I've been a gamer since I was six and I've watched Nickalodion game shows since I was seven, so having a game show on Nickaldion based on video games was a dream come true for me, let alone made perfect sense.
Basically the show was sort of the 90's version of "Starcade" only instead of video game cabinets it was console games. It makes sense because the video game subculture was on the rise, mostly for video games consoles when at the time they just made the leap from 8 bit to 16 bit gaming which was on fire as their were a variety of consoles like the "Genesis", "SNES", "Neo Geo", and "Turbo Graphx 16". I personally wanted all of them because of the games each of them contained ( I have all consoles now for the record.) Yeah, it's true just like "Starcade" those things make the show kinda dated. But as I said before it took place in the 90's those console systems were novelties at the time, much as consoles like "X Box One" and "PlayStation 4" are. So how we felt about them now is the same as how we feel about those game systems and probably the ones after those ones may'be an "X Box Two" who knows.
I remember I wanted to be in this game mainly just to play those video games as well as go into that big room. I really like the production value really had a fun energetic atmosphere, even liked the host whom was just a lot of fun always liked it when it almost sounded like he was singing a song as what he said went along with the theme that sometimes plays in the background.
The first challenge we see all of the contestants play some sort of digital board game where there was this figure they had to command to go one direction or another to get to the goal. But of course each of the empty square was a hidden surprise either an opportunity to score or earn more points, but like with all board games there are hazards to set you back like if you land on a square you might encounter some sort of baddie that does damage to Mikey which makes you lose a turn. Or those bombs you walk on if not disarmed by answering questions or spelling words correctly in a short amount of time you were forced to move a step or two back.
However were all in this show really for the video games. I was always anchiously awaiting one of the teams to land on the video challenge square so I would get to see them play some video games. It's true that sometimes there was those original games that the show had for both teams to play against each other, those games were fun but not classics as they were just passable point racer games.
It was really the video games that were displayed for different video game systems I just mentioned that I was interested in, because they were the real deal. I wanted to see what those games were and how they worked, because you have to understand this show was in the early 90's we didn't have an internet to access video game trailers, web reviewers or footage in mere seconds. We had only video game magazines and the pictures they provided, one video game review show "Game Pro", and what ever we could find at our local video store for rent; yeah things were that tough. So in a way this show was sort of my information conduit for certain video games.
Seeing the games being played was awesome, though I hate to say it and not to sound bias but most of the contestants that played those games weren't very good. I only have two conclusions to this, one most of them really suck or two none of them have trained (honestly they couldn't get to the middle of the first level). I remember seeing that thinking, man I could do better than that, and I literally can since I actually own and have played most of the games in each episode.
And of course last there was the video room which was the highlight of the show. It was so cool just to seem each of the contestants getting inside of a video game and playing, it was like a dream come true, or so it seemed. I really liked how each of the round were always kinda a different game as one was the typical point A to B run, another would be a moving platform, a top down shooter in another, and so forth. And each of them had some power up which gave the contestants not just a step ahead but added to the video game experience. This can be really hectic as you have to act fast and really think on your feet since each challenge changes as you clear one, let alone getting oriented with the format quickly.
Though it's true that looking at it now it's not really that impressive, as it was just really just green screening and motion control. But for it's time it was really cool and almost revolutionary as it presented motion control which kinda predates "X Box Kinect" and "Wii". I personally still wouldn't mind giving the room a shot just for the heck of or.
Overall, Nick Arcade just like any video game is just plain fun. For veteran gamers this show is a fun nostalgia trip but for current and next gen gamers it's a good history lesson to the silver age in gaming.
Rating: 3 and a half stars
