Uno 52 (Nintendo DS)

Uno 52 is a card game for the Nintendo DS based on the well known card game Uno and a version of poker.

Uno is a popular family card game using special cards where you have to match cards by either number or colour. The game is based on a similar concept to this, but has some slight changes in how the discarded cards are dealt with and treats this as a form of poker.

The big problem I have with this game is the lack of different game play options or variations. It's a game that could be played in different ways to suit different players and playing methods, but the game doesn't reflect these options. For those that wanted to play either poker or uno traditionally, you will be disappointed, as the game can only be played in this one format.

In terms of actually playing the game, I found this quite easy to pick up and the controls themselves are easy to operate. This is probably the best feature in the game, as at least some effort has been made in ensuring that the game is easy to play. Choosing between the options is easy as there are hardly any, just the solitaire and challenge modes.

The game also has varying levels of artificial intelligence, so as you become better at the game you are always ensured a good match against the console. In terms of the poker element of the game, this is made a lot easier by the fact that you can see the hands of every player, unlike in real poker.

The graphics on the game are adequate, but that is about all that can be said for them. They look very ported from another console as they are stretched across the screen more to fill up the two screens of the DS rather than designed for them.

In terms of sound effects and music, the sound is just adequate, and again appears ported from another console. The sound is satisfactory for a while, but soon becomes repetitive although there is a choice from a number of different tracks. However the sound on this game could have been so much better and this might have added some atmosphere to the game.

The game can be played by up to four players using the DS's wi-fi mode, which does give the game at least some additional longevity. However every player will need their own copy of the game, and it's not likely that there will be groups of friends who will all buy this game given the limitations that it has. You can alternatively play the game by passing the console to your friends if you only have one copy of the game.

The game is rated 3+ so is suitable for nearly all children to play. The game is available currently for 19.99 pounds on Amazon new, or can be found for around 10 pounds second hand on sites such as eBay.

In conclusion, the game isn't too bad and is of interest to those players who like either Uno or poker. But this is just one game as there are no other options on the cartridge, which seriously limits the long-term playability of the game. If you can obtain this for a few pounds then it's not bad value, but other than that, it's likely not worth buying. To be honest, I'd rather play the Uno card game in real-life, it's just easier and cheaper!

(also on dooyoo under same user-name)