Terebikko
A VHS-based quiz game shaped like a toy phone.
The Terebikko, shaped like a toy telephone, was an interactive VHS game system launched by Bandai in Japan in 1988. It connected to a television’s audio output jack and featured four large, colored buttons numbered 1 through 4 (red, blue, green, yellow). During a video, on-screen characters would call the player, who answered questions by pressing the phone’s buttons. The system used inaudible signals from the video—sent through the built-in speaker—to register correct or incorrect responses. Many well-known franchises appeared on the system, including *Super Mario World*, *Dragon Ball Z*, and others. In 1989, Mattel released the same hardware in the United States under the name See 'n Say Video Phone.
Quick Facts
- Manufacturer
- Bandai
- Lifespan
- JP · 1988 · US · 1989
- Discontinued
- 1994
- Media
- VHS
- Controllers
- Phone
- Price
- 5000 (Japan)
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
The Terebikko has the shape of a toy phone and is connected to the TV's audio output jack. It features four large main buttons numbered 1 to 4, each with a different color: red, blue, green, and yellow. Throughout the video, the viewer receives calls from characters on-screen and answers questions using the telephone. The phone uses signals from the video, inaudible through the built-in speaker, to interact with the viewer, such as for giving bad or good answers.
The system was released in Japan by Bandai in 1988. It was also released in the U.S. as the See 'n Say Video Phone by Mattel in 1989. Titles released included a wide variety of known franchises, such as Super Mario World, Dragon Ball Z, and many more. The game library includes numerous titles from series like Soreike! Anpanman, Yu Hayami no American Kids, and others, as well as entries for Ultraman, Ultraseven, Doraemon, and Sailor Moon S.
Reader's Guide
The Terebikko represents an early attempt to merge passive video playback with active player participation, predating the more widespread use of CD-ROM-based interactive movies. Its use of a telephone-shaped controller and VHS tapes made it a distinctive, if niche, entry in the late 1980s console market. The system's reliance on inaudible signals embedded in the video to track player responses was a clever technical workaround for the era. While the Terebikko did not achieve lasting commercial success, its library of licensed franchises—including major names like Super Mario World and Dragon Ball Z—demonstrates the growing interest in cross-media interactive products. The system's U.S. release as the See 'n Say Video Phone by Mattel further illustrates the attempt to market such technology to a broader audience. Its legacy lies in being a curious artifact of the pre-CD interactive video era, showing how companies experimented with combining linear video and simple input to create a game-like experience.
Did You Know?
- The controller is shaped like a toy phone with four large colored buttons numbered 1 to 4.
- The system used inaudible signals from the video to interact with the viewer.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Terebikko?
It is a VHS-based interactive quiz system shaped like a toy telephone, manufactured by Bandai and sold in Japan beginning in 1988. You plug it into your TV's audio-out jack and answer on-screen questions by pressing one of four large color-coded buttons.
How does the Terebikko register your answers?
Ultrasonic tones hidden in the video track travel through the phone's built-in speaker so the system can tell which of the four buttons you hit. This lets the game confirm a correct or incorrect choice without any traditional controller wiring.
What franchises appeared on Terebikko tapes?
Bandai licensed several major properties for the format, including Super Mario World and Dragon Ball Z. During playback, characters on the tape would appear to call you and pose questions you answered with the phone's buttons.
Did the Terebikko ever come to the West?
Mattel released a closely related product under the name See 'n Say Video Phone in the United States in 1989. It operated on the same basic principle of pairing a toy phone with VHS tapes for interactive quizzes.
What does the Terebikko controller look like?
It is a chunky toy phone featuring four oversized buttons—red, blue, green, and yellow—each marked with a number from one to four. You simply plug the device into your television's audio-out port to play.
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