For some, the idea of a shop where you physically had to get a title you wished to watch rather than download or stream seems like a concept conceived in the Stone Age. But for a whole generation, this was the go to place for hot (and not so hot) releases. The video store was a place where families could venture out together and get any type of film they wanted. It was a great bonding experience (this reviewer has great memories of those days) but also a thrill to know what new titles were coming out. In the 1980s, when the video store truly came into its own, there was little information about movies available to the public other than fanzines so it was always a gamble when taking out a movie. Also, there was some effort involved, with the staff needing to know about what movies they had in at the time. Hell, Quentin Tarantino used his time in video stores to further his knowledge and love of movies, eventually turning him into a big time director of terrific, generation-defining movies.
If you ever wondered what that thrill was like, wonder no longer because Santa Ragione have created VideoHeroeS, a game where you are in control of the store. It is a simple premise from what I could gather watching the footage below. It seems you take orders from customers (at the side of the screen) and you have to supply them with what they want in a certain time frame. The more customers served, the more money (score) for you. If this has got you interested (and I know a few VHS fans will have had their interest peaked),then below is the games description (thanks to Kotaku for this) and actual game footage.
[quote]VHS is a tribute to video rentals and great movies from the 90s. We want to convey what it is like to explore a collection of forgotten gems. You are the clerk of a video rental store during the amazing 90s. Over the course of the day, many customers will enter the store and ask for that one movie, and it is your job to make them happy.[/quote]
It’s simple but really fun and the catchy 80s style soundtrack certainly helps to put you in the mood and create an amazing atmosphere for such a simple game. Even though it is just a few rows of VHS, each shelf holds a treasure trove of delights for film fans, especially VHS collectors. The general selection is just so well thought out and has some incredible pieces in it to suit every film fan, but also showing the eclectic selection the actual shops had back in the day. Movies like Batman, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, They Live (Japanese version) and Predator sit happily on the shelf with Flesh Eating Mothers, Evil Ed, Evil Speak, Creepozoids, while trash happy movies like Mr. No Legs, Time Wars and Abraxas appear to make the exploitation crowd happy.
The VHS covers were supplied by VHS Wasteland, a site devoted to keeping the VHS cover art alive. If you are interested in the game, it’s on a trial pack which can be purchased through Games Packs. As it is highly unlikely that we will ever see the return of the humble video store, this may be your only chance to either relieve those magical days or experience them for the first time.
Grizzly Bomb 