Please Take One

A collection of video game brochures, gathered from magazines, conventions, and department stores over the course of my life.

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I am currently scanning and preparing the second issue of Pokemon Power. While you’re waiting for the next dose of Pokemon-infused delight, why not check out my video game and beer pairings blog, Digital Draughts?

Written on a semi-monthly basis, Digital Draughts highlights the pairing of specific brews with certain titles.  Some highlights include a pirate-themed pairing of Uncharted 4 with Heavy Seas’ Plank IV, a seasonal special with Grim Fandango Remastered and Stone Brewery’s Xocoveza, and a field trip to Adroit Theory Brewing Company (with Gengar!).

So please be sure to follow Digital Draughts for fantastic craft beer and video game pairings (along with all sorts of geeky brew and game culture in-between)!

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Ugh, so many feels!  I distinctly remember the awkward nerd tears I shed for Ash and Pikachu’s first moment of teamwork.  I also remember the awe and mystery of catching a glimpse of a Pokemon outside of the original 151, in the first episode of the show.

However, I don’t recall the sound of Pikachu’s massive Thunderbolt being “Kraacka-Choooo!”

Also, how about that list of local television stations?  Were you one of those lucky locales?

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Looking back at Ash’s terrible start to his journey, one line stands out. “Wild Pokemon tend to be jealous of human-trained Pokemon.”

Because what animal wouldn’t want to be kept in a cold, metal ball by a neglectful bike thief who throws rocks at birds?

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Playing Pokemon Go makes me feel exactly like Ash from this portion of the comic from Pokemon Power Issue 1.  I arrived late to the game, received a smug little Pokemon that doesn’t help at all with catching wild monsters, and I consistently screw up when trying to catch even the most basic of Pidgeys.

In other words, I am having lots of fun with this app.  Also, Ash’s comment to the Pidgey in the last page is pretty dark.

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Now we’re getting to the bulk of Pokemon Power- an Ani-Manga adaptation of the television show.  Also known as film comics, these direct adaptations of anime screen captures into manga were a moderate trend in the late 90s.

Looking at these direct shots from the show, I am noticing little details I missed when I first watched as a kid.  For example, I knew Ash had an adorable Poke Ball clock, but I had forgotten that he overslept because he threw said clock while dreaming.

(Also, I find it fascinating that Ash’s sentiment from the last panel seems to be the general consensus in our world today.)

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Lots to digest here- we’ve got the first example of Version-Specific Pokemon, the first instance of Gym Leaders, and a Bike!  

It’s interesting to see how Pokemon Red and Blue encouraged socialized gaming by forcing players to trade with their friends/siblings/loved ones for Sandshrews and Ekanses.  

I also enjoy the way that Gym Leaders are introduced as archetypes thanks to the translation templates in these games (”The BROCK wants to fight!”).  

Finally, damn that bike is expensive!

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It’s so strange how mundane Pikachu seems in Pokemon Red and Blue. Despite its massive presence in the merchandising post-1998, Pikachu is merely, “one of several Pokemon you’ll find in Viridian Forest.”

Then again, the anime had yet to debut on American televisions at this time, so Pikachu Mania™ had not reached pandemic levels.  So for Pokemon Power, the beloved electric mouse would simply be an uncommon find among the bugs in the woods.

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The first issue of Pokemon Power debuted in August 1998, as a tear-out insert in Volume 111 of Nintendo Power.  The bulk of these mini-magazines was made up of Ani-Manga adaptations of the Pokemon television show and a strategy guide for Pokemon Red and Blue.

With plenty of in-world news briefings and advertisements, the strategy sections read a bit like a travel guide for fledgling trainers in the Kanto region. Although I can’t imagine a single trainer taking Professor Oak’s advice to, “stay away from grassy areas where wild Pokemon live.”

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It’s been a while, fair followers of Please Take One!  During my lengthy hiatus, I have been gathering new video game brochures and working on all sorts of fun projects:

For the next several months on Please Take One, you will see multiple posts from the six “issue” run of Pokemon Power!  These mini-magazines were included as inserts in Nintendo Power back in 1998.  Pokemon Power features excerpts from the Official Pokemon Strategy Guide, fan art, a comic adaptation of the anime, and other neat goodies.  Be sure to follow Please Take One for all sorts of rare and nostalgic gaming brochures!

Over on Games I Made My Girlfriend Play, I have been chugging away on my new series about video game and beer pairings, aptly named Digital Draughts!  Written on a semi-monthly basis, these posts will highlight the pairing of specific brews with certain titles.  The latest post pairs Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft with Brewery Ommegang’s delicious blonde ale, Gnomegang.  Please check it out and be sure to follow GIMMGP as well!

Finally, I am wrapping up the final details and preparing to release the second issue of my gaming zine, Component!   This magazine is a collection of essays and artwork from my talented friends on the subject of video games. The first issue is available for print-on-demand through Blurb, and the digital version can be purchased directly from the Component website.  100% of the profits from Component are donated to the U-Pick Video Game Marathon for Charity, which raises money for charity: water to establish renewable clean water sources for the developing world.  

As always, thank you for following Please Take One, along with my various other projects!

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Super Mario Bros. 3 Valentines, made by the Paper Magic Group in 1989. Share ‘em with the special plumber, princess, or Koopa Kid in your life. (Bonus: can you spot which of these cards was meant to be given to your teacher?)

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Be sure to tune in to upickvg.com this Sunday at to watch us play piles of Mario games!

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A mostly cleaned up version of the lesser known German boxart for Mega Man 2. Went with the Red instead of the blue, I guess. Couldn’t remove the few logos left, unfortunately.

Follow TheVideoGameArtArchive on Tumblr for awesome video game artwork old and new! Like what we do? Support us!

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This is amazing.  I love the idea of the Guts Tank just flying through a laser-light show at Wily Fortress.

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A few weeks ago I asked you guys your opinions on starting a Patreon for Old Game Mags and The Video Game Art Archive blogs. Based on the feedback, some of you seemed pretty keen to help my endevour to curate old video game magazine articles and adverts, and also help my mission to find, scan, extract and clean up classic video game artwork for use today.

And so, today I’ve made a Patreon!

What you guys see here won’t change at all - I’ll still be posting a ton of magazine scans every day, and scanning and extracting all sorts of weird and obscure artwork and posting it here for everyone to enjoy. The Patreon is more to help make the (huge) amount of time worth it, plus you can contribute by throwing some ideas of the games or magazine issues you’d like to see on the blog.

My expectations are super low for this whole endevour, but you can’t know until you try, can you? I hope I’ve given you tons of quality content to warrant a dollar or two of your time, and thanks for helping me make this blog as awesome as it is today!

Let the journey begin!

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Definitely worth checking out and contributing.  The sheer amount of high quality content uploaded by Ryan is a treat.  This sort of loving preservation deserves all kinds of support.

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Having spent most of the winter playing Mario Kart 8, I long for the days of the Super Power Supplies catalog, when Nintendo still sold soundtracks.  I would love the chance to buy the music from DKC: Tropical Freeze, Super Mario 3D World, and Hyrule Warriors in an official capacity. 

Instead, I have to settle for YouTube rips, and all the commercials that come with the format.  Blah.

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It was in the Autumn of 1999 that Pokémania hit the Super Power Supplies catalog.  Thanks to this merchandise, any kid could cover their entire upper torso in Pokémon gear.  Just throw some of those pins on your JNCO jeans and your all set to be a Pokémon Master.

Side note, what "serious gamer" would put a Donkey Kong 64 glove on their controller?  Probably the same one who has a DK64 pocket watch.

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As a final post of 2014, here are the newest bits from my collection of video game printings.  For a brief period of time, Nintendo offered special versions of their $10 Points Cards that featured AR characters for their app, Photos With Mario.

I think this is a neat way to jazz up points cards for digital purchases.  Consumers get ten dollars and the chance to take goofy pictures with Mario and his pals.  It's certainly more interesting than a piece of cardboard with a one-time use.

Thanks for reading, reposting, and following Please Take One throughout 2014.  I've got some fun stuff planned for 2015, so stay tuned!  Happy New Year!

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Oh man, this takes me back.  I received SimCity- The Card Game as a birthday gift ages ago.  I still have all 60 cards and the thick little rulebook that came with it.

The more fantastic tabletop games (D&D, Magic, etc.) were off-limits to me, thanks to my mother's conviction that pretending to be a wizard was the gateway to real blood pacts and human sacrifice.  This rule lead to several hours of trying to build little utopian cities with my siblings using cards featuring choice stock photos.

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Saving the best for last, here is the fantastic map and enemy list foldout that was included with Illusion of Gaia.  I love how the map showcases the fantasy world within the game, but includes some real life facts on the individual locations.

The original U.S. release of Illusion of Gaia also included a "one size fits all" (read: men's adult large) t-shirt and a mini-strategy guide in the form of a thick instruction manual.  I was fortunate enough to acquire the foldout and guide, but I never owned the graphic tee.  What a shame.