History Series / NickArcade

* NintendoHard: The Video Zone. So many Game Overs, so many crushed dreams of children wanting to go to space camp.

* PieInTheFace: In the neighborhood stages, the resident bully Game Over the bully enemy in the neighborhood stages:
--> '''Game Over''': *holds out a hand* Hold it ''right there'' bean brain! *[[{{Hammerspace}} produces pie from behind himself]] and splats the camera with it*

The most notable part was the "Video Challenge" squares, where one of the teammates got up to a wall of "arcade machines" (which usually had [[UsefulNotes/NintendoEntertainmentSystem NES]], [[UsefulNotes/SuperNintendoEntertainmentSystem SNES]], UsefulNotes/SegaGenesis, UsefulNotes/TurboGrafx16, and UsefulNotes/NeoGeo games) and participated in a timed challenge on that game. Viewers could be treated to kids failing hard at collecting rings in ''[[VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog1 Sonic the Hedgehog]]'', or the poor sap who chose ''[[VideoGame/GhostsNGoblins Super Ghouls 'N Ghosts]]''.

** '''Season 1''': ''"Behind this door is the Video Zone, a place between our world and the video dimension. Waiting to challenge you for control of the Video Zone is one of the [[BigBad Game Wizards]]. Is it... Merlock, Scorcha, or Mongo?"'' *Camera pan over contestants* ''"These two teams will compete for the right to enter the Video Zone and face the Game Wizard's challenge. Who will it be? Find out today on... Nick Arcade! And now, here's your host, (insert preparatory phrase), Phil Moore!"''

* PieInTheFace: Used for Game Over the bully enemy in the neighborhood stages:

* {{Pilot}}: The original pilot for the show was taped in the Spring of 1991 on the ''[[Series/GetThePicture Get the Picture]]'' set. Niels Schuurmans was the host, and [[RecycledSoundtrack it recycled the theme]] from a short-lived Nick program called ''Outta Here!''. Schuurmans also hosted the December 10, 1990 pilot for ''Get the Picture'', which had the podiums from ''Family Double Dare''.

* TheWildWest: The Slurpy Gulch board.

* TheAnnouncer: Andrea Lively; Fran Gauchi in the Pilot.

* BonusRound: The Video Zone, essentially taking the players and putting them into a video game. There were three levels, the first two had random themes, while the third was one of three "bosses". Each teammate took a level, while both tackled the third. In each level, the team had to collect three items while avoiding pitfalls that would take one unit off their power meter; losing all five units causes the level to end and the player(s) would have to "reset". There was also a hidden powerup which might restore full power, freeze the action briefly, destroy all the enemies, or allow access to certain pathways. Collecting three items moved each teammate to the third level, completing that won the grand prize. The team also won a prize for each level completed, and each item collected won them $50. The team had a total of 60 seconds to get through all three levels; if they ran out of time, GameOver. This was much harder than it sounds.

!!GameShowTropes in use:

* GoldenSnitch: The Video Challenges ''could'' have been, [[SubvertedTrope but most teams only ever bet 5 or 10 points]].[[note]]A question was worth 25, or 50 in round 2.[[/note]]

* Personnel:
** TheAnnouncer: Andrea Lively; Fran Gauchi in the Pilot.
** GameShowHost: Phil Moore, who later hosted Nick's ''You're On!'' (1999) and appeared as a semi-regular panelist on ''Series/FigureItOut''; Niels Schuurmans in the pilot.
** StudioAudience: Seen during the opening, and in wide-set shots.
* UndesirablePrize: The grand prize was often a trip to Universal Studios in Orlando where the show was taped. Basically, this meant that if you weren't impressed with the park the first time, you "won" the opportunity to see the same things all over again. [[InvertedTrope On the other hand]], if you enjoyed the park, you got a return trip on Nick's dime.
* {{Whammy}}: The "enemy" square on the game board would automatically give control to the other team.
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!!This show contains examples of:
* AbhorrentAdmirer: The Smooch Aliens of the space stages, a pair of aliens that cover Mikey with smooches whenever he lands on an enemy space.
* AmazingTechnicolorBattlefield: The set was fabulous and high-tech with the red and yellow contestant podiums contrasting the darker atmosphere of the Video Challenge area. The updates that took place in the second season brought out an even cooler arcade environment. The Video Zone also used state-of-the-art bluescreen animations.
* AWinnerIsYou: Beat the game wizard, and the message "You did it! You beat the game" flashes on the screen.
* BigBad: The Game Wizards. [[ShockAndAwe Merlock]], [[PlayingWithFire Scorcha]], and [[TheBrute Mongo]]. The winning team takes one of the three on in the [[BonusRound Video Zone]] for the grand prize.
* BigBoosHaunt: Creepyville as well as the Haunted Museum in the Video Zone.
* CelebrityEdition: On three occasions in Season 2, cast members from then-running Nickelodeon sitcoms would compete against each other. One episode had cast members from ''Series/SaluteYourShorts'' competing against each other, another episode had cast members from ''Welcome Freshmen'', and a third celebrity episode, which was the final taped episode, featured cast members from ''Series/ClarissaExplainsItAll''.
* ChromaKey: The Video Zone was made possible as part of a soundstage separate from the main set with ladders, platforms, and steps all painted in one color to overlay the platform elements of the game screen.
* ColorFailure: Mikey suffers from this on the Creepyville board, going white from the top of his head to his shoes before bolting when he sees the ghost.
* CouchGag: Season 2 introductions feature an animation of Mikey's enemy for that episode played over a montage of game board spaces.
* {{Crossover}}: Moore cohosted the "Nickelodeon All-Star Challenge" that aired during The Big Help in 1994; crossing over with ''Series/{{Double Dare|1986}}'', ''Series/LegendsOfTheHiddenTemple'' and ''[[Series/WhatWouldYouDoNickelodeon What Would You Do?]]''
* EarlyInstallmentWeirdness: Early tapings had the Pop Quiz consist of a choice between several categories that were related to where Mikey was currently at. This was later changed to just going straight to a question related to the board Mikey was currently in, and the choice between categories was now exclusively for the Goal.
* EyeBeams: In the BonusRound, one of the enemies featured in the "Monsters on the Loose" level is a flying eyeball capable of firing lasers.
* FailedASpotCheck: Any time a contestant tried to move Mikey to a direction he couldn't go. Phil was also slow to realize this at times.
* FakeDifficulty: The Video Zone is made considerably harder because the players can't see the obstacles they're facing directly, and only see an empty, monocolor stage. They have to look over at a monitor to see what obstacles are being projected onto them digitally. If you've never tried to perform coordinated actions by watching yourself on a live monitor, give it a shot with a webcam to see just how hard it is.
* ForcedTransformation: Two enemies do this to Mikey. Djinni turns him into a chicken and the hammerhead shark flattens him into a coin.
* {{Foreshadowing}}: One of the contestants mentions that he's a Sonic the Hedgehog fan in his introduction. Cue that game showing up for the Video Challenge (and, yes, he challenges it and wins).
* GrandFinale: The last taped episode was a ''Clarissa Explains It All'' celebrity special, featuring Elizabeth Hess, Joe O'Connor, Creator/MelissaJoanHart and Jason Zimbler.
* HauntedHouse: The Creepyville board.
* InflatingBodyGag: The Witch Doctor blows into a voodoo doll of Mikey, inflating the real Mikey and sending him flying as he loses air.
* InsideAComputerSystem: The Video Zone.
* LevelAte: Food Frenzy from the Video Zone.

* SpiritualSuccessor: To ''Series/{{Starcade}}'' (1982-84), albeit with far less emphasis on playing video games and winning game-related prizes.

** TheAnnouncer: Andrea Lively; Fran in the Pilot.

* PieInTheFace: WeaponOfChoice for Game Over the bully enemy in the neighborhood stages:

* EpicFail:
** Joe O'Connor played ''Super R-Type'' on the GrandFinale's last Video Challenge, scored less than 1,000 points... and lost the game before time ran out.
** On at least one occasion, a contestant got a GameOver on ''[[VideoGame/GhostsNGoblins Ghouls 'n Ghosts]]'' within the 30-second time limit.
** At least two contestants were unable to complete Level 1 of the Video Zone.

* BalefulPolymorph: Two enemies do this to Mikey. Djinni turns him into a chicken and the hammerhead shark flattens him into a coin.

[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/445855692_3984f396fa_9321.jpg]]

** One of the games, played twice during the run, was [[invoked]] [[http://info.sonicretro.org/Sonic_the_Hedgehog_2_(Nick_Arcade_prototype) a very early version]] of ''VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog2'' which used ''Sonic 1''[='s=] Star Light Zone theme for Emerald Hill. The ROM was eventually dumped onto the Internet on November 7, 2006 and was even [[FanNickname dubbed]] the "''Nick Arcade'' prototype." Not so obvious during the show's original run, its appearances caught the attention of the ''Sonic'' fanbase while repeats were still airing on Nick GAS.

* TwoGuysAndAGirl: The Game Wizards. Merlock and Mongo are male, and Scorcha is female.

* TheSmurfettePrinciple: Scorcha was the only female out of the three wizards.

* ProductPlacement:
** You really think Nick went down to the Blockbuster off Vineland to get games? Nope, the developers paid good money to put their games in the Video Zone.

* ItIsPronouncedTroPAY: Whenever ''Sonic the Hedgehog'' or ''VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog2'' were used, Moore would always call Dr. Robotnik "Dr. Robotonik", adding an extra "o" to his name for some reason. He would also occasionally forget a "t," calling him "Dr. Robo Nick."

%% * GettingCrapPastThe Radar: Due to overwhelming and persistent misuse, GCPTR is on-page examples only until 01 June 2021. If you are reading this in the future, please check the trope page to make sure your example fits the current definition.

* BonusRound: The Video Zone, essentially taking the players and putting them into a video game. There were three levels, the first two had random themes, while the third was one of three "bosses". Each teammate took a level, while both tackled the third. In each level, the team had to collect three items while avoiding pitfalls that would take one unit off their power meter; losing all five units causes the level to end and the player(s) would have to "reset". There was also a hidden powerup which might restore full power, freeze the action briefly, destroy all the enemies, or allow access to certain pathways. Collecting three items moved each teammate to the third level, completing that won the grand prize. The team also won a prize for each level completed, and each item collected won them $50. The team had a total of 60 seconds to get through all three levels; if they ran out of time, GameOver. [[SurpriseDifficulty This was much harder than it sounds.]]

* CoughGag: Season 2 introductions feature an animation of Mikey's enemy for that episode played over a montage of game board spaces.

* GettingCrapPastTheRadar: A few of the questions were about R-rated media, such as Creator/StephenKing's ''Film/{{Misery}}''. They also gave us this gem:
--> "Which of the following has the shortest average life span? A) A tree shrew. B) Adult mayfly. [[BlackComedy C) New York City cab drivers.]]