#cdrom — Public Fediverse posts

So what was the first disc based system that you used for gaming? 💿️

https://youtu.be/1f_jrMvn1-E?si=6qnKov2miN4RecJz

#gaming #cdrom #retrogaming #pcengine #turbografx16

So what was the first disc based system that you used for gaming? 💿️

https://youtu.be/1f_jrMvn1-E?si=6qnKov2miN4RecJz

#gaming #cdrom #retrogaming #pcengine #turbografx16

This dude's kid found an old copy of Compton’s 3D World Atlas Deluxe for Windows 95 in a thrift store, so he miraculously got it working on the trash fire that is Windows 11 https://trevmex.com/post/824245295374303232/my-son-found-a-world-atlas-in-a-thrift-store-so-i

#Windows95 #Windows11 #90s #1990s #CDROM

This dude's kid found an old copy of Compton’s 3D World Atlas Deluxe for Windows 95 in a thrift store, so he miraculously got it working on the trash fire that is Windows 11 https://trevmex.com/post/824245295374303232/my-son-found-a-world-atlas-in-a-thrift-store-so-i

#Windows95 #Windows11 #90s #1990s #CDROM

What To Watch On YouTube Right Now – Part 149

Welcome back my readers, YouTube viewers and all others who followed this series of articles focused on YouTube videos worth watching.

Have you been searching for something fun or interesting to watch on YouTube? Do you feel bored right now and you crave for something to see on the world’s most popular online video destination?

I recommend you check out the following videos I found.

#1 A Look At The Johnson County War – If you have seen the 1980 movie Heaven’s Gate, then you have been exposed to the Johnson County War which was a ranger war in the state of Wyoming that happened from 1889 to 1893. What the movie showed, however, was a historical fiction presentation and it could not be taken seriously as a reference of American history. To learn about the Johnson County War with historical attention, watch the video below.

https://youtu.be/6oDaH-AR8Bs?si=MY4ra5B8zRR90jWr

#2 Popcorn in Bed Reacts To U-571 – Speaking of historical fiction, have you seen the movie U-571? When that movie was released in 2000, it only reminded me of other submarine movies like Das Boot, The Hunt For Red October and Crimson Tide. The movie directed by Jonathan Mostow and starring Matthew McConaughey made a lot of buzz when it opened at #1 in the American box office and that success influenced a lot of moviegoers here in the Philippines to watch it in local cinemas. I never saw U-571 but I noticed how much of an impact it had on Popcorn in Bed’s reaction video which I encourage you to watch.

https://youtu.be/S94niicK8Xw?si=T3xWWokhyEcwyGdl

#3 Japan Pushes Back Against Islam – There is a disturbing trend that has been happening in Japan that their local media and the international news organizations are not telling you…the Islamic foreigners there have been causing a series of disturbances such as occupying public spaces for Muslim prayers/gatherings, littering, rape, the construction of an illegal mosque and more. That said, there are lots of Japanese nationalists and concerned citizens who are fighting back and expressing demands and complaints to their government officials. It is clear that the Muslim foreigners there in Japan have this collective mindset of conquering Japan, violating the Japanese and gaining power under the guise of multiculturalism and political correctness. Watch the videos below.

https://youtu.be/cy8FrqfmtcI?si=Vv0Oco_VQV7Py3D-

https://youtu.be/rYaPdERFf7I?si=Q0lkfUbm7MXuxs2F

#4 The Relevance Of The 1990s – Remember how unique the 1990s was when it comes to the evolution of technology, the marketing of products, the gradual transformation of pop culture in America and the like? There was indeed something special about the said decade which explains the driving force behind the Millennials’ nostalgia about it. To find out more, watch the video below.

https://youtu.be/gROvtZw0mz0?si=yLrvmcAvGRBu-P2V

#5 When Hollywood Released Two Similar Movies In 1998 – Way back in 1998, moviegoers worldwide saw two movies from Hollywood that had similar concepts about the world getting hit by something from deep space. The movies were Deep Impact and Armageddon, and they were released in the same summer box office season in America. Deep Impact was more dramatic and tried hard to be believable while Armageddon was highly exaggerated and had Michael Bay’s flair all over it. The two films were released at a time when disaster movies had a resurgence and they used computer-generated images to make realize their respective visual concepts. I find an analytical video about the two 1998 movies and I encourage you all to watch it.

https://youtu.be/5T6NMEdu70k?si=TnFON8N9JbI189RA

#6 You, Me And The Movies React To Ghost In The Shell (1995) – There are many reasons why the 1995 anime feature film Ghost in the Shell is very significant. The adaptation of Masamune Shirow’s literary Ghost in the Shell was made with very high production values under the direction of Mamoru Oshii, the story had many futuristic concepts that became very relevant today, and it was very influential for many Hollywood filmmakers. That said, I liked how the anime feature film drew reactions from You, Me and the Movies, and their reaction video is a must-see!

https://youtu.be/4Q_G6zObECg?si=CEgIjpaJl0WlbI64

#7 Casablanca Reaction Video Of EOM Reacts – There is nothing like watching a classic, black-and-white movie like Casablanca. Set in French Morocco, the story follows many characters dealing with the uncertainty of war and it is inside the nightclub and gambling den of American expatriate Rick Blaine where a lot of developments happened. The 1942 movie is memorable with its top-notch stars (Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman are phenomenal), the dramatic plot, the immersive settings and many iconic lines and moments. I have seen the movie a few times already on 4K Blu-ray format and I enjoyed watching EOM Reacts’ video of it. Go watch his video below.

https://youtu.be/CmFvCTl43Nk?si=sAuN1cotXMpNsnvd

#8 Soba Getting Reinvented In Japan – Soba – a Japanese noodle made from buckwheat flour – is getting reinvented in Japan as the traditional shops there are struggling with the rising costs of ingredients as well as a growing shortage of successors to the operators. In an effort to stay in business while avoiding raising prices, the surviving soba restaurants (and some new ones) there are reinventing the dining experience and doing other things to preserve the traditional soba culture. Watch and learn from the video below.

https://youtu.be/6SL5yzs5-o4?si=yPucu2ALaUy_h2-a

#9 Ranting For Vengeance Slams Zach Cregger And His Resident Evil Movie – As some of you already know, there is another new live-action movie of Resident Evil coming out soon and the early previews showed very little connections with the Resident Evil games of Capcom. Actor Zach Cregger is the director and co-writer of the new Resident Evil movie and Ranting for Vengeance slammed him hard in his recent YouTube video. Not only that, the YouTuber also backed up his criticism on Cregger and the 2026 Resident Evil movie with facts and details that you have to see. That said, go watch his video below and pay close attention to the details.

https://youtu.be/R5ALrwYsd78?si=WN0icx4lPk9UNTp8

#10 Atari Jaguar CD Revisited – While I played a lot of games of Atari (both on Atari 2600 console and arcade games) in my life, I never owned an Atari Jaguar nor its CD-ROM add-on device. Indeed, there was a time in the 1990s when Atari got back in console gaming starting with the Jaguar console that operated with games in cartridge format. A short time later, the add-on Atari Jaguar CD was released and it looked like a toilet with the lid open. To learn more about the Atari Jaguar CD, watch the retro gaming video below.

https://youtu.be/6gjSJxpB6PE?si=0hem72Z9VqnwjwDw

+++++

Thank you for reading. If you find this article engaging, please click the like button below, share this article to others and also please consider making a donation to support my publishing. If you are looking for a copywriter to create content for your special project or business, check out my services and my portfolio. Feel free to contact me with a private message. Also please feel free to visit my Facebook page Author Carlo Carrasco and follow me on Twitter at @CarloCarrascoPH as well as on Tumblr at https://carlocarrasco.tumblr.com/ and on Instagram athttps://www.instagram.com/authorcarlocarrasco

just recorded a new episode of cd-rom safari podcast: Inherit the Earth - Quest for the Orb

https://cd-rom.ca/podcast/season2/episode4

#podcast #multimedia #cdrom #furry #adventureGames

just recorded a new episode of cd-rom safari podcast: Inherit the Earth - Quest for the Orb

https://cd-rom.ca/podcast/season2/episode4

#podcast #multimedia #cdrom #furry #adventureGames

Retro Gaming Ads Blast – Part 45

Welcome back readers, fellow geeks and electronic gaming fans!

In this edition of the Retro Gaming Ads Blast (RGAB) series, we will take a look at another batch of retro gaming print ads from the 1980s to the 1990s.

For the newcomers reading this, Retro Gaming Ads Blast (RGAB) looks back at the many print ads of games (console, arcade, computer and handheld) that were published in comic books, magazines, flyers, posters and newspapers long before smartphones, social media, the worldwide web and streaming became popular. To put things in perspective, people back in the 1980s to the 1990s were more trusting of print media for information and images about electronic games and related products.

With those details laid down, here is the newest batch of retro gaming print ads for you to see and enjoy…

1. Tron Arcade Flyer

Remember how dazzling the 1982 movie Tron was when you first saw it? That film had groundbreaking computer-generated graphics and the filmmakers worked very hard to tell a story covering both the real and digital worlds. Along the way, the movie had strong video game vibes which resonated with gamers at a time when arcade gaming was wildly popular in America. Believe it or not, an official arcade game of Tron was released the same year as the movie and it was a massive success. The arcade flyer perfectly captured the vibe and look from the movie and the machine itself had a control stick the same with what was shown to viewers. This old flyer is still great to look at.

2. Green Beret Japanese Arcade Flyer

Konami was a highly prolific game publisher in the 1980s and it had lots of games that became huge blockbusters. During the decade, their game developers were strongly influenced by both Hollywood action movies and the Cold War. In 1985, Konami released the militaristic game Green Beret in Japanese arcades and to promote it, they created an arcade flyer featuring a very stylish artwork highlighting military images of soldiers (including a guy smoking) and warfare. This ad still looks great and it was not surprising it helped the game achieve huge commercial success. Green Beret was released in America as Rush’n Attack.

3. Darius Japanese And North American Arcade Flyers

Released in arcades worldwide in 1987, Darius is a 2D side-scrolling shooter game from Taito which had a science fiction concept of the starship Silver Hawk (piloted by players) which sets on a mission to destroy an evil empire before it could destroy the world called Darius. The game was successful, most notably in Japan and it eventually led to sequels being released later. What I find intriguing is how the arcade game was promoted in Japan and in North America. The Japanese arcade flyer had this intriguing artwork that reflected a blend of sci-fi with a touch of horror. The North American flyer had a strong sci-fi touch with a male and female model wearing costumes (that made them look futuristic) standing beside the Darius machine. Which flyer looks more appealing to you?

4. Data East’s Arcade Alley Print Ad

There is nothing like porting arcade hits to computer systems for gamers to enjoy. In 1988 there in Europe, U.S. Gold released Data East’s Arcade Alley for computer systems and it included ports of popular Data East games like Kung Fu Master, Express Raider, Breakthru, Tag Team Wrestling, Last Mission and Karate Champ. U.S. Gold’s print ad showed a guy in the middle of a video arcade looking on both sides to pick which game to play which strongly emphasized the essence of the game collection (offered in cassettes and disk). This old ad is still amusing to look at.

5. Blasteroids European Print Ad

Blasteroids, the third entry in Atari’s popular Asteroids games series, was released in European arcades by Image Works and eventually landed on computer systems there. For Europe, the ad makers came up with artwork showing a creepy, green space monster surrounded by a few spaceships to emphasize the game’s concept. The said monster eventually appeared on the game covers of the computer ports of Blasteroids later. This ad shows creative adjustments taken to promote games in different parts of the world.

6. Dream Team USA Japanese Print Ad

Remember how wildly popular the Dream Team (Team USA in Olympic basketball) was in 1992? With NBA legends Larry Bird, Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, Charles Barkley, Karl Malone, John Stockton and more representing America in the basketball tournament of the Olympic Summer Games in Barcelona, Spain, the Dream Team (a media-led reference for the team) was easily the main attraction not only for basketball fans worldwide but also those who craved for excitement in international sports events. That said, Electronic Arts secured the license to make an official video game about the Dream Team and actually released the game Team USA Basketball within 1992 for the Sega Genesis. As basketball is popular also in Japan, EA released the game there titled as Dream Team USA and came up with a Japanese print ad to seriously capture gamers’ attention. This ad is still effective in delighting both basketball and video game enthusiasts.

7. Super Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back And Return Of The Jedi Print Ad

Back in the 1990s, there was a resurgence of the original Star Wars trilogy across different forms of media. Apart from the VHS re-releases of Star Wars, The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi, there was a slew of video games of Star Wars released during the decade and the fans had new stuff to entertain themselves with. Along the way, the company THQ secured the rights to Super Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back and Super Star Wars: Return of the Jedi for re-release to coincide with the 1997 “Special Edition” theatrical releases of their respective movies. THQ’s print ad simply used official images of Return of the Jedi and inserted a tiny bit of The Empire Strikes Back, and they did not show any screenshots that could have been helpful for Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES) and Game Boy users. Still, it was smart for THQ to print two excerpts of game reviews to sell the games.

8. Super Mario RPG North American Print Ad

Remember back in the 1990s when Nintendo and role-playing game giant SquareSoft had a very healthy business relationship that proved successful? Before their eventual breakup (related to Square signing with Sony for PlayStation development), the two companies joined forces to make a fully featured role-playing game for the SNES featuring Super Mario and related characters…Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars. To promote the game, Nintendo (the publisher) created a mesmerizing 2-page print ad highlighting their characters while emphasizing the role-playing and fantasy aspects of the game. At the time of its release, Super Mario was often identified with platform games and the Super Mario RPG print ad was a serious attempt to lure fans into RPGs which the SNES was already rich with. This ad, which I first saw in gaming magazines in 1996, still looks great.

9. NBA Shootout ’97 Print Ad

If there is anything I miss about 1990s console gaming, it is the fact that there were a lot of NBA-licensed video games that were offered to players with different tastes in basketball gaming. Sony had its own exclusive NBA games series called NBA Shootout and they were pretty aggressive selling its own basketball games along with the PlayStation going up against the likes of Electronic Arts (NBA Live), Sega and others. This is reflected in this 2-page print ad of NBA Shootout ’97 which was a PlayStation-exclusive release. They featured a photograph of Lakers’ Eddie Jones about to dunk and showed screenshots as well as the descriptive text written with excitement. Since it first started, NBA Shootout was basketball in full 3D polygonal graphics backed with motion-captured moves and dunks that players could enjoy only PlayStation. This ad is a reminder that Sony used to make official NBA games and there is a lack of variety and players’ choice of NBA gaming in today’s world.

10. Legend of Legaia North American Print Ad

There was a time when Sony produced Japanese RPGs (JRPGs) exclusive for PlayStation consoles. One of them was Legend of Legaia which had a combat system that emphasized martial arts and it had an interesting fantasy concept. For its 1999 North American release, Sony came up with a very bizarre 2-page print ad that had digital artwork with a very strong horror vibe and the visual designs within the three screenshots shown were clearly not related with it. How this ad was made remains unclear. This is easily one of the most misguided gaming ads of the 1990s.

+++++

Thank you for reading. If you find this article engaging, please click the like button below, share this article to others and also please consider making a donation to support my publishing. If you are looking for a copywriter to create content for your special project or business, check out my services and my portfolio. Feel free to contact me with a private message. Also please feel free to visit my Facebook page Author Carlo Carrasco and follow me on Twitter at @CarloCarrascoPH as well as on Tumblr at https://carlocarrasco.tumblr.com/ and on Instagram athttps://www.instagram.com/authorcarlocarrasco

Retro Gaming Ads Blast – Part 45

Welcome back readers, fellow geeks and electronic gaming fans!

In this edition of the Retro Gaming Ads Blast (RGAB) series, we will take a look at another batch of retro gaming print ads from the 1980s to the 1990s.

For the newcomers reading this, Retro Gaming Ads Blast (RGAB) looks back at the many print ads of games (console, arcade, computer and handheld) that were published in comic books, magazines, flyers, posters and newspapers long before smartphones, social media, the worldwide web and streaming became popular. To put things in perspective, people back in the 1980s to the 1990s were more trusting of print media for information and images about electronic games and related products.

With those details laid down, here is the newest batch of retro gaming print ads for you to see and enjoy…

1. Tron Arcade Flyer

Remember how dazzling the 1982 movie Tron was when you first saw it? That film had groundbreaking computer-generated graphics and the filmmakers worked very hard to tell a story covering both the real and digital worlds. Along the way, the movie had strong video game vibes which resonated with gamers at a time when arcade gaming was wildly popular in America. Believe it or not, an official arcade game of Tron was released the same year as the movie and it was a massive success. The arcade flyer perfectly captured the vibe and look from the movie and the machine itself had a control stick the same with what was shown to viewers. This old flyer is still great to look at.

2. Green Beret Japanese Arcade Flyer

Konami was a highly prolific game publisher in the 1980s and it had lots of games that became huge blockbusters. During the decade, their game developers were strongly influenced by both Hollywood action movies and the Cold War. In 1985, Konami released the militaristic game Green Beret in Japanese arcades and to promote it, they created an arcade flyer featuring a very stylish artwork highlighting military images of soldiers (including a guy smoking) and warfare. This ad still looks great and it was not surprising it helped the game achieve huge commercial success. Green Beret was released in America as Rush’n Attack.

3. Darius Japanese And North American Arcade Flyers

Released in arcades worldwide in 1987, Darius is a 2D side-scrolling shooter game from Taito which had a science fiction concept of the starship Silver Hawk (piloted by players) which sets on a mission to destroy an evil empire before it could destroy the world called Darius. The game was successful, most notably in Japan and it eventually led to sequels being released later. What I find intriguing is how the arcade game was promoted in Japan and in North America. The Japanese arcade flyer had this intriguing artwork that reflected a blend of sci-fi with a touch of horror. The North American flyer had a strong sci-fi touch with a male and female model wearing costumes (that made them look futuristic) standing beside the Darius machine. Which flyer looks more appealing to you?

4. Data East’s Arcade Alley Print Ad

There is nothing like porting arcade hits to computer systems for gamers to enjoy. In 1988 there in Europe, U.S. Gold released Data East’s Arcade Alley for computer systems and it included ports of popular Data East games like Kung Fu Master, Express Raider, Breakthru, Tag Team Wrestling, Last Mission and Karate Champ. U.S. Gold’s print ad showed a guy in the middle of a video arcade looking on both sides to pick which game to play which strongly emphasized the essence of the game collection (offered in cassettes and disk). This old ad is still amusing to look at.

5. Blasteroids European Print Ad

Blasteroids, the third entry in Atari’s popular Asteroids games series, was released in European arcades by Image Works and eventually landed on computer systems there. For Europe, the ad makers came up with artwork showing a creepy, green space monster surrounded by a few spaceships to emphasize the game’s concept. The said monster eventually appeared on the game covers of the computer ports of Blasteroids later. This ad shows creative adjustments taken to promote games in different parts of the world.

6. Dream Team USA Japanese Print Ad

Remember how wildly popular the Dream Team (Team USA in Olympic basketball) was in 1992? With NBA legends Larry Bird, Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, Charles Barkley, Karl Malone, John Stockton and more representing America in the basketball tournament of the Olympic Summer Games in Barcelona, Spain, the Dream Team (a media-led reference for the team) was easily the main attraction not only for basketball fans worldwide but also those who craved for excitement in international sports events. That said, Electronic Arts secured the license to make an official video game about the Dream Team and actually released the game Team USA Basketball within 1992 for the Sega Genesis. As basketball is popular also in Japan, EA released the game there titled as Dream Team USA and came up with a Japanese print ad to seriously capture gamers’ attention. This ad is still effective in delighting both basketball and video game enthusiasts.

7. Super Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back And Return Of The Jedi Print Ad

Back in the 1990s, there was a resurgence of the original Star Wars trilogy across different forms of media. Apart from the VHS re-releases of Star Wars, The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi, there was a slew of video games of Star Wars released during the decade and the fans had new stuff to entertain themselves with. Along the way, the company THQ secured the rights to Super Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back and Super Star Wars: Return of the Jedi for re-release to coincide with the 1997 “Special Edition” theatrical releases of their respective movies. THQ’s print ad simply used official images of Return of the Jedi and inserted a tiny bit of The Empire Strikes Back, and they did not show any screenshots that could have been helpful for Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES) and Game Boy users. Still, it was smart for THQ to print two excerpts of game reviews to sell the games.

8. Super Mario RPG North American Print Ad

Remember back in the 1990s when Nintendo and role-playing game giant SquareSoft had a very healthy business relationship that proved successful? Before their eventual breakup (related to Square signing with Sony for PlayStation development), the two companies joined forces to make a fully featured role-playing game for the SNES featuring Super Mario and related characters…Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars. To promote the game, Nintendo (the publisher) created a mesmerizing 2-page print ad highlighting their characters while emphasizing the role-playing and fantasy aspects of the game. At the time of its release, Super Mario was often identified with platform games and the Super Mario RPG print ad was a serious attempt to lure fans into RPGs which the SNES was already rich with. This ad, which I first saw in gaming magazines in 1996, still looks great.

9. NBA Shootout ’97 Print Ad

If there is anything I miss about 1990s console gaming, it is the fact that there were a lot of NBA-licensed video games that were offered to players with different tastes in basketball gaming. Sony had its own exclusive NBA games series called NBA Shootout and they were pretty aggressive selling its own basketball games along with the PlayStation going up against the likes of Electronic Arts (NBA Live), Sega and others. This is reflected in this 2-page print ad of NBA Shootout ’97 which was a PlayStation-exclusive release. They featured a photograph of Lakers’ Eddie Jones about to dunk and showed screenshots as well as the descriptive text written with excitement. Since it first started, NBA Shootout was basketball in full 3D polygonal graphics backed with motion-captured moves and dunks that players could enjoy only PlayStation. This ad is a reminder that Sony used to make official NBA games and there is a lack of variety and players’ choice of NBA gaming in today’s world.

10. Legend of Legaia North American Print Ad

There was a time when Sony produced Japanese RPGs (JRPGs) exclusive for PlayStation consoles. One of them was Legend of Legaia which had a combat system that emphasized martial arts and it had an interesting fantasy concept. For its 1999 North American release, Sony came up with a very bizarre 2-page print ad that had digital artwork with a very strong horror vibe and the visual designs within the three screenshots shown were clearly not related with it. How this ad was made remains unclear. This is easily one of the most misguided gaming ads of the 1990s.

+++++

Thank you for reading. If you find this article engaging, please click the like button below, share this article to others and also please consider making a donation to support my publishing. If you are looking for a copywriter to create content for your special project or business, check out my services and my portfolio. Feel free to contact me with a private message. Also please feel free to visit my Facebook page Author Carlo Carrasco and follow me on Twitter at @CarloCarrascoPH as well as on Tumblr at https://carlocarrasco.tumblr.com/ and on Instagram athttps://www.instagram.com/authorcarlocarrasco

ohhh this is promising to be absolutely delicious self promotion.

jump to to cherry coke site i shall!

#multimedia #cdrom #macintosh

ohhh this is promising to be absolutely delicious self promotion.

jump to to cherry coke site i shall!

#multimedia #cdrom #macintosh

often when i buy someone’s box of computer games, it comes with a pile of caseless cd-roms - usually kids games - rolling around in the bottom of the box. they all get stashed together in a misc spindle that i rarely ever look at.

today when i was grasping for cd-rom safari podcast ideas, i pulled out the spindle and flipped through the pile of shovelware. i found this disc, which had previously escaped my notice because it appeared to be an encyclopedia. upon closer inspection, encyclopedia it most certainly is not. 😅

this adventure game - The Lost Island of Alanna - bears a familar trademark: Cherry Coke. yes, that coca cola company (!).

per the wikipedia entry, “The Lost Island of Alanna represents an early example of integrated, digital, viral and social marketing using the internet. Alanna included a distributed CD-ROM game, integrated social chat rooms, under-the-cap codes, special product packaging, advertising, outdoor, and two promotional websites.”

this is a graphical adventure game. and you can’t make this stuff up:

“In the game, the player explores an island where an ancient civilization was concerned about passing on its wisdom but was wiped out by a volcano before it was able to share its precious knowledge. This civilization used clay bowls and a mixture of sparkling water and cherries in a tribal ceremony. The game cross-references this with bottles of Cherry Coke, on the labels of which are clues in the form of cuneiform characters, and then the player is encouraged to begin solving the mystery”

i can almost guarantee this is going to be a janky macromedia director game, and i can’t WAIT to play it so i can finally learn the ancient recipe of crystal pepsi

#cdrom #multimedia #retrocomputing #win95 #macintosh

often when i buy someone’s box of computer games, it comes with a pile of caseless cd-roms - usually kids games - rolling around in the bottom of the box. they all get stashed together in a misc spindle that i rarely ever look at.

today when i was grasping for cd-rom safari podcast ideas, i pulled out the spindle and flipped through the pile of shovelware. i found this disc, which had previously escaped my notice because it appeared to be an encyclopedia. upon closer inspection, encyclopedia it most certainly is not. 😅

this adventure game - The Lost Island of Alanna - bears a familar trademark: Cherry Coke. yes, that coca cola company (!).

per the wikipedia entry, “The Lost Island of Alanna represents an early example of integrated, digital, viral and social marketing using the internet. Alanna included a distributed CD-ROM game, integrated social chat rooms, under-the-cap codes, special product packaging, advertising, outdoor, and two promotional websites.”

this is a graphical adventure game. and you can’t make this stuff up:

“In the game, the player explores an island where an ancient civilization was concerned about passing on its wisdom but was wiped out by a volcano before it was able to share its precious knowledge. This civilization used clay bowls and a mixture of sparkling water and cherries in a tribal ceremony. The game cross-references this with bottles of Cherry Coke, on the labels of which are clues in the form of cuneiform characters, and then the player is encouraged to begin solving the mystery”

i can almost guarantee this is going to be a janky macromedia director game, and i can’t WAIT to play it so i can finally learn the ancient recipe of crystal pepsi

#cdrom #multimedia #retrocomputing #win95 #macintosh

🤔 it might not be the best $10 i'll ever spend but it won't be the worst i guess?

#multimedia #cdrom #retrogaming #win31 #1990s

🤔 it might not be the best $10 i'll ever spend but it won't be the worst i guess?

#multimedia #cdrom #retrogaming #win31 #1990s

had a really fun time being interviewed by @brendn for his Kaijuville (buttondown hosted) newsletter

we talk about the cringy experience of writing my book Mages & Modems, the time my mom publicly flamed the Texas Instruments TI-85 assembly language listserv, doing gig work for the NHK, and the return of utopian scholastic CD-ROMs.

https://kaijuville.com/2026/07/13/spinning-discs-with-vga256/

(off the record we nerded out about Highlander: The Series and that conversation deserves an entire newsletter itself.) 😅

#multimedia #cdrom #japan #nhk #interviews #books #writing

had a really fun time being interviewed by @brendn for his Kaijuville (buttondown hosted) newsletter

we talk about the cringy experience of writing my book Mages & Modems, the time my mom publicly flamed the Texas Instruments TI-85 assembly language listserv, doing gig work for the NHK, and the return of utopian scholastic CD-ROMs.

https://kaijuville.com/2026/07/13/spinning-discs-with-vga256/

(off the record we nerded out about Highlander: The Series and that conversation deserves an entire newsletter itself.) 😅

#multimedia #cdrom #japan #nhk #interviews #books #writing

Эмулятор CD-ROM из Raspberry Pi Pico W, использующий образы из сети

В одной из своих статей я уже рассказывал, как из Raspberry Pi Pico сделать USB CD-ROM. Так как размер флеш-памяти Pico ограничен, поместить что-то серьёзное в образ, который будет находиться во флеш-памяти невозможно. Можно попробовать разместить образ на флеш-карте и использовать модуль для неё, но я нашёл более интересное с точки зрения используемых технологий решение. Эмулировать образ, который находится в интернете. Образа многих дистрибутивов Linux доступны для загрузки с сайта.

https://habr.com/ru/companies/ruvds/articles/1050406/

#linux #cdrom #emulation #lwip #tinyusb #CYW43439 #raspberry_pi_pico_w #http #wifi #ruvds_статьи

surprisingly, it appears that no one has imaged the clip-art CD-ROM that came with the book. that work has now been done :)

enjoy some low-effort photographic clip-art courtesy of DK in ISO format:

https://archive.org/details/ew-ocean-clipart

#cdrom #digiPres

surprisingly, it appears that no one has imaged the clip-art CD-ROM that came with the book. that work has now been done :)

enjoy some low-effort photographic clip-art courtesy of DK in ISO format:

https://archive.org/details/ew-ocean-clipart

#cdrom #digiPres

today's thrifting treasure from the peak utopian scholastic period: Dorling Kindersley's Ocean (2008)

while the scholastic period is usually associated with the late 90s and early 2000s, it lasted well into the late 2000s thanks to DK's amazing book layouts

even better, these later books come with a cd-rom full of clipart. 😎

#utopianScholastic #books #art #design #cdrom

today's thrifting treasure from the peak utopian scholastic period: Dorling Kindersley's Ocean (2008)

while the scholastic period is usually associated with the late 90s and early 2000s, it lasted well into the late 2000s thanks to DK's amazing book layouts

even better, these later books come with a cd-rom full of clipart. 😎

#utopianScholastic #books #art #design #cdrom

yeehaw! just finished recording a new episode of the CD-ROM Safari podcast with guest briandemodulated

https://cd-rom.ca/podcast/season2/episode3

our topic: the criminally underrated Millennium Auction for Windows 3.1 - a bizarre post-apocalyptic fine art bidding simulator where you compete for the rights to bob dole's spleen and other aesthetic treasures of the 20th century.

#cdromSafari #cdrom #multimedia #dosGaming #win31 #podcast

yeehaw! just finished recording a new episode of the CD-ROM Safari podcast with guest briandemodulated

https://cd-rom.ca/podcast/season2/episode3

our topic: the criminally underrated Millennium Auction for Windows 3.1 - a bizarre post-apocalyptic fine art bidding simulator where you compete for the rights to bob dole's spleen and other aesthetic treasures of the 20th century.

#cdromSafari #cdrom #multimedia #dosGaming #win31 #podcast

Ah, yes, nothing screams "cutting-edge technology" like slapping your #GitHub repo onto a CD-ROM 📀. Because who doesn't love the sound of dial-up #nostalgia and tripling their carbon footprint for the sake of retro vibes? 🌎💾
https://forms.cloud.microsoft/pages/responsepage.aspx?id=v4j5cvGGr0GRqy180BHbR6G-c11n8yFDlQmk4B-QjDxUQkdTTjZLU0EyTFFRV1E3NVRTVTRTWjRHMy4u&route=shorturl #cuttingEdgeTech #retroVibes #carbonFootprint #CDROM #HackerNews #ngated

Ah, yes, nothing screams "cutting-edge technology" like slapping your #GitHub repo onto a CD-ROM 📀. Because who doesn't love the sound of dial-up #nostalgia and tripling their carbon footprint for the sake of retro vibes? 🌎💾
https://forms.cloud.microsoft/pages/responsepage.aspx?id=v4j5cvGGr0GRqy180BHbR6G-c11n8yFDlQmk4B-QjDxUQkdTTjZLU0EyTFFRV1E3NVRTVTRTWjRHMy4u&route=shorturl #cuttingEdgeTech #retroVibes #carbonFootprint #CDROM #HackerNews #ngated

Das GIF ist heute allgegenwärtig. Die Geschichte geht aber schon früh los: Der Bot @gifs_bot zeigt Bilder aus einer GIF-Collection von einer CD-ROM aus dem Jahr 1990 #gif #graphics #cdrom #retrographics #hacknplay2026

Das GIF ist heute allgegenwärtig. Die Geschichte geht aber schon früh los: Der Bot @gifs_bot zeigt Bilder aus einer GIF-Collection von einer CD-ROM aus dem Jahr 1990 #gif #graphics #cdrom #retrographics #hacknplay2026

Retro Gaming Ads Blast – Part 44

Welcome back readers, fellow geeks and electronic gaming fans!

In this edition of the Retro Gaming Ads Blast (RGAB) series, we will take a look at another batch of retro gaming print ads from the 1980s to the early 2000s.

For the newcomers reading this, Retro Gaming Ads Blast (RGAB) looks back at the many print ads of games (console, arcade, computer and handheld) that were published in comic books, magazines, flyers, posters and newspapers long before smartphones, social media, the worldwide web and streaming became popular. To put things in perspective, people back in the 1980s to the 1990s were more trusting of print media for information and images about electronic games and related products.

With those details laid down, here is the newest batch of retro gaming print ads for you to see and enjoy…

1. Berzerk Arcade Flyer

Could you imagine being trapped deep within a maze surrounded by dangerous robots (plus one other unstoppable enemy) capable firing laser blasts at you? This was the concept behind the design of Berzerk, an arcade game released by Stern Electronics in 1980. Released at a time when science fiction became wildly popular in American entertainment, Berzerk was immersive for gamers and the multidirectional gameplay feature was captivating for many. To promote the game, Stern Electronics came up with a customized visual design that blended 2D sprite elements with a photograph of two people and some hand-drawn art pieces. The front of the flyer emphasized accurate the core concept of the game while the rear explained the technical details. They even played with their company name with the line “Stern goes berzerk!”

2. Rush’n Attack North American Arcade Flyer

During the late stages of the Cold War, Konami made a lot of military-themed video games which resonated not only with those who were already aware about the global conflict but also with gamers who craved for action and excitement. One of those games was Rush’n Attack (alternative title: Green Beret) which was released in American arcades in late-1985. Konami came up with an arcade flyer showing four people (looking like an American family) having a good time in front of an arcade cabinet, and three screenshots of the game were displayed on the lower half. Rush’n Attack – which was deliberately titled to resemble the phrase “Russian attack” due to its obvious Cold War setting – went on to succeed commercially and critically. One notable game review compared Rush’n Attack favorably with the movie Rambo: First Blood Part II.

3. Turbo Out Run North American Arcade Flyer

Following the massive success Sega achieved with Out Run in 1986, the company went on to release the follow-up Turbo OutRun three years later. As seen in their North American flyer, Sega emphasized the in-game locations, the look of the machine with the driver’s seat and steering wheel, and the excitement they can expect. Turbo OutRun went on to become successful in the arcades worldwide and it got ported to a variety of consoles and computer systems in the years that followed. On its own, the arcade flyer sparked excitement for gamers.

4. Air Duel Japanese Arcade Flyer

Released in Japanese arcades in 1990, Air Duel from Irem is an intense and fast-paced 2D sprite vertically scrolling shooter that attracted a lot of players. It had a war theme and its aesthetic has a mix of military and somewhat futuristic science fiction elements. The game’s arcade flyer featured a very intriguing artwork by Takashi Yamasaki showing two aircrafts flying over a city heading towards a massively large enemy in the distance. In my opinion, the artwork alone is pretty engaging to see and it’s more than enough to make me think about playing the game.

5. Spellbound Adaptor Print Ad

Remember back in the old days when there were hardware lockouts on game consoles that prevented users from playing games imported from different regions? In Europe, a special cheat and regional bypass cartridge called the Spellbound Adaptor was released and it allowed Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES) users to bypass the lockouts and play games from overseas. The Spellbound Adaptor was notably advertised in European print media showing two sexy ladies posing with the adaptor itself (on the SNES), the television and many SNES games. The ad even includes a promo of buying the adaptor with a game of choice for only £69.95. The ad is still impactful to look at.

6. Contra III: The Alien Wars North American Print Ad

By the time the SNES was launched in America in 1991, a lot of gamers who enjoyed Contra games on the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) have been craving for a sequel on the newer console. Their dreams finally came through in early 1992 when Konami released Contra III: The Alien Wars on the SNES, and it was a lot more than visual upgrade as it had groundbreaking features connected with the game developers’ clever use of the console’s technology. Konami was already aware of Contra’s huge following in America, so they came up with an aggressive looking print ad promoting Contra III: The Alien Wars. With a red-and-black background, the ad had a variety of screenshots that were tilted to look 3D (showing what the game offered) and used a minor space for the descriptive text and image of the game box. This old print ad is one of the finest ways to promote a sequel while also emphasizing the next-generation experience fans can enjoy. This ad is a classic!

7. Apocalypse Print Ads

Believe it or not, Hollywood legend Bruce Willis actually starred in the ambitious video game titled Apocalypse. Before its 1998 released on PlayStation, Apocalypse started with the player character having an AI-controlled partner named Trey Kincaid to be played by Willis. Publisher Activision signed a multi-million Dollar deal with Bruce Willis to use his likeness and voice for the Trey character. Eventually the Trey Kincaid role was modified to be the playable character. Given the huge deal signed with the super star and the additional costs that came with game design revisions, Activision launched an aggressive marketing campaign for Apocalypse and they heavily used Bruce Willis’s name and imagery. Ultimately the game sold less than one million copies and yet Activision was satisfied with the sales which convinced them to go back to Apocalypse developer Neversoft for a new project.

8. R-Type Delta North American Print Ad

R-Type, the long-running series of 2D side-scrolling shooters by Irem, fully embraced 3D polygons with R-Type Delta on PlayStation in 1998. To promote the game in North America, Irem and their partner Agetec went all-in emphasizing their series shift into 3D polygonal graphics while promising new in-game weapons. Very smartly, they included positive quotes from Electronic Gaming Monthly (EGM), PlayStation Magazine (PSM) and Official PlayStation Magazine (OPM) to show credibility. In recent times, an enhanced version of R-Type Delta (R-Type Delta: HD Boosted) was released on modern game console and PC.

9. Racing Lagoon Japanese Print Ad

Released in 1999 for PlayStation only in Japan, Racing Lagoon was one of many games SquareSoft made for a genre other than role-playing games (RPGs). Released at a time when the PlayStation already had lots of racing games available from around the world, Racing Lagoon was a racing game that had role-playing elements mixed in. To promote it, SquareSoft made a print ad that had a night-time city vibe and they showed some screenshots with a unique visual style. The in-game story was influenced by the illegal street racing trend that happened in Japan during the 1980s.

10. Resident Evil – Code: Veronica North America Print Ads

When Resident Evil – Code: Veronica was released on the Sega Dreamcast in Japan in February 2000, it delivered a next-generation survival horror experience to die-hard RE fans and it was easily one of the must-have games for Dreamcast owners of the time. Along the way, RE fans and Dreamcast owners in America were already anticipating the game. Capcom had an aggressive ad campaign for the game with US gamers in mind and this particular single-page print ad showed the fan-favorite characters Claire and Chris Redfield on one corner, six selected screenshots and quotes from the published game reviews of Game Informer, Next Generation and the Official Dreamcast Magazine. The 2-page print ad had the same elements but had the Redfield siblings on the 2nd page. I remember seeing these ads on a few gaming magazines and they made me think about buying a Dreamcast just to play RE – Code: Veronica. These old ads emphasized the strong business trust between Capcom and Sega (which itself lost a lot of money and credibility with the Sega Saturn consoles and many add-on devices released years prior).  

+++++

Thank you for reading. If you find this article engaging, please click the like button below, share this article to others and also please consider making a donation to support my publishing. If you are looking for a copywriter to create content for your special project or business, check out my services and my portfolio. Feel free to contact me with a private message. Also please feel free to visit my Facebook page Author Carlo Carrasco and follow me on Twitter at @CarloCarrascoPH as well as on Tumblr at https://carlocarrasco.tumblr.com/ and on Instagram athttps://www.instagram.com/authorcarlocarrasco

Retro Gaming Ads Blast – Part 44

Welcome back readers, fellow geeks and electronic gaming fans!

In this edition of the Retro Gaming Ads Blast (RGAB) series, we will take a look at another batch of retro gaming print ads from the 1980s to the early 2000s.

For the newcomers reading this, Retro Gaming Ads Blast (RGAB) looks back at the many print ads of games (console, arcade, computer and handheld) that were published in comic books, magazines, flyers, posters and newspapers long before smartphones, social media, the worldwide web and streaming became popular. To put things in perspective, people back in the 1980s to the 1990s were more trusting of print media for information and images about electronic games and related products.

With those details laid down, here is the newest batch of retro gaming print ads for you to see and enjoy…

1. Berzerk Arcade Flyer

Could you imagine being trapped deep within a maze surrounded by dangerous robots (plus one other unstoppable enemy) capable firing laser blasts at you? This was the concept behind the design of Berzerk, an arcade game released by Stern Electronics in 1980. Released at a time when science fiction became wildly popular in American entertainment, Berzerk was immersive for gamers and the multidirectional gameplay feature was captivating for many. To promote the game, Stern Electronics came up with a customized visual design that blended 2D sprite elements with a photograph of two people and some hand-drawn art pieces. The front of the flyer emphasized accurate the core concept of the game while the rear explained the technical details. They even played with their company name with the line “Stern goes berzerk!”

2. Rush’n Attack North American Arcade Flyer

During the late stages of the Cold War, Konami made a lot of military-themed video games which resonated not only with those who were already aware about the global conflict but also with gamers who craved for action and excitement. One of those games was Rush’n Attack (alternative title: Green Beret) which was released in American arcades in late-1985. Konami came up with an arcade flyer showing four people (looking like an American family) having a good time in front of an arcade cabinet, and three screenshots of the game were displayed on the lower half. Rush’n Attack – which was deliberately titled to resemble the phrase “Russian attack” due to its obvious Cold War setting – went on to succeed commercially and critically. One notable game review compared Rush’n Attack favorably with the movie Rambo: First Blood Part II.

3. Turbo Out Run North American Arcade Flyer

Following the massive success Sega achieved with Out Run in 1986, the company went on to release the follow-up Turbo OutRun three years later. As seen in their North American flyer, Sega emphasized the in-game locations, the look of the machine with the driver’s seat and steering wheel, and the excitement they can expect. Turbo OutRun went on to become successful in the arcades worldwide and it got ported to a variety of consoles and computer systems in the years that followed. On its own, the arcade flyer sparked excitement for gamers.

4. Air Duel Japanese Arcade Flyer

Released in Japanese arcades in 1990, Air Duel from Irem is an intense and fast-paced 2D sprite vertically scrolling shooter that attracted a lot of players. It had a war theme and its aesthetic has a mix of military and somewhat futuristic science fiction elements. The game’s arcade flyer featured a very intriguing artwork by Takashi Yamasaki showing two aircrafts flying over a city heading towards a massively large enemy in the distance. In my opinion, the artwork alone is pretty engaging to see and it’s more than enough to make me think about playing the game.

5. Spellbound Adaptor Print Ad

Remember back in the old days when there were hardware lockouts on game consoles that prevented users from playing games imported from different regions? In Europe, a special cheat and regional bypass cartridge called the Spellbound Adaptor was released and it allowed Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES) users to bypass the lockouts and play games from overseas. The Spellbound Adaptor was notably advertised in European print media showing two sexy ladies posing with the adaptor itself (on the SNES), the television and many SNES games. The ad even includes a promo of buying the adaptor with a game of choice for only £69.95. The ad is still impactful to look at.

6. Contra III: The Alien Wars North American Print Ad

By the time the SNES was launched in America in 1991, a lot of gamers who enjoyed Contra games on the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) have been craving for a sequel on the newer console. Their dreams finally came through in early 1992 when Konami released Contra III: The Alien Wars on the SNES, and it was a lot more than visual upgrade as it had groundbreaking features connected with the game developers’ clever use of the console’s technology. Konami was already aware of Contra’s huge following in America, so they came up with an aggressive looking print ad promoting Contra III: The Alien Wars. With a red-and-black background, the ad had a variety of screenshots that were tilted to look 3D (showing what the game offered) and used a minor space for the descriptive text and image of the game box. This old print ad is one of the finest ways to promote a sequel while also emphasizing the next-generation experience fans can enjoy. This ad is a classic!

7. Apocalypse Print Ads

Believe it or not, Hollywood legend Bruce Willis actually starred in the ambitious video game titled Apocalypse. Before its 1998 released on PlayStation, Apocalypse started with the player character having an AI-controlled partner named Trey Kincaid to be played by Willis. Publisher Activision signed a multi-million Dollar deal with Bruce Willis to use his likeness and voice for the Trey character. Eventually the Trey Kincaid role was modified to be the playable character. Given the huge deal signed with the super star and the additional costs that came with game design revisions, Activision launched an aggressive marketing campaign for Apocalypse and they heavily used Bruce Willis’s name and imagery. Ultimately the game sold less than one million copies and yet Activision was satisfied with the sales which convinced them to go back to Apocalypse developer Neversoft for a new project.

8. R-Type Delta North American Print Ad

R-Type, the long-running series of 2D side-scrolling shooters by Irem, fully embraced 3D polygons with R-Type Delta on PlayStation in 1998. To promote the game in North America, Irem and their partner Agetec went all-in emphasizing their series shift into 3D polygonal graphics while promising new in-game weapons. Very smartly, they included positive quotes from Electronic Gaming Monthly (EGM), PlayStation Magazine (PSM) and Official PlayStation Magazine (OPM) to show credibility. In recent times, an enhanced version of R-Type Delta (R-Type Delta: HD Boosted) was released on modern game console and PC.

9. Racing Lagoon Japanese Print Ad

Released in 1999 for PlayStation only in Japan, Racing Lagoon was one of many games SquareSoft made for a genre other than role-playing games (RPGs). Released at a time when the PlayStation already had lots of racing games available from around the world, Racing Lagoon was a racing game that had role-playing elements mixed in. To promote it, SquareSoft made a print ad that had a night-time city vibe and they showed some screenshots with a unique visual style. The in-game story was influenced by the illegal street racing trend that happened in Japan during the 1980s.

10. Resident Evil – Code: Veronica North America Print Ads

When Resident Evil – Code: Veronica was released on the Sega Dreamcast in Japan in February 2000, it delivered a next-generation survival horror experience to die-hard RE fans and it was easily one of the must-have games for Dreamcast owners of the time. Along the way, RE fans and Dreamcast owners in America were already anticipating the game. Capcom had an aggressive ad campaign for the game with US gamers in mind and this particular single-page print ad showed the fan-favorite characters Claire and Chris Redfield on one corner, six selected screenshots and quotes from the published game reviews of Game Informer, Next Generation and the Official Dreamcast Magazine. The 2-page print ad had the same elements but had the Redfield siblings on the 2nd page. I remember seeing these ads on a few gaming magazines and they made me think about buying a Dreamcast just to play RE – Code: Veronica. These old ads emphasized the strong business trust between Capcom and Sega (which itself lost a lot of money and credibility with the Sega Saturn consoles and many add-on devices released years prior).  

+++++

Thank you for reading. If you find this article engaging, please click the like button below, share this article to others and also please consider making a donation to support my publishing. If you are looking for a copywriter to create content for your special project or business, check out my services and my portfolio. Feel free to contact me with a private message. Also please feel free to visit my Facebook page Author Carlo Carrasco and follow me on Twitter at @CarloCarrascoPH as well as on Tumblr at https://carlocarrasco.tumblr.com/ and on Instagram athttps://www.instagram.com/authorcarlocarrasco

the best part of building an online encyclopedia for multimedia and educational games is acquiring the physical media. after 10+ years of hunting, finally received an affordable copy of Oceans - arguably one of the best educational multimedia experiences MS’s edutainment division produced.

it came with some adorable stickers that have the best utopian scholastic styling and i can’t wait to scan it all in for the https://cd-rom.ca encartapedia!

#digiPres #softwarePreservation #multimedia #cdrom #utopianScholastic #education

the best part of building an online encyclopedia for multimedia and educational games is acquiring the physical media. after 10+ years of hunting, finally received an affordable copy of Oceans - arguably one of the best educational multimedia experiences MS’s edutainment division produced.

it came with some adorable stickers that have the best utopian scholastic styling and i can’t wait to scan it all in for the https://cd-rom.ca encartapedia!

#digiPres #softwarePreservation #multimedia #cdrom #utopianScholastic #education

the magic school bus explores the ocean for windows 3.1 and mac system 7 has about the most perfect intro you could imagine for a 256 colour interpretation of the tv show

the illustrator nailed those heavy ink outlines

#edutainment #cdrom #multimedia #retroGaming #dosGaming #macintosh

the magic school bus explores the ocean for windows 3.1 and mac system 7 has about the most perfect intro you could imagine for a 256 colour interpretation of the tv show

the illustrator nailed those heavy ink outlines

#edutainment #cdrom #multimedia #retroGaming #dosGaming #macintosh

Here's the TOKYO Scenery CD-ROM for Microsoft Flight Simulator 5.1/95. An add-on version by LAGO from 1997.

https://archive.org/details/lago_tokyo-scenery

Have fun! 😜😎

#RetroGaming #DOSGaming #FlightSim #Microsoft #Retro #Gaming #90s #CDROM #DOS #PCGaming #Japan #Tokyo

Here's the TOKYO Scenery CD-ROM for Microsoft Flight Simulator 5.1/95. An add-on version by LAGO from 1997.

https://archive.org/details/lago_tokyo-scenery

Have fun! 😜😎

#RetroGaming #DOSGaming #FlightSim #Microsoft #Retro #Gaming #90s #CDROM #DOS #PCGaming #Japan #Tokyo

edit: solved by @txgx42 - it's the CD Deluxe Pack 4.

fellow cdrom aficionados: does anyone recognize this Software Toolworks cd slipcase?
it appears to be the backside of a disc, but i can't figure out which disc this might be

#dosGaming #multimedia #cdrom

edit: solved by @txgx42 - it's the CD Deluxe Pack 4.

fellow cdrom aficionados: does anyone recognize this Software Toolworks cd slipcase?
it appears to be the backside of a disc, but i can't figure out which disc this might be

#dosGaming #multimedia #cdrom

Загружаемся с Raspberry Pi Pico

Я продолжаю освещать работу с USB на Raspberry Pi Pico. В текущей статье хочу привести пример, как можно использовать Raspberry Pi Pico в качестве загрузочного USB-устройства.

https://habr.com/ru/companies/ruvds/articles/1042562/

#diy #raspberrypi #pico #usb #tinyusb #cdrom #emulation #mass_storage #iso #ruvds_статьи

Picked up for fifty euro cents in a charity shop in the wilds of West Cork:

#retrocomputing #cdrom #encyclopedia

Picked up for fifty euro cents in a charity shop in the wilds of West Cork:

#retrocomputing #cdrom #encyclopedia

Распространение CD-R и кризис музыкальной индустрии

В 1982 году Philips и Sony выпустили компакт-диск, и музыкальная индустрия получила самый доходный физический носитель вплоть до наступления эпохи стриминга. В пиковом 1999 году CD-продажи в США принесли около $12,8 млрд из общих $14,6 млрд отраслевой выручки. Совсем скоро эта же технология стала главным врагом индустрии и запустила ожесточенную битву за авторские права. Расскажем об этом подробнее в нашем материале.

https://habr.com/ru/companies/onlinepatent/articles/1043032/

#звукозапись #звуковая_аппаратура #cdrom #cdr #sony #betacam #копирайт #копирайт_и_патенты #законодательство #законодательство_и_ит

after years of digging and research, i finally found the toolkit that was used to make MS multimedia software Encarta, Dinosaurs and Dangerous Creatures.

when i fell in love with these programs, i imagined they were built with a rich multimedia authoring environment/IDE like Macromedia Director. e.g. dragging and dropping images, sounds, text and video onto a stage, animating it with keyframes, and then scripting it for interaction.

the toolkit used was, as it turns out, a very roughly hewn collection of individual programs. there was no IDE. all of the content was written in RTF files, which were then compiled with links to external resources like wavs and avi's.

i cannot imagine what a nightmare this was for the MS Home teams to work with. there is no drag and drop of any kind, no object linking and embedding (OLÉ!), nor animation editor. this is a dog's breakfast of individual programs written by different people.

i'm frankly amazed that the MS Homes teams put together such well-designed programs *despite* how painful this toolkit is to use

the one thing i can say in its favour is that it has one badass tetricube logo for cover art :D

huge thank you to @david_rysk and @philpem for archiving this extremely obscure piece of software

https://archive.org/details/microsoft-multimedia-viewer-2.0-rips-20210921-1.7z

#multimedia #cdrom #retrocomputing #win31

after years of digging and research, i finally found the toolkit that was used to make MS multimedia software Encarta, Dinosaurs and Dangerous Creatures.

when i fell in love with these programs, i imagined they were built with a rich multimedia authoring environment/IDE like Macromedia Director. e.g. dragging and dropping images, sounds, text and video onto a stage, animating it with keyframes, and then scripting it for interaction.

the toolkit used was, as it turns out, a very roughly hewn collection of individual programs. there was no IDE. all of the content was written in RTF files, which were then compiled with links to external resources like wavs and avi's.

i cannot imagine what a nightmare this was for the MS Home teams to work with. there is no drag and drop of any kind, no object linking and embedding (OLÉ!), nor animation editor. this is a dog's breakfast of individual programs written by different people.

i'm frankly amazed that the MS Homes teams put together such well-designed programs *despite* how painful this toolkit is to use

the one thing i can say in its favour is that it has one badass tetricube logo for cover art :D

huge thank you to @david_rysk and @philpem for archiving this extremely obscure piece of software

https://archive.org/details/microsoft-multimedia-viewer-2.0-rips-20210921-1.7z

#multimedia #cdrom #retrocomputing #win31

CD-ROM Journal: A Trip to 90s Kansai: Exploring the XD FirstClass Network BBS. “XD-submit Vol. 1, as it turns out, is a promotional disc for a Kansai-area bulletin board system (BBS) called XD FirstClass Network. As I started digging into it I assumed this would be sort of a basic information kit, a digital pamphlet or something, but it’s something a lot more exotic: a functioning archive of […]

CD-ROM Journal: A Trip to 90s Kansai: Exploring the XD FirstClass Network BBS. “XD-submit Vol. 1, as it turns out, is a promotional disc for a Kansai-area bulletin board system (BBS) called XD FirstClass Network. As I started digging into it I assumed this would be sort of a basic information kit, a digital pamphlet or something, but it’s something a lot more exotic: a functioning archive of […]

today’s rescue from fb marketplace

whenever someone says “what on earth could you possibly use that thing for?” i know i’ve made a wise purchase. 🫡

#cdrom #multimedia #retrocomputing

today’s rescue from fb marketplace

whenever someone says “what on earth could you possibly use that thing for?” i know i’ve made a wise purchase. 🫡

#cdrom #multimedia #retrocomputing

after months of behind the scenes coding, i'm happy to announce the re-launch of my podcast: CD-ROM Safari!

if you're new to the show, it's a friendly and welcoming look at multimedia software of the 1990s.

i've rebuilt the entire site to use kiki, my php-based homepage construction kit. it now generates podcast RSS feeds on the fly, along with nice cover art and episode metadata :D

prior episodes (from 2018 to early 2026) have been archived into season 1.

the new episode, posted 5 minutes ago, is the first episode of season 2. it's a relaunch of the show, along with a whole new website to facilitate software preservation for educational games, edutainment and multimedia.

the website: https://cd-rom.ca/podcast

podcast rss 2.0: https://cd-rom.ca/podcast.xml

apple podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/cd-rom-safari-podcast/id1393890581

enjoy the show :D

#multimedia #cdrom #retroComputing #retroGaming #dosGaming #msdos #macintosh #vintageApple #kiki #softwarepreservation #podcast

after months of behind the scenes coding, i'm happy to announce the re-launch of my podcast: CD-ROM Safari!

if you're new to the show, it's a friendly and welcoming look at multimedia software of the 1990s.

i've rebuilt the entire site to use kiki, my php-based homepage construction kit. it now generates podcast RSS feeds on the fly, along with nice cover art and episode metadata :D

prior episodes (from 2018 to early 2026) have been archived into season 1.

the new episode, posted 5 minutes ago, is the first episode of season 2. it's a relaunch of the show, along with a whole new website to facilitate software preservation for educational games, edutainment and multimedia.

the website: https://cd-rom.ca/podcast

podcast rss 2.0: https://cd-rom.ca/podcast.xml

apple podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/cd-rom-safari-podcast/id1393890581

enjoy the show :D

#multimedia #cdrom #retroComputing #retroGaming #dosGaming #msdos #macintosh #vintageApple #kiki #softwarepreservation #podcast

Retro Gaming Ads Blast – Part 43

Welcome back readers, fellow geeks and electronic gaming fans!

In this edition of the Retro Gaming Ads Blast (RGAB) series, we will take a look at another batch of retro gaming print ads from the 1980s to the 1990s.

For the newcomers reading this, Retro Gaming Ads Blast (RGAB) looks back at the many print ads of games (console, arcade, computer and handheld) that were published in comic books, magazines, flyers, posters and newspapers long before smartphones, social media, the worldwide web and streaming became popular. To put things in perspective, people back in the 1980s to the 1990s were more trusting of print media for information and images about electronic games and related products.

With those details laid down, here is the newest batch of retro gaming print ads for you to see and enjoy…

1. Taito’s 4-in-1 Print Ad

There is nothing like taking the clever approach of promoting multiple video games using only one single print ad in the size of a single page. Taito did exactly that in the 1980s when it promoted Elevator Action, The Legend of Kage, Arkanoid and Renegade for the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) promising excitement as the mentioned games were making the jump from arcade to console. What is very notable in Taito’s single-page print ad was that it did not show any screenshots of the games. Instead, they used hand-drawn artwork to emphasize each game’s theme or setting, and leave it up to the viewers’ imagination as to how those games would look like on NES. This old ad is intriguing and amusing at the same time.  

2. Chase H.Q. II: Special Criminal Investigation Print Ad

Following the huge success of the original Chase H.Q. on both arcade and consoles in the late-1980s, the sequel Special Crime Investigation was released in the arcades in 1989 and ported to game consoles and computers in the early 1990s under the title Chase H.Q. II: Special Criminal Investigation. To promote Chase H.Q. II: Special Criminal Investigation for home computers, game publisher Ocean came up with a colorful print ad showcasing a few cars, a city background and elements of gun-related action presented in nice art. The ad has an image of the original arcade machine to remind gamers that they are playing the sequel to Chase H.Q.

3. Dancing Eyes Japanese Arcade Flyer

Released by Namco in Japan in 1996, Dancing Eyes is a puzzle arcade game that became notorious due to its overtly sexual nature. With the way it was designed, players control a small monkey called Urusu-San and crawl along a 3D grid mapped over characters (mostly ladies) or various objects. If the 3D grid is mapped over a young lady, any tile of the grid destroyed by the player exposes the lady’s underwear or skin. Such sexuality is reflected in the arcade flyer of Dancing Eyes which has a suggestive hand-drawn art on the front while the game’s mechanics are explained in the rear. Even the rear of the flyer shows sexual nature of the game with screenshots. While the game was officially released only in Japan, Dancing Eyes actually was made available for gamers to play at the arcade of X-Site amusement center inside Festival Mall in Alabang during the early 2000s and it attracted a lot of guys. I bet Namco did not know about that.

4. Sega Saturn North American Print Ad

When the Sega launched the Saturn console in America roughly four months ahead of schedule in 1995, the company suffered as the sales were disappointing, ties with business partners were strained and the available Saturn games were very few. By the fourth quarter of that year, more games became available for the Saturn and this gave Sega the opportunity to aggressively market the console as the one that gamers should get for their enjoyment. To promote the Saturn, Sega came up with a two-page print ad that had a dominant image of a naked woman whose private parts were cleverly covered by screenshots of the available games. Since most gamers were predominantly male from teenagers to adults, it made sense for Sega to come up with an eye-catching sexy ad to promote their console and the video games (including those from other companies). This old ad is considered by the woke and rabid feminists as very offensive today.

5. Blockbuster Video Print Ad

Back in the late 20th century, Blockbuster Video was the dominant retailer that offered customers movies in home video format for sale and for rent. Along the way, the company offered video game rentals and attracted millions of gamers around the nation. Given the tremendous growth of video gaming in America in the 1990s, Blockbuster got itself more involved by launching the Games of Summer Sweepstakes in 1996. Utilizing print ads, the sweepstakes offered the Ultimate Game Rooms – composed of a 41-inch big-screen TV, Surround Sound speakers, hi-fi VCR, NBA Jame Extreme arcade game, the Sega Saturn, the PlayStation, a gaming chair, Acclaim games for Saturn and PlayStation, and a 1-year free Blockbuster Video game rentals privilege – as the grand prizes. Do you know anyone who won in Blockbuster’s sweepstakes?

6. Independence Day (ID4) Print Ad

Remember how big a blockbuster Independence Day (ID4) was in cinemas in 1996? The film grossed over $800 million worldwide and it revived the disaster movie genre using modern filmmaking techniques and the latest technologies of the decade. Given the massive success of the movie, it was not surprising that an official video game adaptation was released in 1997. To promote the game, Fox Interactive (the video game company of the movie studio behind the film) came up with a 2-page print ad using official artwork from the movie showcasing the alien spaceship being attacked by a military fighter plane. The ad showed only 3 screenshots and the descriptive text was written to make gamers feel like they have the role to lead Earth’s fight against the aliens. While the art looks good, it can only go so far to hide the mediocrity of the game itself.

7. GoldenEye 007 Print Ad

When GoldenEye achieved both critical and financial success in movies, it revived the James Bond movie franchise big-time and Pierce Brosnan was easily accepted by the public as the newest Agent 007. Several months before the movie was even released, an official video game adaptation started development. After much revisions and hard adjustments, the project evolved into a first-person shooting game for the Nintendo 64 console titled GoldenEye 007. To promote the game, Nintendo came up with a 2-page print ad that cleverly showed Brosnan as James Bond on the left and displayed the screenshots and other details on the right. This ad was easily eye-catching and it made lots of gamers excited. As history showed, GoldenEye 007 got released in 1997 and became a huge critical and commercial success while also proving that first-person shooters on game consoles can be a lot of fun.

8. North American Sega Saturn Games Promo Print Ad

As mentioned earlier, the Sega Saturn had a bad launch in America in 1995 which caused a lot of problems for the company. In 1996, Sega of America went on the offensive to really capture gamers’ attention by launching their Saturn games promo. The message of this 2-page print ad was very clear…Sega offered one free first-party game (limited to four specific games including Nights into Dreams) to those who bought two games (from a lineup of twelve specific titles). It should be noted that the Christmas season of 1996 was the most successful sales period of the Sega Saturn in America as gamers really responded to the promo. Even though some called this promo an act of desperation, nothing changes the fact that Sega succeeded during the most critical sales season of 1996.

+++++

Thank you for reading. If you find this article engaging, please click the like button below, share this article to others and also please consider making a donation to support my publishing. If you are looking for a copywriter to create content for your special project or business, check out my services and my portfolio. Feel free to contact me with a private message. Also please feel free to visit my Facebook page Author Carlo Carrasco and follow me on Twitter at @CarloCarrascoPH as well as on Tumblr at https://carlocarrasco.tumblr.com/ and on Instagram athttps://www.instagram.com/authorcarlocarrasco

Retro Gaming Ads Blast – Part 43

Welcome back readers, fellow geeks and electronic gaming fans!

In this edition of the Retro Gaming Ads Blast (RGAB) series, we will take a look at another batch of retro gaming print ads from the 1980s to the 1990s.

For the newcomers reading this, Retro Gaming Ads Blast (RGAB) looks back at the many print ads of games (console, arcade, computer and handheld) that were published in comic books, magazines, flyers, posters and newspapers long before smartphones, social media, the worldwide web and streaming became popular. To put things in perspective, people back in the 1980s to the 1990s were more trusting of print media for information and images about electronic games and related products.

With those details laid down, here is the newest batch of retro gaming print ads for you to see and enjoy…

1. Taito’s 4-in-1 Print Ad

There is nothing like taking the clever approach of promoting multiple video games using only one single print ad in the size of a single page. Taito did exactly that in the 1980s when it promoted Elevator Action, The Legend of Kage, Arkanoid and Renegade for the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) promising excitement as the mentioned games were making the jump from arcade to console. What is very notable in Taito’s single-page print ad was that it did not show any screenshots of the games. Instead, they used hand-drawn artwork to emphasize each game’s theme or setting, and leave it up to the viewers’ imagination as to how those games would look like on NES. This old ad is intriguing and amusing at the same time.  

2. Chase H.Q. II: Special Criminal Investigation Print Ad

Following the huge success of the original Chase H.Q. on both arcade and consoles in the late-1980s, the sequel Special Crime Investigation was released in the arcades in 1989 and ported to game consoles and computers in the early 1990s under the title Chase H.Q. II: Special Criminal Investigation. To promote Chase H.Q. II: Special Criminal Investigation for home computers, game publisher Ocean came up with a colorful print ad showcasing a few cars, a city background and elements of gun-related action presented in nice art. The ad has an image of the original arcade machine to remind gamers that they are playing the sequel to Chase H.Q.

3. Dancing Eyes Japanese Arcade Flyer

Released by Namco in Japan in 1996, Dancing Eyes is a puzzle arcade game that became notorious due to its overtly sexual nature. With the way it was designed, players control a small monkey called Urusu-San and crawl along a 3D grid mapped over characters (mostly ladies) or various objects. If the 3D grid is mapped over a young lady, any tile of the grid destroyed by the player exposes the lady’s underwear or skin. Such sexuality is reflected in the arcade flyer of Dancing Eyes which has a suggestive hand-drawn art on the front while the game’s mechanics are explained in the rear. Even the rear of the flyer shows sexual nature of the game with screenshots. While the game was officially released only in Japan, Dancing Eyes actually was made available for gamers to play at the arcade of X-Site amusement center inside Festival Mall in Alabang during the early 2000s and it attracted a lot of guys. I bet Namco did not know about that.

4. Sega Saturn North American Print Ad

When the Sega launched the Saturn console in America roughly four months ahead of schedule in 1995, the company suffered as the sales were disappointing, ties with business partners were strained and the available Saturn games were very few. By the fourth quarter of that year, more games became available for the Saturn and this gave Sega the opportunity to aggressively market the console as the one that gamers should get for their enjoyment. To promote the Saturn, Sega came up with a two-page print ad that had a dominant image of a naked woman whose private parts were cleverly covered by screenshots of the available games. Since most gamers were predominantly male from teenagers to adults, it made sense for Sega to come up with an eye-catching sexy ad to promote their console and the video games (including those from other companies). This old ad is considered by the woke and rabid feminists as very offensive today.

5. Blockbuster Video Print Ad

Back in the late 20th century, Blockbuster Video was the dominant retailer that offered customers movies in home video format for sale and for rent. Along the way, the company offered video game rentals and attracted millions of gamers around the nation. Given the tremendous growth of video gaming in America in the 1990s, Blockbuster got itself more involved by launching the Games of Summer Sweepstakes in 1996. Utilizing print ads, the sweepstakes offered the Ultimate Game Rooms – composed of a 41-inch big-screen TV, Surround Sound speakers, hi-fi VCR, NBA Jame Extreme arcade game, the Sega Saturn, the PlayStation, a gaming chair, Acclaim games for Saturn and PlayStation, and a 1-year free Blockbuster Video game rentals privilege – as the grand prizes. Do you know anyone who won in Blockbuster’s sweepstakes?

6. Independence Day (ID4) Print Ad

Remember how big a blockbuster Independence Day (ID4) was in cinemas in 1996? The film grossed over $800 million worldwide and it revived the disaster movie genre using modern filmmaking techniques and the latest technologies of the decade. Given the massive success of the movie, it was not surprising that an official video game adaptation was released in 1997. To promote the game, Fox Interactive (the video game company of the movie studio behind the film) came up with a 2-page print ad using official artwork from the movie showcasing the alien spaceship being attacked by a military fighter plane. The ad showed only 3 screenshots and the descriptive text was written to make gamers feel like they have the role to lead Earth’s fight against the aliens. While the art looks good, it can only go so far to hide the mediocrity of the game itself.

7. GoldenEye 007 Print Ad

When GoldenEye achieved both critical and financial success in movies, it revived the James Bond movie franchise big-time and Pierce Brosnan was easily accepted by the public as the newest Agent 007. Several months before the movie was even released, an official video game adaptation started development. After much revisions and hard adjustments, the project evolved into a first-person shooting game for the Nintendo 64 console titled GoldenEye 007. To promote the game, Nintendo came up with a 2-page print ad that cleverly showed Brosnan as James Bond on the left and displayed the screenshots and other details on the right. This ad was easily eye-catching and it made lots of gamers excited. As history showed, GoldenEye 007 got released in 1997 and became a huge critical and commercial success while also proving that first-person shooters on game consoles can be a lot of fun.

8. North American Sega Saturn Games Promo Print Ad

As mentioned earlier, the Sega Saturn had a bad launch in America in 1995 which caused a lot of problems for the company. In 1996, Sega of America went on the offensive to really capture gamers’ attention by launching their Saturn games promo. The message of this 2-page print ad was very clear…Sega offered one free first-party game (limited to four specific games including Nights into Dreams) to those who bought two games (from a lineup of twelve specific titles). It should be noted that the Christmas season of 1996 was the most successful sales period of the Sega Saturn in America as gamers really responded to the promo. Even though some called this promo an act of desperation, nothing changes the fact that Sega succeeded during the most critical sales season of 1996.

+++++

Thank you for reading. If you find this article engaging, please click the like button below, share this article to others and also please consider making a donation to support my publishing. If you are looking for a copywriter to create content for your special project or business, check out my services and my portfolio. Feel free to contact me with a private message. Also please feel free to visit my Facebook page Author Carlo Carrasco and follow me on Twitter at @CarloCarrascoPH as well as on Tumblr at https://carlocarrasco.tumblr.com/ and on Instagram athttps://www.instagram.com/authorcarlocarrasco

Hey, all! Do you think the Sega CD was nothing but FMV games? Let me dissuade with a look at 76 (really 78) of its most interesting non FMV titles along with a big look at games from Japan that we never got!

Link: https://youtu.be/HJA2ubd46E0

#segacd #megacd #retrogames #retrogaming #classicgames #16bit #classicgames #cdrom #rpg#jrpg #shmup

Relive the #PC #magazine cover disk era with 758-strong #InternetArchive.org #CDROM collection — 1.2TB treasure trove also includes #FloppyDisks from as early as 1993
A search uncovered over 1,500 #PCGamer software archives, thanks to a trove of floppy disk offerings from yesteryear. The total collection spans 1.2TB of material, according to the site.
Many of the #magazines are available to read, too
https://www.tomshardware.com/software/relive-the-pc-magazine-cover-disk-era-with-758-strong-archive-org-cd-rom-collection-1-2tb-treasure-trove-also-includes-floppy-disks-from-as-early-as-1993

Wow that takes me back!