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Super Solitaire 15 from Handmark
December 12, 2002
There are two different versions of the the Super Solitaire 15 package from Handmark; one for the Palm OS, and one for Pocket PCs. Here’s a look at what’s included in each one:
| Palm OS | Pocket PC |
|---|---|
| Aces High | Black Hole |
| Black Hole | Block Ten |
| Bristol | Carpet |
| Calculation | Criss Cross |
| Canfield | Five Piles |
| Carpet | Free Cell |
| Eight Off | Golf |
| 20 Thieves | Monte Carlo |
| Free Cell | Pyramid |
| Golf | Pyramid Golf |
| Klondike | Sir Tommy |
| Montana | Triangle |
| Poker Square | Twenty-One |
| Pyramid | Vanishing Cross |
| Spiderette | Vertical |
There’s also a special bonus for the Palm OS version: when you register the software, you also get Hearts, War, and Blackjack for free!
This review covers the Palm OS version, and I must admit that I’m hooked! I’ve been having a hard time getting things done lately, what with final exams, work, and trying to get ready for Christmas, and all of these great new games to review certainly haven’t helped. Unfortunately I wasn’t able to take any screenshots of the games in progress for some strange reason, but I can tell you about them. We have all played enough Solitaire that I don’t have to explain the rules, but what’s nice about this package is how well it has all been put together. Instead of seeing 15 different icons in the standard launcher, there’s only one, called “Magic Dogs” (I assume after the developer’s name). That cuts out a lot of clutter and makes it much easier to select the game you want to play through a nicely done, illustrated menu system. I was also impressed with the amount of choices that I had. It is possible to select different card backs and different backgrouns for play, which adds some visual interest to what could otherwise be a boring old card game. There are no sound effects, but that isn’t a great loss for this type of game, at least in my opinion; it could be that some of my readers may disagree with me on that point.
Full rules are included for each game, which is great if this package contains a type of Solitaire that you’ve never played before. And each of the games is timed, just to add a little chance for competition either against yourself or against someone else, to see who can solve each game in the least amount of time. But I think my favorite feature is the fact that each of the 15 Solitaire games plays with “single tap” ease. I never could understand why most Palm OS and Pocket PC card games require you to drag your stylus across the entire length of the screen just to move a card where it goes. That can be a potential cause of nasty screen damage, especially if you play a lot of games. The answer is to set things up so that you only have to tap the card once, and it automatically goes where it is supposed to go. If there are two different spots, like up on a pile or down on an ace, as in Klondike, you can still drag the card where you want it. But being able to play the game with a single tap most of the time sure does make things easier.
Memory space shouldn’t be much of a consideration too. The fifteen solitaire games take up 209K, while Hearts is 125K and War is 85K. What does take up quite a bit of room is the optional card backs and background files, at just over 200K each. If you have the room, they sure do add to the game, but if you don’t have the room to spare, it is nice that they are optional. I’ve never liked having to install something I don’t want, just because it’s part of a package. But in this case, Super Solitaire 15 is a very fine package indeed.
The Super Solitaire 15 game package from Handmark is a good value at $19.99 and is available at the Handmark web site.
PocketGoddess rating for Super Solitaire 15 from Handmark: 
Category: Palm OS: Software, Windows Mobile: Software
Published: December 12, 2002 4:00 PM
