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Your contributions to this list will be gladly accepted. Images of video game references should include any appropriate photo credits. Send me email at kpolsson@islandnet.com.
January 22, 1995
| The Fox Broadcasting Company airs The Simpsons TV show in the USA. A bowling alley shows arcade video game "Time Waister". | 
(Copyright 1995 Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation) |
May 14, 1995
- The Fox Broadcasting Company airs The Simpsons TV show in the USA. A child says "I'll kick your butt... at Nintendo".
1995
| Universal Studios releases the film Ski School 2 is to theaters in the USA. The arcade game Pole Position appears. | 
(Copyright 1995 Universal Studios) |
July 28, 1995
| Columbia Pictures releases the film The Net to theaters in the USA. A scene takes place in an amusement park, showing several arcade video games. |  
(Copyright 1995 Columbia Pictures) |
September 15, 1995
United Artists releases the film Hackers to theaters in the US.
- A prototype of the PlayStation game Wipeout is played in a nightclub.
- The PlayStation logo appears in the game.
- A Nintendo Powerglove appears.
- The Atari Virtuality SU2000 virtual-reality arcade system is shown.
- A character says "A wake-up call for the Nintendo generation".
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(Copyright 1995 United Artists Pictures) |
September 17, 1995
- The Fox Broadcasting Company airs The Simpsons TV show in the USA. A character says he got arthritis in his fingers from playing Space Invaders in 1977.
September 24, 1995
| The Fox Broadcasting Company airs The Simpsons TV show in the USA. An actor's trailer has two video arcade machines, one with dual joysticks, the other with dual trackballs. |  
(Copyright 1995 Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation) |
December 9, 1995
- Miramax Films releases the film Four Rooms to theaters in Japan. The game Rambo 3 is played on a Sega Genesis.
December 17, 1995
The Fox Broadcasting Company airs The Simpsons TV show in the USA.
- Two children play a home video game, showing a martial arts fighter fighting a tank.
- Another game is advertised as "Bonestorm".
- Another character refers to the games costing up to $70.
- Animated characters resembling Mario, Luigi, Donkey Kong, and Sonic the Hedgehog appear.
- Several video game titles in a store are shown, including "Save Hitler's Brain".
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(Copyright 1995 Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation) |
1996
| The film Subliminal Seduction is aired on TV in the USA. The arcade game Ms. Pac-Man appears. | 
(Copyright 1996 Showtime Networks, Inc.) |
October 23, 1996
| The National Broadcasting Company airs the NewsRadio TV show in the USA. An arcade video game replaces a sandwich vending machine in an office. It is called Stargate Defender, but no actual game play is shown. | 
(Copyright 1996 National Broadcasting Company) |
January 12, 1997
| The Fox Broadcasting Company airs The Simpsons TV show in the USA. Ouside the "Noiseland Arcade", a sign is displayed above a live gorilla: "Friday Meet Donkey Kong in Person". The gorilla throws a barrel at a man, knocking him down. | 
(Copyright 1997 Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation) |
March 28, 1997
- Buena Vista Pictures releases the film The Sixth Man to theaters in the USA. A character is told to forget girls and "stick to Nintendo".
November 9, 1997
| The Fox Broadcasting Company airs The Simpsons TV show in the USA. In a convenience store, a child plays an arcade game called "Cat Fight". | 
(Copyright 1997 Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation) |
February 15, 1998
- The Fox Broadcasting Company airs The Simpsons TV show in the USA. On a desert island, one character tells another to "draw up plans for a coconut radio and if possible a coconut Nintendo system".
April 23, 1998
| The National Broadcasting Company airs the Seinfeld TV show in the USA. One of the plot lines revolves around transporting a Frogger arcade machine from a closing-out business, without losing the high score record. The arcade machine is taken across a street, back and forth like playing the game. |   
(Copyright 1998 National Broadcasting Company) |
August 26, 1998
Comedy Central airs the South Park TV show in the USA.
- Video game dialog: "Where is the Nintendo?" "We don't have a Nintendo. We got a ColecoVision plugged into the black and white TV."
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(Copyright 1998 Comedy Central) |
September 20, 1998
- The Fox Broadcasting Company airs The Simpsons TV show in the USA. The line "Finish him!" is a reference to the Mortal Kombat video game.
September 27, 1998
| The Fox Broadcasting Company airs The Simpsons TV show in the USA. A videogame arcade includes various stand-up and sit-in machines, with some names visible: "Larry the Looter", "Touch of Death", "Pack Rat Returns", "Shark Bait", "Satans Funhouse", "Time Waster". | 
(Copyright 1998 Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation) |
November 22, 1998
The Fox Broadcasting Company airs The Simpsons TV show in the USA.
- A child plays a home video game system.
- The game "Dingo Dash" is played, similar to Crash Bandicoot.
- A child mispronounces "superintendant" as "Super Nintendo".
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(Copyright 1998 Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation) |
December 11, 1998
- Warner Bros. Pictures releases the Jack Frost film to theaters in the USA. A character says he has packed "batteries for the Game Boy".
March 28, 1999
| The Fox Broadcasting Company airs the Futurama TV show in the USA. An arcade video game is played, "Monkey Fracas Jr.", with a space ship fighting a giant ape throwing barrels pulled from inside a planet. This is a reference to the video game Donkey Kong Jr.. |  
(Copyright 1999 Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation) |
April 4, 1999
The Fox Broadcasting Company airs the Futurama TV show in the USA. Several references to actual arcade video games are shown:
- "Dodecapede" (Centipede),
- "Gender Neutral Pac Person" (Pac Man),
- "Mortal Kooperation" (Mortal Kombat),
- Security patrols at the arcade are called Moon Patrol, the same name as an arcade video game.
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(Copyright 1999 Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation) |
April 20, 1999
The Fox Broadcasting Company airs the Futurama TV show in the USA.
- In a planet inhabited by robots, construction workers use cranes to build with colored bricks in shapes just like in Tetris.
- Security robots call out "Intruder alert! Intruder alert!" in a voice just like in some video game.
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(Copyright 1999 Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation) |
May 16, 1999
| The Fox Broadcasting Company airs The Simpsons TV show in the USA. A handheld video game resembling the original Nintendo Game Boy is used on an airplane, interfering with the plane's controls. | 
(Copyright 1999 Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation) |
October 3, 1999
| The Fox Broadcasting Company airs The Simpsons TV show in the USA. A home video game is played, showing a player skiing. |  
(Copyright 1999 Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation) |
October 6, 1999
| United Paramount Network airs the Seven Days TV show in the USA. The episode involves a video game player remotely controlling a live missile aimed at the US Pentagon building. A few arcade video game machines appear at a nightclub. A brief scene takes place in a videogame arcade, showing a wrestling game. |   
(Copyright 1999 United Paramount Network) |
November 3, 1999
Comedy Central airs the South Park TV show in the USA.
- A "Chinpokomon" video game system appears, which gives one of the kids a seizure.
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(Copyright 1999 Comedy Central) |
November 14, 1999
| The Fox Broadcasting Company airs The Simpsons TV show in the USA. A child plays a home videogame system showing three ninjas. | 
(Copyright 1999 Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation) |
Other web pages of interest:
Chronology of Video Game Systems
Top Selling Video Games by Month
Polsson's Garage Sale - Video Games
Amazon.com - Ken P's Video Game Picks
Disney References in Pop Culture
Personal Computer References in Pop Culture
Corvette References in Pop Culture
Ken P's Today in History
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