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You Don't Know Jack gets reinvented for iOS with group gaming sessions in mind (video)
If you're of a certain age, you think of You Don't Know Jack as a relic from the '90s. But to its credit, the trivia game has made an impressively smooth transition to the twenty-first century: Jackbox Games already has apps for iOS, Android, Facebook and even OUYA. Until now, though, gameplay's been about as asynchronous as a game of Words With Friends: you took your turn and waited for your friend (wherever they were) to take theirs. Today, the company launched You Don't Know Jack Party, an iOS version of the game that's specifically meant to be played by a bunch of people hanging out in the same place. Using AirPlay, you guys can stream it to an Apple TV and use your device as a remote, or you can play on an iPhone / iPad and use your phones as controllers instead. The nice thing, obviously, is that multiple devices are supported (up to four players, to be precise). Also, your friends with Android phones can still use their handsets as controllers, so they won't be left calling out answers on the sidelines. In addition, Jackbox says it would like to port the game over to other platforms, including Android and maybe even Chromecast. For now, though, it's an iOS-only affair. The app itself is free, and you get one gratis episode, but after that you're looking at regular in-app purchases ($2.99 for five episodes or $9.99 for a pack of 30). Luckily for you, our demo video below don't cost a thing.
You Don't Know Jack coming to OUYA June 11th
If you so much as touched a computer in the 1990s, we'd wager that the mere mention of You Don't Know Jack will bring back a flood of memories. Jellyvision's irreverent trivia game has seen a resurgence in popularity over the last few years, with its presence expanding to Facebook, iOS and Android, and the Jack Attack isn't stopping there: beginning June 11th, you can "Screw Your Neighbor" on the OUYA game console. You'll be able to get a trial 11-question episode for free or upgrade to get a full set of 20 games. Cleverly, this version includes a new feature called Party Play which lets up to three additional players compete against you by turning iOS and Android devices into external controllers. Not a bad addition for OUYA users eager to answer questions like the one you see above (and if you're curious, we're pretty sure the answer is "The Keebler Elves").
You Don't Know Jack gets celebrity guests
I am a big fan of the You Don't Know Jack series as a whole, and I think the recently released iOS version is one of the best ways to play the game: It's social, it's quick and easy, and oh yeah, it's completely free. And now that version is getting even better -- Jellyvision has made some deals to include celebrity guests in the game. Not only will celebrities appear over the phone during the entire show (similar to the old "celebrity phone call" gag on the old versions of YDKJ, which I really loved), but they'll also have a place in the competition, competing alongside you and your Facebook friends as you play. The first celebrity picked to join the game is Mad Men's Rich Sommer, and model Adrienne Curry is set to join the game next, with other updates coming out on a monthly basis. I played through Sommer's show, and it's certainly chock full of plugs for his TV show, so presumably there's either some money going back and forth for these appearances, or the guys at Jellyvision are just big fans of AMC. Even if these are paid appearances, I'm not bothered. YDKJ is a great game that's been offering lots of great free content, and adding in celebrities in this way is an excellent way to both liven up the formula and keep the lights on. You can play the first celebrity ep of the game on iOS now, and more should be available soon.
Daily iPhone App: You Don't Know Jack returns in Facebook form
You may be surprised to see the classic You Don't Know Jack here in this space again, as we've already covered it as a daily app. But that version is no longer on the App Store, and the new version that appeared yesterday is a completely different game, this time based on the Facebook version of the ubiquitous trivia title. As such, this version is played best with a Facebook account hooked up to it, but it's not needed -- you can still log in and play the game as a guest if you'd rather keep things more private. Aside from that Facebook functionality, this is essentially the same game we've loved ever since it first appeared on PC back in the day. Faithful host Cookie runs you through daily games of trivia questions, featuring wickedly hilarious puns and jokes, old favorites like Dis or Dat and of course the game-ending Jack Attack. Odds are you've played this game more than a few times before, but this is all new content yet again, so there's new fun to be had. The game also includes some freemium elements, like power-ups to boost your score, and various unlocks to be purchased with the cash you earn from the game. But all of that stuff is just extra, really -- this is the world's best trivia game reincarnated in a great new form. If you're a fan of the old YDKJ (and how can you not be?), definitely give it a download.
Deepworld, You Don't Know Jack, Theatrhythm Final Fantasy, and more available now
We're deep in the holiday season at this point, and right now that means dozens (if not more) of game developers out there are getting their best and brightest titles out onto the App Store, making sure they're all ready to download when the Christmas rush rolls around. Here's a look at some of the biggest new App Store releases today. Deepworld isn't brand new, but it is out for the iPad -- it's a great sandbox-style building game that we've been covering here at TUAW for quite a while. It's available as a free download right now. Theatrhythm: Final Fantasy is a great music game that originally appeared on the 3DS, but has now brought its Final Fantasy-based music/RPG gameplay to iOS. It's available as a free download with two songs to play, though if you want more, you'll have to buy them with in-app purchases. You Don't Know Jack has been on iOS before, but today we've got a brand new (free!) version of the title that appears to be ported from the Facebook version. It features the same old quiz show gameplay, now with updates from your friends through the big blue social network. Fluxx is a really incredible card game, and it's now been ported over to iOS as well. You can buy the whole thing for $2.99. Mike Lee's new Lemurs Chemistry game is available for $1.99. SNK has released a port of the original Metal Slug as a $1.99 game. As expected, Disney's Monsters Inc. Run has appeared. It's a mashup of Mega Run and the great Pixar movie, available for 99 cents. Zooniverse is a brand new free-to-play zoo building game from Chillingo. This isn't a new app, but Finger Tied finally got its big level sharing update, so definitely download that and check it out. If you don't have it already, the app is 99 cents. And finally, for those of you who appreciate soccer/football and managing it, Football Manager Handheld 2013 was released by Sega. The game's $9.99, and... it looks complicated. There you go! Stay tuned for full reviews and more insight on these apps and all of the others due out this holiday season here on the site.
TUAW's Daily App: You Don't Know Jack
Stop whatever you're doing right now and go download You Don't Know Jack for iPhone or iPad, or in the free lite version if you want. I don't know of any game that, throughout the years that it's been available on various platforms, is more consistently enjoyable by anyone, from the most hardcore of gamers to non-techie trivia buffs. You Don't Know Jack is one of the most solid gaming experiences around, and the brand new iOS version doesn't skimp at all. It's got hilarious iOS-specific audio (Host Cookie jokes early on that he's "glad to be hosting an app that's not a ripoff of Scrabble") and questions, all of the old mini-games (like Dis or Dat and the Jack Attack), and it even has the backstage talk and fake commercials that the main console versions have. Great game -- I can't recommend this one more. OK, if I'm going to nitpick, I'll say that the graphics are just slightly pixelated on the SD version. And even the iPad version is one-player only -- the game recommends if you want to play with more people, you should buy one of the other versions. But there is Game Center integration, and with 20 full episodes available in the app (and even more promised to be coming soon), this is a terrific experience that won't disappoint anyone with a taste for trivia and/or a sense of humor. Great game, and well worth the US$2.99 on the iPhone or $4.99 on the iPad.
You Don't Know Jack coming to iOS
Here's some good news for your Friday: The newest version of the classic trivia video game You Don't Know Jack is coming to iOS. Cookie and the gang, Question Four (the question that cares), and all the rest will be on Apple's handheld platforms sometime in the future, so you'll be able to do some Dis or Dat, screw other players, and hit up the Jack Attack all while out and about. There's no word on if the game supports multiplayer or not (sure it'd be tough to do without an honor system, but it's YDKJ!), but it will have Game Center, and apparently it will have 20 full episodes to play through as well. Great to hear. You Don't Know Jack is definitely a classic, and it'll be nice to have it in the more and more definitive iOS library. We'll keep an eye out for the game and let you know when it's released.
This week, you probably Do Know Jack
Sacre bleu! Something odd seems to have happened to our favorite sardonic online flash quiz for its March 31 edition (embedded above). Questions like "Repeat after me!" and a comparison between lines from Great Expectations and Jackass 2: The Movie seem completely out of pace with the game's usual punishing difficulty. Don't even get us started on the "repeat after me" Jack Attack, which could probably be completed by a mentally handicapped surrender monkeys (cheese-eating or non).We can only hope this is a one-time glitch, and not a trend that will last past through the beginning of the fourth month of the year ...
