.FLYINGHEAD WE GOT GAME!
.TITLE GameBox Solitaire, twice the Solitaire, twenty times the game
.AUTHOR David Silver
.SUMMARY With solitaire being one of the most popular game genres for the Palm OS. Hundreds of choices exist, some utterly amazing, some utterly pathetic. In this edition of We Got Game, author David Silver covers PDAMill’s GameBox Solitaire and GameBox Solitaire II. Read on to find out where they rank on the scale.
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Solitaire is one of the most popular game genres for the Palm OS. Hundreds of choices exist, ranging from utterly pathetic to utterly amazing. One such solitaire game is actually two, PDAMill’s GameBox Solitaire and GameBox Solitaire II. Where on the scale do they range? Read on to find out.
Despite their radically different names, both games are very similar, so this review will cover both simultaneously, noting the important differences. Whenever I refer to "Solitaire" with a capital, I’m referring to the program. When written in lower case, it will refer to the game genre.
The primary difference, naturally, is the type of solitaire each game allows you to play, with each program offering you ten different variations. Solitaire offers Blind Alleys, Canfield, Chinese, East Haven, Fourteen out, Freecell, Golf, Klondike, Pyramid, and Pyramid golf shown in the game selection in Figure A.
.FIGPAIR A Solitaire offers ten different games to play.
In Figure B, you’ll find the game selection screen for Solitaire II, offering Australian, Bastion, Eagle Wings, Five Piles, Nestor, Penguin, Puss’s Corner, Scorpion, Spider, and Yukon.
.FIGPAIR B Solitaire II gives you an additional ten games.
.H1 Game play
The real heart of the programs is in the identical game screen they share, shown in Figure C.
.FIGPAIR C Both games offer a very clean, pleasant looking interface.
.BREAK_EMAIL Shuffle your cards here to get the complete score on GameBox Solitaire.
Both games offer a very classic interface, with the cards located on the bottom of the screen and a toolbar at the top. The toolbar offers various options, including Deal, Replay, Undo, Hint, Mute and a timer showing how long you’ve been playing a game. The cards are neatly spaced, with plenty of room between rows, eliminating accidental taps. I find that long tableaus often get cramped at the bottom of the screen, but most of the time there’s more than enough room.
One unfortunate feature of the program is its complete control of the screen. As a T3 user, I’ve grown accustomed to the toolbar at the bottom of the screen. However, both programs hide the toolbar. This allows for greater playing space, but also requires a few extra taps to exit the program, which is accomplished via an "Exit" button in the corner of the screen. In addition, the program also forces landscape-capable models to be in landscape mode, preventing those of us that enjoy vertical games from choosing that option.
Another feature offered is a relatively detailed statistics screen. These statistics serve no practical purpose, but can be fun to look at and are great for backing up any solitaire-related boasts you make. A warning, however: If you play as well as I do, I suggest you avoid looking at the statistics.
Both programs offer slightly different categories, with Solitaire II edging out its prequel, shown in Figure D, with separate stats for the last ten, 50, 100 and all-time games.
.FIGPAIR D Solitaire keeps track of your game statistics.
Here in Figure E, you see the Solitaire II statistics screen.
.FIGPAIR E Solitaire II offers an even more detailed statistics screen.
Both programs offer small amounts of customization. Solitaire offers various types of autoplay, a left-handed mode, and different card effects. Solitaire II offers the same features, with the addition of an Easy mode, allowing, erm, certain authors to have a chance at winning.
Gamers without solitaire experience will be grateful to know that both games contain instructions for each of the games. While the instructions are brief, they’re very concise and among the best instructions I’ve seen in a Palm OS game. The program does have its errors, however.
The game doesn’t offer a tap method of moving cards, requiring the player to drag the card across the screen. While this isn’t a game-breaking flaw, it can be a bit frustrating to some. Another unfortunate aspect of the programs is their size: they both weigh in at about 1500kb each. Older devices have fewer features and size, so those on a memory budget will likely need to find another solitaire solution.
.H1 Sound and graphics
Normally I don’t include this category in handheld game reviews, as they’re normally not something to brag about. However, this time an exception has to be made. Both programs have incredible graphics; the screenshots in this just article don’t do them justice. The cards look like real cards, not cheap computer images, with backgrounds that support them nicely. A problem however, is the lack of customization with the background. If you don’t like the look of it, you can’t replace it with your own.
The sound in the two games is top-notch. Moving a card sounds like you’re moving an actual card, not the incredibly soothing "beep" that we’re all used to. The shuffling sounds are especially nice. They’re truly authentic. And the menus use the same sound effects used during a game. If these sounds aren’t to your liking, they can easily be turned off from in the game.
Users of music capable Palms will gain the gift of a soundtrack. The classical music fits the atmosphere of the game quite well and can greatly aid in concentration. It’s unfortunately a very short track, looping often, which can get exceedingly annoying. Fortunately, a button on the omnipresent toolbar instantly toggles it on and off, allowing your annoyance to be quickly managed. That, and preventing discovery during meetings…
.H1 Conclusion
Both GameBox Solitaire and GameBox Solitaire II are enjoyable solitaire experiences earning them both 3 out of 5. Neither game offers a single feature making it an instant buy, but the combination of features, coupled with the price of essentially a dollar and a half per type of solitaire make them programs any potential solitaire player should test. Users of newer, more technologically advanced models will find it more appealing than users of older models, as their graphics and sound will be nowhere near as nice. The game play will remain the same, however, and that’s definitely a good thing.
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.RATING 3
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.H1 Product availability and resources
For more information on the GameBox Solitaire games, and other PDAMill offerings, visit http:// www.pdamill.com.
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.BIO
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