Not content with the success of the board game, the brains behind Trivial Pursuit have gone all computerised! Domark have been given the job or converting TP to the Master System. Their home computer versions were stunning and they look set to repeat their good fortune with the console game.
Every last detail’s been crammed into the MS romp. Up to six players take part. Enter names on the options screen and alter the time allowed to answer each question. At any point during the game, individual players can take a break or quit and new brain boxes can join in the fun.
The game board’s faithfully represented. Players roll the dice and move the cursor to highlight the question squares available. If you’re anything like us, you’ll go for pinks — we nearly always choose Entertainment!
Russell the question-master trots onscreen, does his business (dirty devil! —Prod Ed) and waits for a response. A snail slides across the top of the screen. If it reaches the end marker, time’s up! Players must be honest when our feathery-friend asks if their answer was correct!
Included in the computer version are visual and music questions. Take clues from Russell’s onscreen pics or bend an ear as he tinkles the ivories! He’s so talented — are you? Yeah, he’s a bit of a smartass. The big problem with that is, you can’t lean across and cuff him round the head like you can with little brothers and sisters. Ah well, it’s all good, clean fun!
Thank you, Domark, for stimulating us a little! In some ways, Trivial Pursuit on the MS is far better than the original board game. As Will says, the questions aren’t as mind-blowingly difficult, thus most games trot along at a nice pace and don’t become yawnsome.
The graphics are big and colourful and really add to the game’s enjoyment. The visual questions are a great inclusion, as are the musical teasers. It’s good fun watching Russell do his Richard Clayderman bit. He’s a cheeky little chappie (Russell, not Mr Clayderman!). The comments he tweets are both humorous and patronising.
OK, so you can cheat! But when you’re playing seriously, with a big group of mates, pointing the ‘Yes /No’ cursor’s a matter of life or death!
The only fault I found is question repetition. This wasn’t a problem with the board game, but on the console quiz the same questions crop up a little too often. But then they are chosen at random, so I’ll forgive this bugbear.
I thoroughly recommend MS Trivial Pursuit. It’s great light entertainment, offers no end of laughs and leaves you with a warm feeling inside. Unlike That’s My Boy!!
ADE 84%
Did you know Rod Stewart was thrown out of Spain for vagrancy, before he took up gravedigging? Neither did i, but I still thrashed the pants off Ade on Domark’s great conversion of Trivial Pursuit!
The board game’s a classic and didn’t need much improvement, but just in case you think it’s as boring as Nintendo, there are a few extras in the MS version. Russell, for instance, provides some light entertainment by waddling around like someone’s shoved a few ‘wedges’ where they shouldn’t! The questions ain’t easy, but they’re a damn sight more manageable than the ones in the board game — just the right mix of frustratlngly difficult and (fairly scarce) ridiculously easy.
The graphics serve their purpose. They’re not spectacular but well above average — a clearly drawn Trivial Pursuit board and a different room for each subject (Russell seems to have kindly donated his house).
Trivial Pursuit ain’t one to buy If you haven’t any willing friends and family cos there’s no way they could have put a one-player option in. Buy it then wop all your mates and be smug about it!
WILL 81%
Domark have done the board game proud. New elements make it more fun.
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