Clear #81 - JB Harold Manhattan Requiem
More of the same type of game play, but now with FMV intro/confession/ending, improved location pics, and nicer character portraits.
The Good: tons of voice acting, which you can again turn off to hurry things along; a good whodunnit with a couple unexpected plot twists; more fun jazz tunes, which you can play at will in the bar jukebox and look at the album art; lots of characters to talk to, many of which are rather cute; and a mildly entertaining diversion playing weird blackjack (see below).
The Bad: There's only two locations to search for clues, and you again have to search more than once to get everything; earned Blackjack credits seem useless (even if you go broke, you can leave and come back in to start back at 20); and you gotta flip the disc a lot near the end.
The Ugly: NA
The Rules of Blackjack
[ Card combinations ]
1. Special Blackjack
(ace & jack of spades)
BET + BETx15 - defeats even the dealer's Blackjack
2. Semi-special Blackjack
(ace & jack of the same suit)
BET + BETx5 - defeats even the dealer's Blackjack
3. Blackjack
(an ace, and a 10, jack queen or king of any suit)
BET + BETx1.5 - ends in a draw
4. 6cards
(6 cards totaling up to but not exceeding 21)
BET + BETx5 - wins unconditionally
5. 7cards
(7 cards totaling up to but not exceeding 21)
BET + BETx10 - wins unconditionally
6. 8cards
(8 cards totaling up to but not exceeding 21)
BET + BETx15 - wins unconditionally
7. 777
(3 sevens)
BET + BETx15 - wins unconditionally
8. Other
(Having a higher count than the dealer but not exceeding 21)
BET + BETx1 - wins
[ Advanced technique ]
1. SPLIT PAIR
If the two cards are the same number, each card can be bet as a hand.
If the player has two aces, only one more card can be dealt.
In this case, a face card and ten are counted as 21, not as B/J.
(Note This is possible only when the player has the same or higher points than the first BET.)
2. DOUBLE DOWN
Although the player can double the first BET points when two cards are dealt, the player can draw only one more card.(Draw one unconditionally.)
(Note The player needs the same or higher remaining points than the BET points.)
3. INSURANCE
When the card that the dealer shows is an ace, the player can save half the points of the first BET.
In case the dealer's cards are Blackjack, the player gets the insurance BETx3.
If the dealer's cards are NOT Blackjack, all of the insurance BET goes to the dealer.
[ Commands ]
1. HIT - Need another card
2. STAND - Need no more cards
3. DOUBLE - Double the points of BET
(Refer to the section above for a detailed explanation)
4. INSURANCE - Save half the points BET as insurance
5. SPLIT - Try 2 hands by dividing your pair
(Refer to the section above for a detailed explanation)
[ Rules ]
Bet first.
Following the BET, cards are dealt to the player, and then to the dealer, one at a time.
The dealer and player each should have two cards to play the game.
As many cards as the players wants can be dealt.
If the total of the player's cards "win unconditionally" or "defeat the dealer's hand," the game is over.
If the player's cards are "BUST," the dealer wins the game.
If the player's cards are not "BUST," the dealer takes as many cards as necessary, and the player and dealer compare their cards.
If the card totals are the same, the game ends in a draw.
The points of the BET are returned to the player.
(When the dealer's cards are Blackjack, the player loses unless the cards can defeat or end the game in a draw, even if the player's cards are 21.)
[ Supplement ]
1) When counting the winning points, omit the figure below the decimals.
example When the cards are Blackjack at 1 of the BET points.
The points can be figured out
= BET + BETx1.5
= 1 + 1x1.5
= 2.5
However, in this game, the points are calculated as
= 1 + 1x1.5
= 2
2) The maximum points the player can bet at one time are 1,000.
I've never seen such convoluted rules, but at least it pays out with half-nekkid girlies! It wouldn't be an LA game without boobs, right?
As far as I can tell, you get normal NY scenery pics if you win 100+ credits in a hand:
Pic 1 Pic 2
Or if you win 1000+ credits, you get girls in lingerie:
Pic 3 Pic 4 Pic 5
Pic 6 Pic 7 Pic 8
It's too bad these pics are transparent overlays with scenery backdrops; it looks goofy. Also, I can't say how many there are total, but I saw at least a dozen and no repeats.
