Video games

Since 1986, various companies have cashed in on the success of Wheel of Fortune by releasing video games for a variety of formats. Surprisingly, none of these adaptations have ever used the shopping format and are all based on the nighttime syndicated version of the show.

Vanna White has participated in the games since 1991, and Charlie O'Donnell handled announcing duties from 1998-2010 (it is presumed that Jim Thornton will fill this role in subsequent releases). Pat Sajak has participated very sporadically over the years.

For the board game adaptations released since 1975, see Board games. (Note that all games are called Wheel of Fortune and use the two-row logo, unless otherwise noted.)

Sharedata (1986-88)
The first video game versions was released in 1986 on the Commodore 64, Apple II, and MS-DOS; Second Edition (1987) and Third Edition (1988) were released on the same platforms, and all three use the five consonants and one vowel format in the Bonus Round. The available Bonus Round prizes are a luxury bedroom set, an American sports car, a 17-foot fishing boat and a dream vacation.

The First Edition has two different covers: the puzzleboard with title and Wheel with Round 1 template but not hooked up to its flippers, and the Wheel hooked up to its flippers and the title shown in puzzleboard form as seen on the previous artwork (since used on all subsequent Wheel merchandise). The Second and Third Editions each have a zoomed-up shot of the puzzleboard with title.

GameTek (1987-97)
GameTek released a great many game show titles (mostly Wheel and Jeopardy!) until closing its doors for good in July 1998. Unless otherwise noted, all games have artwork of the puzzleboard with WHEEL OF FORTUNE on it (as seen at the start of the Big Month/Bonanza of Cash) plus half of the Round 4 Wheel template.

PC (1987, 1989, 1994, 1996)
The company released Junior Edition (1987), Golden Edition (1989), Deluxe Edition starring Vanna White (1994), and Deluxe Edition for Windows '95 (1996). In 1990, the Sharedata games were reissued as a box set.

NES (1987-88, 1990-91)
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 Featuring Vanna White was released. This version, developed by IJE (also responsible for Talking Super Jeopardy!), used a new set of graphics, music, and sound effects. It also marks the first time the player can choose an avatar. Another version was released for the PC.

Arcade (1988)
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). There is also no Bonus Round.

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.

The side artwork shows the entire Round 4 template and puzzleboard with title.

Game Boy (1990)
The Game Boy got a single version apparently 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.

SNES (1992-93)
Two versions were released in 1992 and 1993 (Deluxe Edition) for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System, based on the W-H-E-E-L format first used in September 1989. Deluxe Edition uses the 1992 set and a permanent Speed-Up as a Round 5, although the full Wheel shot is replaced by a simple animation.

Sega Genesis (1992)
The Genesis version was a simultaneous release with the SNES one. They are exactly the same.

Game Gear (1992)
A unique version for Sega's portable system, with a futuristic atmosphere; while the full set is never seen, a fan took the various elements and made this approximation. This version's Wheel has just 15 spaces and 12 unique values, with top values of $900/$2,500/$5,000.

Nintendo 64 (1997)
By 1997, GameTek was rapidly losing money and had no choice but to file for bankruptcy; their final Wheel game was released on December 2 of that year. It was the first version to use the $10,000 wedge, Jackpot round, and touch-screen puzzle board; it was also 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.

The intro is styled like the ones used in Seasons 12-14, and the graphic used is the Round 1 template with a gold $10,000 wedge replacing the sparkly-green $1,000. The box art uses the then-new puzzleboard with title, Vanna, and the barely-seen Wheel with 1996 Round 1 template in the background. The box's back and sides use the 1994-97 version of the two-word logo (i.e. the "O" in "of" looking normal instead of the traditional Wheel shape), with the same artwork as the front.

Mattel (1988)
In 1988, Mattel released an electronic handheld game allowing players to play along with puzzles from an included videotape and program their own puzzles. Some owners of this device reported that it still worked when used on Season 6 reruns broadcast from GSN.

Lazer-Tron (1992)
A unique ticket-redemption game called Spin to Win which was not licensed, but 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.

The PC version uses the 1992 theme complete with the intro to Season 11 (1993-94), and in Round 2, the $2,500 wedge is colored pink instead of blue as on the show.

The artwork on both versions features Vanna in front of the blue contestant "interlocking W" backdrop. The 1994 puzzleboard is seen on the cover for the PC version. The logo is the traditional logo with colors inside the "wedges."

Funhouse (1995)
A non-video redemption game, this version involved lighting up the A, K, and O in JACKPOT by landing on a certain wedge of the 12-space Wheel. A light travels around the wheel itself, and once a coin was inserted the light would stop; the Wheel had values from 2-12 tickets, with Bankrupt awarding no tickets for that turn (previous winnings were not touched) and the "light letter" wedge awarding 50 tickets. If JACKPOT is successfully filled in, the player wins an extra 100 tickets. The photo on the front of the machine resembles that of the 1992 Tyco board game and features the logo spelled out all in one row, and the side artwork features the logo spelled out all in one row across a graphic of the "rug" template.

Tiger Electronics (1995, 1997-2000)
Tiger released three electronic handheld games, the second (1999) and third (2000) being Deluxe Edition and Junior Edition. All three games had several expansion cartridges, and use a three-round format. If there are only two players and the computer player is Player 2, Player 1 will start Round 3. However, if the computer player has the most money after Round 3, no Bonus Round is played, and the game is over. The Bonus Round on all three versions uses the W-H-E-E-L format, but the pointer chooses one of the spaces on the Wheel, and the prize is 10 times the amount the pointer is on. If the "E" is chosen, then the unit will randomly choose one of the two "E"'s.

The 1995 game used a 12-space Wheel with the following layout: $100-Bankrupt-$750-$2,500-$400-$500-Lose A Turn-$600-$5,000-$250-Free Spin-$300; with the $2,500 activated in Round 2 and the $5,000 activated in Round 3. Free Spin was available in all 3 rounds; however, once hit and the Free Spin claimed, it would be inactive until the Free Spin was used, which had to be done immediately after calling an incorrect letter, missolving the puzzle or hitting Bankrupt or Lose A Turn. If a puzzle is solved with less than $250 the player's score is upgraded to that "house minimum". The QWERTY keyboard is color-coded to differentiate the letters, with consonants in purple and vowels in blue. The artwork on the packaging includes a logo similar to that of Seasons 12 (1994-95), 13 (1995-96), and 14 (1996-97), but with Bankrupt, a purple Lose A Turn, and a green Free Spin on the Wheel graphic itself, as well as a photo of an unrevealed road show puzzleboard beneath a starfield background. The graphic for the expansion cartridges had the Lose A Turn in its traditional yellow color.

When Tiger attempted to enter the portable video game market with the Game.com, two versions of Wheel were released in 1997 and 1998; both contained 750 puzzles and were controlled by the touch screen, with the 1998 game called Wheel of Fortune 2.

Following the Game.com's failure, Tiger released an electronic handheld game 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. The Wheel would be spun when a SPIN symbol hit the payout line, offering an easy way to win the Super Jackpot or some value between $20 and $1,000.

The Deluxe Edition game (1999) had the 1998 template and some special spaces: Free Spin, active in Rounds 1 and 2, was awarded the same way as the 1995 game. Cash Bonus, active in Rounds 2 and 3, would award a bonus anywhere from $500-$3,000 in $500 increments if a correct consonant was chosen. Once hit, it would become inactive for the rest of the round. Jackpot, active in Round 3 only, would award $20,000 to the player's score if a correct consonant was called, and this was a flat-rate cash prize, regardless of how many of that consonant appeared, and regardless of how many times it was landed on during the round. The $10,000 space, the second Bankrupt (there were two), $1,000 and $2,500 were active in all three rounds. $3,500 was activated in Round 2 and $5,000 in Round 3. There were 3 different "house minimum" scores should a player solve the puzzle with less than that: Round 1's was $250, Round 2's was $500, and Round 3's was $750. The only "bonus" categories available were Fill-In-The-Blank and Where Are We?, and both play identical to the show. In addition, there was a small lever at the top that can slide to the right to "spin" the Wheel.

Differences between the 1995 and 1999 games were the keyboard had all 26 letters of the alphabet in order instead of in the QWERTY keyboard format, there was a used letter board, and the puzzle board was much bigger. The artwork on the packaging of both the game and the expansion cartridges features a colorful rendition of the 1998 Round 1 template.

Hasbro Interactive (1998-2000)
Hasbro Interactive released two versions for the Sony Playstation on June 5, 1998 and November 20, 2000 plus two PC editions in 1999 and 2000. The second version includes a behind-the-scenes look at the show and a sample contestant exam. These games were developed by Artech Entertainment, Ltd.

ICE (2000, 2005)
In 2000, ICE released a redemption game similar to their popular Cyclone. This version, using the 1997 "Changing Keys", requires the player to stop the light on a blue bulb marked "Spin Zone"; if accomplished, the 20-space Wheel above is spun.

A coin-pusher version was released in 2005, where players drop their coins onto a lighted section (the light moves back and forth along seven sections) to light up the puzzle board at the top of the machine (WHEEL OF FORTUNE). If done, the Wheel was spun for a bonus.

Infogrammes (2002)
Released Wheel of Fortune 2003 in November 2002 for PC and Playstation. As with the Hasbro versions, the games were developed by Artech Entertainment, Ltd.

Atari (2003)
Atari released a single version for the Playstation 2 on March 8, 2003, also with a sample contestant exam.

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

Sony Online Entertainment (2007-08)
In 2007, Sony Online Entertainment released a PC version called Wheel of Fortune 2 (an update of their 2003 online game), followed by Wheel of Fortune Deluxe and the feature-identical Wheel of Fortune Super Deluxe.

A version was released for the Playstation 3 on November 5, 2008; while being the first game to have the Million-Dollar Wedge and follow 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.

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

The Wii avatars of Pat and Vanna were used in various openings during Season 28, in part to tie in with the then-new game.

Facebook (2010-)
An adaptation of the game exists on Facebook. It uses a one-round plus Bonus Round structure which plays very similarly to the main game, with the Round 1 Wheel template minus any "extras". The yellow $400 is kept instead of Free Play, although a player may use one of four extras at any time: Timeout, which stops the clock for 30 seconds; Free Play, which functions identically to the wedge; Reveal Letter, which shows every instance of a particular letter, starting with those that are on the board least; and Double Bucks, which functions identically to the Double Play. The game allows up to five lost turns (not counting wrong letters from Free Play). Bonus Rounds are played for $5,000 with a 30-second time limit. Every $150,000 earned in the game increases the level and earns 75 Wheel Gold.

Returning every day earns an episode, 10 gold, and two spins of the Spin & Win, which involves spinning the Bonus Wheel to win a prize (either an episode, a bonus, or a random amount of gold). The in-game Wheel Gold may be used to buy more episodes or bonuses, which can also be purchased with Facebook Credits.

Canceled Versions
While a great many versions were released, several were not.

The Great Game Company (1983)
While the first Wheel game was released in 1986, it was not the first attempt at a home conversion. One was touted for the Atari 2600 in early 1983 alongside Family Feud, Jeopardy! The Joker's Wild, Password Plus, The Price Is Right, and Tic-Tac-Dough. All seven titles were shelved following what has been called "The Great Video Game Crash of 1983", with no pictures released and no prototypes known to exist.

In 1986, IJE (which owned The Great Game Company) licensed the Wheel game rights to Sharedata; when this resulted in success, IJE decided to publish the games themselves and became GameTek.

Philips CD-i (1995)
A version of Wheel was planned for the Compact Disc-Interactive, alongside several other games (Jeopardy!, Name That Tune, The Joker's Wild, The Joker's Wild Jr., and Lingo). All were released except for Wheel, and Lingo was exclusive to European territories.

Saturn/3DO (1996)
Adaptations were planned for the Sega Saturn and Panasonic 3DO systems, announced to be "coming soon" at the end of at least one 1996 episode. No traces of either version appear to exist.

Tiger Electronics/VEIL Wireless Technologies (2004)
In 2004, Tiger Electronics teamed with VEIL Wireless Technologies to make Wheel of Fortune Live Play, which let home viewers play along with the actual TV show (similar to the 1988 Mattel game). The game was never released due to technical issues; however, one unit (possibly a prototype) was sold on eBay in December 2006.

MGA Entertainment (2008)
Acquired the rights to make DVD games of Wheel and Jeopardy! in 2006. Jeopardy! was released in Spring 2007, with Wheel planned as a follow-up for early 2008; unfortunately, Jeopardy! ended up being a commercial failure and Wheel was shelved.

Sony Online Entertainment (2010)
A Platinum Edition was slated for release in late 2010. The box art was similar to those of SOE's previous PC releases, but with the motif of Season 27. It was available for pre-order at various online retailers, but was never actually released. No screenshots were released, so it is unknown how it would have differed from the previous PC titles.