I love video games. Plain and simple. I grew up playing video games my whole life. I've owned every iteration of the Nintendo consoles and Gameboys. I have been gaming on a PC for about 18 years. I've even attended some of the biggest video game tournaments as a spectator. So for all intents and purposes, I consider myself a bit of a video game expert and when it comes to Advergames, or games with integrated branding built into the gameplay, I make no exception.
In 1999, Cap'n Crunches Crunchling Adventure was released and came bundled with a box of Cap'n Crunch Cereal. Being a Cap'n Crunch addict as a kid I knew I had to play the game. Even as a child I understood that these "types" of games (as I called Advergames) were often terrible to play and nothing more than an interactive commercial. Cap'n Crunches Crunchling Adventure, on the other hand, actually looked like a fun game and to my excitement it actually was fun. The game allowed me to raise my own Crunchling, much like a tamagotchi, except I also got to use him in different mini-games. Today, the game is quite dated but as a young boy just getting into the world of video games it was a blast.
I of course tried other advergames growing up, like the Burger King racing game for the Xbox, but none could compare to the fun I had playing Crunchling Adventure. Perhaps, the reason for that was my knowledge and exposure to a wide array of video games as I got older left too much to be desired when playing third rate advergames. Or possibly, in my naive young mind I was more willing to subject myself to constant blast of advertising these games present. Either way I had grown more weary of advergaming. Until today.
I discovered this excellent List of Advergames. I'm only a few games into this list and the vast wave of nostalgia that has been crashing down onto my emotions has made me feel like a kid, again. Most of the games on the list I've never played before but I can remember quite vividly seen them advertised throughout my life. I have a particular soft spot for, "Cool Spot," a game about 7-up that is reminiscent of the Earthworm Jim series, an all time favorite of mine.
It appears that I will have to put my regular gaming on hold, at least for this weekend, while I take a trip down into the rabbit-hole of Advergames so I can get a quick fix of nostalgia.
In 1999, Cap'n Crunches Crunchling Adventure was released and came bundled with a box of Cap'n Crunch Cereal. Being a Cap'n Crunch addict as a kid I knew I had to play the game. Even as a child I understood that these "types" of games (as I called Advergames) were often terrible to play and nothing more than an interactive commercial. Cap'n Crunches Crunchling Adventure, on the other hand, actually looked like a fun game and to my excitement it actually was fun. The game allowed me to raise my own Crunchling, much like a tamagotchi, except I also got to use him in different mini-games. Today, the game is quite dated but as a young boy just getting into the world of video games it was a blast.
I of course tried other advergames growing up, like the Burger King racing game for the Xbox, but none could compare to the fun I had playing Crunchling Adventure. Perhaps, the reason for that was my knowledge and exposure to a wide array of video games as I got older left too much to be desired when playing third rate advergames. Or possibly, in my naive young mind I was more willing to subject myself to constant blast of advertising these games present. Either way I had grown more weary of advergaming. Until today.
I discovered this excellent List of Advergames. I'm only a few games into this list and the vast wave of nostalgia that has been crashing down onto my emotions has made me feel like a kid, again. Most of the games on the list I've never played before but I can remember quite vividly seen them advertised throughout my life. I have a particular soft spot for, "Cool Spot," a game about 7-up that is reminiscent of the Earthworm Jim series, an all time favorite of mine.
It appears that I will have to put my regular gaming on hold, at least for this weekend, while I take a trip down into the rabbit-hole of Advergames so I can get a quick fix of nostalgia.