Las Vegas Gambling

Playing casino games on a home console is kind of like watching the first six games of the World Series and then not bothering to find out who won Game Seven. Sure, watching the games may have been fun, but without the payoff at the end, the whole exercise is rendered more or less meaningless. Honestly, gambling games lack purpose when you take the gambling aspect away. While it can be amusing to try your luck by pulling down the handle, since you can't actually win anything, you have to wonder: what exactly is the point?

Despite all this, I actually like Las Vegas Gambling. See, I've always been intrigued by gambling games, but I've always been much more interested in the "game" part than in the "losing all your money" part. So a game like Las Vegas Gambling is right up my alley – it lets me indulge my inner slot jockey while staying financially solvent. The game is a fair simulation of a nine-window slot machine, providing up to five rows where, if the tumblers line up properly, you can win big. Prior to each pull of the handle, you can bet on all, some, or none of the rows, placing bets of $.10, $.25 or $1.00 (U.S.). The frequency of wins is higher than in real life, but that's to be expected (a videogame wouldn't be too much fun if you constantly lost, would it?). However, the 7's, the highest paying combination, virtually never hits. I've pulled that handle back probably a thousand times (yes, I have no life) and hit the 7's only twice.

The simple graphics are more than adequate. The bright green background may grate on your eyes after a while, but it does put you in mind of money, which seems appropriate. The symbols on the tumblers are abstract but recognizable – par for the course for early Odyssey² games. The sounds are similarly simple, but chipper, and really aren't all that far from most real electronic slot machines. Probably the most annoying aspect of Las Vegas Gambling is the payoff sequence – when you win, coins drop incredibly slowly as the screen explodes with bursts of color. In effect, your only real reward for winning big is being forced to sit around waiting as the coins pile up. Unless you're a compulsive gambler, you may not have the patience for it. Of course, if you were a compulsive gambler, you'd probably be in a real casino. Still, if a trip to Vegas is beyond your budget, Las Vegas Gambling may scratch your betting itch. Sure, you won't really win anything playing Las Vegas Gambling... but you won't go bankrupt with it either.

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