Customer Reviews

You Don't Know Jack 5th Dementia

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

It seems that every time Jellyvision releases a new JACK game, there are fewer questions, and therefore less gameplay.

Jack 5 has 600 questions -- while Jack 4: The Ride had 800 questions. I recall the first Jack having 1000 questions and an expansion pack.

So why the decrease in questions? Likely to clear up disk space for additional features like online play (nearly a pointless exercise given the number of people out there who enjoy cheating), better graphics and animations, new question types, and theme episodes.

And of course, Schmitty's back as host, so the game can't be all bad.

But still -- the previous edition of Jack had 33% more questions and came on 2 CDs for the same price. What gives, Sierra? Yes, I'll keep buying Jack games even if there are only a couple of hundred questions in each box -- and maybe that's the problem.

I, like many trivia fans, enjoy the irreverent humour and off-colour questions in the Jack games -- and make no mistake, there's a good chance you will be offended by this game at some point -- and even with the perception of lower value, I'll still buy these games.

However, if you are new to the Jack series, I would recommend JACK XXXL -- 2400 questions for the same price. And any game you haven't played before is a new game, right?

The game its self is fun but th overall quality of the game is not much to be proud of. The questions are whimsical and whitty and the graphics are decent. The one major problem I had with this game was the fact that the things that the host said were so long that you just wanted to strangle him. Also, since there is not a very large volume of questions within the game's library, the game cannot be played very much. You will begin to get repeats with in the first 3 times one plays the game. The original version of You Don't Know Jack is a much better version of this game. The reasons why are because one has the option to play a 7 or 21 question game which is much better than the 15 or so question game of this newer version.
Graphics: 80.1% (B-)
Entertainment Value: 76.7% (C)
Overall: 77.0 % (C)

I got this game a few days ago and still have not been able to play it. I've been to the YDKJ web page and have read several posts there from people who are having the same problems I'm having. I've contacted Sierra and have yet to hear back from them.

How could is this game???? I wish I could tell you one way or another!!!!

:o(

YDKJ the 5th Dementia is doing it's best to take the JACK trivia games into brand new territory. On one level it succeeds and on a few others it doesn't. First off the greeter has changed to an annoying and sometimes befuddled schmoe with an annoying echo in his voice. Sandy from Louder! Faster! Funnier! was perfect, cool and got down to the point.

Next you are able to skip through some of the formalities at the begining but then you can't customize your character's personality which I believe has something to do with playing over the net. (That or it is a spacewasting novilty) Schmitty is also back as the host. I'll give him his credit that he does a good job, but Cookie and Nate (past hosts) shoot out jokes and beratement at rapid fire, no sweat, and don't drag out they're punchlines. Time to bring them back. At least the game does provide a few more barbs to fling at us which is good.

That aforementioned personality for your characters comes at two BIG prices. RAM and space. Unless your computer is a RAM or maybe a mhz monster, the game does have a bit of slow down but not enough to make the game unplayable. The game also has reached another new low, question size. At 600 it is the lowest amount ever for a Jack game! Others have on average 800 and 1000 questions.

On the bright side, they have brought back the variable money prizes from THE RIDE. no longer just fixed like they have been for a while, each player rings in to set a certain dollar value, which is combined to make the total prize. $2500 to $10000 or higher dollar amounts are capable. The game does bring two new and surprisingly good question types. Bug Out has players ringing in on items that don't belong to a listed subject. Right or wrong answers determine how much you steal from your opponants or how much they can rob you. Anagram is a varient on the infamous Gibberish question. Unscramble the phrase to have it spell a similar saying. Sooner your're right the more you make.

To sum up this review, 5th Dementia brings in some good and some bad. I can't blame the creaters for trying to rework the formula, but they need to scrape off some fat, put more questions back in and rework a few ideas. 5th Dementia is indeed a different Jack but it's just not King Jack.

YDKJ Dementia is the best game of all time. Unlike YDKJ mock 2 on playstation, YDKJ has the same Mock 2 questions, but the different things may apply. The Bug Out questions made me better, the gibberish questions made me smarter, and the Anagram question made me blow up. Before each question, any value between $250 and $10,000 is the value of the question, and Schmitty, he's funnier than Cookie. YDKJ Rocks!

Sierra offers little if any help on fixing the compatibility issue for YDKJ5 and Windows XP.

If you want a good laugh, compare their solution to the one Microsoft provides. You don't need a keen eye to notice that one of the tech support people cut and paste from their website, of course leaving out the key phrase "This behavior is by design." Beware XP users!

This edition of "You Don't Know JAck" is very different from the other installments. In my opinion the 5th Dementia is no - way as much fun as the 4th volume (The Ride). The one very cool feature of this game is that it allows you to play online. Good luck though finding people, becuase its not everyday someone plays this game anymore. I suggest that this game is worth your [money] and I'm sure you'll love the hilarious humor used throughout the game.

The Ride is probably the best of the YDKJ series. I have played everyone of the games since they came out years ago. And hands down the Ride is the most hillarious one yet. I would like to see more questions on the others and more knee slappin' comedy. I can't wait for another YDKJ to come out that is as funny as the Ride, with the same or simalar game play.

Sierra offers little if any help on fixing the compatibility issue for YDKJ5 and Windows XP. In fact their solution has nothing to do with the issue. htt.....

If you want a good laugh, compare their solution to the one Microsoft provides. You don't need a keen eye to notice that one of the tech support people cut and paste from their website, of course leaving out the key phrase "This behavior is by design." Beware XP users!

The first-worst is of course Volume 2 because of Buzz, but the host is not the cause of the horribleness of this game (schmitty's cool). The problem is, it's too slow. What's up with that, on the ride, it seemed to go through 13 questions BOOM-BOOM-BOOM. But however many questions it has, it goes through them BOOM------BOOM------BOOM, and that isn't normal Jack. It's Redeaming quality is the internet play. They did such a great job on that. If they can keep that being good while still having a fast-paced trivia game, it would be better.