UNO is not just any other game. It's more like an institution. How many of you out there played this game in one form or another growing up? I know I can't remember a time I wasn't UNO'ing with my parents on the kitchen table. Yes, we did in fact make up a word to describe our addiction. While you can't jump up and slam down a card while screaming UNO, all the classic elements are there at your disposal, including some new rules, all thanks to Gameloft. The version on the BlackBerry PlayBook is similar to ones released on iOS and Android and I'm thrilled it's finally come to the PlayBook.
To recap for those who might be unfamiliar, players of two or more are dealt a hand of seven cards and must play a card that matches the one on the pile either numerically or by color. If they have neither they draw another card and this continues until a player gets rid of all their cards. There are also wild cards that change the color in play or penalty cards that cause your opponents to draw extra cards or lose their turn.
Users can choose from three different types of play: Quick Play (short game), Single Player (Tournament or Custom Mode), or multiplayer where you and up to three of your friends share the BlackBerry tablet to compete against each other. When I say share, I mean you literally need to pass around the PlayBook to each player for their turn.
The real challenge lies with tournament play as you face fifteen rounds of play with varying rules and computer adversaries. You have five chances to win each round so make it count. As you win each game you'll collect reward cups/tables, unlock new backgrounds, and new avatars for your profile.
Graphics are outstanding and more importantly the colors are vibrant and extremely sharp and clear. It's also smooth, so no lag or jerks whatsoever. As a side note, I have a screen protector on my PB so if you saw any dirt or my finger slipping, it's the shield not the game.
Gameloft has done an oustanding job turning this simple card game into a great tablet application. One thing I need to warn you about is that this version lacks the online player mode available on other platforms so that is technically one thing that was lost. Hopefully they'll work on that in future updates. What are you waiting for? It's fun, addicting, and its only $4.99. Just don't beat up your tablet when you shout UNO.
More information / purchase UNO HD from BlackBerry App World
