Two Ultimate Warriors: kzfaq.info/get/bejne/oJ9pbMWqudeVdas.html

Everyone knows if you throw an SNES above a stereo it multiplies both their power.

20 years later: Whang uploads: 'What happened to Whang? - Internet Mysteries'

I'm an investigator by profession and like to research old internet mysteries like this. Turns out "Rick Lund" is a fake name. Same goes for the name of the company president or CEO in their business records, his wife. They used several different aliases and addresses. I was able to find them using the breadcrumbs they left a decade ago. In the mid 2000's, around the time these contests stopped, he moved on to what appears to be high risk/unsecured real estate lending.

I probably would never recognize you in regular light.

In a year, Whang will just a bright red spot on a dark blue background

Hint: bankruptcy fortress is a business model that takes losses that get subsidized and filing non-liquidation bankruptcy to retain assets while resetting debt and credit rating.

I'm still pissed kix never sent me my flubber like 17 years ago.

2:19 how did you know I was an avid reader of gay magazines???

Carnivals have been rigging games for years but the guy 2 booths down would sell ya a boot knife so even-stevens

Yeah I'm not buying it. I think this dude was just whole sale scamming and responding to a few random winners to cover his ass. That way when the mags asked for results he could have a paper trail of contest info. Cool vid man keep em coming

Subwoofer today sounds like furry slang.

I remember looking at that ad in amazement, good thing we were poor and didn’t have five buck to send in.

Whenever I watch Wangs videos talking about stuff in the 90s and 00s, I always wonder what those people are doing today.

Oh my God, I totally remember this contest from the 1990s, and swore I would win. Needless to say, I never won, but I became a skeptic at 15 years old back in 1996, when I told my friends that it has to be a scam since there isn't a shred of evidence that anyone has ever won. You'd think that a legitimate company would show pictures of past winners, especially when they've in business for years.

I actually did win a completely different small contest as a kid. There was this cartoon called *Life with Louie* based on comedian Louie Anderson. They ran a free contest to win a backpack filled with spaghetti-Os themed from the show. I figured “hey I could use that” there was no purchase necessary so all it would cost was a stamp. I was surprised to find out I won. I was teased relentlessly for the backpack as it was purple and had a cartoon buck toothed fat kid on it. I probably used it for a year before getting a new one. I wonder if that or the pasta shapes would be collectible these days. Either way this contest was advertised during the commercials of the show so I knew it wasn’t sketchy.

19:46 The fact Lund was able to keep it going so long could just be proof of the scam's genius - almost like a "keep your friends close, but your enemies closer" sort of thing (apologies to anyone who went through hell with it - I once entered too, if that helps). But your theory also makes sense to me too, Whang.

Hell ya I totally remember this !!!!!Goddamn Whang you have killer content

Slowly the angle at which the camera is is increasing in every single video. I predict that by the next 15 uploads, the camera will be sideways.

I am curious if the Rick Lund that passed away in Minnesota is the same guy. "Completing his military career, Richard's fierce determination led him home to create and accomplish a group of successful businesses that ultimately provided employment and recreation for many people. " Very much sounds like a vaguely worded description of those contests.

So the game for the Ultimate Gaming Rig was rigged? Was it the Ultimate Gaming Rig?

I remember the Kool Aid Nintendo contest where, if I am remembering correctly, the winner would win "Every game Nintendo makes"... except that no one won. Also yes, I remember seeing these and remember thinking "Well this is a blatant scam."

Oh man. I remember entering this. Every one of your videos is like opening a time capsule. Love your channel dude.

I think AVGN didn't get it and then raged about it for the next nuclear month.

Whang: This video is spon- Me: **MASHES RIGHT ARROW KEY**

I never entered, but I remember seeing pandemonium’s contests in other magazines with other prizes. In the mid 90s I would also read Guitar World magazine and they would run the same puzzle contest only with instruments and equipment as prizes. Also in home theater magazines offering, tvs, receivers and Laserdisc players. Same company: Pandemonium Inc.

I entered this contest and made it to the "final round" twice. They actually sent out the "winning puzzle" each time, and both of them were absolutely insane.

It’s a cool contest idea and an amazing way to run a contest, I really wish it wasn’t a scam. It seems like a great concept.

I played one of those out of game informer. It's a racket, they get more money out of the entrants than the rig costs. I made the quarterfinal, but I think anyone who enters does. The rules were convoluted as to what words were legal to use. Ultimately, the winner was some guy from Sweden who used middle English words like "ux" which the rules actually forbade, but the address listed for entrants never replied to complaint letters. And yes, the game informed one I played was indeed by Pandemonium.

Whang - solving one 90s mystery at a time!!! Love your shit bro!!! EDIT: Wait, this took place in '04?

Haha! Glad I'm not the only one who remembered that episode of Doug! He fell for a contest scam that literally had the name Ponzi in it!

I remember seeing something like this in a magazine, but for a PS2, Xbox, and a GameCube. My mom wouldn’t let me enter because I already had a GameCube and PS2, as well as a Gameboy advanced, N64, and PS1. The definition of first world problems.

So why wouldn't he just send everyone a letter saying they lost? Why would he even let the winners know that they won?

Also, if the original email of the contest was disabled by spam and they lost the means to contact the participant... HOW WERE THEY ABLE TO EMAIL BACK THE CONTESTANTS TO LET THEM KNOW?!?

I tried one of these contests from a heavy metal magazine. This one was for a guitar rig.

Ad space in those magazines were super expensive. I remember making a comic book with a buddy back in the late 90's and trying to buy ad space for Wizard magazine. It was something like 800$ only for a 4 x 4 inch black and white ad. A whole page with color would be ridiculous cash.

Dont know if you covered this but i rember as kid seeing a contest in Nintendo power magazine and part of the prize was a walk on appearance in the mask 2.

Let me throw out another hypothesis. He tried to run it legit but got so few entries that he couldn’t cover the final cost of the prizes. Between offering too much and possible refunds from many players he couldn’t make it legit from the start. So, he ran it into the ground.

Dude is just like Don Lepre. He just got too far in over his head.

The intro music... yep that's the stuff

Man these 20 minutes flew by, I’m with you on the “in over his head” hypothesis

I remember this contest in EGM in the 90s thanks for the trip down memory lane

Did you do a video about the Pepsi-Points Harrier jet giveaway? I love that story.

YESS! i remember this! being a 34 yr old obsessed GamePro magazine reader id always see wacky give aways and contests. PLZ do more like this!

Totally fell for this long long ago. I think when it was called Pandemonium. My family tried to warn me but I wouldn't listen. I never got a response one way or the other after the final puzzle and after a while wrote it off and forgot it. This video really brought me back to a more innocent time. What a sucker I was 😂😂😂

OOoo! Oooo!!! This thing! I only once sent that magazine clipping thing! However i later learned that it was mostly a scam or something after watching the Doug episode about the crossword mail-in contest thingy. See "Doug's Mail Order Mania"

damn hahaha always wondered what lucky dog won this stuff

Scammer or bad businessman, either way, Lund sounds like the "Paul Heyman of gaming system contests".😂

Totally remembered these ads, but I was too busy saving up to purchase from other ads. Stuff like import games, nerdy/band tshirts, and back issues from Mile High Comics. Nostalgia. Great content Whang!

Wasn't this an episode of Doug? Edit: Whang covered it

I remember those. I always wanted one, hell I wanted a set up like this up until 2010 lol.

I think I want to build this gaming rig. I already have most of the consoles. Tracking down the sound system will probably be the hardest part.

Sounds like Rick Lund needs to make it so people can’t win twice

That golden saucer music....... nice touch

man it would be sweet if the winners all pooled what money they actually got from RIck Lund to sue him

This wasn't just limited to video game magazines. The dude advertised in guitar magazines as well. It was exactly the same except instead of consumer electronics the hook was a couple of high-end guitars and racks of sweet-ass gear. It was an effective scam, the lure of it finally hooked me at point and I tried it. At the end of the day I was out about $20 total, and in hindsight I consider that a fair trade for the lesson I learned.

2:19 "If you were an avid reader of gay magazines" is what I heard... lmao

This makes me want a video about the PC game Treasure Quest and the 1 million dollar contest prize.

Please do an update on the Cicada 3301 situation. I NEED to know more.

I was an avid EGM reader back in the day and eventually entered one of these contests during the 32-bit era. At the time, the prizes for the video game systems included a Saturn, a Playstation, an Atari Jaguar, I think a 3DO, and a Nintendo 64. The Nintendo 64 part was interesting because this was back before Nintendo began delaying the thing several times, so the N64 wasn't even out yet. In fact, I'm pretty sure it was advertised as the Ultra 64 in the ad. Alien Vs Predator for the Jaguar was the game shown on the TV in the ad. I got through the first couple rounds and actually somewhat enjoyed it simply for the puzzles. I was always very good at word jumbles so it was rather appealing to me. Then one day my mother found out I was mailing cash in a plain envelope and immediately made me stop. I was almost more disappointed about not getting more of the puzzles than the prospect of not winning. At the time, given the number of years I had seen these ads in magazines and how professional the ads looked, I couldn't understand why or how it could be a scam. Oh well. To be honest, the entire cost of entry to reach the finish would have been around or less than about $30 I think, which is a drop in the bucket compared to how much money I've wasted on other things throughout my life.

At an early age, my parents instilled in me the gift that I would fail at every endeavor I partake in. Though I saw this advertisement many times, I never entered.

You've got a good heart Whang. That was a very thoughtful conclusion you came to regarding rick lund.

For the one dude that "won" the crossword/spelling contest, he couldn't spell for shit.

Y'know, out of all of the videos I've witnessed relaying horrific news, this one is by far the most soul crushing. Kind of end up seeing it a few times each month. 12 year old me is furious.

I love how i get to learn things i've never heard of because of you! Keep doing what you're doing, Whang :)

Ive heard about this contest for awhile, Im pretty sure Richard Harold aka "Rick Lund" Born 1945 aged 74 passed away June 3rd of this year in Minnesota.

I entered this contest when it was known as Rattlebrain. I got to the final puzzle and my dad and I worked on it together to try and get the best score. It turned out that I came in second place but lost by only a few points. Rick Lund sent the winning puzzle solution to me to prove a higher score was possible. He did end up sending me a $200 consolation prize though

I saw these ads in video game magazines back in the day. I thought they were a scam then and didn't bother but thought "what if". The world sucks but whang is grand

I always wanted to win this just to get that Neo Geo AES. I always wanted a Neo Geo AES, I know I can get a Neo Geo CD but its not a Neo Geo without the massive cartridges

I practically lived on the forums for cheapassgamer and digitpress around that time. I’m amazed I don’t remember this thread.

I remember this!!!!! You should do videos about people that have won big drawings like this. I swear no one ever won these drawings.

@8:30, ah when the FF6 music drops, feels good man.

The Ultimate Gaming PC is no longer the Ultimate Gaming PC today.

Too bad these were just such scams. A televised sweet sixteen style play off for this would have paid for the prize alone.

I’m 40 years old and that ad that the man read off gave me the jitters like they did back in the day. Lmao I fucking love it.

been watching your channel since the darkest video game ending video and i’ve told sooo many people to check you out. you’re hitting 1 million subs this year man I just know it

i have my PC connected to my hifi stack, i grew up in the 90s and i LOVE my hifi setups.

Sat on my Sparco bucket seat bolted to my simracing rig, like, "I didnt win it, I built it!!"

I remember adds in the back of comic books for x-ray vision glasses. This reminds me of that. Rick setup a scam obviously. If he set out to actually have a contest he would've had the prize to give away.

Love all your vids but I have to say this is the first one to hit close to home for me. I drooled over that contest for years.

I remember this! Whang! thank you for another childhood memory invoking video!

Gambling for kids? Yongyea triggered

It's like you can see inside my head. I think "man whatever happened to *random obscure thing I thought was simply lost to time*? Well obviously no one else even remembers this. Then there's inevitably a WHANG! video to prove me wrong.

I don't remember this specific Ultimate Gaming Rig but I do remember seeing tons of these contests back when I was in middle school in 98-00. The first round you start from in a magazine was always way too easy and asked for $5, which adjusted for today's inflation is like $15. There was always a kid or 2 that was "we should send it in," but there was another kid to say "nah, dude that's a scam they aren't going to send you anything." Which of course was probably the kid that asked his parents for the $5 and was told that.

Holy shit I remember these adds in Tips & Tricks magazine

Whang the mystery song has been found in 8 days, cheers!

Loved the slots at the beginning combined with Cait siths theme lol.

BRO THIS VID IS 2 YEARS OLD???? THE META

Idk man... I may buy the whole "he's just a bad businessman" angle if it happened once, with a single company of his. However when it's something you've done over and over... it's a scam.

I think your theory makes sense in the beginning, but after a certain point he knows it's a scam and just keeps doing it anyway.

I swear the 8 bit horror that is that song from Who Framed Roger Rabbit. The little weasels hit you it’s over. Again and again with that song in my head. That game caused me real adult anxiety.

Hands down best content creator on YT. Always wanted to know what the deal was with this contest ever since I was a kid reading EGM!

I remember these contests. I wanted to enter one, and my parents said "no, that's definitely a scam". While they were right, I know they only said that because they thought video games were stupid.

"Truth is the game was rigged from the start."- benny

What's so crazy is, the guy could have just simply never told anyone they actually "won" and he probably would have gotten away with it for longer than he did. It was so complex, would anyone have taken the time to see if their score was actually the highest? Just an incredibly dumb scam.

dude ive been literally leaving your channel on and just letting it roll... i used to do every single one of these contests. dude keep it coming with the nostalgia!! wrestling, music, the internet, tv. sooo fucking GOOD!!

I bet that Stereo sounds way better than the 90% of modern soundbars.

From the players side this isn't gambling, (as loot boxes 100% are especially in game such as CS:GO where in game merchandise can translate to real world money.) As you've established it was a real skill based game, not a luck of the draw scenario. If a player who won got anything back more than they put it, then they technically won, even if it wasn't the ammount they thought they were going to get. The real person who was gambling in this situation was Rick Lund. The goal of any business is to make a profit. In the case of a game like this, you make a profit when enough people play that the entry fees exceed the cost of the prizes AND the cost of operation. By short changing the winners, Rick probably broke even, making enough of a living to keep the lights on and himself fed, but not really enough that his efforts didn't simply ammount to a 9 to 5 job. The stress and anxiety of continuing to operate this business couldn't have been easy. If it was just a job, why would he keep going if his life would be easier if he just stopped and got a job somewhere else? That's where the gambling came in. Rick was too invested in the game to quit. There was always a chance that the next month's contest would be the won that takes off, where every kid in america enters and he's able to deliver the goods and still walk away with a sizeable enough profit that he could reinvest in making the business better, but ultimately that never happened. It's sad really, had Rick not promised more than he could reasonably deliver, his business could have been a success. Instead of promising big extravagent packages he should have kept them smaller and more reasonable and sought to partner with specific retail outlets to potentially offset the cost of delivery by having winners pick up their merchandise at a place like Circuit City.

Finally! A video on this ad campaign. I subscribed to your channel bc of this! (I’m a bit late,I know) but I’ve been looking for info on this since I saw it in EGM in 1994 and promptly entered w/ my allowance money. It was the version w/ 3DO, Jag, Genesis/Sega CD & SNES. It had AVP for Jag on the screen. This is info is gold!!! TY again Justin!

Wow, my instinct served me well,I remember these contests but something told me, this is too good to be true and I never participated in none of them.