Powerball: The Game Show

On the cliff, a train pushed a red Powerball to one of six spaces signifying zero to 600 miles (points), or completely off the board. The balls represented each of the possible spaces (and a 'danger ball' for off the board) were dumped into a lotto machine, and one was secretly drawn. Players were given an offer to take a sure 500 miles and sit the game out, or take a chance on the number of miles drawn. After the first draw, the balls for the remaining possible spaces, the 'danger ball', and a new ball for a 1,000-mile space on the very end of the cliff, are mixed up. Players were opted to either keep their miles or risk them on every draw, but if they were playing when the ball had gone off off the edge, they had lost all their miles. After that game, 50 to 140 bonus miles were randomly assigned to all ten players in order to break ties.

Balls of varying weights were added to an on-stage buoy. Successfully added balls were worth 700, 1,500 and 2,500 miles to players who were still in the game during their successful addition (players can sit the game out altogether and receive 1,000 miles, or quit after any successful ball addition), but any of the players who were still in the game when the buoy capsizes had lost all miles won in that round.

Players attempted to predict whether the majority of respondents to a poll question answered Yes or No. Each correct answer was worth either 100, 1,000 or 3,000 miles, chosen randomly. After each of the first two questions, the four lowest scorers were eliminated. After the third and final question, the highest scorer was this week's champion and won $2,500.

Six or seven players competed in that game. In each turn, two players were randomly selected and the one who was selected first had hit a button which released a ball in a variable starting position. From then on, a ball rolls on a track which led to the basket. Getting the ball to reach the goal was not an easy task as swinging clubs attempted to knock the ball off the track. If a play was successful, then the players stayed alive in the game. If the ball was knocked off the track, then both players were eliminated. If six players competed, then when two of them were left standing, one more turn was played to determine the winner. If seven players competed, then the one who's left standing was deemed the winner. The winner of that game won $5,000.

In each turn, two players were randomly selected. The player who was chosen first picked one of eight balls (each of various unknown weights). That ball was placed on the redesigned on-stage buoy. One player then pressed the button which unlocked the buoy. If the ball stayed on the buoy after two swings, they remained in the game. If the ball fell off, both players were eliminated. After each turn, a new ball replaced an empty position at the ball table. Play continued until the last turn was conducted to decide the winner. The winner of that game won $5,000.

This game used a set piece which was designed to look like a futuristic supercomputer. Six or seven players competed in that game. In each turn, two players were randomly selected to take a position on one or the other of the spaces (the "X" space or the "O" space). The Brainiac had then secretly "booby-trapped" one of the spaces as its program predicted they are more likely to choose. Any of the players who had stood on a "booby-trapped" step were eliminated. Any of the players who had stood on the space that wasn't booby-trapped remained in the game, but eventually they would be selected to play again. Players who survived the turn while standing on the "O" space received a "life preserver." If a player with a "preserver" was chosen, then s/he had to put it in a box and another selection took place. Like with the first game (see Gauntlet), if six players competed, then whoever was left standing won the game. If seven players competed, then when two were left standing, one more turn would decide the winner. The winner of that game won $5,000.

Before the playoffs were conducted, one of the remaining contestants were selected in a Wild Card Draw. That person joined the winners of the previous games and had also won $5,000. In the playoffs, a survey question was asked and players locked in their answers in percentages. The two players who came closest to the actual percentage moved on to the next round. The same process was repeated with another question to determine the winner.