Gin Rummy (XBLA) Review
Posted by Joe Roche on 09.16.2008
It's Gin Rummy, what else can I say?
I am admittedly a video game fanatic. I love video games because in my real life I will never play the back nine at Augusta National, or lead my hometown team to the Super Bowl, nor will I ever stop a virus from whipping out my community, or rescue a Princess from an evil turtle. So when I hear about the popularity of games that fit into those genres I can simply nod, because I understand the appeal. But recently the Xbox Live Arcade has seen a rush of popular card games, specifically Poker Smash and UNO. In my mind these games are a sign that perhaps video game systems are turning us into pod people – but with an open mind I tried to find the appeal of the newest card based Xbox Live Arcade title, Gin Rummy.
Gameplay
Have you ever played Gin Rummy? Maybe with your grandparents on one of those long weekends where your parents dropped you off so that they could “get some work done” around the house? If the answer is yes, then you’ve got a pretty firm grasp on how this game works. There isn’t much I can tell you about how this game works other then it is Gin Rummy in video game form. There are a few variations on the “classic” Gin Rummy for you to experiment with in case the prospect of paying 400 MS points to play a game that could be accomplished in the flesh for one dollar worth of playing cards is a bit steep. The single player gives you the option of playing Classic Gin Rummy, Oklahoma Gin, Hollywood Gin, 3-hand Gin, Speed Gin Rummy and you also have the option of customizing the rules to your own specific needs.
Even though all of these different forms are offered if you’ve only ever been exposed to the classic formation of the game, rest easy because the game has simple to follow guides on how to play the other game incarnations. I like that the tutorials are available on how to play all variations of the game but honestly I’m sure you’re much more likely to just jump into a game and try to figure it out as you go alone, at least that’s what I wound up doing. Nice feature though, even if I did ignore it completely.
The game also offers the standard Player Match, and Ranked Match multiplayer options, so if you’ve got no in the flesh friends or elderly relatives nearby you can jump on Xbox Live and play Gin Rummy with another lonely sole somewhere on the planet. While it’s nice to have the online capability, good luck finding a Ranked Game because unless you happen to bump into me, I’m not sure there is anyone else out there playing XBLA Gin Rummy. On the other hand I was able to find my way into a standard Player Match although my opponent ditched before the game started so it might have just been another reviewer trying to figure out who is out there playing this game online.
In the end it is simply put, Gin Rummy.
Graphics
The graphics are what you’d expect from Gin Rummy. The colors are sharp and clean, the cards look like – well cards, and other then that there isn’t much to talk about. In the options menu you’ve got a choice of five different card skins, and eight game skins so there is some variation but not much. If you want a comparison to think about try picturing the different card skin options in Solitaire on an old Apple IIe computer and that’ll give you an understanding of what we’re talking about here.
Sound
It’s tough to judge the sound in this game because it is one endless loop of the most maddening elevator music I’ve ever heard in my life. Of course you’ve got the option of changing the music to anyone one of five songs all of which are repetitive and boring so while there is a choice it’s never a good one. Try to think of the type of music you hear when you first get on a cruise ship, there is some three piece band behind a bar playing everyone on the ship – well imagine that on a loop while you try to play cards.
Fun Factor
It’s Gin Rummy on Xbox Live Arcade. If you love Gin Rummy but hate human interaction, or have no friends who like to play card games with you then it’s the perfect substitute.
Lasting Appeal
How often do you play Gin Rummy? It has lasting appeal in that the game never changes and it’ll always be on your hard drive once you purchase it. On the other hand is it really worth it to buy a game that you’d have a better time playing at your dinner table, and you might only play once a month?
The 411
Sometimes these reviews write themselves. When I’m given the task of talking about games that you might not know much about it’s a bit more difficult then today. This game is Gin Rummy, you’ve played it before and because of that you know exactly what to expect. If you’ve never tried your hand at Gin Rummy before then grab a deck of cards and a friend and give it a whirl. If you’re looking for a video game incarnation of Gin Rummy this is a perfectly acceptable game. I’m not sure there is a huge market for the game out there but for what it tries to do – it does that pretty well. Is it an overly fun game that has me dying to fire up the console? Nope. But then again it is a decent time waster that is nothing short of a solid representation of Gin Rummy.
Graphics
6.0
Sharp colors, but unimaginative skins.
Gameplay
7.5
A pretty solid representation of Gin Rummy with multiple variations.
Even though all of these different forms are offered if you’ve only ever been exposed to the classic formation of the game, rest easy because the game has simple to follow guides on how to play the other game incarnations. I like that the tutorials are available on how to play all variations of the game but honestly I’m sure you’re much more likely to just jump into a game and try to figure it out as you go alone, at least that’s what I wound up doing. Nice feature though, even if I did ignore it completely.
