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Members of Gamblers Anonymous or solitaire card players should welcome this latest release from Accolade, which provides five card games and six opponents to play against.

After an initial selection of Hearts, Poker or Blackjack (Pontoon), the player chooses his playing partners from a group of characters, including Ronald Reagan, Margaret Thatcher and Mikhail Gorbachev. Each has a distinct personality and card playing ability, and during each game constantly make dry comments concerning the state of play, plus other, more trivial, concerns.

On selecting the Poker option, the player also has Five Card Draw, Seven Card Stud and Hold 'Em from which to select his poker styles. The five different games follow the normal rules which are thoroughly outlined in the accompanying booklet.

All aspects of play are automatically controlled, including dealing, betting options and the sorting of cards into numerical and suit order. Play is directed entirely from joystick, although a keyboard option is available.

This is quite a departure from Accolade's previous products, but that's not to say it's in any way less polished.

All the games are extremely well presented and are very easy to play. The instructions are fairly comprehensive and as with most gambling games, the ever-present lure of making a profit is a tremendous aid to lastability.

The animation on the opposition is pleasant and having reasonably believable characters to play against also helps the atmosphere; I even started berating the other players when I lost!

Card Sharks is simply a very good solo card-playing game; if you like the tension of gambling or if you enjoy playing card games, you should benefit from the entertaining action on offer here.

I wouldn't have thought that computer Poker, Hearts and Blackjack could have been so enjoyable, but because Accolade have converted and presented them so well, they're simply brilliant!

The helpful instructions provide the basis with fully explanatory rules, and the appealing and neatly animated characters add the spice and compulsion to play on.

Cute detail transforms an average concept into superb execution: the wide range of character expressions from the injured pride of losing to their glee at your abysmal hands; appropriately jolly tunes announcing the winners or the start of a game; characters making witty remarks throughout...

The three basic games are entirely different and equally enjoyable, all enhanced by the ability to top out after any hand. Accolade have proven yet again that their combination of playability and polish pays off...

Trust Accolade to turn something as mundane as a poker simulation into something as enjoyable as Card Sharks! The computer players are great fun to watch, particularly the world leaders who occasionally come out with some extremely humorous remarks.

All-round presentation is superb, from the easy-to-use card selection right down to the cards (complete with shadows) spinning across the table as they're dealt.

The cartoon-style players are drawn with a pleasing attention to detail, exhibiting such nice touches as blinking eyes, wiggling eyebrows and frowns, all of which are done to perfection.

Catching little tunes match the tone of the game very well. The three games are entertaining if you've never played any of them before, because they're easily picked up after a perfunctory leaf through the manual.

This is about as good as a computer card game could get, and Card Sharks is definitely worth looking at if you want something different.

Presentation 92%
Polished and extremely easy to use.

Graphics 79%
Humorous and comical characters with suitable animation, and clear card displays.

Sound 43%
Aimable tunes and simple whooshing noises to simulate dealing.

Hookability 82%
Once the rules become familiar, the ease of play provides an instant addiction.

Lastability 91%
Limited only by the player's attraction to card games.

Overall 87%
A very well presented package which has just about everything a card player could ask for.