208. Casino Derby & Super Bingo (?, Famicom, 1993)

Casino Derby & Super Bingo is less of a video game and more of a gambling software, although there is no casino. The game was published by Yonezawa PR21, a publisher who mainly focused on party games. It consists of three modes:

Derby Mode: This is a virtual horse race where players can bet on horses as they run around a track. There are a lot of charts with confusing symbols that I assume are standard to those who know horse racing, but it was fun enough watching the tiny horses run a lap around the field. The music is at least cheerful without being grating.

Jockey Mode: This mode has you actually controlling a jockey racing around the course. Unfortunately, it is unplayable without Yonezawa PR21's proprietary Party Tap controller, which is one of the Famicom accessories that I do not own, so I wasn't able to actually try this mode. It's also disappointing because the controllers that are on the Party Tap only have 1 button, so it's not like the standard Famicom controller can't handle it.

Bingo Mode: In addition to a horse race simulator, there is also a bingo simulator. You can draw numbers as well as display a screen with all numbers to show what has and hasn't been called. I guess you have to supply your own bingo cards, but this is still a pretty neat idea, and the music is not terrible.

It's not secret that I love the Famicom and part of the reason is that it was more than just a video game system for kids like the NES was in America, and it's titles like Casino Derby & Super Bingo that exemplify that. Heck, the second-most expensive Famicom cartridge I've purchased was a bicycle customization software.

2/5, more of a gambling software than a video game