Hey all you self-styled gamblers!  Ready for a new Vegas style adventure?  Look no further than Microsoft's exciting new offering, Bicycle Casino!  You'll find all the jazz and pizzazz of a trip to Vegas without spending all your hard-earned cash when you enter the gambling competition at the three magnificent casinos in Bicycle Casino!

You can't hit the casinos until you create your character!  Enter your name and choose the character picture you want to represent you.  You can also adjust the amount of money you want to begin with.  Don't forget to check out the audio options as well.  You can choose from Full to None or you can opt for the Custom setting and decide on each of the audio offerings.

Once you have your character and options set, it's time to choose which casino you will visit first!  The three casinos awaiting you are Treasure Island at The Mirage, The Mirage, and The Bellagio!  Each of these magnificent casinos offers 17 different games to choose from...including Baccarat, Video Slot Machines, 7 Card Stud Poker, 5 Card Draw Poker, Blackjack, and Roulette!  You'll even find poker variations like Texas Hold 'Em and Omaha Hold 'Em!

Play against the dealer or against 12 different animated characters!  You can be as challenged as you want to be!

Bicycle Casino, produced by Compulsive Development,  goes beyond other casino games by offering the Bicycle Casino Challenge and Freestyle Challenge.  These games are different but both are challenging.  Bicycle Casino Challenge really tests your gambling skill (and luck)!  Competition begins at Treasure Island at The Mirage and you must win in order to advance to the competition at The Mirage and then The Bellagio!

Freestyle Challenge allows you to play games that you select and then allows you to play at your own pace.  Here, too, you begin at Treasure Island and advance to the competition at Mirage and then Bellagio.

A very nice feature of Bicycle Casino is that all the game rules are spelled out and are very easy to understand so you can get to the excitement of gameplay quickly!  Another nice feature is that Help buttons are available on all menus so you can review rules as needed.

Each of the casinos offers very nice complimentary virtual gifts that will be given to you as you play.  Receiving all the comps from all three casinos is the only way to enter the High Rollers area of The Bellagio Casino other than gaining entrance because of your superb gambling skills!  Beyond that...with the comps, you'll see some great photo shots of the accommodations at each of the casinos as well as shots of sight-seeing locations surrounding the Vegas area.

All in all, I'm sure you will find that Bicycle Casino offers tons of fun and excitement displayed in a kaleidoscope of bright colors and dynamic sounds!  Trust me, it's the next best thing to being in Vegas yourself!

This is a gambling game rated E for Everyone.

Minimum System Requirements include:  Multimedia PC with 133MHz (266MHz recommended), Windows 95/98/2000/Me/XP, DirectX 8 (included), 16.5MB Free Hard Disk Space for Minimum Install (568.5MB for Full Install), 16MB RAM for Windows 95/98, 32MB RAM for Windows Me, 64MB RAM for Windows 2000, 128MB RAM for Windows XP, Sound Card and Speakers or Headphones, 2X CD-ROM (4X or higher recommended), SVGA Color Monitor capable of 800x600 resolution, 2MB Graphics Video Card capable of 16-bit color (4MB or higher Graphics Card recommended), mouse or comparable pointing device.

Install:  Quick and easy installation.

Gameplay:  9.0. 
This game runs very smoothly with no hesitation on my system.

Graphics:  9.0. 
This game really shines in this area.  Great animation, very nice photos and lifelike characters make for very enjoyable game playing.

Sound:  8.0. 
Very good character speech, nice sound effects and lively music combine to earn this game high marks in the sound score.  An added bonus lies in the Sound Options Section which allows you to choose the level of sound effects and music that you prefer.  Additionally, there are instructions for adding your own music selections.

Difficulty:  7.0. 
Bicycle Casino is very easy to play.  Each different game has a set of easy to understand instructions and game rules which come up when you access a game.  There is also a very nice help system with easy access buttons for each game.

Concept:  7.0. 
Although casino games have been around for a very long time, Bicycle Casino offers improved playing techniques that place it a step above the others I have played.

Multiplayer: 
There is an easy access web connection that allows you to challenge other players and to compete in tournaments.

Overall:  8.0. 
I thoroughly enjoy playing Bicycle Casino.  If you enjoy gambling games, this one is a very good choice.  I like the simplified rules for the games, the great help system and the photos that give you the feeling that you are actually at the real casinos.