Faded Reality Review
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: 
Escape From Paradise 2 Review
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: 
G2: Geeks Unleashed Review
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:
Pop-A-Tronics Review
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:
Jewel Quest II Review
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:
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