Anyone who has hopped on a plane or in the car and headed to Vegas usually has a great time … even if they come back a little lower on money than they did when they left. Sierra has now released the “New for 2003” version of Hoyle Casino, which gives the player all of the fun of being in a Las Vegas casino without all of the lost money and trip planning headaches.

Casino contains all of the great gambling games that make the neon city so enjoyable, including popular ones like 5 card poker, blackjack, and craps. It even contains some other games not found on a lot of other Casino style titles out there, like Keno and betting on the animated horse races as well. So, you pick a player profile of yourself, either from one of the pre made selections or one that you design using the “Facemaker” program, and head onto the crowded floor with some cash looking to hit it big.

Out in the Casino, you will find just about everything that you can find in an actual Vegas setting, including the crowd voices, rolling of the roulette wheel, and electronic blipping and beeping of the video poker machines lining the outside walls. There are also tournaments around for games like Blackjack, Poker, and Pai Gow. Feeling lucky in Blackjack for example? Well why not head over and test your luck in a 25 hand round to see if you can walk out with an extra $5000.00.

In an actual Vegas setting, you will also find other people out looking for a lot of money as well, and this is found in Hoyle Casino also. 10 opponents will play against you, and each one will throw a variety of congrats or insults depending on how well or bad they or you are doing. The characters are well animated and have a large variety of sayings … so while it may be a tad silly at times, it never really gets too repetitive or annoying.

If you get a little bored playing against wisecracking computer opponents, Hoyle Casino also provides a direct link to the website where you can meet up with other players and play in games online. Play for fun or put some real money out on the line, it’s all up to you and how lucky you happen to be feeling.

Gameplay isn’t the only thing authentic in Hoyle Casino. Graphically and soundwise, the game looks really good and does a great job capturing the authentic looks and sounds of an actual Vegas casino also. Lighting effects on the table mats look realistic, and the dealer’s hands will come out and slide cards from the dealer or throw them across the table for you. The video poker machines have a huge amount of variation, and each looks and moves accurately to it’s actual Vegas real life counterpart. If you want the game to speed up or the opponents to just shut up and play, there are also options included to modify as you see fit to maximize the experience.

Overall, Hoyle Casino is probably going to be a must for any big Vegas fan who just has to have all of the fun and enjoyment at home. The games are easy to learn, even for the novice player thanks to the tutorials and hints found in the games themselves, and it also comes with a nifty little handheld guide to popular games like cribbage, poker, and solitaire. So, if you like gambling but aren’t very good at it, like me, then this is a great way to enjoy all the fun of the casino without losing all your cash in the process.

Gameplay: 9.2
Everything is simple “point and click one mouse button”, so it’s easy to learn and get into. The casino looks a little intimidating and big at first, but navigating is a breeze using either a small map in the lower right of the screen or a simple “GoTo” option at the bottom. Also, everything you would expect in Vegas is here for your enjoyment.   

Graphics: 8.5
Table mats, cards, backgrounds and lighting have a realistic look to them. The computer opponents are animated smoothly, and still retain their computerized look. The “Facemaker” program allows you to create your own persona to add into the game, which looks a little more cartoonish and dosen’t move like your opponents.

Sound: 8.1
All the sounds from Vegas are here in the background, and the computer opponents have enough variation in their sayings that they don’t get repetitive. If you feel like they are getting annoying, you can turn them to extremely minimal as well. Some mild background music would have been a nice touch, but didn’t really detract overall.

Difficulty: Easy
Some games aren’t that easy, but each one has a tutorial which walks you through how to play and will give you some hints as well to help jump right in. Even a novice will be up and gambling in a short time.  

Concept: 8.0
Casino games have been done online or in the store before, but Hoyle runs the show, of course. The environment and things I never would have thought would be in there like Horse Racing were a pleasant surprise.

Multiplayer: 7.9
Poker, Blackjack, Roulette, and Craps are found on the site, along with a number of other non-vegas options also like Spades. Being able to walk into the identical casino found offline with your persona would have been cool, but the online game is fun for a group looking to go against each other.  

Overall: 8.4
This was a well done and really fun Casino game. People who love the Vegas life will probably want to look at adding this into their home collection, but there won’t be a whole lot here to pull in the folks who aren’t really into the genre … despite the atmosphere and overall presentation. After it’s all done, it is Vegas games and gambling after all, and that’s it  … but one heck of a way to enjoy the fun without the travel.