Starcade

Starcade Game Show

Starcade is the only cable-only game show that we feature on this site (aired on WTBS).  We include it here due to the fact that it was a game show that featured contestants competing against each other by playing the hot arcade video games of the day.  The show lasted for 2 seasons and 137 episodes.  The pilots were initially hosted by Alex Trebek, but the hosting duty was passed to Mark Richards in 1982 and Geoff Edwards in 1983.

In this game show, two contestants (or two teams) competed against each other in 3 rounds.  Each round started with an arcade related trivia question.  The person who gave the correct answer was allowed to choose one arcade game, from a row of five, and rack up as many points playing as they could in less than 1 minute.  The opposing player would then play the same game, and the points earned were added to the player's bank.  Subsequent rounds were similar, with players picking an arcade game and playing it for less than 1 minute.  The player with the most points at the end of the third round went on to the bonus round.  In the bonus round, the contestant was given 30 seconds to beat the average score of 20 other players.  If the contestant beat that score, he/she would win an arcade game, robot, vacation, etc.