Video Game Review: ‘The Bachelor: The Videogame’ Makes For an Awkward Date

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Video Game Rating: 2.5/5.0

CHICAGO – When we first heard about a Nintendo Wii and Nintendo DS video game tie-in to the mega-franchise of ABC reality shows known as “The Bachelor” and “The Bachelorette” the mind reeled at the possibilities. Would the game be merely a series of conversation choices like some of the cheesy dating video games of the ’90s? How would the Wii-mote get involved?

It turns out that “The Bachelor” is actually a shockingly straightforward series of bizarre mini-games only loosely tied to romance and dating. Without host Chris Harrison and the structure of the rose ceremony, one would never know it was related to the show that gave so many their fifteen minutes of romantic fame in the first place.

The majority of “The Bachelor: The Videogame” is broken down into episodes in which the player goes on a number of group dates and then a one-on-one date. The best way to play is multi-player with others in the same room. In other words, “The Bachelor” has essentially been turned into a party game. Weird, right? Anyway, each player on the group date participates in a series of mini-games that almost exclusively test skill with the Wii-mote and are extremely loosely related to dating. For example, in one winter-themed group date, you have to put together a jigsaw puzzle of seasonal designs and whoever gets the most pieces in place wins. In another, you have to grab falling poker chips. To say that the challenges are random would be an understatement.

The Bachelor: The Videogame
Photo credit: Warner Bros Interactive

Ignoring the lack of creativity in challenge design on the group dates, they’re not even well-executed. Half of the time, I felt like the Wii-mote controls were unresponsive, especially on games in which you have to catch things like drifting feathers or the aforementioned poker chips. Having said that, it’s still easy as pie to kick all of your A.I. competition and score the one-on-one date. What happens there? Another mini-game.

The Bachelor: The Videogame Photo credit: Warner Bros Interactive

At the end of each episode, the player with the least amount of success in the mini-games is sent home and it starts all over again. “The Bachelor: The Videogame” is essentially not that different from “Carnival Games” with a romantic twist. Sure, when you complete a one-on-one date successfully there’s an animation of your character and your object of affection cuddling or even kissing and Harrison pops up to introduce games and during the very lackluster rose ceremony, but the tie-in doesn’t really capture anything about the show.

The developers grafted on a few mini-games like personality quizzes and something that attempts to find your perfect match, but the whole thing feels like a wasted opportunity. It doesn’t even play off the now well-known personalities from the show. Even when it does use the names of real contestants — for example, you’re trying to woo Deanna Pappas in episode one — it’s really just a random name. The avatar looks nothing like her, except maybe for a similar blank stare.

When we first heard about a video game tie-in linked to “The Bachelor: The Videogame,” we thought that it could conceivably result in some cheesy fun. In actuality, the game isn’t nearly cheesy enough. Not unlike some elements of the show, it’s a ten-year-old girl’s concept of romance although this pre-teen happens to be addicted to mini-games.

By BRIAN TALLERICO Content Director HollywoodChicago.com brian@hollywoodchicago.com