BrainSurge: Nickelodeon's UNDERRATED Game Show

In today's video I decided to take a look at the Nickelodeon game show "Brainsurge"
Art by: @HatsOffMedia
Background Art by: @Lone Developer
Twitter: MrNostalgiaYT
Intro: • free for profit / kany...
Outro: • Cochise - Hollow (Inst...
Special shout out to @nostalgiamostalgia0319 , @iamnotmariocassem9375 , @shagmagBMF @phanpyken986 , @somerandomgameranimator4481 for helping me with information for this video. Additionally, I would like to credit the Nickstory Archive (nickstory.fandom.com/wiki/Nic....
Other sources used in this video:
• Behind the Scenes of N...
• REACTING TO MY BRAINSU...
lostmediawiki.com/BrainSurge_...)
• BrainSurge Audition Tape
Music Used:
Charmin - Lil Yahcty
Like that - Metro Boomin
Ricky - Denzel Curry
Precision - Big Sean
Lost and found freestyle - asap rocky, Tyler the creator, nigo
• [FREE] Playboi Carti x...
Geeked - Cochise
Get back - Ludacris
Yoshimitsu - Cochise
Batman plug n play
Fighting my demons - Ken Carson
My girl - mindless behavior
Holla at the dj - Coco Jones
• [FREE] Migos Type Beat...
00:00- Intro
02:32- Production
04:32- Premise
12:10- Level 1
14:43- Level 2
21:32- Variations/Guest Stars
31:01- Intermission: Fun Facts
36:15- Outro

[@stuffthatithinkisfun]

Hey man Jeff Sutphen here. Great video. Thanks for the shout out. Glad to see that there are still so many fans.

[@3BaldDads]

I saw you comment on other Nick videos as well. Cool that you're still proud about your Nick work. You meant a lot to a lot of people

[@stuffthatithinkisfun]

Very proud! And seeing stuff like this confirms that we were doing it right. Thanks to all the fans for keeping it alive.

[@nostalgiamostalgia0319]

I am so proud of your nick legacy, all starting 2002 and then escalating it make a show during the peak year of viewership for the network! You have come a long way with your efforts and its reaching new generations! Thank you!

[@MrNostalgia]

JEFF! Thanks for commenting man! You're a Nick legend.

[@samv.3217]

No way dude, really? Jeff you were one of my childhood icons man. When I was a kid I used to love talking like the TV hosts I would watch and I would also quote "The Brain Drain." And even though it was a bit before my time, I really liked the Pickboy character and would've definitely loved that character as a kid. I do remember seeing him on that Nick Magazine special though. Thanks for all the memories man, you're really an inspiration for TV junkies like myself.

[@itsagirraffe4694]

I lost it when he said, “They even had Ariana Grande on the show. You know, back when she was still white.”

[@machoman1016]

He clearly hasn't seen her recently 😆

[@sheripatterson388]

WOW

[@isaaccuevas1717]

Thia show was such a fever dream,you REMEMBER it existing,but your brain can’t put together an actual moment you remember

[@christiantreid]

speak for yourself because it’s all so clear to me

[@riddlemefish6217]

The final stage is so memorable to me :0

[@idkibk7]

I didnt even remember the show until I saw the round with the tiles.

[@BryanCostner]

Jeff Sutphen is one of the most underrated hosts out there. With "Brainsurge" and "Figure It Out", two hosting gig that he took at Nickelodeon, he's such a fun host to watch. I wonder what has he been doing lately 🤔

[@nostalgiamostalgia0319]

FIO would not have a reboot without Brainsurge IMO, we even got most of the same stars there.

[@coreypayne1208]

Hell I didn't know Jeff was Pick Boy from U-Pick Live until looking him up on Wikipedia

[@mrbow50001]

he also hosted the US version of 101 Ways to Leave a Game Show!

[@Sweetwintercherry]

Random fact, at the Mall of America there is a ride based on Brain Surge as of writing this. It basically goes in circles and you have controls to flip yourself in circles. Its pretty cool.

[@MrNostalgia]

It's still there?

[@jakobwhite730]

⁠@@MrNostalgiaI just looked it up, the BrainSurge ride is still there at the Mall of America 👍

[@haileybarry722]

@@MrNostalgia MN resident here, it’s still there. Would love to watch a vid about Nickelodeon Universe 👀

[@Sweetwintercherry]

@@MrNostalgia yep still there as of 2024

[@cadensunila]

As a kid growing up, I always wanted to go down that slime slide

[@BryanCostner]

Jeff Sutphen was one of the best things that ever happen to Nickelodeon. With "Brainsurge", "Figure It Out" and i remember that he hosted the 2010 Kids Choice Award with Lily Collins, you just can't go any wrong with him. I know that he isn't a big name but i'd be interested to see how he could host big award shows like the Golden Globes or the Oscars, he's got the charisma and the joy to watch as a host. I always smile whenever he's on screen hosting

[@Billibab]

We should stop with celebrities being hosts and revamp the host celebrities. Just like goooood hosts.

[@Uncle_Nut]

He was great as pick boy too. I remember loving those segments as a kid

[@emilyyamasaki4968]

Same

[@quintonposs3286]

The next Marc Summers.

[@BlueBlazeKing]

Legit me and my buds were shouting at the contestant during the grid level like we were gambling our houses

[@PowerJusho]

Erin Fitzgerald, the announcer of the show and well known voice actress, is an active streamer on twitch/tiktok. You can ask to interview her about it if you'd like

[@kranbabushka7887]

No way, it's her? That's so damn cool. This was like right around the time she broke out as a big name.

[@BryanCostner]

I remember the episode when Stephen Kramer Glickman (played Gustavo Rocque in Big Time Rush) got the highest score in the first round than anybody else but eventually got screwed up and disqualified at the second round after he forgot to answer a question 😂😂

[@Channeleven2345789]

Join the club, and I believe Nathan Kress won in that episode too.

[@BryanCostner]

@@Channeleven2345789 Nope, Nathan lost in the third round as far as I can remember. James Maslow was the winner at that episode

[@Channeleven2345789]

@@BryanCostner I see, I did recall that Nathan made it past the round Stephen lost, and I believe Jenette McCurdy made it to the final round

[@2004froggy]

@@Channeleven2345789 Jennette didn’t make it past the first round and she was on Brainsurge three times where she didn’t make it past the first round even though she was close one time.

[@Channeleven2345789]

@@2004froggy Okay, it was a long time since I saw the show. Call it a brain fart on my part

[@domm.]

rip mr nostalgia its like hes still here with us

[@MrNostalgia]

what

[@ivarberkman8907]

@@MrNostalgia Thanks for your great video, it’s a shame about the accident. You were always a amazing content creator. Rest in peace

[@izzinet6080]

i sat in the audience for an episode of this show as a kid! i was so jealous of the kids that got to go down the slide lol

[@MrNostalgia]

How did you manage to get tickets for that, out of curiosity?

[@izzinet6080]

​@@MrNostalgia In LA you can sign up to be in the audience for shows like these through a seat filler company-- usually they have a preferred audience type, like for this they probably wanted kids age 10-15. My mom got an email from a seat filler company about a Nickelodeon show looking for Kid audience members and requested tickets for me & my sister. I think most of the time they use a lottery system to choose who goes. My sister & I both got approved so we got tickets. Since it was a new show at the time they probably paid us around $20 each as incentive as well.

[@BatmanFan76]

Brainsurge was definitely an underrated game show. How is it that Double Dare and Legends of the Hidden Temple are always remembered, yet this show was completely forgotten? This was a lot of fun. From the slime to the brain drain, it was a blast. Nickelodeon, please consider bringing this back.

[@nostalgiamostalgia0319]

It’s sad irony that a show like Brainsurge was explicitly trying to improve your memory.

[@weirdbunmi]

My request to nickelodeon to be on brainsurge was one of the first emails I ever sent. Unfortunately, I never got to go, but I still look back on those old emails with fondness.

[@ezequielcastet]

Funfact: here in Latin America we had our version of Brain Surge but called Veloz mente (fast mind in english) was broadcast on discovery kids between 2012-2013, the participants were thrown foam and the games were somewhat similar to Brain Surge, especially the final game, those eliminated got into a train car and foam was thrown at them

[@freakytostadacartoon]

I watched both, and I love to watch it.

[@OurKindofEntertainment]

After watching Quiet On Set, I had to double take when you said 'Pick Boy' because I thought I heard 'Pickle Boy' 😩

[@nostalgiamostalgia0319]

This game show is one of the best examples of Nickelodeon shows being vindicated by history. Like this was the point were so many people tuned it for nick during its peak year in viewership and now even more of the generation are cherishing it. Also, thanks for giving the stats of the show. It's so overlooked that Brainsurge is statistically one of the winningest nick game shows, over twice as much as the win rate for Double Dare, Legends of the Hidden Temple, or Nick Arcade, so I appreciate that mention. I know this connection to the show will only improve because this show indeed helped shape and improve the memories of children like us.

[@somerandomgameranimator4481]

As a part of the BrainSurge community, YOU DEFINITELY COOKED 🔥🔥🔥 Considering my love for slides but also big want to actually win, I don’t really know if I’d rather be slimed or go down the brain drain.

[@kluaoha731]

I would always be screaming at the tv watching these kids fail level 3, but something you have to realize is that they don't get a bird's-eye vantage point like us. That's why Matt did it so easily, because he's taller.

[@smolminz9588]

Matt Shively being such an op brain surge killer was always smth i rmbed esp because it greatly contrasted his airhead character on true jackson.. i remember my parents thinking like woah he's just really good at acting dumb 😭

[@91divoC]

Big shoutout to the new funko pops in the back

[@RemixproductionsAj]

I’m so upset that the show is lost to time. It has always been my favorite gameshow and I seriously wish they’d just release all the episodes for streaming. I’ve always had fun trying to play the games as I watched the show. And honestly… I always wanted to be on the show.

[@mrbow50001]

my boy kiyo-pon! lol

[@AJPierson]

Yes! BrainSurge is definitely my favorite Nickelodeon game show. It's play-along, but challengess your concentration and memory skills. You can feel so much energy in this show.

[@totalcattitude4339]

What about that Wipeout-style show that was on Nick for a while? The one where contestants got heckled by people playing some sort of villain? I completely forgot the show existed before watching this, and it would be interesting to see what you can find on it

[@ladybugmac]

Yes!!! I thought of that too! I can't for the life of me remember what it was called or how anything looked

[@spannmona]

SPLATALOT!!!

[@phanpyken986]

This is really well made, thank you for the shout out. Also thanks for using episodes that aren’t specifically 216 only, people need to see more episodes besides that one

[@BlueJimmie48Fan]

Man this show still to this day has such a special place in my heart. I would get so excited to go home from school, finish my homework as I could so I can be glued to that TV and watch the new episodes. Jeff Sutphen will forever be one of my childhood goats and i'm glad to hear that the fandom is very passionate in preserving the history of this underrated gem!

[@samv.3217]

I used to love playing along at home anytime this show was on. My sister and I would sit on a chair to reenact the second round and would pull each other back when one of got an answer wrong. I would also try to act like Jeff and talked with the same tone and inflections in his voice. And during the knockout round, I would always have a strategy. Don't match the pictures that are right next to each other until most of the other ones are matched. It was all about psyching out your opponent. Because once they messed up, you only needed one match to win. That's why you save the easier ones for last. I also freaked out when Tom Kenny, Tony Hawk, and Larry King were on there. Although I only knew him as the guy on Gravity Falls at the time. It was always good time watching this show and playing it at home.

[@tommyhetrick]

Audrey Whitby from shows like Thundermans and So Random was also on BrainSurge. I was just watching clips from the show and recognized her

[@Dallasrocker124]

Bro you dug in for this one dude I FORGOT I used to watch this show and I fucked with it hard. The other show i liked from nick besides icarly and spongebob was the penguins of Madagascar, OG classic for me. Also I think you used and instrumental version of poppin' my collar early in the video, 12 year old me loved that mf song

[@MrNostalgia]

It was actually Precision by Big Sean which sampled that song.

[@ethanuy2261]

I’m a simple man. I see someone covering Nick show from my childhood, I click.

[@emilyyamasaki4968]

As a kid, being smart was one of the only things I was complimented on, so I took pride in it. I loved shows that made me think or made me learn. This was one of those shows. I loved getting the answers right, especially when some of the older kids didn’t. I hated missing episodes, sometimes I was forced to if there was something I had to do after school or if my father was picking me up. I was 5-7 when this show was airing so I was too young to ever get to be on it, but man what I would do to be on an adult’s version of it.

[@BryanCostner]

After this, you should talk about "Figure It Out", another brilliant game show from Nickelodeon. I only grew up with 2010s "Figure It Out" with Jeff Sutphen as the host than the old one so i do have a soft spot for that. I used to watched it after school, i remember the whole Big Time Rush members were part of the show

[@alec2000]

I have been rewatching this show a lot in recent years, and it gives me so much nostalgia and happiness everytime😌. I’d do anything to get this show back, and also Jeff Sutphen will FOREVER be a legend. I hope he’s doing well.❤️ Thank you so much for this video, man. Really made my day.❤️😌

[@smackjack78]

Man, the era of game shows like Brain Surge and Hub Family Game Night was peak game shows. Makes me wish we could get some revivals of sorts for them in the future

[@CoolEric258]

lol I am basically that guy you described when it comes to remembering this show. I watched it every single day after school, but I genuinely forgot everything about it until this video. And the memories just flooded back hardcore. Guess that's why they call you Mr. Nostalgia.

[@DigiRangerScott]

BrainSurge and Figure It Out helped uphold a tightness among the slate better than the late splat era did, complimenting a lot of the network bumpers that highlighted the live action realm of that early rebrand era (late 2009/2010-2013). Let alone how they managed to keep Sutphen on the network for like, a dozen years since the U-Pick Live days. The Clark Kent of Nickelodeon

[@sarahtelles1931]

Oh you said Vanessa Williams, she used to be a model. She had the Antagonist role in the ABC show called Ugly Betty, which starred America Farrerra

[@zwebackshyper9307]

i used to watch this all the time i was always a big fan of game shows and this was one of my favorites i still remember the bacne beast story from this show lmao its ingrained in my brain

[@chrisrockett5897]

Man, FINALLY. We eatin' tonight. Probably Nick's greatest game show host.

[@QueenA.G.]

I remember watching this show religiously when it came on! This show was SO much a part of my childhood that my mom and I came up with “Math Surge” to help me master my times tables 🤣

[@serenitygreene5661]

OMG, I’m glad someone is finally talking about this show. This was my favorite game show and I used to watch it every day it came on and used to want to be on it so bad. My favorite game was the memory squares because it reminded of Billie Jean lol. I wished it stayed and hope this one of the shows there’ll think about rebooting in the future

[@Felipe-wt6jf]

BrainSurge, not to be confused with BrainStorm from Ben 10. We dont talk about this show here.

[@Ri-bd1jz]

I used to watch this show everyday after school. My dad and I would get so annoyed when people messed up with the grid at the end lol. Those were the days. 💕

[@nyxdragon5460]

i wanted to be on brainsurge soooo badly when i was younger. i remember getting so frustrated with the contestants not getting the freaking memory thing at the end with the lights on the floor

[@makaydaaa]

The white Ariana Grande comment is actually so funny lmfaoo

[@sm0keyd0key]

oh my god i’m so happy you’re covering brainsurge i absolutely LOVED this show

[@phoebexoxo2345]

This video is bringing back so many memories! I used to watch BrainSurge everyday after school 🥹

[@lintries465]

The ride at Mall of America for this show was so good.

[@sierraking4312]

I remember watching this show as a kid with my family. Good times.😃

[@dinohall2595]

I legit got an ad right after the "We'll be right back...on Nick!" segment...doubled the nostalgia.

[@script_0529]

Honestly had no clue about House of Anubis until watching it a few months ago. Quickly became one of my favorite shows! While watching this and seeing two of the actresses were on this game show surprised me since I do remember watching this show when I was little.

[@RomaroBrandon]

I loved this show and wished I was on it.

[@tykamen5588]

26:05 I really hope you do a video Supah Ninjas because that show does not get talked about enough.

[@briannaferrell6771]

I loved this show as a kid crazy to think this show aired when I was 9 years old (thanks for making me feel old in my 20s 😂) but it’s all good as it feels good to watch something good involving nick as of recently so thank you 😊

[@AniGamerNX]

I really loved this Gameshow, BrainSurge! It looked really fun and always wanted to be one of the contestants!

[@j062]

The reason I remember the show so much is because it was always on right after school.

[@brooklynleeeea]

the moment they added stars to compete as well absolutely changed this show! huge part of my childhood - i even went on the nick website to play the puzzles from the Brainsurge game

[@AniGamerNX]

13:50 I remember reading that there is a possibility of the two contestants getting all the correct matches in the Level 2 Knockout Round, though they would be edited out until one contestant messes up.

[@bluebaron6858]

I hope all the Brain Surge fans continue to find the lost episodes

[@That1CrappyGuy]

Mannn I fuckin loved BrainSurge growing up, Jeff was such a great host

[@emilyyamasaki4968]

To add to your list of former Brainsurge contestants who ended up doing other things: Audrey Whitby. She appeared on season 2, episode 2. Audrey later made guest appearances on Austin and Ally and Liv and Maddie. She was also a prominent cast member on So Random! and later appeared as Cherry on the Thundermans.

[@thetruej7872]

Bro I loved Brainsurge as a kid. I always wanted to be in the show to win and get slimed.

[@Mythlikeswrestling]

Bro, me and my friend spend 6 hours one day just watching Brainsurge, this was so amazing!

[@hockeymaskkid7085]

YES! FINALLY! I've waited so longer for someone I follow to talk about this show. I remember being so mad at the contestants for not getting the floor right when it seemed so easy. Thank you for your work and for another fun video!

[@Chris.Batchelor]

I have vivid memories of watching this after school while doing homework all the time. I know the pressure probably got to them but man the way those kids would fumble the bag on the light tiles was crazy to me.

[@dylpickled]

Never forget that carebears on fire song that played in the nick rebrand promo 🔥🧸

[@blaskiewicz]

this was THE hot topic on the bus coming home. we got home at 4:00 and new episodes came home at 4:30! everybody was psyched to watch somebody struggle over that stupid light puzzle

[@BMoney8600]

My sister and I would always race home from school to watch Brain Surge. It is definitely one of my favorite shows from my childhood!

[@gavinhayes12312]

I've been waiting for someone to make this video, I remember rewatching it in like 2017. Absolute banger

[@deadasfork]

I’m so glad you talked about this show cause it has fr been forgotten by most. I remember being a kid watching this show desperately wanting to go on this show cause I figured out every puzzle and also really wanted to go down the brain drain!

[@rhiannenlmao4401]

i didnt think i new what this show was but decided to watch the video anyway but then immediately when the video started it all came back to me what a trip down memory lane!

[@Storywriter1427]

Can we talk about Splatalot??? I vividly remember that show, it was an obstacle course game show, kinda like Wipe Out, but for Nickelodeon (I think?) and it just stopped airing abruptly. I was sad and confused lol there was no end to it, it just stopped

[@TheRedKid]

might f around and make a vid about this 🤷‍♂

[@ryishaolddiary]

I WANTED TO BE ON THIS SHOW SOOOO BADDDDD😭😭😭

[@TheHutchIsOn]

Absolutely loved this show. I remember dreaming of being on Brainsurge as a kid. Jeff was an excellent host and had great on air chemistry with the contestants. Cant think of a better man for the job. I also loved Brain Rush for its brief run on Cartoon Network lol

[@LocalShortie]

Im so happy that other people remember this gameshow! I remember watching it all the time, and I remember the ride at Nick Universe at the Mall of America still being a thing for quite some time after the show ended! (Although I go to MOA a lot since I only live like an hour away, I haven't been to Nick Universe in awhile so I have no idea if the ride still exists).

[@ryancarless7921]

This was one of my favorite Nick shows. I always wanted to go on the show and ride the Brain Drain. Love the video, really took me back to the late 2000s.

[@Branfllake]

I was sooo obsessed with this show!! Haha thanks for the nostalgia as always

[@BreaBabii]

OMG i been looking for anyone who remembers this show besides for a little while now and i’m so glad i found this video !!

[@trinityt122]

YES YES YES!! Someone is finally talking about this show!! I LOVED this damn showww lol

[@Channeleven2345789]

I remember I used to tune into this show whenever it was on. Only reason I stopped watching was because my cable provider rolled out an option to replay a show from the beginning, and because I replayed a show that came on before Brainsurge, I came into it several minutes in. It was a fun show, and I'm glad to see a lot of people love it.

[@ladymilliejean4166]

BEST BIRTHDAY GIFT I COULD HAVE EVER ASKED FOR!!! I WAS OBSESSED WITH THIS SHOW!!!!

[@fahminazaman9447]

I was a little too old to really have interest in BrainSurge at this time, I definitely remember earlier Double Dare, Figure it Out and Legends of the Hidden Temple...I was more into the sitcoms at the time like BTR...however, I remember Jeff from U-Pick Live, and I remember he was always so much fun! I'm so glad that he has commented on this video (!!!) and left so much happy nostalgic memories for you all, amidst traditional TV turning into streaming and all the recent negativity associated with Nickelodeon. Keep it coming with these videos, Mr. Nostalgia!

[@scootm.w.f744]

I remember rushing home after school every day to make it home by 4:00 to watch brain surge!!! It was my fav and nobody ever talks about it :') thanks for making this video

[@stephaniefrost4910]

Love the Lil Dicky song you used for the outro! 🔥

[@chasehavensmusic]

Always a good day when Mr. Nostalgia uploads

[@muffin8460]

I like that you use your community tab to post sneak peeks of videos, maybe the next vid is the Zeke & Luther podcast

[@JuliaDelbel]

Funny that Jordin Sparks was a guest host since her future Dancing With the Stars pro partner, Brandon Armstrong, was a contestant on this show as a kid!

[@brewstin]

Man this really did unlock some hidden memories. I honestly don't remember AAAANYTHING about this show, but like, the tile puzzle thing made me remember something... I think? I dunno if I ever watched the show but I guess I know I must've seen that tile puzzle SOMEWHERE.

[@alexdeghost2729]

I remember on the blue and white tile game where you gotta remember where to go, someone (an older guy) tried to go right before it ended end it kept failing and the host said “you gotta wait! 😆”

[@iisyko.]

I swear I remember this show having way better quality, I absolutely loved this show and dreamed of being on it.

[@OurKindofEntertainment]

A few years ago, I stumbled upon some Cousin Skeeter episodes here on KZbin. Considering I haven't seen the series since it originally aired, I was pumped to watch it again! Sadly, I couldn't even make it 6 minutes into the episode. That dang laugh track was annoying as heck! Seriously, they played it after almost EVERY SINGLE LINE OF DIALOGUE!

[@murderman8578]

Honestly the Ones I seen didn't have so it must have been only that 1 ep

[@coyotekent2267]

18:16 twitter rage bait WISHES it could be as aggravating as this segment of Brain Surge

[@dubslymp4]

This hit such a deep recess of my mind. I don’t remember sitting down and watching the show, but I remember watching that damn slime slide so vividly

[@samueloneworldproductions6520]

I definitely remember being obsessed with this show when it aired, I watched the episodes constantly and I remember dreaming of being on it myself and would create random episodes in my head myself (which is something I do for a lot of reality shows and game shows cause of my autism) nice seeing this show still has an following

[@emmettmilnickel7649]

God, while I loved Brain Surge, Legend of the Hidden temple was the best game show i ever watched growing up, so if you could do a separate video on that, that would be amazing!!!!! But love your content, so glad you reminded me of this amazing show 💚💚💚

[@shoolcreates1999]

I made a custom VHS of this last year for a comission. This was well past my time of keeping up with current Nick shows but I actually found this one to be pretty enjoyable.

[@sava898]

Dang, I remember watching this all the time! Whenever casts from Nickelodeon shows came on, those were my favorite episodes. Level 3 is where I really wanted to play (not just for the vacation, either). But to be honest... I probably wouldn't even make it to Level 3, lol.

[@misslumastarr1051]

I worked at friendlys as a teen!! So I always catch when it’s referenced. It was actually in the Ted peacock series where even fribbles were mentioned. Good burger 2 used an old friendlys for filming as well!

[@lucicorinne297]

THANK YOU FOR THE BRAINSURGE APPRECIATION AS A SOCIETY WE NEEDED THIS

[@X_Yz007]

This episode hit the feels man I loved watching this elementary middle school days