Novelities included with Games

[phuzzed]

The Maniac Mansion thread made me think about some of the neat stuff that game manufacturers used to include with games for the computers. I remember Maniac Mansion for my Apple IIe including a fake newspaper with the game highlighting a bunch of things that the characters did. it look like a school newspaper. I remember the quote "Don't be a Tuna Head" for some odd reason.

 

I was digging through some stuff, and somehow found a button from Activision that said "I smell Snarlmeat", which i remember coming from "Tass Times in Tone Town"... that was kind of an odd game, nor did I ever complete it.

 

I also remember Infocom including some goodies as well. I remember in "Nord and Bert couldn't Make Heads or Tails of it" included a comic book that looked an awfully lot like Far Side Cartoons.. I remember a house on a Stovetop that said "Home on the Range". For those who don't remember, "Nord and Bert" was a text based game that centered around wordplay and puns.

 

What other goodes to people remember getting in games?

[theking21083]

Alone in the Dark on the PC came with a newspaper that tells about the owner of the mansion killing himself. It has adds for items in the game in it also. I like to pull it out sometimes and read it, it's interesting.

[Snider-man]

The original bozed Infocom games were PACKED with goodies - some instrumental for gameplay. I remember maps, newspaper clippings, and all kinds of nifty paperwork in those. Hitchhiker's Guide to Galaxy had the best ones though. There was a Don't Panic button; a pair of Peril Sensitive Sunglasses, and a Microscopic Galactic War Fleet (in clear baggie). And in The Lurking Horror, there was a student ID card, a guide to GUE Tech, and little rubber bug. Loved the Infocom goodies...

[Gregory DG]

"Bozed?" You mean "Boozed," right?

 

Anyway, I remember reading about those Infocom games and why they included so many goodies. It was to try and stop pirates from distributing the games. They figured if they included lots of stuff (some of it needed to play the games) people would buy the game instead of copying it.

[Albert]

The original bozed Infocom games were PACKED with goodies - some instrumental for gameplay. I remember maps, newspaper clippings, and all kinds of nifty paperwork in those. Hitchhiker's Guide to Galaxy had the best ones though. There was a Don't Panic button; a pair of Peril Sensitive Sunglasses, and a Microscopic Galactic War Fleet (in clear baggie). And in The Lurking Horror, there was a student ID card, a guide to GUE Tech, and little rubber bug. Loved the Infocom goodies...

Yeah, I have a large number of the original Infocom releases, and those were some of the most enjoyable games to open up.

 

The Ultima games came with cloth maps and in some cases other items (for instance, Ultima IV came with a moon stone). Much more care was put into the packaging, documentation and "extras" back in the 80s. Now you're lucky to even get a plastic jewel case with your game and any printed documentation at all.

 

..Al

[+Psionic]

I remember Leisure Suit Larry originally came with a cocktail napkin.

http://www.vintage-sierra.com/lsl/lslv1.php

[Prodos8]

The Ultima games came with cloth maps and in some cases other items (for instance, Ultima IV came with a moon stone).

A moon stone, are you sure? I recall a metal ankh in my copy.

[Albert]

The Ultima games came with cloth maps and in some cases other items (for instance, Ultima IV came with a moon stone).

A moon stone, are you sure? I recall a metal ankh in my copy.

One of the games came with a black, polished stone. I remember the ankh also, so the stone must have come with one of the other Ultimas. One also came with a bag of metal runes, probably one of the Ultima Underworld games.

 

..Al

[Jimmy Yakapucci]

Still in the world of PC games, I remember Life & Death. It was a surgery game. It came with a "textbook" about the illnesses you would see and the history or surgery. It also came with a cardboard pager that was part of the copy protection, a surgical mask, and a pair of not quite rubber gloves. They made a sequel that dealt with brain surgery, but I never tried that one.

 

JY

[Paul Humbug]

In general I bemoan the loss of good printed manuals and other materials.

 

There were times when act. good games´boxes were heavy like sh..... Esp. PC games in the 90ties.

[Christophero Sly]

The Ultima games came with cloth maps and in some cases other items (for instance, Ultima IV came with a moon stone).

A moon stone, are you sure? I recall a metal ankh in my copy.

One of the games came with a black, polished stone. I remember the ankh also, so the stone must have come with one of the other Ultimas. One also came with a bag of metal runes, probably one of the Ultima Underworld games.

 

..Al

I just pulled my copies of the shelf and checked them.

 

IV = Ankh

V = Coin

VI = Moonstone

[Albert]

The Ultima games came with cloth maps and in some cases other items (for instance, Ultima IV came with a moon stone).

A moon stone, are you sure? I recall a metal ankh in my copy.

One of the games came with a black, polished stone. I remember the ankh also, so the stone must have come with one of the other Ultimas. One also came with a bag of metal runes, probably one of the Ultima Underworld games.

 

..Al

I just pulled my copies of the shelf and checked them.

 

IV = Ankh

V = Coin

VI = Moonstone

Oh yeah, the coin with V. Yeah, the moonstone with VI makes sense given the game's intro. Thanks for looking (all my boxed Ultimas are boxed up right now..)

 

..Al

[+cvga]

How many of the Data Age games for the 2600 came with a special insert? I remember Bermuda Triangle having a piece of "parchment-like" paper with info about the Bermuda Triangle. I think some of their other games came with inserts also.

[+remowilliams]

Yeah, I have a large number of the original Infocom releases, and those were some of the most enjoyable games to open up.

Infocom and Origin had the greatest pack in extras. Though I think Infocom really made an art of it.

 

Ah, those were the days.

 

[shadow460]

I got a pewter Tesla Trooper with my first copy of Red Alert 2. Like everyone else and thri dog, I got a T shirt with FF7. I got a boxed Yars' Revenge that still has the comic book (that's why I bought it, in fact). I don't buy many new games these days, so a lot of times those inserts are already gone when I get a used game.

[phuzzed]

I love the napkin! That's awesome!

[rockman_x_2002]

I remember my copy of Wing Commander Deluxe came with an issue of Clawmarks, which was the "official" magazine for the TCS Tiger's Claw. Included fake advertisements and all kinds of stuff. It was more or less a "hint book." The game also came with blueprint schematics of a handful of TCS and Kilrathi ships that were featured in the game.

 

I still have that stuff kicking around here somewhere. Game disks and original box are long gone (the disks were screwed up when I got the game, and the game was a gift, sold in a closeout store "as is." But, thanks to the 'net, I've since found replacement copies).

[thomasholzer]

The Magnavox Odyssey from 1972 had loads of extras: Dice, plastic cars, space ships, stickers, playing-chips...etc:

http://videogamecollectors.com/gallery/album128

actually there was more gameplay on the playing boards than on the TV screen.

 

Atari 800 MicroPainter included some crayons and a magnifying glass.

 

N-Gage Asphalt Urban promo included driving gloves, High Seize has a bag, Glimmeraty has a flag:

http://videogamecollectors.com/gallery/album311

 

With You for Wonderswan has a little 'build your own doll' plastic parts:

http://videogamecollectors.com/gallery/album125

 

Psygnosis included Tshirts with their games (Awesome, Shadow of the Beast)

 

as already mentioned, many Infocom titles had gimmicks:

http://videogamecollectors.com/gallery/album301

 

Many Japanese games include gimmicks/toys: Love Hina Smile Again has a rice bowl, figurines, etc, the different Sakura Wars have different items

http://videogamecollectors.com/gallery/album420

 

 

Many A8 & C64 games had board games included: Gangstersville (A8) incl a board game, Robot Rascals (C64) also has a board game, Brian Clough football fortunes (both) has a board game

Edited January 6, 2008 by thomasholzer

[Student Driver]

Many of Working Designs' PS1 releases, especially if one preordered, came with lots of extras. Little paper figurines, medallions, hardbound books, soundtrack CDs, a watch or boxing puppet, etc. I have a number of PS1 games that came with extras; a digital watch with a Rayman title, a NASCAR pin with some NASCAR game, a soundtrack album with Rollover. Wal-Mart recently had some religious game for PS2/Xbox/etc. that came with little plush toys.

 

I recall a (non-game) financial package for Commodore 64-era computers that had an Eisenhower dollar included in a little window in the box packaging. I bought several copies of it, complete with silver dollar, for 99 cents. Profit! I seem to recall Red Storm Rising for computers coming with a copy of the book, and Das Boot coming with a VHS copy of the film. Flight Simulator II came with a ridiculously comprehensive and imposing set of maps and two manuals-- one for the game, one for basic flight instruction.

 

I was always a sucker for games that came with comic books; the Atari releases, Werewolf for NES, the Capstone Marvel Comics games.

[Jimmy Yakapucci]

There was a fruit roll up included with Gunstar Heroes for the Genesis. I think that there was one included in some other games as well.

 

JY

[phuzzed]

Fruit Rollups are kinda like Twinkies... they keep forever

[user42]

I just finished making a GameBase US NES so these are fresh in my mind.

 

M.U.S.C.L.E. came with a toy

Trolls on Treasure Island came with a toy

Where in Time is Carmen Sandiego came with an encylopedia

Werewolf - The Last Warrior came with a comic book

[Scumdogg]

I just finished making a GameBase US NES so these are fresh in my mind.

 

M.U.S.C.L.E. came with a toy

Trolls on Treasure Island came with a toy

Where in Time is Carmen Sandiego came with an encylopedia

Werewolf - The Last Warrior came with a comic book

 

 

Monster in My Pocket came with a toy, i don't think M.U.S.C.L.E. did.

[HammR25]

They quit including that stuff because of people like me who just thought it was a nuisance and threw it away.

[futuramaooy]

Okay, I just got 2 boxed Amiga games from a shelf, I bought these 2 years ago.

 

Indiana Jones came with a one huge sheet folded in half that was a newspaper. The front had pretty much the story of the game, inside Are instructions for how to boot up the game for a C64, Atari ST, Amiga and IBM, The back had secret codes, that you use red cellophane to decode.

 

Heres some Pics!

 

Also, not so much as a novelty, but Godfather came with a Pictorial history of the 3 Godfather movies. And my copy came with a advert for "Click" the Video game Magazine on VHS, people who read Retro Gamer might have heard of it.

Edited January 18, 2008 by futuramaooy