I imagine that this game started development with completely original characters, then the company got the license to make a McDonald's game, so the executives told them to put some McDonald's characters in it even though it was already halfway done. Why spend the time and resources to make a new game when you can get away with changing an existing game and doing the minimum necessary to fulfill a contractual obligation?
Based on release dates, this game must to have been developed alongside Gunstar Heroes, which released the same month. I imagine Treasure needed more funding at some point, so they partnered with a deep-pocketed company, and quickly swapped out an original character for Ronald. I'm just conjecturing, but it would be interesting to find out the real story.
"McDonald enthusiasts"...wait, what? Did I hear that right, McDonald Enthusiasts? I mean, if you like to eat at McDonalds, great, whatever. But to treat the restaurant as a franchise, and say that you are an "enthusiast" is kind of weird, isn't it?
This was oddly my favorite game to rent back when it came out and is still my favorite Genesis game. Been wanting to see someone review it without just dissing the game for being a Mcdonalds game. The game is fun and the music is solid. Awesome review Mike.
I had this game as a kid because I had gone to a shop and asked for an easy kid's game to play. The guy pulled this out and so I got it, knowing nothing about it. It brings back a lot of nostalgia but like pretty much every game I had at the time, I was unable to get very far so I just replayed the beginning over and over. It definitely wasn't an easy game for my age (I was maybe 4 or 5) like I was expecting. I'd love to play it again and see how far I could get.
I can definitely see where this game might have been something else at one time and transformed into a McDonald's-related game instead. There's an obvious disconnect between the McDonald's-related characters and the rest of the game, and that doesn't make sense when McDonald's is really meant to be at the forefront here. Mike's ideas about using different McDonaldLand characters sounds pretty interesting, actually. Unfortunately, with McDonaldLand pretty much ancient history now, there's no way we'll see this. At least we got some Burger King games that unabashedly revolved around His Creepiness and managed to be flawed but generally fun experiences. Good stuff, Mike. Glad to see more reviews coming from you. Now to see if this game skyrockets in value after you've covered it. :)
Do you think any of these kids know of these characters, even? Besides Ronald? In the 80s and 90s you would see the Hamburglar or whoever,every commercial break. Now they just use nice looking college kids, and whatnot, in their advertisements. Regardless, I agree. Seems like they may have just slapped a few golden arches and Ronalds face on a different game. Which wouldn't be surprising at all, happened all the time back then.
Joey Montanez **The Hamburglar is not used anymore because he promotes bullies at school to steal food, and he offends real burglars because they do not dress like that. **This comment was written entirely in a sarcastic tone.
I don't know if you guys read these, but please do remember that passwords aren't just made up. Games with passwords don't have battery packs. The game remembers NOTHING about you play sessions. So, the length of a game password is directly dependent on how many variables there are your play session. A game that only has passwords at the end of every stage and starts you with full lives and no inventory? That can have a nice short 1 character password if they wAnted. Have to remember what inventory items you have? Exponentially longer password because you have to account for all those options. Have to remember energy tanks? Map locations? Lives? Defeated bosses? Side quests? All those things mAke for longer and longer passwords. Entering a password is basically programming the game.
I think a better ending would've been where the alien guy tells Ronald and co that the treasure was never on the moon, and because they put up a good fight, he'd teleport them to it, so they are teleported back to earth, they fall on top of a secret button that elevates a treasure chest, in which Ronald opens it and it has McDonalds merchandise, and that would explain how McDonalds was created.
Another idea would have the enemies be veiled references to McDonalds' fast food rivals. Bosses could include a King of burgers, a giant pizza, a battle on a subway, etc.
Wow, this is the very first video game I've ever played along with Happy Birthday Bugs Bunny and Winter Games. This was a surprise, thanks for uploading it, Mike. :)
People, chill. James is probably one of the busiest guys in the world right now. He's a dad and also trying to finish up Monster Madness and stuff for the movie. In the meantime, we have Mike's reviews, which are pretty fricking great. Patience is key.
When I rented this game in the 90s for my Sega Mega Drive, the health bar was actually made by hamburgers, fries and shakes. That was the version I played. Years later, I played it and this was replaced by gems and flowers. I found out after searching carefully that whis was the beta version of the game. Try it, Mike, look for the beta rom and you will play it with hamburgers, the in-game shop is actually a Mc Donald's shop too, it is very cool. :)
02:33 - that music, that's part of my childhood. Loved this game when I was little. Wish Treasure still developed games, their games had a certain charm to them.
3:25 "the song from Dracula" facelapm.. It's Chaykowski!! btw its the best game from my early childhood. very best music and it's really not hard for a 7-8 age
I tried this game many years ago when I was bored and although my expectations were very low, I still found it to be decent. Granted, it will appeal more to younger gamers, but is still okay to play through just once. On another note, I agree that the replay value is not that good. I had also forgotten all about that creepy stage involving the dancing ballerinas in pink bunny ears until now.
Treasure are amazing, they made 2 of my favourite games ever which are Gunstar Heroes and Astro Boy Omega Factor. It's crazy that they consist of very few people compared to some other big name devs.
Personally, I think the lack of McDonalds marketing in this game is a sign of it's integrity as a video game. As an adult I wouldn't be interested in going back to play a game that just felt like a interactive commercial; even if the gameplay were good, the game as a whole would feel off-putting. What I like most about this game is how original and legitimate it feels as a video game. Some of the created environments are GORGEOUS and I really like the music, too. I personally really liked the gems as a kid and I still do today; they're fun to collect and much more appealing to me personally than food would have been. I guess it's a difference of opinion, but I don't think marketing and business success is all that is important. And I'm not saying that I think you do! I'm just saying that I think the developers of this game chose to be a little less commercial and I think that's commendable. To each their own, though :)
McDonald's Treasureland Adventure is pretty decent, I think. There are better games out there, but when it comes to games based on product mascots, you could also do far worse.
This game is a bit different, there’s not burgers nor fries ! Ronald can buy these stuff from some checkpoints, I don’t know if that’s a different version or not, but it’s different !
I never eat Happy Meals. Not because i don't like it - no, but because in country where i was born and grow up, we never seen such food. Best regards from former USSR :D
I remember playing this and I loved it. The best part was the password screen, I would just pick the random pictures and 1 in 10 tries or so it actually worked taking me to a random level.
I miss the AVGN videos releasing more often but in that absence I found I like Mikes videos. He is very calm, cool and collected in these reviews. A good contrast.
7:06 The life meter and or power-ups probably weren't related to McDonald's food because they didn't want the backlash from overconcerned parents claiming they were attempting to sell children on the idea that their food is healthy or will afford you some form of special ability.
Hey Mike! In case you were unaware, when a game has a really long password its usually an adventure game or RPG game. The code is so long because its telling the game where to place you on the world map and what items you had when you got the password. In a linear game like this the password is only 4 characters because its just telling the game what stage to start you on.
I like how Mike recognises Swan Lake as being "the song from Dracula with Bela Lugosi", as opposed to knowing it as a famous Ballet theme, meaning that he says it as if it's a creepy choice for ballet dancing enemies. Those Cinemassacre guys sure are classic horror fans through and through!
I think I know why Ronald McDonald has gems, not McDonald's hamburgers. It wouldn't be good for McDonald's if he could cause a stomachache just by giving to someone a hamburger from McDonald's.
It is probable that this wasn't originally a McDonald's game. At some point they gained the license and a game that was in the works or possibly had been scrapped was modified to add Ronald. It explains the odd combination of being super hard and super easy if it wasn't originally designed for young kids and then needed to be made easier (thus adding the balloon ride when you fall.) It also explains why Ronald is really the only McDonald's character in it.
Excellent Review Mike! I love going to Mickey D's when I was a little kid. I Still do. The Music in this game ACTUALLY DOES Remind me of Sonic the Hedgehog. Treasure must have been influenced by Sonic's Composer, Masato Nakamura.
That ballerina bunny part freaked me out as a kid so much. I can't really put my finger on it. Maybe it's a combination of the music, the creepy looking ballerina bunnies, and the fact that they're in a dark cave/tunnel? I'm not sure, but overall I really enjoyed this game as a kid.
I had this game on sega my childhood dayz back in tha 90z I think it was summer time 98 I jus hit 6th grade I remember playing for hours and hours bro good video brings back memories
I'll say it, Dynamite Headdy IS THE BEST SEGA GENESIS GAME OUT THERE. I even prefer it over Sonic the Hedgehog AND Gunstar Heroes... Oh, and I think Treasure has a theme of putting in classic songs into their games, Dynamite Headdy's Second boss plays the Nutcracker, this game play's that Dracula song, etc...
I wonder if a lot of the reason there isn't as much product placement in this game is that it came out right about when this backlash against marketing fast food to kids started.
Goobian It was getting started in the mid to late 90s in a small way. It says in the video description this game came out in 1993 so most likely missed out on it. In 1993 video games were still largely being ignored by most people anyway. If a game like this were to come out today you could probably expect congressional hearings to be called and threats for the industry to self regulate or have laws passed be issued.
***** A few years ago Burger King came out with 3 Xbox games without any backlash. Before you say something about McDonalds, after the children's health backlash Burger King had to give healthy options on their menu too for their kid's meals. A lot of kids played video games in 1993. Every kid had a console and went to the arcades on the weekends. And the Sega Genesis was a big deal. It came out before the Super Nintendo came out. So it blew the NES out of the water as far as graphics.
Goobian Oh I know this shit isn't strictly limited to McDonalds though they do seem to get a larger serving from the shit pile for it because they have the most recognizable name. It's not my intent to shit on McDonalds or any other fast food business. Those Burger King Xbox games kind of flew under the radar of the groups that usually like to complain about marketing "junk food" to kids because if memory serves they weren't being given away in kids meals, you had to ask for them and I'm pretty sure they were charging money at first. I also know a lot of kids played video games in 1993, I was one of them. It wasn't until 1994ish that the mainstream media and then the public and government absolutely lost their collective shit about them though because of Mortal Kombat. There were literally congressional hearings where they threatened the industry to either self regulate or they were going to pass laws banning certain content in games. That's how the ESRB came about.
***** Their was a lot of promotion for the Xbox games, and their are other fast food promotions that you have/had to pay extra. Like the collectors glasses. They were advertised to kids. They were simple games like a basic racing game. Nowadays companies would release games like that for cell phones. McDonalds has the most restaurants and makes the most money internationally. And yes they do promote to children a lot. IMO McDonalds food tastes like something a kid would think is delicious. Because it's sugary and sweet without a complex taste. Also their was a lawsuit in the early 2000's from a teenage girl that was overweight because she ate McDonalds so much. So it started the debate of who is to blame McDonalds for their children's based marketing and cigarette type addictiveness or the consumer?
I remember back in the late 90s or maybe early 00s, back when the Genesis was still prominent to a degree, my aunt who works at a McDonald's surprised me by giving me a copy of this game unannounced. No case, no manual, just the cartridge, because she got it from work I think and knew I liked video games. So I played it a number of times over the years, but never beat it because I'd always get stuck at the moon level, and due to being so young and immature, I never appreciated the game much and have always recalled it for being ridiculous. Seeing it again from another point of view opened my mind up to it now, especially realizing Treasure made it, something I never knew before. The music and graphics are pretty good, that much is for sure. And the Tetris style mini game is a nice touch, too. I haven't played this game in so long that I don't remember much else about my experiences with it, but it's interesting seeing it talked about and not just to get hated on or something like I had expected
I've actually played this game, and despite being made for kids, it's actually quite fun and entertaining, even for adults. It's made by Treasure, so you know it's good. :-D
I used to love this game when i was young. genesis was my first console and the graphics looked so awesome when i was like four years old :D oh the memories
Ronald McDonald bouncing on the heads of ballerinas with pink rabbit ears to the tune of Swan Lake. That is some fucking Rocky Horror shit right there. What the hell? I need this in my collection.
I kinda like the reviews you do Mike, they are shorter than Nerd episodes and they get to the point pretty quick. James' reviews are more for comedic effect, while how you do them is more informational, that doesn't mean that AVGN reviews are not informational at all. Both methods of reviews are good. While I wait for the next AVGN episode, I hope to watch more reviews by you, Mike! Thumbs up! I also remember playing this game on an emulator long ago, loved it, and I kinda wish I had a physical cart of McD Treasure Land Adventure.
The mirror effect was pretty cool. Even Silent Hill 2 in the beginning when the main character was in the rest stop bathroom didn't have that (During regular game play, not cut scenes. Cut scenes showed the mirrored effect) which is light years ahead of this game.
Good Review Mike.
Great review
McDonald's enthusiast? I love you, Mike. But what the fuck?
+ServedBestFrozen A lot of people collect McDonald's stuff.
I imagine that this game started development with completely original characters, then the company got the license to make a McDonald's game, so the executives told them to put some McDonald's characters in it even though it was already halfway done. Why spend the time and resources to make a new game when you can get away with changing an existing game and doing the minimum necessary to fulfill a contractual obligation?
I’d quit imagining stuff. Way off on this one, Doc.
Wrong view, Doc.
"If Ronald doesn't care, why should you?"
My new life philosophy right there.
7 years later how's it going
Based on release dates, this game must to have been developed alongside Gunstar Heroes, which released the same month. I imagine Treasure needed more funding at some point, so they partnered with a deep-pocketed company, and quickly swapped out an original character for Ronald.
I'm just conjecturing, but it would be interesting to find out the real story.
"It's a mcdonalds game, it should feel like one."
Did you feel really bloated and guilt ridden when you finished it?
No
When Mike talks, it sounds like he never sleeps.
safenders also sounds like he talks straight out of his ass, just ranting about stupid shit.
@@kopite4434 well he didn't say the game sucks so why bitch about it?
When I grow up I wanna be a McDonalds Enthusiast.
Who doesn’t? 😆
Six years later, did you?
@@pauljensen5699 he did
@@pauljensen5699I can also confirm that he did
Don't listen to all the people griping about lack of AVGN. These reviews are good, too. Make ALL the videos!
"When I play a McDonalds game, I expect it to be a McDonalds game"
So, you wanted the game to be bad?
I expected the game to be delicious and healthy.
My taste of games is different from yours btw.
DislikeYourWorld HEALTHY LOL
What you expect isn't what you hope...
DislikeYourWorld *****
BA DOP BA DA DAAA
"I think it's okay" - McDonald's slogan.
Karen Elizabeth Hey I'm just glad he pronounced everything right. "Klonow" still haunts me to this day.
I really like how thorough you are in your reviews Mike. So many other UA-cam reviewers are too shallow.
Jay McCarthy Thanks! I try to be as thorough as I can.
The enemies should've been healthy foods,
NO
"McDonald enthusiasts"...wait, what? Did I hear that right, McDonald Enthusiasts? I mean, if you like to eat at McDonalds, great, whatever. But to treat the restaurant as a franchise, and say that you are an "enthusiast" is kind of weird, isn't it?
🤷🏻♂️🤔👍💪
I will agree to disagree; everyone is entitled to an opinion, whether you like it or not ! 😂😀🥂🍿
It is not weird
This was oddly my favorite game to rent back when it came out and is still my favorite Genesis game. Been wanting to see someone review it without just dissing the game for being a Mcdonalds game. The game is fun and the music is solid. Awesome review Mike.
I had this game as a kid because I had gone to a shop and asked for an easy kid's game to play. The guy pulled this out and so I got it, knowing nothing about it. It brings back a lot of nostalgia but like pretty much every game I had at the time, I was unable to get very far so I just replayed the beginning over and over. It definitely wasn't an easy game for my age (I was maybe 4 or 5) like I was expecting. I'd love to play it again and see how far I could get.
I can definitely see where this game might have been something else at one time and transformed into a McDonald's-related game instead. There's an obvious disconnect between the McDonald's-related characters and the rest of the game, and that doesn't make sense when McDonald's is really meant to be at the forefront here.
Mike's ideas about using different McDonaldLand characters sounds pretty interesting, actually. Unfortunately, with McDonaldLand pretty much ancient history now, there's no way we'll see this. At least we got some Burger King games that unabashedly revolved around His Creepiness and managed to be flawed but generally fun experiences.
Good stuff, Mike. Glad to see more reviews coming from you. Now to see if this game skyrockets in value after you've covered it. :)
That was my first thought too. It would also explain why the ending seemed to not gel with the rest of the game.
Do you think any of these kids know of these characters, even? Besides Ronald? In the 80s and 90s you would see the Hamburglar or whoever,every commercial break. Now they just use nice looking college kids, and whatnot, in their advertisements. Regardless, I agree. Seems like they may have just slapped a few golden arches and Ronalds face on a different game. Which wouldn't be surprising at all, happened all the time back then.
Joey Montanez
**The Hamburglar is not used anymore because he promotes bullies at school to steal food, and he offends real burglars because they do not dress like that.
**This comment was written entirely in a sarcastic tone.
MrWolfSnack At least he does it with a smile on his face. Sick hat, too.
It wasn't uncommon back then for developers to take an abandoned or unfinished game and slap a license on it to make a quick buck. McDokiDokiDonalds!
16-bit Swan's lake is so... beautiful...
I don't know if you guys read these, but please do remember that passwords aren't just made up. Games with passwords don't have battery packs. The game remembers NOTHING about you play sessions. So, the length of a game password is directly dependent on how many variables there are your play session. A game that only has passwords at the end of every stage and starts you with full lives and no inventory? That can have a nice short 1 character password if they wAnted. Have to remember what inventory items you have? Exponentially longer password because you have to account for all those options. Have to remember energy tanks? Map locations? Lives? Defeated bosses? Side quests? All those things mAke for longer and longer passwords. Entering a password is basically programming the game.
I want mcdonalds now
Alien Soldier was one of my favorite games in childhood. And this game reminds me it by easy passwords, music and graphics.
I think a better ending would've been where the alien guy tells Ronald and co that the treasure was never on the moon, and because they put up a good fight, he'd teleport them to it, so they are teleported back to earth, they fall on top of a secret button that elevates a treasure chest, in which Ronald opens it and it has McDonalds merchandise, and that would explain how McDonalds was created.
Another idea would have the enemies be veiled references to McDonalds' fast food rivals. Bosses could include a King of burgers, a giant pizza, a battle on a subway, etc.
Is James still doing avgn after the movie?
Yes.
Oh ok i just didn't see any yet i think that2s because of the rush about the movie :P
What? Wasn't the movie like an official retirement for the nerd. What happened to that?
Komand3 where the hell did you hear that. James is still going to make nerd episode
Komand3 NOOOOO!!!!!
A McDonalds game where you make enemies sick by feeding them, how appropriate
Falling doesn't kill you but instead let's you skip some of the level? O_o
They did it on X-Men but that was actually difficult
mike, you and james should do Getting Doug With High with Doug Benson!!!!!!!!
Mike makes pretty good videos as long as he doesn't try to be funny. I really enjoy these.
Wow, this is the very first video game I've ever played along with Happy Birthday Bugs Bunny and Winter Games. This was a surprise, thanks for uploading it, Mike. :)
This is my first Mike review in a while and it sorta feels like some of AVGN's first reviews for some reason
People, chill. James is probably one of the busiest guys in the world right now. He's a dad and also trying to finish up Monster Madness and stuff for the movie. In the meantime, we have Mike's reviews, which are pretty fricking great. Patience is key.
7:42 - those names!
"program - könig ishada" (könig = german means king)
"sound design - nazo² suzuki"
:D
Every video you guys put out all I see is "wtf no AVGN". I love your other projects guys. Keep it up.
Look at all of these Burger King and Mc Donald enthusiasts flaming and arguing with each other......Wait.... Are there any?
Ah, Sega Genesi's awesome sound chip...
This looks like a decent game from a better time XD
I disagree on the lack of mcfood themed into the game. I think its kinda cool that they didnt force that.
That final boss theme though.
Ah I still own this game today. Didn't think many people knew about it. Awesome to see you review it though
When I rented this game in the 90s for my Sega Mega Drive, the health bar was actually made by hamburgers, fries and shakes. That was the version I played. Years later, I played it and this was replaced by gems and flowers. I found out after searching carefully that whis was the beta version of the game. Try it, Mike, look for the beta rom and you will play it with hamburgers, the in-game shop is actually a Mc Donald's shop too, it is very cool. :)
Mike knows about Dynamite Headdy.
My life is complete.
02:33 - that music, that's part of my childhood. Loved this game when I was little. Wish Treasure still developed games, their games had a certain charm to them.
Now I want you to play Rocket Knight Adventures
3:25 "the song from Dracula" facelapm.. It's Chaykowski!!
btw its the best game from my early childhood. very best music and it's really not hard for a 7-8 age
False
It really is hard for a 7-8 age
This is my number one favorite Genesis game. Awesome to see it getting some coverage!!
Maybe the real adventure was the friends made along the way.
Keep putting up more cinemassacre videos. Every day of the week. It's what we want!!!!
No it is not
I'm disappointed that the ending wasn't Ronald soaking The Burger King in gasoline then lighting him on fire.
I tried this game many years ago when I was bored and although my expectations were very low, I still found it to be decent. Granted, it will appeal more to younger gamers, but is still okay to play through just once. On another note, I agree that the replay value is not that good. I had also forgotten all about that creepy stage involving the dancing ballerinas in pink bunny ears until now.
No
This was one of those Genesis games that I enjoyed as a kid. I only replayed it recently because I wanted a little nostalgia.
Treasure are amazing, they made 2 of my favourite games ever which are Gunstar Heroes and Astro Boy Omega Factor.
It's crazy that they consist of very few people compared to some other big name devs.
Personally, I think the lack of McDonalds marketing in this game is a sign of it's integrity as a video game. As an adult I wouldn't be interested in going back to play a game that just felt like a interactive commercial; even if the gameplay were good, the game as a whole would feel off-putting. What I like most about this game is how original and legitimate it feels as a video game. Some of the created environments are GORGEOUS and I really like the music, too. I personally really liked the gems as a kid and I still do today; they're fun to collect and much more appealing to me personally than food would have been.
I guess it's a difference of opinion, but I don't think marketing and business success is all that is important. And I'm not saying that I think you do! I'm just saying that I think the developers of this game chose to be a little less commercial and I think that's commendable. To each their own, though :)
Gems are not appealing than the food.
to say the game designers were inhaling something very potent at the time is an understatement.
No
That was a really good review Mike.
McDonald's Treasureland Adventure is pretty decent, I think. There are better games out there, but when it comes to games based on product mascots, you could also do far worse.
seanmyster6 Pepsi-Man.
No
This game is a bit different, there’s not burgers nor fries !
Ronald can buy these stuff from some checkpoints, I don’t know if that’s a different version or not, but it’s different !
Never heard of "iconic character" Caprain Crook in my life. Guess I'm not enough of a "McDonalds enthusiast"...
Nope
Hope you all find the freaky Easter egg music.
I never eat Happy Meals. Not because i don't like it - no, but because in country where i was born and grow up, we never seen such food.
Best regards from former USSR :D
5:43 so what exactly did you expect from a mcdonalds game? i expected a shitty piece of shovelware.
It's good to see that Mike and James both have quality up the wazoo. Every video that comes out is worth watching.
Keep it up boys.
I remember playing this and I loved it. The best part was the password screen, I would just pick the random pictures and 1 in 10 tries or so it actually worked taking me to a random level.
No
Loved this game as a kid. I still have it.
This is prettttttty much the besstt motherrr fucking game ever. Thanks mom for being so oblivious, and picking uppp straight up golds
I stand by this
Wait a minute... Pink rabbit ears? Disturbing? Hamburgers? Treasure predicted Bob's Burgers years before it happened!
Swan Lake isn't from a film, it's from Tchaikovsky's ballet.
I miss the AVGN videos releasing more often but in that absence I found I like Mikes videos. He is very calm, cool and collected in these reviews. A good contrast.
7:06 The life meter and or power-ups probably weren't related to McDonald's food because they didn't want the backlash from overconcerned parents claiming they were attempting to sell children on the idea that their food is healthy or will afford you some form of special ability.
False
Glad to see you're back with another review, Mike!
They had to make it eassy and simple for kids. The knight should have been the hamburglar.
No
Hey Mike! In case you were unaware, when a game has a really long password its usually an adventure game or RPG game. The code is so long because its telling the game where to place you on the world map and what items you had when you got the password. In a linear game like this the password is only 4 characters because its just telling the game what stage to start you on.
I like how Mike recognises Swan Lake as being "the song from Dracula with Bela Lugosi", as opposed to knowing it as a famous Ballet theme, meaning that he says it as if it's a creepy choice for ballet dancing enemies. Those Cinemassacre guys sure are classic horror fans through and through!
I think I know why Ronald McDonald has gems, not McDonald's hamburgers. It wouldn't be good for McDonald's if he could cause a stomachache just by giving to someone a hamburger from McDonald's.
No
i like this style of review, cant complain, well done!
Really great review . This is the only game I ever played through to the end. I thought the music was awesome as a kid.
Great video, Mike. I'm not normally a big fan of your reviews, but this one was excellent. Good job.
It is probable that this wasn't originally a McDonald's game. At some point they gained the license and a game that was in the works or possibly had been scrapped was modified to add Ronald. It explains the odd combination of being super hard and super easy if it wasn't originally designed for young kids and then needed to be made easier (thus adding the balloon ride when you fall.) It also explains why Ronald is really the only McDonald's character in it.
No
Excellent Review Mike! I love going to Mickey D's when I was a little kid. I Still do. The Music in this game ACTUALLY DOES Remind me of Sonic the Hedgehog. Treasure must have been influenced by Sonic's Composer, Masato Nakamura.
I liked how Mike mentioned Dynamite Headdy. It's a very overlooked game and is one of my favorite Genesis titles, at #3.
That ballerina bunny part freaked me out as a kid so much. I can't really put my finger on it. Maybe it's a combination of the music, the creepy looking ballerina bunnies, and the fact that they're in a dark cave/tunnel? I'm not sure, but overall I really enjoyed this game as a kid.
Mike, great review as always! Keep up the good work.
But now I have a craving for McDonald's for some reason ;/
Where the heck is the Nerd?
Thanks, this video cheered me up.
Glad you enjoyed! Thanks for watching!
I LOVED Gunstar heroes growing up. Damn good game!
I loved the Transformers that turned from robot to McDonalds food, they were awesome.
I have never played this game, yet somehow at the beginning of this video I started feeling oddly nostalgic.
I had this game on sega my childhood dayz back in tha 90z I think it was summer time 98 I jus hit 6th grade I remember playing for hours and hours bro good video brings back memories
I think the Nerd should review this game.
Columns style mini games surely
I actually, I think the ending is pretty darn surprisingly good.
I'll say it, Dynamite Headdy IS THE BEST SEGA GENESIS GAME OUT THERE. I even prefer it over Sonic the Hedgehog AND Gunstar Heroes...
Oh, and I think Treasure has a theme of putting in classic songs into their games, Dynamite Headdy's Second boss plays the Nutcracker, this game play's that Dracula song, etc...
I wonder if a lot of the reason there isn't as much product placement in this game is that it came out right about when this backlash against marketing fast food to kids started.
This game was for the Sega Genesis. The backlash you are talking about started in the early 2000's. About 10 years later.
Goobian It was getting started in the mid to late 90s in a small way. It says in the video description this game came out in 1993 so most likely missed out on it. In 1993 video games were still largely being ignored by most people anyway.
If a game like this were to come out today you could probably expect congressional hearings to be called and threats for the industry to self regulate or have laws passed be issued.
***** A few years ago Burger King came out with 3 Xbox games without any backlash. Before you say something about McDonalds, after the children's health backlash Burger King had to give healthy options on their menu too for their kid's meals.
A lot of kids played video games in 1993. Every kid had a console and went to the arcades on the weekends. And the Sega Genesis was a big deal. It came out before the Super Nintendo came out. So it blew the NES out of the water as far as graphics.
Goobian Oh I know this shit isn't strictly limited to McDonalds though they do seem to get a larger serving from the shit pile for it because they have the most recognizable name. It's not my intent to shit on McDonalds or any other fast food business. Those Burger King Xbox games kind of flew under the radar of the groups that usually like to complain about marketing "junk food" to kids because if memory serves they weren't being given away in kids meals, you had to ask for them and I'm pretty sure they were charging money at first.
I also know a lot of kids played video games in 1993, I was one of them. It wasn't until 1994ish that the mainstream media and then the public and government absolutely lost their collective shit about them though because of Mortal Kombat. There were literally congressional hearings where they threatened the industry to either self regulate or they were going to pass laws banning certain content in games. That's how the ESRB came about.
***** Their was a lot of promotion for the Xbox games, and their are other fast food promotions that you have/had to pay extra. Like the collectors glasses. They were advertised to kids. They were simple games like a basic racing game. Nowadays companies would release games like that for cell phones.
McDonalds has the most restaurants and makes the most money internationally. And yes they do promote to children a lot. IMO McDonalds food tastes like something a kid would think is delicious. Because it's sugary and sweet without a complex taste.
Also their was a lawsuit in the early 2000's from a teenage girl that was overweight because she ate McDonalds so much. So it started the debate of who is to blame McDonalds for their children's based marketing and cigarette type addictiveness or the consumer?
I remember back in the late 90s or maybe early 00s, back when the Genesis was still prominent to a degree, my aunt who works at a McDonald's surprised me by giving me a copy of this game unannounced. No case, no manual, just the cartridge, because she got it from work I think and knew I liked video games. So I played it a number of times over the years, but never beat it because I'd always get stuck at the moon level, and due to being so young and immature, I never appreciated the game much and have always recalled it for being ridiculous.
Seeing it again from another point of view opened my mind up to it now, especially realizing Treasure made it, something I never knew before. The music and graphics are pretty good, that much is for sure. And the Tetris style mini game is a nice touch, too. I haven't played this game in so long that I don't remember much else about my experiences with it, but it's interesting seeing it talked about and not just to get hated on or something like I had expected
It should have got hated because it didn't feature any advertisements
I loved this game
I've actually played this game, and despite being made for kids, it's actually quite fun and entertaining, even for adults. It's made by Treasure, so you know it's good. :-D
I used to love this game when i was young. genesis was my first console and the graphics looked so awesome when i was like four years old :D oh the memories
Game Text: "Hunger makes you hallucinate. Want to escape this hellish nightmare? Eat more McDonalds!"
Love your videos Mike. Im always ecstatic when you put out content.
Ronald McDonald bouncing on the heads of ballerinas with pink rabbit ears to the tune of Swan Lake. That is some fucking Rocky Horror shit right there. What the hell? I need this in my collection.
That was a sick review Mike. I hope you do more.
I kinda like the reviews you do Mike, they are shorter than Nerd episodes and they get to the point pretty quick. James' reviews are more for comedic effect, while how you do them is more informational, that doesn't mean that AVGN reviews are not informational at all. Both methods of reviews are good. While I wait for the next AVGN episode, I hope to watch more reviews by you, Mike! Thumbs up! I also remember playing this game on an emulator long ago, loved it, and I kinda wish I had a physical cart of McD Treasure Land Adventure.
The mirror effect was pretty cool. Even Silent Hill 2 in the beginning when the main character was in the rest stop bathroom didn't have that (During regular game play, not cut scenes. Cut scenes showed the mirrored effect) which is light years ahead of this game.
"This is a place you'd wanna visit, IF IT WAS REAL".
Gee, thanks Mike, you are very insightful.