Review
This will probably be the last time I purchase a card game product from Hoyle unless the company makes some much needed changes. Hoyle needs to revert to the old 2008 format and give us different animated characters every year instead of the same ones year after year. Why does Hoyle insist its characters be so annoying? Jasper tells you that you had better sleep with one eye open if you challenge his remarks. Harley the bear tells you that you may wind up with a fish head in your bed. When you play Gin, even the usually supportive Chloe is obnoxious. If you challenge her comments, she might tell you, "Oh yeah! I hope you get shin splints!" A game like this should be light hearted, not so heavy handed. Sometimes, the characters say things that make no sense. What does Roswell the alien mean when he says, "Goodbye, Mr. Spalding"?
When you play Oklahoma Gin, it's important to remember the first upcard because that card determines the number of deadwood points you need to knock to end the hand. In the 2008 version of HCG, the first upcard is displayed prominently in the upper left hand corner, easy to read. In the 2010 version, the first upcard is displayed in the lower right hand corner but is virtually impossible to read. At the end of each hand in the 2010 version, you can see what cards your opponent had but you can't see what cards you had because the scoreboard covers them up. In the 2008 version, you can see your cards and your opponent's cards at the end of each hand without the scoreboard covering them up. In Oklahoma Gin it's traditional for the game to end after someone scores 150 points. Since spade hands signify double points, points accumulate more quickly than in regular Gin. In HCG, a game of Oklahoma Gin ends after only 100 points are scored, the same as in regular Gin.
When you play Hearts, it's important to try to play the Queen of Spades (13 points against your opponent) on the player with the lowest score. As in golf, the player with the lowest score in Hearts wins the game. The animated characters, however, are programmed to play the Queen at the first opportunity regardless of score. As a result, they often play the Queen on the player with the highest score. That makes no sense. The game should be fixed so that the characters can target the player with the lowest score.
The Hearts settings allow you to use alternate passing so that you pass three cards to a different player at the start of each new hand but there is also a no pass play where you don't pass to anyone. When I played hearts online at the now defunct Hoyle Sierra website, everyone I played with hated the "no pass" rule. I suggest Hoyle add an option that allows you to pass to a different player at the start of every hand. Yes, I know there is an option that allows you to always pass left but that means you are always passing to the same character. The 2008 version let you know in advance if you were passing to the right, left or across. In the 2010 version of HCG, unless you recall who you passed to in the previous hand, you have to pass blindly.
In Hearts, if you shoot the moon (capture the Queen of spades and all thirteen hearts), you score 26 points against the other players. Since the game ends once someone accumulates 100 points, that doesn't help if your score is 75, an opponent's is 90 and the low score is 42. I prefer an option that allows you to either add 26 points to your three opponent's score or else take 26 points off your own score. In earlier editions of this game, the characters would congratulate you if you shot the moon. Robin the forest ranger from Hoyle Games 5 could always be relied on for a shoot the moon comment. In the 2010, 2009,2008 and 2007 edition of HCG, the characters say nothing when you shoot the moon.
If you are more interested in playing cards online with real people rather than playing with animated characters, do not buy HCG 2010. It will not allow you to access the online card-playing site called Hoyle Royal Suite. HCG 2009 will allow you to access Royal Suite but be warned. At the moment, there are virtually no players on this website. The site is pathetic in comparison to the wonderful five star Hoyle Sierra website that was discontinued in early 2009. When I asked Hoyle Online Customer Support why the website was dismantled, I was told, "The rights to use the gaming software and the underlying servers have expired and Activision has declined to renew these licenses." Funny how Activision didn't renew these licenses the very year Hoyle came out with its own card playing website.
As I said, Hoyle Royal Suite is a pathetic website but it's better than all the other online card playing websites, that is, if you can find someone to play with. MSN, Yahoo, Hardwood Hearts and Hardwood Spades are even more pathetic than Hoyle Royal Suite, which says something about the sorry state of card-playing websites now that Hoyle Sierra is gone.
If you are only interested in playing with animated characters, buy HCG 2008 instead of 2009 or 2010. If you are more interested in playing online, buy HCG 2009 at your own risk. I can't guarantee you will have anyone to play with or that Hoyle won't drop Royal Suite also.
When you play Oklahoma Gin, it's important to remember the first upcard because that card determines the number of deadwood points you need to knock to end the hand. In the 2008 version of HCG, the first upcard is displayed prominently in the upper left hand corner, easy to read. In the 2010 version, the first upcard is displayed in the lower right hand corner but is virtually impossible to read. At the end of each hand in the 2010 version, you can see what cards your opponent had but you can't see what cards you had because the scoreboard covers them up. In the 2008 version, you can see your cards and your opponent's cards at the end of each hand without the scoreboard covering them up. In Oklahoma Gin it's traditional for the game to end after someone scores 150 points. Since spade hands signify double points, points accumulate more quickly than in regular Gin. In HCG, a game of Oklahoma Gin ends after only 100 points are scored, the same as in regular Gin.
When you play Hearts, it's important to try to play the Queen of Spades (13 points against your opponent) on the player with the lowest score. As in golf, the player with the lowest score in Hearts wins the game. The animated characters, however, are programmed to play the Queen at the first opportunity regardless of score. As a result, they often play the Queen on the player with the highest score. That makes no sense. The game should be fixed so that the characters can target the player with the lowest score.
The Hearts settings allow you to use alternate passing so that you pass three cards to a different player at the start of each new hand but there is also a no pass play where you don't pass to anyone. When I played hearts online at the now defunct Hoyle Sierra website, everyone I played with hated the "no pass" rule. I suggest Hoyle add an option that allows you to pass to a different player at the start of every hand. Yes, I know there is an option that allows you to always pass left but that means you are always passing to the same character. The 2008 version let you know in advance if you were passing to the right, left or across. In the 2010 version of HCG, unless you recall who you passed to in the previous hand, you have to pass blindly.
In Hearts, if you shoot the moon (capture the Queen of spades and all thirteen hearts), you score 26 points against the other players. Since the game ends once someone accumulates 100 points, that doesn't help if your score is 75, an opponent's is 90 and the low score is 42. I prefer an option that allows you to either add 26 points to your three opponent's score or else take 26 points off your own score. In earlier editions of this game, the characters would congratulate you if you shot the moon. Robin the forest ranger from Hoyle Games 5 could always be relied on for a shoot the moon comment. In the 2010, 2009,2008 and 2007 edition of HCG, the characters say nothing when you shoot the moon.
If you are more interested in playing cards online with real people rather than playing with animated characters, do not buy HCG 2010. It will not allow you to access the online card-playing site called Hoyle Royal Suite. HCG 2009 will allow you to access Royal Suite but be warned. At the moment, there are virtually no players on this website. The site is pathetic in comparison to the wonderful five star Hoyle Sierra website that was discontinued in early 2009. When I asked Hoyle Online Customer Support why the website was dismantled, I was told, "The rights to use the gaming software and the underlying servers have expired and Activision has declined to renew these licenses." Funny how Activision didn't renew these licenses the very year Hoyle came out with its own card playing website.
As I said, Hoyle Royal Suite is a pathetic website but it's better than all the other online card playing websites, that is, if you can find someone to play with. MSN, Yahoo, Hardwood Hearts and Hardwood Spades are even more pathetic than Hoyle Royal Suite, which says something about the sorry state of card-playing websites now that Hoyle Sierra is gone.
If you are only interested in playing with animated characters, buy HCG 2008 instead of 2009 or 2010. If you are more interested in playing online, buy HCG 2009 at your own risk. I can't guarantee you will have anyone to play with or that Hoyle won't drop Royal Suite also.
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