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Wheel of Fortune went through four editions on the NES but the one
that is clearly the best is  the
one that is the hardest to find. Wheel of Fortune: Featuring Vanna White was the final edition of this classic
game show to reach the NES and it improved the game in a couple of key
areas that might make this game worth picking up even if you own one of
the other editions.
After four versions some areas of the game remained the same as
ever. You have to solve a hangman
style puzzle choosing consonants and buying vowels. You have to spin the “wheel of fortune”
to see how much money you will receive for each consonant that you
guess. Once again you get three
difficulty levels and can choose whether or not you want computer
opponents. There is still a number of regular rounds followed by the
bonus round where you have a chance to earn awesome but fictional prizes.
There are a few new upgrades in this addition, though. By far the best edition is that if you
receive a puzzle that you recognize you can just ask for a different
puzzle. That really cuts down on
the amount puzzles you will have to play that you have already seen. Also, this is the only game in the
series where you actually get to have a character representing you on the
screen. The other major addition
is that you now get four regular rounds followed by a bonus round. The speed-up round has been dropped but
you now get two more regular  rounds
than you did before.
Positives:
The number one positive is that
you don’t have to play a puzzle you recognize. On previous editions that was the most
annoying thing about the game. The graphics are also a slight step up
from the previous editions.
Another nice change is that you get around 15 seconds to choose a
letter and decide whether to spin or buy a vowel.
Glaring
Negatives:
Unfortunately you still can’t
pause the game, I’m not sure why they never
solved that problem. One minor
annoyance is now you can’t spell out your whole name unless it is less
than 7 letters long. I’m also not
a fan of the new bonus round. Now
you get the most common letters (r,s,t.l,n,e)
and after you see how they look on the board you get to choose three more
consonants and one more vowel.
This makes it very easy to solve the final puzzle. Of course the game was just following
the rules established by the television show but it is still annoying. My major gripe with this version is
that it got rid of the screen where you watch the wheel spin. Now you just see the dollar amounts come
in and out of a box so you have no clue how close you are to landing on a
bankrupt. It doesn’t alter any
strategy but the game loses a little bit of drama because of  this.
Graphics
and Sound: Pretty Good
The graphics are very similar to
the other editions in the series but are a slight upgrade. The major difference is you now have a
character that does funny actions based on what happens during the game. These guys look ridiculous!
Gameplay
and Controls: Good
There isn’t much to screw up
here. You just have to pick a
letter and spin the wheel, both of which are easy to do. I’m happy to say that this version
finally increases the amount of time you have to pick your letter.
Features:
3 skill levels
There’s no password option or
tournament or anything. At least
you get three skill levels and the option of having computer opponents or
not.
Fun?: If
you like the game show
I’m a fan of game shows so I do
enjoy playing this game. It is
also fun to play with friends (usually older friends) because up to three
people can play the game.
Challenge:
A Little
For some reason this version
seems easier than the original.
That could just be the games I played though.
Replay: Quite
a bit
Since you can change a puzzle
that you recognize the replay value goes up quite a bit. I definitely find myself playing this
version the most.
2
Player: Yes
You can have up to three players
playing but players one and three share a controller.
Online
Manual?: Yes at Nintendo Age
http://www.nintendoage.com/index.cfm?FuseAction=Element.View&egID=2596&lgID=1141
Bottom
Line: The best version of Wheel of Fortune
If you are only going to own one
version of this game show (and why would you want more?) then this is the
one to get. You get more puzzles
per game, you can decline puzzles that you have already had and it is the
most recent incarnation of the game show available on the NES. Obviously if you aren’t a fan of the
game show then don’t bother.
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