Do you remember these hilarious Nintendo adverts starring Rik Mayall from the 1990s?
HE WAS one of the finest British comedians of all time thanks to his roles in The Young Ones, Bottom and Blackadder, but fans of the late Rik Mayall might have forgotten about a series of brilliant adverts he did for Nintendo back in the Nineties.
Bigger than Hitler, Better than Christ
The commercials for the computer games giant see the funny man taking on various versions of himself, such as Rik from the future, a sophisticated Rik, and a diva-like director.
In one of the short skits, Rik pretends to be F1 racing champion Nigel Mansell, complete with stick-on bushy eyebrows and a moustache.
In another, Rik appears to be dressed in a costume similar to Darth Vader and is launching an attack on an enemy space ship.
However, all is cut short by a rude knocking on the door by his butler, it then emerges that Rik is in fact playing computer games in his bedroom by himself - surrounded by dolls and toys.
Rik Mayall in one of the adverts for Nintendo
The butler walks in on Rik playing computer games
Rik plays the over-the-top diva director
Hi, Rik Mayall here. If you're like me: immensely rich, talented, handsome, isn't it a bore?
“Portuguese Cultural Attache, waiting in the drawing room,” his butler tells him, leading Rik to scream and hastily rip off his space outfit, revealing his smart business suit underneath.
In another advert, he plays a chic version of himself as he talks to the camera: "Hi, Rik Mayall here. If you're like me: immensely rich, talented, handsome, isn't it a bore? Well, I've found the answer, Zelda Link's Awakening by Nintendo."
After telling viewers about the game, he walks straight into a window by accident and falls over.
Rik Mayall as Nigel Mansell in one advert
One of the adverts was for the Game Boy
The sophisticated Rik Mayall talking about Zelda
The short ads were for Zelda, Starwing, Street Fighter II Turbo, Tetris 2, the Game Boy portable console, Nigel Mansell’s World Championship and Super Mario Bros: The Lost Levels.
The Nintendo adverts are not the first ones Rik did, he also starred in a set of commercials promoting the beer Bombardier Bitter in the UK, playing the eponymous army officer.
Rick died in 2014 at the age of 56, leading to a flood of tributes from the greats of comedy , including Stephen Fry, his comedy partner Ade Edmonson and David Walliams.