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 When
I first heard that there was a version of Solitaire on the NES I was very excited. I hoped that it would include multiple
versions of the game including Free Cell, another very popular version of
Solitaire that is found on most
computers. Unfortunately, AVE chose
to include only the most common version of Solitaire known as Klondike Solitaire.
Klondike Solitaire has become known as just plain old Solitaire due to
it being included on every version of Microsoft Windows since 1990. On Windows it is called Solitaire and
this has led many people to believe it is the only version of the game
even though there are hundreds of variations of solitaire. In fact any card game that can be
played alone is technically a version of solitaire.
The rules of Klondike Solitaire are pretty simple. Set up seven rows of cards with each
row having one more card in it than the row before it. Flip over the top card in each row and
place the rest of the deck face down.
Any card that is facing up can be moved into a new row if it is
one less than any card in a row and of the opposite color over. Once you have moved all the cards
around that can be the top three cards, if the top than
it can become part of that row. An
Ace can be placed home and if you draw a two of the same suit or have one
in a row then that can be placed on top of the ace in its home row. The goal is to move every card in your
deck from the rows to the home area.
Most games are winnable but there  are
some games that cannot be won.
By AVE choosing to only place Klondike Solitaire on the cartridge, AVE
has clearly put the game in a tough place of being compared to the free
version that everyone already has on their computer – and it doesn’t hold
up well.
Positives:
On the plus side you do get a few options. You get five different colored decks to
choose from and you can choose between two different modes – draw one
card at a time or flip over three cards at a time. You can also turn the music and sound
effects on or off. Once you know
that you have lost you can just press Select and you will return to the
main menu.
Glaring
Negatives:
Wow, the graphics on this game are ugly! They aren’t even close to being as
crisp as the original Microsoft Windows version. You also can’t play Vegas style where
you lose after one time through the deck in one card mode or three times
through the deck in the draw three mode. You always get to rifle through the
deck as many times as you want. There
is also no scoring system, the game is just a
one-and-done affair.
 Graphics and Sound: Ouch
The graphics are not anything to write home about. The face cards don’t look like any I’ve
seen before and really pale in comparison to the Windows version. That being said, you can tell what
every card is and that is what’s most important. The sound and music are very repetitive
but can just be turned off.
Gameplay
and Controls: OK
This is another game that would be very difficult to screw up. Just point to the card you want to
move, press “A” and then press “A” again where
you want to lay the card. It would
be nice if the B button canceled your move in case you make a mistake.
Features:
Not much
You can choose from five different colors of decks and can either play
the draw one or draw three version of Klondike Solitaire.
Fun?: Not
really
Unless you are a diehard card player you will probably only bust this
out as a novelty. Why bother
playing this when you can just play a better version on your computer?
Challenge:
Depends
Solitaire is always a little
challenging since around 15% of all games are unwinnable. This cartridge though is very easy to
win because you can rifle through the deck as many times as you want.
Replay: Not
much
 You
will probably play it a few times in a row before you put it away but I
can’t imagine you pulling it out many times after your initial
run-through.
2
Player: No
Um, you do know what the word solitaire means don’t you?
Online
Manual?: Yes at Nintendo Age
You can find all the NES manuals
at Nintendo
Age.
Bottom Line: Not as good as the computer
version
If you are used to the version of Solitaire
that comes free on virtually every PC in the world then you will find
this version lacking. It is the
same basic game but with less options and worse graphics.
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