#shooters — Public Fediverse posts

Retro Gaming Ads Blast – Part 42

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. Space Duel Arcade Flyer

When the 1979 arcade classic Asteroids achieved massive success for Atari, the company went on to make ports of it on different platforms as well as follow-ups in the arcades. The first follow-up Asteroids Deluxe had a positive reception but never reached the huge impact of its predecessor. Since Asteroids Deluxe was well regarded for improved visuals and higher level of challenge, Atari went on to make the 1982 follow-up Space Duel. To promote the game, Atari’s artists made fascinating original artworks for both the arcade cabinet and the arcade flyer itself. Apart from looking great, I noticed the spaceships of Space Duel’s art looks similar with those of Xevious (a Namco arcade game distributed by Atari in America) and I can only speculate that the same artist made those.

2. Midway Auxiliary Show Monitor Print Ad

As video arcades in America became massively popular with people and became a major economic sector, it was not surprising that crowding became a trend especially whenever a very popular game attracted both players (waiting in line) as well as onlookers. Midway, which was an arcade giant in the 1980s, came up with their own concept of a specialized secondary display called the Midway Auxiliary Show Monitor designed to let onlookers watch a video of ongoing gameplay without physically standing by the player. As the print ad above shows precisely the use of the monitors, those were used at trade shows or in arcades with a setup to make turn the single-player experience into a makeshift show for the people nearby. Back in the 1980s, there was indeed a spectator approach to the arcade experience but players had to deal with the disturbance of many onlookers standing near to see the on-screen action. At the very least, Midway’s concept and hardware was a bold attempt to solve overcrowding.

3. Sega Genesis North American Print Ad

While the Sega Genesis has always been identified with 1990s console gaming in America, the console was officially launched there in August 1989. At the time, Sega of America was not too creative nor aggressive when it comes to marketing the Genesis. The above 1989 print ad showed a lot of screenshots to promote the games, showed the console with a TV and a few peripherals and a text description that emphasized the Genesis as the so-called ultimate dimension in game play. Considering how dynamic and aggressive Sega’s marketing of the Genesis and games became a few years later when Tom Kalinske became the CEO, it is not surprising that this old ad has been forgotten.

4. The Punisher NES Print Ad

By the year 1990, The Punisher became one of Marvel Comics’ most popular figures and the character had two monthly series published. As such, an actual video game featuring the character was made for the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) and to promote it, three screenshots were shown, a brick wall with stylized short messages was shown and a hand-drawn art of the Punisher was displayed. As seen in the screenshots, elements from The Punisher comic books were displayed such as shooting and fighting the criminals. Considering how wholesome the NES audience was at the time, this print promotion of The Punisher game looks odd although it is a fact that entertainment products featuring violent entertainment properties or characters were made and marketed towards children less than 12-years-old. Remember the Rambo animated series and video games of the 1980s?

5. Lethal Enforcers II: Gun Fighters Arcade Flyer

After achieving both critical and big-time commercial arcade success with Lethal Enforcers in 1992, Konami proceeded with the sequel Lethal Enforcers II: Gun Fighters which was released in arcades two years later. While the 1994 game used 2D sprites and digitized photographs like its predecessor, Konami used the 19th century Old West as the setting making it totally different from the 1992 original. To promote the game and emphasize the Old West setting, Konami came up with this arcade flyer that showed actors in cowboy costumes with a background that looks like a cowboy movie set. Lethal Enforcers II: Gun Fighters went on to become successful in the arcades and it later got ported to game consoles.

6. Wipeout XL Print Ad

1996 was a tremendous year for console gaming. As Nintendo launched their highly anticipated Nintendo 64 console (N64) that year, game publishers came up with new games that further utilized the features of both Sony PlayStation and Sega Saturn. Wipeout XL was a sequel sci-fi racing game exclusive to the PlayStation and developer/publisher Psygnosis went all-in promoting the game with a lot of creativity and energy. They came up with this 2-page print ad to make gamers excited while creatively informing them what features, rave music and fun gameplay it has. On face value, this print ad looked more like a dazzling article.

7. Nights into Dreams Print Ad

If there is anything notable about the history of the Sega Saturn, it is the fact that there were no new dedicated platform games of Sonic The Hedgehog released for it which is very odd as the Sonic platform games on Sega Genesis were big sellers, critically acclaimed and even made their mark on pop culture. During the mid-1990s, Sonic Team (which had Sonic game creators like Yuji Naka and Naoto Ohshima) were laser-focused on making Nights into Dreams (stylized as NiGHTS into Dreams) which was an all-new intellectual property that allowed them to utilize the 3D capabilities of the Saturn while making room for their creativity. Sega knew Nights into Dreams was special so they came up with this 2-page print ad which had an eye-catching display of screenshots of the game on the left (with the Saturn in the middle) while using the other half for descriptive text and explanations (with the special Saturn controller in the middle) to grab people’s attention. This old ad from 1996 is a mixed bag for me as the left side was captivating to see while the description on the right side requires some effort to read properly due to the small size of the text.

8. Super Mario 64 Print Ad

What is arguably the most memorable video game released in 1996 was Super Mario 64 which was not only a fully featured launch game of the Nintendo 64 console, but also the first-ever Super Mario platform game made with 3D polygons complete with a large 3D environment that can be explored a lot. There was a huge anticipation for this game by both gamers and the media, and whenever it was previewed before release, it drew lots of crowds and many ended up being very impressed and wanting more. Nintendo knew they had some very special under the production and direction of Mario creator Shigeru Miyamoto. As such, Nintendo had an ambitious marketing campaign that includes print media, video advertising on MTV, Fox and Nickelodeon and even sending video tapes to thousands of Nintendo Power magazine subscribers. This 2-page print ad was part of the campaign and it had a fine visual design that strongly emphasized the iconic Mario in polygonal form in most spaces, leaving the screenshots in the bottom. This old ad from 1996 never looks outdated and its clean approach is really effective in helping people understand that something great would be launched along with the N64. Both the console and this game sold a lot of copies ultimately and it remains one of Nintendo’s biggest achievements ever.

+++++

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Sci-Fi Arsenal: Futuristic P... #Scifi #Particleeffects #Combat #Environments #Rpgs #Shooters #Platformers #Adventuregames #Futuristic #Explosions #Missiles #Flamethrowers #Holographicpowerups #AssetStore

https://u3dn.com/packages/sci-fi-arsenal-futuristic-particle-effects-60519

https://www.europesays.com/es/460571/ El recién lanzado Deadzone: Rogue y otros shooters rebajados que arrasan en la eShop de Nintendo Switch 2 / Nintendo Switch ahora mismo #Ciencia #CienciaYTecnología #CienciaYtecnología #Descuentos #ES #eShop #España #NintendoSwitch2 #ofertas #rebajas #Science #ScienceAndTechnology #ScienceAndTechnology #shooters #Spain #Technology #Tecnología

This is a clip of one of my favorite gaming sessions with my daughter. That kiddo really makes me laugh.
https://youtube.com/watch?v=pP-ZYcJ9Vgo
(clean link)

This is a clip of one of my favorite gaming sessions with my daughter. That kiddo really makes me laugh.

https://youtube.com/watch?v=pP-ZYcJ9Vgo
(clean link)

Hundreds of thousands of gun owners using firearms law ‘loophole’, Australia Institute says

Hundreds of thousands of gun owners are using a “loophole” in Australia’s firearms laws to own guns without…
#NewsBeep #News #Australia #AU #ausplay #AustraliaInstitute #AustralianSportsCommission #bonditerrorattack #firearms #fishersandfarmers #gunclubs #GUNS #loophole #research #RodCampbell #shooters
https://www.newsbeep.com/au/545335/

Hundreds of thousands of gun owners using firearms law ‘loophole’, Australia Institute says

Hundreds of thousands of gun owners are using a “loophole” in Australia’s firearms laws to own guns without…
#NewsBeep #News #Australia #AU #ausplay #AustraliaInstitute #AustralianSportsCommission #bonditerrorattack #firearms #fishersandfarmers #gunclubs #GUNS #loophole #research #RodCampbell #shooters
https://www.newsbeep.com/au/545335/

I don't do many preorders of anything, but I love the hell out of shooting games of all kinds- sometimes I gotta jump. Dezatopia came out in 2020 and I've had it on both my Switch and Steam wishlists digitally since then, it's supposed to be great. It's actually the very FIRST thing on my Switch wishlist from all those years ago! So when I heard it was coming out physical with Mecharitz, it was a no brainer. Sure, it took a long time to get here (I preordered in July and just got it now in December). But to me, the wait was worth it. In addition to the cartridge with both games and a manual, it came with another separate book, a CD of the soundtrack, and a poster.

So psyched to try both of these.

#shmups #shootemups #games #gaming #switch #switchgames #shooters #shootinggames #indie #indiegames #strictlylimited #nintendo #nintendoswitch

If you have a North American Switch eshop account (sorry, European & other folks) and wanna grab some free games, No Gravity Games is doing another holiday giveaway for several days. You HAVE TO get the game the day before to get the next day's game (they're also fairly cheap to just buy if you miss one). Grab the first one today - Bullets & Brains (a zombie shooter) here: https://www.nintendo.com/us/store/products/bullets-and-brains-switch

And tomorrow check for the daily free game at https://nogravitygames.com/switchmas2025.

#Switch #NintendoSwitch #Nintendo #zombies #ShootingGames #shooters #ZombieGames #indie #IndieGames #gaming #FreeGames #eshop #giveway #giveaways #GameGiveaways

3rd-person shooters optimized for controllers?

https://piefed.social/c/patientgamers/p/1500430/3rd-person-shooters-optimized-for-controllers

It seems that shooters are originating less from mentally deranged loners and more from "good families". Intelligent, affluent, thinking people who have worked hard throughout their lives. What does this say about our tolerance of Nazis, fascists, white supremacists, racists and the like? #haters #shooters

#Standyourground laws linked to higher #homicide rates, new report finds

#Homicides with #white #shooters, #Black #victims ruled justifiable 4 times more often than when roles were reversed.

https://ohiocapitaljournal.com/2025/07/22/stand-your-ground-laws-linked-to-higher-homicide-rates-new-report-finds/

I firmly believe that #Borderlands4 is going to be the guinea pig for Take Two to see how the market reacts to $80.

It's not about selling millions of copies, or "players" numbers, but if the sales are over or below expectations. If it's below, I bet #TakeTwo will try to justify the $100 price tag as hard as they can.

#Videogames #Gaming #Games #LooterShooter #FPS #RandyPitchford #Shooter #Shooters #Gearbox #GearboxSoftware #TakeTwoInteractive

Final Zone「(FZ戦記アクシス」is a great looking retro inspired isometric shooter from Ratalaika (can't really go wrong with most of their games) that just came out on Steam (and it's on consoles, too, including Switch). It's fairly inexpensive, too (less than $5 right now), and on sale for a few more days.

Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/3387400

Switch: https://www.nintendo.com/us/store/products/final-zone-switch

#Steam #SteamGames #Switch #SwitchGames #shooters #isometric #ShootingGames #indie #IndieGames #FinalZone #Ratalaika

Descubre por qué Delta Force es unmust en los #shooters actuales. Analizamos su emocionante #multijugador y desafiante campaña. ¡No te lo pierdas! #gaming #videojuegos #entertainment

https://www.gameslatino.com/analisis-completo-de-delta-force/

The guys behind #DoomTheDarkAges music are #FinishingMove.

https://www.finishingmoveinc.com/

They surely can match #MickGordon levels of production, but can they match his soul, passion and craftsmanship?

Mick single-handedly created a whole new metal genre in a cave, with a bunch of scraps.

#Microsoft #Xbox #GamePass #Doom #DoomEternal #TheDarkAges #Bethesda #IdSoftware #Id #FPS #Shooter #Shooters #Videogames #Gaming #Games #PlayStation5 #PS5 #PC #PCGaming #PCGames #PCGame #DeveloperDirect

Tencent knows the deal with #DeltaForce.

It's pay-to-win. They will make their money the first months, and then call it a day.

Why play a game that you can lose because somebody has a bigger credit card?

For f*ck sake, another good game that goes out the list to play this year.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K_E1Xo7yQ1s

#Tencent #China #Videogames #Gaming #MTX #PayToWin #P2W #Shooter #Shooters #Multiplayer #Online #MultiplayerOnline #Games #DeltaForceHawkOps #TeamJade

#Mugthief gives five reasons on why #Concord is flopping, and I think he has valid points.

To me, there are only three:

- Rugpull marketing failed day one
- Not the best #HeroShooter
- Costs $40

If Concord wants a chance to be a project that can sell six digits, they should scrap the #Multiplayer and give it a campaign.

#Videogames #Gaming #Sony #Firewalk #FirewalkStudios #FPS #Shooters #PlayStation5 #PlayStation #PS5 #PC #PCGames

I tried #DMZ, uninstalled it in 30 minutes. It’s still shit:

- You get ran over on spawn
- Full of campers
- Boring missions
- Nobody rescues
- Plethora of unresolved bugs
- 5 minutes to find a match

The game mode had zero support since #ModernWarfare2, so it’s practically dead. ☠️

Are there other extraction shooters?

#CallOfDuty #COD #CODBO6 #BO6 #Activision #Xbox #InfinityWard #Microsoft #Treyarch #Videogames #Gaming #Games #FPS #Shooters #Multiplayer #MW2 #MW3 #MW #ModernWarfare

I tried #DMZ, uninstalled it in 30 minutes. It’s still shit:

- You get ran over on spawn
- Full of campers
- Boring missions
- Nobody rescues
- Plethora of unresolved bugs
- 5 minutes to find a match

The game mode had zero support since #ModernWarfare2, so it’s practically dead. ☠️

Are there other extraction shooters?

#CallOfDuty #COD #CODBO6 #BO6 #Activision #Xbox #InfinityWard #Microsoft #Treyarch #Videogames #Gaming #Games #FPS #Shooters #Multiplayer #MW2 #MW3 #MW #ModernWarfare

I tried #DMZ, uninstalled it in 30 minutes. It’s still shit:

- You get ran over on spawn
- Full of campers
- Boring missions
- Nobody rescues
- Plethora of unresolved bugs
- 5 minutes to find a match

The game mode had zero support since #ModernWarfare2, so it’s practically dead. ☠️

Are there other extraction shooters?

#CallOfDuty #COD #CODBO6 #BO6 #Activision #Xbox #InfinityWard #Microsoft #Treyarch #Videogames #Gaming #Games #FPS #Shooters #Multiplayer #MW2 #MW3 #MW #ModernWarfare

The track record for #343Industries:

❎ Halo 4 - Strike 1
❎ Halo 5 - Strike 2
⚾ Halo Infinite - Ball

#Halo 7 can be either a strike or a home run.

For the sake of the franchise, and the people who work in it, I hope it's the latter.

#Videogames #Gaming #Halo7 #Microsoft #Xbox #Shooters #FPS #Shooter

If there is a rumored #Halo Combat Evolved remake in the works, I hope they use it to understand what makes Halo fun in the first place.

#Videogames #Gaming #HaloCE #Microsoft #Xbox #343Industries #343 #Shooters #FPS

Yeah, #EscapeFromTarkov and its $250 free mod. It's done.

Back to #Warzone I guess.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c69wk6QzC4Q

#COD #Tarkov #Videogames #Gaming #Shooters #FPS #DLC #BattlestateGames

Yeah, #EscapeFromTarkov and its $250 free mod. It's done.

Back to #Warzone I guess.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c69wk6QzC4Q

#COD #Tarkov #Videogames #Gaming #Shooters #FPS #DLC #BattlestateGames

Yeah, #EscapeFromTarkov and its $250 free mod. It's done.

Back to #Warzone I guess.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c69wk6QzC4Q

#COD #Tarkov #Videogames #Gaming #Shooters #FPS #DLC #BattlestateGames

Yeah, #EscapeFromTarkov and its $250 free mod. It's done.

Back to #Warzone I guess.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c69wk6QzC4Q

#COD #Tarkov #Videogames #Gaming #Shooters #FPS #DLC #BattlestateGames

Yeah, #EscapeFromTarkov and its $250 free mod. It's done.

Back to #Warzone I guess.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c69wk6QzC4Q

#COD #Tarkov #Videogames #Gaming #Shooters #FPS #DLC #BattlestateGames

Wizard with a Gun is a great looking isometric shooter with crafting etc that just came out. It has a free demo on Xbox (and maybe other places - I gotta check the Switch).

Psyched to try this one out. Check out these screenshots! 😍

#WizardWithAGun #Xbox #demos #FreeDemos #IndieGames #shooters #ShootingGames #CraftingGames #SandboxGames #wizards

Have I done #TenGamesToKnowMe here yet? I forget.

If I have, this is an updated version for 2023. Here's mine, in no particular order.

* Centipede (my favorite game ever. Arcade version! Lemme shoot those bugs!)

* Black Widow (also the arcade version - I'm totally hooked on this one too, and it was a more recent discovery. When I go to an arcade with retro machines, I basically just want to play this and Centipede the whole time.)

* Wolfenstein 3D (a classic, still playable. Who doesn't love killing digital Nazis?)

* Diablo (1, 2, 3, 4, Immortal, any. Just choose one and I love it. What a series. Hooked.)

* Gun Nac (my favorite technical [ship based] shootemup-- if you don't count Centipede as a shootemup. A rare one for the NES. If you like shooters and get the chance to play this, even emulated, don't miss it.)

* Wizodd (I love roguelikes and indie games, and this one is both. Just a cool, simple game that's definitely beatable and replayable. But you won't beat it every time!)

* Mario Kart (another that it doesn't really matter the series, although the Wii one might be my favorite, closely followed by the SNES one. I definitely play the Wii one the most.)

* Doom (1 or 2, preferably. I feel like those are most classic, and those are the ones that got me hooked. More recent ones I'm not as much about, but those first two.. wow.)

* Beam Rider (I'm throwing this in because it's an amazing game for the Atari 2600. Maybe one of the best ones. I feel like it gets overlooked with all the other great ones on the system, River Raid, etc.)

* Beekyr Reloaded (okay, this is a weird one. I was tempted to put Neko Navy or Q-Yo Blaster or another modern indie shootemup that I love in here somewhere instead, but Beekyr is too rad. I love bees and I love shooters, so this one was definitely for me, despite its creator not really being happy with its port.)

Those are my ten, and I'm sticking with them. (At least for today 😂). There are SO MANY other games I love, but these ten are huge.

#Centipede #BlackWidow #arcade #ArcadeGames #Atari #Wolfenstein #Wolfenstein3D #Diablo #Diablo1 #DiabloI #Diablo2 #DiabloII #GunNac #NES #RetroGaming #shmups #shootemups #shooters #Wizodd #MarioKart #Wii #Nintendo #NintendoWii #Wizodd #roguelike #roguelikes #Doom #Beamrider #Atari2600 #BeekyrReloaded #bees #Doom1 #Doom2 #fps #arpg #arpgs #games #gaming

One hopes the #LAPD can take some time away from the donuts and the beatings to perhaps identify and stop the #shooters
https://forward.com/fast-forward/536382/jewish-man-shot-pico-robertson-morning-services-los-angeles/

#shul #shootings #LA #LosAngeles #PicoRobertson #Jewish #synagogues #antisemitism #antisemiticViolence