But your bonus round...

[PYLdude]

Since I couldn't find anything to this effect in the archives, here's another random matter of opinion question.

We've all had shows that we've enjoyed for one reason or another. But even with the good there comes a not so good. For instance, a show can have a decent front game but a significantly lacking bonus round.

So for the sake of completeness (since I know we've likely discussed the merits of some of these already), here is an opportunity to tell us all what you think was a show or two or three that had an okay format (even good or great) but just didn't get it done for you bonus round wise.

Here's a few of my personal choices:

-All-Star Blitz: yeah, the Hollywood Squares trope has been done to death but I felt the way they used it here worked in the front game. But there had to be some better way to conduct the bonus than with that stupid-assed wheel.

-Original Lingo: main game is straight and to the point. Get a lingo, win the game. No Lingo? Such a slog. Realistically Lingo has always had some issue with the bonus, but this one was the most glaring to me because even though they tried to make it somewhat easier on the contestants (all the even numbers in the hopper and gold balls) it just dragged everything out.

-Hollywood Squares during Big Money Round era: why, oh why, does a show that has nothing to do with general knowledge trivia add a bonus to itself that requires it? Thankfully they were able to come to their senses and junk the round.

[Clay Zambo]

To be honest, since PYRAMID, I’ve found most bonus rounds wanting. The idea of turning the game inside out, as the Winner’s Circle does, is such a wonderful mechanic shift that most variants of “Do the same thing you did before, but against the clock” are kind of a let-down.

[TLEberle]

To be honest, since PYRAMID, I’ve found most bonus rounds wanting. The idea of turning the game inside out, as the Winner’s Circle does, is such a wonderful mechanic shift that most variants of “Do the same thing you did before, but against the clock” are kind of a let-down.

But Pyramid does that. The clock is the integral part.

There's not a great way to play most end games against some random person plucked from the audience or against a house bad guy who is there either to win constantly or to be repeatedly dunked upon. Wonderwall would not be the same without a timer driving the action. The Money Cards doesn't need it and there are a few end games where time isn't the antagonist. Most times the pressure is to complete the task and when there isn't that pressure and the task is to just do well (cf the Swirling Whirlwind of Cash and Mad Loots) it feels empty.

I thought I had a mental medal podium of badness or blandness when I started with It Takes Two's Brainteaser, Perfect 21 and the Big Money Game, but I keep thinking and keep adding stuff. It goes to show that the great game shows separate themselves in many different ways.

From the pen of Chris Palmer:

Hollywood Squares during Big Money Round era: why, oh why, does a show that has nothing to do with general knowledge trivia add a bonus to itself that requires it? Thankfully they were able to come to their senses and junk the round.

I mean, the show is about the zingers, but winning does require some sphere of knowledge. I thought the Money Minute was a welcome change, but would have changed it further to either hold the money in escrow and it is won based upon the outcome of the Big Question of Great Significance, or have the money amounts held in the range of $100 to $500 and the BQoGS would multiply those values by five or ten.

I thought the Blitz Bonanza was fine--luck is as good a way as anything to reveal portions of the puzzle. I find ASB to be the paragon of the question-zinger-game paradigm so am inclined to enjoy all of its parts.

[BrandonFG]

I know Barry-Enright wasn’t known for their innovative gameplay, esp. in the bonus rounds, but “Bullseye” took a slowed down “Joker’s Wild” Fast Forward category, slapped on an even slower end game, and replaced devils with lightning bolts. If your bonus round has to continue on the next episode, it’s time you go back to the drawing board.

[TLEberle]

I know Barry-Enright wasn’t known for their innovative gameplay, esp. in the bonus rounds, but “Bullseye” took a slowed down “Joker’s Wild” Fast Forward category, slapped on an even slower end game, and replaced devils with lightning bolts. If your bonus round has to continue on the next episode, it’s time you go back to the drawing board.

To give them an absolute modicum of credit the pilot bonus could have ended after three, four or five spins. Frankly, they would have done well to replicate the CBS Joker bonus--each spin of all bullseyes wins an increasingly valuable prize and the fourth one wins a trip. (They've already won over $2,000 in the main game--no need to put money slides on the board, though you could put money on top and it's either bullseye or zap! in the lower one.)

[Dbacksfan12]

I wasn't a big fan of Trivia Trap doing a complete 180 in the bonus round.  The fact that you worked as a team throughout the game, only to turn it into "play for yourself" in the bonus game seemed a little mean-spirited to me.  As an example, if your teammate passed you the question on Russian monarchs and you blew it...you're supposed to stand there and smile and work together again in five minutes.

Would have preferred an extension of the front game instead.

[SamJ93]

I've never been a fan of bonus rounds that are a complete non sequitur from the main game, like in Blackout or Hot Potato. Just reeks of laziness.

[Kevin Prather]

"Prefect 21" on the 2000 Twenty One revival. It feels very shoehorned in, and the risks involved ($60k to win $40, $100 to win $50) make it a broken game. Seems like something they made up in ten minutes.

To be honest, since PYRAMID, I’ve found most bonus rounds wanting. The idea of turning the game inside out, as the Winner’s Circle does, is such a wonderful mechanic shift that most variants of “Do the same thing you did before, but against the clock” are kind of a let-down.

But Pyramid does that. The clock is the integral part.

Not to speak for Clay, but I think his point is the fact that the Winner's Circle has you doing the opposite of the main game. I think his complaint is against bonus games which are identical to the main game, with the addition of a clock being the only difference. The Lightning Round on Password, for example.

[PYLdude]

I've never been a fan of bonus rounds that are a complete non sequitur from the main game, like in Blackout or Hot Potato. Just reeks of laziness.

I'm with you on Hot Potato. But what exactly could be done on Blackout? The major game mechanic really can't be used there because the whole point of it was to try to screw your opponent.

[parliboy]

The major game mechanic really can't be used there because the whole point of it was to try to screw your opponent.

Idea: in the bonus round, the celebrity hears an easy trivia question, and that same question will be played into the contestant's headphones.  But instead of choosing parts of it to blackout, the whole thing starts muted for the contestant, and the celebrity has to figure out what parts to unmute for the contestant.

[TLEberle]

To say the least, that sounds ok, but in the clue screen paradigm that’s essentially what the viewer does.

[PYLdude]

To say the least, that sounds ok, but in the clue screen paradigm that’s essentially what the viewer does.

That is true...the viewer is the one controlling how much infornation is relayed, which accomplishes the general objective of the game as well and does so rather simply and smoothly.

[Clay Zambo]

To be honest, since PYRAMID, I’ve found most bonus rounds wanting. The idea of turning the game inside out, as the Winner’s Circle does, is such a wonderful mechanic shift that most variants of “Do the same thing you did before, but against the clock” are kind of a let-down.

But Pyramid does that. The clock is the integral part.

I thought the Blitz Bonanza was fine--luck is as good a way as anything to reveal portions of the puzzle. I find ASB to be the paragon of the question-zinger-game paradigm so am inclined to enjoy all of its parts.

I’m fine with there being a clock. My point about the Winner’s Circle is that it turns the game inside out, from naming things associated with a category to naming the category from things that fit it.

I’m with you, though, on the Blitz Bonanza. No problem with the wheel, and the option to give back your main game prize for an extra spin is wonderful.

[BrandonFG]

I know Barry-Enright wasn’t known for their innovative gameplay, esp. in the bonus rounds, but “Bullseye” took a slowed down “Joker’s Wild” Fast Forward category, slapped on an even slower end game, and replaced devils with lightning bolts. If your bonus round has to continue on the next episode, it’s time you go back to the drawing board.

To give them an absolute modicum of credit the pilot bonus could have ended after three, four or five spins. (Frankly, they would have done well to replicate the CBS Joker bonus--each spin of all bullseyes wins an increasingly valuable prize and the fourth one wins a trip. (They've already won over $2,000 in the main game--no need to put money slides on the board, though you could put money on top and it's either bullseye or zap! in the lower one.)

A hell of a lot more watchable, and actually makes each spin more valuable instead of tedious.

I didn't mind Squares's "Big Money" end game, but it did feel out of place. I loved the H^2 bonus round, but I always thought this or Tic Tac Dough would've benefitted from something similar to the Gold Run on Blockbusters.

Like with H^2, the contestant has :30 to answer true/false questions, but the goal is simply getting 3-in-a-row. Answer right, capture the square, answer wrong and it's out of play. Get tic-tac-toe, you win a prize, maybe bring back the pick a celebrity, win what's in their envelope format*, maybe offer an increasingly larger prize like the $10K -> car -> 25K -> around the world -> 50K (?), orrrr.....

Contestant opts to go horizontal or vertical to answer all nine. Get 3-in-a-row once, it's $5K. Twice is worth 10K. Get all nine right and it's 25K. I realize it becomes a bit anti-climactic if the contestant muffs the first question and the 25K is immediately off the table.

*For TTD, the prize package and some money ($5-10K).

[aaron sica]

One problem I had for years (I think I remember posting something to this effect on a similar thread back in the a.t.g-s days): The show is called "Wheel of Fortune", but the bonus round had nothing at all to with a wheel. Finally, after around 20 years (too lazy to look up the date, I know it's out there), they made it so.