Help Wanted: 50 Wacky Jobs
In today's market, there is a certain wry humor in a game with this title.
In the main, the games are clever constructs of inventive job elements - they had
a pretty clever team at Hudson making these things up.
Players will find ones that become their favorites but you get from four to eight choices
per day, and who can resist a new career?
There are 50 jobs that players will get to choose from and because they are so amusing, I went to some effort to compile them:
Ages: Everyone 10+
| Action Hero | Arctic Delivery | Art Restorer | Astronaut | Babysitter |
| Bodybuilder | Cameraperson | CEO | Chef | Cleaning Crew |
| Clown | Courier | Crane Operator | Dairy Farmer | Deep-sea Diver |
| Dentist | Dry Cleaner | EMT | Farmer | Firefighter |
| Fisher | Game Creator | Goalie | Grill Cook | Haunted House Crew |
| Interpreter | Interviewer | Kabuki Actor | Lighting Crew | Line Judge |
| Makeup Artist, | Manicurist | Master Higgins | Newscaster | Personal Trainer |
| Pinch Hitter | Pit Crew, | Pizza Chef | Police Officer | Resort Captain |
| Security Guard | Shopping Crew | Stuntperson | Sumo Referee | Supermarket Clerk |
| Sushi Master | Tailor | Teacher | Tropical Waiting Staff | TV Shopping Crew |
For some you can anticipate the action, some will surprise you, some will take a few tries before you get really good at them. There is a lame story to the game that I find totally unnecessary: A comet is approaching the earth and will make impact in five days. The player must earn enough from the jobs to be able to buy objects from a TV shopping channel that will thwart the comet! Multiplayer is a competitive mode and the money doesn't accrue to buy things. It requires two remotes and there are a variety of battle rules to play by, and it feels like it has just been tacked on.
Because the mini games are short, there is an attempt to pace the player by setting up a day-might routine with only one job allowed per day. This calendar is also used to trump up the urgency of having to do well at the games and earn enough money to keep the comet from hitting the earth. Each day brings a countdown to destruction - however one thing or another manages to come up that gives the players a few extra days.
One of the best parts of the game is the variety of jobs. For kids and even adults it is a good experience to be exposed to more than doctor, lawyer, teacher and nurse - just look at the list.
Fun Factor: It might get a little repetitive trying to get a high score but the inventiveness will keep you going.
Female Factor: You can pick the gender.
Player Friendly: Saves are at the end of each day - but it would be nice if they mentioned it somewhere.
Reviewed by: Editor - 07/09