The Power Team (TV series)

Premise

The cartoon assembled a team from five Acclaim Entertainment video game characters: Max Force from NARC, Kuros from the Wizards & Warriors series (originally by Rare), Kwirk from his own Game Boy game, Tyrone from Arch Rivals, and Bigfoot from his namesake game. A cartoon version of Johnny Arcade, host of the show Video Power, also joined them. They battled villains from the Acclaim catalog, primarily Mr. Big and his NARC henchmen Spike Rush and Joe Rockhead, though Malkil from Wizards & Warriors and Kwirk’s game enemies occasionally appeared.

A recurring plot device involved the heroes trying to retrieve "game paks" from Mr. Big, which could send them home. Mr. Big used these game paks to blast the characters back during fights, while the heroes’ goal was to stop him. In one episode, Kuros was sent home along with his teammates, but he explained he had to return to the real world because he was now part of a team and could not stay home permanently until the others could also go home safely.

During battles, Johnny used a communication device resembling an NES Advantage controller to direct the Power Team from his room. Several characters underwent major redesigns from their game versions. Max Force looked like a SWAT officer with a utility belt instead of machine guns. Kuros resembled a barbarian, similar to the original He-Man and his depiction on the Wizards & Warriors box art, rather than a knight in armor.

Tyrone was given a small afro, likely to reduce his resemblance to Michael Jordan from Arch Rivals. Mr. Big stayed close to his game appearance but did not use a wheelchair or have a "second form"; instead, he wielded cigar-themed gadgets and weapons like "cigar missiles." The secondary villain Malkil did not look like a typical wizard from the games, though he kept a skullcap, robes, and a forked beard, giving him a sinister but regal look.

Development

The Power Team was created to attract viewers of Captain N: The Game Master, a DIC and Nintendo co-production. While Captain N sent its hero into a fantasy world of video game characters, The Power Team reversed this by bringing game characters into the real world. Max Force’s design was altered for the cartoon because the original game had a more mature tone. The first season of Video Power had 33 episodes, but only 26 episodes of The Power Team were made, leading to some episodes being repeated. After Video Power changed its format for a second season, The Power Team segments were edited and repackaged into a standalone show. Steven Martiniere directed the series, and Jack Olesker served as developer and story editor. Bohbot Entertainment and Saban Entertainment produced the cartoon.