[YouTube] Transformers G1 Combiners

https://youtu.be/qc2ocGh9bMI

Transformers combiners are sets of Decepticons or Autobots that can connect to one another to form one large robot. The first combiner was Devastator that Hasbro released in 1985. He's a combination of six Construction vehicle Decepticons where two form the center, two the arms, and two the legs. All other combiners I have were released in 1986 and are made up of four small vehicles and one larger central toy. Those are the Combaticons (Bruticus), Stunticons (Menasor), Protectobots (Defensor), and Aerialbots (Superion). Another Generation 1 combiner set which I do not own are the Predacons (Predaking).

Iron-On Patch

If you view the video at YouTube you can use the timestamps in the description to jump to the individual combiners. However, if you watch it here I'll list the time each one appears next to their name below. Also, if you skip the video let me point out that in the photos I am missing the lower shield piece of Devastator as well as its second hand so I'm using a drill piece in its place. Defensor is slightly incomplete as well because my toy came with duplicate shield pieces rather than one of each type.

I did not scan or photograph every single item. I've included scans of the build instructions and a single package from each combiner set, plus most single Transformers don't have their accessory attachments in the photos. Some of the photos I took on different days and later noticed I had Superion's feet flip flopped at times, including the video's preview image.

Constructicons - Devastator (1:23)

Stunticons - Menasor (9:58)

Combaticons - Bruticus (18:29)

Protectobots - Defensor (26:08)

Aerialbots - Superion (33:49)

Sizing Them Up (40:27)
The final few minutes takes a look at the height of the combiners. I only stand them facing the camera in the video though I have some side photos here.

Gaming Ads: SouthPeak Interactive and Backfilling #9

Founded in 1996 and originally based in North Carolina, SouthPeak Interactive was a subsidiary of SAS Institute. Also known as SouthPeak Games, the company was sold to Phillips sales in 2000, and acquired both Global Services Partners Acquisition Corp. (and merged with it) and game publisher Gamecock Media Group in 2008. SouthPeak created a digital distribution subsidiary known as 7Sixty in 2011 which was also the last year it published any games. While SouthPeak published more than 50 games, there aren't many standout titles. It did make use of quite a few licenses that included Scooby-Doo, Looney Tunes, Men in Black, The Flintstones, The Dukes of Hazzard, Wild Wild West, and a few others. Aside from the licensed products, the most recognizable games are likely Two Worlds and Section 8, plus the PC retail version of Trine.

I only have two ads from SouthPeak and want to give Spectrum Holobyte its own week so I'm filling in a few ads for publishers I've already posted about.

SouthPeak Interactive albums: Facebook - Google Photos

Crash Team Racing

Developed by Naughty Dog, the original CTR: Crash Team Racing released for the PlayStation in 1999. Crash Bandicoot would go on to headline a couple more kart racers: Crash Nitro Cart (2003) from Vicarious Visions and Crash Tag Team Racing (2005) from Radical Entertainment. On June 21, 2019 (digital edition releases a day earlier) Activision and Beenox are releasing Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled (PS4, Switch, Xbox One), a remake of the first CTR with additional characters taken from the other two racers.

Being a late 1999 release, I could only find one review of the first CTR in my magazines. I've got the whole 1999 run of Next Generation but didn't see a review as I flipped through them so the lone review I have is from Incite, a magazine I have not mentioned previously on the blog because it's not great and I only have a few issues. It was a short-lived magazine (nine issues) that spent a lot of time on celebrity gaming, and it had separate issues for PC and console games. The CTR review appeared in the premiere console issue that features wrestler turned actor The Rock on the cover. It's a 4-page review that basically says it completely rips off Nintendo's Mario Kart 64 and that makes it great so the reviewer rated it a perfect 5 out of 5.

Gaming Ads: Sony Imagesoft

When I posted the CSG Imagesoft ads I basically wrote the brief history of Sony Imagesoft so I'll be repeating that here. CBS/Sony Group started as a collaboration for music publishing and that company would eventually become Sony Music Entertainment. It's entry into video games was named CSG Imagesoft which began in 1989 though it only published three games under that name. In 1991 Sony founded Sony Electronic Entertainment (SEE) and since CSG Imagesoft would now operate under SEE it was renamed to Sony Imagesoft. Once the PlayStation was a reality Sony would focus on publishing games for its own platform and Sony Imagesoft merged with Sony Computer Entertainment America (SCEA), and parts of both companies became Sony Interactive Studios America and later 989 Studios (and sort of 989 Sports).

Sony Imagesoft albums: Facebook - Google Photos

Gaming Ads: Sony Computer Entertainment America

This post is going to include Sony Computer Entertainment, 989 Studios, and 989 Sports ads, and just about any other Sony-related game ads except Sony Imagesoft which will be posted next week. I did already post about Sony's entry into video games way back in the ads for CSG Imagesoft which was a collaboration between CBS and Sony Group. Some of that will overlap here though I'll start with a quick overview of Sony before video games. Tokyo Tsushin Kogyo K.K., also known as Tokyo Telecommunications Engineering Corporation, was founded in 1946 by Masaru Ibuka. In 1947 it successfully launched a power megaphone, completed a magnetic tape recorder prototype in 1949, and in 1950 released the G-Type recorder and a recording tape dubbed Soni-tape in 1950.

A Sony logo went into use in 1955 but the company name wasn't changed to Sony until 1958. However, Sony's corporate history page doesn't actually say why it changed its name to Sony or what the name means. According to the Sony Wikipedia entry the word is a combination of sonus (root of sonic and sound) and sonny (young boy, and in Japan sonny boys were presentable young men). To summarize the pre-game stuff quickly, Sony began making radios in the '50s, televisions in the '60s, VCRs (using Sony's Betamax format) in the '70s, the Walkman in 1979, and the first CD player in 1982. Sony opened Sony Corporation of America in 1960 and the aforementioned CBS and Sony collaboration began in 1968. Sony Electronic Entertainment was founded in 1991 and CSG Imagesoft was renamed to Sony Imagesoft.

Sony Imagesoft was publishing games on a variety of platforms nearly all the way up to the release of Sony's own PlayStation console. It would eventually merge with Sony Computer Entertainment (SCE) which was established in 1993. I expect the story of the PlayStation is also quite well known and since this is just an ads post, I'm not going to get into all of the details. Essentially Nintendo hired Sony in 1988 to create a CD-ROM add-on for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES). The add-on, which was known as Play Station, was unveiled at the Consumer Electronics Show in 1991. Nintendo and Sony were unable to agree on the financials and the day after the Play Station was shown, Nintendo broke its agreement with Sony to go with Philips instead. Of course, the president of Sony was angry and in response chose to create a video game console to compete directly with Nintendo.

The original PlayStation launched in Japan on December 24, 1994 and on September 9, 1995 it released in North America. It didn't take long for the PlayStation to be a huge success, in large part due to the industry's push into 3D graphics which the system handled much better than Sega's Saturn, and Nintendo hadn't yet moved into 3D games as the N64 didn't release until 1996. Sony has stuck with the PlayStation name following up the original with the PlayStation 2 (2000), PlayStation 3 (2007; 2006 in Japan)), and PlayStation 4 (2013). One area that Sony hasn't fared as well in has been handheld gaming where Nintendo has dominated the market since the Game Boy (1989). Sony released the PlayStation Portable in 2005 (2004 in Japan) and then the PlayStation Vita in 2012 (2011 in Japan). I should add that in 2016 Sony renamed Sony Computer Entertainment and all of its studios to Sony Interactive Entertainment.

Sony Corporation Entertainment America albums: Facebook - Google Photos

Gaming Ads: The Software Toolworks

Founded in 1980, The Software Toolworks was based in California and is the creator of two very well known software series: The Chessmaster and Mavis Beacon Teaches Typing. It developed and or published more than 50 titles, including five games starring Nintendo's Mario and Luigi. In fact, six of the nine ads I have are for either Mario Is Missing! (Luigi is the primary protagonist) or Mario's Time Machine. As I stated in the Mindscape post, The Software Toolworks acquired Mindscape in 1990 and then in 1994 the two companies were purchased by Pearson PLC. Later that year Pearson changed The Software Tookworks' name to Mindscape and for more details about the end of Mindscape check out the aforementioned post -- the quick version is it closed in 2011.

The Software Toolworks albums: Facebook - Google Photos