Vegas Dream (1990) NES Review

Vegas Dream ・ ビバ ラスベガス
Developed by: HAL Laboratory
Published by: HAL America, Inc
Released in: 1988 (JP), 1990 (NA)

Casino games have had a presence in video games since the medium’s invention, so having to sit down and play one for more than six seconds was inevitable on my never ending journey to finish every NES game. Everyone’s got a vice or two. I break out into a cold sweat when I spend more than, like, $20 on crap I don’t need, so gambling has never been one of mine. Thankfully, Vegas Dream has a bit more meat on its bones than your standard casino game to keep folks who aren’t big on games of chance engaged.

The nameable player character touches down in Las Vegas with $700 in their pocket and a dream. A Vegas Dream, if you will. From there, you’re left to your own devices to turn that pocket change into a fortune to the tune of $10,000,000; make that much and you beat the game. Any real life casino worth their salt would send such a plucky gambler a complimentary pair of concrete shoes before they would actually pay out numbers that outrageous, but that’s neither here nor there.

There are four standard casino games to make your fortune from – slots, keno, roulette and blackjack. At their core, the gambling games are as basic as they come, which is disappointing. Speaking personally, I think that video game slot machines should be a professionally recommended cure for insomnia. They almost make me wish I was losing real money while I watch the reels roll by with glossed over eyes; at least I’d be feeling an emotion other than bored. With no interaction from the player required outside of placing a bet and waiting, they’re the textbook definition of a waste of time. I just don’t like ’em!!

Thank you for indulging my mini rant, dear reader. I didn’t realise how much I hated game slots until now either! Moving swiftly onward…

Luckily, this is where that previously mentioned meat on the bone comes in. While you chip away one of the four games Vegas Dream has to offer, there’s a chance that an interesting random event will pop up and pull your character into something a little more dubious. Fellow casino goers will approach you with some sort of proposition; whether that’s a high stakes gamble, trying to sell you stolen watches and phony dollar bills, or going on dates with potential marriage candidates, there’s actually a lot to see here. One event that sticks out in my mind is one where my character randomly fell down a flight of stairs and was hospitalized for two weeks! I can truly say I didn’t foresee that happening in an NES casino game.

Whether each event ends with you being a little bit richer or being an unfortunate headline on the Vegas evening news is totally up to chance, which I found infinitely more engaging than the actual gambling games on offer. Nothing in particular seems to trigger these events, however, so you have to busy yourself with tossing your hard earned virtual cash back into the house’s pocket until the game next decides to show you something neat.

It’s these events and the game’s especially stylish presentation that elevate Vegas Dream from a stock casino game to a worthwhile experience. I reached the ending in about 90 minutes thanks to the magic of blackjack, but I fully admit I might have been a little harsher on Vegas Dream if it had taken much longer than that.

Overall, if you’re someone who’s actively into gambling games, or you find the idea of the random events intriguing, Vegas Dream is worth a look. Otherwise, this is a roll of the dice you can comfortably pass up.

Final rating: