I Found Something SF64 Related, Help Me ID It!

[Arwing_Pilot114]

Hello all, Arwing_Pilot114 here. I just wanted to ask the collective of SF-O a question pertaining to a VHS tape I found at a retro game shop today. It's a tape of what appears to have the US Box Art of Starfox64 on it.

I'm going to test it out once I get my hands on a VHS player, but my main question is this: What is this? A commercial recording? Recorded game footage? Is this a promo from Nintendo when the game first came out?

I can't post the picture I took of it since I'm posting this on my phone, but I'm just currious if anyone knew something about this? I also got a VHS with the cover of Donkey Kong Country on it too.

I guess I'll find out what these two VHS tapes are soon!

[DZComposer]

It's this really stupid infomercial:

The DK one:

[Fureox]

Well if they're rare and you got em for cheap/free, not a bad catch I suppose.

[InfinitySquared]

That's the best thing I've ever seen in my life.

[Robert Monroe]

WELCOME

 

TO VERSUS MOOOODE

[InfinitySquared]

Did anyone ever play versus mode?

[CrypticQuery]

VHS player

 

Back in my day, we knew to call them VCR's.

 

---

 

Nice find; I imagine that they weren't all that common to begin with, and the years passing by probably hasn't done any favors to the video on the tape.

[Drasiana]

Yep, "promo video". I have one of these, got it off eBay a million years ago. It's a fun little find if anything.

[InfinitySquared]

I've got a bunch of family videos on VHS/Betamax going back to the mid-'70s (mostly vintage SNL and early MTV) to about the mid-2000s (regular TV stuff and occasional home videos) that I've been converting to DVD, so I guess that makes me something of an expert in the matter. From what I can tell, age doesn't matter-I've got an episode of SNL from 1976 that looks about as good as the original broadcast, and a concert from 2007 that just refuses to play properly. All that stuff about tapes demagnetizing as they hit 20 years isn't true, unless you're storing them next to magnets in a damp room. I can't imagine someone watching a 10-minute promo tape terribly often, so it's probably not worn out. Getting it onto your computer/DVD will be tricky, since that probably has some sort of copy protection in place that will mess with your video card.

 

Expect it to be about as good as this, or as bad as well...this. It can't be that worn out, but it might be kinda mucky anyway. The first one basically was watched probably once or twice before being thrown in a box, while the Super Mario one has...made the rounds, shall we say. 

 

If the links don't work:

Good as it'll be

Bad as it'll be

[Arashikage]

I watched both of the videos, and that Donkey Kong one was SO BORING.  Like holy crap.  The Star Fox one was at least interesting.  I wanted to turn off the Donkey Kong one about four minutes into it.  Be thankful you found the Starfox one first.

[LoneWolf]

I've got one of these as well. It's even got a little insert for, at least, if I remember correctly, Nintendo Power. It's in pretty fantastic shape too. Got it for Christmas a few years back, watched it the day of. Nice and crisp as far as VHS goes.

[Robert Monroe]

70s/80s/90s promo tapes are the best thing to find. Check out Everything is Terrible if you're into watching that shit (like I am) because they archive everything they can find and its often hilarious.

[Arwing_Pilot114]

Huh! That's actually pretty cool! Cheesy terrible goodness is my cup of tea. I haven't gotten ahold of any tape players, but the videos say it all.

Thamks for all the help guys!