Press release: 1995-06-05: VIDEO-GAME WHIZ KIDS PUT UP A SUPER SONIC FIGHT

This is an unaltered copy of a press release, for use as a primary source on Sega Retro. Please do not edit the contents below. Language: English Original source: www.sun-sentinel.com (archived)

By DAVID NITKIN Staff Writer

SUN-SENTINEL

JUNE 5, 1995 | HOLLYWOOD




Their eyes locked on television screens, their thumbs pounding grey buttons, Paul Schnell and Daniel Janovitz waged a furious battle.

Paul, 11, and Daniel, 7 1/2, were each grabbing gold rings, skirting canyons and bopping ax-wielding spaceships.

Or rather, their hedgehogs were.

Paul and Daniel were two of 48 contestants vying for victory on Sunday in the opening round of the International Video Game Championships at the Howard Johnson Hollywood Beach Resort Inn.

Their battlefield: a humid poolside room equipped with four televisions. Each set was wired to a Sega Genesis game computer loaded with a "Sonic and Knuckles" cartridge.

At stake: a trip to Orlando and worldwide renown.

For the uninitiated, Sonic is a blue hedgehog with spiked hair.

He can roll himself into a whirling ball to cruise through his homeland of giant mushrooms and grassy slides.

Knuckles is a red hedgehog with droopy hair. He can fly and climb.

Paul and Daniel had five minutes to guide their burrowing mammals toward the most points possible.

Seconds ticked. First Paul took the lead. Then Daniel. Then Paul.

One minute to go.

Then Mother Nature took over. With rain pelting outside, electricity died.

Groans.

"If the power goes out again, I'm going to kill myself," Paul said.

The machines were restarted. Buttons clicked. Eyes gazed. Paul won with 18,900 points, 100 more than Daniel scored.

"Yes," Paul shouted, raising his fists and circling the room on in-line skates.

Paul had taken the round but not the day. That's because Ryan Janovitz, Daniel's twin brother, had racked up a mind-boggling 78,700 points earlier in the day.

Ryan's morning score withstood a day's worth of challenges. He took the ages 6-11 category, and is one of 80 semifinalists who compete again in two weeks. The 15 highest scorers on June 24 will go to Orlando for the final round in August.

The winner in the ages 12-17 category was Ryan Odabachian, 12, of Fort Lauderdale, who scored 23,700 points.

So what does it take to be champion? Hours of practice? Special wristguards to prevent strains? An unwavering commitment to stay indoors a foot away from a glowing screen?

Nah.

"I just practiced once - one day," said a quiet but confident Ryan Janovitz.

Even though they're video-game whizzes, it isn't hard to peel the thumb-tapping twins away from their electronic games, their father said.

"They really don't play that much," said Ed Janovitz, an insurance company owner from Weston. "They're more into hard-core sports, like roller hockey and basketball."