IPHONE GAME REVIEW
Adrenaline Poker OnlineA good bluff |
Product: Adrenaline Poker Online
| Developer: Eurocenter
| Format: iPhone
| Genre: Card/
board game, Casino, Multiplayer
| Players: 1-10
| Networking: wireless (network)
| Version: Europe
| App version: 1.4
There's nothing quite like meeting up with some mates, getting your poker face on and jumping into a late night game. It's tense, challenging and the rush you get from stealing a big pot with an audaciously bluffed hand is priceless. With its online multiplayer, Adrenaline Poker Online has no shortage of folk to play with, but it struggles to deliver the thrills of a live game.
Despite being split in to two distinct components - online and offline - Adrenaline Poker Online excels, as the name suggests, as a multiplayer poker game. The offline mode covers all the basics - 2/4, 4/8, 10/20 and No Limit games. Jumping in to a quick match versus the computer is a pressure-free way to get to grips with the game, compared to the intensity of online play.
Online is where the real fun starts though, with a choice of live tables alongside a range of automatic match-making options. Finding an active game, even over 3G, takes moments and is hassle-free. You're given 10 000 virtual chips to start, though it's quite easy to lose them in minutes on a reckless No Limit game. Thankfully the chips replenish every day.
With 10k worth of virtual cash-money, it's time to hit the tables. Each table sits up to 10 players. Even in busy games it's a breeze to view important data: chip counts are displayed above each player (meaning you can easily keep a cautious eye on the chip leader), it's a doddle to call, check, raise and fold, plus there are even pre-call and pre-fold buttons.
The pressure really does pile on when you're playing at a packed table. This intensity tends to be missing from many poker titles and yet Adrenaline Poker Online instills this sense effortlessly, adding to the overall authenticity. An authentic poker game, online and offline play, quick matchmaking even over 3G - it all sounds too good to be true and, sadly, it is.
Let's start with the niggly things and work our way up. The music is painfully awful, consisting of cheesy funk riffs and bad sax solos. So astonishingly dire, in fact, that my girlfriend - sat across the room from me whilst I racked up a satisfying chip lead - asked if I was actually watching an erotic adult movie. It really is that bad.
Now the big issue, the one that consistently ruins each poker session. In an online game, you're given a limited amount of time to play your move - this is understandable. Playing over 3G, even with a reliable connection, results in turns being frequently missed and the game auto-folding your hand.
This auto-folding issue is further compounded by the fact that the wi-fi falls asleep at frequent intervals. On a table with five or more players, you'll frequently have to wait a minute or so for your turn. Of course, you may find your iPhone has fallen asleep on your turn only to awaken it to discover you've auto-folded a hand.
Adrenaline Poker Online plays well enough, yet the auto-fold issue seriously lets the game down - entirely ruining the experience. There's always the possibility that developer Eurocenter will patch these problems but, in the meantime, it may be best to hold out until a few more contenders to the iPhone online poker throne emerge.
Adrenaline Poker Online |
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Could be great fun but let down by the auto-folding problem - making this game a frustrating disappointment when it could have been a must-have
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Joined:
Nov 2008
Post count:
1
i play the game using my i phone and i when i earn enough chips to play big time... some players instantly get my chips after the play even when i win... can someone pls help me with this... it is really ruining the gaming experience...
Joined:
Feb 2009
Post count:
1
I lost 600000 on a gamble because lost conetsion on the sever. Would this be solved and will I get my coins back.u can email me on bids@bigmove.uk.com hope to here from u soon
Joined:
Feb 2009
Post count:
2
I paid 4.99 for the game and played it for about three weeks,the support from Eurocenter was terrible if any, also the hands are NOT random,the regular players can easily predict the out come of there hands,this allows them to dominate the new comers by calling with large amount of points that they are forced to fold before seeing the first three cards of the pot,also players can post pornographic photos to there profile,the on line chat has no language controls to block vulgarity unlike the adrenaline pool,all in all this is by far one of the worst aps I have seen for the Iphone-ipod.....
lee | 30 December 2009
i think the game is brill would be nice to have another app to buy more chips insted of begging from other players unless you up the anty yo 1mil a day free
