Fortune Hunter
1997 - 2000 (Retired)
Fortune Hunter was a unique cash/prize game that
premiered shortly after It's In the Bag. The contestant was shown four prizes,
each with a gift box attached to it. One of the gift boxes had $5,000 in
cash in it. Bob read clues to the contestant indicating which prizes s/he
should "eliminate" from the game. The clues read something like, "Eliminate
the prize whose first digit is '8'" or "Eliminate the most expensive prize."
After three clues had been read, one prize remained that had not been eliminated.
If that box contained the $5,000 in cash, the contestant won the cash and
the four prizes.
My jury is still out on this game. On one hand,
it gives me flashbacks to Professor Price with the clues Bob reads. On
the other hand, the clues are prize-related and the game involves an interesting
twist. Technically, the contestant can make two mistakes and still win
the game; if the contestant identifies the wrong prize with one of the
clues, but the wrong prize needs to be eliminated anyway, the contestant
isn't harmed. In practice, however, making one mistake in this game usually
guarantees a loss. The poor win/loss record on the game led to its ultimate
demise in 2000.
The reveal of Fortune Hunter was quite elaborate.
The model brought the box the contestant hadn't eliminated over to a special
podium, and the contestant and Bob opened the box cover simultaneously. Winning
boxes had dollar bills inside; losing boxes had nothing inside. To make
the model's trip over to the podium less obvious, the empty boxes had
weights attached so that they didn't look obviously lighter than the box
with all the bills inside.
One detraction to this game was the haphazard
policy on revealing the prices of the prizes. Usually, but not always,
losing contestants got to see the ARPs of the prizes in the game to determine
where s/he made a mistake. Winning contestants rarely if ever received a
price reveal, which would cast doubt on whether they guessed the clues correctly
or if they just got lucky.
 |
 |
| A chance to win $5000
in cash... |
...and four fabulous
prizes! A hutch, a coffee urn, a chair, and a desk set. It's Fortune Hunter. |
 |
 |
| Bob isn't revealing
the price of the IUFB; it's a Fortune Hunter clue. |
The contestant eliminates
the coffee urn with that first clue. |
 |
 |
| He's eliminated everything
but the chair. He's hoping that the money is in there! |
But it's not! He
loses everything! |
 |
 |
| The money was with
the hutch; he shouldn't have eliminated that. |
Chantal looks disappointed
here; isn't she adorable! |