suffers from multiple personality disorder with an alter ego named Shō. The player must guide Yu through various environments, altering between her normal and twisted personality, to uncover the secrets of her and her family’s past.
In America, Clock Tower: Ghost Head known as Clock Tower II: The Stuggle Within was met with negative reviews. Journalists heavily criticized the gameplay which they found to be poor due to its slow and dated point-and-click interface, as well its reliance on trial-and-error mechanics.
The story was criticized by some but found to be mature and creepy by others. Critics ultimately did not recommend the game except to those looking for an experience similar to Clock Tower (1996) and those looking for a game that, like a cult film, is flawed conventionally but redeemed by its willingness to stray from the mainstream.
In Japan, it seems to have a fanbase, and more popular than in America, as the fans tend to draw lots of fan art of it. ~Clock Tower: Ghost Head Wiki
Source: Famitsu PS, 04/17/1998 (#39) || personal collection
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vgprintads · 3 years
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‘Jak X’ [aka: ‘Jak X: Combat Racing’]
[PS2] [SPAIN] [MAGAZINE] [2006]
[The undertaker] is a stock character in The Western. This is the guy who will take a tape measure to you in the street, right before your big gunfight. He’d be fairly nondescript, if it weren’t for that morbid cheerfulness with which he goes about his business.
Usually he’s got a somber air befitting a man of his line of work. That doesn’t stop him from occasionally showing a grim smile and sharing a bit of dark humor with those he considers the Soon-To-Be-Deceased. In the West, death is a part of life and the Undertaker may have a variety of coffins and “last suit you’ll ever wear"s in stock. The scary "keep off the grass” Undertaker is used mainly in children’s dramas where sneaking into the graveyard at night is required.
Keep in mind that most of these interactions will be with The Hero alone as most of the townfolk have learned to avoid him. ~TV Tropes
Source: Official PlayStation Magazine (ES, January 2006 (#60) || Internet Archive; Sketch the Cow
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vgprintads · 3 years
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‘Duke Nukem 3D: Atomic Edition’
[MAC] [USA] [MAGAZINE] [1997]
“Duke Nukem’s highly interactive environment is one of the best features a game could have. The staff at Lion Entertainment have done a great job, as usual, porting Duke to the Mac, and I consider this game a leader in its class. Although Duke Nukem is fun, full of action, and sometimes amusing, parents should be aware of its contents and decide whether or not to utilize the parental controls in Duke Nukem. Some of the animations at the end of certain episodes are very controversial to some, but overall, Duke Nukem for Mac is currently the brightest of lights in the dark world of Mac gaming.” ~Erik Hicks, MacGamer
Source: MacUser, August 1997 (Vol. 13, #08) || The Internet Archive; scanned by gui_dos
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vgprintads · 3 years
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‘Elvira’
[VARIOUS] [GREECE] [MAGAZINE] [1991]
“Elvira: Mistress of the Dark is an adventure game. The game uses a first-person perspective in which the hero wanders around solving puzzles, and combating with undead creatures that have overrun Elvira’s Castle.
This game features dozens of different death sequences. If the cook in the kitchen kills you, for example, you can see your head floating in her cauldron. The game also has a real-time combat system. You have to time your attacks and blocks in order to defeat the enemy.” ~MobyGames
Source: USER, October 1991 (#18) || Internet Archive; Bultro
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vgprintads · 3 years
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‘Godzilla: Destroy All Monsters Melee - ‘Megalon’’
[GCN] [USA] [MAGAZINE, SPREAD] [2002]
“Megalon is the god to the Seatopians, and he was their way to take revenge on the humans who were damaging their world with nuclear tests. They called upon Megalon to destroy the humans and sent the captured Jet Jaguar to guide the monster on his rampage through Japan. The people of Japan revolted and attacked the beast, to no avail. Help arrived when Goro Ibuki, the scientist who created Jet Jaguar, managed to free the robot from the control of the Seatopians.
He sent Jet Jaguar to Monster Island to find Godzilla. In the time that Jet Jaguar was gone, Megalon was lost and confused. Jet Jaguar returned to Japan and reprogrammed himself to grow to kaiju size then attacked Megalon, causing the Seatopians to contact the M Space Hunter Nebula Aliens and ask for Gigan’s assistance. Gigan arrived and he and Megalon double-teamed Jet Jaguar. Eventually, Godzilla arrived and joined forces with Jet Jaguar against Gigan and Megalon.
After a long battle, Gigan retreated back to outer space, leaving Megalon at the mercy of Godzilla and Jet Jaguar. The two monsters pummeled the helpless Megalon before he finally burrowed back to Seatopia, defeated.” ~Gojipedia
Source: GamePro, December 2002 (#171) || personal collection
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