TRUMP CASTLE: THE ULTIMATE GAMBLING SIMULATION

 Open the door to a casino anywhere in the world and it's the same: Bright
lights and bells accompany regular slot machine payoffs, a collective roar from
the craps table congratulates a player on a hot dice roll, and the snap of a
fresh deck of cards signals a new hand in play at the blackjack table.
Everyone's chasing that elusive pot of gold -- hoping the next deal, the next
roll of the dice, the next pull of the handle will bring instant fortune. The
sense of excitement is contagious, and once inside the doors, the outside world
seems very far away.

 Several computer game publishers have attempted to recreate this world for the
home player. Capstone, working hand in hand with Trump Castle in Atlantic City,
has designed a program that's billed as "The Ultimate Casino Gambling
Simulation." As I tore the wrapping from the package, I was eager to discover
the accuracy of their claim. Happily, it's not far from the mark: TRUMP CASTLE
treats you to one of the best gambling simulations available today. (This review
is based on the IBM-PC version; Atari ST version notes follow.)

 The opening screen reveals the Trump Castle logo centered conspicuously over
two rows of symbols that represent the six game modules. Across the top of the
screen is a pull-down menu for modifying game defaults, exiting, and selecting a
game from the keyboard; mouse players simply click on a symbol to activate the
desired game. The initial bankroll is $10,000 -- quite generous by gaming
standards. Because game variety is one of TRUMP's major attractions, I'll cover
each module in detail here, just as you'd play it.

 BLACKJACK

 The table is predominantly green, true to its real-life counterpart. Using a
mouse, you drag a chip from one of your five stacks to the center of the table
to start play. A right click begins the round; your first two cards and the
dealer's second card are dealt face up, with the dealer's cards appearing in the
upper right-hand corner of the screen. The object of the game is to come as
close to twenty-one points as possible without going over, while scoring a
higher point total than the dealer. A left click "hits" (or asks for another
card), a right click "stands" (or ends the deal at the current point total). On
appropriate hands, there are options for splitting pairs, doubling down, and
insurance. A box on the lower-left of the screen keeps a running total of your
bankroll, as well as the amount wagered on each hand. No screen commands are
shown, nor is there a provision for point totalling, which might make this game
more difficult for someone trying to learn it.

 VIDEO POKER

 As in all other modules, the graphics are excellent and the design (here, of a
machine) is realistic. The backs of five cards are displayed in the center of
the screen, each in its own little window. Beneath every card is a button marked
"Hold," and a "Deal" button appears on the lower-left of the screen. The coin
return tray is to the right, with the status screen on the far-right. You can
insert up to five coins for each hand.

 Although the cards are well-drawn and easy to read, the logistics of placing
more than one bet are very tedious: You have to drag the mouse from the stack to
the slot every time you enter a coin. It'd be much nicer if you could set the
amount of your bet once, and then replay it with a single click of the mouse.

 After placing your bet, a click on the "Deal" box starts play; you draw cards
by clicking on the "Hold" buttons (which change to "Draw" as they're selected).
A pair of Jacks will earn you the smallest payoff, while better poker hands
bring larger winnings. The "Control-O" combination reveals the "odds" screen,
detailing the various payoffs. If a win is recorded, coins drop into the tray
beneath the machine. No on-screen commands appear, again forcing the keyboard
player to depend on the command card or manual for help.

 KENO

 This is one of my favorite modules, although in a real casino I rarely play the
game. Unlike other simulations that display the keno ticket only before and
after the numbers are drawn, TRUMP's keno machine shows the numbers _as_ they're
coming up. I kept returning to this segment just because I enjoyed watching the
keno machine!

 As in other simulations, this one begins with the keno ticket: After dragging
your bet to the slot, you mark your ticket with a left click, and erase or
change numbers with the right mouse button. When satisfied with your picks,
clicking on the coin slot pops up the keno machine and selects all the numbers
on which the "house" will pay. Your ticket then reappears, with lights behind
all payoff numbers so you can check for winners. Payoffs are determined by the
number of picks made (as the "Control-O" combination indicates). If you want to
replay your numbers, just drag your next bet to the slot and click on it. Lots
of keno players bet on the same numbers in successive games, so it's good to
find this option included.

 ROULETTE

 The familiar red and black numbers on the green background are very
realistically depicted. Five stacks of chips in varying amounts appear on the
top-right of the screen, with the previous winning number in a window on the
top-left. Simply dragging your bet to the desired numbers on the table makes
this segment one of the easiest to play. You can lay your chips between two
numbers, on the end of a row, or in the middle of a four-number square. When all
numbers have been selected, clicking the small window on the upper-left starts
play and brings up the next screen: a side view of the roulette wheel with its
spinning ball. As soon as the ball drops, the wheel disappears and the roulette
number is displayed once again. Although marking the numbers with the mouse is
relatively easy, I would've appreciated the ability to replay my same numbers,
instead of having to place individual bets for each spin of the wheel. I realize
it's more realistic that way, but it's much more of an inconvenience here than
in a casino.

 I also would've liked a clearer view of the spinning wheel. The numbers on the
wheel are not visible, even though for most of us, the fun of roulette is in
watching the ball dance over the numbers and hoping it'll land on the one we've
picked. Without this exciting element, the game loses a lot of its real-life
attraction.

 CRAPS

 A full-size craps table occupies most of the screen in this module, with a
status bar and five stacks of brightly-colored chips drawn below. The dice are
pictured in a large window, centered on the bottom edge of the table. As in
roulette, making bets with the mouse is easy: Merely click on the desired stack
and drag the chip to the appropriate place on the table. A click on the dice
window activates a smaller pair of dice that rolls diagonally across the table
and lands directly over the dice window to reveal the number rolled. Unless the
"house" clears the table, your bets remain and must be removed if you wish to
change them before the next roll. Again, with the mouse, this is a relatively
simple task.

 A casino craps game is fast-moving, but the dice roll here is extremely slow
and jerky, causing the game action to drag considerably. Also, the "Buy" and
"Place" bets, as well as the corner "Big Six" and "Big Eight" bets, are
unavailable -- despite their favor with many casino players. This omission would
be a major disappointment to anyone who purchased TRUMP to learn or practice
these particular aspects of casino craps.

 SLOTS

 If the game designers skimped on the craps table, they made up for it in the
slots! There are no less than _nine_ slot machines -- more than in any other
comprehensive gaming simulation, and more than you'll find in most dedicated
slots programs! When you choose this module from the main menu, nine miniature
slot machines appear in three rows of three machines each, each row sporting a
different color. It's hard to distinguish machine designs from the menu; only in
the close-ups are the differences apparent. All nine machines are multi-play;
that is, you need more than one coin to bet all possible payoff lines. Six of
the slots are three-reelers, and three are four-reelers, displaying either three
or four symbols across the middle of the three rows shown. The three center
machines are progressive: Each successive play raises the amount of the jackpot.
Either the usual "Control-O" combination or a click on the "payoff" box on the
lower-left of the screen reveals the odds as each machine appears.

 Once again, betting is as tedious as in Video Poker. To bet the full five-coin
amount, you must drag the mouse from the stack of chips to the coin slot five
separate times, and then click once on the handle to activate play. If the
machine pays off, the coins drop into the tray at the bottom of the screen.
They're only for "show," however; you can't use them for betting.

 Unfortunately, some of the machines are distracting: I couldn't look at the
bright green slots for long, and the red handles on the red machines are
impossible to discern. Luckily, the tip of the handle is a different color, so I
just clicked on that to begin play. I also found the sound of play annoying; too
bad this feature can't be disabled. Because of these drawbacks, the slots didn't
hold much interest for me, contrary to their powerful effect in the casino!

 Playing TRUMP CASTLE on an IBM 386/20 with a Microsoft mouse, I was jolted at
bootup when greeted not by a beautiful rendition of Trump Castle or its logo,
but by Capstone's copy-protection scheme: "What is the symbol at Row 26, Column
5?" Naturally, I grabbed the copy-protection card to search for the correct
response. It's printed in light blue ink, difficult to read even without having
to scan all those densely packed symbols printed in very small type.

 Needless to say, TRUMP did not get off to a good start with me! You have three
chances to enter the correct answer; if you're unsuccessful, the system locks
up, forcing you to reboot. This would be no problem, of course, if the
copy-protection card were easier to read. But because your response must be
typed _exactly_ as it appears on the card, you're in for plenty of frustration
if the eye-blurring rows and columns confuse you.

 Fortunately, once past this irritation, the rewards are many. The graphics are
outstanding: Capstone certainly makes good use of the sixteen colors in the EGA
spectrum. TRUMP requires 256K of RAM and CGA or EGA graphics capability.

 Because the copy-protection scheme is not disk-based, installation of the game
is simple. You can use the DOS "copy" command to transfer files to anoth floppy,
or to your hard drive. The program is controlled by either a
Microsoft-compatible mouse or the keyboard. Although using the mouse should make
game play easy, I found the overall mechanics awkward and illogical; what should
have been so simple was often complicated by the nature of the available
choices. Furthermore, a keyboard player is heavily dependent on the accompanying
command card, since no commands are listed on the screen anywhere in the entire
simulation. If you lose either your command card or your manual, play will be
nearly impossible until Capstone replaces the missing instructions.

 All in all, the variety of gaming options and the ability to use a mouse are
TRUMP's major attractions for me; the copy-protection card and the mechanics of
play are its major drawbacks. I don't know that I would call TRUMP CASTLE the
"ultimate" gaming simulation, but as I said earlier, it's definitely one of the
best available today.

 ATARI ST VERSION NOTES

 The Atari ST version of TRUMP CASTLE offers excellent graphics, sound, and
animation; easy mouse interface; keyboard-invoked Help, Results, Chip Value,
Odds, and Table Limit screens; and copy protection. It requires 512K and a color
monitor.

 TRUMP CASTLE on the Atari ST is a really good program that works perfectly in
all respects.  While any software labeled "ultimate" is a package to be leery
of, TC definitely gets the job done and does so smoothly. There's sure to be
another "ulitmate" gambling simulation produced in the future, but it'll have to
go a long way to beat this one.

 All actions are mouse-controlled: Chips can be dragged to, dropped on, or
removed from the betting tables, and dragged and dropped into coin slots. Clicks
set wheels, deals, dice, and handles in motion. A Help Screen is available
through the Help key. Point at a bet on any betting screen, press the Control-O
key combination, and you'll see the odds and payoffs for that bet. Other
Control/Key combinations quit the current game and return to the Main Menu,
display results, deal the cards, throw the dice, spin the wheel, and display the
bet limits on a particular table.

 The TRUMP CASTLE package comes with two copy-protected disks, an instruction
manual, and a Code Card that's used as an additional form of copy protection.
The manual explains the rules of the games and general program operation
clearly. Although "Version 1.5" is stamped on the disks, "Version 1.2" appears
onscreen: Whichever version this is, it works fine.

 Simply put, TRUMP CASTLE is a top-notch gambling simulation, starting with the
opening sequence: A jet lands and a digitized voice welcomes you to Atlantic
City. The graphics are excellent, the animations (especially the roulette wheel
and the dice) are great, and the sparingly-used sound effects are just right.
Each game plays perfectly, the mouse interface is as easy to use as can be, and
even if you're not a gambler, you'll go home a winner with TRUMP CASTLE.

 TRUMP CASTLE: THE ULTIMATE CASINO GAMBLING SIMULATION is published by Capstone
and distributed by IntraCorp.

*****DOWNLOADED FROM P-80 SYSTEMS (304) 744-2253