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What you know Noel Edmonds for depends on your age. =
My=20
parents probably know him for being a Radio 1 DJ or for =
fronting the=20
multi-coloured Swap Shop. I know him for living in Crinkly =
Bottom=20
and fraternising with a pink and yellow blobby-looking =
fellow.=20
However, a lot of younger people will now know him as the =
presenter=20
of Deal or No Deal, a weekday television programme that sees =
one=20
lucky contestant trying to win up to a quarter of a million =
pounds=20
by randomly selecting boxes.
For those of you who aren't students, unemployed or =
fans of=20
game shows, I'll explain how the game works. Twenty-two =
amounts of=20
money, unevenly ranging from 1p to =A3250,000, are placed in =
the same=20
number of red boxes and sealed. Of the twenty-two =
contestants, one=20
is randomly picked to play to win. They take their box with =
them and=20
then proceed to select other boxes in a series of rounds. =
Each round=20
typically consists of three selections, the exception being =
the=20
first round, which has five. As boxes are picked, the =
amounts=20
revealed within are removed from the board and at the end of =
each=20
round a telephone rings and the banker - a mysterious figure =
you=20
never get to see or hear - tells Noel the amount of money =
he's=20
willing to offer based on the remaining amounts. Then the =
contestant=20
must choose whether or not to accept this offer, take the =
money and=20
run or reject it, take their chances and continue playing - =
hence=20
the title of the show, Deal or No Deal. Either way the game=20
continues, except if the contestant has taken a deal they =
have to=20
see how the game would have played out - and if it ends up =
that they=20
would have won more than they settled for then they're =
gutted, and=20
if not they've achieved the difficult accolade of beating =
the=20
banker.
At the end of the game there are two boxes left - =
the=20
contestant's box and one other. The banker always phones up =
to make=20
a final offer, and if this offer is rejected then he phones =
up one=20
last time to offer the chance to swap boxes, giving the =
contestant a=20
50/50 chance at picking the higher of the two remaining =
amounts of=20
money that are left. The aim of the game is to beat the =
banker and=20
go away with the highest amount of money possible, be that =
an offer=20
from the banker or one of the amounts in the boxes. Throw in =
some=20
eccentric players, some Who Wants To Be A Millionaire style =
dramatic=20
music, the banker's comments and Noel's presenting and =
you've=20
basically got a forty-five minute game show - just don't =
tell anyone=20
it's based around randomly picking boxes and hoping for good =
luck!=20
So now you know the concept, let's take a look at =
what the DS=20
version has to offer. As it's a simple premise for a game =
show, I=20
imagined that it would transfer over pretty well - and this=20
assumption turned out to be correct. Simplicity is key in =
this game.=20
You begin by setting up a profile - which is basically just =
entering=20
your name - before being given a few gameplay options, plus =
the=20
ability to view your statistics, including a score table, a=20
cumulative total, average winnings and a few other bits and =
pieces.=20
The Tutorial mode does a good job of explaining how =
to play,=20
through the medium of text and images. Once you're through =
this (or=20
indeed if you skip it altogether), there are three gameplay =
modes to=20
select from. Contestant Mode plays just like the game show, =
Banker=20
Mode offers you the chance to play the banker and determine =
the=20
monetary value of the deals an AI player is offered, and =
Forfeit=20
Mode is an unlockable attempt at multiplayer where cash =
values are=20
replaced by, amazingly, forfeits.
Contestant Mode begins with a brief introduction by =
Noel,=20
drawn so badly that I'm surprised his agent hasn't sued. =
Graphically=20
the game recreates the studio well, with the background, =
telephone=20
and Deal or No Deal mug, plus the overall style, but it's =
nothing=20
amazing and doesn't make you think that it's actually more =
than a=20
hyped-up guessing game. The characters are nicely rendered, =
but they=20
are practically only static images, so there's nothing that =
makes=20
you think "WOW!" and you can't help but feel that the =
presentation=20
could have been better, even for a DS game. Thankfully the =
sound is=20
much better than the visuals; the theme tune and atmospheric =
effects=20
are recreated in the game, tying it nicely into the show, =
even if it=20
does sound too synthesised at times. The ring of the =
telephone, the=20
swoosh of the removed values and the thud of selection are =
all well=20
recreated.
When you begin to play, you use the stylus to move =
around the=20
table to pick your box, whereupon you are greeted by =
twenty-one=20
people behind twenty-one boxes, who thankfully look more=20
aesthetically pleasing than the virtual Noel, even if their=20
animations consist of two frames of movement to either happy =
or sad=20
expressions. As per the game show, you pick five boxes and =
then=20
await the banker's decision, which is either accepted or =
rejected by=20
a quick button press. The game continues in this vein until =
the=20
final round, where you find out how much is in your box and =
how much=20
you have actually won. It's also an accurate touch in the =
game that=20
the swap in the final round is offered.
You wil also find at times that a mini-game crops =
up, which=20
is a Deal or No Deal version of following the ball under a =
cup. If=20
you get all three right then the banker's offer is =
increased. Though=20
it's an interesting aside, it's insanely simple and slows =
down the=20
game. I the developers put it in for the ability to =
influence the=20
banker and not just because it pads out the game, because I =
dread=20
its tedious appearance in every game. And, yes, it appears =
at some=20
point in every game.
Banker Mode is very similar to Contestant Mode but =
played=20
from the other side and you use an on-screen calculator to =
choose=20
how much money you want to offer the contestant. =
Unfortunately - or=20
fortunately depending on how you look at it - the amount you =
offer=20
is completely up to you. There is no suggested amount and =
offering=20
even a ridiculously low amount is possible. At least the =
game stops=20
you from putting in more than =A3250,000 though! It is this =
mode=20
however that a fatal flaw in the game is uncovered. With the =
contestant left with 1p and 50p, I'd like to offer them =
around 22p=85=20
but you can't choose pennies, only pounds=85 oh dear. This =
is on top=20
of a flaw I slowly discovered in the contestant's game that =
makes=20
the bankers offers seem illogical. Left with two values of =
=A315,000=20
and =A320,000, it offered me =A314,000, which would never =
happen in the=20
game show.
Finally there's the Forfeit Mode, which you have to =
unlock by=20
winning up a bank of money, in turn unlocking family, =
friend,=20
couples and custom modes. Basically it's the same as the =
traditional=20
game except the twenty-two amounts of money are replaced by=20
twenty-two forfeits - eleven good, eleven bad - with the =
final box=20
you get being the forfeit you have to do, or give to someone =
else.=20
Each section of this mode has questions based around family, =
friends=20
or couples, with the final one allowing you to type in =
custom=20
forfeits. Though this is a nice addition to the game, it =
once more=20
feels like padding and I doubt it will be used much, aside =
from=20
maybe at the odd drunken party, though it's arguably =
something more=20
suited to the Wii.
So will Deal or No Deal on DS last longer than the =
forty-five=20
minutes of the television programme? The game is a faithful=20
reproduction of the show, in particular its sound, and will =
please=20
any fans out there who can't be parted from the show or are =
sick of=20
feeding pound coins into pub-based machines. The unlocking =
of=20
Forfeit Mode extends the lifespan too, if you are inclined =
to do so,=20
but the lifespan depends on your love for the television =
show and=20
how many times you need a fix away from the box.
Sadly there is one thing that the game lacks and =
it's=20
something that's practically impossible to recreate: the =
total=20
atmosphere. A lot of the appeal of the show comes from the =
unique=20
personalities of the contestants and the funny things that =
happen,=20
which will mean that any interpretation of the show is going =
to be=20
lacking in entertainment. Though the game has a good stab at =
it -=20
and arguably as good as a game can get - the absence of the =
other=20
contestants speaking, more comments from the banker and a =
lack of=20
the little nuances familiar to those who watch the =
television show,=20
mean it's never going to be more than a quick time-passer.=20
If you want a quick fix of Deal or No Deal on the =
go and you=20
can overlook the dodgy graphics, the limited amount of =
Noel's speech=20
and the fact it's just one five-minute game with some =
padding with=20
the 'find the mug in the box' and Forfeit mode sections, =
then you'll=20
enjoy this. With free versions available on the web though, =
I don't=20
think it justifies its =A320 price tag. So for me =
personally, I'm=20
going to have to say "No Deal!"
Reviewed by=20
Philip Lickley for AceGamez (All Rights Reserved).=20
=20
=
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