Uh guys, I think there's a television on the speedway. No, really, there's a TV set on the speedway! Guys? Seriously, there's a dude playing an 8-bit Nintendo Entertainment System right there on the race track. Shouldn't we be doing something about this? These cars are going mighty fast, it's not going to be long before one of them comes back around and ... oh the humanity!

Looking back on it now, it astonishes me that companies like Data East weren't forced out of the market by lawsuits. "The world's first 220 MPH video game"? Are you kidding me, if there's one thing the NES couldn't do it's recreate the feeling of speed. Asking your 8-bit console to pull off high-speed action is a lot like asking somebody to put a tank together while blindfolded. When was the last time you heard somebody say, "Hey, do you remember that amazing 8-bit racing game?" Never, that's how many times you've heard people say that. The reason nobody says that is because of games like Al Unser Jr. Turbo Racing.

Perhaps the most perplexing part of this commercial is buried in the description. "On top of it all," the text reads, "Al Unser Jr. is at your aide. He'll let you drive his car while he schools you on what it takes to win." Really? You mean he's going to sit there next to me the whole time and watch me come in fourth so many times I want to throw my control through the TV set. Good plan. Hey, I know, here's a better play - why don't I just get out of the car and let Al Unser Jr. actually drive the car? Clearly he has the experience and I want to win, even if that means letting somebody else play. So get in the driver's seat Al, I have a race to watch!

FROM: Beauty and the Bad Advertising