''Double Dare'' is a video game published by GameTek and based on the

Nickelodeon Nickelodeon (nicknamed Nick) is an American pay television channel and the flagship property of the Nickelodeon Group, a sub-division of the Paramount Media Networks division of Paramount Global. Launched on April 1, 1979, as the first ca ...

game show A game show (or gameshow) is a genre of broadcast viewing entertainment where contestants compete in a game for rewards. The shows are typically directed by a game show host, host, who explains the rules of the program as well as commentating a ...

'' Double Dare.'' The game was originally released by for

IBM PC compatible An IBM PC compatible is any personal computer that is hardware- and software-compatible with the IBM Personal Computer (IBM PC) and its subsequent models. Like the original IBM PC, an IBM PC–compatible computer uses an x86-based central p ...

s and the

Commodore 64 The Commodore 64, also known as the C64, is an 8-bit computing, 8-bit home computer introduced in January 1982 by Commodore International (first shown at the Consumer Electronics Show, January 7–10, 1982, in Las Vegas). It has been listed in ...

in 1988. It was ported to the

Nintendo Entertainment System The Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) is an 8-bit home video game console developed and marketed by Nintendo. It was first released in Japan on 15 July 1983 as the and was later released as the redesigned NES in several test markets in the ...

(NES) by Rare and re-released for the system in 1990.

Gameplay

''Double Dare'' can be played by one or two players; single players compete against the computer. Before the game starts, players enter their team names and select from four male and four female

avatar Avatar (, ; ) is a concept within Hinduism that in Sanskrit literally means . It signifies the material appearance or incarnation of a powerful deity, or spirit on Earth. The relative verb to "alight, to make one's appearance" is sometimes u ...

. Whichever avatar the player picks, the teammate will be of the opposite gender. The game can also be set for one of three levels of difficulty with higher levels offering less time to answer questions and a more difficult computer opponent. The game plays exactly like its television counterpart, with two rounds of 10-question

trivia Trivia is information and data that are considered to be of little value. Modern usage of the term ''trivia'' dates to the 1960s, when college students introduced question-and-answer contests to their universities. A board game, ''Trivial Purs ...

rounds and a third round featuring an obstacle course. The rules and scoring from the game show all apply. Toss-up challenges determine which team gets initial control of the trivia round. To complete a toss-up, each player determines the precise speed and angle of whatever object they are throwing to hit a target. Physical challenges are played the same way. Each player uses the up or down arrows on the controller to choose answers for trivia questions. The player with the most money at the end of round two proceeds to the obstacle course. In order to move through an obstacle, the player needs to repeatedly alternate between pressing either the left and right or up and down arrows on the controller's

D-pad The D-pad (short for directional pad) is a compact input method developed for video games, designed to translate thumb movement into directional control through a flat, cross-shaped surface that rests on four internal switches. Each switch corres ...

. In order to grab the flag, the player needs to position the on-screen contestant in just the right spot and then press the A button to jump and retrieve. The obstacles are all based on real obstacles from the show (with one exception, a triangular jungle gym) and are randomized before a game. Virtual prizes for beating the obstacle course include a

BMX BMX, an abbreviation for bicycle motocross or bike motocross, is a cycle sport performed on BMX bikes, either in competitive BMX racing or freestyle BMX, or else in general street or off-road recreation. History BMX began during the ea ...

bicycle, television set, an NES console, and several other gifts, ending with an exotic vacation received for completing the last obstacle.

Reception

David & Robin Minnick reviewed ''Double Dare'' and ''

Hollywood Squares ''Hollywood Squares'' (originally ''The Hollywood Squares'', later stylized as ''H2: Hollywood Squares'') is an American game show in which two contestants compete in a game of tic-tac-toe to win cash and prizes. The show originally aired as a ...

'' for '' Compute!'s Gazette'' and said "Any fan of the TV games will enjoy these 64 versions. And even if you're not a fan, we think you'll get a kick out of these games anyway."

References

External links

* {{Rare 1988 video games Commodore 64 games DOS games GameTek games Multiplayer and single-player video games Nickelodeon video games Nintendo Entertainment System games Rare (company) games Video games based on game shows Video games developed in the United Kingdom Video games scored by David Wise