12-in-1 Jackpot Casino Review
Published: December 25, 2008
by Matt Dunn
Twelve Casino games in one definitely sounds like a great idea for a gambling game. There are many different versions of single games out there, so why not make a game that that contains all of them? Well, unfortunately for Jackpot Casino, a great idea, and great execution are two different things.
I need to say right off the bat that Jackpot Casino is not a bad game. It just doesn’t really stand out in any one area as being exceptional. It also is quite over-priced at $5.99. The game advertises as offering twelve different casino games, when half of that is just poker with six different wild card variations! Granted, the devs do list the different games clearly on the game page (so there’s nothing shady about it), but I would rather see this game changed to “7-in-1 Jackpot Casino” and sold for half the price.
Here’s the problem: the game is painfully average. I don’t know if this is the case, but the game feels like it’s a direct port from a game that came out several years ago for a normal cell-phone. Graphics are basic, and sound is poor and minimal (with one constant repeating loop). However as far as the interface goes, the menus are easy to navigate, and the help menus are great! Although a bit wordy for more complex games like Craps, they should get you started if you’ve never played the respective game before. Kudos to the devs for adding these in.
As for the games themselves, craps, roulette, and the slot machines all play well, but without much flair. Roulette looks the best, with a nice camera view change with the wheel is spun (which it does automatically). The main issues come with the Poker games, which don’t always accurately determine the winning hand. I ran into two different issues: 1. The game can’t differentiate between a high/low pair. Multiple times, the game would be a push, even though my pair beat the computer. 2. The game doesn’t always give you the win in a high-card situation (same hand, but you have the high card). Of course, when it fails at this, it’s always against you, which sucks. Speaking of being against you, the card games seem very slanted against the player, but maybe this was just bad luck. 
On a final note, the game keeps a constant purse of your winnings throughout all the games, which is a nice touch. So if you’re down on your luck in one game, you can move on to the next to try to get your winnings back. I should also mention that Caribbean Poker was a nice addition, and is an addictive take on Poker that isn’t showcased very often. There’s plenty to do in this game, but since not all of it is solid, there are some games you may avoid.
Presentation and Graphics:
Mediocre at best. Doesn’t look very optimized to take advantage of the capabilities of the iPhone.
Sound:
Very minimal. Annoying looping music.
Gameplay:
Card games feel flawed, but aren’t unplayable. Non-card games are good, but because they don’t look that great, aren’t too exciting to play. Solid though. The help menus are very good for those who haven’t played certain games before.
Gamelife:
There’s definitely a lot to do in this game. The feature of a running purse of winnings in all the games adds some good longevity. It also saves this when you quit the game, which is good.
Game Rating
12-in-1 Jackpot Casino isn’t gonna blow you away with awesome gameplay and great audio/visuals, but it does provide solid gameplay for most of it’s games. The flaws with the poker games can’t be overlooked, but will hopefully be fixed in time. If the price is lowered by a few dollars, this game would be well worth it. For now, it’s just above average, and not enough for the steep $5.99 pricetag.
UPDATE: In version 1.04:
- Caribbean poker card flaws have been fixed
- UI in poker and slots games have been improved
- the name has been shortened, it now does not contain the obtrusive ‘…’
Review disclosure: Any games reviewed on this page may have been provided to us by the developer for the purposes of this review. Note: the resulting review score is never impeded by this fact, all opinions are that of the TouchGen reviewer and not the developer. This is in keeping with our O.A.T.S oath. Read more about O.A.T.S here
One Comment on "12-in-1 Jackpot Casino Review"
icasino on Wed, 11th Mar 2009 5:19 am
The game now costs $3.99