Clubhouse Games

"A great game for gamers and non-gamers alike"

Clubhouse Games is one of Nintendo's “Non-gamer games”. Apparently accessible by anybody. And it is something that will keep you engaged. With 42 games on this cart, it will be very hard not to find one you like. It is addictive.

Gameplay-8
You will be able to find AT LEAST one game you will enjoy. The gameplay consists of playing all your favorite games. The touch screen is used to control every single game. I will say now that the touch screen could feel a little awkward at times. I had trouble in a game where you had to work quickly. The touch screen was a little unresponsive. But other than that it was excellent. The multiplayer using single cart is great as well. You have A LOT of options for some single cart multiplayer. My Sister and I play this one whenever we are bored. The Wi-Fi is excellent though. I have a lot of fun playing many different games. The controls work well, never very laggy. The only problem I feel with the online service is that it takes FOREVER to find someone to play. There are a few games that are a little quicker, such as Balance. But the other games aren't played much at all. So if you really want to play for example, Dot to Dot….but a big part of the online community is playing Billiards, you are going to wait 5 minutes. Then you are notified that you should pick another game. And Nintendo's not so excellent Friend Codes makes this worse. You can't communicate with people that you don't have their Friend Codes. The only way to communicate is with some phrases, such as One More! Or Good Game! This makes things very hard, but if you are into the more popular games…then you will be fine.

Graphics-6
Most of the card games are displayed on a green background, similar to a poker table. There are other displays depending on the game. But there isn't much in the graphical department. I would have liked something such as like you see an avatar of another player. There are tiny little icons, similar to buddy icons, but that's what I'm talking about. Something that you create, similar to a Mii. It would have added some more realistic feel. Also, if they would have gone for an avatar approach(even though Mii's aren't very realistic). A really cool thing would have been like there are different “rooms”. Such as, the bottom screen could display your game, while the top screen displays your avatars, sitting around a table in what looks like a big crowded casino. Remember to put on your poker face! But the graphics there are serviceable. If there ever is some kind of sequel, I would like to have features like that implemented.

Sound-5
It is the same couple of jazz like tunes repeated over, and over, and over. It gets a little boring and repetitive. One cool feature would be to unlock different kinds of music. From rock to Nintendo 8-bit music, a gamers dream. A more variety would be nice and less repetition. Something to hope for, I guess.

Replaybility-9
Long. No end, and you will find many games that you enjoy. With an ok online service and great multiplayer, Clubhouse Games will keep you glued to your DS. When having a party, you won't have to pull out decks of cards and game boards. You have Clubhouse Games!

Buy Or Rent?
Easily Buy. You will find something to enjoy. If you don't you have no taste in good games. Clubhouse Games will be fun. So I highly suggest buying it. This is one of Nintendo's titles where renting it makes no sense. So buy, buy, buy.

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 12/11/06