You Don't Know Jack for Wii Review
Written by Erik Kubik, kube00 Friday, 23 December 2011 06:00
I have fond memories of the You Don't Know Jack games from the mid 1990s. I have to say things haven't changed much. If you have to own one trivia game this year... No wait... If you have to have one trivia game on any console you owe it to yourself to pick up You Dont Know Jack.THQ has done an excellent job and the game is very close to the original that Sierra did. Probably the most appealing thing about the game is how much it dogs the player. The host, Cookie Masterson is also ribbing players about what answer they pick or what they do in general. Much like the original this keeps the game interesting. Best of all anyone can pick up and play this game. Some of the questions are tough. The ability to screw the other player which forces them to pick an answer quickly or be penalized, keeps players on their toes.
There are usually 20 questions per game, one of is a Dis or Dat. This is a chance for the losing player to catch up. Although the opposing player can steal the question and get the money. A good example is, "Which is a pirate ship and which is an ab exercise?" Players are also urged to look for the “Wrong Answer of the Game.” This is hinted at in the beginning of the game and it has something to do with this episode’s sponsor. For example, in the episode sponsored by a baby crib company, the answer "Cat's Cradle" is the Wrong Answer of the Game. Granted, the player that picks this loses the monetary reward for the question but instead receives a huge bonus. The last question of the round is “Jack Attack” where one word is shown and players must pick the right word as it flashes on the screen in relation to the other word. The game is fun and the faster you answer the bigger payout you’ll make. If you're not certain of the answer, wait at least 10 seconds and then answer, you’ll lose less money if you answer wrong.
The game sounds really good. The sounds effects for each question and Cookie’s humorous voice are just two of the elements that keep the game interesting. There are no motion controls, although I’m not certain how they would work in this Wii game. Again, as I mentioned anyone can pick up and play the game. Its also a great party game to get four people in there and the fun can go on for several hours. Right now via Amazon the 360/ps3/Wii versions are all around $20. I found my copy at Target on clearance for $10.
I only have one little issue with the Wii version, there is no online play. The 360 and PS3 both have this and from what I have heard this takes the fun to a whole new level. Other than that I really recommend this game. If I was giving it a score I’d say 9/10.


