Is this tic tac toe for gamblers?
After giving you guys a taster of a couple of I-play's early releases for 2008, we've got hold of the finished versions and as you might expect, we have given them a thorough testing.
5 Card Slingo takes the simplicity of Slingo Bingo and evolves the concept beautifully. Slingo Bingo was a straight mix of slots and bingo and was really nothing more than a dizzying game of chance. The concept was fresh and the gameplay addictive and it thoroughly deserved it's 85%.
Now comes 5 Card Slingo which is a mix of poker and slots. The playing area is similar to before and comprises a 5 x 5 grid that you proceed to fill with playing cards as you spin the slots beneath. Each level has a points target to unlock the next level. Points are given for making poker hands on the grid. You don't need to have all five cards present on a line to score points. You could start off with just a single pair and three blanks and that would still score some points; if luck is with you this can turn into two pairs for a few more points and if you're really lucky, this line could end up as a full house.
There are 12 win lines in total (5 rows, 5 columns and the 2 main diagonals) and the occasional multiplier to really get the points soaring. The better the hand, the bigger the score and all your stats are saved in the awards section where you can see how many royal flushes you have fluked together with all the other scoring hands.
The game is centred around a tour as you travel the world in search of gemstones while playing 5 Card Slingo. The 5 stages have their own backgrounds and mentors but it is all of minor importance - this is all about the cards. To their credit, they have managed to squeeze a lot of detail on the small screen. By the end of the level you can have 25 cards on display and all the numbers and suits are perfectly legible. With this level of legibility, comes a loss of surrounding detail but I would rather read the cards than ogle at a dreadlocked Mr Chips wannabee.
The game should suit players of all abilities. If you don't manage to reach the target in your first attempt, your score rolls forward if you choose to restart. Complete the level from scratch and you win a 'Lucky Slingoer' award. Points Frenzy and Table Master can also be acquired for each level and trying to win all of these for all the levels help to stretch the longevity out.
After the first few levels you will see 'new rank obtained' frequently popping up. Every hand has its own ranking system and is another valiant attempt to increase replay. Unfortunately there isn't much reward for completing these side quests.
Playing the game can get quite tactical and tense as you pray for that elusive card to appear to complete your flush. There is no escaping the fact that luck still plays a major part in this game. It would have been interesting to have a puzzle mode where you know all your cards in advance and you have to find the most effective positions to get the biggest score possible.
As it stands, 5 Card Slingo is still very enjoyable but it is lacking some real depth for it to sit at the top of your 'must play' list. |
