"According to Chris Tarrant, I’m now a millionaire. *Wind blows* Nobody will know..."

Who doesn't want to be a millionaire? Why, you could buy every video game system in existence and enough games to last you a millennium and still have enough to spare for daily lunches at Subway. Or else you could give something back to the world by donating to various charities and health foundations all vying for humanitarian support. Whatever your inclinations are, one thing is for certain: we would ALL want to be millionaires.

Well, it's not as easy as it sounds; it's tough to hit that seven digit mark, but Who Wants to be a Millionaire: 1st Edition offers you the chance to revel in ecstasy as you strive to earn a hard million pounds. Just like in the real-life game show you'll have to answer fifteen tough questions based upon British general knowledge to make it there. You have three lifelines – phone a friend, 50:50, ask the audience – to help you along the way should you come across an impossible question. It's multiple choice so there are only four answers to choose from, but when several thousand pounds are at stake, you're not going to simply hazard a guess.

But this is a video game, remember? Whatever you earn, you do not keep.

So what's the point then? Well, the format of the game show is just perfect, and being able to play it for yourself – anytime, anywhere - is great. Testing your general knowledge is always fun and the pulse-pounding nature of the show makes things both intense and interesting. Chris Tarrant is a great host and it's always a kick to hear him over-dramatise if you got a question right or wrong. There have been several PC versions of the game show, but few portable incarnations; none of them did any justice to Mr. Tarrant himself. However, this DS edition features full voice and video clips, literally bringing the flamboyant host's mannerisms into the palms of your hands. He doesn't read out every question (let's be realistic eh?), but he introduces them and rounds off all your answers with his usual charismatic charm. For those who aren't as enthusiastic about having this witty, yet poignant gentleman chatter away, you can't turn off his interjections or fancy visual cut-ins, but there's always manual volume control.

The dual screens have been put some good use. You simply tap your answer on the bottom screen as soon as you're ready. You choice will be tenuously highlighted for a brief moment and if you look to the top screen which shows your current earnings, you'll also see a video box slide in as Chris gives you a solemn face before exclaiming that you've either won another couple of thousand or totally botched it up. The presentation is top-notch.

Too bad the developers didn't see fit to extend the game past what the source material provides. Whatever your final earnings are, it doesn't really matter. It's one thing not receiving legal tender, but the lack of high score records – or tracking how often you hit the million dollar mark – is inexcusable. There's a 2 player mode here, too, playable with just one card. But it was too good to be true; all you do is simply take turns at answering and the winner is the one who ends up with more dough (again, this isn't recorded). This sort of game lends itself extremely well to online play. It's my bitter disappointment then that no effort was made to utilise Nintendo's Wi-Fi networking system. There are no leaderboards and no downloadable question packs. It wouldn't have been too much trouble to have some sort of real-time virtual contest put in place either. It would have been nice to earn medals or certificates as a reward for continued intellectual excellence. As such, there isn't much to drive you to play this, especially if you're not a fan of the show.

But this is without a doubt the best handheld version of the popular game show. It may not be as fancy as the PC versions, but it runs pretty close, with Chris Tarrant's full endorsement and energising monologues providing a remarkably authentic experience. Portability is definitely a big boon, too. The question database is loaded as usual and it is largely composed of brand new trivia, thus it's unlikely that repetition will ever be much of a problem (sans earlier, easier questions). The two player mode may be rather lukewarm and the lack of online functions is a wasted opportunity, but that doesn't detract from the sheer excellence of the game's mechanics. If you're looking for another avenue to test your British general knowledge, I'll save you the need to use a lifeline; the answer to the question – whether you should get this or not – is a definitive “yes”.

VERDICT – 6.0/10 Solid rendition of a long-running game show; perhaps they should hire me for online connectivity ideas, though?

Reviewer's Score: 6/10, Originally Posted: 11/05/07

Game Release: Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? 1st Edition (EU, 11/02/07)