Here is our review for Clubhouse 51 Worldwide Games, a collection of classic games for Nintendo Switch, which allows local multiplayer, online or in tabletop mode with different consoles.
Nintendo has a long history related to board games. The company started by making cards to play hanafuda (a traditional Japanese game which, incidentally, is also included in Clubhouse 51 Worldwide Games) and later marketed western-style decks and toys. So in a way, this Nintendo Switch game pays tribute to its legacy.
The formula is very easy to describe: Clubhouse 51 Worldwide Games is a compilation of classic games (from different parts of the world) adapted to the console, an evolution of that 42 Games of always for Nintendo DS, which it appreciated in 2006. Its main attraction is Bring together in a single cartridge a collection of challenges that we can enjoy anywhere, individually or in multiplayer (local on the same console, online or by connecting several consoles with each other).
So the fun of this formula is proven. If you’ve ever enjoyed a game of chess, dominoes, “Texas Hold’em” style poker or Blackjack, we don’t need to tell you anything, right? Well, actually yes. That all these games are well recreated, and that they include instructions and curiosities (we finally have the opportunity to learn to play Mahjong or Shogi).
AI has different levels of difficulty – but don’t expect to face Deep Blue, the computer that faced Gary Kasparov in a chess game, either – and depending on the game, different board layouts.
And also, the control is well adapted; Take advantage of the pro controller, the game with the joy-con (taking advantage of the motion sensor and the infrared) or the use of the touch screen according to the development of each one.
Here is the list of the Clubhouse 51 Worldwide Games for Nintendo Switch
Mancala
Squares
Generate it (dice)
Four in a row
Secret code (Mastermind)
Windmill
Hex
Ladies
The hare and the dogs
Go-moku
Domino
Chinese checkers
Ludo (Parcheesi)
Backgammon
Renegade
Chess
Shogi
Minishogi
Hanafuda
Mahjong
Last card (ONE)
Blackjack (cards)
Texas Hold´em (cards)
President (letters)
Sevens (cards)
Speed (cards)
Couples (letters)
War (letters)
Takoyaki (letters)
Thistle tail (letters)
Golf
Billiards
Bowling
Darts
Carrom
Tennis
Soccer
Curling
Boxing
Baseball
Air hockey
Car races
Fishing
Tank battle
Team tanks
Target shooting
Connect 6
Sliding path
Solitaire Mahjong
Klondike Solitaire
Spider Solitaire (cards)
Piano
Surely the trained eye has discovered among this selection some of the Wii Sports games (such as bowling, which in this case are played with the joy-con) or Wii Play (such as target shooting, air hockey or fishing) which were some of the most played titles on that console. We even have improved versions of Super Mario Party mini-games for Switch (as is the case with tanks, which is a modern version of Atari Combat).
To give depth to this collection of board games we have plenty of possibilities. We can directly choose our favorite from a menu, and dedicate ourselves to unlocking the different boards and levels of difficulty, with the corresponding medals and curiosities.
Or we can bet on the globe mode. In this way, we travel the world visiting different experts in games, who propose us local challenges. What do we mean Well, for example, Shibiku, the representative of Japan, who presents us with some classic Nintendo games, such as Hanafuda or Shogi. It is also a way to find other players who have in common with us a dream or their favorite food (that we introduce in our profile).
To make these impressions, we have done an experiment. Would 51 Worldwide Games be able to teach us how to play Hanafuda? After watching the explanatory video, which details the mechanics of the game, we have played different games against the machine, and thanks to the advice system, we have managed to beat the normal, difficult, expert and impossible mode (not indicative, since that it is a game of chance).
But the good thing is that we have done with the mechanics of grouping lights, seeds, ribbons, or asking for koi-koi instead of finishing the round. After adding a few hours, we have already memorized the figures that belong to each month, and we could “defend” ourselves in a real game.
For the game lover, it is a joy to be able to approach these lesser-known options and learn the mechanics at your own pace. And for someone looking for more direct fun, the scalextric simulation (which allows the screen of different consoles to be joined in tatami mode and thus modify the layout of the circuits) or sports games promise to become the star of friends’ gatherings.
It is true that you cannot compare the feeling of playing “physically” any of these games with our friends, and that some of the games are too simple (in the case of golf we cannot even choose at which point we hit the ball), but our contact with this collection of games has pleasantly surprised us by the enormous variety of games available, the care of its menus and the learning system and the way in which the unique functions of the Switch are used. such as touch screen, motion sensor or tabletop mode.
51 Worldwide Games will arrive on Nintendo Switch on June 5, and we will offer you a detailed analysis with all the possibilities that these classic games offer.
