Wheel of Fortune (video game)

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Like Jeopardy!, Wheel of Fortune has had many video games released over the years. Every modern version of Wheel features the likeness of co-host Vanna White (and later, the voice of announcer Charlie O'Donnell), but not of host Pat Sajak. These include a computer game for older Macintosh computers, a version for the Commodore 64, a game for the Nintendo Entertainment System that was released prior to the overhaul of the bonus round during the "Big Month of Cash," both a Super NES and Sega Mega Drive rendition, a Nintendo 64 version, several PC versions, and even an arcade version. A free version of the game is available on Station.com.

All versions are released by Gametek unless noted below.

Contents 1 NES version 2 Genesis/SNES versions 3 Sega CD version 4 Nintendo 64 version 5 PlayStation versions 6 PlayStation 2 version 7 Handheld variants 8 PC versions 9 Commodore 64 Versions 10 Arcade version 11 Cancelled versions 12 External links

[edit] NES version

The NES version was designed by Rare, and three editions were made: The original in 1988, a Junior Edition in 1989, and a Family Edition in 1990. Oddly, the Family Edition does not feature the famous Wheel of Fortune theme. This does not support the NES Four Score accessory; the third player must use the first player's controller.

This version featured three rounds, a wheel that never changed values (The Top Dollar value in every round was $1,000), and the third round was always the Speed Round with the final spin. If the player advances to the bonus round, they must choose a prize to play for and solve the final puzzle by choosing five consonants and one vowel (this was before R, S, T, L, N and E were given in the offset).

The only differences with the Junior Edition is puzzles more identifiable to children and prizes to match (instead of playing for cars, players play for trips or similar). The Family Edition follows this same route.

Another version, titled Wheel of Fortune featuring Vanna White, was a new version designed by IJE, who also developed Talking Super Jeopardy! at the same time.

[edit] Genesis/SNES versions

The Super NES and Sega Genesis versions were released in 1991, and feature similar graphics and puzzles, and is more based off the rules of the 1989 version, with a choice of prizes.

Another edition, titled the Deluxe Edition, was released only to the Super NES in 1993.

[edit] Sega CD version

Sony Imagesoft released a version for the Sega Mega-CD in 1994, concurrently with the PC version (see below). Featured full-motion video and Red Book CD audio of the 1989 theme and various cues from that era.

[edit] Nintendo 64 version

Gametek released a version for the Nintendo 64 in 1997, and featured rules similar to the 1995-96 season such as the Bankrupt/$10000/Bankrupt wedge and Jackpot round. This would also be the last Wheel game published by Gametek, as they filed for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy that year.

[edit] PlayStation versions

Atari (then known as Hasbro Interactive) acquired the Wheel and Jeopardy! licenses and started releasing versions for the PlayStation. Two versions were released. The second edition features a behind-the-scenes look at the show and a sample question exam.

[edit] PlayStation 2 version

The most recent console edition of Wheel was in 2003, released a little after the PC version (see below).

[edit] Handheld variants

Versions of Wheel were made for the Game Boy and Game Gear. The rules of the Game Boy and Game Gear versions were based on the early 1990s rules of the American syndicated version of Wheel of Fortune.

Two editions were published for Tiger Electronics's game.com.

[edit] PC versions

Like Jeopardy!, there were many versions made for the PC. Five editions were made by Sharedata (later Gametek), including a Junior Edition and a Golden Edition. Versions of these were also released for the Apple II and Commodore 64. Gametek continued publishing PC versions released around the same time as their console counterparts.

Sony Imagesoft released a PC version of Wheel around the same time as the Sega CD version.

Once Gametek folded, Hasbro Interactive (later Infogrames, and now Atari Interactive) released three versions of Wheel in 1998, 2000 and 2002, developed by Artech Entertainment, Ltd..

Several unofficial, fan-made versions of Wheel have also been made for PCs over the years. The most recent--and most professional--of these is by BigJon's PC Games, and features gameplay and graphics mostly concurrent with the current aired US version of Wheel. (It is also the only PC adaptation so far to feature Toss-Up puzzles.) In addition to all of the show's current features, the "Double Play" token from Season 13 (1995-96) is also intact in this version. The most recently added element, the Wild Card, is hopefully coming soon.

[edit] Commodore 64 Versions

One of the very first electronic versions of Wheel of Fortune was made for the Commodore 64 by Sharedata in 1986.

Sharedata was not the only company to manufacture Wheel of Fortune games for the C64 for long. In 1993, three companies, Chromance, Vermes, and Marex, created their own Wheel of Fortune game to play on the C64. Even though it played like the American version, it was actually an English translation of the Polish version of Wheel of Fortune (Koło Fortuny).

[edit] Arcade version

Gametek also produced an arcade version of Wheel in 1989 (one of their few forays into arcade games). Playable by one to three players, the gameplay was much like the show with a few exceptions; no Bonus Round (as gameplay was continuous), selectable difficulty of puzzles (normal or expert), a single Wheel arrangement for all rounds (with a top dollar value of $900) and no prizes or bonuses. Players were given a set number of "misses" (wrong guesses or hits on BANKRUPT or LOSE A TURN; adjustable by the arcade owner between 1 and 5) before gameplay ended. Hitting certain score amounts could replenish these misses (similar to earning extra "lives" in other games). Player controls were limited to a control wheel (which was used to spin the Wheel or select letters & game options) and a "fire button" to confirm said selections. No real money was actually won; it was simply a means of keeping score. Graphics were on par with the arcade games of the day (just a hair over the home game systems of the time), and the game even featured a "Vanna" look-alike to "turn letters" on the board and urge on players with a simulated voice (NOT Vanna White's).

[edit] Cancelled versions

In 1983, Gametek (then known as Great Games Company) planned to release a version of Wheel of Fortune, along with conversions of several other popular game shows, for the Atari 2600.[1] However, these plans were cancelled when the Video Game Crash of 1983 almost killed the video game industry. Since many felt that the Atari 2600 was not powerful enough to faithfully reproduce these games, it is believed that if these games had been developed and released, they would have been released as a hybrid video/board game (such as the Quest for Rings on the Odyssey2).[2]

[edit] External links

• Archived list of 'Wheel of Fortune' Games