Review by GamingCouchPotato.co.uk Staff
I never thought I would be reviewing a Solitaire game, but here we are.
I recently reviewed another "Pretty Girls" release called Speed which you can see here, I gave that game a strong 9/10. Well, the good people at Zoo Corporation have asked me to take a look at their newest "Pretty Girls" release, this time it is Solitaire. Yes Solitaire, that game everyone gets free with their PC running Windows. So, what is different about this game that sets it apart from the Windows version?
Well, it is the "Pretty Girls" of course. But that aside the gameplay still needs to work for the game to be good.
Well, it is the "Pretty Girls" of course. But that aside the gameplay still needs to work for the game to be good.
There are a few different versions of Solitaire going around, slightly different rules. Since this game is from Japan, the rules are a little different to what I was familiar with, but in many ways, this is a superior version.
They also use more clear terms for the various parts of the game, in the classic version you have "Stock, Waste, Tableau and Foundation", in this you have "Deck, Hand, Field and Table". Much easier to understand if you are a newbie to this game.
They also use more clear terms for the various parts of the game, in the classic version you have "Stock, Waste, Tableau and Foundation", in this you have "Deck, Hand, Field and Table". Much easier to understand if you are a newbie to this game.
The main difference I can see is that in the 4 Foundation lines or Table lines of cards that you need to complete to finish the game, is that each line has to be completed differently.
In the classic game, you start with the Ace, and have to follow the order of the cards all the way to King. In this version that is only the case with one line. The others start with a 2, a 3 and a 4. And of those, each card has to be followed not by the direct next card in order, but in one line a gap of two, the next a gap of 3 and the last a gap of 4. This photo should help you understand what I mean.
In the classic game, you start with the Ace, and have to follow the order of the cards all the way to King. In this version that is only the case with one line. The others start with a 2, a 3 and a 4. And of those, each card has to be followed not by the direct next card in order, but in one line a gap of two, the next a gap of 3 and the last a gap of 4. This photo should help you understand what I mean.
You still have to end on a King, but getting there now needs a bit more thought.
The cards you place in the field, can then only be moved to the table, unlike classic rules you can't move field cards around. So, when taking cards from the hand, it now becomes all the more important, where you place them on the field, because you may inadvertently block yourself in a future move.
I know this sounds confusing, but when you get the hang of it, this really does make this a superior game.
Throw in leader boards, with the fastest to complete at the top. Differing difficulty settings, which work as the harder the setting, the less space you can use in the field, and you suddenly have a really challenging game.
The cards you place in the field, can then only be moved to the table, unlike classic rules you can't move field cards around. So, when taking cards from the hand, it now becomes all the more important, where you place them on the field, because you may inadvertently block yourself in a future move.
I know this sounds confusing, but when you get the hang of it, this really does make this a superior game.
Throw in leader boards, with the fastest to complete at the top. Differing difficulty settings, which work as the harder the setting, the less space you can use in the field, and you suddenly have a really challenging game.
There are limited shuffles allowed for when the deck has been emptied, and a couple of cheat moves allowed, to take a card from any position in the field and automatically place on the table, all depending on the difficulty settings. Your usual achievements can be gained too, giving you something to aim for.
The beautifully drawn "Pretty Girls" can all be positioned with different backgrounds once you have unlocked them, great for creating wallpaper images for your PC. There is no nudity, just busty Japanese style girls to amuse you. Plus, the classic Japanese voices which always make me chuckle.
The Good
This is the best version of a Solitaire game that I have ever played. The bells and whistles of the Pretty Girls are fine, but the game itself is well designed, and once I got use to the rules which were a little different to what I was used to, I am happy to say this is a superior rule set.
The Bad
There is a menu regarding the rules, which I found a little confusing, perhaps could have been explained a little better, but I think some of it was due to me being convinced I already knew how to play, and not really noticing that the game literally tells you what card you need "Next" and I didn't notice it.
Overall
Zoo Corporation have done it again, they have taken a simple card game and made it better.
I score Pretty Girls Four Kings Solitaire on PC a super strong 8/10
Released 18th March on Steam at
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