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Old Video Game TV Shows Are Awesome

gamer culture

by Phil Kollar on October 16, 2010 at 10:20 PM

8,976 Views

I've never hidden my irrational love of watching video programming of other people playing and talking about games -- that's part of why I love Replay so much. When I was a kid, I used to go crazy for episodes of GamePro TV and Nick Arcade. Sadly, TV shows with much of a focus on games are mostly gone, but tonight I discovered one from the late '80s that I never knew about: Total Panic.

Total Panic was apparently a variety show on Nickelodeon that ran from 1989-1990. The segments on games featured a lot of gameplay footage and hilariously over-enthusiastic voiceovers. As corny as it is, I can't get enough of this stuff.

Check out a few videos of Total Panic uploaded by YouTube user RetroVGamer below. Be prepared for super-excited descriptions of old classics such as Altered Beast, Ghouls N' Ghosts, Super Mario Bros. 3, and...The Three Stooges.

For those looking for more old TV show love, RetroVGamer's YouTube channel is full of clips from the video game segments of obscure TV shows. I'll be watching these all night!

BONUS VIDEO: So it turns out the Nick Arcade contestants weren't always the smartest competitors...

[All the videos in this article found via NeoGAF]

Filed under: News, replay, Nostalgia, Gamer Culture, Total Panic, GamePro TV, old tv shows about games, Nick Arcade, old games

Comments

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by The1KingRob Saturday, October 16, 2010 at 10:36 PM

Ahhh youtube. Your the best.
by Greelax Saturday, October 16, 2010 at 10:40 PM

Gosh those kids are stupid
by Lilikka Saturday, October 16, 2010 at 11:00 PM

I remember the first summer I was allowed to stay home during school break and not have a babysitter. All I did was watch Nick Arcade, Guts and American Gladiators.
by tutelsongo Saturday, October 16, 2010 at 11:03 PM

I remember playing that California Games on genesis that game SUCKED.
by Mike Saturday, October 16, 2010 at 11:11 PM

become... the lightning fast werewolf.... the electrifying weredragon.... or even the mystical WERETIGER
by Cody Gilley Saturday, October 16, 2010 at 11:14 PM

Good old youtube always has the best in random crap around.
by MALIBINO Saturday, October 16, 2010 at 11:19 PM

Man I miss that show. Then I would watch Round House with the dad who drove around with a motorized lazy boy.
by Dogfonos Saturday, October 16, 2010 at 11:33 PM

If Sony hired this guy along with Kevin Butler they would be unstoppable.
by Martin Harrison Saturday, October 16, 2010 at 11:33 PM

These particular shows were before my time, but I religiously watch g4 for their game shows
by Occulted NinJa Saturday, October 16, 2010 at 11:58 PM

Mikey's going right... Oh he can't go right!
by Spartan186 H Sunday, October 17, 2010 at 12:30 AM

OMFG touch the coins, Nadine!
by Mark Zufelt Sunday, October 17, 2010 at 12:49 AM

Total Panic would probably have sucked me in back when I was a kid. I also remember Nick Arcade fondly. LOVED watching that show, and there were some pretty pathetic players in the green screen segments.
by Vexxez Sunday, October 17, 2010 at 01:01 AM

was that the micro machines guy? the voice in the first part of the first vid i mean
by FetusEater Sunday, October 17, 2010 at 02:45 AM

Who the hell are the Mary-O brothers?
by Raven K. Sunday, October 17, 2010 at 03:18 AM

I was thinking about the old game shows on Nick recently after seeing an advert on Adults Swim for a CN gameshow where contestants have to figure out how to squeeze through gaps in an advancing wall before it sweeps them into a pool. It seems pretty weaksauce that what would comprise one event on Double Dare is now an entire show on CN.

There were a few Nick vidja game shows I remember always wanting to go on. That and Carmen Sandiego, which I wanted to go on to win a trip to Disney World, obviously. They had a live roadshow version of Double Dare that came to town when I was just about too old for it anyway, but it was a huge suckfest and didn't have Marc Summers.
by Blue Warzone Sunday, October 17, 2010 at 08:17 AM

Kinda makes you cringe to watch, LOL. Wish I'd been around when these types of shows were on.
by BMW Sunday, October 17, 2010 at 08:19 AM

Nick Arcade was THE show for me as a kid.
by Long Tran Sunday, October 17, 2010 at 10:20 AM

Oh, boy. I loved Nick Arcade. They should bring it back!
by Jose L Vega Sunday, October 17, 2010 at 10:43 AM

LMAO!!!!! man now they cant make fun of Dan!!!!!!
by Steve Moore Sunday, October 17, 2010 at 01:42 PM

Ah, the late 1980s and early 1990s. Never heard of Total Panic, but I used to watch Nick Arcade and Game Pro TV (I think...was that the one with the small red-headed guy?). I am also a fan of watching anything game related and love Replay for this reason.