Clubhouse Games: 51 Worldwide Classics Review
A great celebration of some timeless classics which utterly shine in multiplayer while missing the mark in solo play.
On sale Clubhouse Games: 51 Worldwide Classics is a solid pick up and worth every penny, even at full price as long as you can get a few people together to join in.
As I sat down to play 4 in a row (or connect 4 as it’s more commonly known) for the umpteenth time it suddenly struck me, Clubhouse Games: 51 Worldwide Classics is the kind of title only Nintendo could get so right.
Now don’t get me wrong, I’m sure there are many other competently made versions of 4 in a row out there, some perhaps even fortunate enough to feature the far more appealing title of Connect 4, yet
matching the sheer level of craftsmanship seen in Nintendo’s version of this classic would be a nigh on impossible task. Everything from the familiar plastic on plastic click as the red and yellow discs fall into place to the hummable track looping in the background comes together perfectly to make 4 in a row, not just a joy to play, but a joy to revel in the authenticity of its recreation and the same point can easily be made for the majority of the 51 games found in Clubhouse Games.
Let’s take ludo, for instance, Ludo would be such an easy game too ‘phone in’ so to speak. A colour coded board, a few bright play pieces and bam, you have yourself a virtual version of a classic, but Nintendo has gone a few steps further with Clubhouse ludo.
Clubhouse ludo features several variations on the boardgame’s traditional rule set which honestly does change the way you approach the game, add to that a couple of ruthless A.I, or better yet human opponents; HD dice rumbling and the terrifying sound effects on other player pieces either coming up behind you or taking their final strides towards their home bases and Nintendo has done it yet again. Another stellar recreation of a classic which not only captures the essence of the game but elevates it’s.
The undeniable charm of games like Ludo, 4 in a Row or even something as straightforwardly simple as Pig Tails does, however, cause a bit of an issue when Clubhouse Games eventually throws up a stinker, the ‘Toy’ titled games for instance. While serviceable and possessing their ham-fisted charm, they feel half-baked and utterly lack that ‘one more go’ quality of their peers.
Alongside a few forgettable titles Clubhouse Games: 51 Worldwide Classics other weakness reveals itself when played in the absence of other human players, and while commendably Nintendo have made efforts to consider the lone wolves out there with decent A.I. opponents and some single player only games,
no game found in this Clubhouse could hope to be as enjoyable solo as they are with a couple of real-life friends.
Like all great multiplayer games, the mileage you’re likely to get out of Clubhouse Games: 51 Worldwide Classics will heavily depend on others, if however you can find a few friends to play against, Clubhouse Games will almost certainly establish itself as a mainstay on your Nintendo Switch.
Alternatively…
42 All Time Classics for the Nintendo DS, the little brother of Clubhouse Games: 51 Worldwide Classics is almost as fun.
