Year 10: February Update

The blog reached its 10th year! I don't update often, but I'll try to keep it going for as long as I can. Since my last update I built a new computer, as my video card was more than seven years old and I think the rest of my PC was at least 12 years old. Unfortunately, RAM prices took off just as I was beginning my parts research, so it wasn't a great time to build a new one, but necessary. Although I'm not doing too many videos here of late, the upgrades will definitely help with the speed of video and photo editing. Now I have this great computer for games and instead of putting it to the test, the first gaming I did was stream Indiana Jones and the Great Circle through Amazon Prime. I don't normally subscribe to anything, but I had an offer for a year of Amazon Prime and signed up primarily for TV streaming without even realizing it included games. The only graphics option when streaming Indiana Jones was 720p or 1080p, and I expect the game would look better if played locally. Still, it was more or less free, and it ran well, only freezing one time. Most of the levels are open areas to explore, and I enjoyed the story, as well as playing as Indiana Jones. Surprisingly, the puzzles are all rather simple, especially compared to the Uncharted and Tomb Raider games. It's not as action-oriented as those games either; Indy can whip, shoot, and use his fists, but he can also wear disguises to avoid conflict and most of the game plays like a first-person adventure.

One game I was hoping to play on this new PC eventually was Ghost of Yōtei. Now I'm uncertain that will ever happen, as recent news reports have stated that Sony is moving away from porting its PlayStation exclusives to PC and I don't want to purchase a PlayStation 5. Maybe Sony will change its mind when console sales slow due to the higher hardware costs, a result of the data centers buying up electronics parts and driving up prices, like the aforementioned RAM. In other gaming news, Sonic the Hedgehog turns 35 this year, a new C64 system is on the way, new Star Wars games were unveiled in December, and a new Masters of the Universe game is coming soon. The $349.99 (more for Starlight and Founders editions) Commodore 64 Ultimate is like an original C64 rebuilt and can connect to old C64 hardware, while running games from a USB drive. 

At The Game Awards back in December we got a look at Star Wars: Galactic Racer and Fate of the Old Republic. From developer Fuse Games, Galactic Racer features pod racing and speeder bikes. Fate of the Old Republic is a spiritual successor to Knights of the Old Republic in development at Arcanaut Studios. He-Man and the Masters of the Universe: Dragon Pearl of Destruction is a side-scrolling combat game coming April 28, 2026 from Bitmap Bureau and Limited Run Games.

Of course, I cannot write a blog update without LEGO news. In January, LEGO unveiled its SMART Play System, which adds technology to bricks and minifigures to create sound effects when users move objects. Star Wars sets featuring SMART Play actually release tomorrow and because you are paying for the tech, you get less pieces than traditional LEGO sets at a higher price. Thus far seven sets have been announced, ranging from $39.99 for Luke's Landspeeder to $159.99 for Throne Room Duel & A-wing.

Thanks for visiting,

Jonathan

Year 9: October Update

It's October and I always do a blog update this month so that I can post the McDonald's Halloween sign! Last month and into this month I went a little off topic as I posted a lot about Japan, or maybe it wasn't too off topic since I did share some things related to toys and video games. In any case, I'll try to get some posts up by the end of the year in relation to video game ads, the reason I started the blog. I acquired some old issues of Starlog magazine that have a few nice ads and when time permits, I still look through comic books for more ads. Something that I've actually posted about over the years are ornaments, and this year Hallmark has created one of the best Star Wars ornaments. This one features Chewbacca playing Dejarik against R2-D2 on the Millennium Falcon. It's a light-and-sound ornament that has video too, but at $99.99 it is pricey, and doesn't even come with the required power cord. As usual, Hallmark has a lot of pop culture ornaments and I won't mention them all here, but some highlights include a Luke Skywalker action figure in vintage Kenner packaging, Megatron, Xbox 360, the Fantastic Four, Fruity Pebbles, and Kool-Aid Man.

Shortly after the last update I wrote in August, I came across LEGO's newest Death Star set that has since released earlier this month and costs $999.99. It does include 38 minifigures, if that makes the price any easier to swallow. Plus, LEGO posted a teaser video last month that indicates Star Trek sets are on the way. More recently, it unveiled a set from its "Ideas" line of the pirate ship from the 1980's movie The Goonies. The $329.99 set releases on November 4th.

 

Last week I came across Tomy Plus, a division of Tomy International, itself a subsidiary of Takara Tomy. I'm just a bit behind on this as Tomy Plus started in 2023, and some of its projects are crowdfunded, like the recent 1:10 scale, highly-detailed replica of Knight Rider's K.I.T.T. It cost $399 to back the impressive collectible car that features voice recognition, lights, "Super Pursuit" mode, and a rotating license plate.

In video game news, Electronic Arts (EA) is being acquired by an investment consortium for $55 billion, and that is expected to be finalized in early 2027. Although the investors are based in a few countries, the primary one is Saudi Arabia, and so it will no longer be an American company. EA was one of my favorite Commodore 64 developers and publishers, along with MicroProse, Epyx, and Interplay. In the '90s it grew substantially thanks in large part to its successful sports games, and I understand why a lot of game players grew to dislike EA, as tends to be the case with most large corporations. However, EA is arguably the most significant third-party game publisher, one that I thought would acquire more of its competitors, rather than being acquired itself. Maybe not much will change, though I tend to think this is a bad deal, and under new ownership the company is likely to focus more on online-only games with numerous microtransactions.

While I've been talking about Japan possibly too much of late, I should mention that the Tokyo Game Show was held at the end of September. For myself, the biggest announcement was that Forza Horizon 6 will be set in... Japan! Yep, more Japan. I've not even played Forza Horizon 5 yet despite it being one of my favorite game series. That's because of my out-of-date hardware, though I hope to upgrade my computer soon. October 18th was the 40th anniversary of the Nintendo Entertainment System's North American release. I probably could have come up with a post for that, but I haven't had much time and my video game magazines don't date back to 1985. Speaking of retro consoles, Atari is going to release a plug-and-play Intellivision console that has 45 built-in games and includes controller overlays. Dubbed the Intellivison Sprint, it is now available to pre-order at a price of $149.99. That price is on the high side for this type of device, but for fans that don't still own the classic Mattel Electronics console, it does look very much like the original system minus the controller cords (the controllers are wireless).

Now it's time for the McDonald's sign. Happy Halloween!

Thanks for reading,

Jonathan

Year 9: August Update

When I went to write this post I was surprised to find that I hadn't actually written a monthly update since February. Unfortunately, I don't have much planned other than to keep scanning some magazine articles, and I do have more video game ads to share eventually. Despite not having a lot of actual work to do, it feels like I've been busy and I haven't kept up on much game and toy news. The best announcement I saw recently was LEGO's Batman Arkham Asylum, a 2,953-piece set that comes with 16 mini-figures, including Batman, Robin, Batwoman, Catwoman, and nine villains dressed in orange jumpsuits. It releases on September 5th at a price of $299.99. Also, now available from LEGO is the Decepticon Soundwave, who joins the previous LEGO incarnations of Optimus Prime and Bumblebee. He does transform and has cassettes of Laserbeak and Ravage. The 1,505-piece set is available exclusively at the LEGO online store for $189.99.

Another new toy announcement comes from Jakks Pacific. Apparently there was a Sonic the Hedgehog and DC crossover comic book back in March, and now there are action figures based on it. Jakks Pacific will be releasing a variety of figures, including single Sonic characters dressed as superheroes, such as Sonic as The Flash, Amy as Wonder Woman, and Silver as Green Lantern. There will also be double packs of Superman with Knuckles, Batman with Shadow, and Cyborg with Tails. Jakks unveiled new action figures in its Super Mario line and The Simpsons too.

As far as video games, well, Nintendo did release the Switch 2 since I last wrote an update. That was June 5th, the week before the former week of E3. It costs $499.99 and is less powerful than its competitors as usual, though it is getting some of the higher end games that previously released on PlayStation and Xbox systems. I didn't find anything too exciting come out of the aforementioned former E3 week. Maybe it's because I'm getting old, though I think it has more to do with the lack of originality being shown, plus I don't own any hardware new enough to play most of the big games releasing these days. 

Yep, that was a short update. Sorry it's been such a slow year for the blog!

Thanks for reading,
Jonathan

Year 8: October Update

My last update post was in July and not much has changed since then as I still haven't done many videos this year. I actually haven't even played any games since July but I really should. Recently, I flipped through my comic book collection, something I've not looked at in quite some time. I was mostly looking for duplicates and recall what I have, and I did scan some ads from them. I'll have to do another video game ads backfilling post soon, probably for post #500 which I'm very close to. Vault 1541 began as a video game ads project so it's only fitting that I dedicate #500 to that. This blog update is post #497 and I'll have a magazine article scan for #498 this week.

A few months ago Hasbro announced a Transformer based on Knight Rider's K.I.T.T. Being a fan of both Transformers and Knight Rider, which ranks as one of my top five shows from the '80s, I think this is an awesome collaboration. However, the robot is named Agent Knight rather than K.I.T.T. It is set to release on January 10, 2025 for $49.99.

In other cool toy news, LEGO unveiled an X-Men mansion play set this month that releases November 4th for $329.99. Yeah, the price is a bit steep, though not unusual for LEGO toys. Despite the size of the 3,000+ piece set, the rooms in the mansion look rather cramped. Aside from the mansion build, it also includes a sentinel, Magneto, and nine X-Men mini-figures.

As far as video game news, Nintendo didn't announce a Switch 2 yet but it did show off an alarm clock which isn't software, it's an actual clock that is priced at $99.99! Unfortunately, one of the last video game magazines in the U.S. abruptly came to an end as Game Informer closed at the start of August. Last week I received an email from a video game website called SpriteCell that you might enjoy. The person that runs it asked if they could use some of my catalog scans, something the site specializes in. Finally, as I end every October update, here is the classic McDonald's Halloween sign:

Happy Halloween!

-Jonathan

Year 8: July Update

I've been very slow to get any videos done this year and have been falling behind on blog posts too. Sorry! I rarely talk about my personal life, aside from the past in relation to toys and video games, but that's what will likely keep me from updating very often going forward. There isn't much to say other than I lost my long-time job earlier this year and am starting something new this month that will keep me busy. When I've had free time of late, I've been playing Marvel's Midnight Suns from 2K and Firaxis which was a free game on the Epic Game Store earlier this summer. Although it has tactical combat, it's not like Firaxis' XCOM games that I'm a big fan of. Players control a team of three in battle, drawing and using cards to perform most actions. Outside of battle players control an original character, interact with the Marvel heroes to gain friendship, edit card decks, explore their home and its grounds, and select poolside, casual, and battle outfits.

As I sit here after viewing the numerous digital press events from the past two months, I can't recall anything that stood out. Let's see, the Nintendo Direct announced Mario & Luigi: Brothership, Super Mario Party Jamboree, The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom, and Donkey Kong Country Returns HD. There are plenty of sequels and updates in development, like Sid Meier's Civilization VII, Gears of War: E-Day, and Age of Mythology: Retold. Unfortunately, my PC is on the old side and I don't have a PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series X so I probably won't be able to play the games I'd like to try later this year, such as Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, Dragon Age: The Veilguard, Star Wars Outlaws, and Assassin's Creed Shadows.

                                        Mario & Luigi: Brothership                                      TMNT: Mutants Unleashed

Rumors appeared online in May about a Total War Star Wars game but there still hasn't been an official announcement. Also, two months ago Outright Games and Mattel unveiled a multi-year deal. The family-friendly game publisher will be releasing at least three titles based on Mattel properties this year: Matchbox Driving Adventures, Monster High: Skulltimate Secrets, and Barbie Project Friendship. Other upcoming games from Outright include Transformers: Galactic Trials, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutants Unleashed, and Nick Jr. Party Adventure.

In an unexpected move, Hasbro and Mattel teamed up to create a Hot Wheels Optimus Prime, and it does transform, of course. Optimus is exclusive to Mattel Creations and is currently sold out; I'm not sure if that's final or if more are in production. LEGO always has a lot of cool sets on the way but I'll only highlight a few: Great Deku Tree 2-in-1 from The Legend of Zelda series, the Transformers' Bumblebee, and Star Wars TIE Fighter & X-Wing Mash-up. With the Star Wars set you can create standard TIE Fighter and X-Wing ships or swap the wings between the two iconic starfighters.

Something unexpected occurred in video games as well. Back on May 23rd, Atari announced that it had acquired the Intellivision brand. It now owns the Intellivision name and classic game catalog, not the company Intellivision Entertainment (renamed Amico Entertainment) or its long-in-development console, the Amico which I'd thought dead on more than one occasion. The sale provides Amico Entertainment some much needed financial help but, surprisingly, it isn't ready to give up on the console yet. While it can still release games based on Intellivision properties for Amico, those will be under license from Atari. 

One final note before I sign off. Author Lewis Packwood contacted myself two years ago to ask for permission to use a Captain Power photo from the blog in his then upcoming book. I agreed and while I've not read his book, nor am I benefitting from its sales in any way, I thought it was worth mentioning as the subject matter will likely interest Vault 1541 readers. The title is Curious Video Game Machines: A Compendium of Rare and Unusual Consoles, Computers and Coin-Ops. There is a nearly 40-minute video about it on YouTube with store links in the description.

Thanks for visiting,

Jonathan

Year 8: January Update

The blog has made it through seven years now! I didn't really have any expectations on how long I'd do this when I started and I've slowed considerably over the years but it's been a good run and I'll keep going. If you don't recognize the toys in the image below, those are the California Raisins that were created for an advertising campaign in 1986. They became quite popular which led to a variety of merchandise like the figurines pictured, as well as music albums, clothing, posters, and a comic book mini-series. Capcom even developed a California Raisins game for the Nintendo Entertainment System that was completed but never released.

The video game awards took place in December as they always do. Though I really don't care too much about awards for games or any other media, I do watch these for the new game unveilings. If you're curious, Baldur's Gate III, Alan Wake II, and The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom were among the top games at the show. Being a Sega fan it was nice to see a trailer showing off new versions of Golden Axe, Streets of Rage, Crazy Taxi, Jet Set Radio, and Shinobi. Streets of Rage is a bit of an odd choice to bring back and seems unnecessary because DotEmu released Streets of Rage 4 in 2020. I'm not sure what to think about Golden Axe's new look and the last attempt at a modern Golden Axe starring Tyris Flare didn't go over too well. I'm still hopeful though since the original is one of my favorites and a goal this year is to finally post a full playthrough on the YouTube channel. While Shinobi will be side-scrolling, the others all feature 3D graphics. Here is an image from a .pdf file on Sega Sammy's corporate website.

I'm currently trying to come up with a YouTube channel name where I'll upload the commercials that I deleted from the Vault 1541 channel last year. I'll likely put other clips from VHS tapes on there too when I do get it up and running. I have the header image ready which is a Kermit the Frog sitting on a toy chair watching a TV which is actually a Viewfinder-like souvenir. Here is a photo I'm not using where I colored (in Photoshop) the plastic souvenir white on the TV screen. That ET figurine looks perfect for the channel but I decided there were too many characters and that I should make something simpler. 

Back in the April 2023 blog update I mentioned how E3 2023 had been canceled. Last month it was officially put to rest as the Entertainment Software Association stated E3 will not be returning. The second week of June 2023 was still a very busy time for gaming news and will likely continue to be through various digital presentations despite there being no expo to attend. Something that still isn't dead is the Intellivision Amico. In the October update I wrote about the Amico games being released on PC and consoles, and Intellivision has since launched apps for Android and iOS. I'd thought the actual Amico system must be dead, however, the company still hopes to release it. Hard to believe, isn't it?

Thanks for reading the blog and Happy New Year!

-Jonathan

Year 7: October Update

You may have noticed I finally removed the commercials from the YouTube channel. Back in June I lost monetization and the reason Google provided seemed to point toward the commercials but I had to wait three months to reapply so I waited to remove them. I've no idea if I'll qualify, however, as I have to get enough views to be approved again. As I did last December, I took a trip to Ontario, Canada this month though I didn't have time to visit another Toys "R" Us or I would photographed that one too. It's likely it would be very similar to the one in Oakville that I saw last year. Speaking of Toys "R" Us, the company that owns the property in the U.S. is going to make another attempt at bringing it back, this time with full size stores. In toy news, LEGO is teaming up with Nintendo again, this time it's bringing Animal Crossing into brick form.

There has been quite a bit of game news that's worth mentioning since my last update in July. Disney Speedstorm officially launched and it's not bad for a free-to-play kart racer. Gameloft will also be bringing Disney Dreamlight Valley out of early access in a month but it's no longer going to be free-to-play as was originally intended. A new G.I. Joe video game is in development which is always exciting news for myself. I talked a bit about the previous Joe game, IguanaBee's third-person shooter Operation Blackout, way back in the October 2020 update post, if you want to see my thoughts after three levels. Developed by Maple Powered Games (Monster Harvest) and set to release in 2024, G.I. Joe: Wrath of Cobra will be side-scrolling combat.

It took quite a while to complete but Microsoft does now own Activision which includes many classic IPs, Call of Duty, Crash Bandicoot, Spyro the Dragon, and Blizzard (WarCraft, Diablo, etc.). The Atari 2600 is returning as the 2600+ with HDMI and widescreen support, and it will work with the original cartridges. It costs $129.99 and is expected to ship in December. I'm not sure what happened to the Intellivision Amico though I have to believe it's dead. Two of the games that were in development for the Amico have recently released on Steam, Xbox platforms, and the Nintendo Switch, and at a higher price point ($14.99) than the Amico games were supposed to be. Available now are the new iterations of Astrosmash and Shark! Shark!.

I tend to post a blog update in October so that I can repost the classic McDonald's Halloween sign and so without further ado, here it is again:

Happy Halloween!

-Jonathan