Here we take a look at Congo: The Movie sticker album from Panini, which was released to tie in with the film in 1995. I went to see this movie in the cinema when it came out and thought it was great. It is still one of my favourite movies. I know it didn't get a good response from critics, but I thought it was a good adventure yarn set in the wilds of the African jungles, something you don't see a lot of in movies these days. It also had a number of good actors in the cast, while Tim Curry hams it up good and proper as the villain, though villain is too strong a word for his character really.
The screenplay was adapted from a Michael Crichton novel of the same name, so I think people were expecting a special effects extravaganza along the lines of Jurassic Park.
I never completed the album unfortunately (anyone got any spare stickers?). They don't really make sticker books for movies like this anymore. These days it seems to only be animated or comic book movies which get collections.
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| It's always nice to get sticker No.1 |
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| Spoiler* Bruce Campbell doesn't last long in the movie, but he gets a lot of stickers! |
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| Only 168 stickers in the book, but I never completed it. |
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| I was never too sure about Tim Curry's Romanian accent, I was convinced he couldn't be trusted! |
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| A close up of the Killer Ape! |
There was a 4-page fold out poster in the centre of the album which held a number of stickers. I'm afraid the minute it was completed it was taken out from the centre pages, probably to be stuck to a wall or a door somewhere. Either way, now I have no idea where it is!
I also bought this film on VHS tape when it came out and I'm sure I have it on DVD laying around the house here somewhere too.
On top of this I also got my hands on the Congo videogame for the SEGA Saturn. It was only released in America I believe. It is a rather good Doom-type game, if you like those sort of games (which I do).
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| The trek to find King Solomon's Mines will be hard and dangerous. |
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| What's worse than killer apes? Missing one sticker to finish a page! |
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| Tim Curry's Herkermer Homolka just wants those diamonds! |
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| Ernie Hudson is great as guide Munroe Kelly. |
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| Last page, and they escape the volcano in a balloon. |
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| The Back Cover, and the album only cost 60p! |
At the tail end of 1992 in Japan, we saw the release of Shining Force Gaiden on the SEGA GameGear. Then just six months later a sequel was released, again only in Japan. The second game did make it to North America the following year as Shining Force: The Sword of Hajya, while both games were later bundled together as Shining Force CD for the Mega CD in Europe.
What also did not make it out of Japan, was the 56 card set of trading cards that was released at the same time as the games. This set covered the main characters in both games. The sequel followed directly on from the first game, being set only months after the conclusion of the first. Though both games were set years after the events of the first Shining Force on the MegaDrive, yet in the same place Guardiana.
