Quiz Show (video game)
Arcade quiz game with removable cassette tape storage.
Quiz Show, also known onscreen as "The Kee Games Quiz Show," is a two-player arcade game developed by Kee Games—a company that was originally founded by Atari, Inc. It launched in 1976. The game simulates a quiz show, offering multiple-choice answers drawn from various subject areas.
During gameplay, questions appear and each player presses a button to respond. The questions are multiple-choice, selected from a pool of 1,000 across four categories: people, sports, movies, and potpourri. Players choose a category before starting. Correct answers earn points, while wrong answers deduct them. Bonus points are awarded based on how quickly a player answers. At the end of the game, the player receives a rating—Dunce, Lucky, Smart, or Genius—depending on their final score.
The game is built into a custom cabinet with two sets of four buttons (one set per player) positioned on either side of the monitor. Its circuit board uses a Signetics 2650 CPU, and all questions and answers are stored on a removable 8-track audio cassette tape, which streams data to the game. Quiz Show is believed to be the first game to feature the now-familiar "arcade font"—an 8×8 monospaced typeface later used in Sprint 2 and in many arcade games from other manufacturers.
Quick Facts
- Title
- Quiz Show
- Developer
- Kee Games
- Platforms
- Arcade
- Released
- NA · April 1976
- Genre
- Quiz
- Modes
- Single-player, multiplayer
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
The game is housed in a custom cabinet that includes two sets (one set per player) of four buttons on each side of the monitor. The game PCB uses a Signetics 2650 CPU, with all questions and answers stored on a removable 8-track audio cassette tape that is streamed to the game. Questions are multiple choice, chosen from a pool of 1000 questions in four categories: people, sports, movie, and potpourri. Categories are chosen prior to the game's start. Points are awarded for a correct answer, with point deductions for incorrect answers. Bonus points are also awarded, and are based on the length of time it takes to answer the question. At the end of game play, the player is given a rating of Dunce, Lucky, Smart, or Genius based on their score.
Reader's Guide
Quiz Show is believed to be the first game to utilize the now well-known "arcade font". The 8×8 monospaced typeface was later used in Sprint 2, as well as in many arcade games by other manufacturers. As an early arcade trivia game, it demonstrated the use of removable storage (an 8-track cassette) to deliver a large pool of questions, a novel approach at the time. Its cabinet design with dual sets of buttons for two players and its scoring system with ratings influenced later quiz and trivia arcade machines. The game's font became a standard visual element in the arcade industry, appearing in numerous titles beyond Kee Games.
Did You Know?
- The game stores all questions and answers on a removable 8-track audio cassette tape.
- The game uses a Signetics 2650 CPU.
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