Review: TV Show King (Wii)

The game takes advantage of the Mii's already present on your Wii console. So if you are playing alone, chances are you could be up against a virtual friend or partner, which adds to the enjoyment and desire to win. Whether you are playing with one or three friends, remaining spaces are filled at random which adds to the variety, but do not expect too much of a challenge from the CPU on the default normal difficulty setting. Offering around 3000 questions across a wide range of trivia, TV Show King is a good dose of gaming. And despite several plays from Gamestyle, we could not actually recall being faced with the same question twice. This is something that many disc based quiz releases seem to lack (not just only for the Wii system) and we certainly did learn a few interesting facts throughout the course of the game.

There are two modes on offer, with a quick fire quiz round challenging you to progress further or the standard television format, which is where you will spend most of your time. Here you can select the number of rounds from a minimum of three, to a maximum of six. The actual format for each question is to be faced with four answers, some of which seem plausible and others frankly worth of appearing on a GMTV phone-in. A common flaw has been addressed in that as with most quizzes players who are unsure of an answer can almost immediately follow a player who demonstrates confidence in their answer. While this tactic is still possible, TV Show King allocates cash on the basis of how quickly you answer. So copying will only get you so far and rewards quick, accurate responses.

At the end of each round you have the option to spin what can only be described as a wheel of fortune. This provides the opportunity to flick the Wii Remote but also change the course of a game. The wheel offers a range of rewards and penalties but the inclusion of being able to swap your cash with another opponent does unbalance the game.  The chances of it happening almost every time are nil but Gamestyle has experienced a sudden relegation from first to last through no fault of our own on a couple of occasions. On the flipside it means that everyone is involved until the last possible moment, when the top two players go ahead to the Final Duel. Here the first player to win five points (in other words five correct answers) wins the quiz and helps themselves to more cash.

To really appreciate its charms, TV Show King is best enjoyed amongst friends and for just 1000 Wii points can be judged as a decent purchase. The game does throw in random new elements to try and keep the experience fresh with mixed results. Using the Wii Remote as a magnifying glass or coin on a scratch card (to reveal the answers) works to some degree. During these events you’ll find yourself having to watch your competitors actions, whilst trying to beat the clock.

Visually there is little to highlight in TV Show King given what it is trying to replicate. The style of the presentation is slick and totally over the top, especially when the presenter is on screen. This is a game that is far removed from the current generation and one that could easily feel at home on the PlayStation 2 or Nintendo 64. Bright, colourful and cheery it all adds up to a quick download that you can almost immediately experience and enjoy.

TV Show King makes for an ideal impulse purchase or quickly plugs a gap when friends drop by unannounced. For all its limitations and tongue in cheek presentation, the actual quiz itself is fun, challenging and varied enough to warrant a place on your Wii Channel Home Page.

Rating: 6 / 10

Words by Jason Julier