All-in-One Casino Games PC Review

Oleh Unknown

Senin, 01 November 1999

All-in-One Casino Games is a poor effort from beginning to end, starting with the game's welcome screen -- a picture of the box. The music accompanying the main menu is terrible, even by casino standards, and there's a 1-second gap after the end of one music loop and the beginning of the next. The game is limited to a 640x480 window and features only ten different games, including a single slot machine and one video poker machine, with no variations whatsoever.

Worst of all, the developers were sloppy in the implementation of the casino games. For example, the roulette wheel is too small to see where the ball is going, so there's no suspense. The same lazy design occurs in the Keno area. In real-life, Keno operators announce the numbers as they're drawn, which builds excitement when you're only one or two numbers away from a big win. Unfortunately, the game lists the results in increasing order, thus, if you've selected numbers 1 through 10 on your ticket and the first ball that appears is number 12, you know the game is essentially over and you're stuck watching the rest of the drawing to no real purpose.

The interface is sloppy and inconsistent. Text messages, prodding you for action, are printed in a small font, and often overrun the borders of the small screen area where they're located. Even worse, since the text layer is apparently drawn before the rest of the screen, the first and last words of a message are often hidden from view by the playing table, or by flat black areas. At times, chips appear on the table after a bet, while at others, only a numerical counter shows up.

The game goes downhill from there. Chips seen in the bet selection areas and on the playing tables do not match in color or size, and the sound effects are extremely annoying. As a result, the entire game reeks of laziness and amateurism, and is not remotely fun to play.

Graphics

Sloppy interface and mostly static images make for a visually unappealing product.

Sound

The sound effects are terrible, and the music-looping bug is inexcusable.

Enjoyment

Bad implementation robs the gambling games of any innate excitement.

Replay Value

Much less variety than other casino games that are available on the market. Having a single slot machine and one video poker machine is insulting.

Documentation

Minimal online help is adequate. No manual comes with the game.