The Price Is Right

Endless Games the Price is Right 2nd Edition DVD Gam
$19.99
I got the first edition of the TPIR DVD game which I found to be a lot of fun. I was expecting the same with this game, but I was wrong. There's fewer games, eight in total, counting Plinko, which returns. The games themselves are good. Swap Meet, Half Off, Secret X are three of the games I remember. But it's too few and there is no option to just play the games like the first version.

You must bid on a prize to win, even if you're playing alone. You really need at least two people to play. It allows for two to six games, based on how many are playing. If four are playing, you bid on four items and play four games. Drew Carey is seen, but just at the beginning and end of the game. He welcomes you and says thanks for playing the game, that's it. He doesn't introduce any of the pricing games, the big wheel or the showcases. They might as well have Todd Newton do that, he's heard doing everything else if I remember correctly. Again you must write down and keep track of your winnings, as the game doesn't do that for you.

Other than trying out the different games, I really was disappointed with this game.

The Price is Right 2010 Edition
$19.99
I'm a lifelong fan of The Price is Right, so I was very excited to get my hands on a copy of the 2010 edition of the home game. I own the previous edition, which is fun. However, its reply value was hampered by its selection of only 16 games. Another problem with the previous edition is that the same prizes reappear quite frequently, which lessens the suspense and makes the games too easy after awhile. The 2010 edition solves both of those problems, increasing the number of games to 30 and greatly expanding the number and variety of prizes. Replay value is now very good.

Most of the games transfer smoothly from the television show to the computer/gaming console. Favorites like 3 Strikes, Grocery Game, and Plinko do a good job of simulating the studio experience, with screaming crowds, bright colors, and classic Price is Right music cues. The 2010 edition offers slightly upgraded graphics, the option to create avatars, and the ability to "unlock" games after completing certain challenges. Unlocking pricing games gives you access to classic Price is Right videos, new wardrobe choices for your avatar, and allows you to play the game whenever you want without having to earn your way up on stage.

Not too many quibbles. There still could be more prizes, particularly in the showcase, where prizes still repeat too much. I'm greedy and would like even more pricing games. And, as a previous reviewer said, some of the grocery item descriptions are obviously product placement ads and become annoying after awhile.

Overall, good job. For fans of The Price is Right, it's a fun trip down memory lane and provides a chance to "come on down" to experience some of the action and excitement of the real show.

The Price is Right
$29.99
I'm typing this while watching the show!!

I watch the show almost everyday, and because of that, my wife bought me this game to play on our Wii, this past weekend. I've only played it twice so far, but on my 2nd attempt I won the showcase showdown and a Cadillac!! What I didn't like was the fact that my Cadillac was a 2006 model, not a 2009 as you would think for such a new game. As everyone else has said, the graphics are kinda weak, and they don't show the host on screen. I've only played by myself, so I'm disappointed that when I play with my wife, we will have to share a single controller. This is going to suck because our home theater seats aren't that close to each other, so we will have to throw the controller across the room to share it.

The game is over after you fail to win three game elements, each considered a strike. I don't consider failing to get the correct price on contestants row a failure, since you get multiple attempts on the real show, but on the game, you are a loser if you don't guess the price of an item. After three strikes the game is over, then you have to start again from the beginning. The object of the game is to accumulate as much cash as you can, based on the retail prices of the prizes you win. So the game just keeps repeating itself until you get three strikes, and however accumulates the most money is considered the winner. This will be a great game to pull out when friends come over, but for playing alone, I forsee me becoming bored with it after about five plays. Luckily, I also got Monopoly, so I have another great game to play.

Best of the Price is Right
$39.98
Being a game show fan. I bought this set at Best Buy soon after its release. I had read about what would be on the set, so I wasn't as disappointed as to why some of the models and decades were not included. I also know they weren't included, since I read and post regularly on a few web sites. For those not in the know, I'll share:

Very first show is not included - because the very first item up for bids (IUFB) was a FUR COAT. Bob Barker has since become an animal rights activist and wouldn't clear the show, even though BCI, the makers of this collection, agreed to add a disclaimer. I think I have to side with Bob on this - it would be nice to see the show for historical purposes, but it does make him look like a hypocrite.

Missing models and decades - Barker and his beauties have beefs with each other. He admitted to an affair he had with Dian Parkinson, who sued him for $8 million afterwards. Holly Holstrom sued him for unlawful termination when she was fired in 1995 for being overweight. She got money in a settlement that was reportedly in the millions. Janice and Kathleen were let go in 2000, mainly because they testified in Holly's lawsuit against Barker and sided with Holly. They supposedly were paid a severence package in agreement not to sue. The 80s and 90s shows featured all of the models mentioned. Apparently Barker doesn't want to models to get any more money. Janice is featured since she was on from the first show and Diane is on an hour-long show. No Holly or Kathleen in this set.

No Rod Roddy - Bob reportedly got mad at Rod when he (Rod) went to negotiate for himself and the models that their salary for the nighttime specials should be equal to if not more than the daytime show. Bob cut Rod's on-camera time from the show after that. The excuse given was they "no longer show announcers on camera." Rod is not featured at all in this collection.

Other than that, the collection shows how the present day TPIR evolved from a friendly, sometimes unpolished show to the slick and smooth show it is today, with Barker's last week included. The Bill Cullen shows are a great treat as well. Yes, there was a TPIR back in the 50s and 60s, and the Cullen shows prove it. Plus to hear Johnny O say "Come on down" once again. He's the one who made that phrase famous.