The mystical land of Atlantis was a blissful, idyllic place where Poseidon created for his people, but as time past they neglected the god and darkness fell throughout the kingdom. The altar of Poseidon was separated and 7 crystals were sent to 7 countries and 7 cities to be sealed forever.

The hero will be the one to remove the spells and bring the crystals back together to resurrect and bring the power back to Atlantis. The hero is you, and you need to swap 3 or more like items in a row to conquer and win back the jeweled encrusted altar. In the match game there is an amulet of Poseidon power-up which must be used in the level. There are bombs once brought to the bottom of the game board can be used in a hard to destroy area.

This game is very similar to Around the World in 80 Days with a different story line, but somehow Call of Atlantis is not as an engaging of a tale. The play although is a match game like many match games, it was not as exciting to play. I thought it was good but not enticing enough to play it again. Maybe it is because I didn’t play the previous Atlantis games, but I think other match plays are more interesting. However, the artwork is excellent. If you are into Poseidon and Atlantis, this may be the game for you.

Features of Call of Atlantis:
-Part of the Atlantis Series
-66 Levels
-7 Lands to Explore
-7 Crystals to Recover

Rating: 2.5 out of 5 stars

The tale of the wicked spider continues in Rainbow Web 2 at the royal palace. This time the play is varied with a mix of mini puzzles interspersed among the match plays. The match games are very similar to the first Rainbow Web where you click on an orb to match 3 or more of the same colored ones on the web. You are to match the balls with the letters to retrieve the names of magic things the spider has stolen from the castle.

The only blocks in this game comes when there is a break in the link of the web (same as the first game). This will interfere with you making a match. I noticed there are more chain reactions in this game and the sound effects when the orbs popped are better.

After each level you receive your statistics: # of balls you used, # of combos, score, time. This is a new feature to the game. I don’t know if it is needed, but it is interesting to note your scores. Also in between the plays are mini puzzles to breakup the matches. One is a puzzle where you slide the pieces to form a picture of a clue. Another was a hidden object game.

Whereas this Rainbow Web 2 game is much better than the first, I never felt challenged in doing the match games even in the timed ones. The 2 modes appear the same. It is a relaxing game to sit back and play, so if you need some R & R, try Rainbow Web 2.

Features of Rainbow Web 2:

-82 Levels

-7 Web Patterns

-Mini puzzles

-Fun Story Line

Rating: 3 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

A prehistoric twist to the shoot rocks at a chain of stones snaking down the tube towards the skull head Mac game. These match games are always fun to play. Stone Loops! Of Jurassic has 3 modes of play. The Classic will unlock Strategy and Survival.

In Classic there are three difficulty levels: easy, normal and challenge. The play is simple. You grab a stone from the chain and shoot it back to rocks of 2 or more of the same color to destroy them. All this must be completed before the chain reaches the skull head or the level is over. If you complete the level you will receive an upgrade to your jungle home.

There are many power-ups in this game from lightning exploding through the rocks to changing color extras. After finishing a level jewels will float down and you must catch them for extra points. After completing a few levels the Strategy mode is available. This play is different from the other 2 modes because the chain of rocks do not move until you make a move by taking a rock and shooting it back. This could be a little frustrating because the chain may stop at a point where you cannot get a good aim at the rocks. They slowly move forward and this give you a chance to strategize.
Completing a few more levels will open up the Survival mode. In this mode you can select the different game board to play and it also gives you a rank to increase and improve.

Stone Loops was an okay play for me, but I didn’t see anything special to differentiate it from other match and shoot games except you can get the rock and shoot it back. The only way you can tell if one is more fun than the others is by trying them so go ahead and shoot away.

Features of Stone Loops of Jurassic:
-75 Levels
-9 Power-ups
-Upgrade your House in 5 Different Lands

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

Jewel Quest III is still a lively exciting match Mac game to play especially on a rainy day to get you in the mood for more of Professor Rupert Pack’s arduous adventures into the jungles of the Yucatan. This time he is on a quest to find the cure for his and Emma’s daughter, Natalie. At the opening of his new museum, Natalie opens a box with an ancient game board in it, and it spews blinding spores planted by Dr. Pack’s arch enemy, Sebastian Grenard. The spores were intended for Pack as revenge for taking Emma away from him (all in Jewel Quest II). The search for a cure is underway in the jungles of the Yucatan and who knows where it will take you from there?

The match 3 or more icons is the same as the first 2 games, Jewel Quest and Jewel Quest II. The chain reactions are many and the flow of the game is good. The extras are the gold coins when matched will unlock the vaults. When you click on the left mouse button or control button, the gems are taken away and you can view where you need to concentrate on your game to make gold squares. If you have played the first 2 Jewel Quest games this third one is very similar. Even though it is almost the same, the game boards are new and it is still a fun play. I would highly recommend you try the first 2 games in order to be able to follow the complete storyline, but if you are not into the adventure tale, playing any of the 3 games is equally enjoyable.  Traveling around the world as the levels are unlocked, you find yourself challenged in a foreign country to play a match game against an opponent.  Also if you find yourself in Iceland, there are iced encased gems to thaw out and destroy.

In Jewel Quest III there is a Tournament mode you can play against people from around the world. It has 40 unique game boards. The sound effects and graphics on this 3rd game are amazing and worth checking out especially the beginning where the 40’s car drives up to the museum with pigeons flying overhead.  This game is very theatrical and movie-like with it's main play, but all these things add up to one great game.  Take a challenging journey into the green jungles of Central America one of my favorite places in the world or the frigid air of Iceland and be pleasantly surprised at what you may find there—possibly the fabled golden game board?

Features of Jewel Quest III:
- Fabled Golden Jewel Board
- 200 Level in 11 Different Regions
- Play Tournament Mode
- Hidden Jewels

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

I found the premise to be a little creepy in Mac hidden object game Faded Reality, but I think that was the main objective so it was effective. The story is about Monica who wakes up from a cornea transplant. Something that is routine from donors who have died. The weird thing about Monica’s transplant is that she starts seeing things when she closes her eyes. Things and places she has never been to or seen before. Somehow she knows it is connected to the donor’s environment. She goes in search of these places…..

Each location in this hidden object game has another location to search for many objects and letters. You cannot click on an object if the word is not complete. You search for the letters (A, B, C, etc.) to complete the word. Once the word is completed that object will be removed from the scene revealing another object you are searching for. The list of the objects is at the bottom of the screen. You cannot click on items or letters unless they are listed. This is a little frustrating since you see letters and objects you know will be on the list later when you find the present listed things.

In addition, you may have to go back and forth from one location to another. When you reach a house, you will search outside and inside for objects. Another thing I found annoying was when I took the cursor over an object, sometimes the incomplete word of the item would appear and get in your way. The letters are important to this game because the letters will help Monica recall the words.

A side game is to unscramble the found letters to send you to a location for more things. Other mini games are the solitaire plays, matching 2 halves of torn playing cards and logic puzzles like shining lights in the correct direction to unveil a scene.

I give Faded Reality credit for an original story and creative hidden object play with letters. Sometimes the words of an object will obstruct your search because I like to take the cursor across the screen looking for the items and the pop-ups kept getting in the way. The music was appropriate and the artwork good. The story did keep you interested in going on in the game. I give it a 3 out 5 for all of the above.

Features of Faded Reality:
-Engaging Story
-Lots of Mini Games
-Hidden Object Play with a Twist

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

Escape from Paradise 2: A Kingdom’s Quest is a conglomeration of many genres of Mac games. For the most part it is a sim play developing your own tribe of people. It is up to you to make sure there is enough food, water and building supplies for a successful life.
This game is a continuation of your life after a shipwreck stranded you on an island. You work to earn your freedom off this paradise isle, but found that life on the island wasn’t so bad after all, and you try to assimilate back into the tribe. The chief, a jealous and vindictive person, ban you to the outskirts of the island to prove to him you are worthy of returning.

The game starts at this point after you choose your avatar. If you choose a male, a princess will help you. If you choose a female, you get help from Prince Perusah. He will have an explanation mark over his head if he needs to speak to you. The tutorial and play will start you off with simple challenges like gathering wood. The challenges will be posted at the top of the screen with the bottom part of the board with useful stats on your person. In addition, there are buttons for building and another for items. You need to click on them for structures you need to erect and items you find scattered throughout the island. Happiness levels stay below each person for you to keep an eye on the bar so it doesn’t dip too far down. You need to keep everyone in your tribe happy and sated for tasks to be completed. Also at the bottom are the numbers for the amount of tribe members, food, and wood. If you help people build, they will give you their loyalty. When you click and drag people to a tree, they will either chop for wood or gather food. The prince will help you out with tasks also, but if they tire, you can see that they need to rest in the hut. Also if anyone is near food or water and they need it, they will eat or drink until they are satisfied but be sure to have plenty of food and water for them.

After you complete a challenge, you may receive a reward in a form of a crate washing ashore. The first reward is a monkey who will assist you in finding hidden objects. Of course, with the added responsibility of a screeching monkey, you must build him a home. After completion of this house, you have a new ability. You must build up your own skills and the skills of others so you can expand your ability to build different types of things so you can go on to your next challenge. In addition to your skills you must increase your population by marrying couples. In time they will have a baby and that child will grow into an adult who can help with the many tasks. Unfortunately people will die and that will decrease the numbers in your tribe.

The mini games are many and you can go to them when needed since the plays will earn you food, wood and skill points. They can be a match game with your option of playing Tiki Topple or Classic. The Classic play is to match 3 or more like items to collect points, and Tiki Topple is a match game with you playing against the clever chief. It’s tough to beat him, but fun to keep trying. There are Sudoku plays and card games to enjoy.

If that’s not enough for you, the island slowly reveals secrets but only to true souls. At one point steps to a temple all of a sudden appeared from the sands of the beach. The items you uncover will assist you in many ways. Also remember, sometimes you need your monkey close by to be able to see some of the hidden things. He will be screeching for you to do something. Eventually you will need to connect to the other islands so you need to somehow get rocks to cross over to the other side. Dynamite may help you so look, dig and find your TNT.

Escape From Paradise 2: A Kingdom’s Quest is full of many interesting things and surprises to do for your island tribe. The mini games are a nice distraction from your daily tasks on the island. I never played the first game so I don’t have that to compare this new sequel, but I’ve played other similar games such as Virtual Villagers 1, 2 and 3, and Wild Tribe. I found Escape From Paradise 2: A Kingdom’s Quest a better game even though there are many similar aspects to the sim play, you get a lot of fun and well thought out side games to keep you engaged during the entire time.

Features of Escape From Paradise 2:
-Customize Your Hero
-Keep Everyone Happy
-Chief of the Tribe

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

I guess it was the title that drew me to this Mac game Geeks Unleashed. I thought I better check it out and found a challenging strategy puzzle augmented with really geeky cartoon characters.

You initially choose your main character and the story begins with your person (a geek type) who loses an auction bid on a communication device used by Commander Info in episode 64 of Star Quest series. Everyone has an acquaintance, relative, co-worker or best friend like that. If you don’t, then it’s you. Your character finds a Collectors’ Convention and knows that there will be the item she wants there.

However, before she can purchase the device she is thwarted by a geek dressed as a wizard. She must play against the geeks to reach her ultimate purchase. The main game is a strategy puzzle. She is to choose items from the highlighted row or column to fill her own Geek-o-Meter by completing sets of items. She and her opponent take turns filling their own boards. If she completes a set and on her next turn must pick the same object in the set, she must start that set over again. The items without numbers or a star is a single item. If there are numbers listed, then she gets that numbered amount on her board. If there is a star, it fills your set. Whoever finishes their sets first is the winner. Just remember the geeks have more experience playing these games than she does so it isn’t always easy to beat the geek. The red squared item is a block and should be avoided if possible. Your character must go from geek to geek to ultimately finish the game and unlock the prize.

There are 3 modes of play to this Mac game: Story, Quick Play or 2 Player Mode. The Story lets you play against a geek, and the geek constantly makes comments related to science fiction, dungeons and dragons and other favorite geek topics. This is a little annoying and it slows down the play. The Quick play eliminates the bubble talk, but stay away from choosing Precious as an opponent. She makes kissing sounds when choosing her items-more than annoying; it’s just creepy. Some of the other characters are locked and cannot be accessed until you complete more levels. The 2-player mode lets you play against another person and not a computerized geek. Of course, if your friend is a geek, you might get beat.

There are mini puzzles interspersed throughout the game. One is the memory game where you click on 2 squares to match them, and another is a pachinko type play where you drop a ball down a pegged board.

The main game is challenging but you can outsmart some of the geeks. Even though the game looks basic and easy, it is not. The mini puzzles are a welcome break from playing against the geeks, and the goofy characters are amusing and funny. If you like a difficult but fun play, this Mac game is worth trying out.

Features of Geeks Unleashed:
-Funny Storyline
-3 Modes of Play including 2 Player Mode
-Wheel of Mini Puzzle

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

Pop-A-Tronics is a pop 3 or more combos of bubbles and fill the goal meter to complete the level Mac game. It is fast-paced and exciting with all the peripheral movements and lively music.

There are 4 modes of play in this game: Marathon, Puzzle, Lock-Out and Self Destruct. This pop 3 bubbles game is similar to others like Agua Bubble, but the difference in this game is that you can click to pop or inhale to move the bubbles with your Energy Needle not shoot at them from a stationary spot. This needle can move around the game board and when you wish to make a 3 or more match, you hover over the bubbles and click. To inhale you must either right click or control click to take in the bubble (only one at a time) and place it in another spot by control clicking again. To the right of the bubbles is the Goal Meter that tells you when you have reached your level and below it is the Combo Flask when full of orange goo will provide you with a Purifier. This device changes color every second and when you click on it, it will destroy all the bubbles of the current color. A Charge Bomb will explode in 4 seconds and when you continually click on it, it will give a more massive explosion. A Color Transmutational Device or CTD will hover and copy any bubbles near by to the same color and will create a huge combo explosion and garnering you a lot of points.

A block in this game is the locked bubbles created when you click on bubbles that cannot be matched. It will then change that bubble to a locked one. Also if you see a bubble shaking and quivering, it is ready to change into a locked one so you must try to use it in a match as soon as possible.

The Puzzle mode begins with a full screen of bubbles, and you must pop 3 or more bubbles of the same color until the board is cleared. In this mode the inhaler is inactive. In the Lock Out mode you must quickly match all the bubbles before they are locked out slowly from the bottom. The Self Destruct mode you can utilize only the inhaler. Each of the different modes is fun in its own way and formidable to complete.

All the modes have something of interest to the player and can be very challenging at times. With some practice and strategy, you should be able to play this game easily. I found this game difficult but still enjoyable. The funny squeaks and pops enforced the game play and made the game pleasurable. So if you like match games and want a different twist to the game, try Pop-A-Tronics, and pop yourself to bubble land and have some fun.

Features of Pop-A-Tronics:
-Power-Ups
-4 Modes of Play
-Great Sound Effects and Music

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

Adventure, love, betrayal what more can you ask for in an exciting Mac game? In Jewel Quest II the saga continues in 1944 with Professor Rubert Pack. His heart is broken when Emma, his sweetheart, leaves him for the rich and dashing Sebastian Grenard. To forget his lost, he tries to enlist in the Navy but once again is rejected, this time because of his age. He signs up as engine staff on a cargo ship to southern Africa as his last ditch effort. He encounters adventure on the ship, safari, learns the history of Zimbabwe ruins, and comes across Victoria Falls.To move this story along,you must complete gem match levels within the time period and without losing your life.

The game starts with 5 lives, and when the time runs out, you lose 1 life and the level. Also you can lose a life if there are no more moves to be made. However 50,000 points will get you another life. To complete a level you must match 3 or more like icons or gems either horizontally or vertically by clicking or dragging one jewel to an adjacent square. These matched gems will disappear and the box will turn gold. Replacement jewels will fill from above filling the empty squares with more items. This part is similar to the first Jewel Quest.

Watch for the gold coins. If you are able to match 3 of these coins you are rewarded with a special move. Save these moves until you need them. Most of the special moves award you a free gold space, some uncover buried jewels and others will remove other items. To use it click on the special button located in the lower left side and then click on the space or jewels you wish to activate. There are only so many gold coins allowed on the game board so the extra ones will fall off the bottom of the field.

A new move is being able to move jewels into an empty space. This can help you strategically clear the game board. There appears to be more chain reactions that will give you higher points. If you complete the board before the time limit, you get bonus points based on how much time is left. Another new item, in addition to new gems and icons, is the buried jewel. It looks like a rock with some of the gem peeking through. To release the gem, you must make moves near the rock.

Jewel Quest II, like its predecessor Jewel Quest, has an extensive story line that can at times interfere with your game play. If you like this kind of interaction you’ll enjoy this game. I prefer to play the game more than read a story about a lovelorn old university professor. It was a little melodramatic, but if I remember correctly, so were the Indiana Jones movies that I enjoyed very much. I did like the challenging game play and the Victoria Falls background picture. The timed factor can get a little intense but is manageable. This is an enjoyable gem match game just like the first.

Features of Jewel Quest II:
-Story of Adventure, Love, Betrayal
-180 Puzzles and Boards
-9 new jewels and Power-Ups

Play more Jewel Quest games: Jewel Quest 1, 2, 3, 4 & Solitaire

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

The magical forest of Phantasia is under siege by the evil wizard who captured and encapsulated the peaceful nation of dwarves in bubbles in his ominous towers in his dark and dingy castle. Alas, one, lone dwarf managed to escape and find you to assist him in rescuing his fellow citizens. It is up to you to save the lives of these wonderful dwarves and bring them back to the land of Phantasia.

If you should accept the challenge, you will be shooting balls up to where the dwarves are encased. You shoot at 2 or more of the like color balls to pop the bubbles, release the dwarves and catch the gold and silver coins. The coins will boost your score. The dwarf who found and convinced you to help him will provide you with bubbles on the lower left of the screen. You will see the colors of the balls coming down the conveyor belt so you can strategize your next move. The castle is large and there are many levels to conquer in this game.

The power-ups are the bombs (will destroy the balls around the area you shoot), fireballs will shoot straight up and rid all the balls in its path, one color ball (changes color of one ball), change balls, one row destroyer. In addition to the bonuses, there are stone balls to block your successful rescue. Of course, the bubbles on the game board are continuously descending to prevent you from winning. This action is similar to the Mac game Abundante!

This arcade game is a fun way to spend a few hours in the afternoon with the kids or alone. Keep an eye out for the funny characters popping in and out of the top and bottom of the screen.  The play is easy enough for children and casual gamers, and the story line is amusing. I think the only thing that bothered me was the pleading of the dwarves in the bubble. You feel a little guilty when you do not save them fast enough because you are trying to figure out the best possible way to release the most balls. So shoot away and save the nation of dwarves in the land of Phantasia.

Features of Phantasia:
-Valuable Coins
-Bonuses
-30 Unique Levels
-Hall of Fame

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

A match 3 and sim time management game in one, Mac Dragon Hatchery combines the 2 in a fun and lively game for both kids and adults. Raise baby dragons to nobly regain their once powerful and protective position in the world.

Once the land was filled with dragons who wisely guarded the kingdom from evil, but for reasons unknown the dragons perished in the midst of deadly wars. The only survivors are the precious dragon eggs. You are needed to hatch, care for and raise the baby dragons. You begin in the hatchery matching 3 or more of the same color eggs to hatch. Eggs coming down the conveyor are displayed at the upper left corner. You click on the column you would like to place the egg. The eggs will hatch if you make a match of 3 or more of the same color eggs. If you each egg in strategic places, you can make large matches that may contain a dragon or coins. If you open eggs with letters, the word hatchery can be spelled for a huge bonus.

After hatching you go to the nursery to raise your dragons. The dragon babies will come down the waterway, you click on the hay, drag it to make a nest, click and drag the dragon to the nest. After awhile the baby will need food, water or bathing. Some of the tasks will require more than 1 step to complete like the food. The food must be bought with the gold you earned, click and drag the food to the grind until it is ready for a baby. Click and drag the food to the baby dragon to complete. Sounds easy, right? Wait until you have many baby dragons needing attention. The nursery gets to be wild with one dragon needing water, another food, another a bath and a clean nest. The goals of each level are listed at the bottom and upgrades can be purchased.

Dragon Hatchery with its cute and colorful artwork is entertaining and fun to do. The match play can get confusing at times when you have to quickly maneuver your egg into the right position in a short time. Pick the level you are most comfortable with by clicking on kid, normal or, if you dare, pro. The only thing I didn’t like is not being able to skip the tutorial. If you are up for a challenge, raise your adorable baby dragons for full and happy lives.

Features of Dragon Hatchery:
-Run Your Own Dragon Nursery
-Match 3 and Time Management Plays
-Upgrades

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Big Kahuna Reef 2: Chain Reaction is the sequel to Big Kahuna Reef, but the developers went way beyond the scope of follow-ups to make an action filled and fun Mac game. Yes, it has the same music, exotic fish and the scenic reef, but it goes further than the first game by adding a lot more chain reactions, new fish, new reefs and a lot of explosive pieces making it a more dynamic play.

The game has 2 modes, Action and Relaxed. Action is timed and your time is up when the fluid in the Kahuna Tiki head runs out. You begin with 3 lives and if you do not finish a level, you lose a life. You can also use a life to extend your time. Relaxed play lasts until the board is cleared. There are 3 areas of difficulty. You begin the game at Kahuna Quest where you must match 3 or more sea items in order to complete the level. After completing a set number of levels you unlock the next section, Tiki Challenge. It has a lot more difficult levels to play. This section is not only challenging but can also get a little demanding with the Tiki jumping and making noises. The third group is the Other Adventures, and it is where you will find over 600 themed levels created by players around the world. In addition to the hundreds of levels to play, you can create your own and submit it to be used in the game.

There are many extras to this game play, some similar to the earlier version and many new surprises. It feels like the game play moved along faster due to more chain reactions, dynamite, regular and nuclear bombs. The larger the explosive, the bigger the area cleared. The explosives are best used after manipulating the play so they are in the best possible position for the most effective use. As well as the helps in this game, there are many obstacles to clear the game board: steel boxes (need 2 matches to clear), single and double chains (2 and 3 matches to clear), and the ominous Kamehameha Skeleton fish (creates more boxes when matched). The puzzle boards are different and more challenging. The irregular shapes make it more dangerous to haphazardly make matches. Strategy must be used to avoid leaving boxes in hard to play corners. Other new bonuses are the shark eating license plate level and diving penguins.

Although Big Kahuna Reef 2 had all the familiar themes of the first game, there are a lot of excitement and movement to this new version. I enjoyed BKR 2 so much more and know you will too. So if you liked the first version, you will like this second one even better. Try it out and see for yourself.

Features of Big Kahuna Reef: Chain Reaction:
-Oceanic Adventure
-40 Exotic Sea Creatures
-over 750 levels
-Quest to become the Big Kahuna
-Save games

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

How can you go wrong with a name like Pirate Poppers? Aaargh! With its pirate theme and music what else is left but a treasure map and riches? You need to piece together a map for the location of the legendary treasure of Isla Calabera.

There are 3 modes to play in this pirate game: Adventure, Puzzle, and Arcade. The Adventure mode has 77 levels of play. In the Puzzle mode you must clear the row of balls with only a limited number of cannons, so you must figure out exactly how and where you will place these balls on the rail. In the Arcade mode you get a number of lives before losing a level.

The play is to simply shoot cannon balls at groups of colorful balls rolling on a track towards a barrel. You must aim for like color balls and shoot while the chain of cannons continues to move forward. When the balls are blasted and disappear, the cannons on either side will come together and if they are the same color and are 3 or more, they may also explode and clear the game board.

There are a lot of power-ups in this game. Some of the extras will change the color of the balls to blasting a whole slew of cannons with an explosive one. With some of the other features, the balls will move backwards giving you extra time to figure out your strategy. There is a spyglass when you are able to shoot faster and more accurately. On top of all that there are many extras you can catch with your cannon. The many jewels and treasures will give you extra points and the skull medallions will increase the number of lives.

Pirate Poppers is very similar to Zuma, Sweetopia and Luxor where you shoot at orbs coming down a tube-like conveyor belt. This is an action packed arcade Mac game with pirate cannons, treasures (gold, silver and jewels) and much more. You’ll have fun just sitting back and shooting cannonballs out into the chains of multicolored spheres. This game takes some strategy and thinking, but on the most part it is just an enjoyable game to kick back and shoot.

Features of Pirate Poppers:
-Pirate Theme
-6 Power-ups
-Treasure
-77 Levels

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Hike into the darkest jungle of the Mac game Abundante, and find yourself deep in the midst of fun and excitement. This is a match 4 or more gems in order to complete a level game which will bring you closer to hidden secrets of this archeological hunt.

This exotic jungle adventure begins with Dr Ray Rumble’s archeological society funding a mission to find the lost temple of Nahca Rotha. The myth is that the Nahca Rothians possessed great knowledge and treasures. You are an archeologist who is on this journey to verify the authenticity of this information, and to recover the gems and jewels.

The play is a match 4 or more gems game, and by moving a wooden mining cart at the bottom of the screen back and forth, you collect the jewels embedded in brick. Click on a brick with a gem inside, catch it in the cart and slide to another area with the same color gems, make a 4 or more match by shooting the brick back up, and catch all the freed gems in your cart. You must quickly move your cart back and forth, clicking as you go, because the bricks are constantly descending during your play. If you do not complete the level before the bricks crush the cart, you lose one of your 3 lives.

This is the basic play of the game but there are more “surprises” to come. The first few levels are easy and slow to help you adjust to the game, but it becomes faster and more challenging soon after completing the first few levels. Some of the helps and obstacles in the game are the lightening bricks when placed strategically can break all the bricks in one column or row, making shapes with the placed bricks will garner you more points, and the scaffolding and moss will create some problems for you if you are not careful. Another entertaining power-up is the fireball you get into your cart and shoot up to explode any bricks nearby.

There are mini games throughout the play, and you can win prizes on top of all that. Also a very important part of the story and game is unlocking pieces of a missing amulet that are scattered all over the temple. The main game will unlock a second mode and then after the second is unlocked, the 3rd one will become available.

Abundante is a exciting gem match game that will provide hours of fun play. I initially found this game challenging, but with practice got much better at it and enjoyed it even more. With all the different levels and modes, you will not get bored and will be pleasantly surprised to find a game worth playing.

Features of Abundante:
-Fun Story Line
-Lots of Challenging Levels
-Power-ups, Bonuses, Rewards
-Surprises

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Good Mac games for young children are hard to find, but not impossible. Ladybugs and Bob the Builder are a few that are phenomenal games for kids. Lua Lua can also be added to this group with its many puzzles and fun to be discovered by young minds.

Lua Lua is a complilation of 7 different types of puzzles geared towards young kids but gets challenging enough for some older ones. La La Land is not a reference to Los Angeles, but a game where animals will sing and you must remember the sequence of animal sounds. It’s like the electronic game Simon or Bop It! Your progression is displayed at the bottom of the screen. Don’t worry if you do not remember the order, it will reset and show you again what to do. No pressure.

Thinky Thinky is a memory game where you turn over puzzle pieces to reveal the animal. You make matches of 2 identical pieces to complete. Cute characters to see and match.

Taquin or teaser is a slide puzzle game. In this game you slide tiles to make a picture of an animal. Click on the empty space to move a tile. It starts off very easy but each level becomes increasingly more difficult.

Pig Tac Dog is a tic-tac-toe where you are the winner. You are the dog playing against the pig, and it is very difficult to lose. Loads of happy times for the young ones.

Drag n Drop is where you drag and drop a picture of an animal to the outlined forms.

Soopa Koopa can be challenging with re-assembling of animal faces. In the beginning there are only 2 rows to slide until the face appears. However, this puzzle goes up to 8 slices of a face and with this many rows to align, it may take some time before the face appears.

Catch a Match is an action packed game where you click on pairs of the same animal falling from the top of the screen. It begins slowly and easy, but it will challenge some kids with many different animals floating down the screen. However, you do not get penalized and there’s no big buzzer to out you just a pleasant game to work on your cursor skills.

All these games will challenge different parts of your children’s brain in a fun and entertaining fashion. These puzzles are kid versions of adult plays. The games states it’s for kids from 3 to 7 years, but I think some 2 years old have the concentration, if not the coordination, to enjoy the game. You’ve seen 2 year olds learning the state capitals, all 50 states, names of dinosaurs, world countries, presidents, languages, etc. The list is endless. If the adult has the patience to go over things with a 2 year old, they have the ability to absorb all the information.

4 of the games are available to try out in the demo and the other 3 are locked. The larger cursor is great for little tots. Lua Lua is kid friendly with fun music and great, colorful graphics. In fact you can access free adorable dog icons. My favorite is Sharpeipei. Others are Chocolab, Pugglywuggly, Bostielu, Dogbully and Toxicodog. You can view these pictures at Lua Lua Dog Icons. Also any and all upgrades are free so you can’t go wrong with this awesome Mac game for kids.

Features of Lua Lua:
-7 Different Games in Full Version
-Great Fun for Kids
-Free Upgrades and Icons

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Cradle of Persia a match 3 objects to destroy Mac game is different with building of Persia, one building at a time. You could say it is a little like a sim play with you making matches to build housing, getting supplies and feeding your villagers. Like Cradle of Rome that preceded Persia, both are entertaining and fun to play.

When you make enough match 3s of like items, you will have enough money to buy your first building. Once you start your villages, the people will begin to come and it is up to you to make food matches to feed your clan. Unlike Cradle of Rome you make matches by chaining like objects together instead of swapping. The object of this play is to break all the marble tiles by making matches over them. Like other match games you have chained blocks you must also make matches over in order to break the links.

Cradle of Persia is not original or different from other plays, but is a good Mac match 3 game. I can play these games for hours. They are that addictive, and the building of your empire is entertaining and fun to see expand and grow. The match game is relaxing even though there is a water jug measuring your time. The artwork is good and music appropriate for the scenes. I like playing this game for what is is – a match 3 play for casual players and children.

Features of Cradle of Persia:
-7 Historic Epochs
-100 Levels
8 Special Bonuses
-Masterpieces of Ancient Persia

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Home improvement is the new past time or hobby for this generation. Everywhere you look you see fixer upper reality shows and advertisements. With the economy as it is, Flip or Flop is just the Mac game for this era. It begins with Granny needing assistance because she forgot (really?) to pay her taxes for many years, and her house was repossessed by the bank. Forced to move into a retirement home, it is your job to use her remaining money to flip houses and get her back in her own home.

The game play is a match 3 or more home improvement needs to fix a house so you can resell it for more money. You must get enough items and supplies before the time runs out on the right sidebar by clicking on the arrows located on the outside of the grid. You click an arrow to slide windows, doors, wallpaper and other necessities for fixing the house. If you make 4 matches, it will produce a bomb helper. With the money earned from selling the house, you need to go on to the next house you can afford to buy and improve. You have 4 different neighborhoods to canvas for inexpensive homes needing repairs. The first neighborhood is titled Trailer Park for its inexpensive homes near a noisy railroad line. The next ones are the Rural Town, Suburbia and the Filthy Rich. There are 99 houses in all to renovate and 3 modes of difficulty and 10 different renovation pieces. This will keep anyone busy fixing up houses for a long, long time.

The game board is a clever working project board to help complete your assignment. It has the house photo, the percentage of renovation, goals, map and time bar. I thought it was a little busy looking and took a while before I got used to spotting matches easily. I also struggled a little with moving the items to match up with the arrows instead of clicking on the item or sliding the entire row or column like other match games.

Even in this time of recession, I prefer to match jewels and gems instead of paint and wallpaper, and I like to hear the clashing and breaking of the precious stones rather than shlepping through neighborhoods in search of a fixer upper (sorry Granny). I believe this game is for those who enjoy role playing and a good story line. It wasn’t for me, but I appreciate the clever work the developers put into this game. Try it for a fun time.

Features of Flip or Flop:
-4 Neighborhoods
-99 houses to renovate
-3 modes of difficulty
-10 different renovation pieces

Rating: 2.5 out of 5 stars

Not your usual match 3 or more items Mac game, Popnus Puzzle has 80 levels in their Puzzle mode to stump you in its irregular shaped layouts. Survival and Classic modes are the usual format (horizontal and vertical rows) for match plays.

There are many Puzzle mode levels, and they can be extremely simple to more than difficult. The play is to match 3 or more like bubbles by dragging the orbs to different locations, and when you are ready, press the Popnus button at the bottom of the page to submit. Initially I thought Popnus was a game for young kids but as the levels progressed, matching and lining up 3 bubbles in a row became harder and harder in the many fanciful layouts. Also each puzzle is timed so you must think fast.

The Survival mode is your basic match 3 game except you can place the orb in any location just by clicking and dragging the ball to its new location. However sometimes the orbs will not go into the slot you want it to go into so you must take the time to redo the move, taking up precious time. An added power-ups are the bombs. It made the play a little frantic with the squishy sounds and music.

I wanted to like this Mac game being a match player of sorts, but the play is stifled by the Popnus button and the movements of the orbs feel like they are sticking at times. What I like about the game is the graphics-colorful background changes helped break up the play. The imaginative puzzle mode is more than a challenge but enjoyable at the same time. You will need to be on your best mental fitness to solve some of these levels.

Features of Popnus Puzzle:
-80 Levels
-6 Survival Levels
-5 Classic Levels

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

Fortune Tiles Gold is a delightful match 3 or more tiles to clear Mac game with a colorful Chinese theme. The Asian nature background is a beautiful setting for your relaxing play.

Instead of swapping 2 tiles on the game board you swap tiles with one you are holding on your cursor for the one on the board. Sometimes this gets a little confusing and you have to thing twice before you make a move. Also you must make matches on the tiles with the Chinese characters written on them. After you make the match, the tiles will be blank, and when you clear all the marked tiles the level is over. The tiles in corners and hard to reach sections should be tackled first in order to complete your level. When you make matches on the marked tiles, they will be replaced with unmarked ones.

A rainbow tile will appear next to 2 of the same color if no other are no matches. A black tile will make unmarked tiles marked again. A very frustrating move to have your blank tiles marked again. A stone tile cannot be moved and must be removed in a match 3 or more tiles. A hammer will remove a stone tile and will be available every 10 moves. When you match 4 or more with 1 tile being marked, it will release magical creatures such as cranes or butterflies.

Fortune Tiles Gold is a relaxing and enjoyable match 3 game with wise and knowing proverbs for your entertainment. It becomes increasingly more challenging, and with 160 levels this play could get very difficult, but with 3 lives for each level, you’ll get to do a do over to pass the level. If it becomes too much, there is an untimed portion to play. There’s something for everyone and the game should be fun for all. As an ancient once said nothing ventured, nothing gained.

Features of Fortune Tiles Gold:
-160 Levels
-166 Proverbs
-Timed or Untimed Mode

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars