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Review: Jeopardy 2Reviewed By: Bill Stiteler Review Date: January 29, 2002
What is an otherwise great game that's screwed up by bugs and crashes?
Jeopardy 2 is the new release of the game, with over 4,200 new answers. It also includes interviews with the people who make the show happen, and a sample quiz given to potential contestants. While I'm sure the show has enough devotees who'll enjoy the interviews--really, who doesn't want to get inside the mind of the green room coordinator?--the sample quiz seems a bit cruel. They tell you in the manual that in no way, shape or form will this get you on to the show, but who reads the manual?
You have several styles of play available to you. First off, there is the difficulty of your computer opponents, should you choose to play against them. Now, consider that not only is the computer in charge of the game and your opponents, but that your antagonists have pre-recorded answers to the questions. So, you see what you're up against. An option slider controls the intelligence of your opponents. I played against them on the default "medium" setting, which caused them to muff about one question out of a hundred. Other factors which you can control are your buzz-in time and your time to answer the question.
In real Jeopardy, contestants have about a second to come up with the question to an answer. Stammering is right out. In computer Jeopardy, however, you have to type all the answers in, and type them in correctly (the last option you can set is how strictly the computer proofs your answers). "Michealangelo" didn't paint the Sistine Chapel, but "Michaelangelo" did. I left it set at 20 seconds. It gave me time to hem and haw, but also to type in "The Phantom of the Opera" when I needed. Thankfully, Jeopardy 2 dispenses with the all-important rule of "Phrase It In the Form of a Question," since it begins all your ""questions" with the appropriate beginning.
Ranging from simple hangs to out and out crashes just as I'd correctly answered a $6,000 Final Jeopardy category, these bugs are especially frustrating if only because Jeopardy is a) so enjoyable and b) so challenging. It's like ranking in the 99th percentile on the ACTs and being told you have to do it over because your pencil wasn't a No. 2. Jeopardy 2 captures wonderfully the flavor of a hit game show and makes it fun to play at home, too. So, it's kind of a Bizarro World version of Survivor. But then, Survivor didn't crash, so perhaps it's a trade-off. How strange that the games you want to crash, never do. I declare that Stiteler's first rule of Computer Gaming. But I digress. If you never mind the crashes (here's the Sex Pistols) and are looking to exercise your noggin, Jeopardy 2 is terribly engaging. However, something that fascinates you but fails at a critical moment is more than a summary of the works of Stephen King, it's a criticism which keeps Jeopardy 2 from being a five star game.
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Jeopardy, along with Wheel of Fortune, are two games shows that make you feel dumb, as someone once said. Jeopardy makes you feel dumb because you don't know any of the answers. Wheel of Fortune makes you feel dumb...well, because you're watching it. He spoke the truth. Jeopardy, the game show for the smart kids, gives "answers" to obscure areas of knowledge. The contestants then try to get the right "questions," which allow them to advance in the game and walk out with cold hard cash.
Jeopardy 2 is a great game, if only because the questions are actually challenging. Those acquainted with the use of "life lines" need not apply, as you're going to get hit with such categories as the capitals of countries in Africa, authors who used their initials, and (dramatic pause) "potpourri." Many a time I've watched an apparent smarty go down in flames when confronted with the bizarre mix of questions a potpourri can bring. But not all the categories are for the tweed jacket set; pop culture gets its due, but even those can be harrowing. Yes, you may know that "To Serve Mankind" was an episode of the Twilight Zone, but can you recall which Mel Brooks character advised against eating fried food?
Your buzz-in time, however, doesn't reflect how long you have to think about the question before your opponents answer, however; it's how long you wait before your host, Alex Trebek (in live-motion video!), tosses an unanswered question out. No, if you want to rack up the dollars, you better learn the delicate art of the Jeopardy buzz. The question must be read in full before you hit the button, but once that happens, it's a matter of split second timing. I used to laugh at people who said they had problems with the buzzer, but it's not so funny when "Player 2" starts tearing through your specialty category simply because Alex never calls your name.
Jeopardy 2 also includes a Tournament of Champions style of play, but I was unable to test that since even after a few solid weeks of play, I hadn't qualified. I assume this is based on a certain number of contiguous wins. I can't be sure of this fact, however, since some wins, and even in-process games which were certainly headed towards win, got wiped out by freezes and crashes which haunt Jeopardy 2.