Wheel of Fortune
Reviewed by John Dakin
Certainly one of the oddest choices of games to bring to the N64, Take 2 and
GameTek have chosen the popular TV show Wheel of Fortune as their debut title -- and
it's actually quite fun to play (in a strange, embarrassing, "please don't tell anyone I'm
playing it" kinda way).
Gameplay
In case you're not familiar with the TV show: It's "Hangman" with a wheel. Up to three
players spin the wheel, then pick a letter to slowly decipher one of over 4,000 word
puzzles. Just like in the show, you try to solve as many puzzles as possible, buy vowels,
and try to gain money while avoiding "bankruptcy" (something that the game's developer,
GameTek, sadly didn't manage to do).
Music and Sound 7 out of 10
The wheel is made up of 24 wedges. If you hit a cash section, the noted amount
will be multiplied by how many times the letter chosen comes up in the puzzle.
You only get the cash if you solve the puzzle correctly. In the third round, you also
compete for a special $10,000 cash prize. Other wedges on the wheel have negative
effects, such as "lose a turn", "bankrupt", but there's also "free spin", a sort of joker
that you can keep for when you mess up.
There are several voice clips from the contestants announcing what they will do and
which letter they want to pick in addition to Vanna's commentary. Well-done applause
and convincing wheel and gong noises make this as authentic as the show. As a matter
of fact, upon hearing the sounds emanating from our office, several Imagine employes
were fooled into believing that we were actually watching the TV show... An option to
switch off the voices would have been nice, though.
Graphics
Considering that this is only a 32-megabit (4MB) cartridge, GameTek should be
commended on some tight programming. The show is well represented with the help
of a 3D polygonal studio, and although they are dreadfully low-res, the sprite-based
contestants are certainly adequate. It's not the prettiest game, but its limitations
are mostly caused by the fact that it tries to copy the show to a tee. And yes, GameTek
did manage to pull off a respectable job duplicating the feel of the show, with smooth
camera moves and a polygonal spinning wheel. The only downs are the cheesy Vanna
White animations when she walks by the board and the lack of a visible audience. But
get this: There's FMV. A little window pops up every so often to show a cool little
video clip of Vanna making an announcement.
Overall 6 out of 10
How do you rate a game like Wheel of Fortune when comparing it to something like
Mario 64 or Top Gear Rally? Well, let's face it -- you can't. Wheel of Fortune for the
N64 is probably as close to the real show as most people will ever get, and GameTek
really crammed the essence of it into this tiny cart. But in a strong lineup of games
like GoldenEye, Mario 64, or Wave Race, Wheel of Fortune naturally struggles to
compete in either gameplay, graphics, or depth -- hence the relatively low rating.
Gamers like us who enjoy more traditional, action packed titles will definitely
want to rent the game first before deciding whether to buy it, or not. However, if
you're looking for a fun party game, Wheel of Fortune won't disappoint you. It's
pretty much the only N64 game that really EVERYONE can play, and it's certainly the
best way to get your Mom or aunt hooked on N64 -- and yourself too, even if you don't
want to admit it.