I've long contended that it is very difficult to convey the fun of a video game, which is an interactive experience, in a passive way. Game trailers and gameplay footage don't go nearly as far as getting a controller in someone's hands, and letting them try the game themselves. That is assuming the game is interesting or fun in some way. That has led to many ways to try to convey the fun and breadth of a great game in a one minute trailer, or even tougher, in a 15-30 second TV spot. And now, a 5 second Youtube ad.

This is a commercial for 1998 N64 release Yoshi's Story, the most maligned of many maligned sequels to the classic Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island. This is also smack dab in the middle of the 'Get 'N' or Get Out!' campaign. Personally one of my favorite ad campaigns from Nintendo, although that isn't saying much, considering this is Nintendo advertising we are talking about.

Nintendo adverts were always trying to catch up to being cool. Sega stuck Nintendo with that 'kid's games' thing early in the Genesis' lifespan, and once Sony entered the race, they took it to another level, making Nintendo games look more childish than ever to the children buying these games. When Nintendo ruled the roost in the NES era, their advertising was so basic. Why would it have to be anything else? Everyone had tossed their Atari's after they crashed. Everyone was really into this cup and ball now. Then Nintendo showed up and took over the entire market. They were like the Tobacco companies. Just show that Camel or Malboro Man and then everyone wants a cigarette. Show Nintendo's Italian plumber on something in the late 80s and it sold.

Then Genesis called Nintendo a bunch of babies. Then, Nintendo, like that 12 year old that isn't allowed to hang out with the teenagers, began the Play it Loud campaign. It was exactly what you would expect out of a kid trying to act like a teenager. That lasted for most of the SNES lifespan.

Fast forward to 1997, the first full year of N64 in North America, and Nintendo needs a new, hip, rad, and also tubular new ad campaign for this powerful new console. The result was the “Get 'N' or Get Out” campaign. It felt like the obvious, and bad, continuation of the Play it Loud campaign, but instead of a 12 year old trying to be a teenager, it was now a fifteen year old trying to act like an 18 year old. It was always a decision between the childish Nintendo or the adult attitude of the Sony Playstation. I bet Sony Playstation plays in a band, and goes snowboarding on the weekends. So mature and cool.

Quick aside, have you noticed the “grown up” system, all the way back to the Intellivision vs Atari, is the system with sports games on it? Sports games were the number one metric for deciding which was the “Adult Man's Game System” for about 25 years of gaming history. Now the “Adult Man” system is the one with GTA on it. We've come so far.

Now that Nintendo fans have become adults and parents, along with the more relaxed attitude Nintendo has taken with adult content since Conker's Bad Fur Day, people don't care so much about childish things. I'm a 35 year old man and I watch cartoons, play video games, and that's about it. I have a job, but you know, I'd rather be playing video games or watching cartoons.

A lot of game commercials in these days were very secretive. The goal was to engross you in the commercial, then right before the ad ends, bam! Video games, buy 'em! A lot of commercials would achieve this by taking one aspect of the video game in question, then create a commercial saying, “what if this signature gameplay component, but in real life!” That is an exact definition of this commercial.

First up, that is how teenagers dressed back in these days. Everyone looked like they were about to go snowboarding. It's two teenagers, and, get this, they have tongues like Yoshi! Yoshi's chameleon like tongue whipping is a major part of the gameplay, and now it is an important aspect of your own life.

The beanie'd kid seems to be a tongue master, and is teaching the basics to the spiky haired student. I don't think he is a very good teacher though, because he is giving different instructions every time he shoots his tongue off. What are they even aiming for? You can't just set up some empty cans, or an apple? People love shooting apples. Yoshi's Story even has apples in it! Okay, they do take out one apple. That just supports my point. People love shooting apples! I had another point though.

It doesn't matter what they are shooting at. It's much cooler to a teenager to trash a house for no reason. All that pent up teenage angst, man. I also like that canned cat meow. In the end both of their tongues are too worn out to wind back up. Is that good? They don't seem worried at all. This also fulfills the quota that a lot of commercials for kids and teenagers had to have something gross in them. I don't know why. I don't like gross things. Gross things certainly don't endear me to the company showing me gross things.

Something that is really annoying upon review of this 23 year old, 30 second commercial for a children's product, is the inconsistency. The beanie boy and the spiky haired kid keep switching placement on the couch almost every time we cut back to them. It's disorienting and I didn't expect such amateur storytelling from an ad agency trying their best to compete with that Sony marketing muscle.

Some gameplay finally shows up at the 19 second mark, showing off Yoshi's signature tongue attack and tying everything together. Oooh, that's why this commercial is about kids with chameleon tongues. Because Yoshi attacks with his tongue. Oooooh. I think I'll purhcase one Yoshi game please.

From the year 2021, and maybe because of the very low quality of the video, Yoshi's Story ended up being one of the better looking N64 games. It all looks very rounded. Lots of circles, which seemed impossible when looking at the extreme boxiness of contemporary titles.

They weirdly sneak in one more human tongue whipping between a quick rundown of gameplay footage. Good thing they did that or I wouldn't have realized this was all the same commercial. I really need call backs to things that happened less than 30 seconds ago. I say that in jest, but I probably do pretty often.

“Ready for a tongue lashing?
Yoshi’s loose with juicier levels, tastier moves, and dripping with attitude.
Yoshi’s Story, for the first time on Nintendo 64”

— Yoshi's Island 1998 Nintendo 64 commercial

Yes, they just said that a Yoshi game, that is designed to look like a story book and has extra colorful 3D graphics, is “dripping with attitude.” Is this game the Shadow the Hedgehog of the Super Mario series? I am now compelled to make the argument that, yes, it absolutely is. One day Someone will uncover some unused code or design documents that show that this game had guns at some point in development.

Can I get this as my screen wipe on OBS?

Then we see the game Yoshi's Story, complete in box, sitting amongst the tongue destroyed remnanys of some glass cups. Then the motherfucking box art comes to live holy crap this game is haunted or possessed or very state of the art. Forget about haunted games, how about haunted game boxes? Creepypasta forthcoming.

Now “get N or get out”

and also go to nintendo.com, I wonder if that website still works…

This commercial isn't nearly as complex or unexplainable as the Golden Sun commercial, but they both are attempting the same thing. Trying to make something “cool with the teen boy demographic” by making some aspect of the game seem “extreme” or “mature.” That's the reason the Yoshi tongue attack got turned into some human body horror. I am now dripping with attitude! I need a shower.