[Via] Ghost Host 1969′s YouTube Channel!

Rocko, Spunky and Heffer are back for another series of warped tales and surreal moments in modern life as they know it. Season Two misadventures involve a ski resort, a bad hair day, camping, a Christmas special, appendicitis and more. Finally, for the first time on DVD, you can get all of Rocko’s Season Two antics and exploits to enjoy whenever you want!

What you still do not remember Rocko’s Modern Life? Maybe this will refresh your memory.

This release is packed with all 22 brain-popping adventures and even has some special bonus content:

- “Trash-O-Madness” original pilot version
- Behind the Characters with Joe Murray

To make things sweeter this DVD set features an all-new cover art illustration by series creator Joe Murray. This is another quality Shout! Factory release that should keep you satisfied until season 3 finally finds its way out the door. Order your copy from Shout! Factory or Amazon.

Pac-Man! The game that gobbled up a nation’s quarters while its hero gobbled up those annoying Ghost Monsters spawned sequels, spin-offs, toys, games and more. Taking note of Pac-Man’s avid fan base, famed carton studio Hanna-Barbera hit upon the idea of adapting the game for Saturday morning animation – becoming the first video game to make the jump to TV. Kids were immediately enraptured and a score of other arcade favorites soon followed Pac-Man, Ms. Pac-Man and Baby Pac-Man from the gaming console to the cathode ray tube.

Some of my happiest childhood memories revolved around the burgeoning video game culture. It was often unsophisticated and random, which for me in retrospect, made it more of a special time. Pac-Man the animated series was high on my cartoon must-watch list for two series it ran and I have cherished my VHS copies of the show that I picked up at a flea market. Those tapes are wearing pretty thin, so I was very happy to pick up the Complete First Season of Pac-Man on DVD from the Warner Archive last week.

In this 2-Disc, 13-Episode collection, Pac-Man does battle with Inky, Blinky, Pinky, Clyde and Sue, the Ghost Monster minions of the dreaded Mezmaron, who lusts after Pac-land’s precious power spheres. Aided by his plucky and charming wife and son, Pac-Man saves the Pac-President, confronts the vampiric Pacula, discovers the Abominable Pac-Man and more. Pac-Venture awaits – no quarters required for all 16 quality cartoons including:

1. Presidential Pac-Nappers (1982·Sep·25) – Mezmaron orders the Ghost Monsters to kidnap the Pac-President in order to get Pac-Man to lead them to the Power Pellet Forest.
2. Picnic in Pacland (1982·Sep·25) – Pac-Man and his family go for a picnic. The Ghosts are also on a picnic and plot to chomp Pac-Man with each plan going horribly awry.
3. The Great Pac-Quake (1982·Oct·02) – The ghost monsters get a Earthquake-making machine by Mezmaron.
4. Hocus-Pocus Pac-Man (1982·Oct·02) – Pac-Man put Pac-Baby in a magic hat and made him disappear!
5. Southpaw Packy (1982·Oct·09) – When the ghost monsters ruin the Pacland world series, Pac-Man challenges them to a baseball game to decide who leaves town.
6. Pac-Baby Panic (1982·Oct·09) – The ghost monsters steal a sack of Power Pellets, and Pac-Man and Pepper go searching for Pac-Baby, not realizing he’s in the sack of Power Pellets.
7. Pacula (1982·Oct·16) – Mezmaron transforms a bat into the vampiric Count Pacula in a plot to get the citizens of Pac-Land to hand over the map to the Power Pellet Forest.
8. Trick or Chomp (1982·Oct·16) – The Pac family goes trick or treating on Halloween night until the ghosts comes along and spice things up.
9. Super Ghosts (1982·Oct·23) – The ghost monsters try to take over the world when they are given super powers.
10. The Pac-Man in the Moon (1982·Oct·23) – After the ghost monsters steal the space shuttle, Pac-Man and Pepper must retrieve it.
11. Journey to the Center of Pacland (1982·Oct·30) – Mezmaron decides to dig underground to get the Power Pellet Forest.
12. Invasion of the Pac-Pups (1982·Oct·30) – A litter of Pac-Pups come to the Pac-Family’s house, and Pac-Man is trying to get rid of them.
13. Sir Chomp-A-Lot (1982·Nov·06) – Mezmaron sends the ghost monsters 50 years back into the past but Inky’s goofiness causes them to meet Pac-Man’s ancestor, Sir Chomp-A-Lot.
14. The Day the Forest Disappeared (1982·Nov·06) – When Mezmaron successfly gets the Power Pellet Forest, it’s up to Pac-Man to get it back.
15. Neander-Pac-Man (1982·Nov·13) – Pac-Man reads Pac-Baby a story about their prehistoric ancestor and his discovery of power pellets.
16. Backpackin’ Packy (1982·Nov·13) – Pac-Man is premited to lead the Pac-Baby scouts after their original leader stubs his toe.
17. The Abominable Pac-Man (1982·Nov·20) – A legendary creature is lurking the snowy hills.
18. The Bionic Pac-Woman (1982·Nov·20) – Mezmaron makes a robotic clone of Pepper to fool Pac-Man.
19. Chomp-Out at the O.K. Corral (1982·Nov·27) – While taking a vacation out west, the ghost monsters along with their bratty cousin, Dinky, try to ruin the Pac-family vacation.
20. Once Upon a Chomp (1982·Nov·27) – The ghost monsters fairy ghost monster comes and gives them a magic fairytale book to trap Pac-Man and Pepper.
21. The Pac-Love-Boat (1982·Dec·04) – The ghost monsters try to ruin Pac-Man and Pepper’s anniversary while on the Love Boat.
22. The Great Power Pellet Robbery (1982·Dec·04) – Mezmaron gives the ghost monsters a truck in order to retrieve the Power Pellet Forest.
23. A Bad Case of the Chomps (1982·Dec·11) – Pac-Man is rushed to the hospital after believing he has chompitis, after chomping the ghost monsters.
24. Goo-Goo at the Zoo (1982·Dec·11) – The Pac-Family goes to the zoo but Pac-Baby frees all the animals.
25. Nighty Nightmares (1982·Dec·18) – The Ghosts are having nightmares about Pac-Man.
26. The Pac-Mummy (1982·Dec·18) – Mezmaron discovers a mummy, so he uses it to kidnap Pepper and Pac-Baby.

The DVD set is currently being offered exclusively at the Warner Bros store, so head on over and gobble up a copy today.

(Photo from Flickr)

These early generation wireless joysticks were a far cry from the wireless pads we’ve come to enjoy (and expect) today. For starters, each joystick contained a 9-volt battery, an on/off switch, and a non-retractable 6″ antenna poking out the front of each one. I guess after the batteries died, you could still sword fight with them.

Also, in case you didn’t notice, the base of these joysticks are 2-3 times thicker than a standard Atari 2600 joystick. I was nine-years-old in 1982 and I distinctly remember that my hands couldn’t wrap all the way around the base of the stick.

Then there’s that giant receiver, which required power. This was accomplished by plugging the Atari 2600 power supply into the back of the receiver, and then running an additional cable from the receiver to the Atari 2600. I could complain more about this but at least it didn’t also run on 9-volt batteries.

In 1982 we purchased our first big screen TV, a 60″ rear-projection Mitsubishi television. One weekend our family went to go see the movie Firefox, which consisted of jet airplanes zipping around the skies, and came home to find a copy of River Raid and a pair of these wireless joysticks waiting for us. I remember scooting our recliner right in front of that big TV and playing River Raid with those wireless joysticks. At least in my imagination, it was just like being in Firefox.