Smash TV
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| Smash TV | |
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| Developer(s) | Williams Electronics |
| Publisher(s) | Williams Electronics |
| Designer(s) | Mark Turmell |
| Release date(s) | 1990 |
| Genre(s) | Run and gun/Multi-directional shooter |
| Mode(s) | Up to 2 players, playing simultaneously |
| Platform(s) | Arcade, NES, Super NES, Sega Master System, Sega Mega Drive, Sega Game Gear, Commodore 64, Amstrad CPC, ZX Spectrum, Amiga, Atari ST, PC |
| Input | Joystick |
| Arcade cabinet | Upright |
| Arcade system(s) | Williams Y Unit |
| Arcade sound system(s) | M6809 @ 2 MHz YM2151 @ 3.57958 MHz HC55516 2 x DAC. |
| Arcade display | Raster resolution 410×256(Vertical) Many Colors |
Smash TV is a 1990 arcade game created by Mark Turmell for Williams. Home versions were developed for various platforms and most were published by Acclaim Entertainment.
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[edit] Description
The game format was very similar to that of Eugene Jarvis' earlier Robotron: 2084, with dual-joystick controls and series of single screen areas. The theme of the game involved players competing in a violent gameshow (set in the then-future of 1999), probably inspired by the novel, and probably its 1987 movie adaptation, The Running Man.
The game featured verbal interjections from the gameshow host including:
"Bingo!" (when inserting a coin or picking up the smart bomb) "Good Luck...you'll need it!" "I'd buy that for a dollar!" (a RoboCop reference), "Big Money! Big Prizes! I love it!" "Total Carnage! I love it!"
The last quote gave itself to the title of the 1991 follow-up, Total Carnage, which, while not a direct sequel, featured similar gameplay.
Other interjections include:
"Let's Go!" (when first starting the game) "No Way!" (Game Over; also uttered by the bosses)
The announcer in the game was voiced by sound designer Paul Heitsch. The script was created by the game's sole composer and sound designer Jon Hey. The voice of General Ahkboob in the sequel "Total Carnage" was that of Ed Boon, coding creator of Mortal Kombat.
This game is somewhat (in)famous for its graphic nature and for its later versions, where players could enter "The Pleasure Dome" (a possible reference to the Frankie Goes To Hollywood song "Welcome to the Pleasuredome") for beating the game (if they collected 10 elusive keys). This involved beautiful female co-hosts in various stages of undress.
On the 2005 game Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories, there is a side-mission called 'Slash TV', which parodies this, where the player's character is surrounded by enemies, and is awarded cash for eliminating waves of them. The camera angle changes from the game's traditional third-person "over the shoulder" view to a slightly angled overhead view so it looks like the original.
The arcade game The Grid features a Smash TV-like host.
According to his Konquest Mode profile on Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance, the character Johnny Cage once took part in a celebrity version of SMASH T.V., defeated the host with his Shadow Orb attack and gave his prize winnings to charity.
[edit] Ports
Smash TV was heavily ported to consoles, including the following: NES, SNES (as Super Smash TV), the Sega Game Gear, Sega Mega Drive/Sega Genesis (as Super Smash TV) and Sega Master System.
Home computer versions were produced by Ocean for the ZX Spectrum, Commodore 64, Amstrad CPC, Atari ST and Commodore Amiga, all released in early 1992. The Amiga version scored 895 out of a possible 1000 in a UK magazine review. The Spectrum magazine CRASH awarded that version 97%, a rating which proved controversial.
It was also part of the Midway Arcade Treasures collection, which was released for the PC, GameCube, Xbox and PlayStation 2 in 2003.
Smash TV has also been made available for download through Microsoft's Xbox Live Arcade service on the Xbox and Xbox 360 and is the first version of the game to allow two players to play the game online.
[edit] References
- ↑ Douglas, Jim (December 1991). Smash TV (review of Amiga version). ACE (UK magazine published by EMAP), p. 80–85.
[edit] External links
- Mean Machines - Smash TV review
- Arcade-History Database entry
- Smash T.V. at MobyGames
- Killer List of Video Games entry
- SydLexia.com Smash TV
Categories: 1990 arcade games | 1990 computer and video games | Amiga games | Amstrad CPC games | Arcade games | Atari ST games | Commodore 64 games | Game Gear games | Midway Games | Nintendo Entertainment System games | Sega Mega Drive/Sega Genesis games | Sega Master System games | Super NES games | Williams games | Xbox 360 Live Arcade games | ZX Spectrum games | Shoot 'em ups | Xbox Live Arcade games | Two Joysticks, no buttons
