337 Marvel Vs. KiShin Fighters and Unboxing
The Gameboy Advance video games released in the USA, such as "Pro Skater," "NBA Jam," and, finally, "Marvel vs. KiShin Fighters," were showcased and previewed in television advertisements.
The US versions of these games looked promising, with some not yet released in Japan.
These video games were specifically tailored for the USA market, and their popularity in Japan was uncertain.
However, "Marvel vs. KiShin Fighters" stood out—a game allowing characters from Marvel and fighters from KiShin fighting video games to be matched and engage in battles.
Fighters from "Street Fighter," "Mortal Kombat," and "Tekken I" can battle against Marvel characters like Spiderman, The X-Men, Captain America, Iron Man, Hulk, and the Fantastic Four.
The merging of these fighter universes in a video game was undoubtedly a great idea, capturing the attention of comic fans, especially Marvel enthusiasts. While many of these fans were casual gamers, the introduction of Marvel Comics into video games, even for handheld consoles, piqued their interest.
Rudy, a young guy exploring the "Toys R Us" game and console section, gazed at the "Marvel vs. KiShin Fighters" poster on the wall. He and his three friends came to the mall to purchase the hyped Gameboy Advance.
"Marvel and Street Fighters, Mortal Kombat crossover?" Rudy asked curiously. Though familiar with Marvel from childhood comics, he didn't anticipate its adaptation into video games. His friends overheard and joined him in examining the poster.
One friend informed him about the video game, saying, "Yeah, that's also a Gameboy Advance video game."
Afterward, Rudy and his friends finally acquired the sought-after handheld console. At this moment, Rudy was quite excited, especially when he observed the Gameboy Advance box placed inside the "luxurious" KiShin paper bag.
Once they had the Gameboy Advance in hand, they each headed home, eager to unbox their precious acquisitions.
Rudy, sharing the same enthusiasm, rushed home and promptly grabbed his digital camera. Turning it on, he aimed to capture the moments of unboxing his Gameboy Advance.
Unbeknownst to Rudy, what he was about to do mirrored the popular unboxing videos that would become a trend on the future internet. Little did he realize that his footage of unboxing a Gameboy Advance would become a part of electronic handheld console unboxing history.
"This is the best day of my life," Rudy exclaimed, positioning his camera just right to film the unboxing.
As Rudy noticed the Gameboy Advance box wrapped in shrink wrap—a plastic film tightly heated around the product's box—he appreciated how it enhanced the box's visual appeal.
"I have to be careful opening this... I need to find something sharp," Rudy muttered, his voice captured by the camera's recording.
Rudy went to the kitchen, bringing a sharp pair of scissors with him. With great care, he meticulously cut open the shrink wrap, maneuvering around the corners and tight spaces of the box. Rudy treated the task as if he were handling the most precious thing in the world.
The camera captured this perfectly—the carefulness of Rudy's actions, from his hands delicately opening the box, was truly admirable.
After dealing with the shrink wrap, Rudy finally opened the box to reveal the Gameboy Advance neatly packaged inside.
Taking the Gameboy Advance in his hands, Rudy continued to handle it with utmost care, and the camera captured every moment of his meticulous attention. He then powered on his Gameboy Advance, and the logos of both Gameboy Advance and KiShin appeared on the screen. However, the screen indicated that no video game cartridge was inserted into the handheld.
Observing this, Rudy inserted the video game "Marvel vs. KiShin Fighters."
He found the concept intriguing—Marvel characters facing off against Street Fighter and Mortal Kombat characters. As for the other characters, he wasn't familiar with them.
At the time, Tekken wasn't as widely recognized among gamers worldwide compared to Street Fighter and Mortal Kombat. Only those who frequented arcades were likely familiar with Tekken characters.
Once the video game was inserted into the handheld cartridge slot, the Gameboy Advance and KiShin logos flashed before the title "Marvel vs. KiShin Fighters" appeared.
As the intense soundtrack played, Rudy pressed start and selected the one-on-one fight mode. The list of characters then appeared.
Rudy opted for the character "Spiderman" and, following that, selected a character named "Kazuya Mishima."
Honestly, Rudy was unfamiliar with "Kazuya Mishima," judging solely from the Japanese-sounding name.
The round commenced, and Rudy found himself controlling the character "Spiderman" in the 2D pixelated fighting gameplay. He skillfully maneuvered his in-game character, and the animation of "Spiderman" trapping Kazuya with his spiderweb looked smooth and impressive.
"Damn, this guy is much tougher than I expected..." Rudy muttered as he guided "Spiderman" to jump and evade Kazuya's attacks.
He continued playing the video game for half an hour, forgetting that his camera was still recording the moments. However, as the camera's battery gradually drained, Rudy realized it was still on, with only about 3 percent remaining. He promptly stopped recording and charged the digital camera.
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The Gameboy Advance, without much suspense, became quite successful after its first week in the USA market.
Gameboy Advance video games also became a topic of discussion among many gamers. Comics fans, driven by curiosity, purchased the handheld and were not disappointed.
Similarly, some skaters bought the handheld to play "Pro Skater," but it didn't seem to satisfy them enough. However, they found satisfaction in other video game offerings.
