Smash T.V.

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Smash T.V.
System(s): Sega Game Gear, Sega Master System, Sega Mega Drive,
Publisher: Acclaim
Developer: Williams, Prope
Genre: Shoot-'em-Up
Number of players: 1-2
ESRB PEGI OFLC

Smash TV (スマッシュTV) is an arcade hit by Williams, first released in 1990. The Sega Mega Drive and Super Nintendo ports were called Super Smash TV, though are essentially the same game and the title screens were left unchanged.

Smash TV is very similar to Robotron 2084, in that the player is controlled by two joysticks. One joystick alters the player's movement, while the other alters the direction of weapon fire. The player must overcome numerous enemies that spawn from four sides of the screen, making sure not to be killed. It is set in the then future world of 1999, where extreme violence and death in game shows is considered acceptable and is highly popular among viewers. As such, the game takes place in a studio with a presenter, and various studio equipment can be seen when transitioning between rooms. To compensate for the danger, there are lots of expensive prizes to be won by contestants.

Johnny Cage from the Mortal Kombat series is said to have completed the Smash TV course.

The game was brought to a variety of platforms by Acclaim, including the Amiga, Amstrad CPC, Atari ST, Commodore 64, NES, Sega Game Gear, Sega Master System, Sega Mega Drive, SNES, and ZX Spectrum. It has recently been re-released on the Xbox Live Arcade service. The game was followed by a semi-sequel Total Carnage, which did not prove to be as successful.

Problems arise in some console ports of the game due to a lack of controller buttons. The Sega ports for example have to make do with alternative control schemes as neither the Mega Drive, Game Gear or Master System have four firing buttons. With the default Mega Drive setting, will fire in the direction of the player, will fire in the opposite direction and will lock the firing direction until released. However, there is the option to play with two controllers, where player 1's D-pad handles movement and player 2's handles the shooting. Using this method means the game is restricted to single player.

Due to the awkward controller set-ups the Super Nintendo version is often seen as the superior console port, however both Nintendo copies are unable to render as many enemies on screen at once without slowdown, and do not retain the original music from the arcade version.

Physical Scans

Mega Drive Version

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  US Cart

Master System Version

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  EU Cover