Review - The $1,000,000 Pyramid (Wii)

It took 15 years for a game to unseat Hydlide on the NES as the lowest-scoring game I've ever played. Thanks to yet another abysmal effort by Ludia, we have a new champion.

The longest video review so far, as well, and it still isn't long enough to detail all the problems with the game. Here are a few other issues:

- The theme song is basically the 20 second open looped ad infinitum. Even the closing theme would've been an improvement.
- Neither multiplayer mode includes the Winner's Circle. You just play the front game, and whoever scores the most wins. Yay.
- Since it's essentially mirroring the Donnymid format (which is the inferior version in just about every way), the tiebreakers are of the sort where you keep playing them until one player outscores the other. Problem is, as mentioned in the video, if you type so much as the first two letters of the correct answer, it'll pop up on the auto-search. Since the tiebreakers are always "Words that begin with the letter -- ", you're spotted half of the necessary search already, and just have to cycle through the vowels. I could've played the tiebreaker infinitely if I wanted to, but ended it at a very appropriate 43-42.

I want to make it clear that I don't exclusively blame Ludia for this atrocity; Sony deserves a fair share of culpability for likely demanding that they made a home version of the 2002 show instead of the demonstrably superior and much more widely recognized '80s version. There was a reason that the show didn't last longer than two seasons: it was a horrible retread, with sketchy writing and judging, bad celebrity players, and a host that had didn't have an ounce of subtlety in him. This was a horrible retread of a horrible retread, essentially.

Thanks to Adam Nedeff for playing my Winner's Circle partner, and Travis Schario for hosting the bit, as well as providing the "Winner's Circle of Fail" graphic interspersed throughout the video. And before anyone goes "HA! THAT'S NOT THE RIGHT FONT FOR THE CLOCK!", Adobe Premiere can't handle the VaneII font for whatever reason. At least I have the right clock music (and yes, it's supposed to lose sync as it progresses).

Happy April Fool's!

Category:

Gaming

Tags:

• 25000
• 100000
• pyramid
• dick
• clark
• donny
• osmond
• john
• davidson
• winners
• circle
• bob
• stewart
• game
• show
• ludia
• ubisoft
• sony
• pictures
• horrible
• terrible
• awful
• worst
• wii
• ever

[rebelwrest]

Hi Loog,

First of all I have to say that I am a reviewer as well, although I review current rock music albums, and I think you did an excellent job of reviewing the game. However, I do have one nitpick. My regular job is government auditor. I looked at your scoring, and 2 + 3 + 1 - 5 = 1. Not the total score of 3 you gave in the review. You gave the game a 200% higher score than needed. Other than that great review.

[Loogaroo1]

@rebelwrest Whenever I exempt a game from a Plot score, I weigh the other three technical scores more to compensate. That's where the other two points come from.

[nowhammies10]

HA! I was right! The back of your Spelling Bee card DOES say "CAR"!!

[Loogaroo1]

@nowhammies10 What, you thought we'd just smuggle out an "A"?

[84auburntiger]

I'm so glad I watched this review! You know what you're talking about when it comes to reviewing video games, Loog, especially game shows! I haven't even thought about renting or buying this one!

[iErockCast]

LOL, I love your Reviews. Keep up the good work!

[TexasTV]

Thank god I still have my 2001 CD-ROM version of Pyramid, not that crap ludia made. BTW 2001 CD-ROM version of Pyramid still works.

[GameShowGamer]

You should review Wheel of Fortune for the Wii or DS. I'm curious as to your opinion on it.

[LarrySegale]

PLEASE REVIEW THE AMAZING RACE FOR THE WII

[WarioBarker88]

Good review, Tim. Another problem is that there's absolutely no shots of the Winner's Circle pyramid as you play it -- it uses the same angle as the maingame.

My suggestion to those who want to see it for themselves -- borrow it through Gamefly or somesuch and do a point-and-laugh session.

[SaleGuy]

RIGGED!

[Rumpole7722]

You know what's really sad about all of this? The KatieMae presentation software, far from being a complete package, did a much much better job. And it was essentially nothing but a party mode. Good God, Ludia, why can't you clowns get it right?

[conman41895]

The thing with Lydia games is that they suck for console. But if your like me and buy them all for $5 for the iPhone, they are impressive for the handheld device. I have most kudos games for the iPhone and I will admit I enjoy them but if I had them for the console it would be pretty awful

[dmota104]

Where's the fun in playing for a million *every* trip to the winner's circle? Sierra's PC adaptation from about a decade ago had you *graduate* to the $100K round step-by-step (first trip I think was for $5K, then $10K, $25K, $50K and finally $100K).

I still have leftover Christmas gift money. But rest assured I'm not wasting it on $1M Pyramid.