Does anybody remember the game show of Starcade?

PC Engine Fan X! · Post by **PC Engine Fan X!** » Wed Jul 12, 2006 8:40 am

If you remember getting up to watch Starcade on Saturday mornings in 1982-1983, you're considered a "old school" arcade gamer. It was hosted by Geoff Edwards (who went on to host the California Big Spin when it first hit the California TV airwaves in 1985). FYI, this was an American nationally syndicated TV game show for our international shmuppers in case if they've never heard of it. ^_~

Starcade featured two contestants who had to answer correctly a series of "multiple choice-based" arcade game related questions to advance to the final round. In the final round, there were three randomly chosen arcade game cabinets that the contestant had to score a certain number of points in 2 to 3 minutes "countdown" style (this pre-determined set "base" score to beat was based upon the average Joe arcade gamer if he or she were to play the same game in two or three minute increments -- the "base" score scored at the end of that time limit was what the Starcade game contestants had to aim for, either match it or beat it).

If he or she met or exceeded the "base" score critera in the time given for all three arcade games and had the highest score overall...he or she got take home, a spanking brand new full-sized arcade game cabinet with a single dedicated game PCB as the grand prize! Wasn't that the ultimate wish of every school kid in the USA at that time to own their own full-sized arcade game machine & be the envy of the neighborhood? ^_~

Many arcade game titles were shown each week courtesy of the arcade game manufacturers themselves (i.e. -- Atari, Bally Midway, Williams, Taito, Stern, Cinematronics, Centuri, Exidy, etc.). It was cool to see all the latest different arcade game titles even if they didn't appear at your local arcade. ^_~

There was a 12 year old boy from Modesto, CA who made it on the Starcade TV show (although I forgot what his name was). I thought that was bitching cool. I remember he didn't win the grand prize though...at least he tried though. ^_~

I remember a cool Starcade promotional poster hung at a local Modesto, CA arcade called Cals-R-Cade...this was back in 1984-1987. Funny thing is I still have an old coupon for that particular arcade even though it no longer exists. It closed it's doors for good in the early 1990's due to bigger arcades taking away it's share of business since it was considered a smaller "Mom & Pop" arcade hangout. It had some cool arcade shmup games titles to play like:

Danguard -- UFO Robo

Ajax

Super Select System -- Sidewinder shmup title

This quirky Japanese Laserdisc-based shmup that featured a cool anime opening intro that gave way to hand-drawn sprites (I forget the name it though...it does remind me of Funai's cool 1983 arcade shmup Laserdisc-based game of "Interstellar" although that shmup game was a mixture of CGI pre-rendered FMV backgrounds combined with 2-D hand drawn sprites.) ^_~

Section Z

PC Engine Fan X! ^_~

neorichieb1971 · Post by **neorichieb1971** » Wed Jul 12, 2006 9:38 am

They show this on G4TV

I don't watch G4 lately because I don't have cable anymore but I'm sure they show reruns of it still.

PC Engine Fan X! · Post by **PC Engine Fan X!** » Wed Jul 12, 2006 10:06 am

For neorichie1971,

No shit, so G4TV still shows Starcade from time to time? I'll have to check it out for old time's sake. Retro arcade game show at it's finest... ^_~

PC Engine Fan X! ^_~

neorichieb1971 · Post by **neorichieb1971** » Wed Jul 12, 2006 10:34 am

The episodes I watched the winner of the show could take home a mint condition brand new arcade machine.

Makes me wonder if the show existed today what they would actually give you? HOTD4 special hehe.

ryosnk · Post by **ryosnk** » Wed Jul 12, 2006 1:50 pm

Enjoy. http://www.youtube.com/results?search=S ... rch=Search

DJ Incompetent · Post by **DJ Incompetent** » Wed Jul 12, 2006 2:10 pm

Good stuff. I like how everybody on the show looks like they have no idea what's going on.
I almost want that theme song. Like if I added double bass to it somehow it would turn into somethin' crazy-awesome.

lol, Video Power! That's what I was watchin' a little of growing up. That was the show where every winner had to run through the velcro maze of games to find the Neo Geo at the end, right? Funny shit.

kjs77 · Post by **kjs77** » Wed Aug 09, 2006 8:48 pm

I loved watching that show but hated how it never had a steady schedule. Seemed like whenever I saw it I just happened to stumble upon it from channel surfing. One game I distinctly remember them having in the final round was the game based on the band Journey. I also remember a kid I used to hang out with liked that show too. He would come over and we would have our own version of the game show with my ColecoVision system and cartridges. Ah, fun times.

FRO · Post by **FRO** » Thu Aug 10, 2006 3:25 pm

I don't see the show in G4's list of programming...