There's not a whole lot about Who Wants to Be a Millionaire 2005 that distinguishes it from other, faster trivia games. The TV show gives contestants the opportunity to answer 15 consecutive questions for a million dollars. This version of Millionaire, which has made few meaningful changes since 2003's iteration, is significantly less thrilling, if for no other reason than the fact that you're not competing for a million dollars, which is made abundantly clear in a message at the game's onset.
In Who Wants to Be a Millionaire 2005, each multiple-choice question awards contestants incrementally larger amounts of cash, but if you answer a single question incorrectly, you'll drop down to one of three money thresholds--nothing, $1000, or $25,000--depending on how many questions you had answered correctly before that point. Along the way, you are encouraged to "walk away" from your chance to win the grand prize and receive your currently accrued total, if you believe at any point that you'll be unable to answer a question. One of the unique aspects of the television version of Millionaire is the way suspense is used as a plot device. Since there's no time limit, the hype is built up through players vocalizing their worries and thoughts, as well as through the way the host hounds them about their answers, asking "Is that your final answer?" even after they've made a decision. That compelling, suspense-building mechanic is totally absent from the mobile game, which makes things much less interesting.
The gameplay follows the new format of the 2004-2005 TV season, meaning that your money is safe at the $25,000 mark, instead of the $32,000 limit of the old rules. An additional lifeline is added after the $25,000 question, one that lets you switch the question, if you feel so inclined. The other three lifelines, which are available throughout the entire game, are the traditional three that have been with Millionaire since the show began in the UK in 1998. The lifeline 50-50 takes away two incorrect multiple-choice answers from the four that are presented. Phone a Friend gives you the advice of a "friend," who gives you an answer and an estimated percentage of how certain he/she is. Audience Vote simulates the possible answers of the studio audience, even if you have no other relationship to them for the rest of the game. As with the television show, Phone a Friend and Audience Vote typically lead you on the right track, although neither option is quite as personable as it is on the show, since you're dealing with a generated computer response instead of real people. Also noticeably missing is the selection round from the television show, Fastest Finger, which is used to narrow down the most eligible contestant. It would have been nice if it were included, even if it were in a slightly different capacity.
Since scores are set at the 15 possible dollar values, there's no in-game scoreboard--although a worldwide leaderboard that lists players by total earnings and highest average might have been a suitable replacement, had the developer included it. Without any sense of reward, it's difficult to get excited about playing Millionaire. The trivia is consistent with that on the television show, asking comically simple questions at the game's onset and ramping up the difficulty significantly when it comes down to the big-money questions. The major problem with the trivia and its presentation is that the questions frequently repeat. There is an option to download more questions, but even with new question packs, it's not uncommon to run into the same question more than once, and you shouldn't have to download packs between every game in search of variety.
On the LG VX7000, the graphics are lackluster throughout the entire game. If it weren't for the logo on the main menu and the small lifeline graphics on the trivia page, you would be hard pressed to recognize this as a Millionaire game. The game doesn't even simulate the look of the multiple-choice responses as they're presented onscreen during the television show. With such a distinct and popular license under its belt, it's a shame the game didn't capitalize on it more. There is also no sound in the game, something that is unnecessary but also very typical for games in this genre.
Overall, Millionaire 2005 doesn't carry the essence of the show effectively to the mobile format. It plays more like a weak trivia game than a gameshow. If you're looking for a solid trivia experience on mobile, you should seek the mobile edition of Trivial Pursuit before you attempt to become a Millionaire.
