Clubhouse Games

Clubhouse Games 42 All-Time Classics
North American cover art
Developer(s)	Agenda
Publisher(s)	Nintendo
Platform(s)	Nintendo DS DSiWare[1]
Release date(s)	JP November 3, 2005 EU September 29, 2006 NA October 9, 2006 AUS October 26, 2006 INT April 19, 2007
Genre(s)	Puzzle game
Mode(s)	Single-player, multiplayer, online multiplayer (up to eight players)
Distribution	128-Megabit flash card

Clubhouse Games, known in parts of Europe as 42 All-Time Classics and in Japan as Daredemo Asobi Taizen (だれでもアソビ大全), is a compilation video game consisting of card, board, and parlor games developed by Agenda and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo DS handheld video game console. It was first released in Japan on November 3, 2005, in Europe on September 29, 2006, in North America on October 9, 2006, and in Australia on October 26, 2006.

Some of the games included in the North American version of the title are different from those included in the original Japanese version. On April 19, 2007, the North American version was released in Japan with support for the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection, as Wi-Fi Taiou: International Daredemo Asobi Taizen (Wi-Fi対応世界のだれでもアソビ大全). The European version of the title was given a "12+" rating by the PEGI as some of the games, such as Five Card Draw and Texas hold 'em, contain elements of gambling; the Australian OFLC gave the game a PG rating for the same reason.

Gameplay

The compilation is compatible with the Nintendo DS Rumble Pak. If the Rumble Pak is inserted, the Nintendo DS will vibrate when it is the player's turn in the game. The compilation contains three different modes: Free Play, Stamp Mode, and Mission Mode.

In Free Play mode, the player may choose any of the 42 games available to play. Clubhouse Games divides its 42 games up into eight categories. These are the categories and the titles found in each:

• Card games: Old Maid, Spit, I Doubt It, Sevens, Memory, Pig, Blackjack, Hearts, President, Rummy, Seven Bridge, Last Card, Last Card Plus, Five Card Draw, Texas hold 'em, Nap, Spades, and Contract Bridge.
• Board games: Chinese checkers, Checkers, Dots and Boxes, Hasami shogi, Turncoat, Connect Five, Grid Attack, Backgammon, Chess, Shogi, Field Tactics, and Ludo.
• Variety games: Soda Shake, Dominoes, Koi-Koi, and Word Balloon.
• Action games: Bowling, Darts, Billiards, Balance, and Takeover.
• Single player games: Solitaire, Escape, and Mahjong solitaire.

Stamp Mode is a single-player mode that has three levels of difficulty. Players receive 1–3 stamps depending on how they place in the games. Several games in the "Free Play" mode are locked until the player plays them in Stamp Mode. After completing the first "easy" level of Stamp Mode, normal and hard modes are unlocked. Beating the normal level unlocks the "stamp" section in the chat window; finishing hard gives the player a new color to use in the chat window and one last stamp.

Mission Mode is a single-player mode that features 30 missions to accomplish. Some missions include beating the "Memory" card game under three minutes, bowling three strikes in a row, or getting 200 points in Darts. When the player successfully completes one mission, he unlocks another icon. When all 30 missions have been completed, the player unlocks the "Pop" set of music.

Multiplayer

A player may send over a demo of a game by using the "gift" option. He or she can set the difficulty of the CPU. It is similar to the DS Download Station demo; the receiving player may play the game as many times as they want, but once the Nintendo DS is turned off, the game is erased.

Clubhouse Games supports the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection service. The original Japanese version did not feature WFC support; an April 2007 release features it. Out of the 42 games, Old Maid, Spit, I Doubt It, Pig, and the three "Single Player Games" are not playable over WFC. With strangers, players may send pre-selected messages (such as "Good game!" and "Aaack!") and emoticons. Like all other WFC games, it uses a friends list and friend codes. Against friends, players can draw out messages.

Development

The 42 games included in Daredemo Asobi Taizen are similar to the games included in Clubhouse Games, but there are some differences. The original Japanese version lacks the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection service and the aesthetics of many games have been changed. The games Goninkan, Bozumekuri, Sugoroku, Size Game, Last One, Mini Golf, and Napoleon (a Japanese card game, unrelated to the British card game Nap) are exclusive to Daredemo Asobi Taizen. Texas Hold 'Em, Dots and Boxes, Grid Attack, Ludo, Dominoes, Escape, and Mahjong Solitaire are exclusive to the international version.

Reception

Many reviewers praised the game for its diverse selection, simple interface, and tweakable and easily accessible rules. The portable, pick-up-and-play mentality was also praised. Some of the more popular games in the collection included Solitaire and Mahjong Solitaire.^[3]

Much of the game's criticism comes from the limitations on card games. Both GameSpot and GameSpy complained that Texas Hold 'em allowed players to bet in negative chip totals and did not offer no-limit playing.^[4][5] Also noted was that the Blackjack options to "split" cards and buy insurance were not in this series.

Stamp mode was greeted warily. IGN noted that having to unlock some games through Stamp mode went against the "pick-up-and-play mentality" of the game collection, while GameSpy went further in calling it a "cheap way" to get players to play every game.^[3][4]

Clubhouse Games was the runner-up for IGN's Best offline multi-player game for the Nintendo DS,^[6] and a nominee for GameSpot's Nintendo DS Game of the Year 2006.^[7]

DSi releases

Games from Clubhouse Games have been re-released in five-game collections for the Nintendo DSi through the DSiWare download service. The DSi series is titled Chotto Asobi Taizen (ちょっとアソビ大全) in Japan, A Little Bit Of... All Time Classics in the PAL region, and Clubhouse Games Express in North America. All of the versions came out with the pop music set, all player icons, and the stamps and golden color for the chat mode pre-unlocked, yet, one still has to unlock the game designs.

• Chotto Asobi Taizen: Otegaru Trump (ちょっとアソビ大全 おてがるトランプ) consists of Old Maid, Spit, Sevens, Memory, and I Doubt It. It was released in Japan on December 24, 2008. In North America it is known as Clubhouse Games Express: Family Favorites which includes Hearts, Contract Bridge, Dominoes, Ludo, and Dots and Boxes. It was released on September 7, 2009 ^[8] and in the PAL regions on November 6, 2009 titled A Little Bit of... All Time Classics: Family Games.

• Clubhouse Games Express: Card Classics (Chotto Asobi Taizen: Jikkuri Trump (ちょっとアソビ大全 じっくりトランプ) in Japan) consists of Blackjack, five-card draw, two variants of Last Card (referred to as Last Card and Last Card Plus), and President. It was released in Japan on January 28, 2009, in North America on April 27, 2009^[9] and in the PAL regions on October 30, 2009 titled A Little Bit of... All Time Classics: Card Classics.

• Chotto Asobi Taizen: Onajimi Table (ちょっとアソビ大全 おなじみテーブル) consists of Turncoat (Reversi), hasami shogi, Connect Five, shogi, and Koi-Koi. It was released in Japan on February 25, 2009. In North America it is known as Clubhouse Games Express: Strategy Pack which includes Backgammon, Field Tactics, Turncoat, Connect Five and Grid Attack. It was released on September 21, 2009.^[10] and in the PAL regions on November 20, 2009 titled A Little Bit of... All Time Classics: Strategy Pack.

References

External links

• Clubhouse Games Wi-Fi hub
• Clubhouse Games Nintendo site
• Wi-Fi Taiou: International Daredemo Asobi Taizen Website
• Clubhouse Games at GameFAQs
• Clubhouse Games at IGN
• Clubhouse Games at N-sider