Video Challenger was a VHS-based interactive video game system released in 1987. Using a photo-sensitive light gun known as the Challenge Blaster, players could score points by shooting targets directly off the television screen.
The system was developed and produced by Select, who also handled domestic sales. International distribution was handled through several partners around the world:
- Takara in Japan
- Bandai in the United Kingdom
- Irwin Toy in Canada
- GiG in Italy
A total of eight games were released on VHS:
- Space Challenge — Select
- Sky Wars — Select
- Thunder Storm — Data East
- Road Blaster — Data East
- Godzilla Challenger 1 — Takara
- Godzilla Challenger 2 — Takara
- After Burner II — Sega
- TMNT: Turtle Challenge — Bandai
Turtle Challenge featured new animation for Teenage Mutant Hero Turtles, and was a Bandai exclusive only released in the UK. Takara also aired special versions of Transformers Headmasters featuring edited title sequences designed for use with Video Challenger. The system was additionally compatible with Captain Power and the Soldiers of the Future VHS training tapes produced by Mattel.
Sales initially proved strong, but rapidly fell off with competition from Nintendo, Sega, and other video game manufacturers in an increasingly crowded marketplace. The discontinuation of rival Captain Power in 1988 further soured the market.
However, because the core hardware was contained entirely within the Challenge Blaster itself, Video Challenger remains remarkably playable decades later. Full recordings of the original tapes are now widely preserved online, allowing modern collectors and retro gaming enthusiasts to continue experiencing the system today.
