Author Topic: Nickelodeon 'Total Panic' reviewed TurboGrafx R-Type :) (Read 491 times)

handygrafx · « **on:** April 03, 2006, 11:08:17 PM »

from 1989 to 1990, Nickelodeon had this 3 hour show on Sunday mornings called Total Panic.

"Hosted by Molly Scott and Greg Lee, it was a 3 hour weekly variety show. The program included skits, video game and movie review segments."

they had these live action 'virtual' video-games like 'Eat A Bug'
(think PS2's eye toy on a huge screen) and Power Pad Pyramid that IIRC used the NES power pads. this technology was later used in Nickelodeon's more popular show, Nick Arcade.

anyway Total Panic was, to me, an awesome variety show that included videogame previews and reviews, including TurboGrafx-16 and Genesis which were both new at the time in the U.S.

I had a tape with a small amount of footage still there
(most of it was gone) but the best of what remains on that tape are amusing previews of Genesis Forgotten Worlds and, more importantly, NEC TurboGrafx-16 R-Type.

I've uploaded the Genesis Forgotten Worlds and TurboGrafx-16 R-Type segments to Youtube.

edit: it seems that i couldn't get it to play through FireFox, but Internet Explorer worked fine, yay!

(patience with youtube, they seem to be having a slow day)

there is not a whole lot, and the tape cuts off when they actually get down to 'review' R-Type, but not before a look at 4 of its levels.

for more info on Nickelodeon's TOTAL PANIC, see this post on Retrojunk
http://www.retrojunk.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=9285

when Total Panic was canceled by spring 1990, and after the re-runs ended, that was the end of my watching Nickelodeon. not even NickArcade could get me back. Nick crossed over into their era of 'complete and utter crap', IMO, during the 1990s.

esteban · « **Reply #1 on:** April 04, 2006, 07:26:25 AM »

this is a great find! "Take that, you fiend!" Holy crap, that FW footage was enjoyable. I wish R-Type was given a treatment like that. It's great that you actually had a videotape, even if it was partial, from the show. I sooooooooooooooo wanted to hear the little tyke's review of R-Type. It would have been pure gold. Pure gold.

I can add to this thread: Around 1989-1992, there was a show on WWOR 9 NYC, called "Video Power" or something like that. If you go to the Wikipedia entry for TurboGrafx-16, you'll find the few details I could remember about the show (hopefully it wasn't deleted / edited).

Video Power had a host who briefly narrated footage of NES, Genesis, and occasionally, TG-16 games! Sometimes he would talk about hints / tips for specific games, but usually the footage simply previewed a game.

There was also a cartoon, with a handful of token video game characters (I can't remember if they were licensed characters or clones... I remember a Castlevania / Barbarian sort of fellow, a talking Turnip who was always grumpy, and I forget the others). The cartoon was really, really lame. But I'd loved to see it now because it was totally ridiculous.

Anyway, on one show I remember seeing footage of Blazing Lazers! It was really brief, but it was one of the few TG-16 games to make it onto the show.

Please, please tell me that some crazy bastard out in cyberspace has episodes of Video Power on videotape!

handygrafx · « **Reply #2 on:** April 04, 2006, 07:31:54 AM »

I would love to see videos of Total Panic and Video Power.

I hope they get uploaded to Youtube

btw, I appologize, my youtube video does not seem to be loading&playing even though it IS up there. I've had this happen to at least one video, but later it played fine.

esteban · « **Reply #3 on:** April 04, 2006, 07:42:44 AM »

Quote from: "handygrafx"

I would love to see videos of Total Panic and Video Power.

I hope they get uploaded to Youtube

btw, I appologize, my youtube video does not seem to be loading&playing even though it IS up there. I've had this happen to at least one video, but later it played fine.

I was able to watch it just now! Brilliant! I edited my original post to reflect this, but it deserves to be said again!

My brothers and I taped some of the first TG-16 ads to appear in NYC area (again, I put details on Wikipedia). Anyway, there was one commerical we had that has yet to appear online... although it might have been a shortened version of an already-available ad (I'd have to re-watch them). We played the commerical in slow motion to get a better look at the games. Blazing Lazers, China Warrior... they all looked so kool back then

handygrafx · « **Reply #4 on:** April 04, 2006, 07:54:28 AM »

Quote from: "stevek666"

Quote

I was able to watch it just now! Brilliant! I edited my original post to reflect this, but it deserves to be said again!

awesome, I could not be happier than to hear of this!

My brothers and I taped some of the first TG-16 ads to appear in NYC area (again, I put details on Wikipedia). Anyway, there was one commerical we had that has yet to appear online... although it might have been a shortened version of an already-available ad (I'd have to re-watch them). We played the commerical in slow motion to get a better look at the games. Blazing Lazers, China Warrior... they all looked so kool back then

that's awesome! I look forward to seeing it sometime if you indeed put it online!

there is one TurboGrafx-16 commercial that I would dearly love to see, it was all or mainly about Legendary Axe. two guys are playing the game in their livingroom or den. there is a dog in this commercial, maybe a dalmation. you see the part when they get to the two bolders, and one of the guys says "GO BACK! GO BACK!" - my memory is foggy but I think one of the guys drops the sandwich he is eating, and the dog gets it. I think the dog rolls over too. I was looking for this commercial on gamepressure's game commercial section, no luck. i looked at youtube, no luck. i saw gaming-age's TG16 bonk and keith courage/fighting street commercials, those aren't it either. but it is *possible* that the two guys in the keith courage/fighting street commercial were the same guys in the Legendary Axe commercial....

maybe someone remembers the Legendary Axe commercial that I'm remembering. I probably saw it on MTV or Nickelodeon.

motdelbuort · « **Reply #5 on:** April 04, 2006, 10:40:07 AM »

Quote from: "stevek666"

this is a great find! "Take that, you fiend!" Holy crap, that FW footage was enjoyable. I wish R-Type was given a treatment like that. It's great that you actually had a videotape, even if it was partial, from the show. I sooooooooooooooo wanted to hear the little tyke's review of R-Type. It would have been pure gold. Pure gold.

I can add to this thread: Around 1989-1992, there was a show on WWOR 9 NYC, called "Video Power" or something like that. If you go to the Wikipedia entry for TurboGrafx-16, you'll find the few details I could remember about the show (hopefully it wasn't deleted / edited).

Video Power had a host who briefly narrated footage of NES, Genesis, and occasionally, TG-16 games! Sometimes he would talk about hints / tips for specific games, but usually the footage simply previewed a game.

There was also a cartoon, with a handful of token video game characters (I can't remember if they were licensed characters or clones... I remember a Castlevania / Barbarian sort of fellow, a talking Turnip who was always grumpy, and I forget the others). The cartoon was really, really lame. But I'd loved to see it now because it was totally ridiculous.

Anyway, on one show I remember seeing footage of Blazing Lazers! It was really brief, but it was one of the few TG-16 games to make it onto the show.

Please, please tell me that some crazy bastard out in cyberspace has episodes of Video Power on videotape!

The cartoon you're thinking of sounds like Captain N, which I think is available on youtube. But I don't remember any talking turnip?

The only show I remember seeing the Turbo on was Gamepro TV. In particular I remember one episode that had Silent Debuggers and Hellfire (Genesis ver.)

Keranu · « **Reply #6 on:** April 04, 2006, 03:59:28 PM »

Wow! I will be sure to watch the video and then post opinions! Lots of exciting stuff going on today.

esteban · « **Reply #7 on:** April 05, 2006, 07:11:03 AM »

Quote from: "motdelbuort"

The cartoon you're thinking of sounds like Captain N, which I think is available on youtube. But I don't remember any talking turnip?

The only show I remember seeing the Turbo on was Gamepro TV. In particular I remember one episode that had Silent Debuggers and Hellfire (Genesis ver.)

Oh, I should have made it clearer that the cartoon was a part of Video Power! There was no angry, belligerent talking turnip in Captain N! Not that I watched Captain N that often, but seriously, what are the chances?

When did Gamepro TV air? I guess I should look it up... Silent Debuggers was a later release in the TG-16 lifespan, so that helps...

handygrafx · « **Reply #8 on:** April 05, 2006, 07:56:45 AM »

IIRC, GamePro TV started airing sometime between 1990 and 1991. - but I don't know when it ended.

edit, Retrojunk says 1991 to 2000

motdelbuort · « **Reply #9 on:** April 05, 2006, 10:26:23 AM »

Quote from: "stevek666"

Quote from: "motdelbuort"
The cartoon you're thinking of sounds like Captain N, which I think is available on youtube. But I don't remember any talking turnip?

The only show I remember seeing the Turbo on was Gamepro TV. In particular I remember one episode that had Silent Debuggers and Hellfire (Genesis ver.)
Oh, I should have made it clearer that the cartoon was a part of Video Power! There was no angry, belligerent talking turnip in Captain N! Not that I watched Captain N that often, but seriously, what are the chances?

There was no belligerent talking turnip in Captain N, but there was a belligerent talking Eggplant!

esteban · « **Reply #10 on:** April 05, 2006, 01:27:25 PM »

Quote from: "motdelbuort"

There was no belligerent talking turnip in Captain N, but there was a belligerent talking Eggplant!

Ha. I wish I could draw this stupid turnip from Video Power -- it will go down in cartoon history as one of the

characters to grace televisions.

Keranu · « **Reply #11 on:** April 05, 2006, 07:43:15 PM »

Very cool R-Type footage! I was hoping that broadcast would include the full video though.

BadIdeaSociety · « **Reply #12 on:** May 02, 2006, 03:43:22 AM »

Quote from: "stevek666"

Quote from: "motdelbuort"
There was no belligerent talking turnip in Captain N, but there was a belligerent talking Eggplant!
Ha. I wish I could draw this stupid turnip from Video Power -- it will go down in cartoon history as one of the characters to grace televisions.

Kwirk: The Chilled Tomato?

Its little wonder why Acclaim went out of business with goofy characters like Kwirk.

esteban · « **Reply #13 on:** May 02, 2006, 07:44:47 AM »

Quote from: "BadIdeaSociety"

Quote from: "stevek666"
Quote from: "motdelbuort"
There was no belligerent talking turnip in Captain N, but there was a belligerent talking Eggplant!
Ha. I wish I could draw this stupid turnip from Video Power -- it will go down in cartoon history as one of the characters to grace televisions.

Kwirk: The Chilled Tomato?

Its little wonder why Acclaim went out of business with goofy characters like Kwirk.

Holy crap, the image doesn't work but I have this feeling that you've found the little bastard! Once I see an image, I'll be able to tell you

.

I honestly can't believe it was a licensed character! I wonder if all of the characters were from various games! Insanity!