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Sonic Dash

Sonic Dash (2013)

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In 2021, as part of a collaboration with the children's yogurt brand Danimals, Sonic Dash added brand mascot Bongo to the game as a playable character, unlocked by scanning a QR code on the back of Sonic Dash-branded Danimals products to download the game. This method could also be used to unlock the "Pirate Sonic" and "Captain Shadow" character variants, which could be earned by collecting all four birthday-themed items on the track, including a Danimals smoothie pack.

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person chocolatejr9 calendar_month March 14, 2024

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Another Code: Recollection

Another Code: Recollection (2024)

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The origami cranes scattered across the games feature a jumbled QR Code pattern that when put together links to the Japanese microsites for Another Code and Another Code: R.

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person Adrot calendar_month March 5, 2024

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Origami cranes in the games:
https://wccftech.com/how-to/another-code-recollection-guide-how-to-find-14-two-memories-origami-messages/
https://wccftech.com/how-to/another-code-recollection-guide-how-to-find-another-code-r-origami-messages/

Tweet detailing the discovery:
https://twitter.com/Adr0t/status/1765119007584039105

Another Code microsite:
https://www.nintendo.co.jp/ds/anoj/index.html

Another Code: R microsite:
https://www.nintendo.co.jp/wii/rnoj/index.html

Method:
- Look up the file "ditem_PaperCrane" inside Textures2D of the game's data.
- Stitch the texture together into one complete QR Code if necessary.
- Scan it with any QR Code decoder like the one used in smartphones. Resize if necessary.
- QR Code should display the following: https://www.nintendo.co.jp/ds/anoj/index.htmlhttps://www.nintendo.co.jp/wii/rnoj/index.html

The code can be recreated by inputting these URLs exactly as they are shown above into the following Japanese QR Code generator:
https://qr.quel.jp/

Yo! Noid 2

Yo! Noid 2 (2017)

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One of the developers of Yo! Noid 2 also worked on STRAFE, a game featuring Totino's product placement. Through these food industry connections, said developer managed to contact Domino's Pizza and almost pitched the idea of having some kind of official collaboration. The developers ultimately did not go forward with, as the game's developers didn't feel they had enough energy to go through the hassle of making a pitch document. Despite the pitch not being made, the developers did compile a video of streamers talking about how the game made them hungry for Domino's for the purpose of the pitch.

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person Rocko & Heffer calendar_month February 7, 2024

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Darkened Skye

Darkened Skye (2002)

subdirectory_arrow_right M&M's (Franchise)

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Darkened Skye came about as a result of Simon & Schuster Interactive attempting to acquire the M&M's license for use in gaming, due to the popularity of the Spokescandy mascots. Skittles was simply a back-up option in case the M&M's deal fell through, but both licenses were acquired. While Dale DeSharone, one of the game's executive producers, believed it should have been aimed at a younger child audience, Mars wanted to attract an audience of people in their 20s, because that demographic did not buy Skittles as much as people in their 30s and older, though they were also adamant that the game couldn't be violent. The game's aesthetic was inspired by a series of late-1990s high fantasy Skittles commercials.

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person Rocko & Heffer calendar_month January 28, 2024

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Darkened Skye

Darkened Skye (2002)

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Darkened Skye almost had its Skittles branding pulled late in development. Ultimately the product placement was retained, but not featured on the box.

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person Rocko & Heffer calendar_month January 28, 2024

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Treasure Master

Treasure Master (1991)

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According to an unused file in Treasure Master, the game was originally going to have a Pizza Hut sponsorship alongside or before the MTV sponsorship.

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person Rocko & Heffer calendar_month January 5, 2024

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PaRappa the Rapper

PaRappa the Rapper (1996)

subdirectory_arrow_right Sony Computer Entertainment (Company)

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In the "Funny Love" cutscene before the final level of PaRappa the Rapper, Club Fun is situated next to a radio repair shop that has official Sony certification, marking one of the rare instances where a non-entertainment branch of Sony has been referenced in a PlayStation title.

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person Rocko & Heffer calendar_month November 27, 2023

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Tapper

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There exists 3 versions of Tapper

•The original version with Budweiser branding
•The censored "Root Beer Tapper" version, which swaps beer for root beer and changes Tapper from a bartender to a soda jerk
•The Japanese release that replaces Budweiser with Japanese alcohol brand Suntory

The Suntory version of the game also carries over minor graphical improvements from the Root Beer version of the game.

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person Rocko & Heffer calendar_month November 24, 2023

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Pac-Man

subdirectory_arrow_right 7 Up (Franchise)

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In 1982, 7 Up licensed out Pac-Man for a commercial, depicting the game's yellow hero turning red like the 7 Up spot and consuming both 7 Up and its lemon and lime ingredients after being made thirsty by pizza. Mistakenly, the opening of the commercial depicts Pinky (or Speedy) as being orange and, as a result, identical to Clyde, as well as Pac-Man being misnamed "Pacman"; while the ending of the commercial shows Inky, two Blinkies, and a green ghost resembling Funky from Pac-Mania, which would not be released for another 5 years.

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person Rocko & Heffer calendar_month November 22, 2023

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Alex Kidd: High-Tech World

Alex Kidd: High-Tech World (1989)

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Alex Kidd: High-Tech World revolves around Alex going to a new Sega arcade called "High-Tech World", which seems to be a strange and arguably counter-intuitive product placement for Sega's Hi-Tech Land arcades that only existed in Japan and have a slightly different name from the one given in the game. The game was originally released in Japan as Anmitsu Hime, and revolved around finding a cake shop instead of an arcade, meaning that the audience that could actually have a Hi-Tech Land in close proximity would not be able to play the game under normal means.

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person Rocko & Heffer calendar_month November 19, 2023

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The Sega Retro article for Hi-Tech Land (https://segaretro.org/Hi-Tech_Land_Sega) claims the name to have originated after High Tech World's release in 1989, but the wiki itself has two contradicting pieces of evidence:

1990 flyer showing a listing for a Hi-Tech Land arcade that opened in 1978 (page 5):
https://segaretro.org/images/9/9b/SegaEnJoint_JP_Flyer.pdf

A photograph of a Hi-Tech Land in Sapporo, Japan, dated to 1987, with the name visible:
https://segaretro.org/File:HiTechLandSega_Japan_Kotoni_1987.jpg

Longplay of Alex Kidd: High-Tech World:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UDMNEBv-4Hw

Longplay of Anmitsu Hime:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=13UH4tUFZ38

Biker Mice From Mars

Biker Mice From Mars (1994)

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The European version of Biker Mice from Mars has a sponsorship with Mars, Inc. promoting Snickers. This product placement is to a much greater extent than most other product placements in games not specifically themed around brands. Alongside the standard in-map advertising, all character portraits have been redrawn to show characters eating Snickers, Snickers replaces bike armor as a stat customization option, the invincibility power up was changed from a Mario Kart-style star to Snickers, and a Street Fighter II-style quote screen has been added before the results screen with a homogenized Snickers-themed quote shared between all characters:

"Even winners need something to satisfy their hunger!"

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person Rocko & Heffer calendar_month November 16, 2023

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Vib-Ribbon

Vib-Ribbon (1999)

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Vib-Ribbon was conceived after Mercedes-Benz contacted Sony to make a game to market their A-Class car to a younger audience. After the A-Class car failed the elk test, the game was redesigned with a new character in place of the car.

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person Rocko & Heffer calendar_month November 6, 2023

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Franchise: Yakuza: Like a Dragon

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Starting from Yakuza 6: The Song of Life, most games in the Yakuza franchise have featured destructible environmental objects, even extending to stores and businesses. However, real-life businesses like Yoshinoya that were put into the series have never been able to be destroyed in-game even when fictional stores are breakable. You also cannot enter a real-life store when in combat, and any aggroed enemies that chase after you will suddenly no longer want to fight you should you enter a real-life store in the game.

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person Kirby Inhales Jotaro calendar_month November 5, 2023

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Wally Bear and the NO! Gang

Wally Bear and the NO! Gang (1992)

subdirectory_arrow_right Crossbow (Game), Shockwave (Game)

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The subway train level of Wally Bear and the NO! Gang contains advertisements for Shockwave and Crossbow, two other unlicensed games by American Game Cartridges - it should be noted that Crossbow's NES version was never released.

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person Rocko & Heffer calendar_month November 2, 2023

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Ads in Wally Bear and the NO! Gang:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HK-ACYckafQ#t=172

Crossbow cancelled:
https://www.vault1541.com/2017/03/gaming-ads-american-game-cartridges.html

Dog's Life

Dog's Life (2003)

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In the Japanese and original European versions of Dog's Life, there is product placement for Pedigree dog food. In the US, this was swapped for a fictional brand, Chow Chow.

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person Rocko & Heffer calendar_month November 1, 2023

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Neopets Browser

Neopets Browser (1999)

subdirectory_arrow_right Neopets (Franchise), Neopets (Company)

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Neopets' former CEO Dough Dohring was an avid Scientologist, and used L. Ron Hubbard's "Org Board" method for running the business. Neopets founders Adam and Donna Powell were unaware of Dohring's ties to the cult when signing on to allow him to run the company, and it supposedly did not affect the inner workings of the company, though most of the employees were Scientologists and Dohring would often propose implementing Scientology education into the website. Williams would claim of the ownership in a 2014 Reddit AMA:

"Yes. Although we were not aware of it at first as we were totally naive.

Basically the first group of investors (who were the guys that had spare office space in Glendale as their automotive firm was being downsized) were scientologists.

When we realised it was a bit of a shock. Somewhat awkward moment when you realise you started the biggest entertainment site visited by millions of children and teens, but the upper management you just signed the company over to are part of some weird religion that is banned in some countries...

The company was structured like a scientology org. It didnt really change anything that I noticed apart from some odd test that interviewees had to take consisting of questions like which straight line seemed friendlier and stuff like that. We also had a lot of obscure celebrities coming round the office for tours.

At one time there was some talk about putting scientology education on the site, but we killed that idea pretty sharpish.

Adam and I made sure that it never made its way onto anything site related. Religion and politics were two big no nos for us as far as site content went. Can't say the discussions we had to keep it that way were much fun though!"

Dohring would leave Neopets after it was acquired by Viacom in 2005.

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person Rocko & Heffer calendar_month October 18, 2023

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Franchise: Super Monkey Ball

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Throughout the Super Monkey Ball franchise, SEGA has partnered with DOLE to promote healthy eating and DOLE fruit in their games, and promote their games by featuring AiAi on banana stickers. Later in 2010 a similar partnership was created between SEGA and Chiquita to promote the Wii's Super Monkey Ball titles such as Super Monkey Ball: Step & Roll. There was also a Sweepstakes in which the grand prize was A 50" Flat Screen, A large sofa, four gaming chairs, a copy of Super Monkey Ball: Step & Roll, a Wii balance board, Wii Fit plus and various other Wii oriented prizes.

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person Voodin calendar_month August 12, 2014

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PaRappa the Rapper 2

PaRappa the Rapper 2 (2001)

subdirectory_arrow_right Pipo Saru 2001 (Game), McDonald's Original: Happy Disc (Game)

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In Japan, McDonald's once sold demo discs of PaRappa the Rapper 2 and Ape Escape 2001 to promote the games in Japan. The PaRappa demo reskinned the Toasty Buns stage to take place in a McDonald's, while the Ape Escape demo included the first 2 and a half stages, added McDonald's buildings and blimps to the level backgrounds, and added McDonald's food as collectible items - it also included a bonus video of Japanese celebrity Papaya Suzuki exploring New York with a man in a Pipo Monkey mascot costume.

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person gamemaster1991 calendar_month May 12, 2013

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