Video Power

[parrothead]

I remember watching this show back when it first aired, but it came on at around 6:00 AM, which was the same time the Pokémon anime aired on the FOX Network, but Video Power was aired in the early '90s, while Pokémon aired in the late '90s. Video Power is an American television show that aired in two seasons by Acclaim Entertainment and Saban Entertainment. The first season was about giving cheats and reviewing games, as well as including a 15-minute episode of The Power Team starring characters from some games published by Acclaim Entertainment (including a licensed game simply titled "Big Foot" for the NES). In the second and final season, it was a game show where contestants compete against each other in scoring through games in a tournament and use their gaming knowledge in the quiz segment, in order to go to the final round that allows them to grab as many games, consoles and other related stuff and slide down the tube slide before the time runs out.

Here is the opening for its first season, featuring game play footage of the Genesis/Mega Drive version of Michael Jackson's Moonwalker and the TurboGrafx-16/PC-Engine version of Vigilante.



Here is when Johnny Arcade checks out the canceled NES version of Nintendo's Sim City, StarTropics and NES Play Action Football.



Here is Johnny Arcade at the Nintendo Powerfest back in 1990.



There are several other video recordings of Video Power on YouTube, ScrewAttack, Google Video and RetroStatic, and I've been saving them to my hard drive just in case if they become unavailable.

[nocturnal YL]

Looks like a combination of a children's show and, uh, an ad.

And I have to wonder how many people (at that time) could tell that's Luigi?

[Fryguy64]

I can't watch the videos at work (dammit) but this sounds an AWFUL lot like the long-lost show that I have been unable to find out anything about. It's where I learned how to jump from the top of the staircase to the flagpole in Super Mario Bros. Impressed the whole family with that one

[Deleted]

OH SHIT, I REMEMBER THAT SHOW! XD They could, like, take video games and velcro them to their body and keep what managed to stick on - including entire consoles and handhelds! Daaamn, son. You just brought back some killer nostalgia ;D

[Nester the Lark]

Video Power was awesome at the time because it was the first show I remember seeing that was about video games. But even then, I didn't like The Power Team much.

I'm definitely more of a GamePro TV fan.

[parrothead]

Yes, I remember GamePro TV, and J.D. Roth, one of the hosts of the show, is now the narrator of The Biggest Loser, as well as the founder of 3 Ball Production. I also remember seeing him on the game show "Fun House".

The Power Team was so-so when I first watched it, but looking back at it makes me feel better. Big Foot was probably my favorite character, not only because of his voice and actions, but also the Big Foot game for the NES was the only game I played that was featured in the show during its time. I've never played Kwirk (known in Japan as "Puzzle Boy", which was also released for the TurboGrafx-16), Arch Rivals, N.A.R.C. nor Wizards & Warriors.

Anyway, the uploader of these recordings is Grooveraider, who has been a large video game fan for a couple of decades. His avatar in his channel shows him standing next to Gunpei Yokoi.

Here's a look at the Power Glove and its designer, William Novak on the same show:

[Koopaul]

Remember the Nick Arcade?

[parrothead]

If you think Luigi looked odd, then take a look at the original Mega Man and Bonk. Bonk looks angry, while Mega Man looks similar to the blue Teletubbie, Tinky:

May 27, 2009 23:27:04 GMT -5 Koopaul said:

Remember the Nick Arcade?

Before Nick Arcade and the second season of Video Power, there was this game show.