Poker Smash – Another smash hit for Xbox LIVE Arcade

By DarkArmada

©2008 Lee Edgerton

With the recent explosion in popularity of all things Texas Hold ‘em, it’s refreshing to experience a Poker related game outside of the 100′s of tournament clones around today. Void Star Creations’ Poker Smash is a welcomed addition to Xbox LIVE Arcade and one that has definitely proved a smash!

Poker Smash is a “rising block” puzzle game with each block being a playing card from 10 through to Ace. You need to match 3 or more cards based on various hands of poker, whether it’s vertically or horizontally, to score yourself chips. The better the hand, the more you make, with your final score counting towards your running total at the end of every game.

This running total can then be spent on various themes and unlocks as well as solutions to the puzzle mode. This mode is where you have to put your mind to the test, starting off with preset games that you need to clear completely. Your final score is based on how quickly you can complete each puzzle.

Along with the Puzzle Mode, there is your standard Action Mode, which in a similar way to Tetris, will speed up as time goes on and cause the cards to rise faster and faster. Then you have Timed Mode, which gives you 3 minutes to score as much as you can. Finally you have Practice Mode which is purely that, for practice and no scores will be saved or sent to the leader board.

It wouldn’t be an Arcade game without some form of multiplayer and Void Star Creations have given us just that. Your can experience a standard split-screen approach locally or head online for an Xbox LIVE Tournament mode. In this game, there are up to 5 of you and each hand you score has the points deducted evenly from the other players. If you run out of chips you are eliminated from the game. The Dealer chip is passed around during the game and as the dealer, you can drop “garbage blocks” on other players, basically making it hard for them to keep scoring. All in all a great multiplayer addition whether it be ranked or unranked.

Gameplay is addictive, seriously. With the learning curve really easy to get around and the controls as intuitive, Poker Smash is a game anyone can get into and more importantly, enjoy with minimal effort. Outside of the standard choose and move gameplay, you also have the option to slow down time with the right trigger which will give you a bit more room to move and bombs, which will destroy the card you place it on, allowing you to setup complex chains.

And chains are what you’ll be chasing after! When you make a match, the cards above the match will “fall” down to fill the gap, leading to further hands formed. The more chains the higher the multiplier, so setting up cards for the fall is tricky but rewarding with the slow down feature helping a great deal. Finally, throughout the game you will be presented with challenges and upon completion, will reward you with further chips in the kitty.

Visually, Poker Smash looks crisp, clear and is really easy on the eyes. Each match and multiplier is accompanied with sparks and lightening and many a time I found myself releasing a quiet “wooooow”. The backgrounds cycle as you get further ahead in speed, keeping it fresh and interesting. All in all, the game just looks the part and in High Definition, is just a pleasure to look at.

The same can be said for the sound effects and music found throughout the game. As the backgrounds cycle the music goes with it and every drop of cards sound like a tonne of bricks, really reinforcing its smashing title.

Whether you’re a poker shark or not, Poker Smash is the next big thing for Xbox LIVE Arcade and one title you should not overlook. At 800 Microsoft Points, it would be a sure bet…

8.8/10

©2008 Lee Edgerton

Filed under: Xbox 360 Game Reviews Tagged: | "poker smash review", Arcade, Live, Poker, Poker Smash, Void Star Creations, XBLA, XBLA poker smash review", Xbox