So, I found out about this game show from popular YouTuber Larry Bundy, Jr. The Super Mario Challenge is an obscure game show that is exclusive to the UK, and it is done as a tournament.
And yes, I do say obscure as there are not many episodes uploaded on the internet. Then again, it's basically for a good reason. Hosted by American magician John Lenahan, who wears what looks like one of the worst early attempts at Mario cosplay, and even pretending he is Mario, each episode has two kids competing against each other playing Super Mario Bros. games. The first round is a speed round, where the player who finishes the level first wins and earns one giant coin (which serves as points), the second round is a points round, where highest score after a time limit wins two giant coins, and the third and final round makes it where points are added with lives and coins to determine the winner, or in the event of a tie, a tiebreaker is decided, with the same rules as round one, only with the added stipulation that if a player dies, he is declared the loser.
This game show sounds like a good idea on paper, but sadly, it is not well executed. John usually gets the name of the game played wrong (one episode has him calling Super Mario Bros. 3 as Super Mario Bros. 1), and sometimes, he would make fun of a certain aspect of a contestant (in one second round game, he made fun of a female contestant being an aunt because of her age, saying aunts are old and stuff). Also, the game has Super Mario Tips, which are supposed to help, but sadly, most of the tips are basically rookie stuff that don't deal with hard areas. Also, some of the contestants don't do well (one episode had a kid lose the first two rounds, only to tie it up on the third and final round, only to lose the tiebreaker, which is set in World 1-1, which is the very first level). At least the prize for winning the tournament is worth is, as the greatest Super Mario player wins a trip to Denmark.
So, yeah, that is Super Mario Challenge, a UK game show that has not aged well. I though Video Power was cheesy, but that show actually blows this one out of the water.
And yes, I do say obscure as there are not many episodes uploaded on the internet. Then again, it's basically for a good reason. Hosted by American magician John Lenahan, who wears what looks like one of the worst early attempts at Mario cosplay, and even pretending he is Mario, each episode has two kids competing against each other playing Super Mario Bros. games. The first round is a speed round, where the player who finishes the level first wins and earns one giant coin (which serves as points), the second round is a points round, where highest score after a time limit wins two giant coins, and the third and final round makes it where points are added with lives and coins to determine the winner, or in the event of a tie, a tiebreaker is decided, with the same rules as round one, only with the added stipulation that if a player dies, he is declared the loser.
This game show sounds like a good idea on paper, but sadly, it is not well executed. John usually gets the name of the game played wrong (one episode has him calling Super Mario Bros. 3 as Super Mario Bros. 1), and sometimes, he would make fun of a certain aspect of a contestant (in one second round game, he made fun of a female contestant being an aunt because of her age, saying aunts are old and stuff). Also, the game has Super Mario Tips, which are supposed to help, but sadly, most of the tips are basically rookie stuff that don't deal with hard areas. Also, some of the contestants don't do well (one episode had a kid lose the first two rounds, only to tie it up on the third and final round, only to lose the tiebreaker, which is set in World 1-1, which is the very first level). At least the prize for winning the tournament is worth is, as the greatest Super Mario player wins a trip to Denmark.
So, yeah, that is Super Mario Challenge, a UK game show that has not aged well. I though Video Power was cheesy, but that show actually blows this one out of the water.
