Guild Application Game Show exclusive: MXC

[χKai]

Revised:

Most Extreme Challenge.

Most of us older folk remember at least seeing it advertised on TV or while flipping channels, but how many of you here at RGT actually took the time to sit down, watch MXC and proceed to laugh raucously as you watch contestants step up and either fail hilariously or nimbly succeed getting through some of the most extravagant and bizarre obstacle courses of its time?

'MXC', or Most Extreme Challenge was an English dub-over of a Japanese game show originally titled Takeshi's Castle, after the creator Takeshi Kitano. The show featured contestants struggling through various obstacle courses, most of which were extremely difficult with odds stacked against the contenders as the audience and narrators laughed and made jokes about them as they attempt to complete the mini-challenges.

Watching these two goofballs crack jokes back and forth with their voices completely redone had a certain early 90s feel, as the script and audio had been completely reworked for international audiences. They were referred to under the names Vic Romano and Kenny Blankenship, whose true identities are Takeshi Kitano and Hideo Higashikokubaru, respectively; though, the voice actors dubbed over them are Victor Wilson and Christopher Darga. They dubbed over the original voices with all-new narration and crude humor.

To some, this may seem off-putting; I can understand not wanting to give the show a chance for not retaining any of the show's original script, but the jokes are flowing almost non-stop and are as off-the-wall as the obstacles courses and mini-games themselves as "they" (technically the two voice actors who are dubbed over them) comment and fling jokes and insults at the contestants as they humiliatingly fall into a pit of thick mud or water.

The jokes could pretty dark and cynical on occasion, as most mid-90s TV shows designed for adults, but usually they were also very funny (subjective). Sometimes the voiced-over contestants would make jokes themselves, the whole thing is basically a huge physical obstacle course styled contest dubbed completely with edgy, 90s humor. And I loved it.

This is back in the days of popular shows like Battlebots, a long-running show where people take their homemade robots and have them battle to the death or total destruction of the other robots in a huge competition to take home cash.

These real-life game shows were popular for decades, and had huge fanbases in the times they ran, but over the past couple decades have sort of faded into obscurity as people oft forget to remember them for the nostalgic piece of 90s history they became.

Since the dawn of game show television, many crazy and ridiculous game shows popped up all over as people would come up with insane ideas for contestants to have a chance at winning big money, big prizes! I love it!

The world and it's times have changed. You can still find many older game shows still running today such as Wheel of Fortune, Family Feud or The Price is Right; but most of the more unhinged and entertaining game shows, however, have become a thing of the past.

I've been your host, χKai.
See you next time

 

[Stingy Perry Stingy Perry]

I remembered watching Takeshi’s Castle as a little twerp, it was aired during early Sunday night and every episode is kinda the hot topic the next few days at school alongside some animes and some TV series.
MXC has been part of my childhood, a good article nonetheless I hope you made the cut.

 

[Waffles's iconWaffles]

Best of luck with the application.

 

[Kamako]

Cool write-up! Makes me want to seek out the show.

It sounds alot like Total Wipeout which we have in the UK, meets that Nickelodeon brand of dunking contestants xD Fun stuff.

 

[bjork]

Used to love this show. I can't pick out any specific moments, as it was just one of those shows I'd have on in the background, but you could always look over and catch something fun going on.

 

[RETRO-VETRO RETRO-VETRO]

Good luck, buddy!

 

[Spike's iconSpike]

Ha I had no idea Takeshi's Castle got this treatment in the US.
I think the article could use some expanding.
Here are some suggestions for that.

• Readers unfamiliar with MXC may struggle to understand exactly what it was without a clearer intro.
• No mention that MXC was originally Takeshi’s Castle (Japanese show, re-dubbed for US TV). That’s key context.
• Doesn’t explain who the dubbed characters (“Vic Romano” & “Kenny Blankenship”) are, which would add flavor.
• The nostalgic enthusiasm is good, but phrases like “laugh your ass off” or “dark or dirty jokes” may feel too loose if you want it to be an article vs. a forum post.
• Some typos (“of it’s time” → “of its time”, “oft forget to remember”).

disclaimer: I used chatgpt to point the key issues. As I can't possibly be knowledgeable about every article.

 

[χKai]

Ha I had no idea Takeshi's Castle got this treatment in the US.
I think the article could use some expanding.
Here are some suggestions for that.

• Readers unfamiliar with MXC may struggle to understand exactly what it was without a clearer intro.
• No mention that MXC was originally Takeshi’s Castle (Japanese show, re-dubbed for US TV). That’s key context.
• Doesn’t explain who the dubbed characters (“Vic Romano” & “Kenny Blankenship”) are, which would add flavor.
• The nostalgic enthusiasm is good, but phrases like “laugh your ass off” or “dark or dirty jokes” may feel too loose if you want it to be an article vs. a forum post.
• Some typos (“of it’s time” → “of its time”, “oft forget to remember”).

disclaimer: I used chatgpt to point the key issues. As I can't possibly be knowledgeable about every article.

Honestly, I actually didn't know it was called Takeshi's Castle until a few years ago, and I forgot until someone mentioned it in this thread.

I'll try to shoehorn an introduction to MXC, Vic Romano, and Kenny Blankenship.