Anticipation

1988

Developer: Rare

Publisher: Nintendo

Anticipation is a game that I played a good amount during my youth.  I think it was more the desire to be an adult than the actual game that interested my cousins and I.  I mean, look at the cover.  If you play this game, you MUST be a adult.  In our defense, this is how our parents looked in the 80's...

The game is what it says: "Nintendo's first video board game." Well, not exactly.... Othello came out the year before, but who's keeping track other than me?  This "board game" is sort of like Pictionary, except your teamate's not drawing the picture; the computer is.  To start each turn, players must roll the dice.  Each colored square you land on will have a certain category of picture and everyone must try to figure out what the computer is drawing.  

Alright computer.  I'm pickin' up what you're puttin' down.

To help you guess what the picture is supposed to be, some pictures will have the category at the top and show how many letters are in the title at the bottom.  At the higher levels and the higher difficulties, though, these hints disappear.  This can become very frustrating, especially when you see the same picture drawn multiple times.  Oh, by the way, if nobody gets the answer the computer doesn't tell you the answer.  This ain't no Jeopardy.  This frustrated the hell out of me as a child.  To make matters worse, not every picture is drawn terribly well and some are straight up hieroglyphics.

Uh... Hmmm... Head? Bad haircut? I can't even tell if that's male or female...

With each level you rise to, the pictures get harder and the hints are pulled away.  To win the game, you must guess a picture correctly from the four categories from each of three levels before your opponents do.  As an adult playing this game, it's hilariously bad.  The best is when you guess a picture right and nobody in the room had any clue of what the picture was supposed to be.  So it can still be a fun party game.  It's similar fun to the game show games on the Wii.  They're shallow, but a lot of fun with some friends and some alcohol. 

That's the most penisy looking candle I've ever seen. 

Buy or Pass

Do I think this game is for everyone? Not at all. I actually think most people will not like this game.  If you have some friends to play this game with it can be really funny, but overall it's not great.  If you're into those game show games on the Wii like The Price is Right and Minute to Win It, then you'll probably enjoy this game a bit.  Otherwise, I would have to suggest you pass it.

                                    

                                                                      Controls:   3

                                                                      Graphics:  2

                                                                      Story:      NA

                                                                      Music:       2

                                                                      Fun:          3

                                                                     ___________

                                                                      Total: 10/20