I am a lifelong Wheel of Fortune fan and was excited to see a Wii version of the game mentioned on the TV show. It was released on November 2, 2010 and was a great gift for my girlfriend's birthday which was the next day.
This game is a near perfect adaption of the TV show. The casual observer may just think that you were watching the show while you are actually playing the game. Almost everything is true to the TV show - Pat, Vanna, Charlie, voices, sound effects, music, audience cheering, trips, etc.
The puzzles offer the usual goodies such as mystery wedges, trips, the Jackpot round, toss up puzzles, and the final bonus round. The game is true to life in that once you get too greedy, you will get hit by the Bankrupt wedge. There is no shortage of Bankrupts or Lose a Turns....
Each game takes about 20 minutes to complete. Again, just like the TV show.
My list of criticisms:
- There is no Internet gameplay option. This is a weakness in many Wii games and this one is no exception. It would have been a lot of fun to play against friends, family, and strangers in online competitions. There could have been contests for real prizes and money, etc.
- There are a few glitches with Pat Sajak's speech. This is a pretty common problem with most games that attempt to emulate characters who speak conversationally. The glitches are not horrible but when you play enough, they do get a little annoying.
- Even in "Hard" mode, the computer opponents are not much of a challenge. It is rare that I lose a single round.
- There is no way to get a big picture view of how much money each player has accumulated for the entire game. You can see how much they have accumulated for the round, but I have not found a way to see the total of their winnings. Unlike playing against opponents which watching TV, there is more to the game then just solving the puzzles. You need to earn more money than your opponents did for the entire game in order to advanced to the final round. Sometimes this means you need to get greedy and go for that extra spin. Without knowing what everyone has, you don't know if you need to take that chance.
- The opponent and audience Mii characters do not look like typical Mii characters. They are more lifelike and seem more like "Mii 2.0". I would have preferred the opponents and audience members to be from the Mii gallery on my system which is pretty standard for Wii games that uses Mii characters. There is not much variety in the computer opponents or audience members.
- Not so much a criticism but "something to be aware of" - there may be long, frustrating periods where you don't actually "get to play" while computer opponents are spinning the wheel and solving puzzles. It is not constant action that all revolves around you. For someone who gets bored easily and has a short attention span, this may be an issue.
Wheel of Fortune for the Nintendo Wii is a must have for any "Wheel Watcher". It makes a perfect gift and is a great way to "play a game" yet keep your mind sharp.
For more reviews and screenshots, check out Wheel of Fortune for Wii.
