Jeopardy 2005 simulates the classic TV show well, but it lacks a few notable details, such as a compelling method of competition and the iconic mustachioed Alex Trebek. It does capture the famous style of Jeopardy questions-that-are-really-answers so accurately that you'll forget you're not sitting on your couch watching Ken Jennings decimate his opponents. Jeopardy 2005 is a good trivia game and is worthy enough of the illustrious Jeopardy name.
The two modes in Jeopardy 2005 are single-player and competition. The former is merely a method of jumping into gameplay sans opponents if you're just looking to answer trivia questions without the scoring hassle (although the scoring takes place, it serves no purpose). The latter provides multiple difficulty levels and two computer opponents who don't exactly put the "intelligence" in artificial intelligence, even on the more challenging settings. Gameplay is framed exactly like it is in the show, except that in both the regular and Double Jeopardy rounds there are merely three categories to choose from instead of five. This makes the game considerably shorter, but it's a little more convenient for the mobile format.
The categories might as well have been lifted directly from the show, since they consist of a variety of different subjects like the classic Jeopardy pun categories, which often hint at the answers within the context of the title. In "J"ography, all of the answers are geographical locations that begin with a J. Although the questions do get subsequently harder in the rising difficulty levels, as on the show, difficulty is really based on your familiarity with the subject matter. If you don't know anything about Morocco, it doesn't matter how simple the questions are. However, since you select your answer from a multiple choice of four options, a savvy player can easily deduce the answer through common sense or rely on the errors of the opponents for a process of elimination. If you play through the game a bit, you'll occasionally find that the categories repeat. This does not happen often, especially if you take advantage of the available monthly Game Pack downloads, but it happens more than you would like to see in a trivia game. The computer opponents don't provide much of a challenge. In the beginner mode, they rarely ring in at all. In trivia buff mode (or the medium difficulty setting), their presence is more obvious, but they're often wrong. They do from time to time threaten your standing in trivia master mode, but given that you always have at least a one in four chance of getting the correct answer, you can be a little more careless about ringing too quickly.
The one major drawback of Jeopardy 2005 is the inability to do anything with your trivia scores. Although the game keeps track of how well you played a Jeopardy round by using a five-star rating system (five meaning perfect), you cannot upload your scores and compare them or even track your own best outside of the star system. Had some kind of competitive element been included, not even necessarily multiplayer (although that would have been nice as well), it would have created a lot more depth in a game that offers little outside of the trivia itself.
A neat detail is that you can create your own character or choose from a few different available character avatars. Characters can have names up to five letters long and one of a few different hair styles and hair colors, faces, and clothing options. The customization is minimal, but it's a nice touch that enriches the game overall. Most of the graphics resemble the classic game of Jeopardy, from the font of the letters to the famous scroll of the category headings for each round. The avatars are slightly cartoonish, but all of the graphics enhance the game instead of detracting from it. Likewise, the sound consists of all the familiar sound effects, from the larger-than-life theme song to the sound of the questions being placed up on the board. The buzzer noises are slightly different, but they are equally effective for their purpose.
Overall, Jeopardy 2005 provides a good trivia experience. Although more options would have made the game better, those that it does offer are fun and worthwhile. If you like Jeopardy for the trivia and not the "television," you'll be pleasantly surprised with Jeopardy 2005.
