We've seen some compilations in our time, but none quite the size of this one. Given the price of £10, which is a thousand pence, these games don't even cost a penny each. In fact, they're a tenth of a pence each, or quite literally ten-a-penny. Of course, the old adage of quantity over quality dictates that this product from Avanquest will be the gaming equivalent of shovelware. Is that the truth of the matter here, or are we in for a pleasant surprise?

In actual fact, 10,000 Games is a compilation of ten different games compilations, most of which have a theme, although some are just general by nature. Avanquest promises that the titles on offer aren't freeware or shareware, and while that seems true, the 10,000 Games label is a bit of a fib. Take the first collection we examined, 2002 Sudoku Games: each “game” is simply a different mathematical grid puzzle. That's quite a stretch in terms of definition, and clearly there aren't 10,000 full games here. Even so, there's still a lot packed onto this disc.

At any rate, 2002 Sudoku Games does exactly what it says on the tin, comprising of over two thousand well presented Sudoku grids, albeit accompanied by a cheesy piece of repeatedly looped music that'll have you reaching for the volume control. Only traditional 9 x 9 grids (with 3 x 3 regions) are included, however, with no smaller custom variants.

Then there's 500 Solitaire Games, which once again speaks for itself. It's a collection of 500 rule variants on solitaire, from standard play to more complex spider solitaire type rules featuring multiple packs. The card graphics are nice and clear, and can be 2D or 3D, plus you can invent your own custom rules. If you enjoy solitaire, this will do a good job of satiating your appetite for single player cards, although if you've no patience with the game, like us, it's obviously a rather redundant chunk of the package.

Similarly, Virtual Vegas 3003 Slots is a massive collection of simulated siren-like machines that use their flashing lights and beeping sounds to confuse the hot and sweaty punter into emptying their pockets. We've never quite seen the point of virtual fruit machines, given that the whole thrill is really about winning (or indeed losing) real cash. And this particular collection makes virtual slots seem even more pointless. The various machines are largely the same, with poorly animated reels, identical sound effects and the same basic gameplay. There's a lack of any holds, nudges, or anything else that might be in danger of making things slightly interesting. Awful.

Moving on swiftly, we dipped into Puzzle and Board Championship; see if you can guess what that involves. Yes, it's a fourteen-strong selection of board game classics, such as Reversi, Battleships, Backgammon and Mah-jongg, along with some jigsaw puzzles thrown in.

There are also some wild cards such as chess problems (for example, the player must move a knight piece around to visit every square on the board without landing on the same space more than once) and bingo. The latter is an excruciatingly dull version of a dull game which, much like fruit machines, doesn't work without the money factor. There are some decent efforts in here, but some games are very basic indeed. Battleships, for instance, doesn't make any attempt to produce graphical representations of the ships, opting for simple coloured blobs instead.

Next up is the 2002 Games compilation. Again, this plays with a liberal definition of the term “game”, so there are six different variants of Alien Ship Shoot, a limp affair where you have to press space to fire a rocket at a circling ship, with only minuscule differences in the graphics. Repeated games, rudimentary gameplay and terrible visuals abound, as do bugs and other miscellaneous nastiness. What's more, or indeed what's less, it also introduces more mind-numbingly pointless fruit machines with no features other than spinning the reels. This one is very poor all round.

The Best Game Hits module of the package encompasses ten efforts, including several simple three-in-a-row jewel swapping puzzle games, and a version of Connect Four where the computer opponent takes twenty seconds to make a simple and obvious defensive move a toddler could have figured out quicker. If this AI had to survive in the real world, it would last roughly as long as it took to come into contact with its first major road or live kitchen appliance.

There's some further uninspired fare here, such as a basic “spot the difference” between two pictures game, and yet more versions of solitaire just in case the 500 Solitaire Games compilation isn't enough for you. All those laptop-owning hermits in caves across the globe will doubtless be chuffed.

Rounding off the package is a mediocre simulation of mini-golf, and 1001 Tangram Puzzles, a load of Chinese puzzles which involve fitting a set of seven shapes into an outline. Finally, Pop Drop & Stack is a reasonable collection of puzzle games, featuring some maths and memory tests amongst other bits and bobs. Some of these are okay for a brief diversion or lunch break filler.

Verdict
We suspected this product would be a triumph of numbers over quality, and indeed this proved to be the case. The sheer weight of the filler on this disc leaves an inevitable taste of despondency in your mouth, as you plough through the plentiful - and worse still, often repeated - tripe on the ten various compilations. In fairness, depending on your tastes you'll find some entertainment here for the budget price of £10, but not enough to tempt us into a purchase.

Company: Avanquest

Tags: reversi sudoku board game avanquest connect four games puzzle video game mahjong