Gaming to Go: Clubhouse Games

by Matthew Madeiro { Sep 29th 2008 at 4:54PM }

Remember checkers? How about chess? And blackjack? What about dominoes? And Shogi and Ludo and Hasami Shogi and Koi-Koi and -- ahem. Don't recognize those last few names? No worries! I didn't know them either. There's still time to learn, however, and this is where Nintendo's Clubhouse Games comes to party.

It contains 42 -- yes, 42 -- classic games for your enjoyment, running the gamut from bowling and billiards to Mahjong solitaire and Pig. An incredible amount of variety exists in this tiny DS cart, making Clubhouse Games one of the most involving titles the DS has seen in recent years. The mind-boggling amount of games also makes it ideal for this week's edition of Gaming to Go. Sure, I might not recommend starting up a game of chess on your next lunch break, but why not go for a quick game of Connect Five? Whatever your mood fancies, Clubhouse Games has you covered. Want to hear more? Click that big grey button there to see what you've been missing.

NEXT >>

Gallery: Clubhouse Games

Tick tock of the clock ringing in your ears? Tell your timepiece to shove it! We live busy lives, but remember this: there's always time to game. Check back with Gaming to Go every week for the latest and greatest titles you should spend your precious few minutes with.

Tags: clubhouse, clubhousegames, joystiqfeatures, touchgenerations

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Protospasm @ Sep 29th 2008 5:59PM

The online card games aren't bad; if one is hankering for low risk, easy to navigate Texas Hold 'Em at 3am, then this is the game you pick up.
And, seeing it at Target (for the first time) as a rerelease, or a million seller, or whatever Nintendo is marketing it as, will hopefully bolster it's online numbers.
I don't remember much hooplah when it first came out, but to those who didn't pick it up the first time may grab it now.

My only concern is that I still feel ruffied, and left in the gutter after my game of bridge.
I don't know how to play, but passing it in stamp mode made me feel mysteriously violated once again.
PS - I forgot how much I'd liked backgammon as a kid!

BlackDS @ Sep 29th 2008 7:54PM

I wish more people played Shogi. :(

I've never connected to anyone looking for a game of Shogi on Wi-fi. It always times out w/o finding any players.

Anyway, fantastic game (now cheaper) IMO. Clubhouse Games is the only game I have played on Nintendo Wifi, because Action Replay cheaters can't use infinite lives, see-though wall cheats, infinite blue shells, etc. in checkers, chess, koi koi, etc.

I highly recommend this game.

Peace.

njbeetle @ Sep 29th 2008 10:09PM

This is the must have game for long plane trips. It's also a great game to get non-gamers into playing with a DS. As another poster said - it includes some games that aren't too common. Buy it!

samwyse @ Sep 29th 2008 10:52PM

This was one of the first games I bought when I got my DS, and it's the only one I still play. I still can't understand that wacko Japanese card game, but I'll play backgammon for days at a time. I love Phoenix Write, but in terms of hours spent playing, Club House Games has lapped all four Ace Attorney games about a dozen times. In fact, if you divide the price by the re-playability, you'd find that this cartridge is practically free.

Cyantre @ Sep 30th 2008 12:50AM

This is the only DS game I still own and refuse to sell. It has the best replayability out of any other DS title out there. What is great about the game is that if you don't know how to play a game, the rules are included it.

I also like how it keeps a clock on the top right hand corner of the top screen at all times. A subtle but very nice feature. Also the built in chat to this game is just as good as PictoChat if not better in its own ways.

Rynan @ Sep 30th 2008 2:44AM

Not only does this game have a lot of great games I played as a kid, but I learned how to play a few new ones as well. In fact, I play Koi-Koi more than any other game and I had never heard of it before I got Clubhouse Games.

Jamus @ Sep 30th 2008 10:05AM

VERY good title and you can usually find it cheap! I like the dart game best.

Patrick @ Sep 30th 2008 11:08AM

You can change the rules? I'm gonna hafta check into that when I get back to my DS!

I enjoyed working my way through "stamp mode." If nothing else, it familiarized me with all the games and got me playing some I might not have picked otherwise.

I think chess *is* a fine on-the-go choice, given that the AI is so pitiful that even a patzer like me can beat it every time in a blitz game.

My only complaints are (1) too many kids' games; (2) too weak an AI for games like chess and checkers; (3) checkers has a nonstandard rule where a man can jump out of the king row upon being kinged; and (4) no doubling cube in backgammon--and too weak an AI there too.

Solve those problems, and maybe add Chinese chess and Go (and Nine Men's Morris and Mancala and . . .), and Clubhouse Games will be my ideal DS game.

BlackDS @ Sep 30th 2008 3:16PM

yeah, I agree about the weak AI in chess, but I think I know why they choose to do so.

When you opponent disconnects, you still have to beat the AI to get the win. So if the AI was not easy to beat, people might get mad. For example, your opponent disconnects, then the AI proceeds to beat you and you get zero points = unhappy Wifi player, since your rating goes down.

Peace.