Hollywood Squares (video game)

Hollywood Squares is a quiz video game adaptation of the television game show of the same name. It was released for the Nintendo Entertainment System, MS-DOS, Commodore 64, and Apple II, and is based on the 1986–1989 version hosted by John Davidson. The photo of the set used in the game comes from the 1985 series pilot; the actual show lacked gold stars on the studio floor and had more elaborate risers for the cars.

In gameplay, players agree or disagree with fictional celebrities to claim squares and form tic-tac-toe. As on the TV series, winning either of the first two games awards $500, the third game awards $1,000, and the second game is always the "Secret Square" round. The winner proceeds to a bonus round where they choose one of five keys to try to start a single car.

Reviews were mixed. David and Robin Minnick, writing for Compute!'s Gazette, said fans of TV game shows would enjoy the Commodore 64 versions, and even non-fans might get a kick out of them. Jeff Hurlburt of RUN Magazine noted that while players might not abandon their Trivial Pursuit cards, the game offers good value and fun. Leslie Mizell, in the Game Player's Encyclopedia of Nintendo Games, argued that the game lacks the depth needed to stay enjoyable after repeated play.

A later release arrived in 2010 from Ludia, based on the 2002–2004 era of the show. It features the voice of host Tom Bergeron and video clips of celebrities Brad Garrett, Kathy Griffin, Jeffrey Tambor, and Martin Mull. The game launched for PC and Wii, then for iOS devices, with a PlayStation Network port in 2011. All versions include multiplayer options except the PC version. As in the 2003–2004 season, each of the three games is worth $1,000, and the second game is always the "Secret Square" round for a bonus $1,000. The winner of the best two out of three games enters a bonus round where Tom asks each celebrity a question; the player must correctly agree or disagree with the answer to remove one of nine wrong keys (the actual TV bonus round had the contestant choose a celebrity by correctly agreeing or disagreeing with statements about that celebrity). The player then picks a key to open a chest, winning $20,000 plus a new wardrobe item for their avatar.