Ah, it's call coming back. Everything retro-classic is making a come back and it's a fine era to be alive to see it all.
The events of the game occur during 1991, two years after the events in Ghostbusters II. Players portray a new recruit hired to test Egon Spengler and Ray Stantz's new equipment, during a recent rise of paranormal activity. This paranormal activity begins to occur as the city is about to unveil a Gozer exhibit. The team is thus called to investigate. Along the way, you'll encounter several old baddies from the films, such as the library ghost, Vigo, Slimer, Gozer, and the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man, as well as many mini bosses.
Atari will be releasing the game in June 2009 to coincide with the 25th anniversary of the first film's movie release. At the 2009 Consumer Electronics Show, Sony confirmed that the game will be released on June 16th in the US and June 19th in Europe, alongside home video re-releases of the Ghostbusters films.
[The Centurions: collectible x-treme] Written by GL
I logged on to the internet a minute ago and went to on a total Centurions blow-out. It's just something that caught me at just the right moment. I mean, how could you deny how awesome the concept, creativity and selling-capability of the cartoons and action figure lines were.
The below is for you to memorize for the coming week - to repeat as and when need; during corporate presentations, appraisal hearings, even useful in encrypted e-mails to heads of departments.
"In the near future, Doc Terror and his cyborg companion Hacker unleash their forces to conquer Earth!
Only one force can stop this evil - a handful of brave men. In specially created exoframes, they can be transported anywhere, to fuse with incredible assault weapon systems. Beamed down from the space station Skyvault - becoming Man and Machine. PowerXTreme!
Max Ray - brilliant sea operations commander! Jake Rockwell - rugged land operations specialist! Ace McCloud - daring air operations expert!
Whatever the challenge, they are ready!
The Centurions!"
So, the next time the Board Of Directors asks your take on how you see the organization in the long term, take a page out of Classic Articulation and drop these bombing lines to amaze all.
[True Classic Music: we're saving our own lives] Written by GL
I just decided to surf around today and happened on this awesome retro music clip depicting a great line up of classic artists. Hope it makes your day and, forthwith, your year.
I saw this online a minute ago and simply had to post it up for all to see. It's amazing, it's colorful, it's action-packed - unfortunately, it's not real.
[The Galactic Guardians: totally, unbelievably retro-cool] Written by GL
If anyone's ever seen this intro or this cartoon before, stand up and pat yourself on the back then give yourself a high-five because this was probably the best DC animated series ever. Ever, ever? That's right - ever, ever. To have remembered, much less, seen it is an honor and a privilege.
[The Star Sheriffs: better at polo than you are] Written by GL
Totally straight out of our 80's childhood era comes the above; this is what you'd get if you combined Bravestarr with the Silverhawks - complete with their own cowboy themed hero.
[The Transformers Original Movie: The best scene ever] Written by GL
I felt a sudden need to see this scene once more - and after watching it again, I swear I had to share it with everyone. I don't think fans get to watch this one segment of the animated movie enough. After watching it a minute ago, I still get gooey-gooey chills !
I hope it helps to power your work week, dear readers. Don't worry, the weekend is sure to come, until all are one.
There is so much stuff on Youtube that you sometimes simply can't get enough.
I found this gem of an intro theme song totally by accident, and all the comments for this vid seem to say that it brings back memories. And, by right, it did, even for me. I remember watching this show so long ago and I remember not caring whether there were enough effects or gimmicks. The story line made this show.
Remember this: Ice-man and Fire-storm (the redheaded hottie female super-heroine join up into the show a while after.
Also, remember that: before there was Tobey, there was your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man.
[Opening Title: does the narrator voice sound familiar?] Written by GL
Now here is a total gem of a intro cartoon. And watching it has brought back so many awesome memories. You might even say it got me a little teary eyed.
Voltron (the very first, and probably the most well-remembered, version) first aired in Amercia in 1984 and featured to kids the true coolness of Japanese animation and it's profitability when translated for us dumb, only-English speaking audiences. Another thing to note, when translation of the cartoon was going through, American broadcasting services were forced to cut out scene of explicit torture, dead bodies and over all death from the original Japanese version (jeez, those guys are on a way other level)
You know what else made Voltron cool? I'll tell you. Peter Cullen voices several characters in it and his voice is totally inspirational - still sounding all about the Prime. Watch and reminisce, all you retro fans out there. Hope this brightens your day, faithful readers.
You can't always remember everything. And that's a fact. Sometimes you may manage to recall snippets of things and sometime you don't manage to recall something at all, no matter how much information you receive about it.
I can barely remember the G.I. Joe opening title. It is so vague in my mind that I decided to post it up for all of you out there, to help you recall how it was. Personally, I always remember toys and action figures better than I do cartoons - toys were hands-on, cartoon were a mental distraction.
The G.I. Joe intro is only a minute long and a total retro mix of narration and singing. The singing is recorded totally retro but stand no where in the category of rock or whatever. It's just the way it is. Have a look to help you pass a minute.
[The Real Intro: excellent theme and animation] Written by GL
If there's something strange, in the neighborhood, who you gonna call? Well, in Brunei, it would probably be a bomoh and any prayer verses you may know off the top of your head. But in the land of Filmation, it's the original Ghostbusters.
You can't tell me that this wasn't one of the most landmark cartoons of the 80s. It seriously was. Every child of the retro era remembers this show, or had toys of the show, or can remember begging their parents to buy toys of the show. This theme song made the phrase, 'who you gonna call?' cool. Now it's just a simple cliche. Too bad.
Posted for your viewing pleasure, good buddies, is the opening theme song to this very well-remembered cartoon series (until now, I still have no idea who that ghost is at the very beginning of the opening sequence, shown walking down the street) - I hope that it spreads sunshine through your week.
[Opening Title: love the saw blade design] Written by GL
The thing I like the most about maintaining this blog with my good friend Kal-El is that it helps us to re-live so many old memories from our growing, wonder years. At times, if you aren't continuously surfing, you may never un-source all those old shows and toys from the past. On top of that, you always tend to encounter this retro stuff just by chance. Just like when I was surfing around and happen to discover Jayce and the Wheeled Warriors.
Now this was a really retro show. And I can barely even recall it.
Jayce and the Wheeled Warriors first aired in 1985. It was produced by Saban Entertainment (of Japan) for DiC Entertainment, and directed by an uncredited Japanese studio. The uncompleted show lasted for a good 65 30-minute episodes, and was supported by a Mattel's toy line (called Wheeled Warriors).
[The Lightning League: no affiliation with the Justice League]
The show was about two sides: The good guys are humans, called the Lightning League. They usually drove white and silver vehicles, and are led by a young fella named Jayce. The bad guys are organic and green and vegetable-based (kinda like those mushroom chips you can buy at Supasave) called the Monster Minds. They, of course, drove black and green vehicles. These bad guys traveled around by using organic vines which can grow across space. These crazy vines also released seeds that grew into more Monster Minds. They are led by a nasty piece of worked named Saw Boss.
[Saw Boss: as ugly as sin]
Most of the episodes were written by French writers. The series producer was J. Michael Straczynski, a man you may have heard of as being writer for several other shows including He-Man and She-Ra, Jake & The Fatman and Walker Texas Ranger (ugh!).
The funny thing is that no backstory was given for the Lightning League and the Monster Minds initially - the cartoon was simply created as loose entertainment.
But the plot line basically goes like this: Jayce, is the son of missing man named Audric, and his quest is to rejoin him. Audric was a botanist who did several experiments with biotechnology, one of which a young girl named Flora. Audric had also created a miracle crop that could grow in practically any environment.
[Jacye & Audric: the two halves of the root that need to be joined to save the world]
However, suddenly a solar flare mutates his plant into an evil being named Saw Boss, and changes other plants around the laboratory into other monstrous creatures - these became the Monster Minds. Audric manages to create a magical root that can destroy the Monster Minds, but doesn't managed to complete the experiment. He keeps half himself and gives the other half to Jayce. Thus, Jayce and his Lightning League friends are constantly on a quest to find Audric and combine the halves of the root. Combining the roots will destroy the Monster Minds forever.
Due to successful toy sales, Jayce's 65 episode line up was never followed up, and the story ended unresolved. J. Michael Straczynski, has been writing a movie for the show characters but because of the sad, sad performance of the toys, the movie was KIV'd. Apparently this movie would have been the concluding show to the entire series, where we find if Saw Boss is ever killed or not.
Mattel’s Wheeled Warriors was a vehicle based line in 1984. But, like we said, Wheeled Warriors by Mattel had a really bad toy launch. The toys arrived on shelves before the cartoon, in order to capitalize on the 1984 Christmas season. The manufacturers then re-thought the whole thing and pulled the toys from shelves before the cartoon could build a good fan base. Further, the toys only featured blank human figures and rubber brains for pilots - totally not like the cartoon at all.
[Saw Boss: in vehicle form with a wicked saw weapon]
I, personally, actually had a pretty complete set of the Wheeled Warriors toy collection (I'm proud to say). It was an awesomely designed product line regardless of the misfortunes and mishaps of the manufacturers. It's a collection that I do actually miss
Only one English language DVD had ever been released; featuring only a limited number of episodes. However, the entire series has been released in French, in two boxed sets each containing five DVDs. So, if you're watching it any time soon, pack your Bahasa Melayu to Perancis kamus.
Needless to say, Jayce and the Wheeled Warriors was a cartoon that suffered pretty bad in the 80s - just victims of coincidence and bad planning. And like we've said many times here on Classic Articulation, it's the fate of all retro thing to end up disappearing. At the same time, we're glad that there are true fans out there who still remember with us.
As an added bonus, check out the opening title sequence I have attached for you true retro fans out there. I think the title song is pure-brill.
[The Original Intro: you gotta love it] Written by GL
You see, the thing about the 80s was that there was so much talking; talking on the streets, talking on the phone, talking on television, even talking on cartoon series intros. And Centurions opening theme is no different, but no worse for it.
I love this opening, especially because of the narrative introductions of each of the main Centurion characters(I even went and sourced the lyrics, hee hee hee schoolgirl laugh hee hee):
In the near future, Doc Terror and his cyborg companion, Hacker, unleash their forces to conquer earth. Only one force can stop this evil. A handful of brave men. In specially created exo-frames, they can be transported anywhere. To fuse with incredible assault weapons systems, beamed down from the space station Skyvault. Becoming man and machine, power extreme.
Max Ray, brilliant sea operations commander (dramatic pause). Jake Rockwell, rugged land operation specialist (dramatic pause). Ace McCloud, daring air operations expert (dramatic pause).
Whatever the challenge, they are ready. The Centurions (echo, echo echo).
See, you don't get that no more with major cartoons - the deep elaboration of a synopsis and explanations of characters. It's becoming a rare art form. And get this fun fact: William Woodson, the narrator of this opening is also the narrator for the 1978 Hanna-Barbera cartoon series Challenge Of The Super-Friends.
Not forgetting that Centurions was an awesome, awesome cartoon in its own right. Enjoy. This for your free-time viewing pleasure, my friends. Drive safe, its been a rainy week.
[Knight Rider Opening: da-duh, da-duh, dadauh-daduh-daduh] Written by GL
My good friend's, Kal-El's, post really below me away. I never had the KITT and Knight Rider toys, and now I'm beginning to feel a little bit of shame. I guess you can't always have everything out on the market; and after all, I was just a penniless, ignorant child.
In any case, to compliment Kal-El's awesome post, I've embedded for all you avid 80s watchdogs the opening theme to Knight Rider to observe in your own pleasure time.
I have heard people say many, many things about this intro; such as 'it's probably the best opening theme song for any show' or 'hey, wasn't this was the sample in a Busta Rhymes song?' and stuff like that. Whatever your opinion may be, I am pretty sure that you dig this intro. And I'm also pretty sure you dig KITT. And David's hair and leather pants.
Oh man, this is the most awesome opening clip I've seen all this month. It brought back so many, many memories of the good old cartoon-watching times. I was thinking that this might be the best way to related back to my previous below blog entry on the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles DVD box set.
I shouldn't have linked this video up. I makes me want to get that box set even more.
However, it's a shame that those cool green teens have (as of modern times today) strayed away from what they used to be back in the day.
Keep it real, folks. And remember: Leonardo leads, Donatello does machines (that's a fact, jack).
Ok, before you guys start rolling your eyes; understand that we here at Classic Articulation and The House Of El are totally for equal opportunity. It is a constitutional right in almost every free world nation that the preferences of both sexes (even those in-between) be represented. Thus, in saying so, check out the Jem opening. As much as I hate to put my non-existent reputation on the line, the theme is totally catchy and the opening animation is vibrant and (ugh!) pink - rejoice you metro-sexuals out there. Here's a little 'did-you-know' for information buffs: the entire collection of Jem and the Holograms figures as well as the 65 episodes that ran on television were all written and creatively directed by teams that created G. I. Joe. Knowledge is power in pink. Say it loud and say it proud: 'Jem is my name. No one else is the same'.
