Jack’s Back: You Don’t Know Jack Review

The old adage, ‘absence makes the heart grow fonder’ is a perfect way to describe the interval without the You Don’t Know Jack series. Since the franchise took an extended hiatus following 2003’s Volume 6: The Lost Gold, players have endured a collection of decidedly repressed trivia titles. Although games like Scene It, Jeopardy, Smarty Pants, and the Buzz series have tested the intellectual prowess of participants, each title’s presentation has seemed woefully humdrum in Jack’s wake.

Forgoing a subtitle, recent multiplatform release, You Don’t Know Jack effortlessly recaptures the puckish charm of the lapsed franchise. Much of the title’s success can be attributed to the game’s consistently giggle-inducing writing, which demands both academic knowledge as well as a familiarity with pop culture. From ranking bumper pool, Skee-Ball and Quidditch by the number of balls used to identifying the link between Claude Monet and Frank Caliendo, Jack requires players to connect two often, widely disparate fields. Being able to make the link is consistently satisfying, elevating Jack above its peers. The title’s other triumph is returning host Cookie Masterson, who delivers a blend of sarcasm, innuendo, and irrelevance recalling Talk Soup‘s best moments.

For Jack veterans a number of skillful changes have been made. Whereas the previous games have only supported three participants, this new iteration allows a quartet to compete. Gone is the constraint requiring gamers to buzz in before answering each question. Now, each round supports simultaneous play- with a point reward calculated on how fast a correct answer is given. At the beginning of each match a ‘Wrong Answer of the Day’ clue is given; players who carefully scour each selection of choices (instead of instinctively trying to beat their rivals to the right answer) receive a reward capable of altering the game’s standings. Returning variants like “Dis or Dat” and “Jack Attack” require contestants to categorize or match pairs, providing a rapid-fire change of pace from the standard Q&A. Of course, the ability to force another player to answer the question via the “Screw Your Opponent” function is back as well, creating a lively catalyst for heated competition.

Although most trivia games randomly select their brainteasers from a general pool of queries, You Don’t Know Jack employs episodes to avoid recurrent questions. With 73 episodes on the 360, PS3, and Wii (DS owners receive 37) console owners receive nearly twenty hours of gaming for the game’s reasonable $30 price tag. While developer Jellyvision assures buyers that four additional, ten-episode packs will be available for DLC, it would be gratifying to see even more additional updates. While a trivia game can be a lackluster experience for a solitary gamer, the ability to play online in a definite bonus. While Jack‘s internet community has its share of quitters and question memorizers, I found a majority of the game’s current constituency to be well-behaved.

Visually, the title’s animated intros which proceed each question are lively- with animated text and distinctive musical  refrains. Regrettably, these sequences tend to lose their appeal with repetition- a bit more variety would have been welcome. Yet, the game’s largest blemish is found within the title’s balancing. With each Jack Attack question adding or subtracting 4,000 points, the final segment persistently determines the outcome of each match, making the early rounds of each game a mere warm-up.

Despite a disproportional final round, You Don’t Know Jack‘s writing and delivery raises the game above other trivia titles. With the exception of slightly lewder innuendo, all the elements which made the game a success during the late 90’s have been recreated, ensuring approval from series fans. Those who haven’t had the opportunity to know Jack, are highly encouraged to do so; the game is a near-idyllic diversion for the next time a group of friends visit.

About Robert Allen

Since being a toddler, Robert Allen has been immersed in video games, anime, and tokusatsu. Currently, his days are spent teaching at two southern California colleges. But his evenings and weekends are filled with STGs, RPGs, and action titles and well at writing for Tech-Gaming since 2007.

35 comments

  1. Thanks for the review Deagle. I didn’t know this was selling for $30.

  2. Better than Buzz? I might have to give this one a try.

  3. trivia games are perfect rental and dumb purchases.

  4. You know there’s also a PC version, but it has a 2 player limit, which sucks. Stick with consoles.

  5. How recent are the questions? When I play Trivia Pursuit, the questions always seem ancient.

  6. So is Jack the bald guy?

    I guess I really don’t know Jack, then.

  7. If you can play this with the Scene it, controllers, it’s on.

  8. Bruderbund Fur Alles

    FYI: The PC version sells for $20, tho.

  9. I looked around this week for it, but I found find it in any store. Jack is missing.

  10. Rocks on the Scotch

    It’s on Steam. I got it and it’s a blast.

  11. My Gamestop had plenty. I’m glad they dropped the price from $40. $30 is a good deal for this.

  12. I’m not really a fan of multiple choice games. They make playing too easy- 25% of the time you can just guess.

  13. I remember playing YDKJ online (and for free). Good times.

  14. Did it turn out to be Kinect compatible, or was Joystiq just making up news?

    http://www.joystiq.com/2010/10/25/gamestop-lists-you-dont-know-jack-as-a-kinect-compatible-title/

  15. Rocks on the Scotch

    Some stuff is no more than a few months old. VERY Recent.

    On the other hand, I don’t think this game will age well. Still it will be a great time capsule for 2011.

  16. I don’t want to know Jack.

  17. $30 for 20 hours? That’s a pretty decent value for people who won’t play it all in a week.

  18. Sounds like something with girlfriend would like.

  19. I thought for sure there would be some Jack Off joke there. Your maturity disappoints.

  20. Bald Jack, then Karnov with a top knot. Someone like guys without follicles. Deagle?

  21. So this dropped in price $10 already, or did they discount the game before launch?

  22. Just ordered from Amazon. I can’t wait to play it. Anyone want to share their gamertags?

  23. Your math might be wrong- i.e. twenty hours of play.

    Most sites are saying a game take about 10-15 minutes to play. So there’s maybe 15 hours on content tops 🙂

  24. This is on the short list of Feb purchases.

  25. Good review. You told me exactly what I was looking for.

  26. Seems like a great Valentibes gift to me.

  27. Cookie was always the best announcer. I’m glad they brought him back.

  28. Deagle, were you briefs or boxers?

  29. Good review, guys.

  30. 73 episodes sounds cool. That should last me a few weeks.

  31. Just bought the PC version and say it was limited to two players. Why in the hell did they do this?

  32. Do you REALLY care?

    PS the answer is panties.

  33. Just got it today. So far so good, but yeah do the question intros EVER change?

  34. I like this game, but I only do well when I’m playing local, not online.

  35. I thought I’d run threw the game faster that I would be. 73 episodes is a lot of content.