YOU DON'T KNOW JACK Movies
YOU DON'T KNOW JACK Movies game tile
YOU DON'T KNOW JACK Movies game tile
Developer Jellyvision
Berkeley Systems
Publisher Berkeley Systems
(through Sierra On-Line)
Series You Don't Know Jack
Release date April 16th, 1997
Release price (USD) $30
Hosted by Cookie Masterson
Number of players 1-3
Game duration 25 Minutes
Platforms Windows (3.1/95; 486 or higher)
Mac OS (System 7.1; 68040 or higher)
Languages English
Genre Trivia
Director John Boyden
Producer John Boyden
Martin Streicher
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YOU DON'T KNOW JACK Movies is a trivia video game developed by Jellyvision (now Jackbox Games) and Berkeley Systems, and was originally published by Berkeley Systems (through Sierra On-Line) on April 16th, 1997.[1] It is the fourth installment in the You Don't Know Jack series, and the second game in the series to be centered on a specific theme.

It is the first You Don't Know Jack game hosted by Cookie Masterson, as well as the last You Don't Know Jack game to have Fiber Optic Field Trip.

It is also the first game in the series to be published by Sierra On-Line, following their acquisition of Berkeley Systems by their parent company CUC International on April 11th.[2]

Gameplay

The game starts up similar to the previous games, where the desktop is visible in the background while the "STAND BY" sign appears on the screen, before the sign-on host Raul (voiced by Joe Janes) greets the players and asks how many people are playing. After choosing the number of players (and their respective names), the game asks for either a 7-question tournament game or a standard 21-question game.

Afterwards, the usual player keyboard assignments and basic instructions are shown, which can be skipped by pressing the Spacebar. If the player decides not to skip the instructions, the game "loses the desktop", which is then followed by the opening credits, before being greeted by the host, Cookie Masterson.

Like the other You Don't Know Jack games, a 21-question game is divided into three rounds.

Each question goes exactly the same way as the previous entries in the franchise: A player picks one of three categories, which is preceded by a question segue, before the chosen category and amount ($1,000 or $2,000 or $3,000) are shown on-screen. The question and its answers are then shown and read out loud by the host, and the player(s) have at least 10 seconds after the host reads the question to buzz in and find the correct answer. If a player gets the question right, they win that amount. If they answer incorrectly, they lose that amount.

In a multiplayer game, during each multiple-choice question, a player can "screw their neighbor" by pressing the "S" key, then selecting either the player's buzzer key or their number. The "screwed" player is then forced to answer the question, otherwise they lose the given amount. If they answer correctly however, the player who enacted the screw loses that amount.

During each game, there are special questions that will appear:

  • Fill in the Blank: A question is given to the player(s) that requires them to type in the answer. The amount is the same as a standard multiple-choice question.
  • Whatshisname (aka Can You Remember?): A type of fill-in-the-blank question where the host tries to recall a person based on given clues, and the player that buzzes in is required to type in the answer. The amount is the same as a standard multiple-choice question.
  • Picture Question: A type of multiple-choice question that involves a picture. The amount is the same as a standard multiple-choice question.
  • Gibberish Question: Players are given a gibberish phrase that rhymes with the real answer. The starting amount for a Gibberish question is $5,000, which slowly counts down to zero the more time they take.
  • Fiber Optic Field Trip: During the first round of a 21-question game, there will occasionally be a Fiber Optic Field Trip on Question 6. Upon choosing a Fiber Optic Field Trip category, the host chooses a random person from a phone book to come up with a question, which will show up as multiple-choice on Question 11, with the amount set to $5,000.
  • DisOrDat: A player (either the lowest-scoring or one that answered the previous question correctly) is given two choices, and has to pick which one matches one of seven associated answers. Choice A is assigned to the "1" key, choice B is assigned to the "2" key, and both choices (if applicable) is assigned to the "3" key. A player can skip an answer by pressing the "4" key. Each correct answer nets the player $500, while each wrong answer loses them $500.

In a 21-question game, the second round begins after Question 10. In round two, all the point values are doubled, and players get new screws.

The final question (Question 7 or Question 21, depending on the game type) is always a Jack Attack.

After the Jack Attack concludes, the final scores are shown, and the player with the most points at the end of the game wins. Afterwards, the top 10 high scores are shown, before the credits roll.

Development

YOU DON'T KNOW JACK Movies was formally announced on February 5th, 1997 by Berkeley Systems, and was originally scheduled for a March release.[3]

YOU DON'T KNOW JACK Movies was re-released by Jellyvision in February of 2004[4], with all visual references to Berkeley Systems removed, including the "WBSI TV" call sign, which was replaced with "UBS".

YOU DON'T KNOW JACK Movies was later re-released on Steam by Jackbox Games on November 5th, 2013.[5]

Trivia

  • One of the Question 20 segues is a parody of the 20th Century Fox logo—coincidentally, one of the advertisers for Berkeley's online service Bezerk was 20th Century Fox, who promoted their film Speed 2 on YOU DON'T KNOW JACK the netshow that same year.[6]

Promo Art

References

  1. Berkeley Systems, "BERKELEY SYSTEMS GOES HOLLYWOOD WITH YOU DON'T KNOW JACK MOVIES" (April 16th, 1997) https://web.archive.org/web/19971013021930/http://www.berksys.com/news/newsroom/movieship.html
  2. Wired, "Berkeley Buy-Out Brings Layoffs" (April 8th, 1997) https://www.wired.com/1997/04/berkeley-buy-out-brings-layoffs/
  3. Berkeley Systems, "BERKELEY SYSTEMS ANNOUNCES NEW MOVIE THEMED VERSION OF YOU DON'T KNOW JACK" (February 5th, 1997) https://web.archive.org/web/19970328231305fw_/http://www.toasted.com/news/newsroom/movies.html
  4. The Shot Sheet, Jason Montgomery, "Big news: Jellyvision has re-released eight(!!!) classic YDKJ games and you can buy them right now on their site." (February 24th, 2004) https://web.archive.org/web/20050416214036/http://www.jason-montgomery.com/ydkj/archives/week_2004_02_22.htm
  5. Steam, "YOU DON'T KNOW JACK CLASSIC PACK" (November 5th, 2013) https://store.steampowered.com/sub/33692/
  6. Berkeley Systems, "BERKELEY SYSTEMS ANNOUNCES HOT NEW ADVERTISER LINE-UP FOR BEZERK" (May 14th, 1997) https://web.archive.org/web/19980125134844fw_/http://www.berksys.com/news/newsroom/newads.html