Wheel of Fortune has been one of my favorite game shows since I was a child. I can remember watching it with my grandparents when I was at their house, and the three of us would compete to see who could guess the puzzle correctly first. Many years later, when I first purchased a Nintendo 64, I went on the hunt for games and came across Wheel of Fortune. Featuring Vanna White's voice and a realistic-looking show set, I didn't think that Wheel of Fortune got any better. Fast forward to 2005. My boyfriend recently purchased us a PlayStation 2 console after several years of both of us wanting this system. Right away, I went on the hunt for games that I would like (Tetris-y games, bubble-popping games, blocks-falling games, and game show types of games). When I came across Wheel of Fortune for PlayStation 2 online, I didn't think it could be as good as or better than my seven or eight year old Nintendo 64 Wheel of Fortune game - but surprisingly enough, it's better!


Overview:

Wheel of Fortune for PlayStation 2 is rated "E for Everyone" and is great for family game playing. It is a realistic version of the popular game show that airs weeknights on ABC. This game is for one to three players. The goal of this game is to be the first to correctly guess the puzzle, which can be a thing, people, a proper name, a title, etc. This game is like Hangman, in that there is a blank for each letter in the word, phrase, etc. Each player takes a turn spinning the wheel, and if they correctly guess a letter in the game, that letter is revealed on the board, and the player gets the corresponding dollar amount put into their temporary account on-screen. Each player takes a turn until they either land on the "bankrupt" wheel wedge, the "lose a turn" wedge or they incorrectly guess a letter in the puzzle.

Wheel of Fortune for PlayStation 2 is played with three players. If you are playing alone, you will have two "computer" players playing with you, and you will all take turns just like the contestants do on the actual show. If there are two of you playing, there will be one "computer" player.

Wheel of Fortune for PlayStation 2 is about as close to the actual game show as you can get. There are prizes (introduced by the real voice of Charlie O'Donnell himself!), the "Jackpot" wheel wedge is there along with the tallying "Jackpot" in the upper left corner of the screen, and the familiar ting-a-ling bell is sounded once a new puzzle is displayed on the screen - as well as the high-pitched beeping once all of the consonants of a puzzle is filled in and just vowels are left. Even the sound of the wheel spinning is the same sound as it is on the TV show. However, the centerpiece of Wheel of Fortune for PlayStation 2 is the voice and the image of Vanna White. Her image is surprisingly real, and her voice is definitely real. You can't get any more realistic than that!


Game Play Options:

*Normal Game: This is the standard game and the one that is the most like the game show on TV. If you select this option, you will be able to choose from a game length of 10 minutes, 15 minutes or 20 minutes in length, or a game that lasts three, four or five rounds. From here you will select a game "theme" (Las Vegas, etc.) where the glimmering Wheel of Fortune set will be decorated accordingly. Each player will then fill in his or her name and the game will quickly begin. "Computer" players are labeled as either "player 2" or "player 3".

*Quick Play: This is the easiest and fastest way to start playing Wheel of Fortune. Players will not enter their names or choose a theme - the game will choose a theme for you and will start a game that consists of three rounds.

*Solo Game: This is convenient for those playing alone and don't want to wait for other "computer" opponents to take their turn. You will be given a number of "free spins" to use based on the length of the game. The game ends when you have no free spins to use after incorrectly guessing letters.

*Tournament Game: In order to be eligible to play in a Tournament Game, you must have won at least give games or won at least $50,000 in cumulative winnings. New players can not play in Tournament Games, and all players in a Tournament Game must have saved their careers to the SAME memory card in order to participate.

*Sample Contest Exam: According to the Wheel of Fortune for PlayStation 2 instruction manual, this is a lot like the procedure the actual game show uses to qualify contestants. The manual says that a PlayStation 2 player will be shown 16 partially completed puzzles from four different categories and will then be given 5 minutes to solve all of the puzzles. A puzzle is solved by filling in each of the missing letters in the proper order. Please see my experience with this game function below.


Controls:

The controls for playing Wheel of Fortune for PlayStation 2 are easy to learn and master. While solving puzzles, a legend is on the screen at all times, reminding you which button to choose for each option. For example, if you are done filling in the letters to the puzzles, the legend displays "Done" with the triangle button displayed next to it. This tells you that when you are done, you press the button with the triangle on it.


Options Menu:

At the Options Menu, you can easily change the response time (30, 60 or 90 seconds) for deciding wether to spin the wheel, buy a vowel, choosing a letter after spinning the wheel and solving the puzzle (which consists of entering the remaining letters). The only other option that can be changed on this menu is the Sound Level - this is where you adjust the sound volume for the game. At this menu, you can also view the game's credits.


Miscellaneous:

Note that a separate controller is required for each human player. A controller is not required for "computer" players, as the game system controls that "player"'s turn entirely, from spinning the wheel, guessing a letter and taking a guess at the puzzle.

A Memory card is not required to play this game, but you will want to insert a memory card if you want to save your "career" as a Wheel of Fortune player or if you want to play a Tournament Game (outlined below).

Some of the puzzles have a "Bonus Question" that a winning player can try to answer. That player will receive $3,000 if they answer correctly.

The "Bonus Round" is also like the TV show. The person who has the highest winnings at the end of the game is the winner of the game. That person goes on to the "Bonus Round" and will pick a Prize Card. The puzzle appears on the screen with the letters R, S, T, L, N and E filled in if they are part of the word or phrase. The player will then pick three more consonants and one vowel - which the computer will fill in if they are part of the puzzle. The player has 30 seconds to correctly guess the puzzle and fill in the remaining letters.


My Experience:

It would have really added to the game play experience with Wheel of Fortune for PlayStation 2 if Pat Sajak were featured in this game. However, he's nowhere to be found and the game is hosted entirely by Vanna White. This is not a big deal, though, as everything else about the game is surprisingly like the real TV show.

We've had this game for about a month now and have played it almost nightly. I also sometimes play it if I'm home alone. So far, I am aware of no software glitches with this game, with the exception of the Contestant Exam - I can't seem to make it move to the next puzzle once the first puzzle is solved correctly. I have played around with this option several times and am not sure if I'm doing something wrong or if it has a glitch of some kind.

This game is a joy to play. It moves along quickly, has time limit options, the graphics are stunning, the set is glimmering just like the real show, and all the sounds are exactly the same as they are on the show. As a 25+ year viewer (I can remember when contestants picked prizes after each round - from toaster ovens to vacations - and there was no "jackpot" round), this game is delightful and is a refreshing change from a lot of the other PlayStation 2 games we own, which tend to be more of the shooting, war and sports types because that's what my boyfriend likes. If we had kids, I would be happy if they wanted to play this game, as it is definitely family-oriented.


Price and Purchasing Information:

I purchased Wheel of Fortune for PlayStation 2 brand new at GameQuestDirect.com for $18.99. It is also available new at Amazon.com, but will ship to you from GameStop.com, another video game retailer that Amazon.com is partnered with. I've had experience ordering from GameStop.com in the past, and they ship very quickly and are very professional. This game can also be ordered from GameStop.com directly, leaving Amazon.com out of the picture, for $12.99 pre-owned, or $14.99 new.


My Other Video Game Review:

Super Bubble Pop For Nintendo GameCube

Recommended: Yes