Jeopardy! for Wii Reviews by Gamers

For the longest time, Jeopardy! has struggled to create an adequate console title. Previous versions (like the misguided Playstation title) suffered from critical flaws in design that made them incredibly unfun to play. The new Wii version of this classic television game show, however, seems to have broken this trend and brought fans an enjoyable, albeit shallow, title.

The most important aspect of any Jeopardy! game, beyond usual mechanics inherent in titles like presentation or design, is the quality of the trivia presented. Luckily, the new THQ title is able to create a rousing set of questions that truly tests the mettle of even the best trivia gurus. In addition, the breadth of questions seems to be expansive as through a dozen rounds, I have yet to encounter the same set of questions.

Furthermore, the answer entry system presented here is approachable. When the user chooses to answer a question, they are presented with an on-screen keyboard and use their WiiMote to select their answer. If the answer is a longer one, then another window displays a set of possible answers from the letters already typed in, streamlining the process of answering far better than the dreadful rotating wheel seen in the old Playstation title.

For all of its fun, however, Jeopardy! does suffer from its share of flaws. The most glaring, and destructive to one's fun, is the rather inconsistent response system. On occasion, one can answer with merely a last name and receive a correct response. At other times, keying in thyroid or Martin Luther King (instead of thyroid gland or Martin Luther King Jr.) will come up incorrect. Additionally, while presented as a family title, few children will be able to compete even in the easy mode (as questions still remain considerably imposing).

Regardless, Wii Jeopardy! is the Jeopardy! game that console fans have been demanding. Though not as fun as its PC relatives, this version presents a new and challenging title to the series.