51 Worldwide Games (Nintendo Switch) Review

By Neil Flynn 01.06.2020

Review for 51 Worldwide Games on Nintendo Switch

2020 has been a strange year for gaming. The next generation looms, and gaming announcements are somewhat vague in their details of when the next large-scale title is coming. This particularly is no more apparent than for Nintendo, which has very little announced for the latter half of 2020 and beyond. It is undeniable that releases will continue to drip out, but interestingly, Nintendo could actually already have a sleeper hit on its hands with 51 Worldwide Games - and here's why...

As noted in a previous look at it a week ago, 51 Worldwide Games is the follow up to the 2006 hit, 42 All Time Classics (or Clubhouse Games, outside of Europe). Remarkably Nintendo hasn't really followed up this same formula, whether it be on the Wii, 3DS or Wii U, instead favouring titles such as Wii Party and Wii Party U. The runaway success of the Nintendo Switch has seen a gradual cadence of the casual tier of Nintendo titles bob their head to the surface again. 51 Worldwide Games (or Clubhouse Games: 51 Worldwide Classics, outside of Europe) is the amalgamation of previously released titles such as Wii Sports and Wii Play, and the aforementioned 42 All Time Classics. The featured games will feel familiar to anyone who has played all three of these, and while there have been minor tweaks to some, there have been much larger changes to others.

The single player mode starts with a Global Guide system, with a number of figurines dotted around the world. When selected, these guides will inform the player of any associated history around a selected number of games, and will then recommend a handful of them from that local region. To be fair, very little purpose can really be found with this mode, and it actually makes selecting the available games to be somewhat cumbersome. Instead all 51 can be selected from a grid style menu, or from a scrollable menu selection, which takes out any of the unnecessary fluff from the global guide system. Understandably, there will be many that are not so self-explanatory - luckily this is where having a mini-tutorial for every game is pretty helpful, furthermore written rules can be found in the pause menu of each of the included 51 games. The vast majority have four difficultly levels to master, with some of the harder modes being quite impossible to conquer. Among the thick of it are some very recognisable games, and these will be highlighted here, starting with…

Screenshot for 51 Worldwide Games on Nintendo Switch

Bowling - Most notably Bowling from Wii Sports. This has had a lot of the charm removed by taking away the Mii's reactions and animations. Nonetheless the fundamentals are still there, and now balls can be bowled with the barriers up, which adds a somewhat new dynamic to the game, especially if you make up your own in-house rules for local multiplayer. Bowling can be done via the touch screen or by using the Joy-Con's motion controls. Bowling using the motion controls feels more accurate than Wii Sports' bowling, but somewhat less comfortable than holding the larger Wii-mote. Largely though these are minor changes and there is a lot of reminiscent fun here for fans of the original Wii Sports Bowling.

Mancala - This ancient strategy game that is all about getting as many stones from one pocket into your store. Such an easy concept, and by using some simple math it can be quite easy to conquer against the CPU. However, throw in a human opponent, and the competition quite quickly heats up.

Yacht Dice - A dicey form of poker which utilises: five dice, a score card, and 12 turns. In typical Poker fashion, the players need to attempt to get different types of 'hands,' such as a full house, four of a kind, straights, and a combination of other dice rolls. Each turn includes three dice rolls with the ability to hold on to whichever current dice role the player wants. The scorecard on the left-hand side helps keep track of what dice rolls are required, and even does the math on what each roll is worth. Unfortunately, the CPU is not much competition, as it does make some questionable decisions on what dice to hold, and what rolls it decides to attribute to its score card.

Screenshot for 51 Worldwide Games on Nintendo Switch

Matching - Test short term memory when trying to match up pairs of 20 cards. The CPU can be unforgiving in this mode as it rarely makes a mistake. Players really have to be on their A-game to master this. Traditional numbered cards can be swapped out in favour of Mario-themed ones featuring the Mushroom Kingdom's finest. A simple pick-and-play game that doesn't last very long, but can be very entertaining in short spouts.

Golf - Unfortunately, Nintendo really missed the opportunity to include another Wii Sports gem here, as Golf plays out from a bird's eye view, not too dissimilar from the NES Golf, albeit no first-person mode for the swing. A simple, but fun 9-hole mode can be played, with varying wind speeds, and three different clubs to use. It is a shame that this mode has been simplified so much given the true potential of bringing back the classic Wii Sports or Wii Sports Resort mini-game.

Toy Baseball - Swing! Hit! …And Miss! This rudimentary version of baseball can be cruel to play against the CPU, hitting the ball in any other way than perfectly will most likely see the player get caught out. Toy Baseball plays out with a number of button-pressed commands to hit or pitch the ball, with fielders moving automatically and rhythmically back and forth in their zones. Games can be played with three, six or nine innings, and across all four difficulty settings.

6-Ball Puzzle - Move over Tetris, a new puzzle game has come to town. 6-Ball Puzzle is presented in a neon-retro '80s fashion, where different coloured balls drop three at a time. The end goal is to beat the opponent by making sure that they haven't amassed the maximum amount of balls in the screen's capacity, exactly like Tetris. Match six same coloured balls to make them disappear, or better yet, get six balls to line up, form a pyramid or a hexagon, and even more balls will drop on the opponent. Find a well-skilled opponent, and this could be one of those games that could be replayed over and over again.

Screenshot for 51 Worldwide Games on Nintendo Switch

Almost everything can be played online, with the exception to the Solitaire games, Fishing, Team Tanks, and, disappointingly, Toy Cars - the latter is a strange omission. Each one has its own lobby, which makes it hard to know how many players are actually online at one time. Up to three lobbies can be selected at any one time, and single player games can be played until a match is made. During the review process it has been impossible to match up with any players, mainly due to the fact that the game is not out in the public domain yet. However, the potential of playing a number of these games online is going to greatly increase the longevity of 51 Worldwide Games, as there are a number of titles that will greatly benefit from having human competition involved. For those without Nintendo Switch Online, or those who just prefer to play in local multiplayer, then grab those Joy-Con, and away you play.

Alternatively, Nintendo Switch owners can download the free Guest Edition from the eShop, which allows up to three other players join someone who owns the game for a selection of games to play in Local play. This can help placate any of those Nintendo Switch Lite owners who can't disconnect their Joy-Con, or connect to the TV, which obviously serves as a large disadvantage for this particular model.

This isn't the first time that such a collection of games has come to a Nintendo system, but it is the first time in recent years that such an attempt by Nintendo has been made to include a number of games that are associated with gambling. Given the recent media attention there has been linking certain types of games with encouraging gambling, it is surprising that 51 Worldwide Games has been able to stay out of this conversation.

Of course, no micro-transactions or any real-world money can be spent in game, but teaching a rather young audience on how many of these card games work might come with a speck of controversy. It can be argued that many of these games are traditional card games that can be played without having to associate them with any form of betting, and during the review process playing these games didn't all of a sudden create an urge to pop down to a casino. It would be interesting to see how parents would react to their children playing such games - in reality they are harmless fun, and in that sense, they really are fun to play.

Screenshot for 51 Worldwide Games on Nintendo Switch

Cubed3 Rating

8/10
Rated 8 out of 10

Great - Silver Award

Rated 8 out of 10

Previous compilation titles from Nintendo have often bundled in controllers to these types of packages to help them sell, such as including a Wii Remote in Wii Play and Wii Party U, essentially making the game great value for money. 51 Worldwide Games doesn't do this. Instead, this can stand tall knowing that it compiles a number of brilliantly addictive games that can be fun to play alone or with friends. Almost all can be played in a quick pick-up and play fashion, which can be handy for those looking to play in short bursts, whether on a short commute, or in a party scenario. Online matchmaking should perhaps be refined so that people match players first, and select games after, but this aside, 51 Worldwide Games is a fantastic budget title that all Nintendo Switch owners should buy!

Also known as

Clubhouse Games: 51 Worldwide Classics

Developer

Nintendo

Publisher

Nintendo

Genre

Party

Players

4

C3 Score

Rated $score out of 10  8/10

Reader Score

Rated $score out of 10  0 (0 Votes)

European release date Out now   North America release date Out now   Japan release date Out now   Australian release date Out now   

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