Arctic Stud Poker Run

I had no idea what I was getting into when I took on this game; it's really like nothing I have ever seen before. A combination racing-combat game and poker playing with fantasy characters; if that isn't enough information to make you want to play then I don't know what else to say, except for the following several paragraphs of brilliant review writing.

In Arctic Stud, you play as any number of oddball characters, it doesn't matter who you pick because between races you can choose different characters; the name you enter at the beginning is the only thing that matters. One race you could be a garden gnome-looking fella, the next you could be a femme fatale in a tight snowsuit or even a goofy looking big-chin idiot. They all look different but everyone of them controls the same. And here is where I think the game may have benefited - there are many, many characters and since the game involves snowmobile combat, they could have mixed it up by having every character have different snowmobiles. You know, some characters are fast but lack armor, others are slow, but have good firepower. I know, I may be asking too much because as you venture out into the levels, there are different power ups you find and can affect your ride. Extra rockets, turbo boosts, armor, these are the things you can pick up while desperately trying to make the best hand of poker.

"King me!"

That's right, poker. At the begining of each race, 30 cards are scattered around the course at random. Now mind you, the course isn't a race track or something - there is a start and a finish, but you and your competition can go pretty much anywhere. Think of it as a large 20-acre plot of land with hills, ski lodges, trees and all sorts of other obstacles. Cards are seen by identifying them on the game's radar but since they spin, you must be quick with the mouse "3" button as it acts as a zoom so you can see cards much easier. As it is, you can't really tell one card from another other and since you are zipping along at a pretty tidy pace (dodging enemy fire as well) you need to be quick on the button.

Now, once you have found five cards that make you feel like you are gonna be in a position to win, you may want to scan around for other cards as you sprint to the finish line. Once five cards have been picked up, if you run across another card that would improve your hand, you merely need to run over it to increase your chances of winning. The game has a few things going on at the same time so bear with me. At the top of the screen, it shows what you have and what the other players have as well (in the begining), so you have a good idea if you are going to win. Once any player crosses the finish line, the remaining players have 90 seconds to get a good hand and cross the finish line. Once you have crossed, your cards are locked in and anyone who has not had their cards locked in is vulnerable to attack. So if I need another ace to make four-of-a-kind then I can try and blow up the person who has the last ace. Of course the same could be said if the roles are reversed so it pays to keep an eye on, well, pretty much anything.

 
"A perfect example of of why not to play around with genetic manipulation."

Interestingly enough, you can also employ the same tactics to a bad hand. You could honestly race and get some nothing pair and then lock in your hand. Immediately afterwards, you could go hunt down the remaining players and beat them into submission so they never even cross the finish line. Or, you can play an even meaner spoiler role and shoot any card that someone is about to grab. Doing so launches the card in the air for a couple seconds, and since the snowmobiles don't necessarily control all that great, you can really make things frustrating.

Now the game is a bargain-priced title, and the graphics show that. While the game has no slow down, the cards are difficult to recognize without using the zoom function. The characters are pretty basic looking and look like they are from a game seven years ago - kinda blocky looking with only a smattering of shading done. The levels on the other hand are the game's best visual accomplishment. Aside from the cards, all sorts of ramps and other interesting items are all over, ready to be driven on, or over, or whatever. In fact, there are even bears roaming the countryside that will knock you off your snowmobile and take off on it for a couple hundred yards. The game has lots of things going on and lots to see and explore.

Sound too, though, is bargain basement, there isn't much in the way of really kicking snowmobile sounds. In fact they all sound rather wimpy. Shooting the machine guns and launching dynamite or rockets is all greatly restrained and the game suffers for it. This is a game that is so over the top, it deserves a set of sound effects to match. 

Interestingly enough, I think I had more fun competing in the tournaments the game provides and going up against the computer A.I. than I did playing online against other players. For the most part, I really didn't find too many people online playing this one and found it more enjoyable to just play through the poker tournaments the game provides.

Gameplay: 6.0
It has a lot going on at the same time and requires you to be fast on your fingers. Combat while playing poker requires part action and part strategy; that's why I play as a green gremlin.

Graphics: 5.7
They have a definite "old" look to them. The game skips along at a hearty pace but could use some modern technological lovin' to straighten out the graphics.

Sound: 5.0
Pretty disappointing, pretty timid. The voice-over work as the race starts gets old.

Difficulty: Medium/Hard
This game gets tough, the A.I. can be a real stinker as the later tourney's get incredibly hard to beat. Remember, you can bump at the end of a round and try and double up even more money, but run out of it and you are finished.

Concept: 7.0
To me, this is a fantastic idea. The game needs some additional production value put into it, but the idea is solid.

Multiplayer: 6.0
Yeah, it can be fun, but lack of competition and a stronger single-player A.I. pulled me away from playing online, not a good sign.

Overall: 6.0
There is fun in this title, but it isn't anything you can stand to sit down and play for a couple of hours. You just get too frustrated with the A.I.'s ability to get better hands and the long tournaments that take too much time to complete. This is the kind of game you want to jump in and play for 15 minutes and accomplish something, but you simply cannot.