This is definitely the most unique use of the old shaker I've ever seen.Hello and welcome to this first part of our in-depth review of Stern's new machine - Wheel Of Fortune.Īs usual we'll split the review in two with this part looking at the playfield design and features, explaining how everything fits together and interacts. Rumble Pak: Laugh all you want, but it works.

An option to switch off the voices would have been nice, though. 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. Well-done applause and convincing wheel and gong noises make this as authentic as the show. I only dread the amount of e-mail we'll be getting asking for a Vanna White 'nude code.' Sound: 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. A little window pops up every so often to show a cool little video clip of Vanna making an announcement. The only downs are the cheesy Vanna White animations when she walks by the board and the lack of a visible audience. 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. 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. 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. Graphics: Considering that this is only a 32-megabit (4MB) cartridge, GameTek should be commended on some tight programming. It's all very intuitive and works as well as it should. Control: You spin the wheel by using the analog 3D stick and enter the letters by selecting them from a list. 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. In the third round, you also compete for a special $10,000 cash prize. You only get the cash if you solve the puzzle correctly.

If you hit a cash section, the noted amount will be multiplied by how many times the letter chosen comes up in the puzzle. 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). Up to three players spin the wheel, then pick a letter to slowly decipher one of over 4,000 word puzzles. Gameplay: In case you're not familiar with the TV show: It's 'Hangman' with a wheel.

Wheel of fortune board game review