Action,
Sim |
Posted by musicaltrack
Jan
29
2010
Do you like to cook? Do you like to play video games? Do you watch TV? Then Top Chef is the game for you! Take one part hit TV show and combine it with one part Sim and one part cartoon and voile, you have Top Chef. Forget what you learned in culinary school because all that is going to be put to the test in a grueling competition that challenges both the mind and the stomach. This intro may be a little cheesy, but in Top Chef that isn’t necessarily a bad thing.
The game is very straightforward: compete on the show to become the best chef you can possibly be. You have a kitchen at your disposal and whatever you decide to make is up to you. At the beginning of each challenge you have a sidebar that gives you a list of what types of ingredients you need (spicy, sweet, salty, savory, etc.). You then have the 
ingredients on a shelf in the back. Depending on which one you choose, you can get different bonuses. For example, combining apples and bacon gives you a “classic combo” bonus. After you choose the corresponding ingredient, you bring it to the work station where you begin the preparation. You can only prep one thing at a time, but ingredients sitting on the work station slowly become finished as time goes on. Naturally the station that you are working at goes faster, so timing is very important.
After you complete your “masterpiece,” you are off to be judged. Each dish is computer generated to show exactly the ingredients that you put into it. This was actually pretty funny, as the first time I played I put some weird combination of 
food together, and they showed up in the judging (like mango and anchovies). Due to the fact that there is a gigantic number of possible foods to make, this game can have a great replay value. Although it is based on a show that I have never personally seen, I truly enjoyed the game because it was fun to see the food I had put together. The only complaint I had was that each ingredient did not look as it should when being prepared. However, that would have taken a long time to actually 
program, and they did get the final plating correct. Overall I would give Top Chef four out of five stars.
Features of Top Chef:
-45 Challenges
-Pick the Ingredients
-Multi-Task in the Kitchen
-Become the Next Top Chef
Rating: 
It’s bingo. No, it’s slots. It’s SLINGO QUEST! This Mac game is a marriage of bingo and slots joined together to make one fun game. You do not have to move too much so it’s really, really relaxing.
This bingo and slots with a strange twist will hold your attention for a few hours with its easy and addictive play in Quest or Classic modes. In Quest you travel from island to island on your adventure for treasure and ,of course, points. There are different play cards to Slingo Quest: Multicard, 7×7 and Pirate Fortune. You begin by customizing your own character. If you don’t, then you have a choice of a blond cartoon boy or girl. The object of this game is to get as many Slingos as you can in 20 spins. You click on the spin tag or right mouse or space bar and numbers in circles will show up at the bottom of the card. If any of the numbers match the card, then you click on the number on the card to place a star on top of it, and if you make 5 in a row, up and down, left to right or diagonally then you have a Slingo. Also there are some red squares forming patterns and if you get all the red squares that also is Slingo. Classic is just straight play and no story line. It’s also timed.
There are a lot of extras and bonuses along the way. Look for Cell Super Jokers, multipliers, Slingo Vision, Bounce Slingo. Also a secret key can open Bonus levels and gold coins gives you points automatically. When you complete certain Slingos, you get stamps similar to passport stamps. These little extras add to the fun play of this game. Your character is helpful in that she/he will cry if you do not have a match. Also the spin button will blink when you need to spin again.
I found Slingo Quest to be relaxing and sometimes hypnotic like playing slots. If you ever sat in front of slot machines, you know you do not have to think much but wait for your return. Slingo Quest doesn’t give you a big jackpot, but you still wait for the gold coins, stamps and points for your gratification. You can save a lot of money playing Slingo. The sound effects were excellent and the graphics with its deep, bright colors and cute cartoon characters were great. I would recommend playing Slingo Quest for a entertaining evening.
Features of Slingo Quest:
-60 Levels
-5 Slingo Stars
-New Game Modes
-New Stamp Rewards
-Power-ups
Rating: 
Another spin on the hidden object Mac game is the Hidden Object Show. It is in a form of a TV game show complete with $5,000,000! In this game you are a contestant in a TV game show. You need to find the hidden object in a scene to complete the round. There are hint chips throughout the screen to find and then use if needed. The round after completion is tallied for Time Bonus, Combo Bonus, Bonus Cash and overall time. The Prize Standings show you where you are in your winnings.
Between rounds you get to spin the Wheel of Puzzles. Where it lands you play that game. Some of the puzzles are locked until you reach a certain level. Some of the puzzles are the 2 scenes with 10 differences, solve the riddle and find that object, find the silhouette and place pieces of a picture on the complete scene. If you are lucky enough to get a bonus, you can opt out of some of the games.
The Hidden Object Show has a lot more than an I Spy play. It has plenty of options you can find to engage in. I think that makes it more interesting of a Mac game. I just started playing hidden object games and found that even though the play is similar there is a different feel to the game with the story line involved and the extra mini puzzles. Some are better than others and the Hidden Object Show is one of them. I found it to be quite entertaining.
Features of Hidden Object Show:
-Become a Millionaire
-330 Object Rounds
-Prizes
-30 Scenes
Rating:
Travel back, back, back in time to the ancient times of the silk road. Set somewhere around the 13th century, Tradewinds Caravans is an exciting look at how traders made their living traversing the dangerous Silk Road. In order to bring the best and most exotic items from the Far East, travelers had to cross this ancient road, the only known way to China and beyond. Discover some of the items that made this a desirable profession despite the known risks which include brutal hikes and rampant thieves.
The game starts off with a quick tutorial that gets you prepared for choosing your own path. After completing the easy tasks, you can then choose one of six unique characters (you must unlock 2 of these through gameplay) and begin the task of becoming rich and famous. I chose a slave who worked for an important Venetian family. My job was to care for my master and help him help his warlord friend gain the political presence that would make his village a prominent stop along the road. This description is hardly enough to explain all there is to Tradewinds Caravans, though, as the game is really centered along the dialogue that the characters engage in. After discovering what tasks you must undertake, you buy supplies and guards to join your caravan. You can then travel to different parts of the Middle and Far East buying and selling to earn a profit.
I thought the idea of this game was really novel. The idea of taking this historical time period and making it an interesting and humorous RPG was something that I had never even thought of. The best part of the game, besides the funny dialogue, was the bartering and battling that took place in the marketplace and the road, respectively. The game also has a huge amount of villages and storylines, so replayability is basically limitless. I would give this game three and a half stars out of five.
Features of Tradewinds Caravans:
- Build a Powerful Trading Caravan
- 6 Unique Characters
- Dozens of Individual Storylines
- All new Weapons And Character-Specific Powers
Rating:
Musketeer. He travels to Paris to begin his training. He has a letter of introduction to Monsieur de Treville but it is taken from him during a scuttle with a rogue.
you. The main thing to remember when dueling is to wait to see your opponent sweat and then take them down. D’ Artagnan’s father had told him to never sell the horse he gave him, but to get money and avoid embarrassment (the horse is a different color than most horses) d’Artagnan sells it right away. Other methods of earning money is to take on quests that will pay you and sell your loot to the blacksmith. Some of the loot can be coins, peasant shirts, berets with or without feathers, collars and more. The blacksmith also will repair things, and he can sell you firearms. It’s important to collect the health potions in case you get injured in a fight.
you along the way. They like to party and play games so be ready for the side games. Tennis anyone? Cards and dice are also favorites of the musketeers. You will meet the evil cardinal and you will pursue the man in the purple outfit who stole your letter.
civilians and soldiers.
enough for new and casual players without being frustrating like some other more difficult and violent RPGs. I never advocate not reading a book, but this game makes it very tempting not to read the original novel. Find out what happens to d’ Artagnan and his fellow musketeers. All for one and one for all.
