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| Man in Japan inspired many dreams of Japanese arcades |
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| Super Play - more exciting than Action Force comic coming out each week |
Perhaps too much green tea is bad for you, but Genki was thinking about the
early import years. With no net, the fabulous Super Play and its peers kept
early adopters up to speed with their Man in Japan's update on the import
world. Adverts would appear in the back from importers offering their wares in
print form, possibly with the odd photo. So often a game would be bought on
little more to go on than its name. Exciting stuff with a big chance of the
gamble not coming off. Like buying pick and mix with your eyes shut. But for
every bad 'un, there was the good chance of getting a Beer Flavoured Pint Pot
sweet: the likes of Plok, Adams Family, Super Star Wars, Syo the Seal, Xandra's
Big Adventure brought much import joy and happiness.
Genki still recalls a local shop having Super Star Wars running and the
amazing look to the game backed up by that familiar soundtrack. Unfortunately
lacking the credentials or kudos with the shop manager, Genki had to make to
with watching others enjoy this piece of pure gaming based on a film that
actually worked as a game too. Still no complaints were made: seeing was
believing. Even if few could step up to the seventy Pound price mark.
The lack of supply did unfortunately mean some importers would try and take
advantage of your much maligned gamer. Of course Genki would never partake in
such malarkey. And the advent of the net means many more importing options such
as our own humble store. Making for the days of plus one hundred Pound Street
Fighter II or seven hundred Pound Playstations over. Even if sometimes the
afore mentioned mystique of the import experience has been devalued. Heavens –
even an unboxing can be witnessed these days.
A huge part of the package was indeed the package.
With no need to tailor the art towards a mass market,
game box art produced
some exquisite examples. Perhaps Xandra's Big Adventure did look like a bunch of
jelly babies on the box, but the feel of the art was new and fresh. Super Play
enjoyed some inspired covers as a result with the talents of Wil Overton
opening Western gamers minds to expect more than Conan the Barbarian meets Lord
of the Rings Hobbit style box art. Not that there is anything wrong with Conan
vs Hobbit of course, if that's what the game inside actually is...
Happy Gaming.
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