Bizarre reality TV-style experience
Now this is something of an oddity, a genuinely unusual and original game, that unfortunately doesn't offer much in gameplay terms other than its sheer uniqueness. It is however something of an obscurity so for hardcore retro completists, it is a must play. Just don't expect to find it that much fun. The game takes the form of a sort of bizarre reality TV show (think Big Brother but far more horrific, if such a thing is possible) where players must take part in a series of sub-games in order to prove victorious (although the real point of things is never made particularly obvious). Upon firing up the game, you are introduced to a talking plant and a midget (again, no real explanation as to why the plant can talk) as well as five equally odd contestants who will act as your rivals. The sub-games themselves are equally bizarre and almost impossible to describe in words, and really need to be experienced directly in order to fully comprehend their true strangeness. Unfortunately however, they don't actually contain much in the way of entertainment value so are only worth a couple of playthroughs before they lose their limited appeal. Visually, Mad Show takes an expectedly weird graphical style, with grotesquely exaggerated characters and backdrops that are entirely in-keeping with the game's theme but which are less than appealing to the average gamer. The presentation is equally as bonkers and it is this general air of insanity that provides what little appeal the game has, as players become curious to see just what else it can serve up. Worth a look for its sheer originality but don't expect to be playing for very long.
