During the Pandemic, a game Fall Guys went viral on the internet! What few know is that these types of popular contests in various reality shows around the world originated in Japan from Takeshi’s Castle.
Takeshi’s Castle or Fūun! Takeshi-jō [風雲！たけし城] is a Japanese reality show launched in 1986 featuring comedian Takeshi Kitano. The name of the show literally means turbulence at Takeshi’s Castle.
Known as Beat Takeshi, the comedian is a count who owns a castle full of difficult challenges for volunteer players. The game became a worldwide success, having various copies all over the world.
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How did Takeshi’s Castle work?
The original show involves 86 to 142 competitors where General Tani (Hayato Tani) “forced” them into a series of physical challenges, somewhat similar to It’s a Knockout, eliminating many of the competitors. Similar to Fall Guys, it was a true Battle Royale.
Each show ended with a “Final Confrontation” in which Count Takeshi (Kitano) faced the remaining competitors. In the early episodes, players needed to invade the castle and create a short-range water cannon attack.
Later episodes introduced carts with paper rings and eventually lasers and light-sensitive targets. If a competitor’s weapon penetrated the paper ring or hit the sensor of Takeshi’s cart, they took the castle and won.
During the water gun version, if Takeshi was defeated, all surviving players shared the prize among themselves. During the laser gun version, the player who stopped Takeshi won 1 million yen (about 8,000 dollars at the time).
The series featured extensive landscaping of a fixed campus at the Midoriyama (Green Mountain) studios owned by TBS, which included large artificial lakes and extensive permanent obstacles in Yokohama, Japan.
The final regular episode aired on April 14, 1989, followed by 4 unique specials until October 19, 1990. A special revival took place on April 2, 2005, featuring the Dragon God Lake and the Strait of Gibraltar.
In the last episode of Takeshi Castle released on October 19, 1990, there was an incredible participation of 1000 competitors led by General Tani. During 127 battles, the participants managed to win Takeshi’s Castle only 8 times.
The end of Takeshi’s Castle
As soon as the final battle ends, fireworks explode over Takeshi’s Castle as if to praise the winning side.
If the attacking army is defeated, it shows Captain Tani fleeing, leaving a message of defeat, and Takeshi’s troops on the walls shouting with Takeshi on top of the walls, followed by a fight scene of the challenger with the competitors and the staff rolling.
If the attacking forces win, the competitor who hits the target of Takeshi’s tank receives 1 million yen from Captain Tani, and then he or she raises a cheer with the other competitors who managed to reach the karting game and connects to the battle scene of the challenger.
In both cases, a sign was inserted announcing the call for new challengers written: Let’s play with Takeshi-chan! The narrator’s final phrase is basically “Thank you to all the people who participated.”
The different Gincana Games
Many know these games from the Olimpíadas do Faustão, or also from Silvio Santos’ show in a section called Playtime. Both have existed since the 90s and have had the program temporarily suspended for not having copyright.
I remember playing on the Nintendo Wii a game called WipeOut, in which I even thought that the contests of Brazilian TV were based on this American reality show (my mistake). Now I know that each country has its own contest show.
Several Asian television channels replicated Takeshi’s Castle accurately, with the same characters, the same system, with a castle and multiple simultaneous participants. It even makes you think that the show is Japanese, because even the signs are in the language.
Several other programs tried to use the premises of Takeshi Castle, we have the famous Ninja Warrior, followed by the floor is lava available on Netflix and many others. Do you know any other similar program? Leave it in the comments…
Most of them consist of challenges where the loser falls into the water or mud if they make a mistake. Many of the challenges are similar, like the one of spinning in Fall Guys. There are hundreds of different games and challenges from Takeshi Castle.
The success of these contests was so great that in Japan there were toys based on the show. Some politically correct individuals questioned the show because of its warlike atmosphere and the laughter when players lost.
List of Takeshi’s Castle Games on Brazilian TV
Many of the original games from Takeshi’s Castle were present in the Olimpíadas do Faustão and in Silvio Santos’ show. See below a list of games that were in these programs, also the original games of these programs.
There are 8 to 9 types of difficulties (games) waiting for you to reach the decisive battle with the owner of the castle, Takeshi. More than 100 games were created from the beginning to the end of the program. On Brazilian TV, these games were presented separately without a storyline.
The Bridge of the Falling River
This name is a pun with the movie The Bridge on the River Kwai. In the game, players cross a rope bridge with an item while henchmen shoot black volleyballs at the competitor, who is eliminated if they fall. The original game is called Bridge Ball.
In Takeshi Castle, there were two cannons used to shoot at the competitors. In a variation of the game, several stones are attached to the bridge to make crossing even more difficult. This means that the competitor cannot run across but must climb the rocks.
Only after this version was the version created where you need to carry a golden ball. If you lose, you need to go back to the general to get another golden ball. It was probably in this version that the bridge of the falling river was inspired.
Games from the Olimpíadas do Faustão
Ball in the Sack (Catch It) – Players, wearing huge costumes and with nets, try to catch a ball thrown in the air. Those who manage to catch it pass and give chances to others.
Bowling (Skittles) – 10 players take a playing card and dress as bowling pins, and then a giant bowling ball comes to knock down the pins, winning those who remain in the test.
Lost Fall Hunters (The Gauntlet) – The player must overcome a circuit of tests involving a conveyor belt, a rotating bridge, and a trampoline and reach the end without falling off. However, the course must be completed in 30 seconds. The name is a parody of Raiders of the Lost Ark.
Bozó’s Vine (The Dragon Lake) – Jumping while hanging on a vine, the participant must cross a lake and stop on top of a fake elephant.
Mushroom (Mushroom Trip) – The player hangs on a giant fake mushroom and crosses a pond. To win, he needs to launch himself onto a floating platform in the water.
Camel Cross (On Yer Bike) – In a pool, there is a wall with undulations and the player, on top of a bicycle, has to ride along the wall on the bike without falling.
Domino (Dominoes) – The participant has to step over several domino pieces without falling.
Slide and Hit (End Bell) – The player must go down a ramp on a board, slide it on the water, reach another ramp, climb it, and ring a bell at the top.
Flipper-mud (Ball Cupping) – The player throws a small ball into a giant pinball machine and runs underneath it with a pan. He must catch the ball with the pan before it falls into the mud at the end of the machine.
Fuca-Fuca (Mud Ball) – A soccer ball is thrown into the air, and the participant, walking in a mud pit, must catch the ball before it falls into the mud.
Spin-Spin (Bridge The Gap) – The player must cross two spinning bridges going from one end of one to the other and continue to the end.
Jet-Cup (Rice Bowl Downhill) – The player is launched from a wet ramp into a giant cup. At the end, it reaches a pool. He must stay in the cup when he gets there, without falling out.
Stick Game (Poles Apart) – Players launch themselves into a pool, supported by an iron bar, to win, he must jump onto a floating platform in the water without falling.
Disk Game (Slipped Diskeds) – In a pool, several disks of various sizes are arranged and spin in different directions. The player must cross the pool by stepping on the disks without falling.
Honeycomb Maze (Honeycomb Maze) – The player enters a maze with several hexagonal rooms and several doors in each. He must get out of there by the right path, being careful with the monsters and the false exits.
Mortematics (The Run Way) – The player gets on a cart and is set to run. Next to it, a mathematical expression is shown. At the end of the path, he must answer the correct result.
On the Foot of the Ear (Prod) – Two players are on top of narrow platforms armed with ‘giant cotton swabs’. Whoever pushes the other out first wins. It was divided into two versions (male and female), with two eliminatory rounds and one final stage each.
Cursed Stone (Skipping Stones) – The player must cross a river by stepping on several stones, being careful with the false ones, which sink when stepped on.
Caribbean Pirates (Turtle Hurtle) – The player must cross a bridge made up of several platforms floating in the sea. The platforms are slippery and, to make matters worse, a pirate is after him to knock him down.
Door of Mischief (Knock Knock) – Four walls are arranged parallel to each other, each with four doors, two made of wood and two made of styrofoam. The participant must pass through the four walls without bumping into the wooden doors, while people dressed as monsters try to prevent him from moving forward, and one of the styrofoam doors has a net for the participant to get tangled in.
Horse Test (Dino Ride) – The participant must jump on a moving mechanical bull disguised as a horse and stay on it all the way until reaching a bell and ringing it.
Roll the Roller (High Rollers) – To win, the player must pass over seven giant rollers without falling into the pool underneath them.
Roulette (Roulette) – Three players, dressed as clowns, are on top of a roulette, with a podium in the middle, all separated in a designated place. They take off the clown costumes and then they have to wear the same outfit and get on the podium. The one who does this first wins, with male and female stages.
Pond Surfing (Wipe Out) – The player gets on a spinning surfboard and must jump over dolphins and platforms in his way, without falling.
Slap the Spider (Velcro Fly) – The player holds onto a rope and launches himself against a velcro with a spider web printed on it and has to stick to the velcro without falling.
Zip Line (Up The Creek) – The player enters a wooden zip line and pulls with a rope to the left, below there is a mud pit and a platform. The participant must fall onto that platform without falling into the mud.
Main Challenges of Takeshi Castle
Although many challenges from the Olimpíadas do Faustão and other programs with gincanas are based on the games of Takeshi’s Castle, the names in English do not correspond to the Japanese names. This is because the Japanese TV program follows a script, so the challenges have names related to the castles and scenarios of the game.
Border Wall [国境の壁] – Cross a high wall of 2 meters or more within the time limit. There is a drop on both sides of the wall.
See a list of games and challenges from Takeshi with their names in Japanese:
- Declive da Borda [国境の坂]
- Parede da Fronteira [国境の関所]
- Perfeição de fronteira [国境のパーフェクション]
- Primeira Aldeia [第一砦]
- Ryujin Pond [竜神池]
- Casa do diabo [悪魔の館]
- Segundo Forte [第二砦]
- Estreito de Gibraltar [ジブラルタル海峡]
- Caverna Comedora de Homens [人喰い穴]
- O Jardim mais longo [ザ・ロンゲストヤード]
- Zona de Aventura [アドベンチャーゾーン]
- O Muro da Liberdade [自由への壁]
- A Longa Muralha da Liberdade [遥かなる自由への壁]
- Isto é uma Bola, Corra! [これは玉RUN]
- Garoto punk [どんぶらこっこ]
- Lutador do sumo [すもうでポン]
- O condor vai voar para longe [コンドルは飛んで行く]
- Pong com cogumelos! [キノコでポン!]
- Com caligrafia [書道でポン]
- É uma combinação perfeita [当たって完パイ]
- O céu e o inferno [天国と地獄]
- Guerra de castelo [城内戦]
- Batalha de Carrinho [カート戦]
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