Super Blackjack Battle II Turbo: The Card Warriors – You had one job!
A melding of Street Fighter II and blackjack that does justice to neither.
As the name suggests, Super Blackjack Battle II Turbo: The Card Warriors is about playing a lot of blackjack. And yes, I know it’s April, but that is the name of a real game. Unlike Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo, it has no actual link to any Capcom franchise. Instead, it’s more of an homage to that 90’s arcade sensation that got a plethora of sequels that didn’t involve actually involve the number three. It’s a swift kick in the nostalgia, but don’t expect much besides some pixel art and a few nods to its inspiration. Not only does this not leverage any kind of head to head combat, it’s only loosely blackjack.
This is almost like playing casino blackjack (more on that later) in a series of “head to head” matches against opponents from across the globe. Money takes the place of a health bar and characters don’t directly fight each other. It’s still very much a battle against the dealer like every other blackjack table out there. The player with the most money at the end of ten rounds is declared the winner although play can end sooner if one player loses all of their money.
I love the retro-inspired character and level designs in Super Blackjack Battle II Turbo. Playing in single combat mode has all the hallmarks of Street Fighter II. The animated plane flying from country to country, the pregame portraits, and the trash talk after each match. Yes, beware of all the sick burns after battle. It’s basically everything you ever loved about old arcade fighting games except for the fighting. But who really cares about that, right?
You’ve never played blackjack like this! Probably because you follow the actual rules of the game when playing at a casino. I’m also guessing your favorite casino isn’t a German jet hangar. Unfortunately, not following the rules of blackjack is a bit of a deal-breaker in a goddamn blackjack game. The game seems to use a no-peek style when handling the dealer’s hole card with a ten card showing. Play continues as normal even if the hole card is an ace. Similarly, insurance is handled oddly. Taking insurance immediately ends your turn whether the dealer has a blackjack or not. This means that players can’t hit even if the dealer doesn’t have a blackjack. The dealer’s also allowed to draw to 21 in order to push a player blackjack. Players are allowed to hit on split aces. What I’m saying is that this might not be a game for blackjack enthusiasts.
Rules for casino blackjack from BlackjackInfo.com.
Honestly, I’m not sure who this game is for. As excited as I was by the concept, I just can’t bring myself to play more than one run through single player mode in a sitting. Playing up to ten rounds of blackjack against eleven different opponents can get monotonous quickly. It’s not for lovers of blackjack or 90’s era fighting games, yet those seem to be exactly who it’s targeting. There are a couple online modes for unranked and tournament play. However, I’ve never personally been able to find an opponent to play against. I really wish I could recommend a game called Super Blackjack Battle II Turbo: The Card Warriors. Sadly, even at $11.99, I just can’t endorse a game that fails at its core premise.
Disclosure notice: A copy of the game was provided to Dorkadia for review purposes.
