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For those of us who remember playing Jeopardy with the
metal clickers in the family room, this software makes that board
game seem as ancient as a horse and buggy. Alex Trebek is now in
full-color, 3-D motion, swooping down on the screen to tell you
if you've answered correctly. (And, to be sure, he's come up with
every English-language variation on "yes", "no," and "correct.")
The board of dollar-a choices jumps out at you--indeed, the
graphics and game design itself--making this game engaging,
challenging, and terrific.
There is a caveat to this software, though: players need to have
a good sound system, since the answers that the other
computer-sponsored players provide is only by voice, not in text.
If you're taking this game on an airplane, for example, make sure
your headset can support the volume you need, or you're likely to
wind up frustrated, wondering who was the third emperor of Japan?
Unlike a game such as Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, Jeopardy
plays it straight. So upstanding, in fact, that the other
contestants have voices like the kind you hear making
announcements at the airport or while you're waiting on hold on
the phone. The overall tone matches that of the television show,
since the contest questions are of a highly challenging caliber
and Trebek is known for his straight-laced, college-professor
delivery. The software seems to acquiesce just a tiny bit to the
present day, providing questions on recent rock lyrics, for
example.
To that end, we did wonder why there were so many questions
concerning celebrities. In a matter of only a couple of rounds,
we had three answers whose questions were: "Who is Madonna?" It
seems a subtle way of making new players feel better about their
intellectual muscle, since, let's face it, we missed the question
on Genghis Khan.
Educational and of a high caliber, Jeopardy deserves a spot on
the shelf of every game show enthusiast and show fan. Parents and
kids can spend time together, all the while learning about the
myriad subjects this show has covered since its inception in
1964. --Jennifer Buckendorff
From the Manufacturer
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The number one TV quiz show in America is playing on
your PC better than ever. Now, for the first time, feel like a
contestant on the TV show. Experience the glamour, the pace, and
the excitement from the contestant's point of view. You
definitely know the answers--they are right there in front of
you. But do you know the questions? That's the challenge!
Each round of play features the familiar Jeopardy! game board
that has six thought-provoking categories and thirty challenging
answers. Be the first to give the correct corresponding question,
and add cash to your total.
New answers and categories, specially written and never before
seen on PC games, plus 3-D graphics, sophisticated artificial
intelligence, and great music and sound effects make the
Jeopardy! game experience better than ever. Don't just watch
Jeopardy!, be a contestant with Jeopardy!
Features:
* Classic game with a new approach
* New Video and Audio Daily Doubles
* "Smart AI" adapts to all levels of play
* Audition before show evaluates player and adjusts initial level
of play
* One to three players
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Review
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Admit it - you watch Jeopardy! Whether you make a point
of tuning in regularly or get stuck watching it as you surf by,
everyone tunes into this trivia game show. When I was in college,
Jeopardy! was something of a spectator sport in my dorm. It
usually involved (doesn't everything in college involve
?) and a lot of shouting. When I graduated and started living
on my own, I realized I could watch it and actually hear what the
contestants were saying.
Jeopardy! is one of the only game shows that actually forces
contestants to use their brains - and I mean really use their
brains. In case you've never seen Jeopardy!, it's important to
know the game's twist. Instead of contestants being asked a
question and providing answers, the board contains 30 answers,
and contestants must give their answers in the form of a
question. In fact, on TV, if answers aren't given as a question,
they're considered incorrect.
The object of the game is to provide questions to as many of the
five answers in six different categories as you can. As you
progress from the top of the board to the bottom, the answers get
tougher, and the prize a gets higher. The contestant who
gave the last correct question controls the board, but once the
answer is given, all three contestants have a chance to buzz in.
Jeopardy! actually makes a very robust TV-to-PC translation
because it's basically a trivia game. The more you know, the
better you do. Hasbro has done a very good job bringing the look
and feel of the TV show to your computer. The board looks exactly
like the one on TV, and the sound effects and music are
identical. Best of all, Alex Trebek is here to host the show.
Starting gameplay is a snap. The emcee invites you to choose your
options, select the number of players, and you're off. In
addition, a sub-options-menu lets you choose buzz-in time,
response time, skill level, and so on.
One important option is spelling tolerance. Since the game
doesn't contain any sort of voice re, you must type your
answers in. Loose tolerance (the default) basically means you
must get the first four consonants correct. You must be very
careful typing in your answers because even on loose tolerance, I
didn't get several questions correct because I misspelled them.
If you're playing by yourself, the computer provides two
additional players. It's kind of weird playing a trivia game
against a computer. Really, you expect the computer to be correct
all the time, since it has all the answers right in front of it,
so to speak. However, the Hasbro AI is surprisingly lifelike and
makes the same kinds of mistakes a human would. Your skill level
setting determines how aggressive the computer player will be (as
well as the board difficulty). A hard skill level will make the
computer players buzz in quickly and answer most questions
correctly. An easy skill level will make the computer players
buzz in slowly and give a fair number of incorrect responses. In
addition, the AI is adaptive. The highest-scoring computer player
will challenge the highest-scoring human player by buzzing in
more aggressively and answering more questions correctly. I found
when playing that, although I preferred the easier board, I had
more fun if the computer players were more aggressive.
Although Alex Trebek doesn't have a patch on that goofy guy from
the You Don't Know Jack series, it's fun to see him popping up
all over the place. The FMV bites of Alex are integrated
seamlessly in the game, but because you're really just playing a
trivia game against the computer, his presence is little more
than window dressing. Still, he has some excellent responses, and
- because they are taken out of context of a living, breathing TV
show - some are absolutely hysterical. One of my favorites, in
response to an incorrect Final Jeopardy! question, is:
"Sometimes... you get a tough one." Or, when you're correct: "To
be sure!"
The graphics and sound are exactly as you'd expect - exact
replications of the TV program. There is a certain childish glee
that came over me as I ran my cursor over the board and listened
to it beep at me. The only irritating thing was the constantly
changing camera angles. At first, you're sure you've hit some
button or that the game has changed in some way. Again, this
mirrors the TV show, where the camera constantly shifts from
contestants to Alex to the board. While it certainly heightened
the reality of the port, it was jarring until I got used to it.
Unlike the You Don't Know Jack series, which is designed for the
attention-deficit computer player, Jeopardy! games are long. I
found I could rarely make it through an entire game (Jeopardy!,
Double Jeopardy!, and Final Jeopardy!) without wandering off,
checking my e-mail, or answering my phone. It was much more fun
when a group of people congregated in my office one afternoon. As
with the TV show, shouting out your answers is much more fun with
a crowd than all by yourself.
All in all, Jeopardy! is a good computer game. Whether you've
always dreamed of being on the hit TV show, love trivia, or just
love Alex, it's sure to please. --Nicole Freeman
--Copyright ©1998 GameSpot Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction
in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written
permission of GameSpot is prohibited. -- GameSpot Review
Jeopardy fans will appreciate this new CD version of TV Jeopardy!
Using a simulated TV set players are positioned at a set of
realistic score posts. They compete against the computer, up to
two other family members or friends, or over the Internet to
answer up to 3,500 challenging questions. Kids can pick from a
wide range of topics like Robin Williams Films, 5 Letter Words,
Novels and Sports Nicknames. The video and audio features are
excellent, and players will love trying to answers questions as
they progress from Jeopardy! up to Final Jeopardy! A solid base
of trivia knowledge is a must for this one.
Teaches: trivia, movies, geography, science, music, sports and
more
Age Range: 12-up Copyright © 2000 Children's Software Revue --
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