HOYLE'S BOOK OF GAMES, VOLUME ONE

 Like chess, card games lend themselves well to computerization. The Software
Toolworks' CRIBBAGE KING/GIN KING is probably the most significant effort to
date in this genre, setting the standard for both computer AI and game design.
Sierra On-Line's HOYLE'S BOOK OF GAMES, VOLUME ONE is quite competitive in the
AI department, and goes one better in game design (especially for Sierra fans):
It includes of a cast of 18 opponent "characters," many of whom appeared in
previous Sierra releases. (This review is based on the Amiga version.)

 HOYLE'S opens with the usual Sierra screen logo, initial animation sequence,
and music soundtrack. Although unspectacular, the music is nevertheless just
right: It sounds like something you'd hear in a honky-tonk western bar, and
combined with the flashy opening screen, helps set the mood very nicely.

 Your first stop is the deck selection screen: You can choose a classic deck
design in blue or red, or one of seven others (most of which recall the less
attractive floral wallpapers of the '70s). You may also save your choice, so
that the program defaults to your favorite deck upon startup. Deck selection
isn't significant to gameplay, but it does add a personal touch.

 Next, you pick your game: Crazy Eights, Old Maid, Hearts, Gin Rummy, Cribbage,
or Klondike. All but Klondike are played against a computer opponent, one of 18
available onscreen characters: Rosella, Roger Wilco, Larry Laffer, and the
Colonel (among others) from THE COLONEL'S BEQUEST; the game designer and
animator; a bulldog; and a few kids (one of whom is the game designer's
daughter). Each player has strengths in particular games, and all are
categorized as either "Serious Players" or "Not-so-serious Players." A cute
detail: If you select a player and then change your mind and deselect, the
player makes a face at you.

 Finally, you begin play. Each game is based on the official rules according to
Hoyle, with a few minor exceptions: In Old Maid, two queens are removed from the
deck and a special Old Maid card is added. In Klondike, you can play the
original game, or set the computer to flip three cards at a time, with unlimited
runs through the deck; you may also specify standard flipping with unlimited
runs. (Your choice can be saved as a default startup selection.)

 A menu bar gives you full access to the rules for each game -- handy if a
particular game is unfamiliar to you. The rules for Cribbage are more complex,
so they're not included here in full; however, they're described in the game
manual, as are instructions for all the other card games.

 There are nifty features incorporated as aids throughout the various games. In
some, you can select an option that sorts your hand by suit or value; in all,
the card you've selected for play is clearly highlighted. In Cribbage, you can
speed up or slow down the end-of-hand counting.

 All hands are dealt with smooth animation during the games. You play from an
overhead view; the faces of your opponents are lined up on the sides of the
green table. If you take too long to play your turn, the game fills in the empty
space with idle conversation. One of the fascinating aspects of this
inter-character dialogue is that it really does _seem_ like a conversation: The
characters don't produce text bubbles merely at random; they respond to each
other's comments, remark on your delays, etc.

 During actual play, the characters react to events with facial expressions:
Success registers on their faces to the accompaniment of a little victory tune;
big mistakes or bad luck makes them visually snarl in disgust while an "uh-oh"
melody plays. And if one of the computer characters ends up as the Old Maid, a
funny little animation occurs. These effects might be extraneous to the game
itself, but they add much to the liveliness of the computer "presence."

 The best games are Klondike, Gin Rummy, and Cribbage. The Cribbage board is
just a wee bit hard to discern clearly, but the game itself plays quite
smoothly. Klondike contains none of the special effects, and will therefore
appeal most to those who just want a straight game without extras. Gin Rummy is
my personal favorite, mainly because the computer plays quite well and deals an
interesting variety of hands. Hearts, Old Maid, and Crazy Eights are more
light-hearted, and will appeal to a younger audience.

 The graphics are standard Sierra fare: nothing spectacular compared with what's
available for the Amiga, but certainly adequate for gameplay. Although the cards
in particular are drawn with good detail, there's an overall flatness to Sierra
graphics that's not to my liking. (This may be merely a factor of personal
preference, and it certainly has little to do with the quality of the games.)
You have full control over animation speed, play speed, deal speed, and delay
speed, so compensations for differences in system capability are easy to effect.

 HOYLE'S comes on two disks that are not copy-protected in any way (what a
relief!), and the programs are easily transferred to your hard drive using the
included installation program. If you have at least 1MB of RAM and a hard drive,
HOYLE'S boots nicely from the standard Workbench; it can also be installed for
floppy-based systems. With each new release for the Amiga, Sierra takes another
positive step toward perfecting its Amiga interface.

 The program requires only 512K of RAM and is played entirely with the mouse.
The IBM-PC simulations of standard Workbench menu bars can be disconcerting: The
scrolling gadgets on the right of the bar are inoperative, yet become active
when clicked upon. I'm sure Sierra is working on making its "frame interface"
more Amiga-compatible, and I hope they'll come up with an Amiga-oriented
interface that doesn't look so much like a primitive IBM imitation of same.

 All in all, HOYLE'S BOOK OF GAMES is solid in design, and more importantly,
high in gameplay quality. Some players may find the characters and effects
extraneous to their enjoyment, but for me, these additional touches fleshed out
the gaming experience quite well. I'm looking forward to VOLUME TWO!

 HOYLE'S BOOK OF GAMES, VOLUME ONE is published and distributed by Sierra
On-Line.

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