If it's good enough for grandma, it's good enough for me.
However, this Christmas, I experience something I thought would never happen. I got my grandmother to play my Nintendo DS. In fact, she loved it so much she was actually inquiring where she could buy a DS. The game she tried? Clubhouse Game, easily the most massively appealing offering in DS's already casual-friendly line-up.
In fact, from my experience, Nintendo has nothing short of a smash hit on their hands if they can market this thing correctly.
Gameplay: 10
Here's the recipe: Take 42 world-renowned card and table games that have been popular for centuries, along with a few others, like bowling, darts, and billiards, and add some excellent touch screen interaction. Put them on a cartridge, along with well-written rules for each game and its variations. Allow single-card multiplayer for friends with their own DS systems, online for the Wi-Fi community, and bots for the lonely folks out there. Throw in a rudimentary "career" mode and a few unlockables and ship it.
And you know what? It works, only because the games themselves are so good and so well implemented. Everything from childhood favorites (Go Fish!, Memory) to advanced fare (Spades, Chess) and even some stuff you've probably never heard of (Koi Koi comes to mind) is available. The best part is that each game has rules and tips, so you'll actually learn some new games to play, or at least some new spins on classic rules.
The single player bots are passable and make killing down-time at the airport or on trips easy. Besides the prerequisite Quick Play, there is Stamp mode, which is basically an "around the world" style career mode with a few unlockables. As a single player experience, the game is definitely a good time.
However, the multiplayer is where its at. Over either Wi-Fi or local connection, you can play with as many as seven others in any one of the games on the cart. It really is a great way to kill an evening and it beats the hell out of lugging around cards and boards. No matter how you play it, Clubhouse Games is simply one of the best handheld games ever made, and bound to become a staple in your DS collection.
Graphics: 6
The word "minimalist" comes to mind. You have your cards, board, or pieces and an icon for each player. That's it. What more do you want from a collection of table and card games? Yes, it's underwhelming and boring, but the interface is clean, and you can unlock some cool alternate visuals for the games, though nothing it truly impressive and 3D is nowhere to be found. The game also supports Picto-Chat on multiplayer games (though only with Friend List friends over WiFi) if that's your thing.
Sound: 5
Even more basic than the visuals, the sound is a collection of forgettable midi music and generic click and whistles. Mainly, its there to alert you when it's your turn and try to convey whether your winning or losing. In that regard, it works. However, muting the system can often seem preferable over longer gaming sessions. My suggestion? Play in conjunction with your iPod or some other music player.
Value: 10
Let's see: You get 42 games for under $30. You can play 8 player multiplayer off one cartridge or play all the games over Wi-Fi. It's the perfect pick up and play game, and who doesn't love classic card and table games? Does this thing only go up to 10?
Verdict:
Does Clubhouse Games do anything that new or innovative? Not any more than Yahoo! Games on any other online parlor game site. Is the touch screen implementation going to change the world? No. In fact, your PDA may have touch screen versions of these games already. Does the presentation show off the DS's graphic capabilities? Nope. Will you care at all when you're playing this? Of course not! It's pick-up-and-play perfection, all for under $30. It's a closet full of board games in your pocket. It's a digital game night. It's a million hyperboles and more! Don't be surprised if you get your significant other, parents, aunts, uncles, and grandparents hooked in the process. If you love games and have a DS, you need this game!