Hey guys. I've got an interesting one for you.
For anyone that has ESPN Classic, I strongly encourage you to have a look at a show from my childhood: AMERICAN GLADIATORS. This is the show that defined sports competition in the 90s, and set the pace for all the extreme sports contests that we see today. AG airs on Classic at 7PM and 1AM Eastern weekdays and 9-11AM Eastern weekends.
One of my favorite games from AG is called Assault. The object was for the contenders to run through a course in one minute while dodging 100MPH tennis balls shot at them by the gladiator. Along the course, barricades waited, each with a weapon. Contenders used the weapons to try to hit a target above the gladiator before they got picked off.
When I was a kid, my sister Tracy and I actually managed to recreate the Assault course in our long basement. We had a sectional couch that we moved around to make the barriers, and we had the right combination of Nerf weapons to duplicate what the show had. And now, with AG back in reruns, we're feeling the itch to recreate the magic again.
The challenge now, however, is that all of our Nerf stuff is gone, and we have to start from scratch. I'm curious if anyone here has any old Nerf weapons they would like to loan to the cause. Compensation would be given, of course. Here's what we would need:
> Crossbow
> Rocket Launcher (We used the "Missilestorm", but the "Arrowstorm" or anything similar will do)
> Cannon (probably the hardest one on this list, we used a slingshot with a too large plastic ball; watch the show for an accurate picture of what this weapon looked like)
> Pistol (this one I've got covered, I saw a good one on the toy shelves)
> 3 softballs/"hand grenades" (this one's easy, too)
> The gladiator's gun, which fired 20 tennis balls (We had a gun called the Thunder Strike 20, and we still have it. Distance will be a question, though.)
So... would anyone like to join in the fun? I know it's a tall order, but pics and videos will be ready if we pull this off.
And have a look on Wikipedia about AG. I'll bet you guys would like the show a lot.
It's Danger Zone dangit. American Gladiators my arse. *sets Wolf on them all*
Wolf got booed real hardcore when they came over to Aus. We had Vulcan, and that man was a tank. I still wouldn't mess with him if I saw him on the street. Apparently, after the Aus version got axed, he transferred over to the UK show.
I also have no shame in admitting that Cheeta from the Australian series was my first real crush. And by dang it, she still is!
...Errr, sorry I can't help you on the Nerf stuff, Whammy. But I'll be danged if Gladiators Australia wasn't a favourite of mine growing up.
Is it anything like that one Japanese show that Spike usually shows an extremely poor (it's intentional) dub of? MXC or something like that - Takeshi's Castle in Japan, if I recall?
Or am I reading that wrong?
Takeshi's Castle is awsome, but is not Gladiators. Gladiators is superior.
Not really. Gladiators (UK) typically pits a couple of contestants against a series of registered and extremely muscular professionals in a set of minigames which they have to overcome.
Takeshi's Castle sees around 100 contestants going bat-crazy in even crazier minigames to get to a final prize which no one ends up winning at.
But Takeshi's Castle lacks in Jon Anderson. Advantage Spandex.
Well, I've never seen Gladiators.
If you get ESPN Classics, it comes on most weekdays at 6:00 Central time.
i miss gladiators, it would be something that my entire family would watch together back when there was decent all-family stuff like noel's house party on TV.
watching normal people attempting and sometimes even winning against these scarily muscled people was great.
i still remember the risks, like when two of the women fell from the suspended rings task together. (i can't remember how badly hurt she was)
still feel sorry for the guy whos spandex shorts got ripped mid-game. ^^;;
I noticed that AG was on ESPN classic about a month ago and watched it for a few nights, good stuff.
But sorry, Whammy, I don't have any Nerf things. =(
Aww man AG was the stuff. I remember on Family Matters they did an episode with that. As for Takeshi's Castle[MXC] I used to LOVE watching that show. Now; however, I don't want TV long enough to see an episode of it. I do miss it though. Kenny Blankenship's Most Painful Elimations of the Day brought me much joy. ^_^
First of all, I have seen some international footage. So yes, I do know Assault was called Danger Zone in the UK and most other places. I also remember how Wolf was. For us, the bad boy was Nitro, and then Viper during his absence (and Viper SUCKED!). I've also seen YouTube clips where Vulcan and Wolf got in each other's faces so much that they had to joust - or excuse me, DUEL - each other to settle things.
All good stuff. Hey, look for Gladiators on YouTube. Good times.
