Cover Girl Strip Poker

Emotional Pictures

Company type	Division
Industry	Video games
Headquarters	Denmark , Denmark
Parent	InterActive Vision A/S

Cover Girl Strip Poker, referred to as Cover Girl Poker outside Denmark, is an erotic video game released in 1991 centered on five-card strip poker gameplay. Created and initially self-published by Emotional Pictures, a branch of the Danish company InterActive Vision A/S, it launched on multiple platforms including Amiga, DOS, Commodore 64, CDTV, and Amiga CD32. For the European CDTV and CD-ROM DOS editions, the original title Cover Girl Strip Poker was reinstated.

The title garnered mostly unfavorable to mixed critiques, with reviewers pointing out its subpar digitized visuals, inadequate artificial intelligence, and lackluster erotic content. The Commodore 64 iteration attracted especially negative reactions. Some commentators criticized the game for sexist elements; one outlet described it as "an insult to women." It is important to note that the game featured a legal disclaimer clarifying it was "Not manufactured, distributed or endorsed by any of the models appearing in the product." Subsequently, reports surfaced indicating some models were unaware of the project’s nature and were not compensated for their participation.

Gameplay

In Cover Girl Strip Poker, players engage in five-card draw strip poker against an AI adversary, selecting from eight different female models. The multiplayer option supports up to three human players competing against one AI opponent, each managing their own betting funds. Whenever the AI loses $2,000, a digitized video clip shows the female model removing an article of clothing; nudity levels vary among models. Players are dealt five cards and may exchange any number to improve their hand. Both the player and AI start with $2,500 and can bet up to $999 per round. Betting occurs twice: once before and once after card exchanges. Victorious hands win the amount wagered, and cards are reshuffled for subsequent rounds. To increase challenge, the game raises difficulty by making later hands tougher after several player wins.

At launch, users can choose from six languages: Danish, Swedish, English, French, German, and Italian. During nude scenes, zoom functionality is available. Four of the eight models have accompanying video sequences in addition to static images; however, video quality differs depending on the platform.

Version differences

The Commodore 64 edition offers six opponents rather than eight, excluding Signe Andersen and Sofia Bratlund. Unlike other versions that require multiple $2,000 losses by the AI to trigger undressing scenes, this version activates such content after a single loss of that amount. The CDTV and CD-ROM DOS releases incorporate voice-acted dialogue among models; specifically, the CDTV version adds eleven musical tracks and fifteen minutes of full-motion video content. Graphics on the Commodore 64 are primarily monochrome.

Development

The tabloid publication Daily Sport partnered with Emotional Pictures to produce Cover Girl Strip Poker, featuring models who had appeared in the magazine, including Maria Whittaker, Amanda Godden, Minnie Champ (credited as 'Ginny Champ'), Donna Ewin, Trine Michelsen, Sofia Bratlund, Signe Andersen, and a model listed as 'Jane'. The game was presented at the Arets Amiga Expo held in Copenhagen in March 1992, where Trine Michelsen actively promoted it at Emotional Pictures' exhibition stand.

Details regarding compensation were inconsistent: Michelsen revealed she received 1000 Danish krone (roughly US$265 at the time) without being fully informed about the project’s nature, whereas other models allegedly were not paid. Kenneth Bernholm, CEO of InterActive Vision A/S—the parent company of Emotional Pictures—refused to provide information about payments. The game includes a disclaimer stating it is "Not manufactured, distributed or endorsed by any of the models appearing," which introduces potential legal concerns.

The CDTV edition was assigned an 18 certificate by the BBFC due to content regulations in the UK. French magazine Joystick speculated that publisher On-Line Entertainment deliberately sought this adult rating as a promotional strategy. The CDTV version is compatible with the Amiga CD32 console. Although versions for Atari ST and ZX Spectrum were planned, these never reached release. Demo versions were distributed via cover disks in the Danish magazine Det Nye COMputer and the UK publication Zero. Full motion video sequences were filmed in Malmö, Sweden.

Localization efforts encompassed Danish, French, German, English, and Swedish voiceovers; Workstation 1 was responsible for French translation and narration, Niklas Persson handled Swedish translation and voice work, while Thomas Schmidt completed the German translation.

To market Cover Girl Poker, The Sales Curve organized a contest awarding aprons featuring inflatable breasts to participants who correctly answered a promotional question related to Daily Sport.

Title inconsistencies

In Denmark, the game originally carried the title Cover Girl Strip Poker, but across Europe it was rebranded as Cover Girl Poker for releases on Amiga, Commodore 64, and DOS platforms. Various publications have used differing titles; notably, the Commodore 64 box art displays Cover Girl Poker, while the in-game title screen retains Cover Girl Strip Poker. Other versions include CoverGirl Poker and variations such as Daily Sports Cover Girl Strip Poker or Daily Sport Cover Girl Poker, reflecting its connection to the tabloid magazine. Despite these discrepancies, Cover Girl Strip Poker remains the most widely recognized name. The European CDTV and CD-ROM DOS editions reverted to using the original title.

Alternative publishers

Emotional Pictures—a division of Danish firm InterActive Vision A/S—developed and published Strip Poker, which was their sole release under this label. Later on, various publishers reissued the game in different regions.

Amiga

In Germany, an Amiga adaptation was developed by The Sales Curve and published through United Software, while an alternative version was self-published by Storm; both editions retailed for approximately 80 Deutschmark in 1992. The European Amiga release, developed by Unreal and distributed by Storm, launched in February 1992 with a retail price of £25.99.

DOS

The DOS edition was released in Italy by The Sales Curve and distributed on both " and " floppy disk formats.

CD-ROM DOS

In 1993, an enhanced CD-ROM version for DOS was launched across Europe by On-Line Entertainment, retailing at £34.99. Proein S.A handled the Spanish distribution of this CD-ROM DOS edition in 1994. In Germany, Leisure Soft developed the version published by Storm, while On-Line Entertainment issued a separate German release to address quality concerns associated with the Storm edition. Priced at approximately 130 Deutschmarks in 1994, the Storm release contrasted with On-Line Entertainment’s 1993 offering, which ranged from 80 to 89 Deutschmarks and featured re-recorded German voiceovers.

Commodore 64

The Commodore 64 adaptation of Cover Girl Poker was distributed by The Sales Curve throughout Europe, including Italy and Germany. Storm created an alternative German variant, published by United Software. Both German versions were available for about 50 Deutsche Mark in 1992. Released in May of that year, it came on cassette (£10.99) and floppy disk (£15.99).

CDTV

InterActive Vision A/S published the CDTV version in Denmark in 1991, priced at 395 Danish krone. In Europe, On-Line Entertainment issued this edition between £29.99 and £34.99 during 1993.

Reception

Cover Girl Strip Poker predominantly attracted unfavorable critiques. The Italian magazine Zzap! assigned a score of 67% but remained critical; similarly, PC Zone gave a 40% rating, describing the visuals as "lurid flesh colored smudges" and labeling the game "appallingly bad." Digitized graphics were widely disparaged; the UK edition of Zzap! found them indistinct, while German publication PC Player highlighted significant overexposure problems. Voice performances were characterized as "clinical and sterile," detracting from any intended eroticism.

The Commodore 64 version met with widespread disapproval, notably due to a distracting screen flicker bug. Critics frequently pointed out the gameplay’s lack of challenge caused by weak AI, resulting in minimal replay appeal. Despite its adult content, many reviewers argued it primarily targeted adolescents who should not have access to such material. Several assessments labeled it "sad," with Amiga Power emphasizing its poor value relative to adult magazines.

Pricing was a common point of contention; numerous reviewers noted that magazines offered more explicit adult content at a lower price point. The game also faced accusations of sexism, with some calling it an "affront to the female species" and condemning it as a "sexist concept." An article in Amiga Computing cited this title as an example of legal digital pornography that remains largely absent from mainstream retail.

Nonetheless, certain outlets expressed approval. Spanish magazine pcmanía praised its utilization of CD-ROM technology and smooth animations. Italian publication Videogame & Computer World awarded a high rating of 97.3%, commending its music, visuals, character models, and engaging dialogue as exemplary within its genre. Similarly, Amiga Mania applauded its digitized graphics and gameplay as among the finest available. The presence of UK page 3 model Maria Whittaker received favorable mention.

On the other hand, German magazine PC Player rated the CD-ROM DOS edition at a mere 6%, sharply criticizing its voice acting, blurry visuals, slow controls, and overall design as catastrophically poor and mentally exhausting.

References

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