I got "Monopoly" and "Wheel of Fortune" deeply discounted in the Thanksgiving eShop sale that ended on 11/28. I got them both to play with my wife and other family members who aren't into video games as much as I am, but enjoy playing traditional board games and versions of game shows.
I played a game of "Wheel of Fortune" with my wife last night, and while the experience of playing a game together was fun in itself, it is striking to observe the bare minimum of effort Ubisoft puts into the games they license. While playing, I could not help but thinking of how much more effort was put into the presentation of the "Wheel of Fortune" game on Sega CD in 1994 compared to the Ubisoft release about a quarter of a century later. The Sega CD "Wheel of Fortune" features FMV sequences of Vanna White and 6,000 puzzles to solve. Ubisoft could not be bothered to license the likenesses of Vanna White or even Pat Sajak. In addition to it's generic cartoon hosts, Ubisoft's version boasts 4,000 puzzles. That's 2,000 less puzzles than the Sega CD version released 24 years ago. And Ubisoft was asking for $39.99 for this at launch. I guess from their perspective, having to unlock shirts and pants for your character as you play is more immersive than the game actually resembling the tv show aside from the wheel and letter board. I'm glad I waited to get it at 70% off.
