Ultimate Card Games (Game Boy Advance) - Review by Andrew

Introduction

After the phenomenal success of Ultimate Brain Games, Telegames are at it again with Ultimate Card Games, which we'll quickly rename UCG to save, time and space. Like the previous title the game is co-created by Cosmigo and squarely aimed at a more mature audience. The problem that faces them is exactly the same as last time too. Most of these games can be downloaded for free on the average PC and with so many people producing them they tend to be of near commercial quality. To be fair it didn't stop the last title selling but are people ready to shell out for a bunch of card games?

Gameplay

To say that UCG has a lot of features would be an understatement and the back of the box includes an impressive number of features including versions of Hearts, Spades, Bridge, Euchre, Cribbage, Canasta, Gin Rummy, Go Fish, Crazy Eights and Blackjack. These can be played as single player or a multiplayer via the link cable however if you've found someone with a GBA, link cable and a copy of the game, wouldn't it just be easier to bring a pack of cards in the first place? Anyway, if you do happen to find yourself without any friends the in-game AI opponent is more than capable of giving you a good game. This is refreshing and developers have clearly come a long way from the days of chess games where the computer was happy to let you win around 1 in every hundred games. The Solitaire section opens up another fifteen or so games including Klondike, which has undoubtedly been responsible for more lost work hours than anything else on the planet. It's also generally the reason why I can never get through to help lines/my bank/anyone else who is supposed to answer the phone between 9 and 5. Finally here, one aspect that has survived from the previous outing, there's also a face maker, which allows you to add an image to your name. This is just small but fun cosmetic feature really and while it adds nothing to the gameplay it is nice to see your chosen image on screen as you gamble your virtual money away. Shame they didn't add the ability to perspire nor the all-important 'poker face'.

One thing UCG does very well is statistics and every game you or a guest plays is entered into what can best be described as a master spreadsheet. This features everything from games won and lost to average score and time taken. It's even more remarkable when you consider that these stats are available for ever one of the card games available. Another welcome feature, which is cleverly tucked away, is the 'Game Copy' feature. What's that, you may ask? Quite simply it's the ability to copy one of the games to another GBA without them needing a copy of the game. This will then remain on their system as long as it's powered up. As the manual says 'won't you be popular' and we really can't think of a better way to share what is a wonderful game with your friends. This feature isn't used nearly enough and the last time we can recall developers coming even close was with the US GameCube Demo Disc (where you could download various Wario Ware Inc. mini games) or Dakar 2 which had the whole cancelled GBA version of the game which became available as you completed each level. On the down side (and there had to be one) some of the games aren't as flexible as some gamers would like and if you are a card player you've no doubt encountered several versions of the same game throughout the years. UCG presents one version and you either get with the game or leave the table.

Controls

The interface is pretty much like having all these games on your PC including drop down menus, which become accessible at any time by pressing the 'start' button. Everything else is plain sailing and should you be unfamiliar with any aspect of the game you're currently playing, simply click on the help section and a full set of controls and instructions on how to play the game will be presented immediately. It's all very slick and it's very difficult to get lost as everything is intuitive and therefore very user friendly.

Graphics

As with Ultimate Brain Games it's important that the graphics are legible and this UCG does well, as even the tiniest of details appear crisp and visible on the GBA's small screen. Everything else is as you'd expect, with the graphics remaining plain and functional as opposed to anything remotely ornate. The face creator appears slightly more sophisticated although it's still difficult to construct a face so that anyone other than yourself knows it's you.

Sound

Although I wasn't expecting anything from the audio on this cart it's actually surprisingly good. There are the usual minimal sound effects to indicate a move in the various games but the soundtracks are excellent. They can be selected from the menu system at any time, so unlike some other titles, you're not tied down to a developer-selected track for each game.

Final comments

There are few games that you want to keep with you on every journey but I'm delighted to say the UCG will now be joining its 'brains' cousin and the indispensable Scrabble from Ubi Soft. What all these titles have in common is not only do they offer seemingly endless gameplay but they also appear fresh each time you encounter them. Telegames and Cosmigo have again produced a wonderful cart here and while some of the games mat not be as flexible as some users would like there's no denying just how enjoyable this collection of card games is even on the GBA's tiny screen. As a side note both companies are already planning to bring their 'Ultimate' series to the Nintendo DS so we can't wait for what the future holds.

Pro: Endless Gameplay
Con: Rigid Rules
Final score: 9.6

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