• Challenge yourself or your friends to 400 all-new puzzles, complete with realistic sound effects and music.

• For 1-3 players.

• Ages 8 and up

Four AAA batteries are required. The battery doors screw on; this has the advantage of making them nearly impossible to lose, but it does mean that you'll need a small Phillips-head screwdriver to install the batteries in the first place.

The game can be played by 1 to 3 players. In the one- or two-player game, you're playing against a single computer opponent; in the three-player game, the computer does not take part.

The game contains around 400 puzzles. Theoretically, cartridges can be purchased that have several hundred additional puzzles apiece; but I haven't seen the cartridges on sale in quite a while, so don't count on this.

The keyboard is well-designed, with clearly-marked buttons for spinning, solving, buying vowels, and reminding you of the puzzle category and the player's scores.

The screen is small, but quite clear, requiring only moderate light to be playable. The screen does show the "used letter board" as well as the puzzle, but the used-letter-board area is quite small, so you may need better light (or squinting) to see it.

The lack of a volume control is a problem. The sound can be turned on and off, but when it's on, it's quite loud; this is compounded by the fact that the speaker is on the back of the unit, so it's substantially louder for the potentially-irritated bystanders than it is for the person actually playing the game. However, as with many handheld toys, this can be corrected with a little creativity--just tape index cards or other sturdy paper over the speaker grille until the sound is muffled to an acceptable level.

The game itself is well-implemented. The rules of Wheel of Fortune are all there and correct, though the game only lasts for three rounds instead of the TV show's "whatever we can fit into about fifteen minutes". The bonus round is there as well, and it plays just the way it does on the show (you're given TNRSLE for free, allowed to choose three consonants and a vowel, and given a limited amount of time to solve the puzzle). The game keeps track of the highest score you've reached.

My only complaint with the actual gameplay is the computer opponent, which has done a poor job in the seven or eight games I've played; it seems to pick letters pretty much at random (guessing letters like "J" or "W" instead of "T" or "N" or some other letter more likely to appear), and it's prone to solving puzzles when it has very little money (even solving two puzzles when it had $0--though the game does award the 'house minimum' of $500 for solving a puzzle with no money).

So if you don't mind the high sound volume and the potential lack of cartridges, and you can put up with a slightly-ditzy computer opponent (perhaps a good simulation of some of the folks who actually make it onto the show...), this is a fun little toy.

8 of 8 found the following review helpful:


Wheel of Fortune Classic  Jan 20, 2003 By Leonard C. Lubrano
The game is great. It would rate 5 stars if only I could find
the additional game cartridges for it. It seems as though it may
not be possible to expand this game any futher.

7 of 7 found the following review helpful:


Great toy, sometimes doesn't work  Dec 10, 2006
It's a good toy, but sometimes the vowels don't work. Even when you have enough money to buy a vowel and push the "buy" button, it doesn't work. It's still a fun toy and you can tote it with where ever you go. This is not a complaint, but when you push the volume button, and the sound is on, it goes to mute instead of lowering the volume. Sometimes it's just a little too loud.

3 of 3 found the following review helpful:


Way too small for my mom  Feb 06, 2007 By C. Frye
I misunderstood the dimensions listed ( 7.5 x 1.5 x 10.5 inches ) and thought it would be large enough for my mother to see and handle. It isn't. Apparently, the dimensions include the packaging. She loves Wheel Of Fortune on TV, and I thought this game would be terrific therapy for her hands. Very disappointing. I'll be returning it, unopened.

2 of 2 found the following review helpful:


Very Pleased  Aug 07, 2006 By Christy "Schindler"
The wheel of fortune game is fantastic. I had one before and it got stolden. I could'nt seem to find a replacement for it. I am glad that you had one. I am saving up now for that poker game you have. Thanks again

See all 36 customer reviews on Amazon.com