Customer Reviews

Hoyle Card Games 2005

5 star:		(33)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(6)

 

 

While the 2005 version is much the same as 2004, there are two new games. Spite & Malice and 500 Rummy have been added to the mix. In addition, while there are no new characters to play with, the Facemaker has several new characters that can be bought with Hoyle Bucks. These, like the others, can talk and are animated.

One major improvement is that after installation, the games can now be played without the CD.

Still great fun. Highly recommended.

This is a fun game and the price is right. 33 card games total. Installation was a breeze. I don't know how to play some of the games included but this will serve as a training tool for me to learn. It features in-game tutorials & tips. I only wish there were more choices to customize the look of your player. Bare bones inside the box, no CD cases for the 2 discs & no manual at all. works on windows 98/Me/2000/XP

I was reticent about buying this after the reviews of 2004. I have often bought each updated version. One thing I like about this is that it is 20 bucks instead of 30 like the previous versions were. I think there is a good cross section of games as well as a good format for solitare. The music is good. I also like the way one can accumulate Hoyle bucks to buy new backgrounds, cards, etc. It gives an added incentive to play the games.I haven't been smart enough to figure out the more complex games but I like the characters. Sierra no longer exists as it's company was restructured so I recommend buying this while it is available. Hoyle has been the best in terms of software stability, presentation, and variety of various games. Friday Night Poker which was included wasn't that great. I don't play that stuff. The 20 dollars for the main disk is well worth it.

This is not a package of games for serious card players. There is not enough 'intelligence' built into the game to suit individuals looking for challenging matches in games such as Bridge, Spades, Pinochle, etc. The game's players often make plays that can only be described as 'stupid' and there are no, or sufficient, settings available to increase their playing abilities. If you are an excellent card player, this package will provide much frustration. If you are looking for something for the kids or novice players, this package is fine.

I was so happy to see Hoyle come out with a new version, and boy is it better. A lot more games and new characters. You can even create a character that actually looks like you. This is great when nobody in the house feels like playing cards. I play it CONSTANTLY...in fact, I gotta go play some cribbage right now.

I played the poker and hearts games right away, and was very impressed with the competition. I liked the build-a-player feature where you can create your character with any look you want from dozens of choices. The computer players each have their own personalities and are pretty funny.
The game has quite a bit of choices to customize the look, feel, and sound (The betting chips in the poker game I played consisted of cheese puffs, pretzels, dog bones, etc.) There are 13 poker variations, plus 20 complete games to play. Well worth the investment.

This is the best version of Hoyle cards yet. All games play reasonably well. There is still a lot of improvement needed in the bidding and play of the hands in Bridge, Pinochle, Spades, and Euchre. The new Hoyle Bucks adds some new purpose in trying to win. If you are into playing cards, this is the best bang for the buck.

The content of the program is good - a lot of good games - easy enough to use. HOWEVER, the software has some bugs in it. The proper number of cards is not always dealt correctly to the players. The biggest problem is in the game of Spades. Consequently the game being played cannot be completed. I have used the repair function but it has not solved the problem

I've spent a lot of time playing this, so I've obviously got my money's worth. There is a nice selection of games and the presentation is quite decent.

I like the way that the other players are "real" characters who talk to you. It's corny, but I find it does add to the fun of playing cards. True, I'm a bit mystified why these characters include talking animals and an alien from space, but you can edit out any characters you don't like, which is fine.

BUT - and here we come to my very big gripe against this game - I discovered that Bridge was essentially unplayable. The game documentation includes a guide to the bidding system, Standard American Yellow Card, which the game supposedly uses. The trouble is, it does nothing of the sort. I eventually realized that there is very little logic to the computer players' bidding. This was totally exasperating. Learning Bridge is hard enough as it is, and is simply impossible if the computer players just make it up as they go along!

I still have fun playing simpler games like Gin, Rummy 500, and Go Fish. But I only give this game 3 Stars because of the broken Bridge.

I have owned Hoyle card games for years and I have always enjoyed them, but I have never had so many technical issues before, especially on the Cribbage game and then also on Hearts. (I saw one reviewer has had problems on Spades, but this has always worked for me.) Customer Support is of no help. They told me my system was too old (although it did have the minimum system requirements). When I got my new computer, it stil didn't work. I am so waiting for the new version to come out and hoping that the bugs will have been worked out!