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 1988, and Charlie O'Donnell handled announcing duties from 1998-2010 (it is presumed that Jim Thornton will handle these duties in subsequent releases). Pat Sajak has participated very sporadically over the years, and it is known that Bob Goen participated at least once.

For the board game adaptations released since 1975, see Board games.

(Note that 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 Family Feud, Jeopardy! The Joker's Wild, Password Plus, The Price Is Right, and Tic-Tac-Dough. These plans were scrapped following what has been called "The Great Video Game Crash of 1983", with no pictures released and no prototypes known to exist.

Sharedata (1986-88)
Sharedata released three versions each for the Commodore 64, Apple II, and MS-DOS. The last two versions were known as the Second and Third Editions, specifically, and all three versions use the five consonants and one vowel format in the Bonus Round. The First Edition has two different artworks: The puzzleboard 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 the puzzleboard form as seen on the previous artwork (which would be duplicated on all remaining merchandise bearing the show's name).

GameTek (1987-98)
GameTek, the new name of The Great Game Company, released game show titles (mostly Wheel and Jeopardy!) until it closed its doors for good in 1998.

PC
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
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. While the first (1988) and third (December 1994) editions used Pat and Vanna, the Second Edition (November 1989) had Vanna and Goen.

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.

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 the logo was spelled out all in one row across the "rug" template.

Tiger Electronics (1995, 1998-2000, 2004)
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. 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 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 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 1999 game used the 1998 template, but also had 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.

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. 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.

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 (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, 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.

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.

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.