Today's throwbackiest video: Atari Pole Position commercial from the 80s
by Kevin Kelly 
on Apr 4th 2007 12:01AM
38
"HEY! You look like a jerk!"
Any commercial that starts off like this is gold in our book. We can't remember seeing a commercial so disproportionally different from the actual gameplay experience. Even the raw processing power *ahem* of the Atari 5200 couldn't make Pole Position look this exciting.
You've got 80s metal, crazy haircuts, wacky family racing, and something that'll leave skidmarks on your soul. We need more commercials like this for video games.
Reader Comments (38)
Posted: Apr 4th 2007 12:11AM BPMOmega XBL PSN Steam said
That commercial was godly. No question about it. Makes me want to run out now and get an Atari 5200 and Pole Position.
Why are there two different boxes, though?
And, compared to the arcade original, the 5200 version doesn't look that bad...
Reply
Why are there two different boxes, though?
And, compared to the arcade original, the 5200 version doesn't look that bad...
Posted: Apr 4th 2007 12:18AM (Unverified) said
Jesus, that as the best commercial EVER.
"HEY! You look like a jerk!" is definately my new greeting.
Reply
"HEY! You look like a jerk!" is definately my new greeting.
Posted: Apr 4th 2007 12:31AM (Unverified) said
Was that Dana Plato in the passenger seat?? RIP
Reply
Posted: Apr 4th 2007 12:33AM (Unverified) said
Its almost as good as RIIIIIIDGE RAAAAAAAACER! :-P
Reply
Posted: Apr 4th 2007 1:01AM (Unverified) said
"That's not metal."
You're right. It's 80s Metal
You must have complained the whole way through Waynes World as well.
Reply
You're right. It's 80s Metal
You must have complained the whole way through Waynes World as well.
Posted: Apr 4th 2007 1:05AM (Unverified) said
Good god! Best Commercial Ever!
No wait, the Segata Sanchiro ones were a bit funner*
Upload us some Segata Sanchiro stuff next!
Reply
No wait, the Segata Sanchiro ones were a bit funner*
Upload us some Segata Sanchiro stuff next!
Posted: Apr 4th 2007 1:06AM (Unverified) said
I remember wasting the better part of many a summer day playing 5200 pole position. I totally miss the 80's
By the way the second box was for the 2600.
Reply
By the way the second box was for the 2600.
Posted: Apr 4th 2007 1:14AM hvnlysoldr said
I say that the Super Smash Bros commercial is better!
Reply
Posted: Apr 4th 2007 4:10AM (Unverified) said
Every time you guys put up a video it does not work for me.... in ANY browser. I have the plug-ins.
Reply
Posted: Apr 4th 2007 1:53AM (Unverified) said
This commercial's better, but just barely. It's the commercial for Ice Hockey for the Atari 2600 by Activision, STARRING PHIL HARTMAN.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lROb1vWNiig
Reply
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lROb1vWNiig
Posted: Apr 4th 2007 2:44AM (Unverified) said
it'll be banned by the UK advertising standards agency...
Reply
Posted: Apr 4th 2007 2:54AM teejaykay said
Skid marks on souls aside, the commercial actually does a surprisingly good job of making the gameplay experience *seem* realistic by melding the real life footage with in-game footage. It doesn't look like much today, but 25 years ago I bet it was pretty effective.
Reply
Posted: Apr 4th 2007 4:38AM BurntMeatloaf said
Funniest thing I've seen in a month!
Ahhhh... back when games were worth more than 2 hours of gameplay, too.
Reply
Ahhhh... back when games were worth more than 2 hours of gameplay, too.
Posted: Apr 4th 2007 5:43AM ill trooper said
A full preppie family? An omniscent booming voice from the sky, personified by a giant hand that shakes the Sperry topsiders right off of Muffy and Biff Jr.? Real EXPLOSIONS?
Wow... That is great! It's a pretty expensive-looking commercial for a video game - now days it's almost all CG faked-up versions of 'gameplay.'
Atari was, to paraphrase the words of Jim Jones...
"Stay Fly...No Lie... Atari was
"BALLIN!'"
Reply
Wow... That is great! It's a pretty expensive-looking commercial for a video game - now days it's almost all CG faked-up versions of 'gameplay.'
Atari was, to paraphrase the words of Jim Jones...
"Stay Fly...No Lie... Atari was
"BALLIN!'"
Posted: Apr 4th 2007 7:49AM (Unverified) said
That really was pretty funny. I've seen a lot of these ads, but I honestly don't remember this one.
Also interesting that it's a minute and a half! Holy advertising time, Batman.
Somebody asked why there are two different boxes:
http://tinyurl.com/39wbhc
http://tinyurl.com/32fbyk
Just two different systems.
Reply
Also interesting that it's a minute and a half! Holy advertising time, Batman.
Somebody asked why there are two different boxes:
http://tinyurl.com/39wbhc
http://tinyurl.com/32fbyk
Just two different systems.
Posted: Apr 4th 2007 9:13AM (Unverified) said
WRONG! This is the best video game ad ever.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GwWD6SKhCj4
Dr. Mario dancing with Link, Megaman, TMNT, and more before flying face first into a giant monster and ending it all with a cartoony Mario Hitler salute...
Reply
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GwWD6SKhCj4
Dr. Mario dancing with Link, Megaman, TMNT, and more before flying face first into a giant monster and ending it all with a cartoony Mario Hitler salute...
Posted: Apr 4th 2007 10:27AM (Unverified) said
Does anyone remember the movie D.A.R.Y.L. ? There was a scene when Daryl was playing Pole Position and for some reason the game started playing at some incredibly fast speed. Not clear why that happened, but it was one of the dummest video game scenes in a movie ever.
Pole Position is great though.
Reply
Pole Position is great though.
Posted: Apr 4th 2007 10:16AM (Unverified) said
Personally, I like the "It'll bust your crank.." quote, LOL.
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Posted: Apr 4th 2007 10:49AM Peacefuloutrage said
@Mark
Data
Analysis
Robot
Youth
Lifeform
With movies like D.A.R.Y.L., The Goonies, Ferris Bueller's Day Off and Flight of the Navigator, I have fond memories of being an 80s kid. Now everything is a sequel or a re-release of a foreign movie witha different name, with WORSE writing.
Reply
Data
Analysis
Robot
Youth
Lifeform
With movies like D.A.R.Y.L., The Goonies, Ferris Bueller's Day Off and Flight of the Navigator, I have fond memories of being an 80s kid. Now everything is a sequel or a re-release of a foreign movie witha different name, with WORSE writing.
Posted: Apr 4th 2007 11:52AM (Unverified) said
Wow, never saw that one when I was young. It was so bad and lame even for back then, I was actualy expecting a "This Is Living" plug in at the end. -,-;
Reply
Posted: Apr 4th 2007 1:19PM Lemmiwinks said
I remember that commercial. It was eventually banned because of the scene where the giant hand shakes people out of the car.
The FCC felt that it would compel people to become large and shake around other citizens in their Rabbits.
Reply
The FCC felt that it would compel people to become large and shake around other citizens in their Rabbits.
Posted: Apr 4th 2007 2:47PM (Unverified) said
"Atari was, to paraphrase the words of Jim Jones...
"Stay Fly...No Lie... Atari was
"BALLIN!'"
"
in the words of another jim jones..."just drink the kool-aid."
Reply
"Stay Fly...No Lie... Atari was
"BALLIN!'"
"
in the words of another jim jones..."just drink the kool-aid."
Posted: Apr 4th 2007 3:06PM Levi Partridge said
What the hell happened to my post? Anyways, screw ilovebees and all that ARG crap, I want to see more commercials like this!
Reply
Posted: Apr 4th 2007 3:46PM ill trooper said
Nice, Moosey... I thought of that joke too when I paraphrased the Jim Jones lyric... The funny thing is that in an article about Jim Jones (the rapper) I read, he acted like the interviewer was crazy and brushed it off when he was asked about Jim Jones (People's Temple), like that was 'ancient history' and 'Who cares?'
Kids these days! No respect for a good cult!
Reply
Kids these days! No respect for a good cult!
Posted: Apr 5th 2007 8:51PM (Unverified) said
Ahh the good old days of Atari (I had a 2600 and a 5200, much like a previous poster, the 5200, was just a placeholder until c-64 came the following christmas in my house).
If you pick up the activision 2600 collection for PC, the commercial for each game is unlocked during gameplay.
I remember having a scrap book of all the activision patches I received. I'll have to go visit moms and see if that is still floating around somewhere.......... :)
Reply
If you pick up the activision 2600 collection for PC, the commercial for each game is unlocked during gameplay.
I remember having a scrap book of all the activision patches I received. I'll have to go visit moms and see if that is still floating around somewhere.......... :)
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