A good adaptation of a fun game show.
THE GOOD
-Plenty of puzzles to solve
-Multiplayer is available
-Format is just like the TV show
THE BAD
-Poor graphics
-Terrible sound
OVERVIEW
Most of us have seen the popular game show called Wheel of Fortune with hosts Pat Sajak and Vanna White. Wheel of Fortune first aired in 1975 and is currently the longest running syndicated game show in the United States. Anyone who has watched the show has probably played along at home trying to guess the puzzles. Well, now you can play the fun TV show puzzle game, Wheel of Fortune, in your own home.
GAMEPLAY
The NES game plays very similar to the TV show version. Up to three contestants, either human or computer can participate in the fun. Multiplayer is a great way to show off your skills and claim bragging rights with your friends. If you don't have anyone to play with, you can always compete against the computer which includes three separate difficulties; easy, medium, and hard.
The rules for the game follow very closely to the TV show. Each player has a chance to spin the wheel, buy a vowel or solve the puzzle. There are many puzzles stored in this game so it'll take a while before they start repeating which is a nice plus. The puzzles are randomly selected and fall under categories like people, places, and events. When a player spins the wheel they'll have a chance to earn money (ranging from $150 to $1000) only if it lands on a dollar value and they select a letter that is in the puzzle. There are some other unique spaces on the wheel like free spin, lose a turn and bankrupt. Free spin and lose a turn spaces are pretty much self explanatory but the bankrupt might not be. If the player spins the wheel and it lands on bankrupt then that person will lose all their money for that round. Vowels cost $250 and can be purchased at any time on a player's turn. The objective is to earn money from spinning the wheel and being the first person to solve the puzzle. Who ever solves the puzzle will be the only player to earn money for that round. There are three rounds and the player with the most money at the end wins and gets to play in a bonus round.
GRAPHICS & SOUND
Visually, Wheel of Fortune is very grainy and blocky. The character design is also quite awful. Overall the graphics are almost on par with the previous generation; definitely not this game's strong suit.
The theme music is very catchy and gives the intro a nice exciting feel. The sound effects on the other hand, can be quite irritating. The jagged, high pitched audio, especially when you spin the wheel, is mind numbing.
CONCLUSION
Wheel of Fortune is just as fun as the TV show. With hundreds of puzzles you and your friends will have hours and hours of fun. If you are a fan of Wheel of Fortune or game shows then I would recommend this game to you. Also, since this game is easy to play, that means that anyone can play.