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Clubhouse Games/42 All-Time Classics is an excellent game, whose popularity was unfortunately cut short by a limited run of copies. Those wanting the game were unable to find it anywhere, a situation similar to that of Electroplankton. That might be about to change...

Amazon and other retailers have put the game up for pre-order, which suggests Nintendo is printing more copies of the game. We highly suggest picking it up if you get the chance, as we had a lot of fun with it..

Nintendo-Europe have released details of the forthcoming (super mega awesome) Wi-Fi game, 42 All Star Classics. The game is made up of 42 board, parlour, and table games that have been loved by generations around the world. They are brought together in one little cartridge, and most are playable over Wi-Fi, or local wireless link. NOE have higlighted a few of the games for a more detailed inspection.

Blackjack
It takes a little getting used to, playing a card game with just a stylus and touch screen, but because each player has their own DS it's like having a real hand of cards that nobody else can see. Bets are entered on a virtual keypad and the game usefully adds up the value of the cards in your hand and displays it on screen. While obviously there's no real money to be won, the challenge comes in trying to beat your opponents, be they real or CPU-controlled.

Five Card Draw
We'll admit that we're more like Mr Bean than Mr Bond when it comes to card playing, so the Advanced Card Games (there are also Basic and Intermediate categories) flummoxed us at first. Five Card Draw, for instance, has lots of terms like 'antes', 'folding', 'checking' and 'calling' to learn. Fortunately all the games in 42 All-Time Classics have detailed rules and instructions that you can refer to at the press of a button. There are even useful playing tips for when you get the hang of things.

Texas Hold 'Em
For a beginner, the hardest part of playing Texas Hold 'Em is figuring out whether you have a good hand or not. Fortunately 42 All-Time Classics does the work for you by telling you if you're holding a Pair, Two Pairs, a Full House etc. In this and any of the card games, you can also choose the design of the playing surface; from standard green baize to wood, marble and even a space theme! New themes can be unlocked, too.

Checkers
After the stress of bluffing our way through intense card games, we sometimes need something simpler. In Checkers it's just you versus a friend (or the CPU) and to make a move you just drag a piece with the stylus. It's also impossible to make an illegal move because the game only lets you drop pieces onto allowed spaces. For beginners it's a great way to learn the rules and the beauty of playing on DS while travelling is that the pieces don't slide around!

Backgammon
Like the card games in 42 All-Time Classics, there are also Basic and Advanced board games, too. As one of the Advanced games, Backgammon takes a little time to learn but the DS guides you along with on-screen hints and tips. Rolling the dice to determine how many spaces to move is a simple matter of flicking the virtual dice on the touch screen, so there's no chance to cheat!

Chess

What happens when the ancient strategy game meets a modern video game system? It improves on it! As well as simple touch screen control, Chess on DS has one very handy feature that is impossible in the board game version: match recording. In the 42 All-Time Classics version, the game keeps track of each player's moves and you can 'go back in time' and review past moves - rewinding and fast-forwarding at will.

Soda Shake

After the serious strategy of Chess, it's time to have some fun! Soda Shake is one of the simplest games in the compilation but is great to get in the party mood when you're playing with friends (up to eight can take part). Players simply take turns shaking a bottle of fizzy drink by rubbing the touch screen. If the bottle explodes on you, you lose!

Darts

How does the pub favourite work as videogame, you're wondering? Easier than you'd think. You simply slide the stylus upwards on the touch screen to throw your darts, with the speed and direction of your slide influencing your aim and power; so there's a lot of depth to how it plays. There are also three game types available: 'High Score', '01' (be the first to reach zero) and 'Standard Cricket' (score by aiming only for numbers 15-20).

Billiards

Challenge a friend or the CPU to a game of standard nine-ball billiards, in which the first player to sink the nine is the winner. Like Darts, your stylus becomes the cue, so you can give the ball a gentle nudge or a mighty thwack just by making a sliding motion across the screen. Adjust the difficulty level of the CPU for a tougher challenge or repeatedly send your opponent annoying messages with the chat feature; it's up to you!

Solitaire

Responsible for wasting time in offices the world over, Solitaire also appears in 42 All-Time Classics, so you can waste time wherever you go! Solitaire is one of the three single player games available, alongside Mahjong Solitaire and block-sliding puzzle game Escape. On DS, Solitaire plays just like on the popular PC version because the stylus and touch screen has the same effect as a mouse.

All games included are as follows:

Basic Card Games
Old Maid
Spit
I Doubt It
Sevens
Pig

Intermediate Card Games
Blackjack
Hearts
President
Rummy
Seven Bridge
Last Card
Last Card Plus

Advanced Card Games
Five Card Draw
Texas Hold ‘Em
Nap
Spades
Contract Bridge

Basic Board Games
Chinese Checkers
Checkers
Dots and Boxes
Hasami Shogi
Turncoat
Connect Five
Grid Attack

Advanced Board Games
Backgammon
Chess
Shogi
Field Tactics
Ludo

Variety Games
Soda Shake
Dominoes
Koi-Koi
Word Balloon

Action Games
Bowling
Darts
Billiards
Balance
Takeover

Single-Player Games
Solitaire
Mahjong Solitaire
Escape

It is not clear what games are playable over global Wi-Fi and which just Local Wireless (NOE state the games that they've highlighted are "all playable via Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection or local wireless link, as are the majority of the games in 42 All-Time Classics"), but what is certain is that the full Pictochat option won't be available unless both parties have exchanged friend codes. Until then chat is restricted to a series of pre-set phrases. This'll help keep the environment nice and friendly.

I'll admit and say that some of those games I have never ever heard of, but with so many there's certainly something there for everyone, and at the price of £20/€30, it's surely a must-by Wi-Fi title.

The game is released in Europe on the 29th September, and in the US on the 9th October