This eighties pop-culture icon was so cool that it burst through the brick wall to become one of the most unmistakable product placements on record. OH YEAH!

The game was available through conventional retail channels, but could also be acquired by submitting a mere hundred and twenty-five proof of purchase stamps via postal mail. To market the tooth-rotting cocktail, two distinctly different versions of the title featuring the mascot of sugar water were created.

The Atari VCS version has the popular red pitcher trying to salvage a pool party gone wrong. He must prevent thirty Thirsties from draining the pool dry into their parched bellies. Upon touch, they deflect him, so Kool-Aid Man can only confront them while they are in the act of sucking up the pool water with their straws extended. Occasionally different ingredients appear on-screen. If Kool-Aid Man can capture any of  them, he’ll power up and become a more formidable force.

Check out more of these in Michael Thomasson’s Book Downright Bizarre Games book available at Good Deal Games and make sure to sign up to get Old School Gamer Magazine for free by clicking here!

Michael Thomasson Michael Thomasson (63 Posts)

Michael Thomasson is one of the most widely respected videogame historians in the field today. He currently teaches college level videogame history, design, and graphics courses. For television, Michael conducted research for MTV's videogame related program Video MODS. In print, he authored Downright Bizarre Games, and has contributed to nearly a dozen gaming texts. Michael’s historical columns have been distributed in newspapers and magazines worldwide. He has written business plans for several vendors and managed a dozen game-related retail stores spanning three decades. Michael consults for multiple video game and computer museums and has worked on nearly a hundred game titles on Atari, Coleco, Sega and other console platforms. In 2014, The Guinness Book of World Records declared that Thomasson had “The Largest Videogame Collection” in the world. His businesses sponsor gaming tradeshows and expos across the US and Canada.  Visit www.GoodDealGames.com.