Jeremy Parish

November bonus #1: Famimaga Video #8: Nov. 1989 (Patreon)

Published:

2023-11-05 18:58:18

Imported:

2024-04

Tags:

1989 Famimaga vhs

Content

We've entered the back stretch of Famimaga Video's brief but beautiful run of providing me with cool B-roll footage while also helping to document the evolution and transition of Japanese console gaming from the 8- to 16-bit era. You can really see that in effect here, with the bulk of this tape focusing on PC Engine games! A thing like that.

I apologize for the slightly rough video quality of this "issue," and the annoying background buzz throughout. Gathering secondhand VHS tapes released overseas nearly 35 years ago is a somewhat hit-or-miss proposition, and sometimes you end up acquiring a video in poor condition. At least this one never loses sync...

Files

Famimaga Video 1989-11 (Issue 8) VHS rip

Can you feel the winds of change blowing? Looking back at Famimaga Video from its beginnings in mid-1988 to this issue, from the end of 1989, you can really sense the declining influence of the Famicom, at least on the influencer side. The video series has heavily shifted its focus to PC Engine and Mega Drive games, with an incredibly lengthy opening feature that compares the NEC/Hudson take on Darius and Darius II to the elaborate arcade originals. Although the coin-op's triple-screen set up was impossible for any home console to recreate, Famimaga Video certainly cheerleads for the PCE interpretation. I don't know that Famimaga's shift in focus was reflected by actual sales, but here—a full year before the Super Famicom launch—NEC and Sega had some exciting machines on offer. Lots of recycled promos in this issue, per usual, plus a smattering of 8-bit coverage. This also episode features the most pathetic Valis II "cheat" imaginable (pause to see Yuuko's underwear). This rip came from a tape in fairly rough shape, so there's a lot of stuttering throughout, although the RetroTink 5X's framebuffering did a remarkable job of preventing desync! 0:40 Contents 1:215 Arcade to PC Engine 1:20 Darius for PC Engine 6:24 Darius II for PC Engine 13:08 Previews 10:42 Top Gun II 16:23 Cosmic Epsilon 18:59 Glory of Heracles II 20:56 Hyper Lode Runner promo 21:12 SD Gundam Capsule Senki promo 21:32 Ultra Tech 21:39 Splatterhouse 21:50 Famista ’89 22:29 Shin Moero!! Pro Yakyuu 23:13 Gunhed 23:36 Side Arm 23:43 Fire Prowrestling 23:52 Valis II* 23:59 Game Boy Fan 24:06 Castlevania: The Adventure 26:01 Mega Drive Fan 26:07 Sorcerian 27:52 Famicom Cassette Racer Mini Yonku Japan Cup promo 28:07 TwinBee III promo 28:23 EarthBound Beginnings promo 28:53 Quick Looks 29:02 F1 Triple Battle 33:30 Power Drift 35:11 Bari Bari Densetsu 38:04 Super Hang-On 40:30 Outro