Video Power (1990–1992) User Reviews

VideoPower rant

[shadowrunxx · 8/10 · 2 November 2007]

Seven Episodes have surfaced on Youtube so check them out.I was always too busy playing video games to watch T.V. but a video game show would have had my full attention,unfortunately video power was one of the few video game shows that reached Vegas.I always caught the end of the show usually at the mall part.I could have destroyed any of those contestants from the east side but New York was far,far away.The titles the kids would come back with were hilarious.Three copies of Batman,numerous copies of Bases loaded 2,backpacks,handgrips,Lots of Gameboy games but no Gameboy,one handed control sticks...for NES?,skateboards,the Immortal for anyone who wanted it,Battletoads(one of the hardest games ever made),and a NEO-GEO! A NEO-GEO was worth more than the whole mall.I'd bet it didn't come with a game.You could buy ten Nintendo games for the price of one NEO-GEO game,like on pimp my ride when the guests get their cars pimped they will regret it when a tire goes run-flat and find out how much the tires cost.Brutal.The Co host was this billy crystal wannabe,dressed from the 80's equipped with the overdone manly announcer voice would commentate the games and read off the prizes.There was also a guy with the guitar that never seemed to do anything but the host Johnny Arcade took the cake.Stivi Paskoski was the top of the overly enthusiastic teens on T.V. This dude was on coke or speed or coke and speed,talking about going back stage and having a bagel(code for snorting a line or a line in the shape of a bagel I'm guessing)He had predetermined guests who were the 90's finest. Johnny arcade was crazy when the kids were brought up on stage they were high fived,karate chopped ,made fun of,asked to lay down,poked at,hugged,it was ridiculous.What i did like was the atmosphere,Johnny Arcades' throne the "EdgeHog" surrounded by the dark,lit only by screens of random games,awesomeness which I want to replicate some day.Johnny Arcade would read the letters kids sent to him and if he liked it,you would,as punishment get "The Immortal".Good times.

(I wonder if Mickey Tveter still has any of those games?)

Power Player

[hellraiser7 · 8/10 · 26 April 2019]

The 90's for video games was no doubt a silver age as the subculture was one the rise and it was practically just about everywhere and growing at a rapid rate even to this day. So, a game show based upon the subculture wasn't a surprise. This is an under the radar gem as it's became slightly overlooked and forgotten. It's also another one of those childhood gems as I remember watching this early morning on the weekdays on cable.

Watching this was a lot of fun, that theme song which is an honorable mention on favorite theme songs. It's catchy with its 90's hip hop tone, but hearing it, it really got you pumped up knowing you in for a good game. Really like the game show setting as it a bit sci fiish but also a little rough urbanized which fit giving the show a 90's cool atmosphere and reflecting the video game subculture.

The host Johnny is good, he has sort of this wacky personality. Though I'll admit that's one bad thing about the series, I feel the host is overacting, which is why some of the comedy with him doesn't always hit at least for me. And even the contestants had some of the same awkward looks that we did in places, I couldn't help but think "Is this guy for real." I just feel in some of his hosting he could of toned down the comedic persona in places, which would of made contestants and even the audience feel a little more comfortable with him, which is part of what being a game show host is about guiding players comfortably while having fun at the same time.

Though one highlight was that in the middle of the show he would sometimes give out some pro tips on certain games that are currently out or new, which was pretty helpful because back then we didn't have "Youtube" we couldn't access video guides, which shows why this show is a product of it's time. We have a video game tournament portion which is similar with "Starcade" and "Nick Arcade" where if you have the highest score you gain points. It starts of with the basic quiz show questions to answer to gain points but of course we're all here for the video game playing. There a bit of a participator sense to those segments, I remember as a kid always being excited when they play a game and saying things to the team on the screen to go here on this game, get that, nail that guy, oh how could you miss that, things like that it was that exciting. The video games that were played were one mainly for the Nintendo Entertainment System which makes sense since that system was the biggest best-selling console at the time. It's true that none of the other systems we're familiar with are around like the "Sega Genesis" and "Super Nintendo" which could of added more variety to the show, but both systems didn't come out till a little latter and didn't gain big popularity yet, which is why I can look past the slight lack in variety.

And of course, the highlight no doubt is the video game shopping spree, which is just awesome it's every gamers dream to get as much video games as you want and desire without a worry in the world. Though this game is also a scavenger hunt, as you have to find specific games in a limited amount of time and stick them onto your Velcro suits, though the only bad thing is the Velcro doesn't always work as the games sometimes slip off the suits, someone should of retested a few of them.

But anyways at the end you go down the slide and then your collected game are counted and if you have enough of the specific games to find you would get a big price like in one episode a "Neo Geo" console which is an awesome price from the fact that system is now a bit rare and extremely pricy than ever before; let alone the fact it's a awesome system. Hopefully the contestants were able to find Neo Geo games as they weren't soild in a lot of stores except "Toys R Us" and some video game shows like "Software Inc" damn I miss both places.

Overall, it's a solid game show, like any of the Nintendo games on the show it's a good piece of game show and video game history worth a play.

Rating: 3 stars

Better as a Game Show

[ianlueck · 7/10 · 17 May 2020]

As a kid, I first caught the series when it was retooled into a game show for the second season. If I had started watching from the beginning when it was mostly a cartoon, I doubt I would've held such nostalgia for it. The cartoon segments are generic action junk with lesser known Acclaim characters- they're certainly no Mario. In-between those segments, a teenager named Johnny Arcade gave gameplay tips and previewed upcoming games. That was really the draw of the program, but because Johnny was delivering a monologue instead of interacting with others, he was a lot more subdued.

By contrast, the second season had him really cut loose, since he was co-hosting a game show where he had to be high energy to pump the kid contestants up. There are many moments when he's hosting that I just burst out laughing because of how over-the-top he was acting, certainly helped by the kids' awkward reactions.

Yes, the game show hasn't aged gracefully- it definitely screams early '90s in the wardrobe/hair styles, music and set design, but you have to understand that as a kid, the second season was like crack. Not only did the gameplay tips from season 1 continue (yes, game magazines existed back then, but it was different and exciting watching actual gameplay footage), but we got kids trying to stump Johnny with video game trivia questions, which was always something kids wanted to see: Outsmarting the adults (okay, Johnny was an older teen but you get the idea). Then we got to see four kids competing against each other in a video game playing round while it was being commentated on like a professional sport with rapid cutting and camera swoops- again, exciting for a kid. Then the questions round, which allowed the kids to prove their NES knowledge. Again, fun in that nerdy "look how much I know about this hobby" way.

Of course, the biggest highlight for the series was the final round, where the winner would run through aisles of video games and velcro as many as they could to their vest and helmet before time ran out. A grand prize could be something as huge as a Neo Geo system. Talk about a kid's wet dream. This is before having more disposable income as an adult, so unless you were loaded, you probably only got a few games per year, if that. So vicariously, this was exciting to watch. You kind of envied the kid and wanted to be in their shoes.

Watching the second season today, it's still entertaining, especially to watch Johnny goof around. Just don't expect it to have a timeless quality. Skip the first season, though, unless you want to be a Video Power completist.

Man, I miss this show

[Mickey_The_Felch · 4 January 2004]

I remember waking up at 6:30 every morning in my Bronx apartment, waiting to go to my hell that I called school, St. Clare's, and watching this show. Just about every guy in my class knew this show and watched it. The original season was great with the cartoon, but the game show was absolutely awesome. I mean who wouldnt want to run around there and get all those games? Ive been trying to get this show for the longest time, but have gotten nothing.

Video Power

[sondisbpt · 10/10 · 19 October 2006]

I used to watch this show when i was around 13 or 14 years old,i watched it every morning at 6:00 or 7:00 am i can't remember the actual time.

I never cared much for the cartoon,all i wanted to see was the Nes tips at the end on the video power edge,i loved the part where johnny arcade says"and that's the video power edge!"

He was so corny i wanted to punch him in the face! but it was alright, when you were a little brat.

I kinda liked the game where they stuck Nes games on themselves,it was pretty exciting to watch other brats win games and prices,even those some of the prizes were so damn skimpy and cheap, oh well.

I just wanted to walk down memory lane for a bit,thanks for the memories people...we all were kids once..isn't that so corny?

A great pastime with an expiration date

[rictof_durahan · 9/10 · 5 May 2007]

We started with a cartoon featuring Acclaim game characters with some tips thrown in, then it went to the game show. That's how I remember it at least. The show started to capitalize on the Captain N: The Game Master audience. The concept was about opposite in comparison to Captain N, like the Kevin Keane went to Video World, while the Acclaim characters came to the real world. Johnny Arcade knew a good deal, but he would occasionally get a question wrong with a prepared excuse while the audience yelled, "STUMP, STUMP, STUMP!" in the process. A show that followed similar roots of the game show would be Gamepro TV if I remember correctly. The cartoon was good, but the library of game episodes was limited to Acclaim titles where Captain N: The Game Master was free to take "everything else".

A Cheap, Cheesy Game Show

[kingbk-2 · 3/10 · 29 January 2017]

Video Power was on for two seasons and each season had a completely different format. The main basis of the show was news, reviews, tips, tricks and previews of new video games, mainly for the Nintendo Entertainment System. The host was Johnny Arcade (played by Stivi Paskoski), a hyperactive teenager who was a video game expert.

In season one, the show aired a cartoon called "The Power Team." This was a team of video game characters from Acclaim, who would fight crime and solve mysteries. It was very similar to Captain N, then airing on NBC Saturday Morning, and the comparison just did it no favors. The producers looked to reformat the show for season two.

In the second season, the show would transform into a game show. Arcade would remain, but two new hosts were added to the mix: Terry Lee Torok and Steve Treccase, formerly of MTV's Remote Control. The show did a similar format every day: Johnny would give a hint or trick with Video Power Edge, which were mostly common sense (I remember one for Double Dragon and he was like "hit A and B to punch and kick through enemies." Uh, no duh dude). After that, there was a stump the host segment called "Johnny on the spot" where four kids would ask him questions about video games. Most of them were stupid, such as "what turtle wore the red mask in TMNT II: The Arcade Game?" or "what was the doctor's name who was the bad guy in Mega Man?" Johnny would read answers off cue cards and most of them was right. Every once in a while, he'd get stumped, which won the stumper a prize. Then they'd do a segment with the four question askers, between ages 10-16, playing a video game for 2:02. The two high scorers would go on to the next round, while the two low scorers took home games. The games on this part, the ones I remember, include TMNT II: The Arcade Game, Battletoads, Skate or Die 2, Robocop, and Paperboy 2. Each game would be played for an entire week. The two remaining contestants would then answer trivia questions about video games. Each question was worth a different set of points and included audio and visual questions. Then the two contestants would play the game again for 1:01 and the one with the highest total score would win and go on to the video mall.

The video mall was like the GameStop bargain section. A bunch of cheap games nobody wants, with a mix of other prizes as well like sports equipment, music CDs, VHS movies, and other toys. The games didn't stick to the velcro well, so they'd end up with 6-7 games, some that are duplicates. One game was the game of the day, and if it was found, the kid would win a grand prize, such as a remote control car, camera, video game system, bike, etc. Tournaments throughout the year also gave the contestants a chance to win a trip to L.A. and Universal Studios.

Overall, the show was cheesy and cheap. The set was bad, the hosts were over the top, the preachy moralizing of Terry Lee Torok was annoying ("Do your homework", "don't use violence in real life"), the prizes were cheap, and it was just poor executed. It also came out at a time when Genesis was starting to rise in popularity, so wrong place at the wrong time. I thought it was great when I was younger, but now I know better.

Typical Cheese From A Typical Decade

[jeremycrimsonfox · 5/10 · 1 January 2019]

Video Power is one of those shows from the 1990's that nowadays, is seen a cheesy. Starting in 1990, it was created mainly because at the time, video games were big news again (especially with Nintendo and their NES, and releasing the new Super NES to start what would be known as the console wars against Sega). Because of the NES' success, cartoons based on Super Mario Bros. and The Legend Of Zelda would be made by DiC. This show lasted only two seasons, and each one had a different format.

The first format is basically like a news program. Hosted by Johnny Arcade (played by Stivi Paskoski), he would give tips for video games, and in some episodes, would even visit special events (one episode has Johnny at the 1990 Nintendo World Championship). The main highlight, however, is the Power Team cartoon, which is basically a Acclaim-themed copycat of Captain N. Only instead of Mega Man and Simon Belmont, we got characters from video games published by Acclaim, like Max Force and Kuros. Even the real life monster truck Bigfoot is in the cartoon. Sadly, this didn't do well to the point where the second season, everything changed.

Yes, the second season, a.k.a. the game show season. Basically, this was the coolest part as a kid. Each day, four kids would compete for a chance to go into a mall for prizes. The four winners came back on the Friday show to play for another trip and a spot in a tournament where the winner and some wildcard winners competed for a trip to Universal Studios Hollywood, a $10,000 college scholarship, and a trophy.

Basically, the second season was a little better, but as an adult, you can see the 90's cheesiness. Johnny Arcade is there, joined by Terry Lee Torok, the announcer who basically acts like he's the actual host. They do play actual NES games in this. However, all of them are third party titles, and they are a mix of good games like TMNT II and Chip N Dale Rescue Rangers, to bad games like WWF WrestleMania Challenge. However, the show does offer prizes, as in the bonus round, there is a hidden game, that once collected, can win a special prize, like a Game Boy or a Neo Geo console, but they also gave out some dud prizes. In one episode, one contestant stumped Johnny Arcade, and all he won is a shower cap and some cheese. I mean, really, those are more like gag gifts you give you someone you hate at a Christmas party than to a kid who stumped the host of a video game-themed game show.

Sadly, this did not do well enough as well, and when it was done, Saban decided to give the show the axe. While it was a good game show as a kid, as an adult, you can see how cheesy the show really is. Thankfully, there are episodes uploaded on YouTube you can see (along with some classic commercials).

Game Boy

[jashton · 5 May 2001]

I woke up with Johnny Arcade everyday for as long as this show was on the air. At first, half the show was a cartoon with video game characters as the heros and villains, while the other half of the show was Johnny giving video game tips, and previewing new games. Later, it turned in to a game show that Johnny Arcade hosted, with kids playing against each other, where the winner got to run through an obstacle course thing, picking up video games while they went (as somebody mentioned before, the games were all crap, except for the few times when the gave away Neo Geos). Now, while this version of the show wasn't as good, it did leave us with one of the funniest tv moments ever. After a kid lost a round, the announcer for the show announced his consolation prize, a Game Boy game. Just as the announcer was finishing, the kid whined, "But I don't even have a Game Boy." Johnny looked directly in to the camera, smiled a smile of extreme embarrassment, and got the kid off camera as fast as he possibly could. Thank You.

I lived it and loathed it.

[cupcakeX · 14 January 2000]

In 1990, I was a contestant on the Gameshow version of "Video Power." It was a cheese masterpiece. I beat some kids at Tecmo Bowl and Bases Loaded (NES classics) to win a trip around this maze o' $9.99 clearance sale video games that I could stick to a velcro suit I wore (which was made of crap velcro that didn't stick well at all.) The contestants were between 10 and 13 years old, with preference given to girls (who sadly were often cannon fodder for boys with carpal-tunnel from constant video gaming.) The show had three rounds. In the first round, 4 kids would play a game for 1:41 to determine which two could get the farthest in a game (not all playing on the same NES.) Those two would then compete in a question round for points and then play a final video game (another 90 seconds or so) for like 30 more points (enough to make the question round basically worthless.) The bonus round had the velcro suit. 30 seconds to attach video games to yourself and slide down some lame slide. Finding a special video game warranted a special prize (often a crappy remote control car.) The producers were dumb as dirt as there were often 5 or ten or the special game in the unsearched maze, making it a joke to win. Daily winners went on to a weekly game for a prize of a Sega Genesis or so (back in the day, that was a cool thing to win.) I got thrashed in the weekly game, partially because I think I was the shitty Hawaii team in the Bases Loaded final, as opposed to the other kid who got to play as LA.

Watching the tape of myself later, I realized how retchid this show really was. The cartoon version (which came both before and after the gameshow's run) was way better than watching some acne-warriors try to stick games to themselves. In the end, I enjoyed being on it and at least I wasn't on "Steampipe Alley" (all you New Yorkers know what I'm talking about.)

About "Video Power" - gameshow and cartoon

[Mark N. · 4 June 1999]

"Video Power," in the late season, featured Johnny Arcade, who appeared in segments to teach kids game tips for the 8-bit NES and Genesis systems. The show included a kid's gameshow where 3 contestants would answer video game trivia (what is the game has this background music? Who is the main character of Master Blaster? etc). The winning contestant wore a velcro suit and was given one minute to run through a maze and stick Nintendo cartridges to the suit, which they would keep if they made it to the finish line. After Video Power came the cartoon "The Power Team," featuring the video game characters Querk, Kuros, Bigfoot, Arch Rival punks, and the N.A.R.C druglord. This show is practically impossible to find on tape today.

Ahhh.. Video Power!

[falandil · 5 March 2006]

I remember discovering this show... it was Christmas morning, and I woke up ungodly early at 6am and tried to rouse the rest of my family to open presents. They wouldn't budge. (And, as I had learned some years prior, going downstairs before my parents on Christmas day got me in a huge amount of trouble, to the point where they confiscated all the presents I got for two weeks.) So, I was basically stuck in my bedroom until my parents woke up.

I turned the TV on randomly flipped and ended up watching Video Power. I had never heard of it before but I loved it! I watched it every day it was on for the rest of the school year. I remember I had to leave early for school once, which resulted in me missing the last half of the show. I complained and whined to my parents, but they still made me leave early.

I guess they took it off the air around the time school ended that year, as I only recall watching it once or twice during summer vacation.

But I did love watching it while it was on. I even remember the lone quote in the quotes section. (And, as I also recall, thought it was the most hilarious line ever at the time.)

"It's time to put the spot on Johnny by putting Johnny on the spot!"

[chukyt · 23 December 2002]

In the Summer of '91 (at age 12), I attended the YMCA Day Camp on Castle Hill Avenue in the Bronx. One day, we all went on a field trip to "Video Power". I wasn't picked to be a contestant, but I did get a seat within a section that the camera usually points at. So just being in the audience had a lot of classmates sweatin' me at school the Fall after. I still have that episode on tape, and it's quite amusing looking at yourself with a flat-top haircut. Months after I turned 16, I was taking my road test (on Castle Hill Ave.) and noticed that the YMCA Day Camp was shut down. It's quite a shame to see nothing to look back on when you've attended that camp for six years. Oh well, life goes on. I'm 23 now and hope that anyone who reads this happened to attend the YMCA Day Camp anytime from 1986 to 1991. If so, E-mail me and title it "YMCA" or anything of that nature. I don't want to overlook it as junk mail. PeAcE! :-)

11 years later and I still remember...

[misterbum · 4 April 2001]

Yeah, the makers of this show really knew how to mess things up, and they must have had the video game knowledge of a Hot Pocket. I can't recall the minute details of the show, but one thing I'll never forget was when Johnny Arcade asked, "what game has this background music?" and played the first stage music from Rescue Rangers. The first team buzzed in and guessed the right thing. "Wrong!" shouted Mr. Know Nothing Stivi "Johnny" Paskowski. "The correct answer is Battletoads!" To the best my 9 year old mind could, all I could think was, "goddam b*****d!!!" To this day, whenever I pop in Chip 'N' Dale, I shed a tear or two in memory of that god awful show and how much I loved it. I know they must have had a copy of Bubble Bath Babes or Action 52 hiding in their prize palace... *chortle*

When's my turn?

[ikari135 · 21 June 2001]

Although everyone up here has pretty much summed up the show, I will do my best to offer my own unique story. At the time, I was 10 or 11. I will say that the first season of the show was pretty cool. However, things would have been even better if they stayed on the video game tips and previews instead of cutting to the corny Power Team Cartoon. When I saw the first episode of the second season, I was in shock. Not only did they cut out most of the previews and tips from the first season, they converted the set into a circus. But it was a circus that I wanted to be a part of. Back then, I would have given anything to be on that show. I knew that I could whoop every one of those kids and stump Johnny Arcade. So many times the questions would be wrong in the quiz round. I remember a time when it was the music question and the music was clearly from the NES game Snake's Revenge and the answer they had for it was Top Gun. Any one who is a true video game afficianado, (and I'm not talking about the Playstation generation) would recognize that. Another thing that further fueled my need to be a contestant was the fact that the winner would always get to go through that maze of games and grab whatever the heck they wanted. Finally, perhaps the biggest reason I wanted to go on the show was because I wanted to win the prize of all prizes, a Neo Geo Gold System. But of course that wouldn't happen because almost 500 miles of America separated me from New York City and there would be no way that my parents would take me up there to be on a stupid kids show. Now that I look back on it and I have a Neo Geo (CD) system of my own (after waiting 9 years), I would still jump at the chance to be on that show even going on 22 years old.