I can't remember if I've ever posted something like this here, but if I have I
apologize. But recently I got to thinking about the You Don't Know Jack
computer games and how cool it would be to see something like those games made
for the AG market. For those who aren't familiar, You Don't Know Jack is a game
that simulates a TV game show. Most of the games allowed as many as three
players to play simultaneously, in either a seven-question minigame or a
twenty-one question tournament game. The way the game works is that the players
select from a choice of three categories, then the host, who never actually
appears onscreen, reads a question pertaining to that category. The categories
usually have humorous names and the questions themselves are generally worded
and read in a humorous manner. Each question is also worth a certain amount of
money. The first player to buzz in gets the chance to answer the question,
losing money if they get it wrong or gaining money if they get it right. The
one with the correct answer also gets to select from the next set of
categories, which is different with each question. The host is usually a
wisecracker who leaves the players with no illusions as to what he thinks of
their performance.
There were also quite a few other different types of questions in the game
besides the multiple choice question. Some required you to actually type your
response, others had you getting seven names or objects and then two
categories. Your goal was then to determine whether each of the seven names
fell into one of the two categories, the other or, in some cases, both. Only
one player participates in those questions. There was also the three-way
question, in which all three playersplay at once. In this type of question
you're given a main category, then three possible choices. Then various
questions appear on screen, each question pertaining to one of the three
choices. For example you'd have three choices, Kirk, Spock and McCoy. You might
get the question Known as Bones? So you'd buzz in when McCoy was lit up. This
round continued until one layer answered a certain number of questions (usually
seven), or until the time limit ran out.
The final round is generally called the Jack Attack, and all players play
simultaneously. Here, you're given a clue, then a bunch of questions pertaining
to it. Then various possible answers will flash onscreen and you have to buzz
in. The usual principle applies. You get money for each right answer and lose
for each wrong one. The game ends either when one player gets seven correct
responses or if they take too long to finish the puzzle. Then the player with
the most money is crowned the winner while the loser gets ridiculed by the host
and the audience chants You don't know jack!
The games were for the most part very accessible, with the exceptions of the
three-way and Jack Attack questions. But I got to thinking it'd be neat if we
got a fully accessible game in the same style. The closest character to the
YDKJ host we have in the Audio Games market aside from Liam handing out
trophies in Judgment Day, is Bow Linball from Ten Pin Alley. But as a fan of
most of the YDK games I'd love to see something similar in the AG market and
I'm curious to see what other folks think.
Time is an illusion, lunchtime doubly so.
---
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