Click here to view our list of the Definitive 50 SNES games. Links to each video and write-up are included.
Smash TV made its debut in arcades in 1990. It was brought to the SNES in 1991 as Super Smash TV. The original arcade game is now available on the X-Box 360’s X-Box Live Arcade service. Super Smash TV takes 30th place on the list Definitive 50 SNES games.
This overhead shooter’s “twin-stick” arcade controls map perfectly to the symmetrical Super NES game pad’s layout. I highly recommend this title to anyone who is a fan of today’s popular twin-stick shooters, such as Geometry Wars, as this game’s simple fun and intense action have not diminished in the least since its release.
Super Smash TV‘s story is as hilarious as games get. We’re introduced to the far-flung and futuristic 1999, where we’re told TV has “adapted to the more violent nature of man.” It turns out Smash TV is a game show, and your task is to compete for big money and big prizes by mowing down thousands of armed henchmen. The game’s rewards are legendary, they include cars, toasters, cash, and yes, even VCRs. Look out for the show’s announcer, he’s got some clever, pop-culture inspired quips for you.
The games levels are laid out as a series of single-screen squares. Each one will confront you with a unique mix of enemies and pick-ups, although wave upon wave of murderous adversaries can generally be expected. It is your task to adeptly dodge their attacks while mercilessly slaughtering them with your guns and explosives.
The game is controlled in a “dual-stick” fashion, which means you move your character with the directional pad, and control the direction of your fire by using the SNES’s face buttons as if they were a second d-pad. The set-up is simple, intuitive, and infinitely addictive.
Super Smash TV allows for either single player or two-player co-op. There are three difficulty settings: Easy, Normal, and Hard. Easy mode is a shortened version of the Normal mode. Normal mode includes all the levels of the game. Hard consists of all the levels, plus tougher enemies. Choose wisely, this is a truly challenging title.
Super Smash TV is one of my personal favourites. The simple and intuitive controls, intense gameplay, and ridiculous humour have stuck with me since I was first introduced to the game many years ago.
