Post by stevearino on Oct 17, 2022 21:06:39 GMT -5
Hello Everyone,
I'd like to share with my fellow Game Show fans something VERY interesting I've found via various different websites: a slew of Unreleased Gametek Game Show Games for the Nintendo Entertainment System, aka the NES.
If you think the Gametek GS Games for NES that WERE released were any good, e.g. "Wheel of Fortune," "Jeopardy!," "Double Dare," and "Classic Concentration" were good (which they were), think about what COULD have been if Unreleased Games for NES by Gametek and Hi-Tech Expressions HAD been released.
Among other titles that Gametek made for NES, but NEVER unfortunately released, included, but not limited to, the following:
1. Card Sharks -- Like its original TV counterpart, which had 2 separate 3-year stints on Network TV (NBC from 1978-1981 and CBS from 1986-1989 hosted respectively by Jim Perry & Bob Eubanks, as well as a 1986-1987 Nighttime Syndicated show hosted by Bill Rafferty), "Card Sharks" would have had 2 Players (either 1 against a Computer Player or 2 Players playing the Game) play the game "Card Sharks," where they answered a series of questions e.g. "Before you and your wife got married, was your wife STILL a Virgin? How many out of 100 Married men said YES, Their Wives were Virgins?" After correctly guessing if it was a Higher or Lower number, the Player (or Computer Player) would have had to, again like its TV counterpart, correctly change cards, either Higher or Lower than an Ace, Higher or Lower than a 9, etc., and whoever won 2 out of 3 games was the Champion and played Money Cards, where the Winning Player could win up to an additional near $13,000 in Cash and Prizes as well as an additional $32,000 AND a BRAND NEW CAR!!!
2. Password -- The Password is Gametek. The Password is Fun. The Password is Nintendo. The Password is Entertainment. The Password is Unreleased. In 1987, after Gametek released "Jeopardy!" and "Wheel of Fortune" for its Nintendo Entertainment System, Gametek announced a "Password" Nintendo NES Video Game Adaptation, which ironically featured on its Cover a stillshot of the '80s "Pyramid" Game Show, which like "Password" was Created by the same man: Bob Stewart.
3. Super Password -- Shortly after plans fell through for the regular "Password" NES Video Game, Gametek, in 1988, announced plans to replace regular "Password" with "Super Password." Though a prototype for "Super Password" indeed DOES exist, it unfortunately as of this writing has NEVER been Dumped; hopefully, when/if it happens in MY lifetime, I'll let you know.
4. The Price Is Right -- COME ON DOWN!!! You're the Next Contestant on Gametek's Nintendo Entertainment System Video Game of "The Price Is Right." Up to TEN players can get a chance to play lovely Pricing Games, with only SIX spinning the Wheel and ultimately TWO going to a Showcase Showdown, where the WINNER will receive LOVELY Cash and Prizes of up to $20,000--just like its TV counterpart. Though Gametek's NES version of "The Price is Right" fell through, a LOVELY parting Gift was given when Gametek eventually released in 1990 a "Price is Right" game for Commodore 64 and Apple/IBM Computers.
5. Fun House -- Not to be confused with the eventual Nintendo NES Video Game of the same name, Hi-Tech Expressions' Unreleased NES version of "Fun House" would have been MORE faithful to its TV Game Show counterpart than the game that was eventually released in September 1990, soon after the FOX Television Network (which had previously aired the show on its weekday afternoon schedule for 2 years with Independent Stations without a FOX Network airing it in Syndication) moved it permanently to Saturday mornings as part of its FOX Kids Network lineup.
6. Press Your Luck -- Despite its 1988 release for Commodore 64 and Apple/IBM Computers, Gametek, unfortunately for me, NEVER even considered a video game adaptation of "Press Your Luck" for the Nintendo Entertainment System--unlike the other 5 Games listed above, hence why yours truly, Steve Arino, needs YOUR help in making an official NES Video Game version of "Press Your Luck," which like other Gametek & Hi-Tech NES Video Games, released AND unreleased both, shall be faithful to its TV Counterpart. For those of you who are talented as Drawing Artists, I want YOU to help me design what YOU think a Nintendo NES Video Game version of "Press Your Luck" would look like. A YouTuber named Jason (aka CECOfficial Is Back) made a mock-up of HIS interpretation of what an NES "Press Your Luck" game would look like, and I must admit, he did very well at it, and I wish with a passion he'd make an official NES Rom out of the game and post it as a .NES file.
As proof positive of each game's existence (excluding "Press Your Luck"), I've included a Cover Art of what the Nintendo NES Video Game versions of each of the above shows WOULD have looked like had they been released, sourced respectively from the Lost Box Art Preservation Wiki, Video Game Obsession & ImgUr websites among many others.
Other NES Game Show Video Games taken into consideration (which unfortunately for me I DO NOT have a Cover Art for as of this writing) included "High Rollers" by Gametek (based on the '70s Game Show originally hosted by Alex Trebek and later revived in 1987 with Wink Martindale succeeding Alex Trebek in that role).
