4.5

1 vs. 100

The Nintendo DS is the perfect format for quiz show games and 1 vs. 100 is the latest game to hit this portable console from developers ECI. Based on the popular game show of the same name which has spawned international editions from the UK, US and Australia.

Although the game show in Australia seems to have gone the way of the dodo and Eddie McGuire is nowhere in sight, those who enjoyed the series can now play the title on the DS.

Features

• An entertaining game of trivia that pits you against a group of 100!

• Eliminate all the opponents to win the jackpot of $1 million

• Over 1,000 general knowledge questions including hundreds of Australian and New Zealand questions

• Features the TV soundtrack and sound effects

• Three helps available – Trust the Mob, Second Chance and Poll the Mob
  Statistics show you how well you are performing and how much you’ve won

• An exciting and challenging game for players of all ages

• Official questions from the Australian TV show shown on 9
  Watched by 2.4 million viewers

For those unaware of the series, it basically involves one person (the player) again a mob of 100 players with the goal of the game to beat the mob. The player and the mob are given multiple choice questions to answer and as you proceed, the questions become more and more difficult as members of the mob eventually get eliminated.

If a member of the mob chooses an incorrect answer, they are eliminated from the mob and if you can outlast the mob, you will win $1,000,000. If the mob beats the player, they will receive a share of their current earnings. As you proceed, the amount of money that you are playing for gradually increases until it eventually reaches the $1,000,000 mark.

The game itself is quite reminiscent of the TV series with the authentic music and even some voice acting from the show itself with almost a frame by frame introduction from the original series. The problem with the game is that it lacks the excitement of the original TV series and the "fun" aspect seems to be missing. Initially the game is entertaining, however as you play, it does start to become a little stagnant which may also be why this series is no longer on TV.

The game also lacks the incentive of either taking the money or continue playing, however as you are only playing for binary money, most gamers will probably go for all or nothing. Even though some of the questions are quite diverse and at times difficult, 1 vs. 100 unfortunately becomes a standard trivia game with no real crux.

The game features a multiplayer option that lets the gamer play against another player, with one player being the "one" and the other the "mob". Although generally more entertaining than the solo game, this will also just become another standard trivia game. It's a shame that developers ECI didn't instigate the "shared" system which would allow other gamers the ability to play off their friends DS unit.

Graphically, the title is reminiscent of the TV series and does well at replicating the atmosphere, sound effects and even the professional voice acting, however the gameplay unfortunately doesn't clash too well.

If you are a trivia fan, than 1 vs. 100 is an interesting game with quite a few diverse questions that range from a variety of genres, however when compared to Buzz on the PSP, the title is lacking that polished finish. Even though there are a few mini-games in the title, these seem a little too forced and contrived and what's even more frustrating is that one wrong answer sees you at the bottom of the quiz game pit again.