Microsoft Classic Board Games (PC)

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Of course, what makes Classic Board Games appealing is not the game's graphics and sound. Instead, the classic games themselves make the bundle enjoyable, and the time-tested game mechanics shine through the forgettable presentation. There are also several advantages to playing these games on a computer; Microsoft has added a number of features to help players improve their skills and understand the games better. In addition to the rules and tutorials, most of the games have a legal move indicator option that will highlight the possible moves for whatever piece is selected, as well as a hint option that will highlight the next suggested move. The games also track the moves made in each match and let players take back a move or a series of moves so that they can try an alternate strategy.

While these options are worthwhile, experienced players of the games included in Classic Board Games may find some desirable features missing or incomplete. For instance, in dominoes, the only option available is the most basic version of the game - the first player to run out of bones is the winner of the round, and he or she gets points according to the opponent's unused bones. Players who are used to scoring each turn in which the extremities of the array add up to a multiple of five will be disappointed - not only is there no such option, but there is also no running tally even for the basic version of the game. This lack of a scorekeeper forces players to manually keep track of how many points have been scored in successive games so that they can determine when the winner reaches 50 or 100. Similarly, fans of Chinese checkers may be disappointed when they discover that the game supports only two players. Other than these occasional oversights, most of the games have all the features you would expect to find.

Although the various games contained in the bundle are readily available on the Internet, Classic Board Games is worthwhile for fans of these board games for its rules, tutorials, and other helpful features. In addition, for those who tire of playing against the computer, Classic Board Games supports head-to-head play on the same computer or Internet play against live opponents on Microsoft's Zone.com. Although the graphics and sound that represent them are unlikely to impress anyone, the games themselves are every bit as enjoyable as many of them have been for centuries. Classic Board Games is appropriate for those who are interested in learning any of the traditional games included or for players who are looking for the convenience of having all these games in one simple program.

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Microsoft Classic Board Games (PC): $18.90

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