10 Most Embarrassing Product Placements In Video Games
5. Phantasy Star Portable 2 Is Finger Lickin’ Weird
Okay wait, maybe not this kind of all in.
Sega’s Phantasy Star series was the company’s answer to the blossoming success of the Dragon Quest games. Starting off as classic turn based RPGs, around the Dreamcast era it morphed into one of the earliest examples of console MMOs. And whilst the series has always had a certain sense of humour, it’s Phantasy Star Portable 2 which went flying headfirst into the wacky end of the pool.
Who cares about ordering a pizza through a video game when you can adorn yourself with it? In Japan, the game had a crossover event with Yum! Brands who own Pizza Hut and thus players could kit themselves up with an actual set of pizza weapons - a cardboard box shield and some kind of bludgeoning device that is essentially a pizza on a serving board.
It didn’t end there however, as the event was actually a tie-in for the 40th anniversary of KFC opening in Japan. As such, Colonel Sanders appears in his full glory as a summonable assist for battle. Forget your overpowered weapons and abilities, I have a roundhouse kickin’ chicken master.
KFC is massive in Japan, noticeably being a bit of a Christmas tradition, but this might be a step in the direction of “I can’t possibly take this game seriously now”.