Galcon is a Mac game based loosely on Galactic Conquest, and is an exciting and challenging a play as any. Send your swarm of spaceships to other planets and conquer them. A risk game without countries but entire planets instead. How much fun is that to control many other orbs in the universe? The king of the galaxy!

The play is to send spaceships from your green (looks a lot like earth) planet to the other orbs (red, your enemies and gray, neutral planets) to conquer and take over outer space. To send your ships out left click on your planet and then right click on the planet you want to attack or drag and drop the cursor. Sounds easy, right? Wrong. You must also deal with the attacks from your enemy planets. They can take over your planets as well.

A possible help could be from changing the percentage of your fleet you are sending out to attack. This can be done by the number keys or the mouse wheel. The % can be viewed on the lower right side of the screen. The % and which planet you attack is very important strategy to acquire in order to win this game. Another good help to use is re-directing your swarm of ships when you need to have them go to another location. It may be going the wrong way for the most effective attack, and to re-route, you click on the fleet and then click where you want to change their course.

Another interesting move is the multi attacks. To activate an attack from multiple planets you drag a box around the orbs to select, then right click on the planet you want to send the fleet. Also you can reinforce your own planets by sending a fleet there. Since you cannot see how large a fleet your enemy (red) has, you need to try to take over the larger planets first, because they have a higher production level than the little planets.

The game allows for single player and multi player modes. The Classic play is you against the computer. The Beast is with you controlling only 2 planets, and in the Vacuum your goal is to get all the neutral planets before your time runs out. A different play is the 3-Way where it is a 3 player game, and one player will pick sides for a while, usually against the strongest planets. The difficulty comes in when this player attacks you when he gets a chance. The Stealth play is when you cannot see each other's ships until it is too late and you are captured. If all these plays are not exciting enough for you, try the Net which will bring a whole new level of action from the players online.

Galcon is such an exciting and action-packed, fast-paced play, not just from the actual game but also you get the same level of feeling with the great graphics (although simple orbs and triangular spaceships) deep, astro colors and the appropriate sound effects. What more can you ask for in a game? The smart play and intense strategy combined with your quick and nimble moves, that’s what! It’s easy to learn through the step-by-step tutorial and each game is so fast you automatically must play more so you can conquer the galaxy and rule the universe in this ultimate arcade, space strategy game.

Features of Galcon:
-Single or Multi Players
-Different Types of Play
-Action and Excitement
-Attack Online Players

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

The Story: Jessica is home from LA and overhears her Aunt Margaret talking about hers and Uncle Fred’s woes about their failing bakery. Bright-eyed, ever ready Jessica suggests updating the bakery concept and start a cupcake café to bring in the customers and also make a profit. Aunt Margaret is thrilled with the idea since all the buzz is about cupcakes (even Martha Stewart devoted a week to cupcake making on her top-rated TV show, and everyone knows Martha can turn a profit). However, Auntie M is astute enough to know that a conversion of the shop will take a lot of work and assistance, so she asks Jessica to lend a hand to get things started.

There will always be a need for your typical neighborhood bakery making breads, birthday cakes and cookies or even the fancy French patisserie with their, oh so decadent, ganache frostings and croissants, but the latest craze in bakeries is the cupcake shops that are everywhere nowadays. My favorite cupcake shop is Magnolia in New York City, and I hear Vanilla in LA is quite good. I’ll have to check it out next time I’m in town. Jessica’s Cupcake Café is an updated sim play like Ice Cream Craze and Mystic Emporium.

The Play: Making cupcakes appears to be a straightforward, easy play or it it? The play is to click on the type of cake your customer wishes to buy (this is shown to you with the number of cupcakes in a bubble next to the client). The highly innovative machine will place the correct amount of batter into the baking sheet, you click on the pan, click on the oven to bake, wait, click on the baked cupcakes, click on the counter, click on the requested frosting, click on the completed tube of frosting, click on the tray of cakes to frost after completion click to pick up the pan, click on the customer and finally on the cash register to collect the money. These are a lot of steps to maneuver, but once you get into the groove, everything will flow nicely. However, in these plays there are always things that may slow your play down such as a decoration candy piece to top the cupcake. It can be a bear, daisy, heart or sun. The customer may request a special order causing you to throw out a batch of cupcakes or frosting.

However the game will always give you great upgrades to help you increase your speed to beat the level. You may get additional stoves, more icing machines and candy makers. Another added plus is you can design your own cupcakes to sell to your clients. Don’t worry about the extra cupcakes since they will be sold at a bake sale in a side mini game. Your goal is to sell as many cupcakes as possible in a limited time.

Jessica’s Cupcake Café, although similar to many of the sim plays, is an entertaining Mac game for everyone. In addition you will unlock many great cupcake recipes to try out and enjoy. The graphics is good and the music will keep you in sync with quick speed to meet your goals.

Features of Jessica’s Cupcake Café:
-Run a Cupcake Café
-Design Your Own Cupcakes
-42 Levels in 9 Locations
-Cupcake Recipes

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Nanny is on vacation when she reads about Sofia Ashford, movie star, and terrible mother in the gossip rags. She decides to help her and goes to Hollywood to start her new employment. Nanny’s motto is whatever the problem, begin by caring.

This Mac sim game is played by clearing one room at a time. The object is to click on the red framed items for Nanny to clean and clear. The clothes spewed throughout the house must be picked up, taken to the washer to wash, then click on the dryer and finally click to pick up the basket of clothes, and click on the dresser to put away the items.

There are only 3 people who reside in this house: Sydney the baby, Lucas the 3rd husband, and Sofia the movie star. They are probably the messiest people in the world who need a lot of attention, especially the baby. When the baby cries above the crib will show you what it needs. If you see a diaper, you click on the crib for Nanny to change the baby, then click on the dirty bundle next to the bed and then click on a trash bin to throw it out. If you see a a bottle above the crib, the baby is hungry, and you click on the small refrigerator in the nursery, then click on the bottle warmer, then again on the bottle to pick up and click one more time on the crib to feed the baby.

It’s hectic just writing about it. See how frantic it gets in the first few levels, and remember, the levels are timed so you must hustle. In between the levels you can go to the store to buy anything that is unlocked, you have the money for it, and you need to make your work easier.

Nanny Mania is like Baby Sitting Mania with a few more perks like the shop, more people and a little story to get to know the messy slobs to make it a little more personal. Sim plays are not my thing, but this one has a few more activities than a lot of the games out there. Try it out for a little work out in this play.

Features of Nanny Mania Goes To Hollywood:
-Help Celebrity Family
-Sequel to Nanny Mania
-Time Outs, Pets and More

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

A simple request from her aunt to pick up her purse in her apartment turns into a vast adventure in Mac hidden object game Brunhilda and the Dark Crystal. Brunhilda, not a particularly popular name in the United States, is of German origin and used more in Poland and areas near there. Brunhilda in this game is not like the stocky witch in the cartoon series. This Brunhilda is blonde, cute and brave. She calmly confronts the king of the rats and takes potions to shrink her size.

The story begins in a far away land where the dragons and men lived in harmony. This idyllic land is now in danger of inevitable doom. The magic they historically treasured will disappear forever if something is not done. The king ordered all magic to be stored in a dark crystal in hopes that some day a hero from another world will save them. This brings us back to Brunhilda a seemingly normal young woman doing her aunt a favor. She goes to the apartment and finds a demon that takes her to another realm. Gruber the demon will assist you in your adventure to find the broken shards of the dark crystal to restore the magic and fight off the evil.

The main play is to collect different objects usually at the request of someone you need to help you out. You can select from 2 modes. Casual has hints and skip buttons and they will recharge at normal speed. Objects of interest are highlighted. The Adventure mode the buttons take twice as long to recharge and rarely will objects be highlighted. The magical quest cards can be found at the bottom of the screen. It will give you the items you will need to find. To get into small spaces you must make a magic elixir to shrink Brunhilda to enter the rat door. Once small she encounters many rats who will do her a favor if she does one for them such as collecting all the fireworks in the village, get all the cheese, click on parts for a machine, get rid of all the rat traps and lots more. You may need to go back and forth from the rat village to the lobby of the building and back again. Luckily Brunhilda found a shortcut through the rat village to the king’s palace.

There are mini games you can play or skip such as catching drops of blue potion to make magic elixirs. Another is to pick out magical runes from a book. The mini puzzles do get progressively harder as the levels increase but you can skip them if you wish. However, skipping the puzzles will not unlock bonus mini games. The games involve telekinesis, alchemy, telepathy and wizardry. All the puzzles are related to the story and you are not aimlessly looking for a pizza cutter, battery or bowtie like some other HOGs.

There are 10 chapters to take you on an incredible adventure. You will meet many unusual things like dragons, part human part machine, rats that talk, birds, and much, much more. The story will unfold with Brunhilda talking to people or things that will help her in her quests. There are easter eggs to find so be sure to click on the fairies.

Brunhilda and the Dark Crystal is a different sort of HOG since you are finding things on quests, going back and forth through many rooms and areas and even shrinking down to mouse size. The story is intriguing even though it sounds like something you heard before but is presented in such a great way with the voice acting and gorgeous, detailed and creative artwork. The dialog between Brunhilda, Gruber and others are humorous and funny. The only thing I can say I thought was too much is the fact you have to go back and forth from one spot to another and back again. A small complaint considering the awesome job the developers did in this interesting and fun hidden object game with great details in their characters, words and story.

Features of Brunhilda and The Dark Crystals:
-Engaging Story
-Fantastic Artwork and Mysterious Music
-10 Chapters of Fun HOG Plays

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Snowy the bear is the coolest little guy ever.  Your goal in this classic arcade platform Mac game is to get him back home safely from the myriads of monsters attacking him from all sides.  Is that too much to ask?

There are 3 modes to choose from in this challenging game of many levels.  The Kid’s mode will give you 100 (!) lives with fewer monsters.  Normal has 10 lives and double the monsters, and Hard is crazy with lots and lots of monsters and 10 lives.  You must bring your game face for this mode in order to beat it. 

This is your typical platform game where the monsters can come at you from all directions and all sizes, including the bosses.  You use your control key and arrow keys to throw snowballs and maneuver around.  I had trouble using the control button and arrows so I went into options and changed the control button to the space bar by clicking directly on control and changing it to any key.  I chose the space bar since it’s centrally located and it’s bigger than the other keys.  I use a MacBook Pro with Mac OS X, version 10.5.6.  If you do not change this key, your screen will disappear.  That was my only mishap I had with playing this Mac game.

The play is to move Snowy facing the enemies and clicking either your control or space bar to throw snowballs until the monster is completely covered and then kicking him out the game board.  Be careful though the snowball may come back and take Snowy down losing a life.

This game is fast and you must move even faster to either avoid the bad guys or by throwing the snowballs.  This action, shooter arcade play is more than awesome, it’s a challenging, strategic game with an upbeat music and happy character like Snowy.  What more do you need for an exciting and electrifying play?  Beat those monsters and get Snowy home.

I would definitely recommend this game to all the quick moving, coordinated (with practice) platform gamers who may enjoy a fun story about a fearless polar bear.  Also kids and inexperienced gamers can learn from the 100 lives you have to practice this awesome game.  The colors are so bright and intense and the artwork is imaginative.  I didn't know you could do so much with platforms.  Don’t let the cuteness factor put you off.  Snowy is one tough bear.   

Features of Snowy the Bear’s Adventure:

-Tons of Snowballs and Levels

-Great Adventure

-4 Worlds

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Bud Redhead is an action-packed, side scrolling fun platform Mac game for all ages. Its story begins with Bud and Rachel strolling through a park, and a green creature appears through a light and kidnaps poor Rachel. Bud could only grab part of the creature’s arm before the two disappear through another light. Bud is then approached by 2 grey aliens who explain to him that the green monster is Feyatta, and they, from the Cosmic Federation, are chasing him for galactic evil deeds. The electronic piece Bud grabbed from Feyatta will prevent the creature from escaping to his space ship and leaving for the unknown. They could track Feyatta, but the 2 grey men cannot chase the criminal on earth due to galaxy restrictions in interfering with earthlings. It is up to Bud to help Rachel get back and put away this desperate galactic criminal.

Bud’s adventure will take him to 4 different locations and 4 different time periods. Music also changes in each location. The places vary from a forest over 8000 years ago to a spaceship orbiting Saturn way into the future with Medieval Castles and Ancient Egypt in between.

The play is easy to pick up using the arrow keys and jumping with the control button. There are helps in forms of monitors along the way. You can stop and view them or you can ignore them. There are thousands of coins (which you need to exit the portals), jewels and fruit to get for your score. This is your basic run and jump game where you will find secret areas in each land, moving platforms, many tiered trees, levers, ropes and the dreaded but fun slippery floors.

Bud Redhead is an awesome play in the style of the Mario games. The artwork and graphics were great, and some of it reminded me of Japanese anime. The backgrounds were drawn in detail and rich colors. The ending is a big surprise. So if you are looking for an excellent family fun, try Bud Redhead and venture out into the timeless unknown.

Features of Bud Redhead:
-20 Levels of Adventure and Fun
-5 Levels per Different Worlds
-Thousands of Coins, Jewels, and Fruit
-Secret Areas
-Big Boss Levels

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

A historic view of the American gold rush in a match 3 Mac game Gold Fever is an unique play for all ages. Travel through the northwest in a smoking, wood burning locomotive of the time period (circa 1850) looking for that one huge mother lode to retire on. Gold Fever takes you on a ride far from the usual gold rush scenario with interesting tidbits of information that you do not always know. You only hear about the California gold rush in Sutter’s Fort so the journey through Oregon, Montana, and Colorado came as a surprise to me.

Gold Fever is your usual match 3 or more like symbols to destroy Mac game with a little twist. You do not slide or swap the gold coins but you flip the like colored, 2-sided coins to match the symbols. There are gold nuggets you must get to the bottom of the screen and the wooden cart will take your prize away. To complete the level you must make matches over the entire gold background. As the levels increases, the gold coins will have more variety of colors and western symbols like the sheriff’s badge, pistol, cowboy hat and horseshoe.

The dynamite at the bottom of the screen with the long burning fuse is the timer for each level. There are 3 helps you can earn by getting enough matches to buy either the pick, timer or hammer. The pick will destroy 1 coin, the timer will get you 30 seconds more while the fuse stops, and the hammer will destroy the coin and the gold background. You start with 5 lives, and you can lose a life if you do not complete the level before the dynamite is set off.

Gold Fever starts off slowly for me because of the flipping the coin method, but I enjoy it more in the higher levels. What I like about match games is the action and explosions of the power-ups. This game’s demo does not have them. Perhaps it gets more active in later levels. I do not like the music, but I like the artwork. I found this play to be pleasant but not very dynamic or exciting.

Features of Gold Fever:
-Gold Rush
-160 Levels
-Power-Ups and Challenges
-Gold coins

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

Jump into the big blue ocean and swim your way to the top of the food chain in the Mac game Feeding Frenzy. Andy the angel fish must eat smaller sized fish in order to grow and reach the top of the fish kingdom. When you are small you are eaten by the larger fish so it’s imperative for you to quickly work and eat as much as possible and grow larger while keeping away from the bigger predators.

There are 2 modes of play in Feeding Frenzy: New Game and Time Attack. New Game is easier way to the top, however has limited lives. Time Attack is more difficult with unlimited lives, but it is timed. You use the mouse to guide Andy through the blue waters of the sea. By using the left click you can speed the feeding action faster using the Fish Dash attack, but you must beware of the larger fish or Andy will get eaten very quickly. The bubble above Andy’s head will let you know when you are large enough to eat bigger fish. When going on to the next level, there are interesting and educational facts about the sea. You are so into the game, you have to scan these facts quickly so you can get to the next level faster.

The bonus stage allows Andy to eat all minnows before time runs out for points. The Frenzy Meter will fill up for double points. The starfish do not help him grow but will give you points. Watch out for the Lion Fish, it can chase Andy down. Pearl will give you extra points also, but the clam can clamp down on him for lunch. Eating a school of fish will garner you 500 points.

Although Feeding Frenzy is a very simple Mac game, it is darn fun. When you have a few moments to spare, play this game just for enjoyment. You only have to think when you have to avoid the big fish. I was so into this game I didn’t check out the screen savers. This game is fun and addictive for everyone.

Features of Feeding Frenzy:
-Eat to the Top of the Food Chain
-Many Levels
-Sea Life
-Power-ups
-Screen Savers

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Tasty Planet

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

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: 4 out of 5 stars

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: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Fairy Treasure has it all—it is a breakout, action game, it has 120 levels, power-ups, magic, fairies and trolls. This Mac game is a good time no matter how you look at it.

Fairy treasure given to the good knights of Trollandia from the Fairy Queen upset the evil troll Dronk who raided the villages plundering food and precious items from the homes. He became bolder and invaded the castle for the fairy treasure. Knights and magicians were sought to recapture the royal gems. This is where you come in and save the day. You travel along the Fairy River fighting hags, goblins and evil things. Your only assistance is from the river fairies.

The play is to move the bat at the bottom of the screen left and right hitting the stone up to walls, power-ups and extras in order to pass the level. If the ball should fall into the water you lose a life. By hitting the rock up to the bricks the level will be completed when all the bricks are gone. By hitting the bat’s right side will move the orb to the right and hitting the bat on the left will move it to the left.

There are many bonuses to garner in the meantime. The extra bat either left or right, extra bat, 3 balls, fast balls, slow balls, extra life, strong balls and fire balls are among the few of the extras you’ll need to complete a level. In addition, there are magic bottles: the blue one is magnetic, red one is wacky and fire is explosive. Mushroom spores makes the ball sticky and the brown mushrooms explode when hit.

On top of all those bonuses there are more good and bad extras. The magic scroll if you get 8 you can enter the bonus level. The chain ball can be unlocked by collecting 5 keys, and be sure to get all the gold coins because 100 will get you an extra life. Frogs can be good or bad so beware, and fairies can be good if you release them from their bubble.

If you can believe it, there are more extras to discover in this action-packed fun game. All these bonuses and the fairy theme remind me of the Mac game Pixie. However, the 2 games are completely different, but both are fun to play. I enjoy playing this breakout arcade game with its flying bat breaking the brick walls. Moving the bat back and forth is reminiscent of the old time game Pong.  The graphics are good, but I can’t remember the sound effects or music due to the engrossing play of Fairy Treasure.

-Features of Fairy Treasure:
-Fairy Themed Breakout
-120 Levels
-Power-ups and Bonuses
-Bonus Levels

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Phelios the maker of Pixie, Doulber Gold, Kaijin and many more  Mac games made Abracadabra a few years ago. We are reviewing this simple but popular game for all those who may have missed it the first time around.

Abracadabra is an action packed arcade platform puzzle game. You take the little wizard through a magical trip finding gold, potions, keys and evil creatures. The wizard with his enchanted wand uses it to make or break bricks and can help save his life. You do not want to see him die. You use the arrow keys to direct him through all the mazes with many obstacles to prevent him from proceeding to the next level. Find the key and exit through the door. The space bar will let you use his wand, and use the arrows with the wand to direct the appropriate action to the right object or creature.

It takes a little practice for non-gamers to get used to the key movements but can grasp the play very quickly just by doing. It is a great starter game for all who are new to Mac games or video games, because the tutorials (in many languages) will take you step by step through the play. However, the higher levels are quite challenging and entertaining enough for even the seasoned gamers.

This game is reminiscent of the very first 2D Mario games, and you know they are always entertaining to revisit and play again. Abracadabra is just a fun play when you do not want to think too hard. I say too hard because there are some mazes you have to strategize to exit the platform. An added bonus is the easygoing jazzy music and colorful scenes to enhance your mood to play. So meet the spellbinding challenge with Abracadabra and spend some time playing this old time Mac game.

Features of Abracadabra:
-115 Levels
-Fun Arcade, Action Puzzles
-Wizards and Mystical Creatures
-Tutorials in Many Languages

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Peggle Nights is the second installment in the Peggle series, after the original Peggle Deluxe. Although not much has changed, the developers of Peggle have definitely done something right. This game is awesome and as much as it is luck, it takes a good amount of skill to complete this game. Peggle is at heart, a pachinko game but revolutionizes the genre. Instead of dropping the ball into the game, you shoot at your target and let the ball control the rest.

The goal of Peggle is to remove all the orange dots on the board. Once a pinball hits the peg, it disappears during the next turn. Once you hit the last orange peg (there is a cool Matrix-style bullet time) wherever the ball falls in the bonus, adds to your total. You can only complete the level if you get rid of all the orange before you run out of pinballs.

There are other colored pegs as well in Peggle. Green pegs have special powers, depending on who your character is. In the beginning, you start with an unicorn that has a special bounce vision that tells you where your ball will go after hitting the first peg. The next stage is a gopher who shoots a second ball out when you hit the green. There are about 10 different characters, each with his or her own special bonus. There are also purple pegs. These are not quite as interesting but give you a boost in points (when you hit a certain amount each shot, you get a free ball). Finally, there is a bumper at the bottom of the screen. If your ball falls into the middle hole, you get a free ball.

This was one of the best MacGames that I have ever played. It was both fun and interesting, as the gameplay was simple, yet absorbing. I could not stop playing once I had begun and even though it was easy at first, it got much more challenging as the game progressed. I would absolutely give Peggle Nights five out of five stars.

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

There’s no stopping the little goo creature from eating everything in sight from the present day to the days when dinosaurs roamed the earth in Mac arcade game Tasty Planet: Back for Seconds. This is the sequel to the popular Tasty Planet that has been out for a number of years now, but is still enjoyed by casual gamers.

This time the scientist accidentally developed the grey goo. It can eat anything smaller than itself and should be contained and not fed. Unknowingly, his assistant felt sorry for the little guy because he looked hungry and gave him some candies. This is where the fun starts. The goo gobbles up all the colorful sweets and more.

The play is to move the blob towards the arrow with either your mouse or pad toward objects smaller than the goo before your time is up. Just stay away from bigger animals who may want to eat goo. You can play it untimed but what fun is that? In addition, stay away from the larger beings trying to gobble the goo. The top left corner will show you how big the goo is and how fast it is growing. When it is large enough, it will swallow the time machine the scientist is working on at the moment. This triggers the little guy into 6 different time periods: present day, late Cretaceous, Ancient Egypt, Ancient Rome, Feudal Japan and into the far distant future.

Keep eating away until the level ends and it will cap your total in a nice, neat summary of how many different objects the goo has eaten. There are candies, mice, dinosaurs, butterflies, bushes, bones, cats, mummies, gladiators and flying saucers. There are side puzzles like eat 110 eggs or figure out the maze of bones to complete a level. These mini games are good for breaking up the constant eating machine even though it is similar.

The music accompanying the crunches, meows, yelps of creatures being eaten is lively and reminiscent of a jazzy, country honky-tonk guitar and 60ish cool movie music. I may be wrong but that’s my take on the tunes. They are great at first but if you keep playing Tasty Planet for a long time, it does repeat a lot. In that case, just turn the sound off. The play is addictive but like the music can get repetitive. The differences in the play are very little. The goo can span from small to large in one level. When the goo is tiny, the surroundings are huge, but when it grows into a large goo, the picture will zoom out to encompass the larger objects like the dinosaurs. The dinos at this scene look like ants. The other new aspect of the sequel is that you can play with another person. You each will get your own goo. Take a look at the videos: Trailer and Co-op play. Even though the play is very similar to the first game, Tasty Planet: Back for Seconds is still an pleasant, exciting arcade game for all casual gamers. The cartoon strip will keep moving the story along and is quite amusing. A great break from hidden object or sim plays. I give it a 3.5 out of 5.

Features of Tasty Planet: Back for Seconds:

-6 Time Periods

-Bonus Modes

-Fast Action Arcade Play

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

The goal is to whack as many green zombies as you can and garner as many points as possible. However, if you should whack the living lady, the cemetery man (both with skin tones of the living) and the normal brown moles, you’ll lose points. You can see that some of the moles have glowing zombie eyes and you will need to whack them. Power ups will gain you weapons for extra points and time. The sound effects are realistic so you will know you got the pistol versus the shotgun bonus. Grab the grenade and click on it at the lower left corner to activate and destroy all the zombies in one go.

You know you loved whacking the moles with the hammer. You got out your frustrations and stress out by merely hitting those dusty brown creatures on the head. Now you do not have to go to the arcade (if they still have them) to release your irritations and oppressed feelings. You can whack zombies (the new moles) to get the same relief and fun out of slamming the undead. The cartoon characters are just scary enough to make the zombies different from the living. There’s no fear factor involved in this game even with the eerie music (it’s not overwhelming and you can shut if off). I suggest you keep the sound effects on so you know by hearing the gun and explosions what you have or even the agonizing yell from the living people you accidentally whack. The snowmen will freeze all so you can whack them good if they are zombies. Get the guns and grenades for extra time and higher scores. Keep in mind that the points you earn vary based on which weapons you've used!

Whack the Dead is nothing new but rather, a different digital twist on the classic game yet updated and loads of fun. Every now and then you need to really unwind with a minimal thinking game so you can clear your mind and any annoyances you may be encountering at the moment. So, whack away, take a break from problem solving, and enjoy the fun in this action arcade game full of surprises in time for your Halloween treats. Post your high scores on Twitter and Facebook to compete against your friends and family.

It’s free on your Mac but Whack the Dead is only 99 cents for iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch at the App Store. This spooky game is brought to you by Indie developer Phelios with art and design by DoomCube.

Features of Whack the Dead:
-Fast, Fun Zombie Arcade Game
-Many Powerups
-Great Artwork, Music and Sound Effects

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Is soccer your game? Well then, Awesome Soccer is a Mac game for you. This game has realistic moves and plays to make you feel like a soccer star like Beckham, Donovan or Messi. Can you hear the roar of the crowd and the thrill of victory? This sports game will take you to the stadium.

The play is realistic with several ways to control the movements. The action is amazing with bending and swerving the ball in both directions. There are penalty shots, fouls, offsides, yellow and red cards and even shoot outs. In the upper left corner of the screen is an overview of the field and the players while you are playing on the ground.

There are 12 preset competitions from around the world with appropriate team uniforms to choose from and with realistic graphics. Not only are there pre-set games, but you can create custom leagues as well. In addition players can collect “Golden Balls” for different achievements throughout your play. Another great feature of Awesome Soccer is the slow motion replays. This is similar to watching your TV set with the match highlights.

Some of the negatives of this game are the 2D artwork although well done, it’s still flat, you have to get used to the directional keys plus 1 action button, the pass and shoot are the same keys, and there’s no multiplayer option. You can play against one person on the same computer. Most of these factors can be handled with time and practice. The others can be on our wish list.

With that said, Awesome Soccer is a fun game for those who know how soccer is played and enjoy the game. If you know nothing about soccer, it would be difficult to pick up the knowledge in this game. Of course, if you've grown up in the US and around the world, almost every child, both boys and girls, have been on a soccer rec team at one point of their childhood. This Mac game is for hardcore gamers who know and love the sport of soccer.

Features of Awesome Soccer:
-Realistic Play
-Great Sound Effects
-Slow Motion Replays

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Youda Marina is a refreshing change from the usual real estate sim Mac play where you build homes, castles and business buildings in a town or borough.  In this imaginative game you create from a vacant, barren shoreline, island or lagoon to a well-developed corporate moneymaking ideal beachside town for fun and recreation.

In order to build and maintain a beach community you need to initially build a radio station to communicate with the many boats that will need to dock and enjoy the facilities of your town.  When a boat is in need of your services, they will radio you and a yellow triangle with a radio will appear.  You then click on the radio, a boat with a similar triangle and radio will appear, and you will need to click to see what they need.  Your options are to either dock or if there are no available spaces or the ship is too large, you may need to turn away the boat losing the income.  This will force you to build more docks and enlarge spaces.

Other income will come from the many facilities (gas, radio, etc.), land attractions (bar, restaurant, hotel) and event facilities (diving school, game fishing, water sports and sea park).  The infrastructure builds the docks, lighting and can also demolish sites.  Milestones in the upper left corner are the goals for the campaign mode you must meet to complete the level.  After reaching a milestone, you get a star rank at the bottom right of the screen.  The small map is useful to click on a location and going directly there.

While all the construction is happening, the boats continue to come in and you need to click to reveal docking options for them.  The play is busy but never frustrating even though there are a lot of work to be completed.  It’s interesting to see your beach town rise from sand and water to a thriving community.  I was raised near beach cities and saw a few marinas developed from nothing into large ports for boats and yachts of all sizes.  Before Marina del Rey, California became an upscale, trendy beach location, it was farmland and fishing creeks.  The idyllic country living is gone now and the busy congestion of city life took over, but the new development and progress helps bring revenue to the area. I enjoy playing Youda Marina with its change in scenery from building homes to erecting docks and prosperous fun beach communities. Navigate your boats to your safe and exciting harbor with its many attractions.

Features of Youda Marina:

-4 Maps

-Facilities

-Beautiful Designs

-Be the Harbor Master

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

What an appropriate name for a Mac sim, rpg, shooting game: Gunrox! This game is a free online turn based strategy game where you have a team of 3 soldiers against other opponents around the world. All you need to do is sign in as an user and you will be able to download easily onto your computer. Since the artwork is simple the loading is fast.

There are a lot of laws governing this play, but I’m sure most of the people did not read them. The laws are just your usual be a decent player or else get kicked off type of thing. The other long list of items is the weapons. This is where you might spend some money because they charge for the guns, bombs, rockets, traps, grenades and more. Each weapon or perk, as they refer to them, is rated as Action Points (AP) and will give data like damage, fire ranges in order for you to make up your mind to buy. There are over 30 different perks to use for different types of attacks. They get very creative with their guns: sawed off shotgun, sniper rifles, launchers. Some of the weapons will allow you to hit multiple units with an arc of fire. A tank would be helpful but I don’t think it’s available.

You take your troop of ragamuffins and make them into fierce fighting machines with an assortment of weapons to battle your enemies. There are many locales to explore from junkyards, city streets, snow covered places and tropical sites.

Your tactical skills will be challenged when you have to anticipate your enemies' every move and maneuver your troops to best beat the opposition. After each fight you get experience points that will move your soldiers to the next level. The more skills and perks you acquire will help you along in this game. The play is exciting because you do not know where your next attack will take place. The battles are fast and furious so you do not need a lot of time to block out. Whatever you do, do not quit out of the game when it is stressful or you will be branded as a quitter. Stick it out. All that can happen is you will be killed and float up to the heavens as an angel.

Well, that may not be all what happens because there are a lot of people on this game, and not all of them will be kind to you. They may be outright rude to newbies and the inexperienced if you try to join in on their game. If you fall in that category, try the game with a group of your friends to back you up. Create your own game with your buddies and have fun playing in this colorful environment. If you are good at this type of game, battle your way to the top and have an awesome time. Enkord has developed an all around action game with tournaments and artifact markets to enhance your play. Gunrox is a fun, fast and enjoyable play, and you will not need to have lots of time because the battles are full of action and are quick. Just choose your arms wisely, and you can keep the costs down, or if you have deep pockets, knock yourself out. Gunrox rocks! I give it a 3.5 for a good time.

Features of Gunrox:
-Over 30 Different Weapons
-Play Against People Around the World
-Free Game Download

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Mystic Emporium is a shout out to the Harry Potter theme of witches, wizards, and spells. This fun and crazy sim play incorporates your love of witchcraft, wizardry, magic potions, ancient artifacts, and unusual ingredients.

Lilly is a witch who worked many years at the Grand Magus Library saving all her earnings so she can start her own magic shop. She finds the perfect store on Wizard Row Market, a lane of magic shops similar to Harry’s Diagon Alley. Lilly will need to work hard to make monthly payments on her new shop in order to stay in business.

Yes, this is your usual sim play where you must keep your clients happy by quickly working your magic to create the requested potion or object. Your goal is to earn enough money before the end of each day. The time is displayed through the posted clock. Initially your clients will come in slowly, you click on your first customer to find which potion they desire. The answer is revealed in the bubble next to the witch, ogre, vampire or wizard. Click on the recipe book (upper right corner), click on the cauldron and it will display the needed ingredients. You click on the ingredients (Lilly can only carry 2 at a time, even a witch has 2 hands), click once again on the cauldron to place the contents and then click on the fire to start the spell. When the potion is done, click on it, click on the customer to deliver, and finally click on the money to receive the payment for your hard work. As you know by now, this simple play gets more difficult as the levels increase. You must be up to the challenge of meeting your goals and keeping your unusual guests happy by quickly and smartly developing the magic potions.

As in the other sim Mac games, you will get many helps, some are strange and odd but all are beneficial. A creature is there to dispose any unwanted items. The magic shop will buy you newer and faster cauldrons, faster shoes and much more. In addition, there are match side games to enjoy in between your main plays. You click 4 or more grouping of like tiles to destroy. Completing the match game successfully will win you a magical charm.

Mystic Emporium is like many sim plays such as Ice Cream Craze and Cooking Dash, but it has its own magical charm and witchy appeal especially for Harry Potter fans. The play is easy to learn, the artwork bright and colorful, and the game is enjoyable. Wave your magic wand and spin your necromancy for the good of the shop and keep your clientele happy or they’ll turn you into a toad. Ribbit.

Features of Mystic Emporium:
-Own a Magic Shop
-30 Magic Items
-Earn Trophies and Magic Charms

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Take a blast from the past with Titan Attack, as Space Invaders returns revamped and more intense than ever. Instead of popping in quarters to a machine, now gamers can easily start up a crusade against the alien onslaught in the comfort of their own computers. The classic scrolling across the bottom of the screen shooter has the same feel as the classic Space Invaders but with an arsenal of new twists that has gamers gunning for more.

In Titan Attacks the fate of the world lies in the hands of a lonely tank left running back and forth trying hard to repel an alien barrage. That tank has slow left to right movement, a single laser beam, and 2 bars of health. Doesn't seem like a lot as the alien enemy seems to evolve and expand at every chance it gets. The solution to the dilemma: Upgradeable tank with the money from killing aliens. Simple yet an effective way to get me to play the game more and more. Each level I finish I see how much money I need for more shields, bombs, cannons, or lasers, or a faster moving tank. It's addicting. On top of the weapons shop a high score bulletin to top off a meticulously played game seals the deal for gamers to fight for the human race.

Titan Attack has a look that is new and sleek but a feel that is comfortable and recognizable. Game play-wise a score multiplier adds to the need to continue playing the game because it only increases if the tank does not take damage and kills aliens. As more aliens drop, reverse movement, and get a little faster someone is going to have to take the call for humanity. Titan Attack gets a 4.5 out of 5 because it makes me answer that call whenever I don't want to do anything else in the world but recall Space Invaders and destroy that last quickly flying alien.

Features of Titan Attack:
-100 levels of Frantic Shooter Action
-Upgrade with Cannons, Rockets and Lasers
-5 Giant Boss Motherships
-Prizes

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars