Vegas Stakes, known as Las Vegas Dream in Japan, is a compilation of casino mini games by HAL Laboratory, the company who is most famous for originating the Super Smash Bros. and Kirby franchise. It is a sequel of sorts to the Nintendo Entertainment System game Vegas Dream.
What makes Vegas Stakes unusual for its time was that it has a pretty fleshed out plot to why you're traveling to Las Vegas to gamble your way to riches. You are a member of a group of close friends; Cliff, Maria, Isabelle and Richard and everyone has the objective to become multimillionaires. What this means in Vegas Adventure mode is that your objective is to win $9,999,999 at Blackjack, craps, Poker: Seven-Card Stud, roulette or slots starting with only $1,000 in your bank. Once you win at least $100,000, you're awarded high roller status and will be given a complementary room at the Laurel Palace and the privilege to gamble in their casino, but you must maintain a bank above $100,000 to continue your admittance.
However, the casinos also have random encounters with people who are in genuine need and people who are there to con people out of money, and part of the game is choosing who is being honest and receiving a monetary reward for being a good samaritan or playing along with the scenario. You may even receive lucky lottery tickets from fateful meetings and win big.
This video game provides examples of:
- Acceptable Breaks from Reality: You won't have to worry about the odds overwhelmingly favoring the house and can eventually reach the fated ten million dollar goal to win the game.
- Artistic License – Statistics: The odds of winning big here are much more generous than in real life, naturally, and Gambler's Fallacy can actually happen here if you know how to game the system right.
- Betting Mini-Game: This is the core gameplay, where you play five casino games and bet your money to make it grow until you virtually reach ten million. You can further your gains by being a good samaritan or playing along with the right people and receiving additional cash bonuses.
- Bland-Name Product: Laurel Palace is like a Pastiche of the real Caesar's Palace and act's as the a final level of the game.
- Blatant Lies: There are people selling rings, people who want to "hang around you", and people asking you to help "fund oil drilling projects", but it is highly likely that these will be fakes.
- Cash Gate: The Laurel Palace only admits high rollers into the property. Only by having and maintaining a bank above $100,000 will you be able to play there.
- The Casino: The game is all about playing at this trope. There are five casinos to play at, with the main difference being the maximum bets they allow and the fascia theme on the games.
- Casino Park: There are five to choose from. You have the run-down but homey "Hideaway Club", the average-looking "Golden Paradise", the western-themed "Buffalo Head", the futuristic sci-fi "2020", and the "Laurel Palace" which looks inspired by the real life Caesar's Palace and won't admit you inside unless you've won $100,000.
- The Con: Some of the people who approach you are genuinely helpful to you, but some are there to trick you into parting with some of your money. You'll usually get an alert from a security guard alerting you that you encountered a con artist.
- Game-Over Man: If you go bankrupt, you'll see the game over screen with the man in question standing in the desert with empty pockets extended out of his jeans with a "Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas Nevada" sign partly out of frame.
- Guide Dang It!: There is at least one obscure encounter. There is a lady who offers to buy you drink but it is very easy to never see her. You have to have more than $1000, go visit The Hideawaynote , and decide that you want to binge-play Blackjack. Eventually, the rare lady will show up, offer you a drink and you can give her a cash tip. She will then offer you gameplay advice.
- Professional Gambler: Your implied objective is to become this in practice to break $10 million and enjoy the good life.
- Violation of Common Sense: Some of the random people who approach you will offer to clean a spot on your shirt, something that sounds outlandish. Yet some people will reward you with a lottery ticket of all things.
- You Have Failed Me: A lighter and softer non-fatal example. If you drop below $100,000 at the Laurel Palace, you'll be booted out until you earn $1,000,000 so don't get reckless there with the unlimited maximum bets.
You are a very lucky person indeed, but I am sure it was not only your luck that let you succeed.
So tell me now, what will you do with the money you have won? Please tell me your dreams...
