Video games

Since 1986, various companies have cashed in on the success of Wheel of Fortune by releasing 'video games for a variety of consoles. Despite predating the nighttime switch to play-for-cash, no electronic adaptations used the shopping format.

Vanna White has participated in the games since 1991, and Charlie O'Donnell handled announcing duties from 1998-2010. Pat Sajak has participated very sporadically over the years.

(Note: All games are called Wheel of Fortune unless otherwise noted.)

The Great Game Company (1983)
The first attempt at a home conversion was touted for the Atari 2600 in early 1983, alongside versions of The Price Is Right, Tic-Tac-Dough, The Joker's Wild, Jeopardy!, Family Feud, and Password Plus. These plans were scrapped when the market crashed in 1983; no prototypes are known to exist, and no photos were released anywhere.

Unlike many other companies at the time, GGC managed to survive under a different name: GameTek.

Sharedata (1986, 1988)
Sharedata released two versions for the Commodore 64, the latter as New Third Edition; this name was presumably due to the game released in between (see below).

GameTek (1987-98)
Recovering from its 1983 failure, GameTek quickly became a profitable company for Wheel fans, releasing versions up until its close in 1998. From 1987-90, they released five versions for the Apple II, Commodore 64, and MS-DOS.

NES
Rare designed the first three releases for the Nintendo Entertainment System in 1987, April 1988 (Junior Edition), and 1990 (Family Edition). Puzzles and prizes on Junior and Family are appropriate, and Family is the only edition which does not use "Changing Keys".

The first three games used the same engine: three rounds are played with a single Wheel template (top value is $1,000), with Round 3 beginning in Speed-Up. All three versions use the five-and-a-vowel version of the Bonus Round.

The 1987 game has a pair of Coca-Cola logos hidden among the sprites, neither of which are used. (Merv Griffin Productions was owned by Coca-Cola at this point.)

In 1991, Wheel of Fortune starring Vanna White was released. This version, developed by IJE (also responsible for Talking Super Jeopardy!) and also released for MS-DOS, used a new set of graphics, music, and sound effects. It also marks the first time the player can choose an avatar.

Arcade
A video redemption game was released in July 1988, with a single Wheel template (values are in $100 increments, with top dollar of $900 and no Free Spin). Players are given a set number of "misses" before gameplay ends, but can receive an extra turn by hitting certain scores and solving puzzles (which also award a $10,000 bonus).

This was the first version to let the player physically spin the Wheel, by way of an encoder wheel also used to select letters and game options.

SNES
Two versions were released in 1992 and 1993 (Deluxe Edition), with the former also released on Sega Genesis. The rules are based on the W-H-E-E-L format first used in September 1989.

Deluxe Edition uses the 1992 set and a permanent Speed Round, although the full Wheel shot is replaced by a simple animation.

Nintendo 64
GameTek's final console version was released on December 2, 1997. It was the first to use the $10,000 wedge, Jackpot round, and touch-screen puzzle board while also being the last to use the multi-template Wheel.

This version has some oddities: the Surprise wedge is not used (despite being seen in the instruction booklet), Free Spin is only present in Round 3, and the only Bonus Round prize is $25,000.

Portables
The Game Boy got one version in 1990, and appears to be based on the Junior Edition board games – the Wheel has values in multiples of $100, with a top value of $1,000 in the first two rounds (Round 3, the Speed-Up, has $5,000). The Bonus Round, still using the five-and-a-vowel rule, is played for $25,000, a boat, a cruise, a trip, or a car.

1992 saw the debut of a unique version for the Game Gear, with a futuristic appearance. This Wheel has only 15 wedges and 12 values, with top values of $900/$2,500/$5,000.

Two versions were released for Game.com in 1997 and 1998; the latter was called Wheel of Fortune 2, and was the last release by GameTek.

Mattel (1988-89, 1994)
Mattel released three electronic handheld games allowing players to play along with puzzles from an included videotape and program their own puzzles.

The second edition (November 1989) is unique in that it was hosted by Vanna and Bob Goen. The third edition (December 1994) had Pat and Vanna.

Lazer-Tron (1992)
A unique ticket-redemption game called Spin to Win was not licensed, but was still clearly influenced: the player rolls three balls, one at a time, down into one of seven slots which determine the Wheel's movement (normally Bankrupt, 1 Slot Right, 3 Slots Left, No Spin, 3 Slots Right, 1 Slot Left, and Full Spin).

The 15-wedge Wheel has values ranging from 1-15 (sometimes 20) tickets along with two Bankrupts, Lose A Ball, Double Ticket Bank, and Bonus Jackpot. The jackpot is awarded by landing on Bonus Jackpot for the third turn, then landing on it again at the end of the following free game.

Sony Imagesoft (1994)
Sony Imagesoft released a version for the Sega CD in April 1994, with a PC version following in June. The Sega CD version used full-motion video and high-quality audio of the 1989 music package (hence the clean copies that exist today) with the 1992 intro and set.

The Sega CD version is the first to use Prize wedges: a trip is added in Round 2, followed by jewelry in Round 4; the Surprise wedge is present throughout.

Tiger Electronics (1995, 1998-99, 2004)
Tiger released two electronic handheld games, the second (1999) being a Deluxe Edition, along with several expansion cartridges. The games use a three-round format.

In 1998, a handheld game was released based on the Wheel slot machines. This version had a Super Jackpot which began at $5,000 and increased by $1-$3 depending on the player's bet; the player won the jackpot by either landing on the Super Jackpot wedge or getting three Wheel symbols on the payline with a $3 bet.

Tiger intended to release "Wheel of Fortune Live Play in 2004, developed by VEIL Wireless Technologies, which would have let home viewers play along with the TV show. While never released because of technical issues, a single unit (possibly a prototype) was sold on eBay in December 2006.

Hasbro Interactive/Atari (1998, 2000, 2002-03)
Hasbro Interactive began with two versions for the Sony Playstation on June 5, 1998 and November 20, 2000. The second version includes a behind-the-scenes look at the show and a sample contestant exam.

Atari released three PC editions with Vanna and Charlie in 1998, 2000, and November 2002. These versions were developed by Artech Entertainment, Ltd.

Another version was released for the Playstation 2 on March 8, 2003, also with a sample contestant exam.

Sony Online Entertainment (2007-08, 2010)
In 2007, Sony Online Entertainment released a PC version called Wheel of Fortune 2 (an update of their 2003 online game), followed by a revised Platinum Edition in 2010.

Sony Online also released a version for the Playstation 3 on November 5, 2008; while being the first game to have the Million-Dollar Wedge and follows the Season 26 rules, it has two major detriments: not only does it lack the Gift Tags, Prize wedges, and Prize Puzzles, a bug renders the Wild Card unusable unless the player buys a vowel that is in the puzzle.

Stern Pinball (2007)
A pinball game designed by Kevin O'Connor and Margaret Hudson was released in late 2007, featuring Pat and Charlie.

THQ (2010-)
THQ is the current holder of video game rights, releasing a version for the Nintendo Wii and DS on November 2, 2010. It is not only the first version to use the Gift Tags, Prize Puzzles, and Free Play, but it marks Pat's console debut. It is also notable for being the last game with Charlie, who died the day before.