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HOYLE Card Games 2000 includes 14 of your favorite family games
that you can play against a computer nent, against another
player on the same computer, or against another user via the
Internet. The software includes games for players of all ages.
Review
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Card game lovers will appreciate the 14 game choices found in
this versatile CD including War, Poker, Bridge, Hearts, Euchre,
Crazy 8s, Cribbage, Gin Rummy, Solitaire, spades, Go Fish,
Pinochle, Old Maid and Memory Match. With this updated version,
players can create their own personalized icon which represents
them as they play the games. Other features include customizable
game variations, musical selections and backgrounds and ten
animated nents with adjustable skill levels. There are also
multiplayer Internet options and a free laptop version of the
program that loads onto the hard drive, letting you play without
the CD. The games are fun and easy to get started with. This
makes a great gift and an excellent addition to your family
software library.
Teaches: games, logic, strategy
Age Range: 8-up (our guess) Copyright © 2000 Children's Software
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The Hoyle card game series from Sierra has long been recognized
as a source of inexpensive entertainment for computer game
players who enjoy something a little less violent than the slew
of enormously popular gorefest games available today for the PC.
Hoyle Blackjack is no exception -- Sierra has once again released
an addictive, economical card game and has even thrown in extra
bells and whistles to boot.
Hoyle Blackjack is a full-featured blackjack simulation that
captures many of the elements of gambling in a real casino.
Starting off with $5,000 in chips and $5,000 in the bank (which
you can withdraw from a handy ATM located in the casino), you can
risk high stakes at the table without having to worry about
losing any actual money. There is even a tutorial and hint mode
to familiarize beginners with the basic strategies of blackjack.
Play solo against the dealer, computer nents, or, with the
Windows 95 network option, up to three other human players via
the Sierra Internet Gaming System. There are also a variety of
casino play styles to choose from, as well as a style customizer
which allows you to change such variables as the number of decks
at the table and the number of allowable splits per game.
As if this wasn't enough bang for the buck, Sierra also paid
close attention to the small details in Hoyle Blackjack by adding
tasty little extras for that real-feel. The blackjack table is
textured so realistically you nearly feel the felt under your
mouse as you place your bet. To add even more realism, the dealer
and the other characters comment on your performance as you play.
Luckily, Sierra has included an attitude adjuster for the dealer,
allowing you to manipulate just how much of your dignity (and
money) he/she will walk away with at the end of the night..
By combining good looks with amusing gameplay, Sierra has done
it again. If you're searching for a blackjack simulation that
won't break the bank, Hoyle Blackjack is the finest you'll find.
--Tal Blevins
Copyright ©1998 GameSpot Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction
in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written
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