Smash TV
Debut: 1990
Williams Electronics Games, a relative unknown in gaming before this, formed Smash TV. Specifically, it was developed by Eugene Jarvis and Mark Turmell. It was an inventive dual-stick shooter. One of the sticks was for moving and avoiding enemies while the other stick was meant for firing. The game focused on a dystopian television show, which took place in the “then-future” of 1999. Players will play as one of the lucky contestants who must shoot their way to fame and fortune. The entire show is broadcast in front of a live audience and broadcast worldwide. It was essentially a video game version of Hunger Games. The game is “kill or be killed,” and once a contestant is left in each arena, they move on to the next and attempt to survive that gauntlet of contestants.