1 00:00:00,240 --> 00:00:27,560 Speaker 1: Ridiculous History is a production of iHeartRadio. Welcome back to 2 00:00:27,560 --> 00:00:30,240 Speaker 1: the show, Ridiculous Historians. Thank you, as always so much 3 00:00:30,240 --> 00:00:32,280 Speaker 1: for tuning in. Let's have a shout out for super 4 00:00:32,280 --> 00:00:33,880 Speaker 1: producer mister Max Williams. 5 00:00:34,600 --> 00:00:41,199 Speaker 2: Why why Sorry, a little pure moods for you there. 6 00:00:41,479 --> 00:00:43,800 Speaker 3: Did you guys enjoy this two game boys right there? 7 00:00:43,920 --> 00:00:48,199 Speaker 1: Yes? Yes, especially the Trust game Boys of agreeing to 8 00:00:48,320 --> 00:00:49,839 Speaker 1: that despite die hearing it. 9 00:00:50,280 --> 00:00:52,680 Speaker 4: I have big bullet. That's mister Noel Brown, the one 10 00:00:52,680 --> 00:00:54,880 Speaker 4: in online dole. How you feeling, were you guys? 11 00:00:54,920 --> 00:00:59,600 Speaker 2: Og game boys as owned original black and white uh 12 00:01:00,560 --> 00:01:02,080 Speaker 2: eight bit game boys. 13 00:01:02,240 --> 00:01:05,000 Speaker 3: I was a little too young to get those weren't 14 00:01:05,000 --> 00:01:06,960 Speaker 3: actually being sold by the time. But my first game 15 00:01:07,000 --> 00:01:09,200 Speaker 3: Boy was given to me by a friend of my mother's, 16 00:01:09,200 --> 00:01:10,440 Speaker 3: which was black and white. 17 00:01:10,520 --> 00:01:16,240 Speaker 1: Yes, yeah, I created and won several game Boy Tetris 18 00:01:16,280 --> 00:01:17,399 Speaker 1: competitions I was. 19 00:01:17,400 --> 00:01:20,520 Speaker 4: Creating with it. Yes, how many. 20 00:01:21,200 --> 00:01:24,000 Speaker 3: I don't know the formal title that they have, but 21 00:01:24,040 --> 00:01:26,080 Speaker 3: like people who've bet in Tetris because it's like one 22 00:01:26,080 --> 00:01:26,959 Speaker 3: of the highest. 23 00:01:26,920 --> 00:01:29,520 Speaker 4: Yeah, I've never actually beat it. Very few people have. 24 00:01:29,600 --> 00:01:33,280 Speaker 3: I think the titles kind of dropped screen. There is 25 00:01:33,319 --> 00:01:37,440 Speaker 3: a beating of the yeah you have to beat the 26 00:01:37,560 --> 00:01:41,720 Speaker 3: last level. The last real level is incredibly hard. Were 27 00:01:41,720 --> 00:01:44,480 Speaker 3: you so fast? Well, no, you can't see what what 28 00:01:44,600 --> 00:01:47,200 Speaker 3: titles are down. You can't see what title is coming down. 29 00:01:47,240 --> 00:01:48,480 Speaker 3: You can only see the next tile. 30 00:01:48,600 --> 00:01:53,880 Speaker 1: Thirteen year old recently made World News by hidiot Oh. Also, folks, 31 00:01:53,920 --> 00:01:56,200 Speaker 1: this part two of the Golden Ages. We love this 32 00:01:56,360 --> 00:01:59,720 Speaker 1: video game tie in. We're so excited. We've had such 33 00:01:59,720 --> 00:02:02,960 Speaker 1: a great time with part one. We hope you enjoy 34 00:02:03,000 --> 00:02:07,400 Speaker 1: it too. With the game boy question, I remember one 35 00:02:07,440 --> 00:02:11,480 Speaker 1: game I got super into was a Bugs Bunny video 36 00:02:11,560 --> 00:02:17,280 Speaker 1: game of puzzle solving and getting carrots. Yes, I assume 37 00:02:17,360 --> 00:02:20,280 Speaker 1: Tetris never ended, but I had no idea how deep 38 00:02:20,320 --> 00:02:21,679 Speaker 1: the Bugs Bunny game went. 39 00:02:21,919 --> 00:02:23,400 Speaker 4: It just went on. 40 00:02:23,639 --> 00:02:27,400 Speaker 2: I do remember that one. I had an original game Boy. 41 00:02:27,639 --> 00:02:30,359 Speaker 2: It was probably late in that game. It was so 42 00:02:30,480 --> 00:02:33,480 Speaker 2: such a popular device that they sold it and without 43 00:02:33,520 --> 00:02:36,360 Speaker 2: making a new next gen version for many years. I 44 00:02:36,400 --> 00:02:38,840 Speaker 2: was born in nineteen eighty three, really quickly, though. There 45 00:02:38,840 --> 00:02:41,440 Speaker 2: are a couple of documentaries about Tetris. One covering the 46 00:02:41,440 --> 00:02:44,080 Speaker 2: stuff that you guys are probably talking about is Ecstasy 47 00:02:44,120 --> 00:02:47,360 Speaker 2: of Order The Tetris Masters, which you can watch in 48 00:02:47,400 --> 00:02:50,760 Speaker 2: its entirety on YouTube. And then there actually recently was 49 00:02:50,840 --> 00:02:54,400 Speaker 2: a Tetris movie on Apple TV that's just called Tetris 50 00:02:54,600 --> 00:02:57,440 Speaker 2: that is a like dramatized version of the Tetras story. 51 00:02:57,560 --> 00:03:00,240 Speaker 2: We're not really talking about Tetris today, guys, but that 52 00:03:00,400 --> 00:03:06,639 Speaker 2: is such a perfect example of elegant design meets. 53 00:03:05,800 --> 00:03:07,680 Speaker 4: Escalatingly difficult gameplay. 54 00:03:07,720 --> 00:03:10,800 Speaker 2: It can get crazy if you stay the course, but 55 00:03:10,919 --> 00:03:15,079 Speaker 2: for a casual player, fun as hell's a while away the. 56 00:03:15,080 --> 00:03:18,880 Speaker 1: Time, and the music is quite sophisticated. I love the music. 57 00:03:18,919 --> 00:03:20,600 Speaker 1: I still play it when I'm writing stuff. 58 00:03:20,680 --> 00:03:22,200 Speaker 2: It gets stuck in my head out of the clear 59 00:03:22,240 --> 00:03:23,520 Speaker 2: blue sky sometimes, guys. 60 00:03:23,560 --> 00:03:27,280 Speaker 1: Yeah, the name of that game I mentioned earlier, by 61 00:03:27,320 --> 00:03:30,519 Speaker 1: the way, is Bugs Bunny Crazy Castle. The Bugs Bunny 62 00:03:30,600 --> 00:03:33,799 Speaker 1: Crazy Castle. I definitely played that one. It was so cool. 63 00:03:34,040 --> 00:03:36,800 Speaker 2: It's like a detective almost right, isn't He has like 64 00:03:36,840 --> 00:03:39,240 Speaker 2: a magnifying It's all coming back. 65 00:03:39,240 --> 00:03:43,360 Speaker 1: It's a little flashes side scroller. But weirdly enough, the 66 00:03:43,400 --> 00:03:44,960 Speaker 1: thing that bugged me about this and a lot of 67 00:03:45,000 --> 00:03:49,000 Speaker 1: other players as well, maybe ridiculous historians amongst us, Bugs 68 00:03:49,000 --> 00:03:51,840 Speaker 1: Bunny in that game weirdly does not have the ability 69 00:03:51,920 --> 00:03:56,000 Speaker 1: to jump despite being a bunny, so you can just 70 00:03:56,240 --> 00:03:59,840 Speaker 1: walk around and you have to find boxing club. Anyway, 71 00:04:00,000 --> 00:04:02,520 Speaker 1: as matter, we're talking about video game tie ins. Technically 72 00:04:02,560 --> 00:04:05,200 Speaker 1: that is a tie in because bugs Bunny was a 73 00:04:05,240 --> 00:04:08,200 Speaker 1: pre existing character right from the world of animation. 74 00:04:08,360 --> 00:04:08,760 Speaker 4: That's right. 75 00:04:09,200 --> 00:04:12,520 Speaker 1: But we are going to we mentioned a very sad 76 00:04:12,600 --> 00:04:15,960 Speaker 1: story from Georgia. We are also going to maybe begin 77 00:04:16,080 --> 00:04:23,719 Speaker 1: today's episode with another strange story from Georgia. Nineteen ninety six. Atlanta, 78 00:04:23,839 --> 00:04:28,000 Speaker 1: Georgia plays host to the Olympics. The as our power, 79 00:04:28,080 --> 00:04:32,400 Speaker 1: Lauren would say, the actual facts Olympics and every town 80 00:04:32,640 --> 00:04:35,400 Speaker 1: that has the Olympics come through, they spend billions of 81 00:04:35,440 --> 00:04:39,760 Speaker 1: dollars on all sorts of things. And Atlanta tried to 82 00:04:39,800 --> 00:04:47,880 Speaker 1: make a mascot, I'll say, tried. 83 00:04:48,720 --> 00:04:49,760 Speaker 4: Do you remember the mascot. 84 00:04:50,360 --> 00:04:53,159 Speaker 2: I've never been a mascot. I've never tried to create 85 00:04:53,160 --> 00:04:58,880 Speaker 2: a mascot. You know, people give designers sometimes like oh, 86 00:04:58,880 --> 00:05:00,400 Speaker 2: it's so easy, said. 87 00:05:01,920 --> 00:05:03,560 Speaker 4: Enough boy, howdy is it not? 88 00:05:04,279 --> 00:05:07,520 Speaker 2: It requires once again, a level of precision, elegance and 89 00:05:07,600 --> 00:05:11,560 Speaker 2: simplicity that requires a lot of thinking, a lot of 90 00:05:11,800 --> 00:05:16,320 Speaker 2: very careful planning. And uh boy, did they bork this one. 91 00:05:17,279 --> 00:05:20,400 Speaker 2: And you know whoever designed that monstrosity is he got 92 00:05:20,440 --> 00:05:21,320 Speaker 2: paid a mint. 93 00:05:22,040 --> 00:05:24,200 Speaker 1: Yeah, and it may have even been a thing. That 94 00:05:24,240 --> 00:05:26,640 Speaker 1: creator is John Ryan, and it may have been a 95 00:05:26,680 --> 00:05:30,200 Speaker 1: thing where it may have been a thing where uh, 96 00:05:30,240 --> 00:05:33,200 Speaker 1: the producers or the other I guess we call them 97 00:05:33,240 --> 00:05:36,000 Speaker 1: stakeholders just kept making requests. 98 00:05:36,240 --> 00:05:37,160 Speaker 4: So it may not. 99 00:05:37,120 --> 00:05:40,400 Speaker 2: Have been his visual vision by committee. Another ship of 100 00:05:40,480 --> 00:05:44,840 Speaker 2: thesis kind of situation. Right, but how how should we? 101 00:05:45,080 --> 00:05:45,279 Speaker 4: Uh? 102 00:05:45,520 --> 00:05:46,880 Speaker 2: And this is this is going to get to a 103 00:05:46,960 --> 00:05:49,640 Speaker 2: video game because this you know, the Olympics are huge, 104 00:05:50,000 --> 00:05:50,800 Speaker 2: it's a big deal. 105 00:05:50,839 --> 00:05:52,080 Speaker 4: What country hosts them? 106 00:05:52,080 --> 00:05:55,960 Speaker 2: I believe we're looking at Paris this year, right, isn't 107 00:05:55,960 --> 00:05:59,640 Speaker 2: that what's happening? I think we're in Paris. They have 108 00:05:59,760 --> 00:06:02,800 Speaker 2: some very unique mascots them. Well, we're gonna get to 109 00:06:02,839 --> 00:06:04,919 Speaker 2: that because this is a difficult job. It's sort of 110 00:06:04,920 --> 00:06:08,080 Speaker 2: a fool's errand in many ways because you're you're opening 111 00:06:08,080 --> 00:06:11,760 Speaker 2: yourself up to criticism no matter what the end result. 112 00:06:11,720 --> 00:06:14,840 Speaker 1: Is and no matter what you come up with. It's 113 00:06:14,920 --> 00:06:19,240 Speaker 1: kind of a it's a kobyashi maru. Right, it's an 114 00:06:19,320 --> 00:06:22,159 Speaker 1: unwinnable situation. You're welcome, thank. 115 00:06:22,000 --> 00:06:23,880 Speaker 3: You, God jump and God jump in. 116 00:06:24,040 --> 00:06:24,120 Speaker 5: Uh. 117 00:06:24,720 --> 00:06:28,560 Speaker 3: I was they had I guess HBO East too, which 118 00:06:28,600 --> 00:06:31,120 Speaker 3: is a channel I get now they play commercial free 119 00:06:31,240 --> 00:06:32,159 Speaker 3: Star Trek movie. 120 00:06:32,279 --> 00:06:35,159 Speaker 4: You get like cable type TV Max. Yeah. 121 00:06:35,240 --> 00:06:39,480 Speaker 3: I for sports, you still have to do well, objected. 122 00:06:39,200 --> 00:06:41,919 Speaker 4: Stream Okay, I always forget about the need for sports. 123 00:06:42,160 --> 00:06:46,600 Speaker 3: They were playing all last Friday the original series Star 124 00:06:46,640 --> 00:06:49,080 Speaker 3: Trek movies. So I watched Wrath of Khan in the Morning, 125 00:06:49,120 --> 00:06:53,440 Speaker 3: which starts off with Kobyashi Maru. Ki's the alley in 126 00:06:53,440 --> 00:06:55,919 Speaker 3: the Kobyashi Maru. I've got how amazing she is in 127 00:06:55,960 --> 00:07:00,520 Speaker 3: that movie, and how which is shame that they screw 128 00:07:00,560 --> 00:07:02,599 Speaker 3: that one up. And I've got how dark that movie is. 129 00:07:02,640 --> 00:07:05,760 Speaker 3: It is very incredibly dark. But you said, Kobe Asha Maru, 130 00:07:05,960 --> 00:07:08,960 Speaker 3: you can't say a Star Trek with me around, and Knox. 131 00:07:09,120 --> 00:07:12,760 Speaker 2: You're like Beetlejuice bro we gotta really stop staying Star Trek. 132 00:07:13,080 --> 00:07:16,440 Speaker 1: Starrim Or Jonathan Strickland. That's our one of three mentions 133 00:07:16,480 --> 00:07:18,320 Speaker 1: before he shows up, just to reeling back. 134 00:07:18,280 --> 00:07:21,280 Speaker 2: In really quickly, to double back a wepins that originally 135 00:07:21,440 --> 00:07:25,080 Speaker 2: Kobe Ashamru referring to an unwinnable situation, right. 136 00:07:24,960 --> 00:07:27,560 Speaker 1: Like, and we see this in the culmination of a 137 00:07:27,600 --> 00:07:30,360 Speaker 1: lot of big things. You could argue that the very 138 00:07:30,440 --> 00:07:34,120 Speaker 1: last Star Wars film was kind of doomed from the 139 00:07:34,160 --> 00:07:36,640 Speaker 1: start because how could you conclude a story in a 140 00:07:36,680 --> 00:07:38,480 Speaker 1: way that would satisfy everybody. 141 00:07:38,760 --> 00:07:39,840 Speaker 4: That's kind of, you know. 142 00:07:39,880 --> 00:07:42,480 Speaker 1: That's similar to what people were running into with these 143 00:07:42,600 --> 00:07:48,840 Speaker 1: Olympic mascots Atlanta magazines. Max Blow has a great explanation 144 00:07:48,920 --> 00:07:51,840 Speaker 1: of this and a great name, Max Blough. Give me 145 00:07:51,880 --> 00:07:52,400 Speaker 1: a break. 146 00:07:52,800 --> 00:07:56,440 Speaker 2: What sorry, Max Williams, But Max Blow, it's got you beat. 147 00:07:56,480 --> 00:07:59,200 Speaker 2: By the way, Ben, there were four bugs Bunny Crazy 148 00:07:59,240 --> 00:08:00,120 Speaker 2: Castle games. 149 00:08:00,280 --> 00:08:00,440 Speaker 3: Right. 150 00:08:00,480 --> 00:08:03,559 Speaker 1: Didn't they have different cartoon characters as well? 151 00:08:03,880 --> 00:08:06,640 Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah, yeah, I love that. But Max Blow does 152 00:08:06,720 --> 00:08:10,080 Speaker 2: indeed have this to say. It would be hard to 153 00:08:10,120 --> 00:08:13,280 Speaker 2: overstate how shocking it was when Atlanta was awarded the 154 00:08:13,320 --> 00:08:18,760 Speaker 2: nineteen ninety six Summer Olympic Games Atlanta over Toronto, Athens Melbourne. 155 00:08:18,920 --> 00:08:21,880 Speaker 2: The news, which came on a Tuesday in September nineteen ninety, 156 00:08:22,160 --> 00:08:25,440 Speaker 2: sent the city into a frenzy dare we say, a 157 00:08:25,520 --> 00:08:29,800 Speaker 2: tizzy of celebration. But for Billy Payne, who'd run the 158 00:08:29,840 --> 00:08:33,120 Speaker 2: three year campaign that led to the announcement, it was 159 00:08:33,360 --> 00:08:38,160 Speaker 2: just the beginning. Now came the hard part, finding corporate sponsors, 160 00:08:38,400 --> 00:08:41,640 Speaker 2: building an eighty five thousand seeds stadium, delegating the one 161 00:08:41,640 --> 00:08:43,960 Speaker 2: thousand and one tasks to ready the city for the 162 00:08:43,960 --> 00:08:47,840 Speaker 2: world stage. Far down on his list, designing a mascot 163 00:08:47,880 --> 00:08:51,559 Speaker 2: in time for the closing ceremonies of the Barcelona Games 164 00:08:51,760 --> 00:08:54,480 Speaker 2: in nineteen ninety two, when the Olympic torch would be 165 00:08:54,480 --> 00:08:59,240 Speaker 2: passed to Atlanta, Paying quickly appointed Hey Mascot Committee, which 166 00:08:59,280 --> 00:09:04,760 Speaker 2: created design guidelines and canvassed for submissions. Ten companies proposed 167 00:09:04,800 --> 00:09:09,520 Speaker 2: to mascot. One was chosen. The winner would live an 168 00:09:09,600 --> 00:09:11,480 Speaker 2: Olympic infamy. 169 00:09:11,600 --> 00:09:15,280 Speaker 1: And objectively we can say we're kind of generous with 170 00:09:15,360 --> 00:09:18,400 Speaker 1: the title winner there, at least that's what the public thought. 171 00:09:19,080 --> 00:09:22,640 Speaker 1: Similar to Grimace is he is somewhat a character that 172 00:09:22,760 --> 00:09:27,760 Speaker 1: defies explanation. He's got running shoes, he's got Olympic rings 173 00:09:27,840 --> 00:09:32,520 Speaker 1: that incorporate into his appearance, and he has a torch 174 00:09:32,760 --> 00:09:35,679 Speaker 1: that emanates stars. 175 00:09:37,000 --> 00:09:37,959 Speaker 4: I'm looking at him now. 176 00:09:38,240 --> 00:09:40,400 Speaker 2: He looks like the kind of mascot that you'd see 177 00:09:40,440 --> 00:09:43,439 Speaker 2: for like a public utility or something you know, like 178 00:09:43,920 --> 00:09:49,119 Speaker 2: like the water department. He's like an anthropomorphic water droplet 179 00:09:49,400 --> 00:09:54,400 Speaker 2: perhaps or a unit of natural gas. He does have 180 00:09:54,440 --> 00:09:58,480 Speaker 2: these big, oversized shoes he's got it's a very of 181 00:09:58,520 --> 00:10:03,040 Speaker 2: its era nineties cartoon style. You know, it's something I 182 00:10:03,040 --> 00:10:05,520 Speaker 2: can imagine seeing on Fox Kids, you know. 183 00:10:05,520 --> 00:10:06,520 Speaker 4: On Saturday morning. 184 00:10:07,760 --> 00:10:09,520 Speaker 2: I don't know, I can't help but also think that 185 00:10:09,559 --> 00:10:13,200 Speaker 2: he kind of looks like an anthropomorphized sperm, that is 186 00:10:13,480 --> 00:10:14,640 Speaker 2: something that always. 187 00:10:15,000 --> 00:10:18,600 Speaker 4: Shaped kind of blob character, you know. And we know 188 00:10:18,800 --> 00:10:23,240 Speaker 4: that his original name is what is it with a Z? 189 00:10:24,200 --> 00:10:28,079 Speaker 4: And no one knows, sir, No one knows. No one knows. 190 00:10:28,800 --> 00:10:34,319 Speaker 1: They if you see the original design, it's even stranger 191 00:10:34,520 --> 00:10:38,560 Speaker 1: for a couple of different aesthetic reasons. But in defense 192 00:10:38,760 --> 00:10:42,280 Speaker 1: of the creators, they had to make something that conformed 193 00:10:42,440 --> 00:10:46,560 Speaker 1: to the request of the Atlanta committee for the Olympic Games. 194 00:10:46,800 --> 00:10:49,760 Speaker 1: So what we see here is the result of someone 195 00:10:49,800 --> 00:10:54,600 Speaker 1: trying to satisfy a committee's, perhaps the times contradictory request. 196 00:10:54,920 --> 00:10:59,040 Speaker 1: For a long long time, up until twenty twenty four, 197 00:10:59,520 --> 00:11:03,360 Speaker 1: is he was considered the worst mascot of his type 198 00:11:03,440 --> 00:11:06,360 Speaker 1: or of its type. And now to your earlier point 199 00:11:06,440 --> 00:11:12,240 Speaker 1: about the Paris Olympics, they have had the ignomonious torch 200 00:11:12,679 --> 00:11:16,160 Speaker 1: of worst mascot passed to them. Let's get a look 201 00:11:16,200 --> 00:11:19,920 Speaker 1: at the Paris twenty twenty four mascots. Lest we be 202 00:11:20,000 --> 00:11:23,000 Speaker 1: seen as just dunking on our own hometown guy. 203 00:11:23,000 --> 00:11:23,199 Speaker 5: Is He? 204 00:11:23,840 --> 00:11:25,760 Speaker 2: Yeah, I want to see it too, because I'm looking 205 00:11:25,800 --> 00:11:28,760 Speaker 2: at an article on Nbcolympics dot com that's just a 206 00:11:28,800 --> 00:11:33,520 Speaker 2: look through his Olympic mascots over the years, and a 207 00:11:33,520 --> 00:11:34,600 Speaker 2: lot of them aren't great. 208 00:11:34,679 --> 00:11:37,720 Speaker 4: I'm not gonna lie. It's committee. Yeah, it is. It 209 00:11:37,760 --> 00:11:38,479 Speaker 4: is committee. 210 00:11:38,559 --> 00:11:41,400 Speaker 2: But I'm also like kind of like, what's the big deal, 211 00:11:41,640 --> 00:11:43,000 Speaker 2: Like sort of like who cares? 212 00:11:43,040 --> 00:11:46,000 Speaker 4: You know. It's not like something that people are gonna remember. 213 00:11:46,040 --> 00:11:49,160 Speaker 4: And honestly, the ones they remember are the bad ones. 214 00:11:49,240 --> 00:11:49,400 Speaker 3: Is he. 215 00:11:49,559 --> 00:11:52,440 Speaker 2: Merch is kind of sought after. They're sort of hard 216 00:11:52,440 --> 00:11:55,360 Speaker 2: to find. So I'm looking at do you tell about 217 00:11:55,360 --> 00:11:57,320 Speaker 2: the Paris one? Though I'm looking at them, I'm looking 218 00:11:57,400 --> 00:11:57,880 Speaker 2: at it cold. 219 00:11:58,200 --> 00:12:01,760 Speaker 4: I'm looking at the twenty twenty four or Olympic. 220 00:12:01,600 --> 00:12:09,000 Speaker 1: Mascots for the Olympic Paralympic Games. They're two anthropomorphic hats, 221 00:12:09,480 --> 00:12:16,840 Speaker 1: the Napoleon hats the Phrygian hats, like the triangular thing 222 00:12:17,280 --> 00:12:20,600 Speaker 1: that Napoleon would wear. That's how most Americans will remember it. 223 00:12:20,880 --> 00:12:24,960 Speaker 1: And they've got the the the horizontal points of the 224 00:12:25,000 --> 00:12:29,320 Speaker 1: hats are these little fingerless arms, and then they have 225 00:12:29,400 --> 00:12:34,200 Speaker 1: really skinny legs. That go up into the aperture of 226 00:12:34,240 --> 00:12:34,640 Speaker 1: the hat. 227 00:12:34,920 --> 00:12:38,280 Speaker 2: Interestingly, though, I'm looking at this one image of them, 228 00:12:38,320 --> 00:12:40,840 Speaker 2: and maybe this is a special version or something, but 229 00:12:41,000 --> 00:12:42,920 Speaker 2: I think it's not, you know how, you know, and 230 00:12:43,320 --> 00:12:47,320 Speaker 2: there are prosthetics that can be attached to people who 231 00:12:47,360 --> 00:12:50,480 Speaker 2: are missing legs to allow them to run in high 232 00:12:50,480 --> 00:12:53,800 Speaker 2: impact situations. It's like they've got they've got some give 233 00:12:53,880 --> 00:12:56,640 Speaker 2: to them. They almost look like a ski in a way, 234 00:12:56,720 --> 00:12:59,040 Speaker 2: like a bent kind of like the sum of spring 235 00:12:59,080 --> 00:13:01,840 Speaker 2: loaded or bring me kind of the version of his 236 00:13:01,920 --> 00:13:04,640 Speaker 2: mascot that I'm seeing as as that for on one leg. 237 00:13:05,000 --> 00:13:07,280 Speaker 2: So that's kind of cool in a way, sort of 238 00:13:07,320 --> 00:13:11,600 Speaker 2: an effort towards inclusivity. I think this French mascot is dope. 239 00:13:11,679 --> 00:13:13,120 Speaker 2: I'm not gonna lie. I think it's cool. 240 00:13:13,400 --> 00:13:16,960 Speaker 1: That's the Paralympic win. Oh and let me correct correct 241 00:13:17,000 --> 00:13:20,360 Speaker 1: this real quick. Here the Phrygian cap where the Liberty 242 00:13:20,440 --> 00:13:24,960 Speaker 1: cap is not as fancy as Napoleon's. It looks it's 243 00:13:25,080 --> 00:13:27,640 Speaker 1: definitely a cap. It looks almost like a rap with 244 00:13:27,679 --> 00:13:29,480 Speaker 1: some extra earflaps hanging down. 245 00:13:29,840 --> 00:13:32,720 Speaker 2: I see, Ben, there is the Paralympics, and there are 246 00:13:32,800 --> 00:13:34,960 Speaker 2: different versions of this mascot. 247 00:13:35,120 --> 00:13:35,840 Speaker 4: So all this. 248 00:13:36,200 --> 00:13:38,600 Speaker 2: I think this is a very valid discussion and of itself. 249 00:13:38,600 --> 00:13:41,679 Speaker 2: But all this to get to is he was kind 250 00:13:41,679 --> 00:13:44,360 Speaker 2: of mocked a little bit and panned at the time, 251 00:13:45,080 --> 00:13:47,719 Speaker 2: but he did somehow, you know, because he was part 252 00:13:47,720 --> 00:13:51,559 Speaker 2: of the conversation get the kind of slapped together video 253 00:13:51,600 --> 00:13:52,319 Speaker 2: game treatment. 254 00:13:52,520 --> 00:13:53,360 Speaker 4: I did not know this. 255 00:13:54,120 --> 00:13:58,280 Speaker 1: Yeah, they also, Oh nice, we get to reference a guy, 256 00:13:58,360 --> 00:14:01,040 Speaker 1: you know, Thomas Wheatley, local reporter who was writing for 257 00:14:01,080 --> 00:14:07,000 Speaker 1: Axios Atlanta, and he says, the the Olympic Committee left 258 00:14:07,040 --> 00:14:11,800 Speaker 1: no stone unturned in licensing this mascot Izzy in all 259 00:14:11,880 --> 00:14:16,320 Speaker 1: kinds of merch, refrigerator, magnets, t shirts, hats, caps, you 260 00:14:16,440 --> 00:14:19,320 Speaker 1: name it, and of course video games. This is where 261 00:14:19,320 --> 00:14:24,600 Speaker 1: we introduce our first game for this episode, Isy's Quest 262 00:14:24,680 --> 00:14:27,680 Speaker 1: for the Olympic Rings. That sounds like it makes sense. 263 00:14:27,800 --> 00:14:30,520 Speaker 1: You know, it's an Olympic mascot. You gotta collect coins 264 00:14:30,520 --> 00:14:32,200 Speaker 1: and try to get the Olympic Rings. 265 00:14:32,640 --> 00:14:35,560 Speaker 2: I bet you. This is too obscurity even no comes 266 00:14:35,640 --> 00:14:38,720 Speaker 2: right up. Holy crap. It was on Sega Genesis. It 267 00:14:38,760 --> 00:14:41,040 Speaker 2: was this is a next gen game. This is like, 268 00:14:41,240 --> 00:14:43,680 Speaker 2: I mean, you know, relatively speaking next gen to a 269 00:14:43,680 --> 00:14:45,520 Speaker 2: lot of the ones that were talking about in episode one, 270 00:14:45,560 --> 00:14:48,600 Speaker 2: which were all kind of early home console type games, 271 00:14:48,600 --> 00:14:50,320 Speaker 2: which honestly they were a next gen of their own 272 00:14:50,560 --> 00:14:52,800 Speaker 2: in their own right, because Atari was kind of the first. 273 00:14:52,800 --> 00:14:56,400 Speaker 2: So even regular nes had more bit depth I believe 274 00:14:56,440 --> 00:14:59,400 Speaker 2: than an Atari system, Isn't that right, Max? 275 00:15:00,080 --> 00:15:03,600 Speaker 3: Yeah, so the Atari twenty six hundred would have been 276 00:15:03,720 --> 00:15:09,440 Speaker 3: the one on the same tier as. 277 00:15:07,000 --> 00:15:09,400 Speaker 4: The regular nes. 278 00:15:09,560 --> 00:15:13,120 Speaker 3: Yeah, as regular nis actually correct, regular nsa because the first, 279 00:15:13,280 --> 00:15:16,480 Speaker 3: the most famous Atari was like pre Nintendo. 280 00:15:16,320 --> 00:15:22,040 Speaker 1: Right right, and that was you that that was the 281 00:15:22,040 --> 00:15:24,800 Speaker 1: thing that walked, so other gaming could run well. 282 00:15:24,840 --> 00:15:27,160 Speaker 2: And that just goes to show too how the difference 283 00:15:27,200 --> 00:15:31,480 Speaker 2: between Atari and Nintendo they were basically dealing with very 284 00:15:31,480 --> 00:15:34,400 Speaker 2: similar hardware in terms of power. It really showed how 285 00:15:34,440 --> 00:15:38,600 Speaker 2: important the game design was. And Nintendo really has always 286 00:15:38,640 --> 00:15:41,760 Speaker 2: made their bank on the fact that they're the really 287 00:15:41,800 --> 00:15:45,480 Speaker 2: good to designing games. Because even today, the the you know, 288 00:15:45,520 --> 00:15:49,120 Speaker 2: the most powerful Nintendo system you get pales in comparison 289 00:15:49,400 --> 00:15:53,360 Speaker 2: to you know what other companies like PlayStation and Xbox. 290 00:15:52,960 --> 00:15:55,120 Speaker 4: Do, and that's literally by design. 291 00:15:56,080 --> 00:15:58,040 Speaker 3: And the backtrack, I mean, I met the Atari fifty 292 00:16:00,000 --> 00:16:02,680 Speaker 3: six twentyix hundreds are very famous one the nes and 293 00:16:02,760 --> 00:16:05,040 Speaker 3: the twenty are on the same. 294 00:16:05,120 --> 00:16:06,800 Speaker 2: Right, So the twenty six hundred is the one people 295 00:16:06,800 --> 00:16:08,760 Speaker 2: think of with like the ET game, that's like the 296 00:16:08,800 --> 00:16:11,640 Speaker 2: early really craphole, the looking one. So even the regular 297 00:16:11,720 --> 00:16:13,920 Speaker 2: NES was a next gen from that. Sorry getting caught 298 00:16:13,960 --> 00:16:16,760 Speaker 2: up in this. So Izzy's a Quest for the Olympic 299 00:16:16,840 --> 00:16:19,000 Speaker 2: Rings would have been a next gen to that because 300 00:16:19,160 --> 00:16:22,640 Speaker 2: SNS was sixteen bit if I'm not mistaken, So that 301 00:16:22,800 --> 00:16:24,640 Speaker 2: was a big old jump. And then you had your 302 00:16:24,640 --> 00:16:29,160 Speaker 2: Sega Genesis as well. I have zero recollection of this. 303 00:16:29,080 --> 00:16:39,400 Speaker 5: Game, you guys, Well, it was sort of a it 304 00:16:39,480 --> 00:16:41,680 Speaker 5: was sort of ticking a box for some people. 305 00:16:42,000 --> 00:16:42,600 Speaker 4: We do know. 306 00:16:43,320 --> 00:16:46,000 Speaker 1: It was not super in depth like Bug but Bugs 307 00:16:46,000 --> 00:16:50,240 Speaker 1: Buddy's Crazy Castle. You can complete it in about an hour, 308 00:16:51,000 --> 00:16:54,240 Speaker 1: not even a crazy difficult speed run. And then the 309 00:16:54,360 --> 00:16:58,280 Speaker 1: lead animator of the game, William Anderson, said, yet, the 310 00:16:58,320 --> 00:17:02,160 Speaker 1: Olympic officials had just a couple of demands, can't change 311 00:17:02,200 --> 00:17:05,720 Speaker 1: the character design, makes sense. Have the Olympics as a theme, 312 00:17:05,960 --> 00:17:09,520 Speaker 1: of course, and they said we'd prefer no violence. And 313 00:17:09,560 --> 00:17:12,879 Speaker 1: when these developers got to work, they said it was 314 00:17:12,920 --> 00:17:17,480 Speaker 1: one of their best experiences to date. One William Anderson, 315 00:17:17,560 --> 00:17:21,000 Speaker 1: who is now the owner of Awaken Games, was speaking 316 00:17:21,040 --> 00:17:23,720 Speaker 1: to Thomas Wheatley, and he said, look, we're a small 317 00:17:23,720 --> 00:17:27,160 Speaker 1: group of developers. We're really dedicated to not only making 318 00:17:27,200 --> 00:17:30,600 Speaker 1: the best games, but having fun while doing it. So 319 00:17:31,240 --> 00:17:33,320 Speaker 1: you can get a copy of this game for Super 320 00:17:33,400 --> 00:17:37,119 Speaker 1: Nintendo for fifty to one hundred and fifty dollars, or 321 00:17:37,200 --> 00:17:39,480 Speaker 1: if for some reason you need a price break, you 322 00:17:39,520 --> 00:17:42,280 Speaker 1: can get a box of six of them, six copies 323 00:17:42,320 --> 00:17:46,480 Speaker 1: of the game for six hundred bucks like today. At 324 00:17:46,480 --> 00:17:49,200 Speaker 1: the time of the conversation with Axios, Yeah. 325 00:17:49,080 --> 00:17:50,040 Speaker 4: Okay, interesting. 326 00:17:50,640 --> 00:17:54,520 Speaker 2: I did find a page on Internet archive from Game 327 00:17:54,560 --> 00:17:58,760 Speaker 2: Pro issues sixty nine April nineteen ninety five. It had 328 00:17:58,800 --> 00:18:01,600 Speaker 2: this to sid this is back. You know, reviewers were 329 00:18:01,600 --> 00:18:03,760 Speaker 2: a lot less mean back in the day. I'm realizing, 330 00:18:03,800 --> 00:18:06,280 Speaker 2: at least for games and stuff, it was much more 331 00:18:06,359 --> 00:18:09,840 Speaker 2: felt like a promotional device than it was a purely. 332 00:18:09,560 --> 00:18:11,760 Speaker 4: We're gonna shred your shitty game. 333 00:18:12,000 --> 00:18:14,800 Speaker 2: By the nineteen ninety six summer games seem far off, 334 00:18:14,840 --> 00:18:18,280 Speaker 2: but not for Izzy, as this reads like a press release. 335 00:18:18,440 --> 00:18:21,560 Speaker 2: As the Olympic mascot, he must search the torch world 336 00:18:21,760 --> 00:18:25,400 Speaker 2: to collect five Olympic rings that keep the torch lit. 337 00:18:25,440 --> 00:18:28,920 Speaker 2: In this ten level quest, Izzy morphs into eight sporting 338 00:18:29,040 --> 00:18:33,680 Speaker 2: characters collecting power ups and loads of bonuses. Nice backgrounds 339 00:18:33,720 --> 00:18:37,160 Speaker 2: bring colorful detail to Izzy's world, but it's Izzy himself 340 00:18:37,280 --> 00:18:42,439 Speaker 2: who stimulates the game visually. His numerous and determined expressions 341 00:18:42,720 --> 00:18:45,600 Speaker 2: make him an easy to like character. The sound effects 342 00:18:45,640 --> 00:18:50,760 Speaker 2: are enjoyable too, with great splats, smashes and blasting trumpets, 343 00:18:51,320 --> 00:18:54,040 Speaker 2: and then it refers to a smurfy soundtrack. 344 00:18:54,560 --> 00:18:58,280 Speaker 1: And this brings up an interesting point because my question 345 00:18:58,440 --> 00:19:03,159 Speaker 1: is would people have been so what they have dunked on? 346 00:19:03,480 --> 00:19:05,840 Speaker 1: Is he so hard if he had just started as 347 00:19:05,880 --> 00:19:07,080 Speaker 1: a video game character? 348 00:19:07,320 --> 00:19:07,879 Speaker 4: I think not. 349 00:19:08,200 --> 00:19:11,959 Speaker 1: I think saying here's a fun game about the Olympics. 350 00:19:12,080 --> 00:19:14,040 Speaker 4: Well, but Ben I was. I've been meaning to bring 351 00:19:14,080 --> 00:19:14,320 Speaker 4: this up. 352 00:19:14,440 --> 00:19:16,960 Speaker 2: It's been kind of nagging at me, this whole idea 353 00:19:17,080 --> 00:19:19,560 Speaker 2: of First of all, I completely disagree the French. I 354 00:19:19,560 --> 00:19:22,760 Speaker 2: think the French hat guys are cool. The idea that 355 00:19:22,760 --> 00:19:25,160 Speaker 2: they're somehow worse than is He, I think is absurd. 356 00:19:25,359 --> 00:19:31,200 Speaker 2: But what how does one rank a freaking anthropomorphic cartoon 357 00:19:31,400 --> 00:19:34,440 Speaker 2: mascot in terms of better or worse? Is it how 358 00:19:34,480 --> 00:19:39,040 Speaker 2: well they represent the country? Is it how like cute 359 00:19:39,080 --> 00:19:39,840 Speaker 2: they are? Like? 360 00:19:39,880 --> 00:19:44,000 Speaker 1: What are what are the metrics for this completely subjective. 361 00:19:44,080 --> 00:19:46,720 Speaker 1: It's water cooler opinion thing, you know, like it's it's 362 00:19:46,720 --> 00:19:49,320 Speaker 1: one of when I say water cooler opinion, it's one 363 00:19:49,320 --> 00:19:52,200 Speaker 1: of those things like the BS fashion articles you read 364 00:19:52,280 --> 00:19:56,880 Speaker 1: where people just want to kind of participate socially by 365 00:19:57,160 --> 00:20:00,520 Speaker 1: either having a hot take or agree with a thing 366 00:20:00,560 --> 00:20:03,840 Speaker 1: that other people are talking about. Uh, and we see 367 00:20:04,920 --> 00:20:07,920 Speaker 1: we also see again the power of nostalgia. I think 368 00:20:07,960 --> 00:20:11,880 Speaker 1: it's quite possible that it will become a cool thing 369 00:20:12,000 --> 00:20:15,840 Speaker 1: to play this game in the near future because the 370 00:20:15,880 --> 00:20:20,240 Speaker 1: Olympics are back on again and people are older now 371 00:20:20,280 --> 00:20:23,280 Speaker 1: and they're having those fond memories. It's, you know, another 372 00:20:23,320 --> 00:20:25,200 Speaker 1: thing that reminds us of of course, is our next 373 00:20:25,200 --> 00:20:27,680 Speaker 1: creature on the list or next game? I should say 374 00:20:28,119 --> 00:20:31,200 Speaker 1: checks quest Quest quest quest. 375 00:20:31,760 --> 00:20:36,120 Speaker 3: Literally the motivation for this entire episode absolutely another one 376 00:20:36,160 --> 00:20:38,880 Speaker 3: that I absolutely unfamiliar with. 377 00:20:39,480 --> 00:20:42,960 Speaker 2: So we all know what checks cereal was. Is it's 378 00:20:42,960 --> 00:20:45,560 Speaker 2: still a thing. It's check No checks was a serial? 379 00:20:45,680 --> 00:20:47,439 Speaker 2: Right or was checks? What am I thinking of? 380 00:20:47,760 --> 00:20:48,399 Speaker 4: It's a serial? 381 00:20:48,480 --> 00:20:51,400 Speaker 3: But then there's uh checks mix well, of course check 382 00:20:51,400 --> 00:20:53,399 Speaker 3: trail mixed with check checks mixed. 383 00:20:53,160 --> 00:20:54,920 Speaker 2: Though, was one of these things that was just kind 384 00:20:54,920 --> 00:20:58,240 Speaker 2: of created organically by humans in the wild and then 385 00:20:58,800 --> 00:21:01,520 Speaker 2: repurposed and and did by Checks you know what I mean, 386 00:21:01,520 --> 00:21:03,879 Speaker 2: where it's like people were making it themselves, mixing it 387 00:21:03,920 --> 00:21:06,560 Speaker 2: with all kinds of other little little bits and snacky bobs, 388 00:21:06,560 --> 00:21:08,920 Speaker 2: and putting some seasoning in there, a little what is 389 00:21:08,960 --> 00:21:12,359 Speaker 2: it like Old Bay seasoning or some kind of you know, 390 00:21:12,480 --> 00:21:14,920 Speaker 2: kind of umami bit of seasoning. 391 00:21:15,040 --> 00:21:16,639 Speaker 4: And then Checks decide, hey. 392 00:21:16,520 --> 00:21:18,680 Speaker 2: Wait a minute, you guys do we're gonna We're gonna 393 00:21:18,680 --> 00:21:20,600 Speaker 2: do this ourselves and call it something and act like 394 00:21:20,640 --> 00:21:21,359 Speaker 2: we invented it. 395 00:21:22,040 --> 00:21:25,159 Speaker 4: So chex Mix was huge. Oh yeah, chexs Mix is 396 00:21:25,200 --> 00:21:26,240 Speaker 4: still a giant. 397 00:21:26,440 --> 00:21:28,440 Speaker 1: You know. It Also is a giant in the world 398 00:21:28,520 --> 00:21:32,320 Speaker 1: of gaming is the Doom franchise, And in twenty twenty 399 00:21:32,359 --> 00:21:36,080 Speaker 1: five they're going to have a prequel to the original Doom. 400 00:21:36,359 --> 00:21:41,440 Speaker 1: The trailer released this week yea or this week had 401 00:21:41,600 --> 00:21:45,840 Speaker 1: ed this game first off is pretty good because it 402 00:21:45,960 --> 00:21:48,880 Speaker 1: is kind of like to our earlier point about Skins, 403 00:21:49,280 --> 00:21:53,119 Speaker 1: it is a modification of a pre existing game that 404 00:21:53,240 --> 00:21:55,800 Speaker 1: was just built to be a game. Doom, one of 405 00:21:55,880 --> 00:22:00,159 Speaker 1: the most famous first person shooters of all time. Go 406 00:22:00,200 --> 00:22:03,359 Speaker 1: to Daniel Horowitz and his article chexs Quest a twenty 407 00:22:03,480 --> 00:22:07,919 Speaker 1: years later, retrospective on a cereal based game. We see 408 00:22:07,960 --> 00:22:12,560 Speaker 1: that they took this idea and they ran with it, 409 00:22:12,600 --> 00:22:16,360 Speaker 1: and they did something that you see. To me, it's 410 00:22:16,480 --> 00:22:19,679 Speaker 1: part of what defines really good comedy. They play it 411 00:22:19,720 --> 00:22:24,760 Speaker 1: with a straight face. Chex's quest is the when you 412 00:22:24,800 --> 00:22:27,240 Speaker 1: are the player, the stakes are supposed to be on 413 00:22:27,280 --> 00:22:29,000 Speaker 1: the level of playing Doom. 414 00:22:29,400 --> 00:22:30,200 Speaker 4: You know what i mean. 415 00:22:30,400 --> 00:22:35,000 Speaker 1: You gotta hunt the Flemoids I'm sorry, or the Chechs 416 00:22:35,040 --> 00:22:36,879 Speaker 1: Warrior the guides. 417 00:22:37,080 --> 00:22:37,960 Speaker 4: Yeah, you know. 418 00:22:38,040 --> 00:22:40,560 Speaker 2: Isn't that funny though, because there's nothing that will dry 419 00:22:40,680 --> 00:22:43,320 Speaker 2: your mouth out and gets your real flemy, like eating 420 00:22:43,359 --> 00:22:45,280 Speaker 2: a big old mouthful of checks mix. 421 00:22:45,880 --> 00:22:49,560 Speaker 4: It's like this gets a breakfast cereal or racist. 422 00:22:49,280 --> 00:22:53,200 Speaker 3: Play the high, high fiber version of them. 423 00:22:53,280 --> 00:22:57,600 Speaker 1: This was aimed at This was nineteen ninety six, so 424 00:22:57,760 --> 00:22:59,960 Speaker 1: the same year as the Olympics in Atlanta. It was 425 00:23:00,119 --> 00:23:04,320 Speaker 1: aimed at children who were at least six. 426 00:23:04,119 --> 00:23:05,080 Speaker 4: To nine years old. 427 00:23:05,800 --> 00:23:09,119 Speaker 1: And the kind of modification this is is what we 428 00:23:09,280 --> 00:23:12,159 Speaker 1: call a total conversion. They took a lot of the 429 00:23:12,320 --> 00:23:15,720 Speaker 1: violence out of Doom, or a lot of the the 430 00:23:15,800 --> 00:23:22,040 Speaker 1: egregious blood right, and they I gotta tell you, the 431 00:23:22,119 --> 00:23:25,640 Speaker 1: gameplay is pretty much the same as do. 432 00:23:25,800 --> 00:23:28,320 Speaker 3: It's exactly the same. The only difference is you're not 433 00:23:28,480 --> 00:23:32,280 Speaker 3: killing the Flemoys. The Flemoids are immune from any type 434 00:23:32,280 --> 00:23:36,520 Speaker 3: of damage. You're teleporting them back to their dimension, so 435 00:23:36,560 --> 00:23:38,760 Speaker 3: when you shoot them, it's sort of like Splatoon. 436 00:23:38,840 --> 00:23:43,200 Speaker 2: If anyone's familiar with the the Nintendo or I guess 437 00:23:43,240 --> 00:23:46,679 Speaker 2: it's on Switch game Splatoon, it is a first person 438 00:23:46,760 --> 00:23:50,000 Speaker 2: shooter where you don't kill anybody, you just blast them 439 00:23:50,040 --> 00:23:52,560 Speaker 2: with ink. It's like paintball. So it's a way of 440 00:23:52,640 --> 00:23:56,080 Speaker 2: having the mechanics of a murder game. Sands the murder 441 00:23:56,160 --> 00:23:58,720 Speaker 2: is that kind of the idem x exactly. That's one 442 00:23:58,760 --> 00:24:01,760 Speaker 2: hundred because, as Ben said, it is. My dad fought 443 00:24:01,760 --> 00:24:03,159 Speaker 2: it hilarious the time, and I was too young to 444 00:24:03,200 --> 00:24:05,720 Speaker 2: understand what Doom was. He's like, this is literally Doom 445 00:24:05,960 --> 00:24:06,720 Speaker 2: for kids. 446 00:24:07,080 --> 00:24:10,040 Speaker 1: Yeah, you've got and the power ups change the weapons 447 00:24:10,040 --> 00:24:14,400 Speaker 1: and ammunition shape to all be serial themed and just 448 00:24:13,800 --> 00:24:16,720 Speaker 1: like just like any other first person shooter, you win 449 00:24:16,760 --> 00:24:20,879 Speaker 1: the game by beating the final boss at the last level. 450 00:24:21,119 --> 00:24:23,399 Speaker 4: And I think it's. 451 00:24:23,240 --> 00:24:26,160 Speaker 1: Also a little bit easier than Doom because you want 452 00:24:26,200 --> 00:24:31,080 Speaker 1: people to associate the cereal with fun. Alex Walker has 453 00:24:31,160 --> 00:24:35,479 Speaker 1: a great short history. Excuse me, short official history of 454 00:24:36,040 --> 00:24:41,359 Speaker 1: Chech's Quest, which talks about how brilliant it was for 455 00:24:42,280 --> 00:24:45,840 Speaker 1: the cereal manufacturers to put a video game in your 456 00:24:45,840 --> 00:24:49,000 Speaker 1: boxes cereal as a prize. I think that's the really 457 00:24:49,040 --> 00:24:52,040 Speaker 1: brilliant thing, because one of the best parts of children's 458 00:24:52,080 --> 00:24:55,239 Speaker 1: cereal is, of course the prizes you get. And I 459 00:24:55,240 --> 00:24:58,480 Speaker 1: got to say furthermore, in recent decades, they've really started 460 00:24:58,520 --> 00:25:01,639 Speaker 1: skimping on the prizes. You guys, notice that I'm an adult, 461 00:25:01,640 --> 00:25:02,359 Speaker 1: like I can vote. 462 00:25:02,440 --> 00:25:05,479 Speaker 4: That's scary skipping on the prizes and the cereal. 463 00:25:05,920 --> 00:25:09,040 Speaker 2: And yeah, if I'm not mistaken, I think it's become 464 00:25:09,400 --> 00:25:13,080 Speaker 2: a little less popular to put them in the cereal 465 00:25:13,240 --> 00:25:17,119 Speaker 2: at all because of like potential choking hazards. And so 466 00:25:17,280 --> 00:25:19,560 Speaker 2: you get some kind of coupon that you mail in 467 00:25:19,920 --> 00:25:23,240 Speaker 2: to get the prize after the fact, which just ain't 468 00:25:23,320 --> 00:25:23,760 Speaker 2: cutting that. 469 00:25:24,440 --> 00:25:28,680 Speaker 1: Right exactly, because that's not the kind of delayed gratification 470 00:25:28,960 --> 00:25:33,520 Speaker 1: kids are overall into. Originally, the game was supposed to 471 00:25:33,560 --> 00:25:36,960 Speaker 1: be in a cornfield and you had a flashlight. The 472 00:25:37,080 --> 00:25:40,520 Speaker 1: idea was you would make an educational tool in the 473 00:25:40,560 --> 00:25:43,480 Speaker 1: form of a video game, similar to like Math Blaster 474 00:25:43,760 --> 00:25:48,640 Speaker 1: or the Oregon Trail. But the team behind checks Quest 475 00:25:48,920 --> 00:25:51,960 Speaker 1: said let's if we're doing a video game, let's do 476 00:25:52,040 --> 00:25:55,280 Speaker 1: an actual video game. Let's look around at other video 477 00:25:55,359 --> 00:25:59,280 Speaker 1: games and see what's taking off, what's already popular, and 478 00:25:59,359 --> 00:26:01,879 Speaker 1: let's try to do that. And it looked around and 479 00:26:01,960 --> 00:26:04,960 Speaker 1: the most popular one they found was Doom. 480 00:26:05,520 --> 00:26:06,120 Speaker 4: At least. 481 00:26:08,320 --> 00:26:10,520 Speaker 1: This wasn't on a console rigially either, I think it 482 00:26:10,600 --> 00:26:14,960 Speaker 1: was on It was on personal computers. And then they said, okay, 483 00:26:15,880 --> 00:26:17,399 Speaker 1: we'll make a first person shooter. 484 00:26:17,520 --> 00:26:18,160 Speaker 4: We'll make Doom. 485 00:26:18,240 --> 00:26:21,280 Speaker 1: But checks and then they said, oh, hang on, it's 486 00:26:21,359 --> 00:26:24,160 Speaker 1: kind of tough to make a video game in six months. 487 00:26:24,480 --> 00:26:26,840 Speaker 2: Yeah, it's super hard. And that's the thing with a 488 00:26:26,840 --> 00:26:29,080 Speaker 2: lot of these product tie in games is that they're 489 00:26:29,600 --> 00:26:33,840 Speaker 2: sort of an afterthought and that they're you know, absolutely rushed, 490 00:26:34,320 --> 00:26:37,560 Speaker 2: and that is evident in the final product because sometimes, 491 00:26:37,560 --> 00:26:41,600 Speaker 2: to your point, bent, either they're egregiously difficult and look 492 00:26:41,760 --> 00:26:45,520 Speaker 2: like crap, or they look good but are really really 493 00:26:45,560 --> 00:26:49,399 Speaker 2: really short. Games were expensive back then, just like VHS 494 00:26:49,640 --> 00:26:52,199 Speaker 2: tapes were expensive, which is why there was such a 495 00:26:52,280 --> 00:26:55,600 Speaker 2: robust rental market. So you certainly wouldn't be quite as 496 00:26:55,640 --> 00:26:57,640 Speaker 2: letdown if you rented the game and realized you could 497 00:26:57,640 --> 00:26:59,720 Speaker 2: beat it in twenty minutes, but if you shelled out 498 00:26:59,720 --> 00:27:02,200 Speaker 2: the that could be cause for a meltdown. 499 00:27:02,600 --> 00:27:05,960 Speaker 1: Absolutely, And this is we have to remember before the 500 00:27:06,080 --> 00:27:10,880 Speaker 1: rise of the video game online review industry on YouTube 501 00:27:10,920 --> 00:27:13,280 Speaker 1: and stuff, so you couldn't act. It was much more 502 00:27:13,280 --> 00:27:16,919 Speaker 1: difficult to just hop on a website and watch someone 503 00:27:17,000 --> 00:27:18,960 Speaker 1: play the game and decide whether or not it was 504 00:27:19,000 --> 00:27:22,440 Speaker 1: a buy or a rental. And also these guys they 505 00:27:22,480 --> 00:27:25,359 Speaker 1: had another problem. They had to get a co sign 506 00:27:25,480 --> 00:27:28,840 Speaker 1: from the FDA, one of the most famous bureaucracies in 507 00:27:28,880 --> 00:27:32,240 Speaker 1: the country, and the FDA needed to sign off on 508 00:27:32,600 --> 00:27:37,040 Speaker 1: checks shipping all these cd ROMs, along with food people 509 00:27:37,080 --> 00:27:39,919 Speaker 1: would actually consume. To your earlier point, they had to 510 00:27:40,600 --> 00:27:44,239 Speaker 1: adhere to the demands of the FDA, which meant they 511 00:27:44,280 --> 00:27:47,879 Speaker 1: had to redesign weapons so they looked as non weapony 512 00:27:48,119 --> 00:27:52,359 Speaker 1: as possible, non descript, and then they had to really 513 00:27:52,480 --> 00:27:55,720 Speaker 1: dumb down the sound. It was a huge gamble for 514 00:27:55,840 --> 00:28:00,639 Speaker 1: General Mills, but it was also a massive success, so 515 00:28:00,760 --> 00:28:05,320 Speaker 1: much so that just one year later they released the sequel, 516 00:28:05,560 --> 00:28:08,680 Speaker 1: checks Quest. Two Flemoids take Chextropolis. 517 00:28:08,840 --> 00:28:12,120 Speaker 3: Yeah, I gotta jump in the emergency like you're out 518 00:28:12,200 --> 00:28:14,360 Speaker 3: of AMMO weapon. You get in the game. 519 00:28:14,440 --> 00:28:15,119 Speaker 4: Is a spoon. 520 00:28:15,480 --> 00:28:19,760 Speaker 3: Yeah, as your melee emergency weapon is bro what better 521 00:28:19,800 --> 00:28:21,240 Speaker 3: way is there to defeat Cereal? 522 00:28:21,560 --> 00:28:24,960 Speaker 2: You know, well, you're you're helping them. Sorry, you're helping 523 00:28:24,960 --> 00:28:26,280 Speaker 2: the Cereal. I know, I get it, I get it. 524 00:28:26,320 --> 00:28:26,639 Speaker 4: I get it. 525 00:28:26,640 --> 00:28:30,320 Speaker 3: You're you're you're shoveling snot with a spoon. 526 00:28:30,400 --> 00:28:32,720 Speaker 2: Basically, it's weird though, the snot thing, because another thing 527 00:28:32,720 --> 00:28:35,320 Speaker 2: that makes you real snotty is milk. You know, milk 528 00:28:35,400 --> 00:28:37,720 Speaker 2: gets you real. The whole thing is very strange. A 529 00:28:37,720 --> 00:28:40,640 Speaker 2: couple opportunities that they may have squandered. I haven't played 530 00:28:40,680 --> 00:28:44,040 Speaker 2: the game, so I can't say. And again, it would 531 00:28:44,080 --> 00:28:45,840 Speaker 2: have been cool if they had allowed violence. Then you 532 00:28:45,840 --> 00:28:49,200 Speaker 2: could have officially been a serial killer. But instead you're 533 00:28:49,240 --> 00:28:52,120 Speaker 2: not killing the Cereal, you're killing the phlem And when 534 00:28:52,160 --> 00:28:55,120 Speaker 2: I was in middle school, I had a very brief 535 00:28:55,680 --> 00:28:58,240 Speaker 2: attempt at trying to write some sketch comedy with a 536 00:28:58,240 --> 00:28:59,840 Speaker 2: few friends, and I came up with a really great 537 00:29:00,160 --> 00:29:03,200 Speaker 2: step that had zero follow through. It was a parody 538 00:29:03,240 --> 00:29:05,680 Speaker 2: of Beverly Hills nine o two one oh called General 539 00:29:05,720 --> 00:29:07,960 Speaker 2: Mills nine oh two one oh, and it would just 540 00:29:08,200 --> 00:29:13,200 Speaker 2: be about you know, cereal drama. I don't know whatever 541 00:29:13,480 --> 00:29:16,840 Speaker 2: issues that cereal answer for morphive cereal? Would it be 542 00:29:16,880 --> 00:29:19,560 Speaker 2: between the different imprints of the different types of cereal 543 00:29:19,600 --> 00:29:23,440 Speaker 2: that were on General Mills tbd? But you know you 544 00:29:23,520 --> 00:29:27,320 Speaker 2: can't argue with the alliterative connection between Beverly Hills nine 545 00:29:27,360 --> 00:29:29,680 Speaker 2: oh two one oh and General Mills nine oh two. 546 00:29:30,120 --> 00:29:33,960 Speaker 1: I yield my time, well done, and people, just like 547 00:29:34,000 --> 00:29:36,840 Speaker 1: you're saying, people know when there's a good idea, you remember, 548 00:29:36,880 --> 00:29:40,520 Speaker 1: you want to run with it. General Mills is in 549 00:29:40,560 --> 00:29:44,120 Speaker 1: this crazy serial video game casino and they keep winning. 550 00:29:44,440 --> 00:29:47,640 Speaker 1: So after they released chex Quest two and ninety seven, 551 00:29:48,040 --> 00:29:51,840 Speaker 1: they released che Quest three in two thousand and eight, 552 00:29:52,120 --> 00:29:55,480 Speaker 1: and get this, they re released it in twenty twenty. 553 00:29:56,640 --> 00:29:58,040 Speaker 1: Checks Quest HD. 554 00:29:58,680 --> 00:30:02,120 Speaker 2: Oh my goodness. They needed they needed more resolution for 555 00:30:02,200 --> 00:30:04,240 Speaker 2: that checks You know, they had. 556 00:30:04,160 --> 00:30:08,240 Speaker 3: To pretty several bust universe now. There's multiple playable characters now, 557 00:30:08,320 --> 00:30:11,560 Speaker 3: and so a lot of lore. It's a legendary game. Truthfully, 558 00:30:11,600 --> 00:30:13,720 Speaker 3: it is a legendary. It is very short. It is 559 00:30:13,720 --> 00:30:15,520 Speaker 3: about thirty minutes to play the entire thing. 560 00:30:15,720 --> 00:30:18,520 Speaker 1: I don't have a problem with short games, no, no, no, no, 561 00:30:18,360 --> 00:30:20,440 Speaker 1: I don't have a problem with them unless I'm paying 562 00:30:20,600 --> 00:30:23,200 Speaker 1: the same price for them that I'm paying for you know, 563 00:30:23,640 --> 00:30:25,360 Speaker 1: forty hour RPG, you know. 564 00:30:25,600 --> 00:30:28,000 Speaker 3: And that's the best thing about chex Quest as it 565 00:30:28,120 --> 00:30:29,160 Speaker 3: never costs money. 566 00:30:29,440 --> 00:30:31,479 Speaker 2: Well, so it was always a serial tie in. It 567 00:30:31,520 --> 00:30:33,640 Speaker 2: was it was the prize. Yeah, you got it in 568 00:30:33,720 --> 00:30:34,080 Speaker 2: the box. 569 00:30:34,160 --> 00:30:36,040 Speaker 4: That's sorry you said that. I'm sorry. 570 00:30:36,080 --> 00:30:38,920 Speaker 2: I didn't fully understand the ramifications of that is very 571 00:30:38,960 --> 00:30:43,560 Speaker 2: forward thinking, you know, a digital prize, uh in the nineties, 572 00:30:43,800 --> 00:30:44,360 Speaker 2: how about that. 573 00:30:45,040 --> 00:30:49,000 Speaker 3: Yeah, I'm just looking to confirm something. Yep, chex Quest 574 00:30:49,200 --> 00:30:53,560 Speaker 3: HD on Steam. It is a robust game with multiplayer features, 575 00:30:53,600 --> 00:30:55,000 Speaker 3: and everything is also free. 576 00:30:55,280 --> 00:30:56,520 Speaker 4: Ah, it's always free. 577 00:30:56,400 --> 00:30:59,320 Speaker 1: Which makes it the best, the best deal out of 578 00:30:59,360 --> 00:31:02,560 Speaker 1: the four because the other ones are free if you 579 00:31:02,640 --> 00:31:07,120 Speaker 1: purchase a box of cereal. So there is still technically prizing. 580 00:31:13,600 --> 00:31:17,400 Speaker 1: We can't even get to stuff like, Oh, Ronald McDonald 581 00:31:17,480 --> 00:31:22,880 Speaker 1: McDonald's treasure Land Adventure. That's a weird tie in. There's 582 00:31:23,160 --> 00:31:28,640 Speaker 1: a ton of Ronald McDonald's games. There's Donald Land in 583 00:31:29,120 --> 00:31:32,000 Speaker 1: nineteen eighty eight. It's a platformer that just came out 584 00:31:32,000 --> 00:31:35,040 Speaker 1: in Japan, where, weirdly enough, they call him Donald McDonald. 585 00:31:35,080 --> 00:31:37,800 Speaker 2: I was about to say Donald Land. I don't understand. Okay, 586 00:31:37,880 --> 00:31:40,840 Speaker 2: that makes sense. He's Donald McDonald. 587 00:31:41,600 --> 00:31:45,560 Speaker 1: I kind of like it. I like the internal. I 588 00:31:45,680 --> 00:31:47,440 Speaker 1: like how they added an extra d. 589 00:31:47,880 --> 00:31:50,960 Speaker 2: It does add an extra layer of absurdity to it, 590 00:31:51,000 --> 00:31:53,080 Speaker 2: doesn't it. You know, it's sort of like having two 591 00:31:53,320 --> 00:31:56,040 Speaker 2: first names, right, you know, you're like the first name 592 00:31:56,240 --> 00:31:58,080 Speaker 2: and then a last name that's also a first name, 593 00:31:58,120 --> 00:31:58,320 Speaker 2: you know. 594 00:31:58,680 --> 00:31:58,920 Speaker 4: Yeah. 595 00:31:59,000 --> 00:32:02,680 Speaker 1: Yeah, and Gin published a nineteen ninety two game called 596 00:32:02,960 --> 00:32:07,040 Speaker 1: MC Kids, which is sort of an also ran. 597 00:32:07,320 --> 00:32:09,920 Speaker 3: That looks one that one looks like incredibly lying by 598 00:32:09,920 --> 00:32:11,719 Speaker 3: the way, that looks like the worst one. 599 00:32:12,080 --> 00:32:16,520 Speaker 1: And then well we've got McDonald lang Global Gladiators another 600 00:32:16,680 --> 00:32:17,240 Speaker 1: spin off. 601 00:32:17,760 --> 00:32:20,080 Speaker 2: To backtrack, though, ben, I would assume that would be 602 00:32:20,120 --> 00:32:22,000 Speaker 2: pronounced mckids. 603 00:32:22,360 --> 00:32:25,360 Speaker 1: Yeah, but they've got the dots. They've got the initials 604 00:32:25,680 --> 00:32:27,280 Speaker 1: M dot C dot kids. 605 00:32:27,360 --> 00:32:30,000 Speaker 3: So there's MC kids, but it's definitely MC kids. 606 00:32:30,120 --> 00:32:32,320 Speaker 2: But what is so what if it's dots, they're supposed 607 00:32:32,320 --> 00:32:34,200 Speaker 2: to stand for something? What what do they stand for? 608 00:32:34,280 --> 00:32:35,600 Speaker 4: Massively cool? Yeah? 609 00:32:35,640 --> 00:32:38,240 Speaker 3: I think it actually somewhere I read it stood for 610 00:32:38,800 --> 00:32:41,640 Speaker 3: Mick and mac and the thing afterwards said this obviously 611 00:32:41,680 --> 00:32:44,800 Speaker 3: makes no sense because the acronym is uh EMC, but 612 00:32:45,800 --> 00:32:47,320 Speaker 3: they didn't think it out too far. Basically is what 613 00:32:47,360 --> 00:32:48,040 Speaker 3: a lot of people said. 614 00:32:48,200 --> 00:32:52,200 Speaker 1: It seems so, yeah, what are we gonna play Grimace's Birthday? 615 00:32:52,600 --> 00:32:53,120 Speaker 4: Oh boy? 616 00:32:53,240 --> 00:32:56,280 Speaker 2: I love all the freaky, creepy pasta memes that were 617 00:32:56,840 --> 00:33:00,440 Speaker 2: spawned from the whole Grimace Shake thing with people like 618 00:33:00,520 --> 00:33:03,840 Speaker 2: just consuming the Grimace Shake and then immediately descending into 619 00:33:03,880 --> 00:33:07,800 Speaker 2: some sort of murderous David Lynch nightmare hellscape. 620 00:33:08,040 --> 00:33:08,360 Speaker 4: Yeah. 621 00:33:08,400 --> 00:33:12,200 Speaker 2: I thought that was just absolutely peak Internet of Today, 622 00:33:12,320 --> 00:33:13,440 Speaker 2: really really good stuff. 623 00:33:13,840 --> 00:33:18,000 Speaker 1: And then there is, of course McDonald's treasure Land Adventure. 624 00:33:18,080 --> 00:33:22,960 Speaker 1: There's so many that there's so many different McDonald's tie 625 00:33:23,040 --> 00:33:27,640 Speaker 1: in games that we could even do another episode on those, 626 00:33:27,680 --> 00:33:30,560 Speaker 1: But for now, all you need to know is that 627 00:33:30,760 --> 00:33:35,000 Speaker 1: Treasure Land Adventure has its own kind of fantasy lore. 628 00:33:35,240 --> 00:33:37,960 Speaker 1: Ronald McDonald is in a magic forest one day, or 629 00:33:38,040 --> 00:33:40,640 Speaker 1: the Magical Forest, and he sees a piece of paper 630 00:33:40,720 --> 00:33:44,160 Speaker 1: under a tree. He finds it's part of a treasure map, 631 00:33:44,240 --> 00:33:46,400 Speaker 1: and he doesn't know where the rest of the pieces 632 00:33:46,400 --> 00:33:48,960 Speaker 1: of the treasure map are. But the other pieces of 633 00:33:49,000 --> 00:33:50,840 Speaker 1: the map, it turns out, are in the hands of 634 00:33:50,880 --> 00:33:54,840 Speaker 1: some dangerous bad guys. So you play as Ronald McDonald 635 00:33:54,960 --> 00:33:57,479 Speaker 1: on a treasure hunt to find the pieces of the 636 00:33:57,520 --> 00:34:00,400 Speaker 1: map that will lead you to the treasure fun. 637 00:34:00,680 --> 00:34:04,200 Speaker 2: Okay, so sort of an RPG, a very light RPG 638 00:34:04,520 --> 00:34:08,080 Speaker 2: kind of yeah, yeah, yeah, Okay. Do you guys remember 639 00:34:08,560 --> 00:34:11,120 Speaker 2: Chester Cheetah Too Cool to Fool? 640 00:34:11,800 --> 00:34:12,040 Speaker 3: Yes? 641 00:34:12,200 --> 00:34:15,839 Speaker 4: Yeah, did we reference in episode one? Don't think we. 642 00:34:15,840 --> 00:34:21,080 Speaker 3: Got to let's spot in Chester Cheatah of the same 643 00:34:21,160 --> 00:34:24,319 Speaker 3: air Chester Cheetah you got his own video game two 644 00:34:25,360 --> 00:34:30,120 Speaker 3: that apparently had a really interesting glitch in the gravity 645 00:34:30,280 --> 00:34:33,600 Speaker 3: of it that would cause him to like be propelled 646 00:34:33,719 --> 00:34:36,920 Speaker 3: into the air like massively accelerating rates. 647 00:34:37,560 --> 00:34:40,520 Speaker 2: I found a cool Reddit fred with a discussion on 648 00:34:40,680 --> 00:34:44,120 Speaker 2: the Chester Cheetah game. Then they described the glitch as such, 649 00:34:44,160 --> 00:34:46,840 Speaker 2: by some glitch of the game physics, Chester was propelled 650 00:34:46,960 --> 00:34:49,160 Speaker 2: very high into the air. Of course, once you launch 651 00:34:49,160 --> 00:34:51,359 Speaker 2: anything into the air, it eventually slows down and then 652 00:34:51,440 --> 00:34:54,399 Speaker 2: starts falling, another side effect of gravity. The farther you fall, 653 00:34:54,480 --> 00:34:56,760 Speaker 2: the faster you fall. The game is probably doing something 654 00:34:56,800 --> 00:34:59,840 Speaker 2: like this. Trouble is, Chester might be falling so fast 655 00:35:00,080 --> 00:35:03,360 Speaker 2: always passes right through the area where the game checks 656 00:35:03,520 --> 00:35:06,319 Speaker 2: whether he's on the ground. So one frame he's too 657 00:35:06,360 --> 00:35:08,320 Speaker 2: far above the ground, I eat out on the ground. 658 00:35:08,560 --> 00:35:11,279 Speaker 2: Next frame he's too far below the ground. I eat 659 00:35:11,320 --> 00:35:13,959 Speaker 2: out on the ground, so the game just lets him 660 00:35:14,000 --> 00:35:14,800 Speaker 2: fall forever. 661 00:35:15,719 --> 00:35:18,400 Speaker 4: So yeah, that's a fun one. 662 00:35:18,760 --> 00:35:22,080 Speaker 1: Yeah, and there's so many others that were like barely 663 00:35:23,640 --> 00:35:26,680 Speaker 1: we could maybe just laundry list some of these. Pepsi 664 00:35:26,760 --> 00:35:29,120 Speaker 1: Man Japan loves a lot of these tie in games. 665 00:35:29,160 --> 00:35:32,960 Speaker 1: Pepsi Man is game where you play a pepsi themed superhero. 666 00:35:33,000 --> 00:35:36,440 Speaker 1: You're delivering pepsi to people. And then on the Chester 667 00:35:36,560 --> 00:35:37,240 Speaker 1: Cheetah stuff. 668 00:35:38,080 --> 00:35:38,279 Speaker 4: Yeah. 669 00:35:38,320 --> 00:35:42,200 Speaker 1: Two, we's got two games. There's Wild Wild Pest, There's 670 00:35:42,280 --> 00:35:44,759 Speaker 1: Too Cool to Fool and Too Cool to Fool. I 671 00:35:44,800 --> 00:35:49,440 Speaker 1: didn't know this doesn't have any actual Cheetos products appearing 672 00:35:49,520 --> 00:35:49,799 Speaker 1: in there. 673 00:35:51,080 --> 00:35:55,280 Speaker 2: Frankly, that's smart because Chester is synonymous with Cheetos. 674 00:35:55,840 --> 00:35:57,520 Speaker 4: You don't even need them. All you gotta do is 675 00:35:57,560 --> 00:35:59,759 Speaker 4: remind people of Chester. Cheetos is in his name. 676 00:36:00,760 --> 00:36:05,560 Speaker 2: You know, guys, remember the golden era of cartoon advertisements 677 00:36:05,560 --> 00:36:07,839 Speaker 2: for cigarettes. How come they never got a game? How 678 00:36:07,840 --> 00:36:10,040 Speaker 2: come Joe Camill never got a game? I guess that 679 00:36:10,200 --> 00:36:13,440 Speaker 2: kind of ended before these video game tie in things 680 00:36:13,480 --> 00:36:14,919 Speaker 2: really became a thing. 681 00:36:15,239 --> 00:36:17,440 Speaker 1: Yeah, I think because there was a video game crash 682 00:36:17,480 --> 00:36:21,520 Speaker 1: in nineteen eighty three for the industry. So if they 683 00:36:21,560 --> 00:36:24,239 Speaker 1: were making moves to do something like that, you know, 684 00:36:24,280 --> 00:36:27,359 Speaker 1: would work a boozer beer based game, Yeah, defleeing work. 685 00:36:27,440 --> 00:36:30,840 Speaker 1: We talked about some of those, we didn't get to 686 00:36:31,640 --> 00:36:35,120 Speaker 1: some of the most terrible, Like movie tie ins often 687 00:36:35,160 --> 00:36:37,879 Speaker 1: have a bad reputation. We mentioned nineteen eighty two et. 688 00:36:38,200 --> 00:36:42,520 Speaker 1: But the New Suicide Squad was apparently awful, as was 689 00:36:42,560 --> 00:36:44,400 Speaker 1: a Ghostbusters fight Club. 690 00:36:45,000 --> 00:36:47,960 Speaker 4: There's a fight Club video game? No, see, that's how 691 00:36:48,000 --> 00:36:51,080 Speaker 4: bad it was, was there really? Yeah? Yeah? 692 00:36:51,160 --> 00:36:54,600 Speaker 1: It was released five years after the movie. Critics and 693 00:36:54,680 --> 00:37:02,799 Speaker 1: fans like didn't dig it whatsoever. It's weirdly fred Durst 694 00:37:02,840 --> 00:37:03,600 Speaker 1: shows up in it. 695 00:37:04,120 --> 00:37:09,839 Speaker 2: Oh Man speaking of viby, nostalgia based and also potentially 696 00:37:09,840 --> 00:37:13,400 Speaker 2: creepy things, and that Fred Durst shows up in I 697 00:37:13,480 --> 00:37:15,280 Speaker 2: made a video of this for our other show stuff 698 00:37:15,280 --> 00:37:18,120 Speaker 2: they don't want you to know, but highly recommend a 699 00:37:18,200 --> 00:37:20,759 Speaker 2: film that I've already seen three times in theaters called 700 00:37:20,840 --> 00:37:22,240 Speaker 2: I Saw the TV Glow. 701 00:37:22,960 --> 00:37:24,360 Speaker 4: That is the. 702 00:37:23,960 --> 00:37:30,600 Speaker 2: Most wonderful, affecting, immersive kind of send up of nostalgia 703 00:37:30,719 --> 00:37:32,920 Speaker 2: pop culture stuff. And one thing we mentioned on these 704 00:37:32,960 --> 00:37:37,920 Speaker 2: episodes is the way you remember things looking a certain 705 00:37:37,960 --> 00:37:40,080 Speaker 2: way that you were important to you as a child, 706 00:37:40,320 --> 00:37:42,560 Speaker 2: because you're remembering them through the lens of the way 707 00:37:42,560 --> 00:37:45,080 Speaker 2: it affected you emotionally as a child. But then you 708 00:37:45,080 --> 00:37:47,640 Speaker 2: look at them again as an adult and you're like, wow, 709 00:37:47,719 --> 00:37:50,640 Speaker 2: this looks like trash. And that's true of TV shows, 710 00:37:50,680 --> 00:37:53,520 Speaker 2: that's true of movies, that's definitely true of video games, 711 00:37:53,520 --> 00:37:57,560 Speaker 2: probably more specifically, because they just looked like crap and 712 00:37:57,600 --> 00:37:59,520 Speaker 2: you had to kind of fill in the blanks, you know. 713 00:37:59,640 --> 00:38:04,480 Speaker 2: And I remember seeing turbographics sixteen Bonx Adventures for the 714 00:38:04,520 --> 00:38:07,560 Speaker 2: first time when I was like, you know, maybe twelve 715 00:38:07,760 --> 00:38:10,080 Speaker 2: something like that, and I thought it was the most magical, 716 00:38:10,160 --> 00:38:11,319 Speaker 2: wonderful thing I've ever seen. 717 00:38:11,400 --> 00:38:12,560 Speaker 4: Looked like playing a cartoon. 718 00:38:12,840 --> 00:38:16,560 Speaker 2: Go back to it now, glitchy and blocky and not 719 00:38:17,120 --> 00:38:20,040 Speaker 2: smooth or cool looking at all. But anyway, sorry, that's 720 00:38:20,040 --> 00:38:22,000 Speaker 2: my rants about nostalgia, but check out, I saw the 721 00:38:22,040 --> 00:38:25,040 Speaker 2: TV glow. As far as other movie tie ins, Disney 722 00:38:25,360 --> 00:38:27,799 Speaker 2: was very infamous for putting them out and having them 723 00:38:27,840 --> 00:38:32,440 Speaker 2: be egregiously difficult. There was The Lion King and Aladdin, 724 00:38:32,560 --> 00:38:35,799 Speaker 2: both of which I actually owned on Sega Genesis, but 725 00:38:36,040 --> 00:38:39,880 Speaker 2: the Lion King notoriously incredibly hard. 726 00:38:40,080 --> 00:38:43,000 Speaker 1: And Aladdin was the thing that answered the question what 727 00:38:43,080 --> 00:38:45,640 Speaker 1: if we could make Prince of Persia, but bad, ye 728 00:38:45,800 --> 00:38:48,920 Speaker 1: know what I mean. And then we also see a 729 00:38:49,000 --> 00:38:52,319 Speaker 1: problem is with a lot of the film tie in. Specifically, 730 00:38:52,360 --> 00:38:55,480 Speaker 1: they're working with the hectic production of a film schedule 731 00:38:55,680 --> 00:38:59,520 Speaker 1: right where they want it to be, ideally around the debut. 732 00:39:00,280 --> 00:39:05,120 Speaker 1: Terrible Catwoman movie has its own video game. The I 733 00:39:05,160 --> 00:39:09,040 Speaker 1: would also notice there is a bad street Fighter game. 734 00:39:09,280 --> 00:39:12,839 Speaker 1: It is street Fighter the movie the game, and it 735 00:39:13,000 --> 00:39:16,720 Speaker 1: is so much worse. Yeah yeah, Max. They have motions 736 00:39:16,719 --> 00:39:23,160 Speaker 1: are cracked. It's so much worse than the other iterations 737 00:39:23,640 --> 00:39:27,359 Speaker 1: of street Fighter. Because the film itself, you know, had 738 00:39:27,360 --> 00:39:31,880 Speaker 1: a really troubled production, and then the actors, after a 739 00:39:31,920 --> 00:39:34,040 Speaker 1: lot of them ended up hating each other. They had 740 00:39:34,040 --> 00:39:36,840 Speaker 1: to get back and do motion capture for this game 741 00:39:36,880 --> 00:39:40,840 Speaker 1: that looks like it wants to be Mortal Kombat dressed 742 00:39:40,840 --> 00:39:44,239 Speaker 1: as Street Fighter. It's just I don't know, man, this 743 00:39:44,719 --> 00:39:47,760 Speaker 1: You read the game reviews of this kind of stuff, 744 00:39:47,840 --> 00:39:51,719 Speaker 1: and I'll tell you, actually, you know what now that 745 00:39:51,719 --> 00:39:54,279 Speaker 1: I'm thinking about it, I don't want to get us 746 00:39:54,320 --> 00:39:57,839 Speaker 1: on a tangent here. But Aladdin was tough, but I 747 00:39:57,880 --> 00:39:58,640 Speaker 1: did like it. 748 00:39:59,200 --> 00:40:03,680 Speaker 4: No, I realized I owned Aladdin. I didn't own Lion King. 749 00:40:03,719 --> 00:40:06,719 Speaker 2: But Aladdin, I remember distinctly the level where you're in 750 00:40:06,760 --> 00:40:09,680 Speaker 2: the Cave of Wonders and you're on the flying Carpet 751 00:40:09,680 --> 00:40:12,319 Speaker 2: and it's a side scroller platform me one, and you 752 00:40:12,400 --> 00:40:15,600 Speaker 2: have to jump over and avoid all of these lava 753 00:40:15,640 --> 00:40:18,680 Speaker 2: flows and like geysers of lava, and you have to 754 00:40:18,760 --> 00:40:22,200 Speaker 2: jump over it and then jump back onto your magic carpet. 755 00:40:22,400 --> 00:40:24,399 Speaker 2: And I remember, again, if I looked at it now, 756 00:40:24,600 --> 00:40:27,799 Speaker 2: probably wouldn't hold up esthetically the way I'm picturing it 757 00:40:27,840 --> 00:40:31,360 Speaker 2: in my mind. But I very much owned the Aladdin 758 00:40:31,480 --> 00:40:34,800 Speaker 2: Sega Genesis game. But there were tons of other ones 759 00:40:34,840 --> 00:40:39,799 Speaker 2: as well, in terms of movie animated movies and specifically, 760 00:40:39,840 --> 00:40:41,880 Speaker 2: But nowadays it seemed we were talking about this at 761 00:40:41,880 --> 00:40:47,160 Speaker 2: the beginning of episode one. It seems like kids are 762 00:40:47,280 --> 00:40:50,560 Speaker 2: wise to this stuff now, and kids aren't gonna just 763 00:40:50,800 --> 00:40:55,400 Speaker 2: play a game because it's based on their favorite snack 764 00:40:55,760 --> 00:40:59,239 Speaker 2: unless there's something absurd or ironic about it. So when 765 00:40:59,239 --> 00:41:01,440 Speaker 2: you see these product tians, it's now a lot more 766 00:41:01,480 --> 00:41:03,880 Speaker 2: of this, like extra add on content, like with the 767 00:41:03,880 --> 00:41:07,480 Speaker 2: different skins that you can get for a Fortnite et cetera. 768 00:41:07,719 --> 00:41:10,560 Speaker 1: Or the different fighting characters you can get as DLC 769 00:41:10,800 --> 00:41:12,320 Speaker 1: downloadable content. 770 00:41:13,760 --> 00:41:16,319 Speaker 4: In Mortal Kombat, you know, that's when you can get 771 00:41:16,520 --> 00:41:17,760 Speaker 4: Dark Predator. 772 00:41:17,360 --> 00:41:20,719 Speaker 1: And Yoda and Soul Caliber series. Those were great because 773 00:41:20,760 --> 00:41:24,560 Speaker 1: they have force powers. I think what we're saying is, yeah, 774 00:41:24,680 --> 00:41:29,080 Speaker 1: the trends will evolve and the methods will change. But 775 00:41:29,719 --> 00:41:32,160 Speaker 1: even though you know it's easy to dismiss some of 776 00:41:32,200 --> 00:41:36,640 Speaker 1: these things as perhaps cynical advertisements or grabs for attention, 777 00:41:37,600 --> 00:41:43,320 Speaker 1: this we these strange bedfellows of products and video games 778 00:41:43,600 --> 00:41:47,480 Speaker 1: actually resulted in some really cool experiences, and the nostalgia 779 00:41:47,640 --> 00:41:48,440 Speaker 1: is so real. 780 00:41:48,840 --> 00:41:49,480 Speaker 4: Oh man, just a. 781 00:41:49,440 --> 00:41:51,719 Speaker 2: Couple that I'm just remembering now. I'm like having a 782 00:41:51,760 --> 00:41:55,320 Speaker 2: core memory unlocked Home Alone. There was a video game 783 00:41:55,360 --> 00:41:59,600 Speaker 2: based on Home Alone on Nintendo that was terrible. And 784 00:41:59,640 --> 00:42:02,000 Speaker 2: I just found a Reddit thread that was what happened 785 00:42:02,040 --> 00:42:06,400 Speaker 2: to video games based on every single movie, and it 786 00:42:06,480 --> 00:42:08,680 Speaker 2: really was a thing like whether they were live action, 787 00:42:08,880 --> 00:42:11,920 Speaker 2: animated or whatnot. So if you want to dig into 788 00:42:12,080 --> 00:42:15,240 Speaker 2: more of that stuff and find, you know, little bits 789 00:42:15,280 --> 00:42:19,839 Speaker 2: of Internet debris leftover of gameplay that stuff, you certainly can. 790 00:42:20,040 --> 00:42:24,080 Speaker 4: It's a very deep rabbit hole hap happy hunting. 791 00:42:24,400 --> 00:42:26,400 Speaker 3: Yeah, And to jump in real quick, I want to 792 00:42:26,440 --> 00:42:28,000 Speaker 3: just talk about et for a little bit. We go 793 00:42:28,160 --> 00:42:31,200 Speaker 3: much more detail in our femeral episode about this with 794 00:42:31,280 --> 00:42:33,440 Speaker 3: somebody who knows way more about Williams than I will 795 00:42:33,480 --> 00:42:37,239 Speaker 3: ever know. But I want to state some love and 796 00:42:37,280 --> 00:42:40,040 Speaker 3: support for Howard Scott Warshaw, who was actually the programmer 797 00:42:40,200 --> 00:42:43,640 Speaker 3: made ET, because he's putting in an impossible situation. Basically, 798 00:42:43,680 --> 00:42:47,880 Speaker 3: they paid the studio for the rights of Fortune and 799 00:42:47,920 --> 00:42:50,040 Speaker 3: they gave him like a few weeks basically built the 800 00:42:50,040 --> 00:42:51,920 Speaker 3: game back then they can only build it stuf. He 801 00:42:51,960 --> 00:42:54,279 Speaker 3: also has one of the funniest creative games ever. It's 802 00:42:54,320 --> 00:42:59,920 Speaker 3: called Yars Revenge is a direct shot at Ray Kazo, 803 00:43:00,200 --> 00:43:03,879 Speaker 3: who was CEO of Atari who had been hired there 804 00:43:03,880 --> 00:43:07,000 Speaker 3: to replace Nolan Bushnell. Literally got hired away from Burlington 805 00:43:07,080 --> 00:43:09,799 Speaker 3: Coat Factory. That's who they put in charge of thing. 806 00:43:09,880 --> 00:43:12,560 Speaker 3: He was this guy's this is Ray Kazzar is the 807 00:43:12,560 --> 00:43:16,680 Speaker 3: guy who agree who worked the deal for you know, 808 00:43:16,880 --> 00:43:21,160 Speaker 3: the ET game and uh also you know basically killed Atari. 809 00:43:21,680 --> 00:43:22,040 Speaker 4: Uh. 810 00:43:22,080 --> 00:43:25,560 Speaker 3: And this guy, Howard Scott Warshaw's on a lot of 811 00:43:25,600 --> 00:43:29,000 Speaker 3: great things, like you know, uh said raiders have lost 812 00:43:29,080 --> 00:43:30,839 Speaker 3: ark and stuff, video games and stuff like He's done 813 00:43:30,880 --> 00:43:33,680 Speaker 3: a lot, and so it's really crazy to see how 814 00:43:33,719 --> 00:43:36,760 Speaker 3: bad et was because there was nothing he could have done. 815 00:43:36,560 --> 00:43:39,280 Speaker 1: With that one, right, And that's something we have to remember, 816 00:43:39,520 --> 00:43:41,560 Speaker 1: just like is he the mascot, there are a lot 817 00:43:41,600 --> 00:43:45,240 Speaker 1: of hard working people who are laboring under at times 818 00:43:45,239 --> 00:43:48,440 Speaker 1: and possible situations. Also shout out to the Atari Jaguar 819 00:43:48,640 --> 00:43:49,359 Speaker 1: as one of those. 820 00:43:51,480 --> 00:43:54,880 Speaker 3: And I found a jaguar ad. It it has oh god, 821 00:43:55,160 --> 00:43:55,920 Speaker 3: it has been it. 822 00:43:55,920 --> 00:43:58,120 Speaker 2: Ripping through the page kind of is one of those 823 00:43:58,160 --> 00:44:01,000 Speaker 2: where it's like claw marks or something. I'm just picturing 824 00:44:01,320 --> 00:44:02,960 Speaker 2: magazine ads for that kind of stuff. 825 00:44:02,960 --> 00:44:05,480 Speaker 3: It's a kid who's playing a tough, bad kid and 826 00:44:05,520 --> 00:44:07,560 Speaker 3: he goes to the bathroom and plays the jaguar pulls 827 00:44:07,600 --> 00:44:10,040 Speaker 3: out of his pocket, which is hilarioucause jaguars are massive 828 00:44:10,040 --> 00:44:13,359 Speaker 3: and huge. But it's an actual guy who had an 829 00:44:13,400 --> 00:44:16,759 Speaker 3: acting career who was not considered as a bad kid. 830 00:44:16,800 --> 00:44:18,520 Speaker 4: Let's say to that can career. I'm looking it up. 831 00:44:18,600 --> 00:44:21,359 Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah, well yeah. Jack Black did some video game ads. 832 00:44:21,360 --> 00:44:22,920 Speaker 2: It was for a game called Pitfall that you can 833 00:44:22,960 --> 00:44:25,880 Speaker 2: actually find that ad online with a very young, fresh 834 00:44:25,920 --> 00:44:28,080 Speaker 2: faced Jack Black. But while you're looking at that at 835 00:44:28,080 --> 00:44:29,920 Speaker 2: Max's when I add my last thing. It's kind of 836 00:44:29,920 --> 00:44:33,080 Speaker 2: full circle for this this doesn't happen anymore. You know, 837 00:44:33,200 --> 00:44:36,200 Speaker 2: these product high end video games, these movie kind of 838 00:44:36,200 --> 00:44:38,759 Speaker 2: tempole tie in video games, unless they're something like a 839 00:44:38,760 --> 00:44:41,239 Speaker 2: Spider Man, are something that you know has been in 840 00:44:41,280 --> 00:44:43,040 Speaker 2: development for a long time, that they know will sell 841 00:44:43,239 --> 00:44:46,760 Speaker 2: because now the expectations for the quality of the game 842 00:44:46,840 --> 00:44:50,240 Speaker 2: must reach are just so much higher, and the typical 843 00:44:50,280 --> 00:44:53,239 Speaker 2: development cycle for a big game, often referred to as 844 00:44:53,239 --> 00:44:55,720 Speaker 2: like a triple A game, can be up to six years. 845 00:44:56,160 --> 00:45:00,560 Speaker 2: So now what's replaced the cheap quick dirt, the cash 846 00:45:00,680 --> 00:45:04,520 Speaker 2: grab of the the the rushed you know, video game 847 00:45:04,920 --> 00:45:09,840 Speaker 2: tie in of yesteryear are phone games as sure? 848 00:45:10,400 --> 00:45:13,120 Speaker 1: So I would argue though that the while it's again 849 00:45:13,360 --> 00:45:15,799 Speaker 1: like I was saying earlier, while it's evolved, we still 850 00:45:15,840 --> 00:45:18,839 Speaker 1: see those same core trends. Lord of the Rings has 851 00:45:18,880 --> 00:45:22,760 Speaker 1: some terrible video games. Shout out to their their Golumn game, 852 00:45:23,080 --> 00:45:26,319 Speaker 1: and Suicide Squad, which I mentioned earlier, also had a 853 00:45:26,360 --> 00:45:30,360 Speaker 1: really difficult game release. I think the money is just 854 00:45:30,400 --> 00:45:32,680 Speaker 1: too good. I think you do make an astute point 855 00:45:32,960 --> 00:45:37,239 Speaker 1: about the mobile gaming, which again is the evolution that 856 00:45:37,320 --> 00:45:42,839 Speaker 1: we see the cyclical, uh, the cyclical process of nostalgia 857 00:45:42,920 --> 00:45:45,800 Speaker 1: bringing people back to the things we loved as kids. 858 00:45:45,800 --> 00:45:47,560 Speaker 1: So I do want to say again, if it sounds 859 00:45:47,560 --> 00:45:51,560 Speaker 1: like we're dumping on developers and publishers and so on, 860 00:45:51,800 --> 00:45:54,479 Speaker 1: we're not dumping on the creatives at all. It's uh, 861 00:45:54,719 --> 00:45:57,440 Speaker 1: it's again. I think one of the most important points 862 00:45:57,480 --> 00:46:03,000 Speaker 1: sometimes these strange bedfellows eight stuff that remains an awesome 863 00:46:03,040 --> 00:46:06,000 Speaker 1: part of people's lives, and I think it's really cool 864 00:46:06,280 --> 00:46:09,279 Speaker 1: to acknowledge that. I'm looking at the positive side. You know, 865 00:46:09,320 --> 00:46:13,200 Speaker 1: for every et, there is at least two there are 866 00:46:13,239 --> 00:46:16,240 Speaker 1: at least two to three other games that people will 867 00:46:16,239 --> 00:46:18,840 Speaker 1: always pick up, regardless of how old they are. And 868 00:46:19,000 --> 00:46:22,080 Speaker 1: with that, this concludes our two part history on the 869 00:46:22,120 --> 00:46:26,240 Speaker 1: Golden Era the halcyon age of video game product tie ins. 870 00:46:26,320 --> 00:46:29,759 Speaker 1: Thanks to our super producer mister Max Williams, Thanks our 871 00:46:29,800 --> 00:46:34,160 Speaker 1: research associate Max Williams and our composer Alex Williams. 872 00:46:33,760 --> 00:46:37,400 Speaker 2: Christopher Rasiotis and Eaves, Jeff Coates here in spirit, aj 873 00:46:37,560 --> 00:46:42,279 Speaker 2: Bahamas Jacobs the Puzzler. Actually we've got a date with 874 00:46:42,360 --> 00:46:44,480 Speaker 2: him on the books coming up real soon, so for 875 00:46:44,719 --> 00:46:48,000 Speaker 2: another Puzzler tie in episode coming your way. 876 00:46:48,360 --> 00:46:51,399 Speaker 1: And then of course Rachel Big Spinach Lance, our pal 877 00:46:51,560 --> 00:46:55,800 Speaker 1: Gabe Luzier all of you ridiculous historians, gamers and non 878 00:46:56,040 --> 00:46:59,160 Speaker 1: gamers alike. We can't wait to travel with you to 879 00:46:59,320 --> 00:47:02,839 Speaker 1: some new place is In future episodes. We're gonna learn 880 00:47:02,920 --> 00:47:07,040 Speaker 1: about Popeye harems, We're gonna learn like real harems. 881 00:47:07,040 --> 00:47:10,440 Speaker 4: We're gonna learn about karaoke. We're gonna learn about the 882 00:47:10,440 --> 00:47:11,080 Speaker 4: Swiss Guard. 883 00:47:11,239 --> 00:47:15,320 Speaker 1: So many things ahead light spoilers, but we can't wait 884 00:47:15,360 --> 00:47:17,719 Speaker 1: for you to be riding shotgun with us. 885 00:47:17,840 --> 00:47:19,239 Speaker 4: I guess that's kind of what we do, Ben, We're 886 00:47:19,280 --> 00:47:22,920 Speaker 4: sort of spoilers of history. We'll see you next time. Books. 887 00:47:29,920 --> 00:47:33,719 Speaker 2: For more podcasts from iHeartRadio, visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, 888 00:47:33,840 --> 00:47:36,000 Speaker 2: or wherever you listen to your favorite shows