Ultimate Card Games

I love playing card games. I am a long time fan of the various card and board games presented by Sierra. This time, GBA owners are offered a generous selection from Telegames.  There are a LOT of games to choose from. Long trips will be a breeze with this in your arsenal. From solo play to up to four player competition, this game has something for every mood and situation. Ultimate Card Games is a nice game. 

You get 15 Solitaire games alone. On top of that, you get: Euchre, Blackjack, Bridge, Spades, Hearts, Cribbage, Canasta, Gin Rummy, Go Fish, Poker and more. It's quite a bundle for a one-cart offering. The hardest thing about it is-- learning to play them all!

On top of the selection, you get a face-maker, a la Sierra. I always liked making my own Avatar; which gave me a chance to make myself better looking, and dress more "cool". There are lot of ways to tweak your appearance, or you can just play "generic". There is the familiar deck selections like in any card program, but little things like that just add the solid foundation of gameplay seen here. Such things could have been scrimped on, and the title would still stand on it's own. There is also a live, always available "Help/Tutorial" assistant running should you need to learn a new game or brush up on some rules. Nice!! It's never convenient to have to stop and grab a manual every few minutes when learning something new. There are various backgrounds to enhance the depth of visual play. Again, more seasoning to make this a cut above other casino-type offerings.

Though I never did master Bridge (I'll leave that for my retirement days), I thoroughly enjoyed Hearts, Spades and Go Fish. Depending on who has this in their hands, there is something for every level of experience and mood. Kids can enjoy the fun of asking if your opponent has any "Sevens", or a hard-core card player can whittle away the day in some intense Gin Rummy action. The spectrum of games is vast, but also the level of difficulty varies. That works in a negative manner in some games. For instance, die-hard Hearts players may not be challenged by the AI skill levels, here. I am not a heavy player of that game, nor Spades... yet was able to win (too??) often. OK, who wants to complain about winning??!!  But, if you want to mix things up a bit, you always have the ability to tweak the rules setting. I used to do that a lot with Microsoft's Solitaire. I'm a wimp... I only play Draw One. 

The graphics are great. The backgrounds (wallpaper) make it fun. You can go generic, or play against a tropical setting. The faces are "OK", but just having them is a nice touch. I did not put too much time into creating my own face, but the opportunity to do so is nice to have. The deck face selecting is a good feature, but that's nothing new. Still, they look nice.

There is some good sound. If you know me, I always use headphones in my reviews. But, I had the chance to play this on a SP, and the sound was still good. It was not (too) monotonous. There was enough variation to keep it fun and subtle. Some games like this have a sound track that makes you feel like you're being hypnotized into another mental state-- but not here. It was an enhancement rather than a annoyance.

I strongly recommend this cart for anyone that loves to sit and spend time using your brain in a challenging, fun environment. There is a lot to choose from, and the AI is fair in most cases. There is the ability to hookup to up to three other players in head to head competition-- and they do not have to have their own copy of the game!!  How cool is that??!!  I played poker against a guy at work, and it was a blast. Once you unplug, you lose the game, but being able to jack-in live is sweet. That, and the general playability of the various games makes this a must-have for any casino/card playing fan. Want something better?? Go Fish!!

Gameplay: 8.8
There are a lot of games to learn if you're new to Casino and card playing, but once you learn them, the play is fun and easy enough. There is a comfortable environment to play within, and such things just help enhance an already strong selection and challenge. Depending on how much time you want to spend playing a game, there is a lot to choose from. 

Graphics: 8.8 
One of the nicest things is being able to create your own face. Though I did not explore that too heavily, it's a nice touch-- and looks good for this little piece of hardware. The wallpaper backgrounds make things stand out and can be tweaked to suit any mood you're in. It's very nice to look at.

Sound: 7.5
The sound is exceptional and the music is not too repetitive. Some types of these games offering the same chords over and over until you're insane - not here. There is a long track and it is more of an enhancement than an annoyance. Just the way it should be. Video Poker was particularly fun.    

Difficulty: Medium
There is a learning curve for some of the games. I was a bit frustrated from time to time as I thought I understood new games (to me), but had to stop and read what the heck I was doing wrong.  Aside from that, it is straight-forward fun. 

Concept: 7.5 
OK, there is not much new here, but the way it is delivered is nice. Old games, but a nice twist. Sierra kind of blazed the trail for this type of things, but this stands on its own for originality.    

Multiplayer: 9 
Being able to hook up with other players that do NOT own the game is awesome. You can grab any friend or foe and go head to head as long as you stay connected. That is an excellent "extra", and more games should follow this example.

Overall: 8.7
The selection is enough to give it a great score. But, you have to deliver with play, and I think this does. Yes, I found shortcomings and annoyance, but overall it was a lot of fun and easy to pick up. Once new games are learned, you find yourself unable to put it down. You can bet cyber dollars and make it really interesting and (sometimes) frustrating. Games should be like that. Face creating, loads of games, linking to other players and the lush environments make so-so card games a new, refreshing experience. It should be in everyone's collection of games for gentle, fun solo play. Too bad they left out "Slap Jack"... but I guess that would hurt the Game Boy!!