KMGR of "Cash Cab"

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Cash Cab is a Discovery Channel program that chronicles the host, who drives a cab in New York, randomly pick up passengers, and ask them if they wish to participate in a general trivia contest. The mobile game captures much of the same spirit within reason, though I do wish they be a little more faithful to the show.

The objective is to accumulate as much money as possible within the time limit of the ride, without striking out (3 wrong answers). Generally there are more than one passenger, and both can agree on answers. There's also "shoutout" if they are stuck in that the taxi will stop and they ask any one walking by for the answer. It is fun watching the progress of the ride, as if you do strike out, you are asked to leave the cab then and there, no consolation prize. If you do reach your destination, you are given a chance to do a "double or nothing" question. You can refuse and walk off with the cash in hand, or you can do the question... Maybe double, maybe end up with nothing.

The mobile game is pretty much the same. The cab starts at a random location, and you can choose among the various destinations. The shortest ride is less than 2 minutes, while longest ride is almost 4 minutes. The longer the ride, the more questions you can answer, but on the other hand, the more chances for you to strike out and end with nothing. Consider the length of the ride to be a "difficulty level". The destinations are all tourist attractions in New York City.

You can choose a companion to go with you on the ride, and there are quite a few to choose from, each with their own expertise and hobbies, so may know something about some questions. Choose something that complements what you know, and you may score better than you think.

Any way, the ride starts, the timer starts counting, and you must choose among 4 answers. Remember, on the third strike, your ride is over! If you are not sure about the answer, you can ask your ride buddy. He or she will respond. The answer could be "I am sure it's _____" to "I am only half sure it's ____" or "I am not sure but I think it's _____" or even "My head hurts, I have no idea." You can then accept or reject the recommendation. However, there's no shout-out. The game combined the shoutout with the ask-your-friend.

The game's description claims over 1000 questions and after a dozen games I've only seen a few repeated questions. And you can turn on the answer (after you missed) to learn things (or leave it off, and stay in the dark). The final double-or-nothing question is there, as well as a bit of description about your destination. However, the description is not a feature of the show.

There really isn't much graphics, and the game often feels a bit too much like "Who wants to be a Millionaire?" with its 4 choice questions. At least ask your friend can be done every question. Just don't expect an answer.

There are actually THREE areas you can ride in. The objective is to ride through all destinations in each of the three areas, and see how much money can you accumulate total.

There are actually "three" save game slots. So in a sense, three people could compete and see who's the real Cash Cab Expert.

Overall, the game seems to catch the spirit of the show. If you like trivia games, this ain't a bad game to try. But it somehow doesn't quite have the Cash Cab feel.

Overall score: 6 out of 10
Pros: sticks relatively straight to the show
Cons: feels a bit too much like 'Millionaire' at times