Page 45 - OSG Presents Classic Gamer Magazine #6

slightly different version of them was included in
specially marked packages of Donkey Kong ce-
real. The fronts are identical to those found in
the packs. The puzzle pieces on the back, how-
ever, are oriented vertically instead of horizon-
tally, and it takes fewer of them to make a com-
plete picture. The two pictures were the same,
however. Each picture was made of only nine
stickers, plus a tenth one showing the com-
pleted picture. Thus, a complete set of these
would be 20 stickers. Good luck finding them,
though.
The next year, in 1983, Topps released their
Video City stickers. Instead of featuring a sin-
gle, highly popular video game, this series of
stickers featured four moderately successful
Pac-People all had eyes. The backgrounds ones: Donkey Kong Jr., Frogger, Turbo, and
were red, blue, purple or divided into three Zaxxon. A complete set consists of 28 stickers:
stripes of purple, white, and pink. The backs seven for each game. However, describing the
this time all promoted a Pac-Man poster con- seven is a bit complicated, so bear with me.
test. They featured either a child wearing a There were four stickers that had a portion of a
Pac-Man hat, a girl wearing a Pac-Man shirt, larger picture on the back, similar to the Donkey
or a boy holding a Coleco Pac-Man tabletop Kong stickers. Then there was a fifth sticker stickers. First, there are the usual
game. I’m uncertain if you could find the same showing the completed puzzle on the back. The sources: other collectors and eBay. You
sticker with different backs. It was pointed out catch is that the front of this fifth sticker was might also try comic book and trading
to me by Geoff Voigt at Classic Gaming Expo identical to one of the first four. For most of the card stores. Geoff Voigt let me in on an
2000 that if you turn all the fronts to face the games, it’s the same as the one with the lower online merchant that he doesn’t mind
same way, some of the backs will be upside left puzzle piece on it, but for Frogger, it’s identi- sharing named Marchant Non-Sports
down! Because the stickers don’t tell you how cal to the upper right piece. The sixth sticker Cards (www.marchantcards.com or www.
many there were in the series, I’m not sure, front is the same graphic as the complete puz- nscards.com). Their prices for Donkey
but there were at least 40. From the previous zle and has playing tips for its arcade game on Kong and Video City are very reasonable.
two sets, I’d say 54 would be a good guess. the back. Then, there’s a seventh sticker for The prices on the rest might give you
The rub-off games this time were all the same each game that is also the same as the puzzle, pause. Just remember, no matter where
maze, but there were gates in the maze that but has a special subscription offer for Elec- you manage to find your stickers, please
you were not permitted to go through unless tronic Games magazine on the back. The rub- don’t chew the gum!
you revealed a key nearby. There was also a off games are much simpler to keep track of.
large gold oval in part of the maze that might There’s only one board design per game. In the If collecting stickers isn’t up your alley, but
direct you to the scratch-off “super speed but- case of Donkey Kong Jr., which had multiple you’d like to give them a glimpse or know
ton” at the bottom of the card for bonus points. screens, Topps used only the first screen. what they say, try these web sites:
Nineteen eighty-two was also the year Finally, Fleer got back into the act one final
Topps got their chance to cash in on the video time with Dragon’s Lair stickers in 1984. I have
game phenomenon. They acquired the li- to admit, I never even knew these existed until a
cense to produce Donkey Kong stickers. few years ago. Most of the stickers featured art
There was no set layout for the front of the from the game, some with an extremely corny
stickers, which featured various corny sayings. word balloon (“Please don’t squeeze the Dirk.”)
(“Jump Man at work.” “I’m ape over Donkey and some with just a label naming the featured
Kong.”) The backs of each sticker featured a character. Some didn’t feature any art from the Donkey Kong
piece of one of two pictures. It took 15 stick- game at all, just a saying. The backs of the http://www.ohio.voyager.net/~ngsippel/cv/
ers to make a complete pic- stickers featured playing donkeykong.txt
th
ture. There was a 16 tips for the game. Some
sticker for each puzzle that game tips were repeated on Dragon’s Lair
showed what it should look multiple stickers. According http://www.tomheroes.com/Video%
like when completed, so to the front of the stickers, 20Games%20FS/Arcade/
there was a total of 32 there were 63 in a set. dragon's_lair_cards.htm
cards. I’m not sure anyone http://www.dragons-lair-project.com/
There are four different knows how many Dragon’s community/merch/
styles of rub-off games, one Lair rub-off games there http://bioinfo.mshri.on.ca/people/feldman/
for each board of the ar- are. They featured art from vgmuseum/cards/dlruboff.html
cade game. The object is the game as their back-
to get to the girl at the top grounds. The problem is Pac-Man
without revealing a combi- there are at least two dozen http://home.hiwaay.net/~lkseitz/cvg/
nation of three fireballs and different backgrounds used. pac_stick3.html
barrels. That’s right, there Unlike all the other rub-off
are both fireballs and bar- games mentioned here,
rels on every card, even instead of circles, they have Author note:
though barrels only ap- solid paths that branch. A Many thanks to Geoff Voigt for his help in
peared on the first screen nice change of pace after researching this article. You can also
of the coin-op. all those circles. thank (or blame) him for letting us use
One thing about the Now that you know his title.
Donkey Kong stickers peo- what’s out there, you might
ple don’t know is that a wonder where to find these
Classic Gamer Magazine Spring 2001 45