Smash TV

Tim Janssen · 18 April 2001, 12:10

I have some very bad memories about Smash TV, a coin-op conversion by Ocean in 1991.
The game has you, a contestant in a future gamesquiz, shooting and killing your way out of several arenas. Now and then you can pick up/win your occasional toaster, videorecorder or chaingun(?). The whole game is basically a shoot'em up with an original twist added to the action.

When I first played the game, I was hooked by its very difficult gameplay and huge amount of enemies firing at you. But every time I lost all of my lives at the second end-level boss.
On a sad afternoon I stumbled for the zillionth time at this endboss.. and I couldn't take it anymore! I took the disc out of my Amiga and threw it to a wall in my bedroom. The whole disc was SMASHed but thankfully that evil game was erased too.

Who says people cannot get aggressive from videogames?

18 April 2001, 12:21

Wasn't this game based on the film 'The Running Man'?

Have you managed to get hold of another copy?
Have you got past the 2nd Level boss yet?I know what you mean it was a hard game, especially the bosses.

Quote:

Tim Janssen

Who says people cannot get aggressive from videogames?

Well it wasn't me Tim, I always used to punch the Television especially in games like Sensi Soccer.
I think I took all of my aggression out on that poor tele!!

Tim Janssen · 18 April 2001, 13:22

Smash TV is based on a coin-op from the arcades. I am sure it is a coin-op conversion because I played the original on an arcade cabinet way back in 1991.
The original game is programmed by mr Eugene Jarvis who also pleased us with Defender, Robotron, NARC and Cruisin' USA in the arcades.

After I smashed my Smash TV Amiga disc all those years ago I never bothered to get an other copy of it. I really, really hated this game. But nowadays in this era of Amiga emulation I am much milder (and finally have grown up). I think I will download Smash TV for my Amiga emulator...soon.

On the other hand, I have played C64 Smash TV on a C64 emulator and it really is one of the best games I have ever seen on that machine. It comes VERY close to the Amiga version. C64 Smash TV had a trainer version so with infinite lives, ammo, time and power-ups I have managed to kill all end-bosses (Finally! Whaahaha) and finished the game. Pity I don't know what the end is about.

RCK · 18 April 2001, 14:13

The best way to enjoy this game is to play at the original arcade version with MAME

Shatterhand · 18 April 2003, 08:18

So, did Tim Janssen ever played Smash TV again?

Tim Janssen · 22 April 2003, 08:18

Although I have downloaded Smash TV on MAME and tested it I haven't bothered to play it.
And no, I also still don't have downloaded an adf of Amiga Smash TV two years since the first post in this thread.

cv643d · 23 April 2003, 21:57

I can really recommend the SNES version too, I love it, but I have never beaten the second boss.

Since Smash TV uses one joystick for movement and 4 buttons for shooting in different directions I think the Amiga version wont do it justice, but ie, I dont know since I only played the SNES (real cart) and MAME version.

Smash TV is the innoficial follow up to Robotron 2084, a game that used to individual joysticks instead of one joystick and 4 buttons for firing.

The game is most funny in multiplayer, but one player is a blast to I have found out

Shatterhand · 24 April 2003, 05:22

Tim, you should credit-feed the MAME version, and finish it this way. At least you would have the feeling of finishing it

I finished the Amiga version.. by CHEATING, of course

Without cheat, I think I have never beaten the 2nd boss too.

Oh, and I always played with 2 joysticks on my miggy,

spiff · 24 April 2003, 11:42

SmashTv (and total carnage?) rocks on my HotrodSe

http://www.hanaho.com/products/HotRo...ick/index.html

Bolch · 20 May 2007, 00:16

After many hours and many pulled out hair, I finally finished this game without trainer. (Well, if state saving/loading in WinUAE after every minute doesn't count as a "trainer".)

It's insane. The most difficult, unfair, annoying game I ever played. The programmers clearly made no attention to make "Smash TV" even remotely playable. Even with constant quickloading, it was almost impossible to beat. (In the next-to-last level I was beginning to think that the program is buggy and this room has an unlimited number of enemies - because they were still coming after appr. 25 minutes!) Which is a shame, because "Smash TV" has many good ideas - especially the double-joystick control method -, I liked the parody of the bloodthirsty consumer society, and even the execution is great. But overall, playing it is more like a torture than an enjoyment.
Oh, and after all this misery, the program told me at the end that I can't watch the ultimate ending because I didn't find everything and couldn't enter the Pleasure Dome.
Did anyone manage to finish it at 100% on Amiga?

Graham Humphrey · 20 May 2007, 00:29

Hey, have you ever played the sequel Total Carnage on the Amiga? It makes the conversion of Smash TV look like a timeless classic, it's absolutely horrendous.

Bamiga2002 · 20 May 2007, 06:39

Just play with two joysticks: other to move the player and other to shoot

. Becomes much easier to complete. And not cheating

!

Bolch · 20 May 2007, 08:37

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bamiga2002

Just play with two joysticks: other to move the player and other to shoot

. Becomes much easier to complete. And not cheating

!

I used two joysticks, all right. All of my above post applies to dual-joystick play. I cannot even dare to imagine how it would have been with one controller. (shudder)

Wait a minute... do you mean that you actually COMPLETED the game without cheating?

In that case:

Bamiga2002 · 21 May 2007, 14:26

Yerp completed many times with 2 joysticks

. With just one i've managed to get on level 4 but never completed the whole game.

seuden · 21 May 2007, 14:55

Title of the game say's it all really, lol.

Bolch · 21 May 2007, 18:15

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bamiga2002

Yerp completed many times with 2 joysticks

. With just one i've managed to get on level 4 but never completed the whole game.

Incredible! I thought it's virtually impossible because of the constantly - and often unavoidably - swarming enemies, the lack of room to manouver and the insanely hard boss fights. I'm truly amazed that you managed to beat it against all odds.

Is it possible to reach the Pleasure Dome and complete the game at 100% on Amiga?

mrbob2 · 22 May 2007, 01:09

smash tv? smash game disk more like! lol

Carcenomy · 27 May 2007, 06:30

I haven't seen the Amiga or MAME versions of SmashTV yet, I might have to have a look.

SmashTV was recently made available on the Xbox Live Arcade, and true to form uses both analog sticks on each player's controller. But OH MY LORD it's hard! Lots of fun with a mate though, you get VERY drunk if you drink for every life lost *chuckle*

Now where did I put my other Amiga joystick...

18 April 2001, 13:22	#3
Tim Janssen Junior Member Join Date: Apr 2001 Location: Den Bosch / The Netherlands Age: 47 Posts: 1,271	Smash TV is based on a coin-op Smash TV is based on a coin-op from the arcades. I am sure it is a coin-op conversion because I played the original on an arcade cabinet way back in 1991. The original game is programmed by mr Eugene Jarvis who also pleased us with Defender, Robotron, NARC and Cruisin' USA in the arcades. After I smashed my Smash TV Amiga disc all those years ago I never bothered to get an other copy of it. I really, really hated this game. But nowadays in this era of Amiga emulation I am much milder (and finally have grown up). I think I will download Smash TV for my Amiga emulator...soon. On the other hand, I have played C64 Smash TV on a C64 emulator and it really is one of the best games I have ever seen on that machine. It comes VERY close to the Amiga version. C64 Smash TV had a trainer version so with infinite lives, ammo, time and power-ups I have managed to kill all end-bosses (Finally! Whaahaha) and finished the game. Pity I don't know what the end is about.

18 April 2001, 14:13	#4
RCK Administrator Join Date: Feb 2001 Location: Paris / France Age: 46 Posts: 3,099	Smash TV powaaaaaaaaaa The best way to enjoy this game is to play at the original arcade version with MAME

22 April 2003, 08:18	#6
Tim Janssen Junior Member Join Date: Apr 2001 Location: Den Bosch / The Netherlands Age: 47 Posts: 1,271	Nope Although I have downloaded Smash TV on MAME and tested it I haven't bothered to play it. And no, I also still don't have downloaded an adf of Amiga Smash TV two years since the first post in this thread.

20 May 2007, 00:16	#10
Bolch Registered User Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Hungary Posts: 147	After many hours and many pulled out hair, I finally finished this game without trainer. (Well, if state saving/loading in WinUAE after every minute doesn't count as a "trainer".) It's insane. The most difficult, unfair, annoying game I ever played. The programmers clearly made no attention to make "Smash TV" even remotely playable. Even with constant quickloading, it was almost impossible to beat. (In the next-to-last level I was beginning to think that the program is buggy and this room has an unlimited number of enemies - because they were still coming after appr. 25 minutes!) Which is a shame, because "Smash TV" has many good ideas - especially the double-joystick control method -, I liked the parody of the bloodthirsty consumer society, and even the execution is great. But overall, playing it is more like a torture than an enjoyment. Oh, and after all this misery, the program told me at the end that I can't watch the ultimate ending because I didn't find everything and couldn't enter the Pleasure Dome. Did anyone manage to finish it at 100% on Amiga? Last edited by Bolch; 20 May 2007 at 00:43.

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18 April 2001, 12:10	#1
Tim Janssen Junior Member Join Date: Apr 2001 Location: Den Bosch / The Netherlands Age: 47 Posts: 1,271	I have some very bad memories about Smash TV, a coin-op conversion by Ocean in 1991. The game has you, a contestant in a future gamesquiz, shooting and killing your way out of several arenas. Now and then you can pick up/win your occasional toaster, videorecorder or chaingun(?). The whole game is basically a shoot'em up with an original twist added to the action. When I first played the game, I was hooked by its very difficult gameplay and huge amount of enemies firing at you. But every time I lost all of my lives at the second end-level boss. On a sad afternoon I stumbled for the zillionth time at this endboss.. and I couldn't take it anymore! I took the disc out of my Amiga and threw it to a wall in my bedroom. The whole disc was SMASHed but thankfully that evil game was erased too. Who says people cannot get aggressive from videogames?

18 April 2003, 08:18	#5
Shatterhand Warhasneverbeensomuchfun Join Date: Jun 2001 Location: Rio de Janeiro / Brazil Age: 41 Posts: 3,450	So, did Tim Janssen ever played Smash TV again?

23 April 2003, 21:57	#7
cv643d Registered User Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Sweden Posts: 762	I can really recommend the SNES version too, I love it, but I have never beaten the second boss. Since Smash TV uses one joystick for movement and 4 buttons for shooting in different directions I think the Amiga version wont do it justice, but ie, I dont know since I only played the SNES (real cart) and MAME version. Smash TV is the innoficial follow up to Robotron 2084, a game that used to individual joysticks instead of one joystick and 4 buttons for firing. The game is most funny in multiplayer, but one player is a blast to I have found out

24 April 2003, 05:22	#8
Shatterhand Warhasneverbeensomuchfun Join Date: Jun 2001 Location: Rio de Janeiro / Brazil Age: 41 Posts: 3,450	Tim, you should credit-feed the MAME version, and finish it this way. At least you would have the feeling of finishing it I finished the Amiga version.. by CHEATING, of course Without cheat, I think I have never beaten the 2nd boss too. Oh, and I always played with 2 joysticks on my miggy,

24 April 2003, 11:42	#9
spiff Oh noes! Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Neverland Posts: 766	SmashTv (and total carnage?) rocks on my HotrodSe http://www.hanaho.com/products/HotRo...ick/index.html

20 May 2007, 00:29	#11
Graham Humphrey Moderator Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Norwich, Norfolk, UK Age: 37 Posts: 11,168	Hey, have you ever played the sequel Total Carnage on the Amiga? It makes the conversion of Smash TV look like a timeless classic, it's absolutely horrendous.

20 May 2007, 06:39	#12
Bamiga2002 BlizzardPPC'less Join Date: May 2004 Location: Finland Age: 46 Posts: 3,210	Just play with two joysticks: other to move the player and other to shoot . Becomes much easier to complete. And not cheating !

21 May 2007, 14:26	#14
Bamiga2002 BlizzardPPC'less Join Date: May 2004 Location: Finland Age: 46 Posts: 3,210	Yerp completed many times with 2 joysticks . With just one i've managed to get on level 4 but never completed the whole game.

21 May 2007, 14:55	#15
seuden uber cool demi god Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Kent/England Posts: 2,073	Title of the game say's it all really, lol.

22 May 2007, 01:09	#17
mrbob2 Registered User Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: sheffield Posts: 332	smash tv? smash game disk more like! lol

27 May 2007, 06:30	#18
Carcenomy Registered User Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Invercargill, New Zealand Age: 39 Posts: 20	I haven't seen the Amiga or MAME versions of SmashTV yet, I might have to have a look. SmashTV was recently made available on the Xbox Live Arcade, and true to form uses both analog sticks on each player's controller. But OH MY LORD it's hard! Lots of fun with a mate though, you get VERY drunk if you drink for every life lost chuckle Now where did I put my other Amiga joystick...

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