These 23 Retro Gaming Commercials Will Make You Feel Old

JBRogerThat Published 06/21/2021 in ftw

Did you know it's been 23 years since the PlayStation came out? Or how about that it's been 35 years since the birth of the original NES? Time flies, and we're all approaching old age seemingly faster than Frogger than get across the street.

Sometimes it's not such a bad idea to look back at where we've come from, if only to appreciate the cool gadgets we have these days. I mean, it was only about 20 years ago that commercials looked like they were made in a college dorm. Don't believe me? Look at these retro commercial classics:

1. Atari 5200 Supersystem (1984)

Right at the height of the video game crash of the mid 80's, Atari tried to make a big move with the 5200. It didn't work. I wonder why?

2. Atari 7800 (1987)

The Atari 7800 released just a few years later, and would become the first console to ever support backward compatibility. But nobody really cared because all they wanted was an NES.

3. Atari Jaguar (1996)

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The Jaguar was basically the last hurrah of Atari as it was crushed by far superior Nintendo and PlayStation products.

4. Chrono Trigger (1995)

Considered one of the best RPGs of all-time, Chrono Trigger was a real gem. This commercial didn't help much with sales, though.

5. Coleco Telstar Pong System (1976)

Considered the first widely adopted video game, Pong is a timeless classic that just about anyone can enjoy for about three minutes.

6. Commodore 64 (1982)

This weird console/PC hybrid was a neat idea that found its way under the Christmas tree of about half a dozen kids, all of which somehow lived in Beverly Hills.

7. Driver - PlayStation (1999)

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Anyone remember Driver? It's forgotten by most, but was one of the greatest PlayStation games, and actually was one of the system's top sellers.

8. Killer Instinct (1994)

Killer Instinct was one of the most popular arcade games of the 90's.

9. Mortal Kombat 2 (1993)

Mortal Kombat pioneered blood and gore in gaming, earning the attention of Christian parents around the globe.

10. Nintendo 64 (1997)

Everyone likes the Nintendo 64. I mean, it had Super Mario 64 and The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time for crying out loud. Here was its main commercial in Australia.

11. Nintendo Game Boy (1989)

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Before we had smartphones to keep students distracted during class, t here was the Game Boy. I never had one, and it took me years to realize that's actually a good thing.

12. Nintendo Super Game Boy (1994)

Not many gamers remember this bizarre product that allowed Game Boy games to be played on the SNES. Do you?

13. Pac-Man (1980)

Pac-Man should probably stick to 2D.

14. SEGA 32X (1994)

SEGA really didn't understand marketing, as proven by this commercial.

15. SEGA CD (1991)

Also Read: 20 Video Game Ads From The 90's That Were Full Of WTF

I always wanted to try out the SEGA CD, but was distracted by the dozens of other SEGA Genesis add-ons.

16. SEGA Game Gear (1991)

Once again, SEGA had no idea how to make marketing material. Creamed spinach? WTF?

17. SEGA Master System - Toys 'R Us (1987~)

Right as the NES was catching on fire in America, SEGA swooped in to try and compete. It did reasonably well but would rely on the Genesis to survive through the early 90's.