Video games that sell food to kids

Aaahhh.. the 1990s, the boomer generation, the period when processed food recipes contained “NOW WITH MORE SUGAR”, “FORTIFIED WITH SALT”.

Cereals, hamburgers, fries, sodas, pizzas, waffles, chips, all kinds of food went there! And the mascots of each of the brands were used to sell the products in cartoons to the children of the time during advertisements.

But it wasn’t just the advertisements to sell the new cereals with twice as much “chocolate”, there were the cartoons themselves, the movies, and of course the video games! All of this is available in a multitude of derivative products.

Today we’re taking a look at some of the video games dedicated to junk food product placements. While these were present in large numbers when video games were promoted mainly to children, they are still present today.

Here is a small selection of product placements for food in video games. The list is therefore not exhaustive.

Don’t be surprised if your child suddenly asks you to look for pizzas from Pizza Hut only.

Yo! Noid (1990)

A platform game from Capcom for the NES featuring Noid. Who? The mascot of Domino’s Pizza in 1990.

In the same vein as Capcom’s other productions at the time (Chip And Dale, Mega Man, Duck Tales…) but more bizarre.

M.C. Kids (1992)

A platform game from Virgin Games USA for the NES, starring Mick and Mack. Two children are the protagonists of the game. The sequel is called Global Gladiators and is shown below.

Global Gladiators (1992)

Global Gladiators was a McDonald’s command game and the sequel to M.C. Kids. Developed by Virgin Games for the Mega Drive/Genesis, Master System, Game Gear and the Amiga, it was yet another platformer like so many at the time. The protagonists named Mick and Mack (these were names of the time) had to travel through 4 worlds guided by Ronald McDonald (the mascot of the fast food chain) and collect golden arches to progress. They were armed with a pistol to neutralize the toxic monsters dotting the levels.

The game was naturally adorned with the brand’s logo, burgers and fries as collectibles.

Despite its existence as a product placement, the title has a good reputation due to its quality and is the result of the work of the team of David Perry and Tommy Tallarico. Two developers and composers who have become famous over the years.

Cool Spot (1993)

Did you know that 7up had a mascot? Not Fido Dido, Cool Spot!

In 1993, Virgin Games USA took over the same team and developed a new platformer for the machines of the time: Mega Drive/Genesis, Super Nintendo Entertainment System, Master System, Game Gear, Game Boy, Amiga, and MS-DOS.

The quality is also there, even if by our current standards the difficulty would be quite unfair and high.

Chester Cheetah: Wild Wild Quest (1993)

Did you know that there was a platform game based on Cheetos?

The what? Cheetos are potato chips known for their orange shape. In the 1990s, even potato chips had a mascot named Chester Cheetah.

So we needed a platform game for the Super Nintendo, to sell Cheetos to children. Or sell a video game to Cheetos fans. I don’t know.

The game is not known for its quality.

Super Dany (1994)

Everyone stands up to… Danette. My generation, which grew up with TV, knows far too many advertisements and slogans by heart.

In 1994, Danone wanted to sell flans and yoghurts to the blond heads of the time. Released only on Super Nintendo in Europe, it’s again Virgin (I’m starting to see a pattern) that takes care of it but on the side of the old continent this time. It will be David Cage, best known for his narrative games from now on, and his team who will be in charge of producing… you guessed it… a platformer.

Unfortunately, the game will not be remembered.

Coca-Cola Kid (1994)

A platform game made by SEGA for the GameGear. The game even got its limited-edition red GameGear in Coca-Cola colors with the logo and slogan engraved on it.

Exclusive to Japan.

Chex Quest (1996)

It is a non-violent first-person shooter featuring Chex, the eponymous waffle mascot released for MS-DOS and Windows.

This is a conversion of Ultimate Doom with enemies and images from the Chex brand. It was the first video game given as a gift in cereal via a CD-ROM in the boxes. It was also the first time that a CD-ROM had been copied 6 million times to fill cereal boxes.

The game has had sequels and some success in the United States especially. General Mills even released a documentary that was removed from YouTube and later reuploaded by fans.

In the report, it says that if you want the game to be over, it has to be done by a teenager because he doesn’t care about the laws of work and his health….

I am writing all this and I realize that the young people of today have probably not understood anything of what I have just written. (CD-ROM? game in cereals? MS-DOS?)

More info on Wikipedia

Pepsiman (1999)

Pepsi, the famous caramelized drink brand, also had its mascot in 1999: Pepsiman!

It was just an anthropomorphic male figure in the colors of PepsiCo’s famous soda.

Developed and published by the KID studio, for Japan only, Pepsiman was released only on Playstation.

This time it was an Endless Runner, a kind of game where the protagonist is constantly moving forward automatically and the player must guide him in order to avoid obstacles.

A rather bad game according to the critics that will remain on the archipelago as its mascot.

Hooters Road Trip (2000)

Yes, the restaurant chain with waitresses with wide necklines and in skimpy outfits had a game on Playstation. And strangely enough, it’s a racing game made by Ubisoft. Load times show still images of the models in waitress attire.