Video Challenger

Lore & Background

The Video Challenger uses only the gun known as the 'Challenge Blaster'. When the trigger is pulled together the muzzle to the target, combining with the image of the dedicated video software, the score is added. The player aims at targets with blinking patterns of three kinds (usually score, high score, damage). Score is displayed on a counter installed in the Challenge Blaster. When all targets in one round are successfully hit, the player enters a bonus round that doubles the number of points; the bonus round ends after a certain period of time. If the muzzle is facing the damage pattern in the video without pulling the trigger, the score is penalized.

Titles released include Space Challenge (built-in game), Thunder Storm (Data East), Road Blaster (Data East), Godzilla Challenger 1 and 2, Sky Wars (original work by Publisher Select Merchandise Inc.), After Burner II (Sega), and Turtle Challenge (based on the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles franchise). Takara ended production of the Video Challenger due to the success of the NES and the release of the TurboGrafx-16 and Genesis.

Beginning in October 1987, the Video Challenger was given a cross-promotion through the anime Transformers: The Headmasters, based on the Transformers toyline, both also produced and manufactured by Takara. Starting from the episode 'Explosion on Mars!! Maximus Is in Danger', the title sequence was changed to show many of the Decepticons flickering white, which was used to signal them as targets, much like in the actual Video Challenger games. If said Decepticons were shot with the Challenge Blaster, the hits would be recorded as points in the system. Aside from the title sequence change, the Challenge Blaster as well as the game itself can be seen respectively used as an actual weapon and played by the character of Daniel Witwicky.

Reader's Guide

The Video Challenger represents a niche attempt to merge VHS tape technology with interactive gaming, predating the more widespread use of laserdisc-based games. Its reliance on a dedicated ray gun and pre-recorded footage limited its gameplay to target-shooting mechanics, with scoring handled by a counter on the gun itself. The console's discontinuation was attributed to the market dominance of the NES and the arrival of the TurboGrafx-16 and Genesis, which offered more advanced and varied gaming experiences. Despite its short lifespan, the Video Challenger is notable for its cross-promotion with the Transformers: The Headmasters anime, where the Challenge Blaster appeared as an in-universe weapon and the show's title sequence was modified to allow viewers to 'shoot' flickering Decepticons. This integration of a real-world console into an animated series was an early example of transmedia marketing. The library of titles includes licensed properties such as Godzilla, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and After Burner II, indicating an attempt to leverage popular franchises. The console remains a curiosity for collectors of obscure video game hardware, with its VHS-based format and unique light-gun interface distinguishing it from more conventional systems of the era.

Did You Know?

• The Video Challenger uses VHS tapes rather than cartridges or discs.
• Its only controller is the Challenge Blaster ray gun, which has a built-in score counter.
• The console was cross-promoted with the anime Transformers: The Headmasters, where Decepticons flickered as targets in the title sequence.
• Titles include Godzilla Challenger 1 and 2 and a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles game called Turtle Challenge.