There was a discussion a couple months ago whether the Nintendo DS had yet another killer app in Clubhouse Games. Presented were 42 popular card or parlor games which you could bring online. To me, it sounded kind of like a DS version of what Yahoo offered. What I found was essentially that.
Gameplay
Clubhouse Games is a collection of card and parlor games where you can either compete against the computer or other players locally or online. In all there are 42 games you can play. They range from the classic Chess, Checkers, Hearts, and Old Maid; to the more complex games like Bridge, Backgammon, Koi-Koi, and Mahjong. There are also other fun games like Texas Hold'em, Bowling, Darts, and Pool. For the most part these games are very addicting and fun. The rules are handy in case you don't know the rules or just need a refresher. Clubhouse Games also does a great job to show what moves are valid by flashing legal cards, pieces, or providing a helpful message if idle for too long.
The selection of games is what makes this cartridge the most appealing. With 42 games, it's hard not to find one that you don't like. Still some games leave a lot to be desired. Pool doesn't have any side pockets and the ball movements aren't all that realistic to the game. Texas Hold'em isn't no limit, despite the forced limit of 5 total hands. But aside from those gripes, it's a pretty complete set. Also for most games you can customize the rules to fit most common sets of house rules.
There are 4 modes of play. Free play against the computer, Wifi Multiplayer, Stamp mode, and Mission mode.
Stamp mode is kind of like a grand tour of Clubhouse Games. You walk your way though each game in a winding path. If you get 1st place you earn 3 stamps, 2nd place earns two and anything lower earns you one. Three total stamps moves you on to the next game where extra stamps carry over. The idea behind this mode is that it unlocks games like Ludo and others when you reach certain milestones.
Mission mode is a little more interesting. It sets goals for you to complete certain games. This is one mode which can help nullify the computer's shortcomings by handicapping you to certain accomplishments. Completing an accomplishment leads to the unlocking of an icon you can use for your character. Overall, it's a good mode which allows for more challenge in certain modes.
The computer AI isn't very good. On the easier difficulty levels the AI just isn't able to do things which should result in simple dumb luck. For instance, in Darts the easy CPU AI just cannot hit a high value when it counts. Yet it can consistently hit low value or relatively inconsequential targets almost consistently. It's almost as if its performance is predetermined. The same goes for bowling. I have never seen the easy level CPU get a strike. I'm just as erratic in both games, but the law of averages allows me to hit a big target or get a strike every once in a while. Meanwhile the harder CPU level can be just as frustrating. It can do things with alarmingly high consistency, again as if its outcome was predetermined or the values that it can achieve on a given turn are limited. These issues are tempered somewhat in more random games like Ludo or Sevens where it's easy to make the right decision every time where luck greatly determines who the winner is. Similarly the hard AI in chess is not comparable to Chessmaster's lowest difficulty levels.
Online wifi is by far the reason to own this game. While the computer AI leaves a lot to be desired, online play lends itself to better matches. In multiplayer, a few of the simple card games like Sevens and obviously the Solitaire games are omitted, but it still leaves for many great games to play. One feature in Clubhouse Games, which is definitely underutilized in other games is the PictoChat. You can use PictoChat to communicate with your opponents in the game. However, this also leads to yet another variation on the common drawback of playing video games online. You wouldn't believe how many genitalia and swastikas I saw because some preteen can now draw online and share with with strangers with no threat of retribution. So if you have kids who might be sensitive to profanity, racism, sex chats, and any of the other garbage communicated online, you might want to rethink this game, or at least allowing them online access. Still, I must admit that this sort of behavior is civilized for the most part. However, if you are online often enough you will encounter this. While the content of the game itself is geared towards all audiences, I assure you that the themes online are very mature.
Controls
Clubhouse games uses the touch screen almost exclusively. You use it to move cards, roll a die, shake a bottle, or roll a ball. A few games offer an alternative on the dpad, there's always an alternative to use your stylus. Most games don't take full advantage of the dual screen technology other than as extra screen space.
While you'd think the touch screen would be great for many of these games, it actually exposes a serious flaw in the sensitivity of the screen. For instance, I have a heck of a hard time drawing a straight line for bowling or darts. Even though I know I'm drawing the straight line, as I remove the stylus from the screen, it registers a slight but sudden horizontal movement. Thus my dart or ball go flying off target. It's very frustrating. However, it's not that it's impossible to do these things, but it just adds an additional level to what should be a flat learning curve.
Graphics
The graphics are what you'd expect from a large game collection cartridge like this. There isn't a lot of flashy graphics or anything of that sort. The only time the graphics really come into play is in pool where the ball movement is similar to a hockey puck on a kitchen table. Similarly, the animations in the bowling game aren't much better either. The graphics only saving grace is that you can unlock different themes or tilesets for specific games by winning five, ten, or fifteen times. Some of them are very creative and are a plus to the experience.
Sound
In a word the music is awful. The music has two themes for many of its games. One during normal play and a secondary theme when someone is about to win. On the bright side, at least these themes aren't off key, but the majority of the themes are extremely annoying. These are the type of tunes that really make you angry when you get them stuck in your head. There are a few exception, but they are very few. The sound effects also are pretty bad in the sense that they are shrill and too high pitched at times. It's obvious that something was just thrown together in the audio department here. There is an unlockable music style, but it too isn't all that great and isn't worth the effort to unlock in most cases.
Replay Value
The replay value while extremely high is limited to the audience who prefers a particular game as well as how the game is represented in this collection. For instance, if you like Shake the Bottle, Clubhouse Games will let you play it but the Computer AI will be extremely predictable and you probably won't find many people to play with you online. If you're into Pool or Texas Hold'em, you're best bet is hop on Yahoo Games. However, other games like Ludo, Chess, Dominoes, Last Card Plus, and I Doubt It definitely are worth it both online and off.
Overall, I'm happy to sing the praises of Clubhouse Games. It's like a bunch of other parlor and card games packed into one cartridge. Yeah some games aren't all that great or duplicated better through other means, but though superior numbers is where this game succeeds. It's true that you can play the majority of these games for free online on Yahoo Games, but that's where the portability factor comes in. It's easy to fire up a game against a computer opponent during a commercial break or hop online for a quick game. In the end, while not perfect, Clubhouse Games would make a sensational Christmas gift this year, or the next.
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