Only saying his name backwards will send him back to the Fifth Dimension where he belongs.
Jeopardy! needs little introduction. The game show has graced televisions around the world for decades and has brought trivia and factoid fighting to countless homes. It's only fitting that games based on the property would be made for almost any and all video game platforms. I remember booting up a 5 1/4" floppy disk in DOS that had "Jeopardy!" printed across its label as a child, no more than 5 or 6. It was one of my favorite things to do on the family computer. I don't think I ever won a game, but I remember typing answers slowly and enjoying every moment. It doesn't take much to translate a trivia game show to an interactive experience, but Jeopardy! always felt a little more realized than other game show ports I have played. The skill is in your own knowledge, the fun of outwitting your opponents is just as pronounced as in real life. This is especially true when playing against friends and family, and not just the AI contestants.
What is the Nintendo 64, Alex?
My playthrough of Jeopardy! for the Nintendo 64 didn't take very long, I had beaten the game my first try on the hardest difficulty. This might be the games only real weakness, the fact that it can be bested in one round. But most people aren't playing the game just to say they beat it. The real fun comes from multiple play sessions, seeing the various categories and questions, and trying to push your earnings to new heights. After three or four full games, I hadn't seen any repeat questions, which is the one thing that can ruin a virtual game show. Everything presented was competently designed. I can't find fault with the art or sound at all. For the late 90s, this is about as close as you can get to being on the game show. The one thing I did find lacking were the sound samples provided by the host, the late and great Alex Trebek. It is great to hear his voice throughout your play, but there will be some repitition within one or two games. While slightly disappointing, it's all too common for the small storage of the systems' cartridges. It's not enough to become annoying, and honestly, I'll never get tired of hearing the greatest game show host there ever was. The biggest benefit to playing on the N64 has got to be the built in multiple controller ports. With three controllers and two extra players, it's never been easier to get a proper game of Jeopardy! going.
What can I say, it's Jeopardy!
Alex Trebek brought a lot of entertainment into my home while I was growing up. He was a driving force behind my desire to learn and understand new ideas and disciplines. With such a strong push towards ignorance among the population, shows and games like Jeopardy! are more important than ever to highlight that it's not a bad thing to be smart. It's really fun and it has a catchy jingle too! I can easily see this becoming a favorite to boot up for some commitment free trivia, and for a heavy dose of television nostalgia.
