Those old video game ads: when the 90s had nothing more to give

Nostalgia for the 90s is almost mandatory among millennials. And it’s normal: it was a different time, less politicized (or so it seemed to us), where we played in the street, video games lasted a few hours and we bought magazines that explained what was coming, instead of relying on the Internet, losing romance along the way. But nostalgia for a time when we were young is often confused with intrinsic quality. It was good because I was younger, that’s for sure.

Since the mid-90s until now, society has evolved and grown, but that also has its consequences, for example, in advertising. And specifically, in video game advertising. While nowadays everything relies on a good trailer, at the time, ads (both in print and on television) were absolute crazy and unique pieces, iconic parts of pop culture that are worth rescuing for one reason or another. Are you up for a trip down memory lane? Let’s take a look at the craziest ads from the most nostalgic era. Grab your joystick, here we go.

Game Boy Pocket

It’s hard to believe that the most protective company in the world would think of releasing ads like these, where they promoted bad habits among their consumers. In the one you see, a woman tied to the bed was lying on her side for playing with the Game Boy (Pocket, of course), but there were others with an abandoned dog without food or another one, showing the back of a pair of jeans -and part of the underwear- where they kept the console, with the slogan “Keep it in your pants.” Impossible to imagine today.

About the announcement they made when they launched the different colors of Game Boy Pocket, frankly, I have no explanation at all.

PlayStation

There was no need to show a single minute of a game. This strange artistic piece, halfway between a museum installation and the beginning of the typical movie that your most cinephile friend tells you is “true cinema”, marked an era, and the face of the actress, which was modified with CGI and, according to her, left her horrified with the result, was featured in magazines around the world. Rightly so: it sold more consoles than many games, even if it was just to find out what the hell this was. Around the same time, the legendary ad “I have lived a double life” was aired. But that’s another matter.

Game Boy

Honestly, I don’t know if this ad is real or not, but it apparently aired in Australia throughout the 90s. A ferret in your pants? Of course! Once they had the children’s audience, it was time to go for the youth with outrageous proposals. And if that meant going with a visual nightmare, they weren’t going to hold back.

Yoshi’s Island

What makes you think of Yoshi’s Island? Its graphics that look like they were drawn with crayons? Its unforgettable gameplay? Its fabulous music? Well, for Nintendo’s advertisers, it must have reminded you of a binge like Mister Creosote from The Meaning of Life, ending in an explosion of the most disgusting food possible. The absolute antithesis of the video game. The 90s were definitely a thing.

The Legend of Zelda: A Link To The Past

If there is a country where absolutely bizarre commercials are made, it is Japan. Curiously, the cradle of video games. Of course, at some point they had to come together, in this videoclip of A Link To The Past where all of Hyrule, with Link at the forefront, decides to do a dance in the style of Michael Jackson. If you’re wondering, no, there is no hidden feature in the game to bust a move like Tony Manero with the boomerang in hand.

Game Gear

If you thought the current console war was tough, it’s because you didn’t live through the 90s, where Sega could easily call you an idiot and say that you behave like a dog if you preferred the Game Boy over the Game Gear. Perhaps with this announcement, you’ll better understand why an entire generation finds it so strange to see Sonic sharing Olympic games and Smash Bros with Mario.

Sonic

And speaking of Sonic… This ad only appeared in a British magazine, but it speaks for itself. It didn’t really matter if it made sense as long as it grabbed attention, and boy did it. There are websites on the Internet that are much less shady than this ad.

32X

I hope the advertiser in charge of this ad found a partner shortly after, because the desperation was evident in every word.