Ranking the 10 best video game TV shows of all time

Shortly after the first video games came out in the arcade,  there were television shows based on them in Saturday morning cartoon lineups everywhere.  Since that time, more than 100 different shows have hit the small screen with formats ranging from anime to Western-style cartoons to even live action (and a few a mix of the bunch).  The Game Guys have hopped into their nostalgia machine and came up with a list of ten of these shows which they consider to be the best of the bunch.

10. Sonic X (2003-2004) - One of a small assortment of cartoon series that featured SEGA's blue hedgehog protagonist Sonic and his friends, Sonic X is a show still seen on television today thanks to re-runs of its 78 episodes.  The show was created with Team Sonic and Sonic Project and features a number of fan-favorite characters ranging from the usual Sonic and Tails through to more obscure ones like Cream the Rabbit, Rogue the Bat, and Shadow the Hedgehog.

9. Captain N: The Game Master (1989-1991) - One of a number of video game-based TV shows from DiC Entertainment, Captain N: The Game Master lasted three seasons with all 34 of its episodes airing during NBC's Saturday morning cartoon lineup.  The show features the N Team (Kevin Keen aka Captain N and his dog Duke, Princess Lana, Simon Belmont, Pit, Mega Man, and Game Boy) defending Videoland from a weekly group of video game villains led by the boisterous Mother Brain.

6. Code Monkeys (2007-2008) - While not actually a show based on a video game, Code Monkeys is a satirical look at the early years of the video game industry.  The show takes place at a fiction game development company based in 1980's Sunnyvale, California.  Featuring 8-bit inspired animation, Code Monkeys was a mild hit with gamers in their late 20's and early 30's and most of its content was aimed at that audience.  Though it had a good couple of years on the cable channel G4, the network did not renew the show for a third season.

5. Earthworm Jim (1995-1996) - Ask any gamer between the ages of 25 and 30, and chances are that they remember watching the Earthworm Jim cartoon series.  Based on the oddball video games of the same name, the Earthworm Jim cartoon followed the adventures of Jim and his friend Peter Puppy as they defend the universe from being frozen/stolen/knocked-over/destroyed/etc.  The show continues the absurd and surreal humor of the game, which made for a rather memorable show that both gamers and non-gamers alike enjoyed.

Regarding the 20th Anniversary - SSMB

You can't get much cooler than that in terms of a tribute. Yeah, at least we got the Generations demo, and I'd certainly not have wanted them to rush the game in time for a June release this year, but at the same time, I'd have felt much more excited if they'd somehow been able to release it on the day (without rushing it, of course).

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