09-12-2003, 06:00 PM
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Sage
Join Date: Dec 2003
Posts: 813
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Handmark's Yahtzee 1.05 reviewed
Yahtzee. If you know this game, there isn�t really much to say. If you have never played it, think of a game of poker played with five dice instead of playing cards. If you have never played Poker, think of�.. Oh nevermind. Just think of a very simple dice game where you have target values to achieve through a total of 13 sets of three rolls. With Handmark releasing the official version, surely we can expect the ultimate game of Yahtzee on our Pocket PCs.
As with any game Handmark releases, I look forward to the quality and polish they bring to the Pocket PC. All titles are well presented and a perfect representation of the game at hand. Yahtzee is no exception, with a very professional feel. That said, I was surprised by how little there is to this game. In a way it is almost too simple a game to warrant the kind of expertise we expect from Handmark to the point where I was wondering why they had not given more than was on offer. Perhaps I have just been spoiled by previous titles; after all this incarnation is indeed a perfect replication of the game.
Figure 1: Up to six players can participate.
So What's it All About?
For those of you who are not familiar with this game, the premise is fairly simple. You have 13 categories of scores to achieve such as all sixes, four of a kind etc. You get three rolls to score as high as possible in each category and these can be played in any order. If you go for one category but find you have scored highly in another category that has not already been scored, you can place your score in this category instead. A well illustrated Help section is included with many examples of the different scoring types required in the game and will have you up and playing in no time. For such a simple game though, be warned just how addictive it can be. This title definitely has that 'one more game' quality.
Figure 2: The main game screen with score board.
Graphics are clear and well laid out with a simple to understand scoreboard and rolling dice. No need for anything too flashy here although everything is well represented and with a purpose. Audio compliments this with the sound of the dice rolling and applause if you throw five of a kind or Yahtzee! Everything is stylus driven and the game is very easy to play although caution should be noted when selecting where on the scoreboard you wish to place your total. With the relatively small areas to place your score, it�s fairly easy to select the wrong box by accident. An undo function that allows you to rollback this selection as found in the likes of Solitaire would be a useful addition. A high score table records the top 10 results and just for embarrassment, the lowest score is also captured!
Figure 3: Ahh, so that's how it got its name.
Who all gets to play then...
One thing of note, the single player game is exactly that. You play on your own with no computer opponents to tackle. While this isn�t detrimental to the game, you have your highest scores to try and improve on; it would perhaps be a fun option of having your Pocket PC trying to beat you to a high score. Multiplayer brings a lot more options to the table with the ability to share a device or use IR, Bluetooth or the Internet to establish a connection to your gaming partner. This makes discreet games across the office possible and a nice way of getting you through another soul-destroying teleconference!
Figure 4: Can you tell this game is addictive?
Figure 5: Help isn't far away.
Gotchas- No computer opponents
- Lack of undo option
Where to buy
Yahtzee can be purchased from Handango for $19.99 (Affiliate link).
Specifications- Any Pocket PC
- 910kb of storage required
Conclusion
Well if you have been looking for the definitive version of Yahtzee for your Pocket PC, it comes as no surprise that Handmark has delivered it. The game comes with all the presentation you could hope for in as faithful a version as you will find. The lack of a computer opponent may be a disappointment to some but it doesn�t really affect the game in my opinion. Some people may also find the price point as still a bit high for what is essentially a simple game but that is the cost of an officially licensed title. Otherwise, this is the best Yahtzee title available. If this is your game, look no further.
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09-12-2003, 06:16 PM
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Sage
Join Date: Mar 2004
Posts: 734
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Nice, looks like a good game, even if it is only Yahtzee :lol:
Handmark does make some pretty nice games, even if they're a tad on the expensive side. [$30 each for scrabble and monopoly] I really like Monopoly and I've tried scrabble, but unfortunately I lack the uber-vocabulary to enjoy that one 
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09-12-2003, 06:18 PM
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Ponderer
Join Date: Sep 2002
Posts: 85
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Come on Andy, get out there and make some friends so you don't have to play all the games by yourself!
<KIDDING!> :mrgreen:
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09-12-2003, 06:37 PM
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Pupil
Join Date: Mar 2003
Posts: 10
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Thanks for the review and screenshots - very nice! I think an official version of the game has been sorely missed for a long time - at least for me I'll pass for now though, as (in my opinion) the price is too high. Additionally, I got used to playing against an opponent on my old Palm, so not being able to play against the computer won't be nearly as fun for me. Lastly, it looks like they may have gone a bit overboard on the graphics. In all fairness, I haven't tried it out, but from the screen shots it's hard to tell if the die is a four or a two, a six or a three, etc. The angles are a little too dramtic, I think.
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09-12-2003, 06:55 PM
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Ponderer
Join Date: Oct 2003
Posts: 103
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My wife and I like to play Yahtzee on the PPC just about every night, and we've checked out every Yahtzee game we could find. My favorite is still Tan Kok Mun's version for the palm, because of the interesting ways in which you can customize the rules. For example, you can configure it so that any unused rolls from the previous turn "rolls over" to the subsequent turn, so you can have up to 7 rolls on one turn. Makes strategizing more interesting- maybe it'd be worth it to take a low score on one roll in order to possibly get a great score on the next roll... There are also 2 different rulesets to choose from, one is 'classic' and the other one's name escapes me right now.
Since we don't have a palm in the house anymore we bought KSE Yahtzee. It's nice but I hate how you have to switch between two different screens for scoring- I like everything on one screen, again, like Tan's version for the Palm.
I downloaded a trial of the handmark version and although visually nice, there's just no customization of the rules. Wonder if that was a condition of the licensing agreement with the company that owns Yahtzee? But I do like that all the scoring is done on the same screen, no flipping back and forth like with KSE. I'd pay the $30 for this if they had some more interesting options with the rules...
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09-12-2003, 09:04 PM
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Intellectual
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 129
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$20 ?!?! What a rip off for such a simple game. Scrabble is well worth their asking price imho but $20 for this game is incredible. I do a little bit of coding and this would take me a day max followed by a day or two for an artist :0) Sheeks ;0)
Dom
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09-12-2003, 09:31 PM
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Sage
Join Date: Dec 2003
Posts: 813
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by xymantix
but from the screen shots it's hard to tell if the die is a four or a two, a six or a three, etc. The angles are a little too dramtic, I think.
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The angles show the die in motion as they are shaken. Once they have finished, they are shown full on so it's perfectly clear what score they are. Regarding the rules and price, these are both products of the officially licensed title. The rights need to be paid for and covered and the game uses official Yahtzee rules only. You just need to decide if the cost is worth it for the best version of the official game on your handheld.
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09-12-2003, 10:19 PM
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Pupil
Join Date: Mar 2003
Posts: 10
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Quote:
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The angles show the die in motion as they are shaken. Once they have finished, they are shown full on so it's perfectly clear what score they are.
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Well, in case it's a very cool effect! I guess that's a good reason why you shouldn't pass judgement on a screenshot alone
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09-12-2003, 11:44 PM
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Sage
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 779
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Sometimes I buy things for the silliest reasons. In this case, I liked the sound of the dice rolling.  ops:
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09-12-2003, 11:52 PM
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Moderator Emeritus
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 1,998
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by Dom
$20 ?!?! What a rip off for such a simple game. Scrabble is well worth their asking price imho but $20 for this game is incredible. I do a little bit of coding and this would take me a day max followed by a day or two for an artist :0) Sheeks ;0)
Dom
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I have to agree. This is too much cash for such a simple game. And I did shell out the cash for both Monopoly and Scrabble.
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Linear Mode
