Time moves on in the world of game shows, with yesterday’s Blankity Blank making way (for better or for worse) for today’s Deal or No Deal. It’s probably a good time, then, to release a mobile compendium of some of the former quiz show greats.
That’s just what Top TV 3 in 1 is, comprising as it does Blockbusters 2nd Edition, Strike It Lucky and Sale of the Century. You’ll notice that we’ve reviewed all of these games before on Pocket Gamer, so I’ll just provide a brief summary of each.
Spanner didn’t think much of Blockbusters 2nd Edition when he reviewed it last year. While praising its attractive presentation, he pointed out the gaping problem at the core of the game’s question and answer system:
“Even the most stoned degree-level future-MacDonald's-manager can fathom the most likely answer from the obscure list of possibilities, and even if they don't the correct solution is given away for free by Bob's unworthy replacement.”
Given the relatively stripped back nature of Blockbusters, that’s quite an issue.
Strike It Lucky fares rather better given the additional elements inherent in the game. Unlike Blockbusters, it’s not entirely reliant on general knowledge for its appeal, with a fun layer of gambling and some fun gimmicks making it more suitable for mobile treatment.
As John Thomson said in his review, “whilst we mourn the absence of (host Michael) Barrymore's wacky antics, the other elements that made Strike It Lucky what it was are out in force,” which lifts it above many similar quiz experiences.
Finally there’s Sale of the Century that, unlike the other two, I can’t remember for the life of me. Perhaps it’s the slightly vague premise of having to ‘buy’ bargain prizes, or maybe it’s the fact that the more recent UK version was hosted by Keith Chegwin that caused it to slip my mind.
Either way, it remains a deeply forgettable experience in mobile form, and lacks the strong iconography of the other two offerings. As Stu said in his review:
“We're still not entirely convinced of the merits of a game like Sale of the Century when there are mobile games around based on more modern game shows like Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? and Deal or No Deal”
And that’s a rather fitting summary of this package as a whole. None of the games stand up particularly well to the modern big guns, but as a value package for the nostalgically minded it just about passes muster.
Top TV 3 in 1
A decent value package, but none of the games stacks up particularly well next to the modern quiz giants. If you hanker for simpler, cheesier quiz times, though, there is fun to be had here
Jon Mundy
Jon is a consummate expert in adventure, action, and sports games. Which is just as well, as in real life he's timid, lazy, and unfit. It's amazing how these things even themselves out.