Electronic Gaming Monthly mention

[Bob Zager]

In the July issue of EGM, there is a brief article listing five of the "worst tv" video game adaptions (not just game shows, and apparently another were five listed in the June issue).  Among the ones listed was Fun House for the original 8-bit Nintendo (NES).  

It wasn't anywhere near the format of the show itself--no questions, no Double Dare-like stunts.  It was just a game of roller-blading through one room of the "Fun House," and completion of the obstacle in that room, advanced you to another room.

Though I didn't see the June issue, a very brief summary of the previously listed five "worst" tv games included a version of Wheel of Fortune, featuring Vanna White.

[Dbacksfan12]

[quote name=\'Bob Zager\' date=\'Jun 4 2005, 03:27 PM\']Though I didn't see the June issue, a very brief summary of the previously listed five "worst" tv games included a version of Wheel of Fortune, featuring Vanna White.
[/quote]
The version that used only three colors!  But AFAIK, it was the only NES version to have actual wheels from the show, and it used the "RSTLNE" and "W-H-E-E-L" bonus rounds.

[TLEberle]

Three colors?  That must have been the Windows 3.1 version; pink, yellow, green and black.  As long as you beat the computer, you could keep building up your total.  I think I was up to $87,000 in 13 wins by the time we updated the computer.

On the NES side, if it was a game show and a video game port, I probably rented it at some point.  As a maze game, "Fun House" was mildly fun, though I'm not sure if it could have sold on it's own without a big name behind it.  As a TV version, not even close, which has been said.

"Double Dare" also comes to mind.  Trivially easy questions, coupled with challenges that consisted of setting a 'speed' and 'angle,' then a 'commit' button to fire...meh.  The obstacle course would have been the saving grace except you had to do what amounted to a 50-yard dash between each obstacle.  (and the brief instructions from the rental company don't tell you how to run fast, either)


"Wheel of Fortune" is probably the hardest one to mess up, but it's been done.

And the less that's said about "Talking Super Jeopardy!", the better....

[clemon79]

[quote name=\'TLEberle\' date=\'Jun 4 2005, 03:36 PM\']Three colors?  That must have been the Windows 3.1 version; pink, yellow, green and black.  As long as you beat the computer, you could keep building up your total.  I think I was up to $87,000 in 13 wins by the time we updated the computer.
[/quote]
The four-color pallate was a CGA thing. Windows (and definitely by the time 3.1 shipped) always required at least 16-color graphics, I'm fairly sure.

(Now, it could have been "Windows 3.1" compatible in that it included a PIF to run the game, but make no mistake, the game still woulda been running in DOS mode if the graphics were that bad.

And the less that's said about "Talking Super Jeopardy!", the better....

Whoof. 30 bones and a few hours out of my life I won't get back. I think I played it all of twice. It was THAT useless.

[Brandon Brooks]

[quote name=\'clemon79\' date=\'Jun 4 2005, 05:58 PM\']Whoof. 30 bones and a few hours out of my life I won't get back. I think I played it all of twice. It was THAT useless.

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[/quote]

Thirty bucks?!  I paid $45 bucks when it came out.  It was okay, I guess.  The host just had an unusually big head.  And he sounded robotic.  I didn't take much to appease an 8  year old die hard game show fan.

Brandon Brooks

[Dbacksfan12]

[quote name=\'Brandon Brooks\' date=\'Jun 4 2005, 06:57 PM\']The host just had an unusually big head.  And he sounded robotic.  I didn't take much to appease an 8  year old die hard game show fan.
[/quote]
Gee, how authentic some 15 years later.
I never heard the host "talk".

Three colors? That must have been the Windows 3.1 version

As we noted in a conversatoin off board, I was refering to the wheel and the contestant's attire--it consisted strictly of red, yellow, and blue.

[Fedya]

[quote name=\'TLEberle\' date=\'Jun 4 2005, 05:36 PM\']Three colors?  That must have been the Windows 3.1 version; pink, yellow, green and black.  As long as you beat the computer, you could keep building up your total.  I think I was up to $87,000 in 13 wins by the time we updated the computer.[/quote]

Would you rather it had 1.5 MILLION colors?  :-)

"Wheel of Fortune" is probably the hardest one to mess up, but it's been done.

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Some would argue it's currently being messed up on TV....

[alfonzos]

I find it ironic that the best graphics are found on the games that are text based: J!, WoF, FF and WWTBAM! If only the time and effort had been put had been put into Classic Concentration or TPiR!

CC's puzzles were no real challenge and poorly drawn. Those comments apply to both NES and PC versions but at least the PC version kept score and adjusted the car round clock for failed attempts. TPiR looked as if it was programmed by someone trying to remember the game he hadn't seen in twenty years. I played The Dice Game for a $14 prize once.

OTOH, Card Sharks and the obscure Talk About come off pretty well in their computer versions although the graphics are not particularly good.

[pyl85]

OTOH, Card Sharks and the obscure Talk About come off pretty well in their computer versions although the graphics are not particularly good.

I thought the graphics were decent with what they had to work with. 4 color CGA can only look so good. The c64 and Apple II versions of games generally looked better.

I think that many of the old games are still very playable today. With only one floppy disk or cartridge, the focus was more on gameplay rather than cut scenes, telling you unnecessary information, and other things that just get in the way, IMHO.

-Greg

[clemon79]

[quote name=\'pyl85\' date=\'Jun 7 2005, 06:16 PM\']I thought the graphics were decent with what they had to work with. 4 color CGA can only look so good. The c64 and Apple II versions of games generally looked better.
[/quote]
Actually I thought the PC version of Card Sharks was vastly superior to the Apple version, if only because they would "zoom in" on the gameboard when flipping cards, while everything on the Apple version was done as a wide shot.

The PC version of Blackout was vastly superior to most other versions, too.

[aaron sica]

There's something I've always wondered about the "Card Sharks" computer game, maybe someone can answer.

Obviously, in games like WoF and J!, and FF, there are only so many puzzles, categories, questions, etc., before it starts to repeat and the fun of the game is gone.

With CS........The questions obviously will repeat, but the cards themselves - are the 5 row layout of cards completely random, or are they drawn from a bank too with a number of set "patterns"? Same question applies for the money cards, too.

[Dbacksfan12]

[quote name=\'clemon79\' date=\'Jun 7 2005, 08:32 PM\']The PC version of Blackout was vastly superior to most other versions, too.
[/quote]
Blackout had a PC game??

[zachhoran]

[quote name=\'Modor\' date=\'Jun 7 2005, 08:55 PM\'][quote name=\'clemon79\' date=\'Jun 7 2005, 08:32 PM\']The PC version of Blackout was vastly superior to most other versions, too.
[/quote]
Blackout had a PC game??

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Wipeout did, he might be thinking of that.

[whewfan]

I must've played several different PC and Nintendo game show games
A few brief thoughts on some of them...

WOF- 1st Edition, NES
Differences- 2 full rounds, and the third round is a "speed up" round. Dollar values on the wheel do not change. Other than that, very faithful to the TV show. Has a decent rendition of the classic WOF theme, complete with the audience chanting WHEEL OF FORTUNE. To me, the puzzle solve cue sounds like a remix of the Thicke puzzle solve cue. A 2nd edition followed, with different color schemes, and a forgettable new theme.

J!- First edition, NES
Exactly as the TV show. Podiums look similar to as they looked in the 85 season.
Definitely fun to play.

Classic Concentration, NES
The "gay nineties" style music in the background is pretty cool... but after a while it gets repetitive and a little annoying. Very faithful to the original

Hollywood Squares- NES
3 rounds played. Decent graphics and music for NES. The jokey answers the stars give are mildly amusing at best. The bonus round is also very cool.

Super Jeopardy- NES
 The talking element is minimal, but for NES, it was groundbreaking. The host looks like Wink Martindale.

Anticipation- NES
Ok, it's not a TV game show, but it played like one. A blatant ripoff of Pictionary with its color coded board and drawing element. The gameboard pieces echo Monopoly. Kinda fun, but the game repeats a lot of puzzles after just 4 or 5 playings.

Remote Control- NES
Pretty much captures the zaniness of the TV show, with snack breaks, and odd categories. Game ends with "Think Real Fast" round... there is no bonus round.

[gwarman2005]

I had a Apple II version of High Rollers...

It was ok, but instead of the questions repeating, the rolls of the dice would.  I rolled a 9 just about every roll in the first round.  All in all though, I've played a lot worse.