Stacked with Daniel Negreanu
While WSOP featured a plethora of stars and pro players on the cover and in the game; Stacked has Daniel Negreanu as its claim to fame. He offers some insight and nuggets of advice throughout the game but don't mistake this release as a training tool for Texas Hold 'Em. I had the chance to review Stacked for the PS2 earlier this year and I was less than impressed but I figured that the PSP edition may have brought some worthwhile changes to the table.
Unfortunately that's really not the case since this is essentially the same game just in a smaller form. Negreanu may be great at playing poker but he's apparently not that skilled at avoiding having your name appear on a less-than-good game. When this offer came to him he probably should have folded no matter how big the pot may have been.
Gameplay:
Just like the PlayStation 2 version of Stacked, the first thing that you'll be doing once you fire up this UMD is creating a digital avatar. The options are very limited to the point that you are presented with a few selections and no room for customization. I understand the technical limitations of the PSP and its hardware but being able to actually mold a character somewhat could have gone a long way to making a better first impression. Granted this feature technically doesn't have an impact on the gameplay but since you're going to be spending some time playing as this person it's only natural to expect some more inspired options.
Now that you have your ugly counterpart ready to play a few hands it's time to get into the meat of the game. Compared to WSOP the modes in Stacked are somewhat on par. You can basically pick up and play with Quick Play, work on your Career or try out some multiplayer. The game's options are kind of limited though so beyond tinkering with a couple of choices, location, and buy-in amount there isn't a lot to immerse you into the game.
In Quick Play the gameplay structure is much more open with some features that you can tweak and options that can be unlocked the further you get in the Career Mode. You can even select the difficulty but what anybody would want to play Easy poker is beyond me. The biggest part of the game that I find most appealing is the challenge of playing against someone who is out to rattle your chains. Granted that's an effect that gets lost in translation when it comes to digital poker but I suppose some newcomers may want to knock the difficulty down a notch for some practice.
Career Mode is the meat and potatoes of Stacked but it's also fairly linear. You work your way from casino to casino trying to win as many games as possible and get the biggest payroll. Once again you are given some options for the type of game you want to play in and what limits you want to try your luck with. As you play you'll unlock new venues and such so there's always something to keep you interested. The challenge rises the further into the game you get and at times the AI can be very realistic. Unfortunately the game just isn't consistent enough to offer a valuable experience.
The thing about Stacked that makes it different from other games is the type of AI that it employs. The system is heralded as being the most realistic to date and as such that is this title's feather in the cap. For the most part the AI is pretty sturdy and it holds up well through most games. There are some times where it gets a little wonky and they make calls that they shouldn't have or even do outright stupid stuff.
Sadly the biggest flaw in Stacked is the simple lack of functionality in gameplay. This was the bullet that put down the PS2 version and I was hoping that it would have been omitted from the PSP edition but sadly it's not the case. You would think that a poker game would be pretty simplistic in design but Stacked goes out of its way to make everything complicated. You have to fiddle with a control menu for everything and betting becomes cumbersome after a while since you have manually key in everything. It can be frustrating at time and even a little bothersome when it comes to changing your characters expressionless poker face.
Another complaint I have with this game is also one that I had with WSOP for the PSP. Since this is a title for a handheld system you need to be able to skip turns, fast forward or save your progress midway through a round. Without being able to do that it really becomes a drag since you have to constantly suspend the system. Poker games are notorious for taking a long time to complete but why does that have to hold true for a digital version?
In the end Stacked just doesn't have enough going for it to be worthwhile for the PSP owner with poker on the mind. The modes are rather limited and the gameplay structure is convoluted to the point of annoyance. The AI is more or less solid though so in that regard I suppose some of this experience could be chalked up to realistic. Still, this game has no pick up and play value whatsoever since you can't get around the table faster once you fold. You'll find yourself just sitting there while the world passes you by.
Graphics:
The graphics in Stacked are lackluster to say the least. Environments are void of activity and things really appear static. The character models are a step up from WSOP but they still aren't very good looking irregardless. This is a poker game on a system with somewhat limited graphical output so in my opinion the developers should have gone with a different approach. Stacked just doesn't look that great and a many selections are difficult to read because of the size of the LCD.
Audio:
The sound direction in Stacked is pretty underwhelming when you get right down to it. There is some voice acting but beyond idle chit chat it doesn't really get interesting. Sound effects are kind of a gray area I suppose you could say. While they may be somewhat realistic the clatter of chips and noise of the casino sound horrible on the PSP's speakers. It almost sounds as if you're sitting near a kitchen and someone keeps dropping plates. The lounge music isn't very good either but acceptable for the kind of game that this is.
Conclusion:
PSP owners looking for some poker on the go don't have a lot of good options. With WSOP and Stacked on the market both titles offer something that the other doesn't but in the end neither is really worth getting. I was hoping that Stacked for the PSP would have been better than the PS2 version but sadly the same control issues and lackluster presentation were carried over. Being unable to skip turns also becomes a thorn in the side and you'll frequently have to suspend your system during a game if you are out on the road. If you're desperate for poker to play on Sony's handheld I guess you could rent it though it's not a strong rental suggestion.