Stacked with Daniel Negreanu
- April 11, 2006 00:00 AM PST
We take a hands-on look at the latest Poker sim for the PSP.
As you surely know, Texas Hold 'em videogames are flooding the market to coincide with the recent pop-culture poker explosion. But why buy World Series of Poker over World Poker Tour? It usually comes down to personal preference and just how the dressed up and pretty one game looks over the other, but considering the general simplicity of a card game, poker titles are going to have to start distinguishing themselves in certain ways.STACKED with Daniel Negreanu does have the likeness of one of poker's youngest stars, but is trying to distinguish itself from the field in another way: PSP to PS2 interoperability. This means PSP users can play online games and tourneys against PS2 users, something few developers are taking advantage of, mainly because of the technical limitations of the PSP's hardware. But let's be honest here; a poker game ain't no system hog. The STACKED game engine is simple enough to run sufficiently well on Sony's portable, meaning online poker to go. Huzzah!
There are other draws too, such as in-game advice from Kid Poker himself, numerous different types of games and tournaments, league ladders, text messaging, and voice chat, though most of the game is pretty standard for a poker sim. There are a couple different 3D camera angles, as well as the ability to speed up play after you've folded a hand, which is nice, but it could have been even faster.
The structure of tournaments works in ladder fashion, so you'll have to begin at the bottom and invest a considerable amount of time into the game if you want to get to the bigger tables.
STACKED also features poker pros David Williams and Evelyn Ng, among others, and is due out in late May.
Best-Case Scenario: If development optimizes the game for fast and problem-free online interoperability, STACKED could be top-notch in the poker genre. Poker and portable go hand-in-hand, and an online-enabled poker sim with a thriving community and pro support would make for a fun play-a-quick-sit-and-go poker game.
Worst-Case Scenario: Like most poker games, STACKED could become a part of the growing pile of mediocre poker games, especially if it doesn't get the online attention and community support it will need.
