You Don't Know Jack

One of our favorite PC/Mac games of all time is finally coming to a home console. The hugely successful and wildly addictive trivia game show You Don't Know Jack will be out for the PlayStation this fall. The good news is, the PlayStation YDKJ rocks. The better news is, now you'll be able to experience this fantastic party game from the comfort of your living room (instead of crowding around a little computer keyboard like the PC/Mac versions require you to do).

If you're not familiar with this "Irreverent Quiz Show Party Game" (as described by its creators), it's a one- to three-person trivia contest, set up in a game show environment. But this isn't your average Alex Trebek-hosted dealie. This game is truly wild, and it's hosted by a very funny, smart-mouthed and sarcastic S.O.B. He'll tease you. He'll mock you. He'll occasionally force you to answer a question, even when you didn't buzz in. Most of all, he'll make you laugh your head off. What other legitimate game show host would gauge your performance by saying, "Let's see how you did. Well...the word 'average' comes to mind."

The voice work in YDKJ is amazing, and everything streams off the CD nicely (the early beta we received had no noticeable load times at all). Even more impressive is how live and spontaneous everything is. If you guess the wrong answer, the host may point out why you were stupid in picking out that specific response. If you decide to skip the instructions, the host will comment on how impatient you are. If you take too long to enter your name on the high score list, you might hear, "Pick up the pace or else I'm going to do it for you.1' If you still take too long, you might hear, "Congratulations. You are now known as 'Kumquat.'" And sure enough, "Kumquat" will be on the high score list.

This PlayStation version will have 1400 questions (800 from the PC/Mac versions and 600 new ones). It will also have special question types like jack Attack (words will flash on the screen and you have to buzz in when you see a match, like "elephant" with "Babar"), DisOrDat (you have to choose whether the word you see belongs to one category or the other, like whether "Burundi" is a Star Wars character or someone belonging to the African Nation) or ThreeWay (you have to pick one of three items that matches the clue up top, like deciding who among Moore, Connery or Brosnan starred in The Man With The Golden Gun).

If you get one irreverent quiz show party game this year, make sure it's You Don't Know Jack. Trust us. It's a blast.

Oh and by the way, the answer to that question up at the top is joe Rvbicki, deputy editor (don't ask us what that means) of Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine. You can find a demo of YDKJ in one of his upcoming issues.

The irreverent quiz show finally debuts on the PlayStation. Considered a classic on the PC, You Don't Know Jack is a game full of pop culture and trivia from around the world. What makes YDKJ legendary, however, isn't the questions, but its sarcastic commentary and whimsical humor, both of which flow through the entire game. Up to three players can match wits, answering 1400 questions over two discs. Testing your brain power and not knowing jack may prove to be the most intellectual occupation this September.

The best party game for the PC is finally making the leap to the PlayStation. An irreverent quiz show, You Don't Know Jack tests your knowledge of pop culture and haute culture with hilarious results. The smack-talking host poses gut-bustingly funny questions, such as stumpers about sexual reproduction that involve Pearl Jam song titles. Picture a wittier, nipper, and sharper-tongued version of cable TV's Win Ben Stein's Money, and you'll get'the idea. Barring any mishaps as the PC port transitions to the console, this game's addictive, fast-paced action should make Jack a PlayStation star.