By: Quantum Quality Productions
Copyright (c) 1992 Lee Perkins
Computers have always been associated with cards. From those room-filling monsters of the Fifties, right up to the latest word in palmtops. True, the first-generation machines relied on the punched variety, and wouldn't know a winning hand if it bit them, but the connection is still as strong as ever.
It still strikes me as a strange proposition though; a normal deck of cards is small, consumes no electricity and is an eminently portable source of entertainment. A computer does have several advantages, in that it will provide an opponent, make strange noises at one, and even remove someone else's clothing in certain games... Score one for the computer!
Solitaire is usually played with a standard 52-card deck, although many games use two. Although chance plays a part in these games, many require a good deal of strategy to successfully achieve the objective, whether it is to lay out the cards in straight numeric sequence, or perform other kinds of sorting and placement. The number of variants in Solitaire are legion, as the game lends itself to the ingenuity of a bored mind. QQP's version takes this process to the limit by offering 150 different games, and a variety of imaginative playing options.
Solitaire's Journey is much more than an impressive selection of card games. The Quest, Journey and Tournament options offer more challenge, and a chance to break the monotony of staring at endless rows of cards. A Quest will involve the player in exploring an old house, where each room contains a game challenge. If successful, the player will be allowed to progress to the next room, and be rewarded with gold pieces. Some rooms can only be accessed with the correct key, while other rooms contain extra gold pieces. The ultimate goal is to reach an exit, and the next level of difficulty may then be attempted.
Journey and Tournament are similar, although the player has to travel between cities in the USA, collecting prize money for each win. Movement between cities costs money, and it is possible to get stranded high and dry, should Lady Luck turn her back on you!
I am no-one's card shark, and I found Solitaire's Journey an effective way of whittling away an idle hour or four. It has much to offer a browser, and sufficient features to hook an ardent player. In a manner similar to other QQP games, a player's performance is plotted for posterity, to be held up to the rude sniggerings of one's fellows. I recall the same experience playing The Perfect General and The Lost Admiral... Ohhh, the indignity of it all! Each game is fully explained, and there are auto-play and undo functions to allow for honest mistakes... Which causes me to ask: What sort of blighter would cheat at solitaire?
Reviewed on: PC-AT, AdLib sound card
Recommended retail price: $79.95 5.25" disks supplied. Challenge: 85% Entertainment: 75% Sound: 70% Graphics: 75% Kettle factor: 5 ***** Overall comment: All on the turn of a friendly card!Software supplied by: Directsoft Australia Pty. Ltd.