From RulesWiki
| NICK ARCADE
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|
The Nick Arcade opening title.
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| Airdates:
| Nickelodeon January 1992 - April(?) 1993
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| Host:
| Phil Moore
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| Announcer:
| Andrea Lively
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| Producers:
| Geoffrey Darby, Brown Johnson, Andy Bamberger
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Gameplay format
Front game
A typical Round 1 game board
Two teams, each with one boy and one girl, competed in two rounds, the only difference between them is that points are doubled in round 2. Each round began with a "face-off" game, a simple two-player arcade game created for the show (often a variation on a classic arcade game such as Pong or Asteroids). The player with the higher score after 30 seconds won 25 or 50 points depending on the round and control of "Mikey", the show's mascot. The team in control moved Mikey one square up, down, left, or right on a 3 x 6 board representing the theme for that day (such as a Pirate's cove, a desert, or a haunted mansion.) The spaces could give points, a prize, a question (for control of the board and points), or a puzzle to be solved. There were also enemies that would give control of the board to the other team.
A team prepares to play a Video Challenge
Some squares also contained "video challenges". One member would choose from five video games and need to obtain a certain score on that game within 30 seconds. The other team member would write a wager down (between 0 and their score) and reveal it after the challenge. If the team was successful, they received the wagered amount and retained control, otherwise they lost the amount and the other team gained control. Unlike the face-off games, the games used in the challenge were actual home console released, although they were mounted in arcade cabinets.
When one team reached the goal, they were asked a question in a category chosen by their opponents. A correct answer earned the team 50 points (100 in round 2), and the goal prize for that round, the wrong answer gave the other team 1/2 the point value and the goal. If time ran out in the round, Mikey was warped to the goal and a question was asked to both teams, the winner took the points and the goal. Since there was often little incentive to reaching the goal early, teams often avoided the goal until time was running short.
After the second round, the team with the most points wins, and advances to the "Video Zone".
End game
A player navigates the "Video Zone"
The video zone is in front of several blue-screens, the players see what they're supposed to be doing on a monitor. The goal in the first two screens is to either collect 3 of a certain item (the item changes with each screen) or defeat three enemies to clear each area while avoiding obstacles. Failure to collect the items before the player's health ran out resulted in having to retry that screen. The third screen involved both players taking on that day's "Wizard" to win the grand prize. Players received $50 for each item collected, and a prize for clearing each area.
Notes
- The games used during the Video Challenges were each playable on one of the home consoles available at the time, ranging from the Nintendo Entertainment System to the newly-released SNK Neo-Geo.
- If the player guided Mikey onto a space he was already traveled to, the players encountered a "Time Bomb", and they had to spell a word (alternating team members) to keep control. This was a rare occurrence, and the host would discourage players to make such moves (or forbid players to make them entirely)
- Due to the confusing nature of the endgame, many contestants had a difficult time figuring out what to do next. Teams losing because a contestant had trouble starting the round, or re-starting after running out of health, were common, and many times contestants seemed confused as to what they were supposed to be doing.
