Phantasy Star print ad

Originally uploaded by bochalla

I was in the Nintendo camp during the 80s, so I didn’t get much exposure to the Sega Master System. Phantasy Star has always been highly spoken of, so maybe it’s time to track down a copy!

Hop right in and take it for a spin!

If you have access to Japan’s Playstation Home virtual world, be sure to stop by Irem’s area and check out this R-Type exhibit they recently set up. You can look at some of the fighter ships, play a demo game, purchase R-Type games for your PSP or Playstation, or decorate your Home apartment with R-Type ship models.

Scan courtesy vintagecomputing.com

The poster looks silly, but actually Kickle Cubicle is a pretty fun game. It’s a puzzler along the lines of Adventures of Lolo.

Scan spotted at VintageComputing.com.

Segata Sanshiro - one of the best console mascots in history.

Sega Toys manufactured this tribute to the Sega Saturn mascot — the least they could do after he sacrificed his life to save the company’s executives from a missile attack — some time around 1998. Though the packaging has English text like “He Became Legend” scattered around, I don’t think I’ve ever seen this in any North American shop.

The back of the box reads: “SEGATA SANSHIRO is an authority of justice who guides young men to SEGASATURN Do. He hates to things by halves! In pursuit of SEGASATURN Do, he practices asceticism and keeps challenging various things day and night!!”

I want one so I can go forth and challenge various things day and night!

Via GameSetWatch.com.

"Turnip"

Originally uploaded by Dangerous Business

In Soviet Russia, Arcade plays YOU!

Check out the rest of the set for more vintage Soviet Arcade Game posters.

During the golden age of video arcade games, arcades were blowing up and reaching all new levels of popularity in the states. However, in the mid 1980s the fad suddenly came to a halt with the production of home computers and home video game consoles which assured players that they would never need to leave the house or burn quarters to play their favorite games.

Hologram Time Traveler arcade cabinet

I remember playing Hologram Time Traveler once in a nearby arcade when I was a kid. While unique in presentation, I didn’t find it that interesting. I think most people in the area agreed with me, as it was pretty much neglected by patrons for Smash TV and Street Fighter II.

Clothes do make the man.

Glen Brogan has submitted this t-shirt design to Split Reason for production. How many of these options can you identify, and from what games?

“The concept: what if Panic was around in 1982, and our apps were early Atari 2600 games?”

The results feel right at home next to Defender and Homerun.

Pick up the full set of four as cartridge boxes...

... or as posters suitable for any den with wall-to-wall shag.

Check out Panic’s blog for a better look at the artwork!

Sometimes, it doesn’t matter if you’re a huge company like Sega or Atari. All it takes is one bad idea put into production to bankrupt you, which is the case with many of the systems on this list. Many had less than 20 games developed for them and one (Gizmondo) even had its founders linked to organized crime.