Golden Nugget Casino DS : Bonus Games
Released by Majesco Entertainment, the Golden Nugget DS is Casino was one of the first casino-type video games created for the DS Nintendo. In 2004 a casino game pack was released for the Game Boy Advance, this game was re-released in 2005 and features two games in a single pack that also included Texas Hold'Em Poker. In 1998 when most players had Nintendo 64s, the Golden Nugget 64 was released and players started off with $2,000.00 and even though the game cartridge was able to save players winnings the amount could be reset at any point back to $2,000.00, which probably kind off make up for lack of bonus incentives.
Games included on the Golden Nugget Casino DS are blackjack, craps, roulette, video poker, money wheel, north slots and south slots. There is, unfortunately, one downside and that is the fact that players could not enjoy the real thrill of gaming, which is winning and wager real cash and at the same time the bonus offers now offered at online casinos did not appear on the DS. Should bonus offers be added we can only speculate that it would have included no deposit bonuses allowing players to enjoy play prior to making any financial commitment. First-time players would have loved the welcome packages offered across up to five deposits and one can only imagine what a difference a loyalty rewards program could make in motivating frequent play.
The Golden Nugget Casino DS offers players the opportunity to enjoy casino games even if they are new to gambling, since each game offers a full set of rules and instructions, allowing anyone to play like a pro after a few bonus practice rounds. At the time of its development, the Golden Nugget Nintendo DC offered players the chance to enjoy Roulette, Craps, Video Poker, Blackjack, and slots, and it could be used to get your skills up to speed before a trip to Las Vegas.
Once players mastered the variety of games available there was simply no stopping them from enjoying casinos games such as The Big Wheel, traditional slots, and other classic casino games. The games offered on the Golden Nugget Casino DC also included 8 different type of slots, which varied in paylines, numbers of reels and each game offered a different theme. Games of skill included Jacks or Better as well as Bonus Poker with winning chances boosted via wild cards, players could build up their fortunes from a starting balance of 5,000 dollars - similar to some of the free casino bonuses offered at online casinos these days.
The question on everyone's lips is if the Golden Nugget Casino DS is a good bet?
The Golden Nugget Casino DS is, in fact, the perfect example of a Nintendo DS game simply being adequate. If all a player wants is to satisfy a blackjack, roulette, slots, video poker, or craps itch, this will most certainly work. But if you want to learn the strategies used by veteran players of each of these games, or have a reason for building up a stockpile of money, this isn't going to fit the bill.
Each of the games within this collection offers the bare basics of gambling gameplay, using the Nintendo DS system's touch screen for most of the control. Putting down a bet is a simple matter of dragging the chips from your collection onto the table. That part's done well. But the programmers, for whatever reason, failed to make the game control with the touch screen exclusively. Standard options, like backing out of a menu screen, have to be done with a corresponding button press instead of tapping the on-screen option. It's a little nuance that's a nuisance, but this is far from a game breaker.
The problem is that nothing is broken in the Golden Nugget version Casino games. It's just that the gaming designer did not use innovation and clearly did not think beyond the call at that moment. What players do get is the opportunity to play these casino games in a single player fashion. Tossing craps on the table, without anyone else's bets, isn't all that exciting, and the game's missing a key opportunity for multiple human players to sit at the blackjack table. You can have other people to play with and off of, but exclusively the computer controls them. Of course, there is the little issue of the game not being much of a training tool. You can use it to practice the game, but it's not going to teach you the rules of something as complex as craps.
One of the main problems is that the games also lack an incentive to play, and as previously mentioned bonus offers available at online casinos today could have massively changed the play. Loyalty bonuses offered via a points system could allow players to collect points and then trade them for free chips or free spins, which would motivate regular play.
The cartridge saves players money as they win or lose, although it fails to save high scores, and since you can reset your bankroll to $2000 at any time, this game lacks the urgency to be frugal with your dough.
It has the bare minimum of what's expected out of a casino game and that's it. The addition of multiple slots and video poker machines beefs up the list of available games in the cart, but let's be realistic - most of the machines are the same design but with different themes and artwork.
The best word to describe the Golden Nugget Casino DS is "adequate" since it does not do anything wrong, its design is not horrid and the only to describe its functionality is basic. Taking into consideration that it is basically impossible to emulate the rush of a casino win in a virtual version where players are not playing with real cash, the Golden Nugget Casinos DS still could have motivated players to play via bonus play, leaderboard scores or other trophy incentives.