Old School Arcade Review: Smash Tv

[Saint_Michael 3]

Well, it is Monday Night, 3 hours of Raw, various crappy reality TV shows and toss i na few violent, gory ones as well and what do you get kids? Entertainment, and so it leads me into a game I use to play in the arcades and funny enough I just beat for the very first time on my computer, Smash TV. Now if you're an old schooler like me and hit the arcades you might have bumped into this game and drop a few dollars worth of quarters in.

 

One of the big things about this game was its violence, up until Mortal Kombat in 1992, I would put this in the top 5 in violent for its generation in the arcade, since it had blood and exploding body parts as you killed your way to the top. Another thing that made this game unique is it controllers, there were no A+B buttons, instead you just have the movement controllers to move in full 360 degrees and where ever you move you automatically shoot your standard gun or the various weapons you can pick up along the way.

 

As for the last thing that made the game interesting, and no it was not the big breasted chicks, but scoring cash prizes, 2600" TV's, plane trips, food, VCR's, and other interesting prizes. So, that is the gist of the game, but trust me, getting through each stage is challenging enough, however, if you get to end stage bosses, prepare to get frustrated and dropping even more coin. Not that you would get frustrated during all the stages, especially once you get surrounded by the bad guys.

 

There is one thing I notice, doing this game is pretty damn difficult, but manageable, but if you go with two players it is a lot more easier to cover ground and take out as much as you can. Of course, I will note that if you do go two players, expect a competition on who can score more points than the other, especially when picking up gifts and cash. Now then, let go over some basic info and of course my thoughts of the past and present.

 

 

Smash TV

Some Screen Shots

 

 

I BUY THAT FOR A DOLLAR!!

 

Game Maker: Williams

Year: 1990

Price: 50 cents a came and i believe 25 cents to continue

Levels: 3 Stages, with multiple stages with prize areas as well

Sound: 10

Graphics: 8.5

Mini-Games: prize areas

Difficulty: Back then: 10 Now: 10

Replay Value: 10

Game play:

 

Your basic run and gun game with various weapons to kill, blow up as many bad guys, robots and flying things as you.

 

First Impressions:

 

Definitely a hard game, but great wrist breaking action and I could never get far into this game, I think i made it once to the first stage boss with help, but never could get far on a few dollars. Still, it was violently addictive game well worth my money. I do remember playing it on the Genesis when it was ported but the quality and violence wasn't as good and I think it was bit short and even then I still could only get to the first boss on stage one.

 

20 years later

 

Still an awesome game and like I just said I beat it for the first time with a score of over 20 million, granted it could have been more if I didn't add a second towards the end of the game since that one had over 10 million. So like I said, if you went through this game on two players it would be a competition who could score the highest and to ball park it a bit. I think I spent about $30-40 by the time I finish the game. Of course, I hear you can get it through Xbox and PS3 and so I would download it if you can. Or if you know any local arcade shops still running, who knows you might see that game there.

 

Overall Ranking: 10

 

The replay value and competition alone make this game worthy of a ten and so the challenge would be to stretch out those lives as long as possible, but I doubt any skilled player could beat the bosses without dying. Well, quite frankly it is quite impossible since you need the special weapons in order to beat them and with various ways to kill you, plan to spend most of your quarters there.

 

So this is my review of the Arcade classic and Now for that Catchy slogan--

 

"Games don't get old, just people!"

 

--Now for some copyright info

Images and of course games are copyrighted to its perspective owners blah blah blah. Roms are illegal and so do not get caught blah blah blah or else blah blah blah. Reviews and opinions are my own so don't argue with me unless you can prove otherwise why this game sucks and 100% of the time you are wrong because one your either a new school gamer and don't know a good game when you see it or two, well there is no two so HA!!. All slogans, trademarks and names excluded the games I review are copyrighted to me blah blah and blah. 2007-2009 SM Old School Legend.