Video Game
A video game based on this reality show was developed by Ludia for the Wii. It was released on November 2, 2010 in North America.
The game features many locations previously visited on real races, as well as some new ones like Venezuela. Host Phil Keoghan provided voice acting throughout the entire game.
Players get to customize their own characters and can race against other, pre-made characters. These existing teams are showcased in the opening, which closely mirrors the actual show's opening (including the use of the same music). However, when playing the actual game, no-one, not even the player, is referred to by name. Instead, teams are differentiated by color (ex. team yellow).
The rules of the race are fairly similar to the actual race. Teams receive money, fly to a location and complete various tasks. The last team to arrive is eliminated, unless they are saved by a non-elimination leg, in which the penalty is the team loses all their money they saved up to that point (unlike the show during seasons 5–9, the teams are still given money at the start of the next leg). However, teams all leave the Pit Stop at the same time. The tasks are represented by a large collection of minigames.
Some of the clues had changes to their rules. The Detour and Roadblock retain their rules, although there is no limit on individual Roadblocks. Fast Forwards appear in the race, but they are not optional. Instead, the team that completes it fastest gets a two-hour time credit. Also featured alongside the Detour and Roadblock is the Intersection. However, the Intersection's rules are drastically different. It is a task that all teams complete, similar to an additional task on the real race.
The Yield, U-Turn, Speed Bump and Express Pass are not featured in this game.
As an added bonus, completing various tasks and doing certain objectives in the game will unlock "video files." These are selected clips from the actual American TV show. They are mostly extremely dramatic moments (such as when Uchenna & Joyce couldn't pay their taxi driver at the final Pit Stop and Chris & Alex making the closest finish in Amazing Race) or funny moments (such as when Fran & Barry kept walking past a clue that was within arm's length). The clips appear exactly as they did on TV, except that all logos are pixelated, even those that went uncensored on TV. Clips from seasons 1 to 15 are included.
Ludia also made one for the iPhone, iPod touch and iPad that is similar to the Wii version.
Read more about this topic: The Amazing Race
Famous quotes related to video game:
“It is among the ranks of school-age children, those six- to twelve-year-olds who once avidly filled their free moments with childhood play, that the greatest change is evident. In the place of traditional, sometimes ancient childhood games that were still popular a generation ago, in the place of fantasy and make- believe play . . . today’s children have substituted television viewing and, most recently, video games.”
—Marie Winn (20th century)
“I recently learned something quite interesting about video games. Many young people have developed incredible hand, eye, and brain coordination in playing these games. The air force believes these kids will be our outstanding pilots should they fly our jets.”
—Ronald Reagan (b. 1911)