New Pricing Game Review: MYSTERY PRICE

[Alfonzo]

New Pricing Game Review: MYSTERY PRICE

Tsk, tsk, tsk. Here's a game that had a lot of potential. I don't think the rule of this game are any more hard to understand than Check Game's. Guess the price of a small prize without going over. If you succeed the amount of the guess goes into the bank. If the bank matches or exceeds the Mystery Price you win. Not hard to understand at all!

I personally think that the set is one of the ugliest sets ever created for the show. Not as bad as On the Spot's, but it's up there. It just looks absolutely tacky!

I wouldnt mind seeing this game come back in some form or another.

Rating: 7 out of 10

For rules and history of this game: http://www.gscentral.net/mystery.htm

[Nick]

Alfonzo, you got it right there with the comparison to Check Game.  This game wasn't that hard to understand.  Bid as close as you can to the price of the small prize without overbidding.  If you succeed, your bid goes into the bank; and if the amount in the bank at the end of the game covers the Mystery Price, you win.  I don't see what's so mindboggling about that.

I also don't see the ugliness in the set.  It had a monstrous, circular-style board; and it had its own unique SP podiums which matched the board.  Plus, they were presented one at a time coming out from the gap between the Turntable and door number one.  That was a nice touch.

This game really wasn't that bad.  While it did have downsides and could carry some minor confusion, it was, like most other retired games, killed for all the wrong reasons.

Rating:  7 out of 10

[goldroadfanatic]

This game had a good concept.  Once you think about it, the rules were not hard to understand at all:  Just bid on four SPs as close to their prices as possible without going over.  If your bid was below the price it gets added to the bank.  After all four items have been bid on, if the bank exceeds or matches the mystery price, you win.

The set was a bit tacky in my opinion.  

Overall, a game with good intentions that got retired.  I give it a 7 out of 10.

[Jordan7]

I too did not think that this game was a hard as it was made out to be. Just bid on the price of a small prize without going over. If you don't go over the amount of the guess goes into the bank. After 4 small prizes, if the bank is equal to or greater than the Mystery Price, you win. Simple!

The set was ugly. Enough said.

I wouldn't mind seeing this game come back. Retired for the wrong reason, like other retired games.

7 out of 10.

[JayC]

Mystery Price was a good game that didn't really get a chance.  The rules weren't hard to understand actually made the game stand out more.  Going from being under the price of a small prize to being over the price of a second or third prize in the prize package isn't complicated.  The game might be a time issue if it was around today though.  And it's set was extremely tacky and weird looking.  But it could have always been changed.

My score- 6.5 out of 10

[Aaron A. Camp]

This game is one of my favorite retired games, believe it or not. First, the game was simple, but bad contestants made the game harder than it really was. Second, The prop looked very snazzy for the 1970s.

Overall: 8.5 out of 10.

[Frank15]

Wasn't Mystery Price the first small prize game to get its own unique small prize stands?  I think it was.  Bonus Game still to this day doesn't have its own unique stand--and we love that the three games that use that stand still do--and it was a while before Give or Keep and Five Price Tags got their own stands, right?  So, yeah... a bit of recognition for that!

As for the game... kinda' like Cliff Hangers, with the contestant simply making a blind guess as to the prices of the prizes.  Unlike Cliff Hangers, the direction you miss it counts.  Different enough from Cliff Hangers that it could fit in nicely.  Even though if it were still around, it'd probably get the Joker treatment.  Ah well.

And the set... blah.  Don't like it.  Just didn't look right.  I mean, red and white can be done well, but just... just not here.

All in all, a fun little game, that didn't really seem like it should've been too hard.  Kinda' like Add 'em Up, really, though this one's probably the better game of the two.

8 out of 10 on the old scale.

[tpir]

i would give 7.5/10

Hmm... nothing wrong with this game very much as it was by the 1970s standards. Win the prize if you bid exactly right or under, and your bid goes into the bank. Otherwise, you don't win it if you go over, and the bid doesn't go into the bank. Very exciting, eh?

I thought at first the set was alright, but now I agree with most people here. If it'd survive, I would hope they keep the circle shape; but change the colors, font and design for the main board and small prize podiums. I can't tell you my ideas for this one now.

8 out of 10.

[greg]

It does seem kind of difficult....3 prizes 1 is the Mystery Price, then trying to guess prices that when added together equal one of the 3 prizes....hmmmm  do they know which of the 3 prizes?  If they thought the MP was $125, could they simply make up prices for the SPs to total that?  I just don't know about this one.  
5/10

[JokerFan]

I can't believe Mystery Price was retired when it was only played a few times. (I believe it was 17.)  Simple rules, although it may have the same effect as the rules for Check Game.  However, it might have been easier if there was only one prize instead of three prizes--one of which has the mystery price.  I found a clip of this game and really enjoyed playing along with the contestant.  Without a doubt, it should have lasted much longer than it did.  I give it an 8.5 out of 10.

[WarioBarker]

Okay, here I go:

 Rules: So simple...guess the price of four small prizes; if you don't go over you win the prize and your guess goes into the bank. If your total is higher than the Mystery Price, you win. You also win if your total IS the Mystery Price.

 I liked the set because it was so unique for 1973 standards. Using a variation of the Pricedown font in the name was a definite plus.

 I wouldn't have chosen those colors, though, but nonetheless it looks great!

 The play-along factor is there, and whenever I watch an old episode with my brother or mother we try to guess with the contestants...and sometimes we're amazed at the price of things back then.

 Reason for retirement: Allegedly too confusing (yet it had a record of 11-6...0_0)

 Score: 9 of 10
-Daniel "Really Should've Stayed Until About Season 4" Benfield

[BDE]

This game should not have been retired. It was likely the first pricing game that had a distinct shape. I agree: this game is not hard to understand. I give it an 8 out of 10.

[JAYCEEG]

so simple - dont overbid on the small prizes, the bids that arent overbids go into the bank, and if the bank beats the mystery price, you win - it even had a good win-loss record of 6:11

its set, although tacky to todays standards, looked pretty cool with its whole circle and question mark design - i wish it could be brought back

8/10

[greg]

Thinking more about this....was it kind of like Check Out?  Tell the prices of 3 items when added together must exceed the Mystery Price?  Am I getting this right?