Film + TV
Remembering the cringeworthy excellence of the Wayne's World VCR game
by Dan MacRae
October 30, 2015
Shyeah! The '90s were a magical time.
Party time? Excellent. Aurora’s most popular cable access program once got the VHS board game treatment and now you (someone with The Internet™) can soak in all the magic without needing a VCR or friends. Lucky you!
Wayne’s World, an SNL property that believes strongly in the integrity of their product, birthed a VHS board game in the 90s that featured Mike Myers and Dana Carvey gently razzing players while hammering home as many catchphrases as possible. This Mattel release requires the”sphinctoid” viewer at home to try to reach “Party Central” before Garth Algar does. We’re not sure why the game wants you to outduel your lovable bespectacled rock hero, but them’s the rules.
“If you’re not ready to party and in the mood to have fun… PLAY CHECKERS!” screams a pair of disembodied lips that provide a dose of opening instructions off the top.
Players travel around the game board collecting things like “backstage passes” and “Grey Poupon” while trying to complete tasks like getting a date from “The Babeitude Zone.” Wayne and Garth offer up instructions and commands while pretending they’re talking back to the players through the TV set. You also get an era specific recap of who the characters were attracted to at the time.
“If Kim Bassinger and Paula Abdul were in a toy store, would they be Babes in Toyland?” muses Garth.
One kind soul has uploaded this early ’90s time capsule for you to be dazzled by. If you make it through all 26 minutes, monkeys may fly out of your butt.
[h/t AV Club]
