#218 – Family Feud

Stupidity abounds.

PLAYERS: 1-2 simultaneous

PUBLISHER: Gametek

DEVELOPER: Beam Software

GENRE: Game show

RELEASE DATE: May 1991

The people in Family Feud look like they got Joseph-and-his-Technicolor-Dreamcoat paint thrust onto them before being shoved out onto the stage of the game show. The set of the show itself look like it came straight out of the 70s with its overwhelming Sunkist hue. I gotta be honest, looking at these awkward people and the overall vomit-worthy color scheme made me believe I was in for some nightmares. But I’ll be darned, after playing the game for awhile… I kinda like Family Feud. It was a game show I always enjoyed watching on television, if only to see how random and ridiculous some of the answers were. Surprisingly, the show translates well into a simple NES game.

The abridged (kind of) version of how to play: Two families go against each other in two rounds of answering question madness. An example question that may have between four and eight different answers: “Name a type of slipper.” Whichever family buzzes with the right answer first, will then see if they can’t fill in the rest of the answers. Three incorrect answers and the opposing family will see if they can answer it. After the initial two rounds, you have a bonus round where you have to answer some random questions. Beat the game (not hard to do at first) and it will inform you that you have to keep playing until you win $20,000 (each round, if you do really well, will only net you about $1000 at the most). As the game is fun, this shouldn’t be hard to do, though it will take awhile. You can’t save your progress throughout the game, so you’re in it for the long haul if you want twenty Gs. Unfortunately, if you play often enough, the questions will repeat. Also, “winning” is worthless. You end up feeling like you earned the money, but it’s all virtual. Never will you know what it’s like to make it rain on your host, Steve Harvey, or whoever. Still, it’s fun to believe you could.

B-