Reviewed: September 23, 2005
Reviewed by: Roger Cox
Publisher
Majesco Games
Developer
Skyworks Technologies
Released: September 8, 2005
Genre: Cards
Players: 1
ESRB: Everyone
4
4
5
4
4.1
It seems like ever since the beginning of time cards and card games have been around. We played them all throughout grade school, and many of us will return to them when we get older. But for now we have video games, which are a little more entertaining than cards to some. However, that didn’t stop Skyworks from producing portable versions of some of the best known card games we used to play as kids.
Kid’s Cards isn’t a game intended for adults (as the title states), but one that will allow children of all ages to enjoy the games their parents probably played when they don’t have any friends, cards, or limited space to play in (like the car).
This is one of the most simplistic GBA games I’ve ever come in contact with. It’s as easy as knowing the basic card games most of us learned as kids. The game starts and you are given a choice of five different card games:
- Crazy 8’s
- Old Maid
- Go Fish
- War
- Slap Jack
One thing I found disappointing was the lack of electronic rules for each game within the game itself. It would have been so easy to have written rules just in case someone didn’t know how to play one of the games. However, the rules are thoroughly explained in the game’s written manual, which is included with the game assuming you remembered to bring it along.
Other than that, the gameplay is just like that of each of the original card games only without the mess and fuss of a real deck of cards. The only thing that is different is that it has been digitized and put on the GBA. This is a card game simulation, just like the countless solitaire and poker sims flooding the shelves, only this one is targeted toward kids who may or may not find any meaningful enjoyment out ot if.
This is the 21st century and times have changes. You can do some pretty impressive stuff and make some really involved games on the GBA for kids and adults of all ages. Simulating card games that your grandparents played on a high-tech gaming system might not be the best use of the technology. But for parents worried about the content of some of the more questionable titles out there, Kids Cards is just as safe and realistic as the physical card games that have been recreated within.
This is a simple game through and through. The most animation you will see is hands reaching out for cards in Slap Jack. The only other real animation is when the cards are dealt to each player and the cards spin into the player’s deck. Not even any cool background animation or anything like that.
The music is this game’s strong point. There’s a different tune for each card game, and I found them pleasant to listen to, not annoying like the majority of GBA games out there. Even so, you do have the option of turning off the music and/or the card sound effects. Although the music is good, there isn’t a lot of it, and it repeats.
How much you or your child like these card games depends on how much replay value you’ll get. This is a quick pick-up-and-play game that doesn’t require save points or anything in that case.
This game is great for road trips where it isn’t easy to deal with cards. The real downside is the lack of multiplayer support, which completely kills this game’s value. Card games have been and will always be about playing with others, yet this game is a single player game where the computer is your opponent.
Kid’s Cards is a portable version of five classic card games. Children of all ages can enjoy playing them even without friends or cards. Just don’t expect anything flashy or fancy, because in the end they are just kid’s card games.
