Smash TV: 90s Arcade Carnage You Can’t Miss!
2🕹 Game Name: Smash TV
📛 Alternate Names: Super Smash T.V.
📅 Release Date: April 1990
🔫 Genre: Twin-stick shooter
👨 🏻 💻 Developers: Williams Electronics
👨 🏻 💻 Publishers: Williams Electronics
🔢 Max Players: 2
⁉ Cooperative: Yes
🕹 Game Introduction:
Step into a dystopian future where the only path to fame and fortune is through a brutal, televised bloodbath. Smash TV is a high-octane, arcade twin-stick shooter that throws players into a deadly game show where survival is the only rule.
🕹 Game Description:
Set in a 1999 satire of consumerism and media excess, Smash TV challenges players to survive waves of enemies while collecting cash, toasters, VCRs, and other absurd prizes. The game's violent gameplay, rapid pacing, and quirky humor made it an instant arcade hit.
🎴 Game Play:
👉 🏻 Players use two joysticks — one for movement, one for firing in 360 degrees
👉 🏻 Fight through multiple rooms filled with enemies, bosses, and traps
👉 🏻 Collect power-ups like spread guns, grenades, and shields
👉 🏻 Rack up prizes for bonus points and high-score dominance
👉 🏻 Face off against grotesque bosses like Mutoid Man and Scarface
📕 Background & History:
Developed by the same minds behind Robotron: 2084, Smash TV takes that twin-stick chaos to a new level. It was released during a time when arcade cabinets were evolving toward more extreme and competitive experiences. The game’s over-the-top violence and satirical tone resonated with early ’90s arcade-goers.
🐣 Cheats, Tricks, Bugs, and Easter Eggs:
👉 🏻 In some versions, entering certain initials at the high score screen triggers hidden messages
👉 🏻 Unlimited continues allow players to eventually grind their way to the ending
👉 🏻 Easter egg messages occasionally flash on screen during boss fights
🐱 💻 Hacks:
👉 🏻 Modified ROMs exist that adjust difficulty scaling and enemy behavior
👉 🏻 Some hacked versions offer permanent power-ups or speed modifications
🎉 Trivia:
👉 🏻 The game famously parodied TV catchphrases like “Big Money! Big Prizes!”
👉 🏻 Inspired by The Running Man and other dystopian media
👉 🏻 Later featured in several compilation titles for home systems
👉 🏻 Known for its brutal difficulty and relentless enemy swarms
👉 🏻 Often ranked as one of the best arcade shooters of all time
👓 Lonster's Review:
Smash TV is pure arcade adrenaline. The twin-stick control setup is intuitive but chaotic, and the nonstop action is addicting. From the moment you're dropped into the arena, it’s an all-out fight for survival. The satire lands, the gameplay slaps, and the bosses are insane. This is a quarter-muncher masterpiece that earns every credit it eats.
🌟 Legacy:
Smash TV influenced countless twin-stick shooters that followed. It helped popularize the dual-joystick format and inspired everything from Geometry Wars to Enter the Gungeon. It remains a staple in arcade retrospectives and compilations.
✨ Cultural Impact:
The game’s catchphrases and aesthetic have seeped into gaming culture, especially among fans of retro gaming and dystopian fiction. Its satirical edge captured the media obsession of the late ’80s/early ’90s and still resonates today.
💭 Lonster's Final Thoughts:
Few games capture the chaos and fun of Smash TV. It’s fast, wild, and brutally fun. Whether solo or with a buddy, it’s a nonstop thrill ride. I’d buy that for a dollar — and then spend ten more trying to survive.
📱 Where To Find Lonster da Monster?:
Lonster's Pop! Obsession: / @lonster_da_monster
Instagramhttps://www.instagram.com/lonster_da_monster/
Twitterhttps://twitter.com/lonstrdamonstr
TikTokhttps://www.tiktok.com/@lonsterdamonster
Twitch Gaminghttps://www.twitch.tv/lonster_da_monster
Buy Me A Beerhttps://www.buymeacoffee.com/lonsterdamonster..
Please don't forget to LIKE, COMMENT, SUBSCRIBE & turn on your NOTIFICATIONS so you never miss a video!!!
#️ ⃣
#lonstersretroarcade #lonsterdamonster #arcade #arcades #retroarcades #arcadegames #arcadegame #arcaderacer #arcadeplayers #arcade_game #arcadehacks #arcadegamemachine #arcadestick #arcadeshooter #videogame #videogames #videogaming #videogameaddict #videogamemusic #videogamer #videogametrailer #gameteaser
#smashtv #twinstickshooter #retroaction #williamsarcade #arcadelegends #bossbattle #1990sarcade