The Failed Mascots - Game Sack

Episode 101 - Some mascots just didn't catch the world on fire like Mario, Sonic or Captain Novolin, so let's take a look at some who tried and failed.
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[@mylifeingaming]

Still my favorite show on KZbin. Every new episode release has kind of become an event for me. It's the very first thing I do when I wake up every other Sunday morning.

[@alexcallender]

Wow, crazy to see this comment from you guys 8+ years later

[@ChaossX77]

You only wake up once every other week?! Lol

[@TacticalPower88]

Vectorman is actually one of the better run and gun series of all time, especially during that era. Very underrated.

[@CoreyHart13]

+retrogaming insanity These guys are american and talking about American culture....also did vectorman have releases in europe asia and brazil after the 2 guys mentioned here?

[@liamconverse8950]

I think it just came about too late in the consoles life

[@n64glennplant]

i can't get enough of game sack! i sometimes wish i could forget that I've watched all your episodes so i could watch them fresh again for the first time :(

[@twerkfromhome]

:same:

[@ShinYaguchiSama]

They only get better with time

[@tommynelson8674]

I didn't realize how many I had watched...I don't have very many left to go, sadly

[@Godsgood111]

I just hit myself on the head with a big wooden hammer and Boom 💥 all episodes new again !

[@MPK112233]

I love the little bits at the end. They are so corny and campy, but in the best of ways. It is a unique sense of humor that not everyone is capable of pulling off. You two have such great chemistry together.

[@jw6588]

Ditto here. They're so bad they're good and I think that's uniquely difficult to achieve.

[@RetroOdin]

I played Chibi Robo a few weeks ago for the first time. It was boring at first but I couldn't help but fall in love with it after a while. I think it's a great game.

[@HappyConsoleGamer]

I SEE you stole my shirt when you were over here! :D

[@GameSack]

Yep. Gotta keep that stuff locked up, Johnny! It's a finders-keepers world out there! :)

[@LegendarySuperMario]

You could say he SNATCHED it...

[@YieldTomato]

Game Sack Sweet mother of god! Where can I get one of the Snatcher shirts?!?

[@GamesWithTea]

Croc was a fairly popular game amongst my peers (military barracks)...This brings back so many memories.

[@UuddlerLeRoyBaStart]

Damn

[@nwawallace]

Sparkster from Rocket knight adventures was sadly a forgotten mascot. The first game kicked ass.

[@TotalAnimeFreak456]

I remember suffering a great deal over Buck Bumble recently. I made it to one level late in the game where you have a short time limit to get through the level and escape a nuclear explosion. After failing several times due to the awful level design and enemy placement, I quickly traded it in to my local used game store before I snapped the cartridge in half.

[@1xphobiusx1]

I was so enthralled and intrigued by Vector Man when I was a kid because of its SciFi setting and rock hard difficulty. Love those games, recently bought my four year old son a Sega Genesis and a ton of classics including the two VectorMan titles.

[@danwroy]

Wasn't that hard

[@SageReiger]

It's pretty ironic that I watched a Toyota ad that talked about mascots and now I'm watching a video about forgotten mascots. *INCEPTION!*

[@professordey]

I actually quite enjoyed Chibi-Robo, at least once I worked out how to extend the day/night cycle, the platforming and hidden puzzles really work with it's relatively relaxed pacing

[@dawhelan]

Oh man, Punky Skunk was the code title we used at the game store I worked at in college, when we suspected a shop lifter.

[@mistertitanic]

Vectorman 1 and 2 are both excellent games.

[@Ungantor]

***** Yeah, I'm really trying to like these guys, but their opinion on that was just bull. It's like a much faster paced megaman in a way, and the music is super atmospheric and fitting. Kinda ugly by today's standards, but not any more than donkey kong country, or any other pre-rendered game is. :/

[@mistertitanic]

Ungantor I think they look great. With older consoles, i have a completely different mindset when I look at the graphics. The pre-rendered graphics look fine to me.

[@moviemetalhead]

+Ungantor In other words you only view channels whose opinions agree with yours?

[@Ungantor]

***** There is a difference between being a blind fanboy, and jumping to conclusions. Just don't feel like their critique is very accurate.

[@theshak06]

I have to admit I respect the longevity of Gamesack, Today I sadly did a cull of my youtube subscriptions. It was mainly game related channels that went inactive so I respect Gamesack for keeping it going. I have not always likes the jokes (corny country) but I love the knowledgable tidbits I get from their videos. Don't ever lose your enthusiasm.

[@JohnnyLeyenda]

As a recent subscriber I am amazed at the quality of the content you guys provide. I'm really excited to start watching your videos from the start!

[@BeatEmUps]

It may just be nostalgia, but I love Croc. Great video guys :)

[@johnc1963]

Don’t reply to this...... thank you.

[@justnature1900]

I still play crocs occasionally I love that game

[@Samination]

Chibi-Robo is awesome. If Nintendo had made Chibi a Mario robot, the game would've sold better.

[@JoeServo]

They made Mario Sunshine into a Mario game, and it still sucked.

[@Samination]

JoeDeceiver This is true, but it sold well! :D

[@JoeServo]

ebolaworld Hahaha! Can't argue, there!

[@atomickid]

First was watching the last happy console gamer video, then tacoman plays, and then coming here and see ebolaworld comment this, and seeing joe having the same exact t-shirt than johnny from happy console gamer... FULL CIRCLE!

[@georgewilkinson939]

I love Chibi Robo. I agree it is slow at the beginning, but once you unlock better batteries, costumes, and rooms, it gets much more entertaining!

[@richardslayton1985]

I love gamesack! I just recently discovered your channel and its a gem that fills me with nostalgia and has a charm to it like no other. You guys are great, I hope you continue with gamesack for many years to come.

[@Souledge5]

Sob... even in forgotten mascots, Earthworm Jim lives in obscurity. RIP Jim

[@reginaldeberhart8521]

Spyro too

[@gurriato]

Chibi Robo is one of my favorite games for the Gamecube, once I started it I couldn't put it down.

[@VitronEspada]

I will say, Chibi Robo kinda didn't look/feel like a 'mascot' game/character. Now I never played it myself, but knew someone who did and saw it in motion a few times. Dunno, Chibi just seemed like a unique little game. Shit like Spryo and Ty and Gex and......the list goes on lol...

[@Overbound]

Oh boy! I love mascots so this is right up my alley. It's as if you made an episode all for me. Thank you guys I love your show, it's one of my absolute favorites.

[@ookami571]

I love vectorman, one of the most nostalgic games on the genesis for me

[@dreadvenom1]

You know I been watching this show for awhile and now I think I can finally say that I actually get a jolt of excitement whenever I see a new episode. Keep doing a kick ass job!

[@JaredConnell]

Phonics, he likes movies and certified auditoriums isn't he cool lol

[@GameSack]

Jared Connell lol!

[@neothunderx]

Game Sack that was really funny lmao.. i love the comedy segments of your videos.

[@orderofmagnitude-TPATP]

+Game Sack I think your best skit was Shenmue, you got the wooden movements spot and the reactions with the win or lose on the penny luck board.

[@Icy1049]

Vectorman is AWESOME ;-) I love the atmospere of the game, the gameplay, everything! I think that this mascot failed just because the 16 bit era came in the past. I live in Russia, everything was different here because we had everything much later, so these two games were extremelly popular here, and the Vectorman himself was very famous at the time

[@MrGregory777]

i have to sleep. it's 3.30 am here and a new episode of game sack comes on.Curse you -3:00 GMT.

[@loneshewolf74]

I'm so glad these guys talked about mascots that were so inadequate, forgettable, occasionally regrettable that most people have, well, forgotten them, and not Bubsy, whom I would like to forget but every other video with this topic won't let me. Good work!

[@fireheartis1]

By the way Chibi-Robo was not a failed mascot. Many people wanted a new game, and they got it on the 3DS.

[@Ms_Drake]

And it's a stupid f*cking f*ck sh*t 2D platformer, unless you're talking about Photo Finder, which is fine.

[@dickhuntz6962]

"You got your cat, and then you give it your shirt, and then you got BUBSY!"

[@rars0n]

I'm sure you know this by now, but Punky Skunk was indeed originally developed for the SNES, as Cooly Skunk. It was completed but never released, however decades later the demo was found downloaded on a Satellaview cartridge. The demo time limit was removed and the entire game is now playable! It looks pretty darn good, too! Very close to the Playstation version! It's awesome when unreleased games are finally uncovered and made available for people to finally enjoy!

[@garou119]

Gamesack Sundays are the best kind of Sunday.

[@Dasgath]

Vectorman was awesome. The mobility and animation was par to none in my own opinion, even more in V2. Yet, i guess nobody liked his green balls that much.

[@kiko485]

Keith Courage in Alpha Zone. A game where you can basically be teleported to hell by a rainbow, and fight monsters in a mech suit... Interesting...

[@SodaPopBarbecue]

I like seeing people who knows that a mascot is a fictitious character that represents an organization, not just the favorite example of such/ the biggest IP cash cow. I commend you for actually being aware of the word's wider meaning(s). The video was great, too.

[@Trialwolf]

Great episode guys. Two of these mascots I never heard of so it was nice seeing your take on them.

[@KTJohnsonkidThunder]

Aero the Acrobat & Sparkster are definitely forgotten mascots.

[@PalidFingers]

Vectorman is Awesome!

[@alexshadowfax1119]

Joe definitely should have done a segment on Mario as a failed mascot, would've been great to see lol

[@neshead80]

Punky Skunk HD, it's time for it.

[@stncldrwg]

Another fine episode gentlemen!

[@xxkomebackkidxx]

I was in the process of making a vid on this months ago but seeing as you guys put mine to shame I wont even bother. I think a special episode should be made just for the 16bit or a 2nd episode because there are so many. Aero the acrobat, bucky o hare, jazz jackrabbit, cool spot, yo noid, rocketknight, etc.

[@VicGeorge2K6]

This episode needs a Part 2 to cover other not-so-memorable video game mascots.

[@vidahasselburg3841]

I want a soundtrack of every song at the end of y’all videos they always make me feel happy.

[@davidsantiagoalonso]

there should be another video 'Forgettable Mascots'

[@Progearspec]

Id vote for bubsy ~_^

[@Souledge5]

Mine goes to Angry Joe :-)

[@davidsantiagoalonso]

SoulSc0rcher is that a mascot or the youtuber who I lost my respect of when he cried about money on youtube?

[@batfreeze56]

Bubsy should've been here!

[@homejonny9326]

Guys, you are the only channel i am subscribed that i like/fav the video just at the beggining. What a great job you guys do! ;)

[@dadabubz2674]

For years I've been trying to remember the name of a game I used to see ads for in comics back in the 90s but I could never remember. Until I saw this video; Scud! Thanks guys!

[@SRPC21]

Great Vid but you missed two of the most obvious ones: Ty the Tasmanian Tiger and Blinx: The Time Sweeper

[@josephmcneely6337]

Vector man is good

[@null1023]

Scud looks surprisingly fun. Oh, and Buck Bumble's theme song is the best thing ever.

[@pcachu]

Chibi Robo - You're a tiny housemaid cleaning up after a family of slobs. Mario Sunshine - Framed for a crime you didn't commit, railroaded by the dumbest judge ever, demoted from Plumber to Janitor. Pikmin 2 - Your company is about to go under (because the company president is an epic dimwit) and you need to raise a lot of cash. Animal Crossing - Welcome to the village! Time to start paying off your mortgage. Zelda: Skyward Sword - Two words: LEAF BLOWER. Face it, Nintendo is trying to get kids used to the drudgery of adult life.

[@DeathCrustPunk]

Hey Joe and Dave! Your channel's motto should be "Gamesack. It's better than a kick in the nutsack!"

[@tetrisdave]

LoL. I think just about anything is better then a kick in the nutsack..

[@DeathCrustPunk]

David White Love your show dudes!

[@stonie0420]

i always thought vectorman was a great series for the genesis, but only the genesis. make it on the saturn and they would have to reimagine vectorman to not be a bunch of balls if they kept up with the series. vectorman could have very well been segas answer to megaman, especially if they made his different forms togglable. a matter of fact when i first saw the kickstarter for mighty number 9 i thought more of vectorman then megaman since beck transforms into things like vectorman does, but like i said that would have improved vectorman the forms are togglable

[@JDMACC]

Why am I now finding this channel?. What a hidden gem!

[@fudgeyourpants9413]

I'm with Glen Plant. I wish I could forget what I watched so I can see all ur episodes with fresh eyes again!!

[@Cyberpunk747]

Joe you forgot about Ristar!

[@mykie242]

Hear, hear!

[@ravager48]

I would like to add Mega Man, but that's only Capcom who have forgotten him...

[@dielabtec7882]

You're so so right it was great jam the new once are bullshit wall of tex without any action

[@1234legend1234]

Croc brings back happy childhood memories

[@installmentplan]

Huh. I played a lot more games on this list than I thought I would have. Good review as always, guys!

[@slashingkatie7872]

At least each of these Sonic wannabes seemed different as opposed to now where every new game character is the same scruffy, unshaven white guy wandering through some ruined city. Who was the last new original platforming star who had a colorful world? Sackboy?

[@nissedood8013]

La-Mulana, Vladis Story: Abyssal City ,Rayman Origins & Legends,Giana Sisters: Twisted Dreams,Bunny Must Die, Trine 1 & 2, Rogue Legacy, Freedom fall. Are just a few of the better ones. You need to be Pc gaming master race to get most of the best platformers nowdays. If you never played La-Mulana you have missed the best Metroidvania ever made.

[@dontegraves5051]

But almost none of those games listed are exclusive to only PC...

[@Ukk1eB]

CAPtain COMmando

[@treasonwhat4]

you guys are fucking amazing, it cant be said enough. super well researched videos, great banter/commentary, and that intro song!! keep up the great work!

[@uriahh4932]

Dude I loved the Vectorman games! Great childhood memories I tell ya. Simpler times.

[@xtremekirby07]

Great episode as always! Did you notice the pun with the company in CAPtain COMmando's name?xD Btw, thanks for not including Bubsy.

[@TrinidadJamesWoods]

I actually enjoyed the first Bubsy on the SNES. It was no Mario, but it was aight.

[@stickygaloop]

Crash Bandicoot & Spyro the Dragon. And who could forget Original the Character?

[@IkesDaddelbox]

Sonic had a dark and experimental phase, but since Unleashed he's totally back in my opinion (even if not as great as in the 16 bit era).

[@rodneyfranks2726]

Game sack just as relevant in 2021 than seven years ago! Best retro gaming videos out there?

[@UniqeTeckNique]

Vectorman!!!.... FOREVER!!!!!

[@keaton5101]

WHY wasn't ristar here

[@LyricalMasterMind1]

They already had him on a underrated gems video

[@keaton5101]

LyricalMasterMind1 o

[@LyricalMasterMind1]

BrutalOffence, yeah....that might've been the video

[@ryancollins1087]

What about high seas havoc for sega genesis

[@jjenk911]

if mascots get sequels, I wouldn't say that they failed.

[@yamigekusu]

Gex is easily my favorite forgotten mascot. His games are very witty, and full of movie and tv references that make me smile. Plus, I was crazy enough to get multiple ports of the second and third games in the series :P

[@Titleknown]

What about Voodoo Vince and Blinx, the two failed attempts by Microsoft at making mascots for the Xbox before they decided to just buy/ruin Rare's instead? Or Scaler and Kao the Kangaroo, one of the few new IPs right before 3d platformers just gave up and died (THANKS A LOT FIRST PERSON SHOOTER NERDS)near the end of the Gamecube/PS2/Xbox generation/beginning of the Xbox 360/PS4 generation? Or Death Jr for the PSP?

[@SUCHMISH]

How A Bout Busby The Bobcat???

[@simongray8119]

no.do not..darn.

[@SUCHMISH]

Also, Spyro The Dragon Was A Failed Mascot Too, He Was Supposed To Be Aimed At Playstaion Consoles

[@SUCHMISH]

***** Yes He Did, How Dose A Playstaion Mascot End Up On Gamecube, Xbox, And Wii???

[@SUCHMISH]

***** true...

[@SUCHMISH]

***** Thanks, And That's Why Bubsy Failed As A Mascot For Aclade

[@trik6727]

This was a good one love to see a part 2

[@OmegaEnvych]

I actually loved Vectorman. It was pretty cool game, with nice graphics and really interesting gameplay.

[@MrCarrot14]

You forgot gex the gecko. Gex was orginially a mascot for the company crystal dynamics. Sadly though crystal dynamics only shits out tomb raider nowadays.

[@AcidropOSY]

Gex was tight

[@tacob0]

Gex

[@SuperPhunThyme9]

MrCarrot14 You can't shit something that has no substance...

[@TheInfiniteAmo]

These guys dislike Chibi freaking Robo? WHAT?

[@Ichigo111293]

Have you seen the sales? Most people don't like Chibi Robo. lol

[@EBThisThat]

This was very interesting and will help my friend and I in writing our Sonic Underground/SatAM AU.

[@brianedward9119]

Vectorman is one of the most underrated games of all time! Killer music , killer graphics , and incredibly fun gameplay. I consider Vectorman On par with DKC

[@maxbyer]

One that came to mind for me was Ty the Tasmanian Tiger, but then I just learned he's still around and had a steam release last year. Vexx for the gamecube? Bought it for my friend a million years ago, definitely of the "edgy" mascot character generation.

[@pretybombur9545]

+maxbyer What about "Bubsy"

[@jimmyRusseII]

The logic that every platformer was trying to be a system mascot is so moronic it hurts my head, also all credibilty was lost when you trashed vectorman 1& 2, amazing games featured in nearly every best of genesis lists.

[@GameSack]

I'll give you your first point but all credibility was lost because we don't like a certain game? That's just stupid. I assume you don't know what an opinion is. Should I think you have no credibility at all for LIKING a game we don't? Of course not, that'd be silly. Quit being a typical angry KZbin commenter, Jimmy.

[@roberthowtryer4351]

This was a great video and I love what you guys picked and talked about.

[@yakkowarner1990]

Robbit comes to mind, the hero of the Jumping Flash! series of games on PS1. a first party mascot game that sadly became forgotten since the second game and hardly anyone ever talked about him since then. I dont even think he's on the Playstation All-Stars fighting games either, sadly.

[@ArborDaze]

rip Ristar. Never Forget.

[@Gyrbae]

So the creators of Sonic The Hedgehog made a character that literally is Eggman..?

[@Gyrbae]

***** REBSKOBS KYÄ PIRITSI TYÄMIÄHEN PÄIVÄÄ BERGELE :----DDDDD

[@BrandonHicks15]

My favorite video yet!

[@RememberTheAGES]

That was a pretty cool list, I was really impressed with Scud for the Saturn. I think the games premise sounds really intriguing and from what I saw looks like it would be a fun game to try out. Also Croc is a good game, and I have it on the Saturn.

[@Al0neStillAlive]

Dat Sonic comment at the start. Unnecessary. I mean, Sonic single handedly led the Genesis to have a significant lead in market share for many years and is one of the most sold games of all time. Also, who the hell doesn't like the Genesis Sonic games?

[@Skeletroy]

*raises hand*

[@Al0neStillAlive]

Skeletroy Born ten years after the Genesis era I take it.

[@Skeletroy]

Early 80s, actually. I'd played plenty of platformers that I'd consider better than Sonic before Sonic came along, so I didn't really see the appeal. I'll fully admit they were super impressive visually, but I honestly didn't enjoy the level design or control. Not trying to hate, just answering your initial question a bit more in depth.

[@Al0neStillAlive]

Skeletroy That's fucked up, but there is always "that guy" I guess.

[@Skeletroy]

It's not that fucked up when you think about the numbers for a minute - Super Mario Bros, which popularized both the platform and game mascot genres, was released in 1985. The first Sonic game wasn't released until 1991, when I was 9. Six years is a long time in the video game world for every company to copy a successful formula, some did it better than others. I didn't feel like the Sonic series was one of them. Half of each stage is set up so you can get a run off or speed boost so that the game's playing itself, the other half is made up of poorly designed, slippery controlling platform segments. Sure, it's fast, and sure, it looks great, but I never found the Sonic series to be much fun. Recently, I bought the Genesis collections on Steam and revisited the series...still didn't find them very fun. I liked Ristar and Dynamite Headdy a lot moreso, and absolutely love Wonder Boy in Monster World.

[@TheVGViking]

It's cool that you guys didn't mention Bubsy. That's far too easy, you may as well just avoid ever bringing it up. If you guys do another forgotten mascots episode, leave Bubsy out of that one, too. I mean, Bubsy is a bad game and all... but we already know that.

[@TheVGViking]

happyhappy joyjoy They were all pretty bad. I only played maybe 20 minutes of the first one. I don't need to play the others to know why they're bad, and why Bubsy didn't catch on.

[@theflyingninja1]

The Amstrad CPC computer had its own mascot - Roland. There were a slew of Roland games, including Roland in Space, Roland in Time, Roland on the Ropes and Roland on the Run. Probably the most forgotten mascot ever.

[@spicyjuniormint]

Great list! I'm surprised no one has mentioned Conker as a forgotten mascot. A really great character that needs another installment in my opinion.

[@1300l]

The PC had some good ones such as Commander Keen, Jill of the Jungle and Jazz JackRabbit.... and Mike Dawnson ofcourse :P

[@VideoGameIdeas1]

I love Jazz Jack Rabbit and Commander Keen. Would totally love to see a comeback of those 2 games!

[@alecwalker449]

LEAVE VECTORMAN OUT OF THIS! no im kidding but i actually love vectorman its in my genesis more than any other game it not popular but it is a great game

[@kokokokoko614]

You guys make super videos! Always looking forward to them.

[@thaddeusmcgrath]

Sometimes a rainbow rains upon me with a nova type suit appearing magically. Synthesized music is playing and than I awaken in the alpha zone of reality naked once again. My wife is my only comfort, and Maxwell House!

[@bigbangbot-SuperSqank]

Not all of these are mascots.

[@YamatoFukkatsu]

bigbangbot Indeed. Though, the actual definition of a mascot might seem vague, but I really doubt Chibi-Robo would count. For Christ's sake, the game was published by Nintendo, and unlike Pokemon, it wasn't exactly one of Nintendo's bigname subsidiaries that developed it, not to mention there was little to no promotional hype surrounding its mere existence.

[@AlucardsQuest]

Bingo! That's the whole point of the video!

[@disconinja108]

They actually could say that Tommy Vercetti is a failed mascot because after Vice City he never appeared in GTA games

[@P0k3rm4s7]

What about Aero the acro-bat and Ristar?

[@AlexKrasnyPrime]

Aero was in multiple games so maybe he isn't really a failure? Ristar was awesome though.

[@P0k3rm4s7]

It was? I only remember playing Aero the acro-bat 1 and 2, and now nobody remembers Aero. And yes, Ristar was awesome!

[@AlexKrasnyPrime]

Well I guess 2 games is more than one haha

[@CultCryptik]

Great video, as always. Thanks for taking the time to make these, I enjoy watching them. I like the fact that the two of you have different tastes. I'd be interested to see if Joe feels differently about Vectorman than Dave

[@danielricardo5029]

"Then Shrek comes in." I'M WEAK 😂🤣😂🤣