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Vegas, baby. Even Nintendo couldn't resist making a gambling simulator, so it commissioned HAL to make Vegas Stakes for the SNES. This package includes five games: blackjack, slots, 7-card stud poker, roulette, and craps. As you win more money you can go to different casinos on the strip with higher wagering limits, with the ultimate goal of becoming a millionaire. While you gamble your money away, random people will ask you for favors or to buy some expensive item from them with the promise that you can sell it back later for more cash. These mini-interludes are high-stakes events in themselves, because sometimes they'll pay big ("thanks for taking me to the hospital, here's $6000!") and sometimes they'll cost you a lot

("that guy took my wallet and I lost half my money!").

Vegas Stakes is a good game. It's better than your average gambling simulator, with good animations and catchy music. The random events you have with strangers are also interesting, although you have no control over their outcome. However, I've never really understood the point of gambling games like this. You can spend a half-hour on the slots, pulling the handle over and over and over again trying to win it big, but when it's all said and done, the only thing you've done is made some fake money. In fact, I think this game is a little dangerous. You could want to be as aggressive in real-life Las Vegas as you normally would be in virtual Las Vegas. The stakes change a lot when there's real money on the line, and although Vegas Stakes makes a good time-killer, there are better Virtual Console games to bet on.