Recently, driven by a wave of nostalgia and a certain appreciation for the past, I acquired a VHS player purely for the nostalgic pleasure it brings. This was soon followed by a successful bid on a 32-inch CRT TV at an auction in Shepton Mallet. My main motivation was to enjoy some old video tapes found in my attic, one of which features my younger self discussing sexism and the video game Tomb Raider on a youth TV show from the 1990s (to clarify, I was critiquing the sexism). Additionally, this endeavor served as a novel way to indulge my penchant for video-game related nostalgia, albeit with fragile relics.
The 1980s and 90s not only saw the meteoric rise of the video game industry but also witnessed the booming home-video market. The intersection of these two led to some fascinating collaborations. I’m eager to collect classic VHS treasures such as the movies “Street Fighter” and the 1993 adaptation of “Super Mario Bros.”, along with early game-inspired films like “The Last Starfighter”, “The Wizard”, and “WarGames”. These were titles I rented from a local video store during the 80s—a store that interestingly also sold computer games from the budget label Mastertronic, marking another intriguing crossover between these entertainment mediums.
I’m also on the hunt for some more obscure VHS tapes. The era was rich with tie-in cartoons as TV networks began to leverage the growing popularity of video games. Some of these include collections of episodes from the rather dismal early 80s cartoons of Pac-Man and Pole Position, and from the later part of the decade, “The Super Mario Bros. Super Show!”, which was a hybrid of live-action and animation produced in the US.
Moreover, I’m currently trying to win a VHS of the notoriously bad cartoon “Captain N: The Game Master”, which portrays a boy whisked away into a video game world through his TV, where he must navigate well-known Nintendo game landscapes to survive. There are also some commendable video game-based cartoons available on VHS, including anime adaptations of Street Fighter and Tekken.
Prior to the internet era, video cassettes were crucial promotional tools for game publishers. Companies like Konami and Irem would produce promotional tapes showcasing their latest arcade machines for distributors and arcade owners. In the 1990s, Capcom operated a fan club in Japan which, alongside a magazine and later a newsletter, distributed videotapes featuring trailers and developer interviews to its members. Many of these items are still up for grabs on eBay and Japanese auction sites, which I explore using the excellent Doorzo app.
In the UK, gaming magazines often included VHS tapes loaded with demos, trailers, and gaming tips. I remember the challenges we faced while working on the Dreamcast magazine DC-UK in 1999; our first issue included a demo tape that featured clips from various launch titles. It was quite the ordeal to assemble. On BlueSky, I asked for people to share their memories of similar demo tapes. Writer Mike Diver recalled Mean Machines magazine’s classic Sega Preview Tape that featured Sonic the Hedgehog 2 and, amusingly, what he described as “the worst Greendog footage you ever did see”. Greendog: The Beached Surfer Dude! was a terrible scrolling platformer, a game I would have completely forgotten if not for that tape. You can still watch that footage online.
Interestingly, Gen Z teenagers, tired of digital content fed through smartphones and subscription services, are now embracing physical media. Vinyl records were just the beginning—now, these young individuals are also purchasing old-school digital cameras and assembling DVD collections. The growing interest in VHS and even Betamax tapes is partially fueled by nostalgia for the old routines of renting, playing, and the courteous act of rewinding these arcane objects. For video game enthusiasts, there’s an additional allure: VHS tapes are bulky and come in large boxes adorned with appealing artwork, akin to old video game cartridges. The visuals they produce are reminiscent of old games—glitchy and low-resolution, evoking the charm of a bygone era.
Game Recommendations
While indulging in this retro journey, I’ve started playing a 1990s-themed football management game called Nutmeg!, set to launch this week on PC. This nostalgic football simulation combines deck-building card game mechanics. Players can recruit and train real-life players from that era, choose formations, and engage in card-based matches. Learning the multiple systems is initially complex, but the game quickly becomes intuitive, and the presentation nostalgically incorporates elements like old PCs and cork boards, similar to the league charts once offered in football magazines. Fans of classic games like Kevin Toms Football Star Manager or Championship Manager will find much to enjoy here.
Available on: PC
Estimated playtime: 90 minutes, with many additional hours likely
Reading List
-
The creator of Fortnite, Epic Games, recently announced layoffs of over 1,000 employees. CEO Tim Sweeney attributed this decision to challenging market conditions and a decline in player engagement with Fortnite. The global gaming industry has experienced tens of thousands of job cuts over the past three years, as rising game development costs and fierce competition from other digital entertainment platforms like social media and streaming TV continue to exert enormous pressure on game publishers.
-
In a recent incident, another game developer realized they had accidentally included AI-generated art in their game. This time it was Crimson Desert by Pearl Abyss, which issued a statement explaining that the AI-created visual props were unintentionally included in the final game release, instead of being replaced by artwork created by humans. This issue also affected 11 Bit Studios, who apologized for leaving AI-generated assets in The Alters, and Sandfall Interactive, which faced consequences at the Indie Game Awards after experimental AI art was discovered in their final product (though it was removed five days later).
-
It seems only fitting that a game as expansive as Minecraft would eventually inspire its own theme park. Minecraft World is set to open at Chessington World of Adventures in 2027. I anticipate it will be a popular attraction, especially among groups of teens likely to immerse themselves fully in the themed environments, perhaps even playfully tossing popcorn as they shout “Chicken Jockey”.
-
I have a particular fondness for books that gather essays on video gaming, and a wonderful new addition has recently been published. CTRL: Essays on Video Games (from Liliput Press) is a collection of engaging, humorous, and insightful essays on gaming penned by novelists like Lisa McInerney and game designers such as the legendary Brenda Romero.
Links to Explore
-
Resident Evil at 30: how Capcom’s horror series has endured and flourished
-
In the competitive realm of online gaming, there are no longer guaranteed hits—only survivors
-
The CEO of the company behind Subnautica 2 attempted to use ChatGPT in a failed effort to avoid paying a US$250 million bonus to the studio head, according to court documents
-
The Mortuary Assistant – a game-inspired horror experience that authentically simulates morgue work | ★★☆☆☆
Question Block
Continuing with our retro theme, I received this question from Howard via email:
“I seem to recall a quiz show from the 1980s where contestants played video games against each other as part of several rounds, but I can’t remember its name or the games involved. Did this actually happen, or is it just my imagination?”
Howard, you definitely didn’t imagine it! You’re thinking of the BBC children’s quiz show First Class, which first aired as a pilot from BBC Wales in 1984 before becoming a regular feature from 1986 to 1988. The show featured two teams of three children who answered trivia questions on various topics, including movies and music, interspersed with rounds of video game competitions. Games featured included Paperboy, Hyper Sports, and the skateboarding game 720°, with host Debbie Greenwood using a computer to keep score. While it wasn’t the first TV quiz show to incorporate video game rounds—that honor goes to the US show Starcade, which started in 1982 and included games like Donkey Kong and BurgerTime—the format reached new heights with the 1991 US quiz show Video Power, co-hosted by Terry Lee Torok, and the UK’s GamesMaster, which aired on Channel 4 from 1992 and was famously hosted by Guardian games columnist Dominik Diamond. Perhaps it’s time for a modern revival of this concept, maybe by blending the noughties game show 1 vs. 100 with elements of Fortnite?
If you have a question for Question Block—or anything else you’d like to share about this newsletter—email us at pushingbuttons@theguardian.com.
Similar Posts:
- Retro Rewind Madness: Dive into Nostalgia with This New Video Rental Sim Game!
- The Simpsons’ Bizarre Romance with Video Games: A Decades-Long Love Story Unveiled!
- Fortnite Shakeup: Epic Games Announces Major Staff Layoffs Amidst Changes!
- Unveiling the Secrets of the Gamer’s Mind: What Drives Video Game Enthusiasts?
- Commodore 64 Reviewed: Is This Retro Computer Still Worth Your Time?
Fatima Clarke is a seasoned health reporter who bridges medical science with human stories. She writes with compassion, precision, and a drive to inform.
