The relationship between the leading console manufacturers during the 90s was not anything like it is today, Sony and Nintendo especially. This time saw the arrival of the Sony PlayStation, the landmark disc-based system, after being unable to secure an agreement that would have seen Nintendo and Sony collaborating on a console. Following this, Sony was not afraid to call Nintendo out through its advertising, just as Sega had been doing with the Genesis. For example, among many crazy Crash Bandicoot commercials, one had the character standing outside a Nintendo office building with a megaphone yelling absurdities.
RELATED: Maryland Brewery Sells Final Fantasy 7 Themed Beer
Reddit user MarineKingPrime_ recently stumbled upon an old Final Fantasy 7 advertisement that takes a litany of shots at Nintendo. The fold page spread features a single image, the city of Junon, an area that did not appear in Final Fantasy 7 Remake, with its massive cannon, and a couple snippets of texts that demonstrate Sony’s confidence. Across the top of the page is the text, “Someone please get the guys who make cartridge games a cigarette and a blindfold,” quite boldly implying that Nintendo should just bite the bullet, so to speak, and accept a cannon round since it cannot compete with Sony’s offerings.
That is not the only roast though, as the text at the bottom of the page is a bit more direct. On the left side, the text is an assertion about Final Fantasy 7’s quality: “Possibly the greatest game ever made is available only on PlayStation.” The follow-up text on the right brings the advertisement home, stating, “Good thing. If it were available on cartridge, it’d retail for around $1,200,” referring to the limited storage capacity of cartridges versus discs. Ironically, over 20 years later, Final Fantasy 7 is available on the Nintendo Switch, the first time it has appeared on a Nintendo console, and can even be purchased on a cartridge in some territories as well.
It is hard not to look on this advertisement and feel a bit nostalgic for video game marketing of the 90s. Generally, the times were much edgier, and companies were unafraid to be a bit more bold with its advertising, even in some cases, name dropping its competitors; none can forget the iconic battle between Sega’s official slogan for the Genesis, “Sega Genesis does what Ninten-don’t.” Nowadays, in the social media age, the companies are much more cordial, like Microsoft and Sony congratulated Nintendo for the Switch when it launched back in 2017. These old advertisements showcase a fascinating snapshot of gaming’s history and it is always a delight whenever they reemerge.
Final Fantasy 7 is available as a re-release on Android, iOS, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Steam, and Xbox One.
MORE: The Best Final Fantasy 7 Tifa Lockhart Cosplays
