Jason Dunn
04-04-2002, 10:45 PM
<a href="http://www.g3studios.com/downloads/">http://www.g3studios.com/downloads/</a><br /><br />G3 Studios is a relatively new player in the Pocket PC market, but they've certainly got my attention: Black Jack Pro is a very slick Black Jack simulator. I call it a "simulator" instead of "game" because they really pay attention to detail! The 22 page PDF manual has enough rules on Black Jack to make you a pro, and the game itself has a myriad of configuration options: five table options (from $5 to $100), four options for the number of decks in the shoe, four styles of house rules (Las Vegas Strip, Las Vegas Downtown, Reno, and Atlantic City), and various subtle choice for game options including what side of the screen you want your chips to be on, and whether or not you want the computer to help you count.<br /><br /><img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/blackjackpro.jpg" /><br /><br />Graphically, the game is a joy to play: smooth hand motions from the dealer, soft swooshes as your cards land on the table, and even background Casino noise for a more immersive experience. The game has some intelligence as well - if you get dealt 21 on a multi-card hand, it won't ask you to hit or stand like some other games - if you're sitting on 21, baby's got that new pair of shoes.<br /><br />There are some rough spots though: the install is just under 2 megs, which is a little hefty. I installed it to Flash ROM, so this may be a factor here, but the 10+ second load time seems a little much. The UI could use a little polishing too - when you're creating a new player, there's no flashing cursor indicating it requires input. Minor quibbles don't ruin the great game play this game offers.<br /><br />G3 Studios has graciously offered to give away five copies of Black Jack Pro to registered Pocket PC Thoughts readers. And the winners are: <i>sesummers, haneela, The Other Bill Gates, programcsharp, and jimH.</i> All the winners have been contacted via email. Congratulations!<br /><br />You can <a href="http://www.g3studios.com/downloads/">download the demo</a> or lay down $12.99 to have the full meal deal. If you're into Black Jack, this is a great game!