I am an admitted card game junkie.  I love to play card games.  It probably comes from my Grandpa, a true card game aficionado himself, who taught me how to play Michigan Rummy when I was barely old enough to read the cards (though I was in college before he taught me how to beat him at it).  I love rummy;  I love poker too;  but most of all, I love solitaire.  

My Grandpa was a master solitaire player, cleaning up row after row, deck after deck of cards.  Since those days of watching and learning, I’ve become quite adept myself at several dozen different solitaire games from standard Klondike to Clock Solitaire.  I’ve read books, learned the tricks, and gone through dozens of decks of cards.  I thought I knew it all.  I thought I knew every variation of ever version of solitaire.  But I was wrong.  Just when I thought I was at the top of my game, along came "Can’t Stop Solitaires Collection" with its 250 variations of solitaire divided into a whopping 16 different game types.  Now, I am hooked…now, once again, I am the solitaire student.

Installation and Registration: Installation is simple.  Just click the file from your desktop computer and install the game via Activesync.  You will then be given a limited number of games which you can try until you must enter a registration code.  Once registered, you will have unlimited access to all 50 games.

Overview and Gameplay: With a250 unique solitaire games, a clear means of organization is mandatory.  "Can’t Stop Solitaires Collection" lives up to that demand, by providing three distinct menu tabs for displaying the various solitaire games on the main screen: "Favorites", "All Games Tree", and "All Games List". 

Favorites is a clever and convenient way to allow personalized organization of the games.  Each game has an option in the game menu to add or remove it from the Favorites Menu.  By adding the games you enjoy to this menu, you save yourself from having to scroll through every game trying to recall which ones you liked.  Like a game?  Click on "Add to Favorites".  In fact, if multiple people will be using the game, each person can create their own profile, in where they can store their favorite games and statistics.   

All Games Tree is a great option to use once you have found a game you like.  This groups games in a tree format into 16 categories, or game types.  Each category contains games that are variations on a type of solitaire game, such as Klondike (or classic Solitaire), Freecell type, Scorpion type, Royal Secrets Type, and many more. Once you have found a game you like, use the All Games Tree to find other related games.

Finally, All Games List provides a list of all 250 games in alphabetical order.  This is a perfect option if you already know the name of the game you want to play, or if you just want to select a game at random.

To select a game from any of the menus, just highlight it, and select "Play" from the game menu.  To learn more about the game, select "Rules" or "Demo" from the Game menu.

Rules and Demo: The makers of Can’t Stop Solitaires Collection wisely included two methods to become acquainted with each of the 250 games in its library: "Rules" and "Demo".

By selecting "Rules," you will be provided with an overview of the game.  This will tell you the basic purpose of the game, the meaning of the various stacks of cards, how to move the cards during gameplay, and most importantly, how to know when you have won the game.

If reading the rules is not enough (and it often is not) there is also an animated demonstration for each game.  Just select "Demo" and watch the computer play the selected game.  This is a particularly useful tool for learning the basic gameplay of each of the 250 solitaire games included in this collection. 

Graphics: It is not often that you have an opportunity to rave about the graphics in a card game.  Typically, card game graphics are fairly standard, one-dimensional affairs.  Not this time.  The graphics in this game are outstanding.  The card backs and backgrounds are fully customizable; with eight card themes built in (you can add more by visiting the Paragon web site). 

Likewise, you can also change the appearance of your virtual table.  Choose from a solid background with your choice of colors, gradient filled background, or one of 14 patterns. 

Option Menu: The options menu appears at the bottom of the screen during game play.  By utilizing the features contained in this menu, you can customize virtually every facet of the game.  Use the game style menu, for example, to determine how the game will be played, and how much assistance the computer may provide.  Select "Statistics" to view your win/loss record for each game.  Your statistics are displayed over a graphically rich background painting.

Toolbar: On the bottom of the screen in every game is a customizable toolbar.  Now, a customizable toolbar is nothing new.  Numerous programs offer them.  Internet Explorer.  Pocket Plus.  MS Word.  WordPerfect.  Rarely, however, have I seen a need, let alone a practice, of putting a customizable toolbar in a game…let alone a card game.  So, to say the least, my curiosity was piqued by this option.

There are 11 possible buttons which you can place in the toolbar.  Each button provides quick and convenient access to one of the major options or features of the game.  Of the eleven choices, you may choose six which will be displayed on the screen.  My personal favorite configuration includes: 1) New Game, 2) Restart Game, 3) Undo, 4) Show Available Moves, 5) Show Demo, and 6) Show Rules.  This configuration is shown in the screen shot above.

Conclusion: I have to admit, the first time I read about this collection, with its 250 games, I was immediately drawn to it.  With 250 games, and numerous customization options, however, this game was either going to be amazing or a complete disaster.  After hours of game play, and barely scratching the surface of most of the games offered, I am pleased to say that this game is an unqualified hit. 

The graphics and animation are as good as any adventure game I have played.  Game play is easy, and you are provided with clear and specific instructions for each game (not to mention the animated demos).  Finally, unlike other solitaire collections that offer 10 or 15 games, you’ll never grow tired of the vast library of games offered by "Can’t Stop Solitaires Collection".

My Grandpa, the card game aficionado, never owned a computer.  Despite all of our best efforts to convince him otherwise, he just never saw the need for one.  His old fashioned, manual typewriter always served his purpose.  If he had owned a computer, however, I am certain that "Can’t Stop Solitaires Collection" would have been the first (and probably only) game he played.  He would have loved it; and so will you.

Can’t Stop Solitaires Collection is published by Paragon Software, and is also available at the clickgamer store.  It is available for the Pocket PC, Palm, and Symbian operating systems.   The registered version costs $ 24.95.

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