TV Show King is a quiz based game, testing the general knowledge and fastest finger abilities of all that play. Even though this is a $10 downloadable WiiWare game, it offers just as much, if not more, value than other retail titles in the same genre.
Mixing game elements of Who Wants To Be A Millionaire and Wheel Of Fortune, gamers are tasked with answering questions as fast as they can. One of the few third party games to feature Miis, TV Show King allows players to use their personalized virtual avatars. Even if you play single player mode, the other Miis that are stored on your Wii’s memory will make appearances in the game. The host of the show (not a Mii) has typical upbeat game show host personality, but is poorly lip synced. This is excusable considering this is a downloadable title. With this point, it is up to the player to read each question – they will not be narrated.
Not having questions spoken to the player is very excusable considering there are some 3,000 questions built into the game. During all my time spent with this game, I have yet to experience the same question twice. Questions range in difficulty, but the easy mode is pretty easy, while the harder difficulties are definitely harder creating a true balance of game options. My guess would be that the game should be played one of the harder settings to create a more enjoyable experience.
When a question pops up on screen, the player reads and answers it as fast as possible. The sooner you answer the question, the more money you will receive. Using the wiimote to point and click at the screen, it is possible to see the answers that other players have chosen. This will most definitely influence the answer that every other player will choose. Don’t know an answer but think your buddy does? Then just wait for him to answer. Up to four people can play at the same time and the game encourages this “copy your neighbor’s answer” technique.
Some rounds of questions switch up gameplay by incorporating a lotto ticket like scratch-off style of play. Here, the player(s) must wave the wiimote over each answer, causing an answer to appear. Although it doesn’t really make playing more or less enjoyable, it definitely breaks things up and offers something a little different.
After every round of questions, each player has an option to spin the wheel. This wheel can have both positive and negative effects. The first place gamer can easily become the last place player because of this round. But if you are not feeling lucky, you do not have to participate. However, just because you do not choose to spin the wheel doesn’t mean that you will not be affected. Some spots on the wheel can lower or even swap scores, making everyone’s booty up for grabs.
The final round involves the two highest scoring players in a game of “who can answer five questions first.” The first player to correctly answer five questions will win half of the loser’s money. No matter which mode you play, the faster you can read, the better the chance you have at winning.
Besides the main gameshow mode of play, there is also a single player rapid fire question option. Here, the player answers questions solo as fast as possible. The game keeps track of high scores in both modes for future bragging rights. One of the smartest aspects of the game’s design is the game’s speed. By tapping “A” a single time, the player(s) do not have to wait through a cut scene or narration. Because of this, gameplay is always at the forefront and can make for a quick game. If all cut scenes are skipped, you could probably play through an entire game in well under 10 minutes, keeping this title in the causal gaming section.
The graphics are simple but fit the overall gameshow look and feel while the theme music and voice work does the same. Other Miis that you created will also be in the background, cheering on the constants. Graphically, the bright color pallet gives this game its game show flair, but could have easily been created on the PSOne…not that this is a bad thing. The simple and straightforward presentation make this game a quick and entertaining game to play with a couple buddies. I much rather prefer this game’s presentation over Gameloft “night clubbing” theme in their other WiiWare title, Block Breaker Deluxe. But with 3000 question built into the download, TV Show King can be played for many hours. If you love quiz games, or are looking for something a little different to play with buddies, then TV Show King is a great option for 1000 Wii Points.
