Rainbow dice lead to Yahtzee gold.

Like the recent iPod version, Yahtzee Adventures crams those five dice into an iPhone with plenty of extras rolled in. A story mode against the game's AI characters, multiplayer with up to three friends, and alternative game rules--even with multicolored dice--make this Yahtzee translation better than the analog original. But without online matches, it's more solitary than should be.

The "adventure" unfurls different ways to play, through a globetrotting story against a series of illustrated opponents. Ignore the bland rise-to-the-top story, full of martial arts clichés; it's not bad enough to be good. It's just boring. Instead, the stops introduce creative, new rules.

Duplicate dice mode gives everyone the exact same rolls, with the winner being the one who has the best holding- and scoring-strategy. Rainbow mode adds three colors to the plain numbers, allowing new scoring combinations, such as all-green or a two-blue, three-red full house. And battles let dice combinations either attack opponents or refill your own dwindling life meter. We liked the first two new rule-sets most since battles felt too random, although all feel fresh.

Clear graphics and presentation covey everything without frills. The dice flash into place after a roll, instead of bouncing around in a 3D simulation. While simple, this instant readout keeps play rapid. But the absence of online multiplayer games disappointed us more; passing the iPhone only works if you’re in the same room.

While missing online multiplayer games, Yahtzee Adventures scores high for its variety of modes. This iPhone edition improves on a classic.

Yahtzee Adventures 1.0.30
COMPANY: Electronic Arts
CONTACT: www.eamobile.com
PRICE: $4.99
REQUIREMENTS: iPhone or iPod touch with 2.1 software update.
Variety of creative game modes in addition to original rules. Concise visual presentation focuses on dice logic. One-device multiplayer.
Can't challenge opponents online. Lists "P1" through "P4" instead of names at the top of the screen. Shake sensitivity is too high by default.