Whilst series and films tend to dominate our viewing time now; there was a period when the game show ruled the airwaves.
They were often shown on prime-time television slots before on-demand became a thing. Some, such as Jeopardy, became national institutions, whilst others spawned phrases and sayings that entered pop culture. How often, when struggling to answer a question, have to been asked if you want to phone a friend in jest? That comes from the popular show Who Wants To Be a Millionaire, which AV Club reveals created a heated fervor around the turn of the century.
Game shows offered the average Joe a chance to win big, be it money, cars or vacations. They delivered the aspirational experience otherwise unavailable through the eighties and nineties, often by simply playing on your general knowledge or certain skills. Reality TV seems dominant these days, but there’s still a place for game shows.
You don’t have to wait for your application to be approved to appear on a show; you can get your game show fix by playing video games these days. Major video game releases are big news, with sports franchises and the likes of Call of Duty getting millions of players worldwide. However, the humble game show remains popular, and whilst they might not offer you the prizes, they are a lot of fun and sometimes leverage the branding in unique and innovative ways.
If you’re a game show fan, then these are three games you really should check out this fall.
Who Wants To Be a Millionaire
We’ve already discussed how WWTBAM made headlines around the US in 2001, but its legacy extends much further than that. It spawned an Oscar-winning film in Slumdog Millionaire and has many video game interpretations. There have been DVD games and the Who Wants to Be a Millionaire: Special Editions and even less direct interpretations. There’s even an online Slingo game from Gala Bingo called Slingo Who Wants To Be a Millionaire. Of course, whilst these are all great, one game tops them all: the eponymous 2020 release. As well as directly mimicking the show, it has different game types, such as Family Mode and Free-For-All.
Jeopardy!
Jeopardy is an American institution, running for more than 8,000 episodes since 1964. It has featured in films such as White Men Can’t Jump and television shows such as Cheers. There have been board games and video games going back the length of its run, and oddly the best of those comes on the PlayStation 2. It’s an old machine, and the interface feels dated, but the game remains the closest representation of Jeopardy you can play at home. It can also be found on emulators, making it as accessible as television shows.
The Price is Right
The Price is Right isn’t one of the biggest game shows out there, and the game might be 14 years old, but it is an insane amount of fun and remains one of the best video game adaptations of a game show you can still play today. It is bold and colorful, staying as close to the show’s branding as possible and remaining enjoyable for the home gamer. It isn’t perfect and lacks polish in certain areas; much of the crowd is wearing the same puce-colored tee, which is more annoying than it should be. Still, this PC game is found easily, and the spinning wheel never fails to delight!