GENRE
	Game Show
	DEVELOPER
	ECI
	PUBLISHER
	DSI Games
	LOCAL WIRELESS MULTI-PLAY
	Yes
	Wi-Fi/GLOBAL ONLINE MULTI-PLAY
	No
	MICROPHONE
	No
	BUY NOW AT

Bob Saget may be the actor least likely to appear in a video game. As Full House-dad Danny Tanner, he was known for his squeaky-clean kitchen. As a stand-up blue comic, he is known for his ultra-vulgar routine. Neither persona is well fit for video games, but here he is, digitized in full gaming glory as your host of 1 vs. 100 -- the second-best reality show of Bob's career.

In the TV game show 1 vs. 100, one player takes on a "Mob" of 100 players. The goal is to outlast the Mob by correctly answering multiple choice questions. When members of the Mob answer incorrectly, they are eliminated. The game ends when either the player misses a question, or the Mob is out of members. Outlast the Mob, win $1 million. Lose, and the Mob shares the money you earned.

In the video game 1 vs. 100, the rules are basically right, and Bob's presence gives some minor level of authenticity, but it falls for many of the pitfalls common to game show-based games.

visuals

On the screen, quiz show video games should meet two standards:

1. Recreate the look of the broadcast.
2. Stay out of its own way.

For a handheld title, 1 vs. 100 does this well. The intro sequence to a new game matches the show, as does the general set design and 100-members mob tower. It's lacking variety, but that's no fault of the developers who have a source material to follow. More importantly, the text is easy to read and everything feels appropriate and authentic. If nothing else, the aforementioned appearance by host Bob Saget is campy enough for a positive giggle.

audio

Through the speakers, quiz show video games should meet two standards:

1. Recreate the sound of the broadcast.
2. Stay out of its own way.

For a handheld title, 1 vs. 100 gets about halfway there. Bob's voice sounds like his own, but he has limited lines and, expectedly, doesn't read the questions. There's no game show banter, and 1 vs. 100 the TV show has quite a bit of that. The music also does little to create drama throughout. But that's all very minor, and this game can just as well be played with the sound turned off.

gameplay

When actually playing, quiz show video games should meet two standards:

1. Recreate the design of the broadcast.
2. Get in the way.

For any title, handheld or other, this is where 1 vs. 100 struggles -- as most in the genre do. The game does play just as the show, with one trivia question at a time and three possible answers. The mob, played by the computer of course, answers first and will lose members as players answer correctly. This varies the number of questions required to win the million.

And here's where 1 vs. 100 needs to become a video game, but doesn't. In a real game show, the goal is to win money. In a video game version, there is no real money. This seems stupidly obvious to mention, but it's difficult to recreate that drama that even a viewer of the show experiences. The delays between questions -- as much as 40 seconds -- only slow things down. Use one of the "Helps" and the delay is even worse. So in 1 vs. 100, with no incentive to ever take the money, it really becomes little more than a tedious game of trivia.

To its credit, trivia is a strength of 1 vs. 100. The questions are genuinely difficult and well varied, which makes winning it all quite the task. In back-to-back rounds, we were asked for Barbie's full name in one question and the favorite tree of a silkworm in another. But what it could have done is provide some meaningful goals. For example, maybe if you reach $5,000,000 in career winnings, the game will start using an additional 500 extremely difficult questions. It could provide an actual risk by going another step, invoking some degree of strategy.

Another 500 or so questions would do it some good, too, as what it has in quality it lacks in quantity. Questions are repeated far too much, often in consecutive games. After a dozen matches players will almost always encounter a repeat, a flaw that will kill any game show title. The extra minigames only change the dressing on the same questions and same flaws.

multiplayer

With the DS's ability to allow single card play across multiple systems, it's a shame when games that stand to benefit the most from this feature ignore it. 1 vs. 100 continues the trend of already mediocre games forcing friends to buy two copies to play against one another. The only expanded multiplayer mode lets one player become the Mob, assigning a percentage to each answer that simulates different mob members giving different answers. But at the cost of two games, players are better off just working together on the single player questions.

overall

In fairness, few games in the genre really warrant a purchase, but some simple choices could improve the video game transition of 1 vs. 100. Instead, it seems content to cash-in on the brand, and that's not nearly good enough. Even at $20, you would be better served browsing Amazon for any of a thousand better trivia books. Or while you're there, check out Full House: Season 4. With a few classic episodes and a cheaper price, it's an even better way to get your Bob Saget fix.

4.0/10