1988, Nintendo Power
Ahh Nintendo Power, vanguard of unbiased information. Who didn't covet every issue of this sacred publication in 1988? The advertisements had little to do with my subjugation, but I can see they were certainly trying to appeal to my inner-ADD in this commercial.

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1988, Nintendo Cereal System
And why stop at magazines? Ram that gaming shit down their throats. And while you're at it, call Fred Savage and see if he's free next month.

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1988, Zelda II: The Adventure of Link
As was the case with illustrated box art, live action elements were thought necessary for videogame commercials in the day of simple, pixelated graphics.

Like me, Nintendo envisioned Link as a panicked, effeminate man with a high-pitched voice and little sense of direction. But why is he punching a television screen?

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1989, Game Boy
Probably the only time in history you could call Tetris "outrageous," this ad carried the entire handheld era in on its low-budget shoulders. The message? Buy a Game Boy, and men in robot suits will dance with you. We were all deceived.

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1989, Power Glove
Make all the "I love the Power Glove, it's so bad" jokes you want. It doesn't change the fact that you very much wanted one of these babies.

Here is a prime example of Nintendo's futuristic aesthetic, a look that would show up in several other spots--that is, until the public realized that the NES looked more like a toaster than something from Blade Runner.

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