Retro Replay Review

Gameplay

The TV Show starts from a familiar overhead action premise, but it does not simply ask you to place explosives and wait. You pick bombs up, carry them, and throw them, all while judging a color-coded fuse that moves from green to yellow to red. That creates a nice immediate tension: hold on too long and you are the one in trouble, but throw too soon and you may waste the chance to clear enemies or crack open the prize container.

The strongest idea is that bombs alter the stage as well as damage enemies. Blasting holes into the terrain means every explosive is a small positioning decision, since you need to avoid dropping through the gaps you create. That risk gives the simple objective more bite than a straightforward enemy-clearance game. If you enjoy arcade action built around quick spatial judgment rather than elaborate systems, this is the part that should click.

Character choice matters more than it first appears to. The seven contestants have special abilities that range from projectile attacks to a bike-based speed boost, so the same bomb-heavy setup can be approached with a little more aggression or mobility depending on your pick. Scenario mode offers a solo route through the stages, but versus mode for up to four players is where the timer-driven bombs, breakable terrain, and competing movement should produce the most lively chaos.

Graphics

The action is viewed from overhead, keeping the protagonist, enemies, loose bombs, prize container, and newly blasted holes on the same screen. The bomb fuse is communicated through green, yellow, and red color changes, a useful visual cue when you need to decide whether to throw immediately.

Story

Do not come to The TV Show for a developed plot. Each of the seven characters gets a brief introduction, then winds up admitted to an alien-organized television show where defeating enemies and retrieving prizes is the order of the day.

That thin setup fits the game’s comic tone. A hyperactive schoolgirl and an armored ninja sharing an alien game show is a knowingly absurd excuse for the action, not a narrative with much emotional weight behind it.

The lack of a larger storyline is not a problem for a stage-based arcade game, but it does mean the characters are defined mainly by their broad comic concepts and their abilities. You are here for the bomb juggling and competitive disorder, not for answers about why this bizarre show exists.

Overall Experience

The TV Show has a clever enough central hazard to stand apart from a basic Bomberman imitation. Carrying a live bomb is inherently more active than merely setting one down, and the possibility of blowing holes into the floor adds consequences to every careless throw. The first hour should make its main attraction plain: this is compact arcade problem-solving with a short fuse.

Its frustration is built into that same idea. A bomb meant for an enemy can leave behind a dangerous gap, and the red-fuse scramble demands that you keep track of both your target and your escape route. That is likely to feel sharp and funny in multiplayer, though solo play has less room for the social payoff of watching someone else misjudge the blast.

Give it a chance if you want an oddball, character-driven party action game with a tangible bomb-tossing twist. The solo scenario gives you a way to learn its hazards, while four-player versus is the clearer destination. For another game tied to the same TV-show theme, see TV Show King.

Retro Replay Score

6.8/10