As usual, I like to begin these reviews with a short blurb concerning any pre-existing biases that I might possess (like any reviewer does) which could help shed light on the review in question. For example, my scathing review of Indy 500 is somewhat tempered by the acknowledgement of my general dislike of racing games. By letting the reader in on this information before the review is begun, it should help the reader in identifying areas of the review that might be less factual in nature, but more of a personal opinion. I try to provide as neutral a commentary as possible, but a perfectly unbiased review is most likely impossible for any reviewer.
So, to let you know before the Tiger Casino review starts - I'd been anticipating the release of this title for some time, and its genre is one of personal preference. Games such as this one are particularly suited for review, as their more simple nature is more apt to point out deficiencies in the programmer rather than the hardware. Are B&R and MKT somewhat blurry? Blame the Com's screen. But if Blackjack cannot be done properly, then something is very wrong with the game designer!
Every handheld needs a solid gambling title, and Tiger Casino is the Com's native offering into that genre. Offering up 6 different casino-style games (well, actually 4 games and 2 slot machines), TC belongs in the collection of every "gaming" gamer - anyone who has happily wasted away hours at a time to Solitaire. First, some overall impressions and observations about this title. Above all, nothing in this game appears rushed. Time and care was taken to make this game polished and perfected, and it shows. So often, its the little touches that make or break a game - a well-don title screen, humorous elements, thorough option menus, etc. TC has all of these. One of the nicest touches is the password system, where your 4-digit code is made up of Slots elements (my last password as Cherry Lemon Cherry Lemon!)
The implementation of the Poker subgame is the only real disappointment with TC, as you're not allowed to compete against another player (either human or computer) but attempt to acquire the best-scoring hand possible. A pair of Jacks (the minimum allowed for opening bets in "real" Poker) earns you a 1:1 return on your bet, while hitting the legendary Royal Flush earns you a 250:1 return. For some odd reason, that increases to 2000:1 if you bet the maximum - I don't know if that is some obscure Poker rule I've never encountered, or if Tiger was being generous and wanted to offer up a "cash" prize worth wishing for! In and of itself, this pseudo-Poker game isn't bad, and is actually done very well for what it is. I simply would've preferred to have an opportunity to match wits with the computer and possibly bluff my way into winning with a pair of fives :) Blackjack manages to include a computer-controlled opponent, altho I must say that programming a simple script of "hit on 16, stay on 17" probably wasn't too difficult a task! If you don't know, the goal of Blackjack is to hit or get as close as possible to a score of 21 (hence the alternate name) without going over. Pretty simple stuff, and odds are you'll walk away from this game with a positive chipcount. Not much to say about this subgame beyond mentioning that there's nothing particularly bad about this version - its done well, its Blackjack, you'll enjoy it.
It quickly becomes apparent that Roulette is the best-designed game of the group. I was curious as to how well Tiger would manage to duplicate the complex setup of the "betting board" of a roulette table, and they pulled it off superbly. TC roulette isn't watered down at all, offering all the betting options normally found in the realworld game. What to place a chip on the 20/23 split, or on the 2/3/5/6 center? Go right ahead! All the standard betting options are in place, such as Black/Red, Even/Odd, and 12/18 groupings. Once your bet has been placed, spin the wheel and see if your luck holds. Even the mini-animation of the rolling ball is handled well. Particularly interesting was the intro roulette title screen, which features the bouncy ball of the Com's power-on introduction - as the screen pans out, it reveals itself to be the roulette ball. Well done! Without a doubt, this is the absolute best Roulette translation I've encountered on any gaming system. Hi-Low (or "War" as many folks know it) is the rather simplistic game of comparing whether you or the computer drew the highest card. Not much to say about payoff variants here - if you bet three and win, you get six. The chip pile can start to pile up rapidly when both you and the computer draw the same card and "Push" to see who wins the next draw. The most fun I got out of this game was watching the two Queens battle each other during the intro screen! As the TC instruction booklet itself states, "There isn't too much strategy in Slots." Each pull of the arm gives a random result - you might lose, or you might win big. TC provides two different Slot machines to play, and they aren't just different faces on the same machine. There is the classical "slots o' fruit" game where you match up cherries, lemons, oranges, and the like, and there is "T-Rex Slots" that has you pairing up T-Rexes and sabre-toothed tigers (an easy reference!) The T-Rex variant seems to provide easier odds, as well as offering the highest payoff of any game in Tiger Casino - 20,000 chips if you luck into three T-Rexes. Compared to the comparatively low 25:1 payoff from the Fruits machine, I know which one-armed bandit I'll be visiting! If you're a fan of more fast-paced action gaming, then Tiger Casino probably isn't your cup of tea. But, as mentioned previously, if easing thru a rainy weekend with Solitaire is more your idea of a good time, TC should definitely be placed on your "to-get" list.
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