Who Wants to Beat Up a Millionaire

2000 video game

NA: August 8, 2000^[1]
EU: May 11, 2001

Dreamcast

NA: October 2000^[1]

Genre(s)ActionMode(s)Single-player, Multiplayer

Who Wants to Beat Up a Millionaire is a video game parody of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire. It was created by Hypnotix, and released in 2000 by Simon & Schuster Interactive for Microsoft Windows and Sega Dreamcast.

While the Microsoft Windows versions feature mainly 2D-animation and menus, the Dreamcast version mainly uses 3D models for the player, as well as 3D environments and the millionaires the player beats up in 3D, rather than 2D animation in the PC version.

Gameplay

The objective of the game is to answer multiple-choice questions correctly, by using a buzzer to answer. Following this, the player assaults another player's character. The objective of the game is to assault another player sufficiently so that they drop off the game's ladder, a parody of the real show's question ladder. The last player is the winner.

Lifeboats

Like its more serious (and non-violent) real-life counterpart, Who Wants to Beat Up a Millionaire gives the contestants "lifelines" (also known in-game as "lifeboats") to help them out if they get stumped. The three lifeboats are:

One or the other: Eliminates two incorrect answers, analogous to the 50:50 lifeline on the real game show.
Pass the buck and chicken out: Give the question to another contestant or swap the question out for a new one, analogous to the Switch the Question lifeline on the original show.
Fortune cookie: Gives the player a hint.

Characters

Egregious Philin, host and parody of Regis Philbin
Sheik Abdul Chickpea, a Middle Eastern oil magnate
Daisey Mae LePlume, a parody of Anna Nicole Smith
Rich Littleweasel III, a generic trust fund kid
Melvin Dotcom, a parody of Bill Gates
Ronald Hump, a parody of Donald Trump

Reception

Aggregate score
Aggregator	Score
Aggregator	Dreamcast	PC
GameRankings	N/A	30%^[2]

Review scores
Publication	Score
Publication	Dreamcast	PC
AllGame	^[3]	^[4]
CNET Gamecenter	N/A	3/10^[5]
Computer Games Strategy Plus	N/A	^[6]
Electronic Gaming Monthly	1/10^[7]	N/A
EP Daily	N/A	2/10^[8]
GameSpot	N/A	5.4/10^[9]
IGN	N/A	5.7/10^[10]
PC Gamer (US)	N/A	15%^[11]
PC Zone	N/A	4%^[12]

The game received unfavorable reviews to overwhelming dislike on both platforms.

References

^ ^a ^b "That [Had] Better Be Your Final Answer As "Who Wants To Beat Up A Millionaire" Makes Its Debut On The PC And Sega Dreamcast". Simon & Schuster Interactive. August 8, 2000. Archived from the original on September 25, 2003. Retrieved July 16, 2023.
^ "Who Wants to Beat Up a Millionaire for PC". GameRankings. CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on May 30, 2019. Retrieved July 16, 2023.
^ Thompson, Jon. "Who Wants to Beat Up a Millionaire (DC) - Review". AllGame. All Media Network. Archived from the original on November 17, 2014. Retrieved July 16, 2023.
^ Wigmore, Glenn. "Who Wants to Beat Up a Millionaire (PC) - Review". AllGame. All Media Network. Archived from the original on November 16, 2014. Retrieved July 16, 2023.
^ Navarro, Alex (August 29, 2000). "Who Wants to Beat Up a Millionaire (PC)". Gamecenter. CNET. Archived from the original on October 18, 2000. Retrieved July 16, 2023.
^ Yans, Cindy (September 10, 2000). "Who Wants to Beat Up a Millionaire". Computer Games Strategy Plus. Strategy Plus, Inc. Archived from the original on January 30, 2003. Retrieved July 16, 2023.
^ Sewart, Greg (February 2001). "Who Wants To Beat Up A Millionaire" (PDF). Electronic Gaming Monthly. No. 139. Ziff Davis. p. 133. Archived from the original on February 11, 2001. Retrieved July 16, 2023.
^ Koval, Rob (August 31, 2000). "Who Wants To Beat Up A Millionaire (PC)". The Electric Playground. Greedy Productions Ltd. Archived from the original on October 20, 2006. Retrieved July 17, 2023.
^ Walker, Trey (September 11, 2000). "Who Wants to Beat Up a Millionaire Review (PC)". GameSpot. Fandom. Archived from the original on December 30, 2004. Retrieved July 16, 2023.
^ Blevins, Tal (August 15, 2000). "Who Wants to Beat Up a Millionaire? (PC)". IGN. Ziff Davis. Archived from the original on May 30, 2019. Retrieved July 16, 2023.
^ "Who Wants to Beat Up a Millionaire?". PC Gamer. Imagine Media. 2000.
^ Woods, Dave (December 2000). "Who Wants to Beat Up a Millionaire?". PC Zone. No. 96. Dennis Publishing. p. 90. Retrieved July 17, 2023.