And now a word from our sponsors (part one) - Drac's Night Out

With an iconic character like Dracula, it’s inevitable that the marketing teams of various corporations have used his likeness to sell their products: with such a unique look and place in cultural history, who can blame them? So over the next few weeks, I wanted to devote some time to the good, the bad and the ugly of the Count’s corporate crossovers. And let’s start with… Reebok?

Is that right? Reebok?

Yes, today’s topic is the ill-fated and unreleased NES (Nintendo Entertainment System) game Drac’s Night Out. Developed by Mark Lesser and Rex Bradford at Microsmiths, the title was initially slated for release in 1991 though ultimately – like Dracula himself – never saw the light of day. Dracula himself is in one of his cuter modes here, wearing a large fanged smile as he initially battles to leave his castle while facing a series of hostile villagers. Once he has left the castle, the game enters a more open-world mode where Drac has to find his bride Mina across a number of levels.

The game also includes a bloodsucking dynamic, which transforms villages into Vampiresses who help the Count get closer to Mina. Drink enough blood and you can transform into a wolf and therefore travel at greater speed.

Now, before we come to Reebok, it bears saying that there were other games of this era released as seemingly shameless shills for various products. Infamous examples from the 80s and 90s include Kool Aid Man, Pepsiman, McKids, Cool Spot, Chester Cheetah and the well-intended but ultimately baffling Captain Novolin, commissioned by an insulin company to teach children about the risk of diabetes. Video games were seen as a great way to reach a younger audience, so there was perhaps an innate sense in this, though most gamers saw through these transparent tactics.

In a departure from the classic depiction of Dracula, Drac’s Night Out saw our titular lead wearing a pair of Reebok Pumps, and he was able to collect Pumps power-ups which gave a speed boost as well as the ability to jump higher and further than usual. In an interview with digitpress.com developer Mark Lesser said they ‘reluctantly complied’ with the sponsorship, though ultimately even the trainer tie-in wasn’t enough to save the game and get it released. Perhaps we were only months away from Reebok Pumps being branded with ‘as worn by Dracula’?

If the above has piqued your interest – either as a lover of Stoker’s novel or of branded sneakers – you can actually find a prototype of the game online, released as a ROM, so the game itself is not completely lost. In fact, the reviews out there are pretty solid, so for true aficionados of Dracula and his video game adventures this one could be well worth a look.

And that’s all from our sponsors for today – though remember, other brands of trainers are available!