Jimmy Hapa

90s Nintendo Vs. Sega: VHS Edition

If you’re old enough to remember the 90s, surely you can recall the heated rivalry between Nintendo and Sega fans, whether you were into gaming or not.  Of course it’s the games and systems that became the weapons fanboys wielded in that era…but in this video, it’s video tapes about those games and systems that occupy the age-old battlefield.  Video Games On Video Episode 3 takes a look at five tapes from the houses of Mario and Sonic to see which side had the better experiences to offer.

A screen from an official Mario Paint VHS in Japan showing a reproduction of "Guernica" by Picasso.
Reproducing Picasso’s “Guernica” in the Mario Paint Official Video

These are all Japanese tapes produced in the 90s, some available for purchase or as rentals, and others rare promotional items given to consumers and retailers.  Some of the games that are heavily featured are Super Mario World, Mario Paint, Pokemon and Star Fox 64 on the Nintendo side, and Sonic the Hedgehog 3, Shining Force CD, Virtual Racing and Virtua Fighter 3 from Sega’s domain.  It’s meant to be a fair and balanced look at both of the gaming juggernauts’ histories through VHS tape, something you don’t see every day (and probably for good reason), however everyone has their favorites…so which side are you on?  In this battle…and in the war?

Below are a few screenshots from the tapes featured.  For more on Japanese VHS tapes, check out Import Gaming FTW on YouTube and this playlist.

A collection of Sonic prototypes.
Some prototype “Sonics” from when the game was in development.
An odd pic from the original "Pokerap" music video.
This is a screen from the original “Pokerap” in Japan. No joke.
Yu Suzuki awarding the winner of a Virtua Fighter 3 tournament.
A Virtua Fighter 3 tournament winner receives gold…from series creator Yu Suzuki himself!
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