soultaker-1 Reviews

Saturday Supercade (1983–1985)

A true sign of the times!

[7/10 · 3 January 2009]

Just what were the top video games of 1983 and 1984? Saturday Supercade gave very good insight into that question. I remember being 5 years old, sitting in my grandparents' bedroom on Saturday mornings and watching this treasure from my childhood. I know I only gave it a 7, but let's face it - things that stand out in your mind as a kid, you treasure, right?

Saturday Supercade consisted each week of four cartoons about 15 minutes in length apiece. Each week during the first season, you got one Frogger episode, one of Donkey Kong and one of Donkey Kong Jr., while the fourth one alternated each week. It was Pitfall one week and Q*Bert the next. During the second season, Q*Bert became a weekly segment, and Donkey Kong also remained, while Donkey Kong Jr's, Pitfall Harry's, and Frogger's runs were ended, having been replaced by Space Ace and Kangaroo. I really don't remember much about Frogger or Kangaroo's segments. Most of what I remember of Frogger is what is in the two episodes I am fortunate enough to have. By far, Donkey Kong, Donkey Kong Jr. and Space Ace were the most fun for me, but I also really liked Pitfall as well.

I really wish I could score this show higher for the sake of bias, but when it's four cartoons with little depth to them each week (with the exception of maybe Space Ace, since it's Don Bluth after all), 7 is about as high as I can give it. However, you get a very good idea of what video games were the hot commodities at the time! The video game crash was in force during this time, though, so it's interesting that a show about video games was still airing, and was also advertising the games. I only wish there had been a Mr. Do! segment. I like Kangaroo as a game a lot, but the cartoon segment to me was the weakest of the lot, so that's what I would replace with a Mr. Do! segment.

Jana of the Jungle (1978–1979)

A very underrated series

[8/10 · 28 February 2008]

During the early 80s, Jana aired on Cartoon Express on the USA Network, and having been born in 1978, and thus too young to have seen the series when it originally aired, Cartoon Express is how I came to see this excellent series. It is one of the many cartoons that I watched as a kid that I now wish I could see again, but at this time, it doesn't exist in either VHS or DVD format. This show is about a young woman who was shipwrecked along with her father in the jungles of South America. A Native American warrior named Montaro rescued Jana from drowning, but her father was not found. Now grown up, Jana searches each episode for her father. This was a great show for what it was, and it's a sad thing that Cartoon Network has never picked Jana up to air either on CN itself or on Boomerang. I only hope they do one day, so I can once again experienced this piece of my childhood.

Choose Your Own Adventure: The Abominable Snowman (2006 Video)

A blast from the past returns!

[8/10 · 10 August 2006]

Following a tradition of fun and magic dating back many years, Lean Forward Media has brought the first of an innovative series of books to life! I grew up reading many Choose Your Own Adventure books, and was excited beyond comment to learn that they are now being brought to DVD! Unlike traditional books, the Choose Your Own Adventure books put you in control of the action by calling on you to make choices throughout the story. After making a choice, you would turn to the corresponding page and read the result of your choice. This DVD continues in the tradition, bringing to life a very warmhearted version of the first of many reader involving stories, and the fact that the DVD is not quite as dark as the books tend to be makes it perfect for all ages! I commend Lean Forward in reviving yet another great tradition in children's' entertainment for a new generation!