The $100,000 Pyramid was one of my favorite game shows growing up. I used to close my eyes and listen to the celebrities offer clues while trying to get their partners to say the words that the clues described. Sometimes, I was better than the actual contestants and it kept this child busy and out of her mother’s hair. When Sierra On-Line introduced the $100,000 Pyramid for play on the home computer, it was obviously a must have. The game is a reasonably good conversion, and even features the long time host of the show, John Davidson.
In the computer version of the $100,000 Pyramid, play has to change a little bit to account for the lack of being able to give clues that the computer is always going to understand, and the inability to scream guesses at an inanimate object. Instead, teams are divided up, just like the game. The user can play with a computer partner, against two computer contestants. He can also play against another human, with both players utilizing computer partners. Finally, if there are enough people present, the AI can be eliminated and two teams of real partners can be formed.
Like the game, players take turns choosing clever categories from a list on the pyramid. Many times the names of the categories give a roundabout
hint to what type of words the category will contain. Instead of offering live clues to the partner, the contestant will choose from a list of clues provided by the computer and the person receiving the clues will have to try to guess the object word by typing the guesses into a parser as the clues are fired at him. Each contestant takes turn both giving and receiving clues, and the play bounces back and forth between the two teams. The goal is to identify as many words as a possible before time runs out, and hopefully have more than the opposing team when all the categories are used up. The team with the most points after the categories are spent gets to go to the pyramid and try for the big money.
As you can see, play in the video game version is a little different from the actual game, but some concessions had to be made in order to make it work. Overall, it is good game show conversion and it is entertaining enough for a single player, although teams of two work out the best. This is a satisfying download, and will make for afternoons of great play, just like the television show.
