Easily among the most famous of television game shows, Family Feud has been bring families together for years – not for love and emotional support, but to compete against other families. The family-oriented elements of cooperative teamwork might not be standout elements of the game, but they do feel wholesome when compared to the modern “man vs. everything” themes of contemporary game shows, where treachery and deceit are almost mandatory. In Family Feud, the nature of the competition is more akin to the classic American agenda of “keeping up with the Joneses.”

Consequently, Family Feud 2010 lends itself very well to a family environment. The only real drawback to the quiz-like design is that it favors an adult crowd, where hard-earned experience will give older players a considerable advantage over younger participants, especially children. Much of the knowledge relies heavily on collective prototyping, which forces us to abandon our personal knowledge base in favor of the “common” line of thought. In other words, we cannot simply rely upon what we know best, but rather consider how most people would perceive an idea or subject. This allows a bit of forgiveness within the context of the game, as even a less popular response can still garner points for the team.

The game is initially structured almost identical to the 2010 edition of The Price Is Right. Players are responsible for constructing an in-game avatar, rather than using their meticulously-produced Mii counterpart. A small selection of avatars is available for customization, with unlockable clothing and accessories that can be earned from successful gameplay. Players may also select a personality disposition for their avatar, such as nervous or aggressive, which will affect the gestures and body language of their avatar throughout the game. It can be amusing to see an obnoxiously cheerful victor, waving his arms frantically next to the sour-faced loser on the screen. None of the gestures are lewd or inappropriate, so there isn’t much for parents to potentially fuss over.

For those unfamiliar with Family Feud, the basic premise is quite simple: think of the most popular responses that might be relevant to a given category. For example, one round saw the contestants pondering famous figures with the last name “Johnson.” Lyndon Johnson was the first name (and sadly the only name) that sprang to my mind, so I used the D-Pad to enter “Lyndon” before the timer ran out. Fortunately, the game draws upon a huge database of popular words and names, so once it recognizes the first few letters of a word, it will offer several suggestions to select with the Wii-mote. This speeds things up tremendously, which helps maintain the exciting pace of the game.

There are a few variants on this style of gameplay, but not quite enough to keep the game entertaining for hours on end. This is to be expected of any attempt to convert a game show to a video-game, but some creative or artistic license would have really done wonders for the final product. Visually, Family Feud is clean and crisp, but largely unimaginative. This can also dull the experience over time. Still, this is considerably more cerebral than The Price Is Right, and doesn’t become overbearing or obnoxious from excessive visual flair or repetitive audio cues. It’s not quite educational, but the focus on family-friendly fun is certainly appealing, especially for holiday gatherings that may keep people indoors for long periods of time.

Gameplay: 7.0
A bit disappointing in the variety department, but this is still a decent simulation of the original game show.

Graphics: 6.0 
Clear and colorful, Family Feud was never intended to be eye-candy. Even so, the eyes will long for novelty over time.

Sound: 6.5
Simple and slightly repetitive narration, but an otherwise comfortable atmosphere that doesn’t get too annoying during the game.

Difficulty: Easy/Medium
Depending on your personal experiences, you may find Family Feud highly engaging or utterly confounding. However, it definitely favors the older audience.

Concept: 7.0 
An adaptation to be sure, but probably one of the better versions on the market.

Multiplayer: 7.0
Family Feud obviously is built around group gameplay mechanics, and those have made a fairly good transition to the console.

Overall: 7.0
There’s no denying the popularity of Family Feud, and its relatively simple design means that players of all ages can participate. Its repetitive nature might outweigh its accessibility, but the basic mechanics work pretty well. Without any excessive violence or questionable content throughout, this is probably one of the better ways to keep relatives occupied during the holiday season.