Machine Guides

Game History

Smash TV is a twin-stick shooter arcade game developed and published by Williams Electronics in 1990. It was designed by Eugene Jarvis, known for his work on Robotron: 2084, and programmed by Mark Turmell, building upon the twin-stick mechanics pioneered in Jarvis' earlier game.

Set in a dystopian future year of 1999, the game depicts a violent television gameshow where contestants battle through deadly arenas filled with hordes of enemies and killer robots to win cash and prizes. The game's concept was heavily inspired by dystopian films like The Running Man, blending dark humor with intense action.

The arcade cabinet featured a distinctive dual-joystick control scheme and supported two-player simultaneous gameplay, making it a social arcade experience. The game was a critical success, receiving the "most innovative game" award from the Amusement & Music Operators Association (AMOA) in 1990.

Interestingly, the original arcade version shipped without the Pleasure Dome bonus level implemented, as developers didn't think players would complete the game due to its extreme difficulty. After player complaints, Williams sent out a revision that included this secret level, which was only accessible on games with ROM revision 8.00 and higher by collecting ten keys.

How to Play

Objective

The main goal of Smash TV is to survive through multiple deadly arena stages of a violent television gameshow while destroying enemies and collecting prizes. You must defeat all enemies in each arena to advance to the next one. The ultimate objective is to complete all stages and collect as much money and prizes as possible to achieve the highest score.

Controls

• Left Joystick: Use to move your character in any direction
• Right Joystick: Use to shoot your weapon in any direction independently of movement

Gameplay

• Starting the Game: Press the Start Button to begin your gameshow appearance.

• Arena Progression: Navigate through multiple arena stages, each filled with different enemies and obstacles. You must clear all enemies in each arena to advance.

• Twin-Stick Combat: Move your character with the left joystick while independently aiming and shooting with the right joystick, allowing for 360-degree movement and firing.

• Enemy Waves: Face waves of enemies that attack in various patterns, including basic grunts, suicide bombers, and more dangerous boss enemies.

• Power-Up Collection: Collect weapon power-ups that enhance your firepower, including multi-directional shots and more powerful weapons.

• Prize Collection: Gather money bags, VCRs, and other prizes that appear after defeating enemies or destroying certain objects.

• Two-Player Cooperative Gameplay: In multiplayer mode, work together with another player to clear arenas more efficiently and share prizes.

• Stage Completion: Successfully defeat all enemies in an arena to advance to the next one with increased difficulty.

• Game Over: The game ends when you lose all your lives. Your final score is displayed based on enemies defeated, prizes collected, and stages completed.