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Vintage Videogame Commercials

Posted by Zonk on from the old-skool dept.

Ant writes "Bezoar has a collection of old video game commercials ranging from Atari 2600 to SNES. These WMV files (1-2 MB each) can be downloaded for nostalgia flashbacks or if you are curious (you young kids!)."

62 comments

  1. ugh. by numbski · · Score: 0, Offtopic

    Why not divx or xvid, or at least quicktime?

    Sheesh. Always with the stupid formats...

    --

    Karma: Chameleon (mostly due to the fact that you come and go).

    1. Re:ugh. by joeljkp · · Score: 2, Interesting

      I convert things to open formats on my website. I'll try to get to these tonight. Expect Theora/Vorbis.

      --
      WeRelate.org - wiki-based genealogy
    2. Re:ugh. by karnal · · Score: 2, Funny

      Didn't you hear the previous poster? Stop with the stupid formats!

      (it's supposed to make you smile.....)

      --
      Karnal
    3. Re:ugh. by joeljkp · · Score: 1

      Yeah, yeah. Theora will rule the world! (...or something)

      --
      WeRelate.org - wiki-based genealogy
  2. Yet more crappy lo-res WMV video by LocalH · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Why don't these sites archive this video at 720x480? Sure, it may be old VHS captures, but still, when you resize to half-resolution, you lose HALF of the available resolution immediately?

    This type stuff should be archived in standard MPEG-2 format, and offered in lower resolutions for streaming purposes only.

    --
    FC Closer
    1. Re:Yet more crappy lo-res WMV video by American+AC+in+Paris · · Score: 3, Insightful
      These guys aren't exactly archivists, and seeing as their site just got dropped on Slashdot, well, can you blame them for cutting out 75% of the frame?

      This site is there for the authors' amusement, not to preserve the history of the human race. Give 'em a break.

      --

      Obliteracy: Words with explosions

    2. Re:Yet more crappy lo-res WMV video by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      How exactly is SNES "vintage"?!

    3. Re:Yet more crappy lo-res WMV video by LocalH · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Then if you're not an archivist, and you find some rare old video, then find a friggin' archivist. Hell, if they'd send me the tapes, I'll run the tapes through a TBC to stabilize them a bit, archive them at full resolution high-bitrate MPEG-2, and send them around BitTorrent.

      I'm not ragging on these guys particularly, just lamenting that 99% of the time I find this type of old video online, it's some crappy lo-res, low-bitrate WMV (or worse, Real) video. Half the time, it's even at some shitty frame rate like 10fps or something.

      Preservation is a laudable goal, regardless of the target of the preservation. Sure, perhaps these people aren't set up to preserve such media, but they should get the video to someone who is.

      --
      FC Closer
    4. Re:Yet more crappy lo-res WMV video by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      It's "vintage" because you can't buy a new one anymore, and there is no new software coming out for it anymore. Also, it's vintage because it's been a considerable amount of time since the SNES was discontinued.

    5. Re:Yet more crappy lo-res WMV video by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      If you can do better, contact them, and make it happen. You probably won't get any money for it (which is what you're implying, I think -- get the video to someone who is usually means "spend lots of money"), but hey, you'd have better quality videos online!

    6. Re:Yet more crappy lo-res WMV video by b1t+r0t · · Score: 2, Informative

      If they were ripped from VHS, they don't have 720x480 resolution to begin with. VHS really can't give you much better than 320x240x60, or 320x480x30 (with a 2:1 pixel size) if you de-interlace. 2-hour mode isn't so bad, but back when tapes cost $5-$10 each, nobody really wanted to use anything but 6-hour mode, myself included. With SVHS, you could probably get 640x480/720x480, but it wasn't around then. And I'm sure that few of these are readily available on U-Matic.

      --

      --
      "Open source is good." - Steve Jobs
      "Open source is evil." - Microsoft
    7. Re:Yet more crappy lo-res WMV video by LocalH · · Score: 2, Informative

      Yeah, but all NTSC formats only have 240 visible lines per field. You don't deinterlace to get 480 lines at 29.97fps, you just take the 480 line interlaced video that the capture hardware gives you. In fact, most deinterlacing algorithms used prior to encoding are pure crap, and only serve to remove either temporal or spatial resolution, depending on the algorithm.

      So, 320x480 (or 352x480 preferably) would be sufficient. I just stated 720x480 because I'm used to capturing at 720x480 through an NTSC-DV converter box (since DV is always 720x480, that's what I'm limited to).

      --
      FC Closer
  3. My favorite was the PowerGlove!! by FriedTurkey · · Score: 1

    It makes the PowerGlove look so cool!!! Could you really use it in Punch-Out like that? I might need to scour Ebay for one now.

    1. Re:My favorite was the PowerGlove!! by EnronHaliburton2004 · · Score: 1

      Could you really use it in Punch-Out like that?

      All I remember about that power glove is that you still had to use it mostly like a regular Nitendo control, but it was built into a glove, so if you were wearing the glove you could barely use the control... lame-o.

      Punch-Out lets you hit with two hands. How do you do that with one PowerGlove?

      "Left, left, Mighty Blow, Mighty Blow, left, left"

      --
      94% of Repubs and 21% of Dems voted to renew the Patriot Act
    2. Re:My favorite was the PowerGlove!! by GregoryD · · Score: 2, Funny

      No you can't.

      There is no doubt in my mind, the powerglove was the single biggest rip-off product Nintendo ever produced.

      I am still pissed at Nintendo because I got this piece of crap from Santa. I'd rather have 2 games then this 80 dollar piece of shit.

      It is not to late Nintendo! If you want me to like you give me my fucking 80 dollars back!

    3. Re:My favorite was the PowerGlove!! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      too bad it was made by mattel, faggot.

  4. The "alternate" Zelda ad by Pluvius · · Score: 1

    Best video-game commercial ever made. The rest of them are pretty good too, but the site's missing one of those "passive-aggressive" 3DO commercials.

    BTW, I swear, some people around here wouldn't be satisfied by anything. Give them a million dollars and they would complain that it wasn't all in twenties or something.

    Rob

    1. Re:The "alternate" Zelda ad by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      BTW, I swear, some people around here wouldn't be satisfied by anything. Give them a million dollars and they would complain that it wasn't all in twenties or something.

      If it was a million dollars in Monopoly money, then yes, I would complain. Similar situation.

    2. Re:The "alternate" Zelda ad by Pluvius · · Score: 1

      You mean these movies are fake?

      Rob

    3. Re:The "alternate" Zelda ad by LocalH · · Score: 1

      One of these days, these crappy encodes will likely end up being the ONLY existing copies of these commercials. For preservation purposes, it is essential that one capture at 720x480 or 720x576 (or 704x480/704x576, depending on hardware), at the respective frame rates for NTSC or PAL.

      I didn't say I wasn't happy that the video is being distributed, just that I wish there was an effort to preserve them in archival quality, and these WMVs are most certainly nowhere close to archival quality.

      --
      FC Closer
    4. Re:The "alternate" Zelda ad by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      THEN DO IT! Gah.

      "I'm getting free shit online, but it's not up to my quality requirements. Wah wah wah. I could do it so much better, but I don't. Wah!!!"

      Man.

    5. Re:The "alternate" Zelda ad by badasscat · · Score: 1

      One of these days, these crappy encodes will likely end up being the ONLY existing copies of these commercials. For preservation purposes, it is essential that one capture at 720x480 or 720x576 (or 704x480/704x576, depending on hardware), at the respective frame rates for NTSC or PAL.

      Jesus, I realize you're a local TV news dude, but these guys are probably encoding from old VHS tapes they've found lying around the house. They're not doing it from original source material, and they didn't even have stuff like digiBeta back then (the best the original would have been on was regular beta). I haven't been able to view these particular movies (bandwidth exceeded) but I've seen plenty of other sites that have similar old commercials so I'm sure they're doing the same thing.

      With a 20 year old VHS tape originally recorded from broadcast TV, you're lucky if you've even got 250 lines of resolution left. By definition you would have to have 525 horizontal lines, but that doesn't mean every one of those lines will have distinguishable detail on it - you may need to combine two or even three lines before you'd be able to distinguish individual features from the image.

      The end result being that I think 320x240 is generous. I doubt these tapes still have that much actual picture resolution. Compression is another matter, but if you're complaining about resolution, you're missing the point. You're not going to get any more quality by upping the resolution. It's not really much different than taking a digital photo at 1600x1200 and then blowing it up to 3200x2400. You don't get any extra detail that way.

      And anyway, they're posting these on the web. Whenever I capture and encode for the web, I do one copy for archiving and one copy for the web. Because, as you can see right now, bandwidth does cost money. I don't know if these guys did that, but I wouldn't automatically assume that they didn't.

    6. Re:The "alternate" Zelda ad by LocalH · · Score: 2, Informative

      You're using 'lines of resolution' incorrectly. All (and I do mean *all*) interlaced NTSC devices have 525 scanlines, *period*, of which 486 are visible (and thus 480 scanlines is 'close enough'). The 'lines of resolution' is basically the number of vertical lines that you can fit inside of a perfect square at the height of the frame (this is done to make 'lines of resolution' comparable across different aspect ratios), which means that 'lines of resolution' actually refers to horizontal detail. VHS has 480 visible scanlines just like Digital Betacam, and every one of those scanlines will have it's own detail. Due to the way NTSC is transmitted on a line-by-line basis, it is pretty much impossible to lose vertical detail unless the format used specifically threw away a field (as some earlier home video formats did). Remember that - you ALWAYS have 525 total scanlines, on ANY NTSC-native format.

      Thus, at 240 scanlines, you've immediately lost one half of the fields. So as long as the video was 480 lines high, I'd be happy, even if it was only 320 pixels wide. Stored as MPEG-2 (or any other format that retains aspect ratio metadata), most decent players should stretch a 320x480 video to the proper aspect (either 640 or 720 pixels wide, depending on the device).

      --
      FC Closer
    7. Re:The "alternate" Zelda ad by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Great, you work in TV and have some inside knowledge.

      Now please shut the fuck up.

  5. Nintendo Virtual Boy by AtariAmarok · · Score: 1

    How about the ad campaign for Nintendo Virtual Boy that avoided showing what an actual game screen looked like?

    --
    Don't blame Durga. I voted for Centauri.
    1. Re:Nintendo Virtual Boy by vasqzr · · Score: 1

      Many of these commercials are like that. They'll show a cartoon of some sort and show about 3 seconds of gameplay at the end.

      The Crystalis one shows a guy running around in a really bad warrior costume.

  6. Cinematech on G4 by muel · · Score: 2, Interesting

    In similar fashion, a new episode of Cinematech on G4TechTV (the "watch other people play games with bad techno music in the background" show) focused on old game commercials from the 2600/Intellivision days. their source was a terrible VHS but it was still amusing to watch.

    http://www.g4techtv.com/cinematech/episodes/3838 /T he_Power_of_Advertising.html - check this link for rerun dates.

    1. Re:Cinematech on G4 by GTRacer · · Score: 1
      On that subject, is there a petition around anywhere to get G4 to quit with the damn "G-Spot" overlays with annoying-as-hell SFX?

      I saw the same ep you did, and aside from nearly crying at the remembered memories (born in '72 and saw pretty much the whole thing the first time 'round), that stupid spraycan made me want to kill someone...

      GTRacer
      - G4 sucks *worse* now...

      --
      Defending IP by destroying access to it? That makes sense, RIAA/MPAA. Go to the corner until you can play nice!
    2. Re:Cinematech on G4 by LocalH · · Score: 1

      Oh, I agree with that. That shit causes their AGC's to drop the level on the actual show down quite a bit. I haven't measured, but I know the sound effect was way too loud.

      Not to mention they squeeze the video up *partially*, but the overlay STILL covers the very bottom of the video.

      And that ugly ass "G-Spot" bug that's twice as big as the regular bug.

      --
      FC Closer
  7. For those who remember... by pb · · Score: 2, Interesting

    (crowd chanting)

    Mario! Mario! Mario!

    (zoom out)

    Mario! Mario! Mario!

    (Mario!)

    --
    pb Reply or e-mail; don't vaguely moderate.
  8. Check out the original Zelda commercial by Jakhel · · Score: 1

    I dont know what's worse, the portrayal of video gamers as ubernerds (complete with glasses, baby teeth and pocket protector) or the horribly done "white guy" rap.

    I think if you traced the decline of hip hop back through history, that is probably close to the point at which it began its long, painful descent.

    1. Re:Check out the original Zelda commercial by EnronHaliburton2004 · · Score: 1

      I dont know what's worse, the portrayal of video gamers as ubernerds (complete with glasses, baby teeth and pocket protector) or the horribly done "white guy" rap.

      Looks like the Nerd wants to be popular, so he lets the cool kid play on his Nitendo ...

      Notice how the nerd never actually plays on his own game system...

      Oh the psychology in that one...

      --
      94% of Repubs and 21% of Dems voted to renew the Patriot Act
    2. Re:Check out the original Zelda commercial by pb · · Score: 4, Funny

      Or the classic Don't Copy That Floppy... Gah... :)

      --
      pb Reply or e-mail; don't vaguely moderate.
    3. Re:Check out the original Zelda commercial by quetzlcoatl · · Score: 1

      And unless the video quality is just too poor to tell for sure, they left out the coolest thing about Zelda: the gold cartridge.

      How else was I supposed to know this game was something special?

      --
      remember, tuesday is soylent green day.
    4. Re:Check out the original Zelda commercial by fwitness · · Score: 1

      Wow. First I've seen that one. Mindblowing. Mod it up.

      --
      -- I have fans? Wow.
  9. Still not yet slashdotted... by ajservo · · Score: 1

    Their server's still allowing downloads, so hit it while you can...

    1. Re:Still not yet slashdotted... by game+kid · · Score: 1

      With videos like theirs, I'd hit it. (Pun intended.)

      --
      You can hold down the "B" button for continuous firing.
  10. "Download" is subjective by Lisandro · · Score: 1

    These WMV files (1-2 MB each) can be downloaded for nostalgia flashbacks or if you are curious (you young kids!)

    Oh no anymore they can't!

    PS: I hope someone atleast warned the poor guy hosting the videos.

  11. If this sparks nostalgia... by fwitness · · Score: 3, Informative

    You should also check out X-Entertainment's media section which features a bunch of 80's ads also (some are video games). Amatuerish site content at best, but some damn fine memories.

    --
    -- I have fans? Wow.
  12. Some of these aren't classics by Prien715 · · Score: 1

    The FFVI commercial for example, is for the PSX rerelease of FFVI, not the original. Note the high quality FMV and the word "playstation" at the end. Hardly "old school".

    --
    -- Political fascism requires a Fuhrer.
    1. Re:Some of these aren't classics by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      And the "© 1994/1999 Square"
      And CD-ROM part (about 10 seconds in) help tell it as well. You don't need to know it was re-released, but you can tell from those bits that it isn't the original.

      You are right though, I was expecting the Vintage ads and not the remakes ads that are 6 years old.

  13. Saves money by AtariAmarok · · Score: 3, Insightful
    "The Crystalis one shows a guy running around in a really bad warrior costume"

    It keeps the budget very low. You don't need to hire any actors or stage anything. Just sneak a camcorder into any typical sci fi con.

    --
    Don't blame Durga. I voted for Centauri.
  14. Nintendo Cereal by dmauro · · Score: 3, Funny
    The commercial for the Nintendo Ceral is still my favorite.

    And why does everyone give me funny looks every time I say "OCTOROKS! Which... way.. to.. go..?" I thought everyone remembered that commercial.

  15. Karma whoring by tweder · · Score: 2, Interesting

    It's ugly, but it works. :)

    #!/bin/sh
    wget "http://bezoar.org/downloads/videogamecommercials/ 1stnescommercial_nes.wmv"
    wget "http://bezoar.org/downloads/videogamecommercials/ adventureisland2japan_nes.wmv"
    wget "http://bezoar.org/downloads/videogamecommercials/ adventureislandjapan_nes.wmv"
    wget "http://bezoar.org/downloads/videogamecommercials/ aladdin_genesis.wmv"
    wget "http://bezoar.org/downloads/videogamecommercials/ backtothefuture_nes.wmv"
    wget "http://bezoar.org/downloads/videogamecommercials/ bayoubilly_nes.wmv"
    wget "http://bezoar.org/downloads/videogamecommercials/ caveman_nes.wmv"
    wget "http://bezoar.org/downloads/videogamecommercials/ donkeykong_gameboy.wmv"
    wget "http://bezoar.org/downloads/videogamecommercials/ drmario_nes.wmv"
    wget "http://bezoar.org/downloads/videogamecommercials/ froggerstarwars_atari.wmv"
    wget "http://bezoar.org/downloads/videogamecommercials/ kirby_nes.wmv"
    wget "http://bezoar.org/downloads/videogamecommercials/ macdonalds_nes.wmv"
    wget "http://bezoar.org/downloads/videogamecommercials/ marioandluigi_gba.wmv"
    wget "http://bezoar.org/downloads/videogamecommercials/ metroid2_gameboy.wmv"
    wget "http://bezoar.org/downloads/videogamecommercials/ metroidradracer_nes.wmv"
    wget "http://bezoar.org/downloads/videogamecommercials/ nintendodeluxe_nes.wmv"
    wget "http://bezoar.org/downloads/videogamecommercials/ northandsouth_nes.wmv"
    wget "http://bezoar.org/downloads/videogamecommercials/ pitfall_atari.wmv"
    wget "http://bezoar.org/downloads/videogamecommercials/ punchout_nes.wmv"
    wget "http://bezoar.org/downloads/videogamecommercials/ sega_terradrive.wmv"
    wget "http://bezoar.org/downloads/videogamecommercials/ sonic2_genesis.wmv"
    wget "http://bezoar.org/downloads/videogamecommercials/ squirrel_gamegear.wmv"
    wget "http://bezoar.org/downloads/videogamecommercials/ starsoldier_nes.wmv"
    wget "http://bezoar.org/downloads/videogamecommercials/ supermarioland2_gameboy.wmv"
    wget "http://bezoar.org/downloads/videogamecommercials/ supermetroidjapanese_snes.wmv"
    wget "http://bezoar.org/downloads/videogamecommercials/ tetris_nes.wmv"
    wget "http://bezoar.org/downloads/videogamecommercials/ tomcatalley_segacd.wmv"
    wget "http://bezoar.org/downloads/videogamecommercials/ warioblast_gameboy.wmv"
    wget "http://bezoar.org/downloads/videogamecommercials/ yoshi_nes.wmv"
    wget "http://bezoar.org/downloads/videogamecommercials/ yoshiisland_gba.wmv"
    wget "http://bezoar.org/downloads/videogamecommercials/ zelda2_nes.wmv"
    wget "http://bezoar.org/downloads/videogamecommercials/ adventureisland2_nes.wmv"
    wget "http://bezoar.org/downloads/videogamecommercials/ adventureisland3japan_nes.wmv"
    wget "http://bezoar.org/downloads/videogamecommercials/ adventureislandjapanalt_nes.wmv"
    wget "http://bezoar.org/downloads/videogamecommercials/ atari_atarilynx.wmv"
    wget "http://bezoar.org/downloads/videogamecommercials/ bartsimpson_nes.wmv"
    wget "http://bezoar.org/downloads/videogamecommercials/ bonkjapan_pcengine.wmv"
    wget "http://bezoar.org/downloads/videogamecommercials/ crystalis_nes.wmv"
    wget "http://bezoar.org/downloads/videogamecommercials/ doubledragon2_nes.wmv"
    wget "http://bezoar.org/downloads/videogamecommercials/ ff6japanes_snes.wmv"
    wg

    1. Re:Karma whoring by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Ahh, that's why it is so slow.

      You could have stuck a nyud.net:8090 at the end of each host part and try and have the Coral network try and distribute the stuff as well (at least that's how I'm attempting to download a few select ones).

    2. Re:Karma whoring by superpulpsicle · · Score: 1

      Good idea. I will try just that.

    3. Re:Karma whoring by notsoclever · · Score: 1

      Or you could just do wget -A wmv -r -l 1 'http://www.bezoar.org/?poop=2' --span-hosts -nd -c except they're past their bandwidth cap now.

      --
      There are 10 kinds of people: ones who understand ternary, ones who don't, and ones who think this joke is about binary
  16. Right hook by the_skywise · · Score: 2, Insightful

    The power glove could sense forward motion as well as directional motion. And you could equate those to button presses. So the forward motion could become the right punch and an up-down motion could become a left punch.

    Still more hassle than it was probably worth...

  17. Another One by Slashdot+Insider · · Score: 1

    Not from the era featured but I always liked the N64 Super Smash Brothers television spot. Very funny!

    1. Re:Another One by squall14716 · · Score: 1

      I want that one, but could never find it. Sadness.

  18. No US ChronoTrigger Ad? by rsilvergun · · Score: 1

    darnit, I wanted to see that again. If I remember right, they just showed the japanese ad, which came off really cool and weird (Japanese ads are really different to begin with, they tend to be half the length of an American add, so they have to hurry up and catch your attention).

    --
    Hi! I make Firefox Plug-ins. Check 'em out @ https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/youtube-mp3-podcaster/
  19. The REAL vg commercial archive. by wheresdrew · · Score: 4, Informative
    Over 2100 videogame commercials

    In almost every format (quicktime, divx, wmv, real, mpg), so have all your players and codecs loaded. I doubt the person running this site is doing the archiving himself, and is just hosting whatever people send him, hence the hodegpodge of formats.

    It's a great collection, but could really use a good sorting. (Presently, everything's arranged by the date it was posted.) If ever a site could benefit from a search feature, this one is it.

    1. Re:The REAL vg commercial archive. by badasscat · · Score: 1

      Over 2100 videogame commercials

      Nice, but as it says right on the site, 90% of them are Japanese. Which is cool, but doesn't really satisfy the nostalgia factor that most of us westerners have (I realize there are probably some Japanese here too, but most Japanese residents probably just read their own Slashdot).

      Would be great to have a site like this that really focused on western stuff, as a counterpart, not instead of this site (since Japan has a long and storied game history as well, just not one most of us personally experienced).

    2. Re:The REAL vg commercial archive. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      These videos are tiny and hard to watch.

  20. Vintage? Games that came out Nov '03 aren't by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    How is an ad for a GBA game that came out only in November 2003 vintage?
    Mario and Luigi (GBA)
    It is Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga.

  21. Commodore 64 commercials at another site... by dstone · · Score: 2, Informative

    Here's a catchy radio commercial. Well, catchy in a mid-80s sort of way...

    Check out the price and RAM comparison in the TV commercial.

    And lots more here.

    1. Re:Commodore 64 commercials at another site... by CMiYC · · Score: 1

      Great Link!

      Thanks!

  22. Its pretty and it works by Robotron2084 · · Score: 1

    At least it did until the server's bandwidth got exceeded.

    #!/bin/bash
    # Quick script to grab a bunch of files off the web
    # Filetype is a search string (regex)
    # Examples: avi wmv images/*.jpg
    # Location is the url of the page you want to grab from
    # Example: foo.com/page.html
    tempHTML="somethingthatdoesntex ist"

    echo "What kind of file do you want to grab?"
    read filetype
    echo Grabbing $filetype

    echo "From what location?"
    read location
    echo "Retrieving file $location"
    wget $location -O $tempHTML

    for name in $(grep $filetype $tempHTML | sed -e 's|.*href="\([^"]*\)".*|\1|')
    do
    wget $name
    done

    rm -fr $tempHTML
    ~

  23. WMV conversion? by tepples · · Score: 1

    What's the easiest way to convert video from WMV to any other format, say compressed or uncompressed AVI?

    1. Re:WMV conversion? by joeljkp · · Score: 1

      For Windows, I use STOIK Video Converter 2.1 (free). I use that to do a quickie conversion to uncompressed AVI or huffYUV, then other tools to convert to something else.

      --
      WeRelate.org - wiki-based genealogy
  24. ZING! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
  25. Still Slashdotted by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    The stupid site is still slashdotted, after almost a week.

    Thanks you leechers, I really apprciate not being able to look at the site at all.

    Is this the part about where I bitch about them not having larger movies? or is that after I leech every file on the server twice?