Satella-Q

1995 · Nintendo Entertainment Analysis & Development · Satellaview

Satella-Q (「サテラＱ」) is a series of quiz game events for the Satellaview, an add-on for the Super Famicom. The game features Kinopio (Toad in English translations) as the primary character, guiding players through the quizzes and minigames. The game was distributed as a Periodic Soundlink release. During the Satellaview's early years, St.GIGA broadcasted quiz events called Waiwai de Q (「わいわいでＱ」), which would phase into being called Satella-Q after the third event. These aired in periodic intervals, unlike their traditional Soundlink broadcasts wherein the episodes were played week-by-week until the conclusion. In October 1995, Satella-Q would be merged with another earlier sound magazine called WaiWai Check (「わいわいチェック」) to again form WaiWai de Q. The game used the Satellaview's Soundlink technology to give the presentation of a quiz game show, with announcers presenting the questions for players to answer and music ranging from various sources ranging from classical to J-Pop to British Rock given use, sometimes playing key roles in the quizzes themselves. Each episode was split into "rounds" that consisted of various types of quizzes, both in "multiple-choice" and "type-out the answer" forms, which ranged from Japanese cultural trivia to guessing the contents of obscured photo-realistic pictures. Sometimes non-quiz mini-games would also be played, including one where players must move Toad through an area resembling a pool table, collecting the balls that the on-screen HUD requests. Another one features a game of cards that uses Poker cards with Yoshi on their backs.