Video Games Once Again Hot Christmas Items
The traditional toy business has been struggling to find the next big hit over the past few years. The days of He-Man and the Masters of the Universe, Transformers, Thundercats, M.A.S.K., and a host of other action figures ruling the roost are long gone (although the new Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles toys remain popular). It seems kids these days have turned in their Optimus Primes for controllers and zappers. Nintendo has ruled the toy market for the past few years and this holiday season it’s once again the leader in the industry.
Hot games like Mega Man 2, Ninja Gaiden, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and last year’s mega-hits that were sold out everywhere (Super Mario Bros. 2 and Zelda II: The Adventure of Link) are flying off store shelves faster than ever thanks in part to an increased install base of eager NES owners looking for the next big thing. As if that wasn’t enough, Nintendo has its new portable system, Game Boy, making the wish lists of kids everywhere. This compact game machine plays a whole new set of cartridges that retail for about $20 and with that comes a whole new range of accessories – from carrying cases to battery packs – hanging from retailers’ aisles across the country just begging to be stocking stuffers.
We’re in the fourth holiday season since Nintendo revitalized the home console video game market with its NES and with two new competitors joining the fray the sky’s the limit as to how big the industry can become. The Sega Genesis and NEC TurboGrafx-16 both boast more powerful hardware with prettier graphics and more sophisticated games, but they come at more than twice the price of a standard Nintendo system. The new consoles are sure to draw the more dedicated gamer crowd, ones with disposable income and a little older. As this decade comes to a close, one thing’s for sure: there’s never been a better time to be a video game fan with more quality choices than ever before!
From the November 22, 1989 edition of The Times News Twin Falls, Idaho:
[Source: The Times News]
Craig has been covering the video game industry since 1995. His work has been published across a wide spectrum of media sites. He’s currently the Editor-In-Chief of Nintendo Times and contributes to Gaming Age.
