Posts Tagged ‘mini games’

Hidden Mysteries – The Fateful Voyage Review

Adventure, Hidden Object/I Spy, Puzzle, Seek and Find | Posted by Meg
Jul 13 2010


April 10, 1912, Margaret is getting ready to board the RMS Titanic when many mishaps occur in Mac hidden object game Hidden Mysteries-The Fateful Voyage. Margie just got married to a well to do gentleman in order to escape her life of retched poverty. Her mother pleads with her to not go on the boat trip because nothing good will come of it. Is this an enlightened omen from a wise, old woman or a ranting of a bitter poor hag?

The answers await you in this classic tale about someone who enjoyed the luxuries of this great ship. You play, as Margie, beginning with finding her boarding pass. Some search and find angles must be used to negotiate a deal with a young imp who may or may not have the pass. His passion for collectible sports card attached to cigarettes gives her leeway to get her ticket back in her possession. You must find a way to get into a wooden crate full of cigarettes, and then find 10 cards to give to the boy. The sparkling lights will zoom you into a hidden objects game or other puzzles to investigate. Once on board you will travel hidden holds where she encounters a strange builder of the ship. In order for Margie to stay on board, she must keep his secrets or get thrown off the ship with him. There are many tasks to complete before the action begins on board. In addition there is a side mystery of a sarcophagus in the cargo. Interact with different passengers and workers to advance your play. Learn their secrets from the many puzzles. The games run from logic to seek and find.

The artwork is beautifully executed in this ornate time period piece. The luxurious staterooms are a stark reminder that the upper crust always travels in comfort, and the severe, bare bones look of a sleek ocean liner offers an insight into the architectural crispness of the ship’s inner and outer workings. The music is pleasant and appropriate to the era. There are a lot of puzzles to do, but some are a little strange like moving the bird to the nest and putting a hard boil egg in the nest until you get access to another area.

Hidden Mysteries-The Fateful Voyage is an intriguing hidden object play, and you want to keep going to find out what happens even though you already know the outcome of the ship and its passengers. Take some time and travel across the ocean on the RMS Titanic for an interesting tale involving some mysterious guests, both paid passengers and a stowaway.

Features of Hidden Mysteries-The Fateful Voyage:
-20 Levels
-Over 20 Mini Puzzles
-Intriguing Tale

Rating: ★★★★☆

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Hidden Wonders of the Depths 2 Review

Mah Jong, Match, Sim | Posted by Zeke
Jun 22 2010


Hidden Wonders of the Depths 2 is the little improved sequel to the first Mac game. If you played the first version, you know what you are in for in the second game. It’s a little more interesting to play, a little better color with similar artwork and exactly the same music.

This time the mermaid wants the crab to build her a ship. The main game is the match 3 or more similar items to destroy the glass tiles and traverse the crab or crabs (he has a friend) to the treasure chests. The play is to swap positions of objects to make 3 in a row either vertically or horizontally. A few of the match plays involve grouping 3 or more objects and click once on the batch of similar items to destroy. You can choose to play either Relaxed or Standard mode depending on how motivated you are. The match games are not that difficult and would be good for kids to play. The crabs will go into their funny dance or give you a raspberry when you take too long to match.

There are a lot of mini games but it does get a little repetitive when you play the memory game a half a dozen times. The hidden object is not a challenge at all. The only thing I could say about it is that the scene is very pretty. You may skip these games when the skip buttons fills up. Other side games include mahjong and sliding picture puzzles. These mini games helped break up the match 3 plays. Even though I like match games, sometimes it gets boring. Building the ship for the mermaid is another diversion from the main game.

Okay, this is my take on this sequel Hidden Wonders of the Depths 2: this game is so similar to the first that you really don’t need to play it. If you liked it, knock yourself out, but like the first, the play is simple and not very challenging. If you want a relaxing game, this is the one. If you didn’t play the first game, play the second., and lastly, if you are a kid, it’s fun and cute. That’s it. I give it a 3 out of 5.

Features of Hidden Wonders of the Depths 2:
-Underwater Match plays
-Lots of Mini Puzzles
-Build a Ship for the Mermaid

Rating: ★★★☆☆

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Jane’s Zoo

Sim | Posted by Meg
Apr 26 2010


Deforestation due to industrialization displaces wild animals. Even a 5th grader can figure out this is not a good thing. The animals need help from humans to survive the ever changing landscape of their natural habitat. In Mac sim time management game Jane’s Zoo, the theme is to help protect the precious fauna. A great theme to advocate in these times of upheaval is being played out in this multi-tasking game.

You are Jane helping the world save all the displaced animals. You begin in Europe with a few animals. As the levels increase, you earn more animals from other zoos. Each animal will let you know what they want and need in the bubble above their heads. The basic needs are at the bottom in 2 files: food and tools. If you click on the foods tab, the different types of food and drinks for the variety of animals in your zoo will be revealed. If a tool is what you need to do your job, you click on the tool tab to utilize the broom to clean or hammer to fix the houses.

The other important statistics are also at the bottom of the screen. Your score, goal and the time are there at easy glance. These stats are few and simple to take a quick glance in order to determine your strategy and speed. When you earn more animals, you must prioritize your duties as quickly as possible. If the lion has a crown over his head, he must be served first before the others. He, after all, is considered the king of the jungle, right? Also if you serve the animals quickly, you’ll get a speed bonus.

Each day will start out with the animals in their houses. You will be notified when they want to exit. You click on the house and drag the animal out. It will take a while before each creature decides what he/she wants. The elephant will take longer than the others. If the monkey has a banana over his head, you click on the food tab, click on the banana and drag it to the monkey. If the skunk has a broom, you click on the tool tab, click on the broom and drag it to the skunk. It will take a few moments to clean up the pen. Other needs may be a bath, gym or the infirmary. If the zebra needs a bath, there will be a water drop over his head, you click on the zebra, drag him to the bathhouse, use 3 clicks where the dirt appears to clean and return him to his home. When you take an animal out of his pen to another location, there are more actions needing your attention.

Fortunately you have an assistant who will help you out with the cleaning. There are also power ups to earn to help you earn speed and patience. Also bonus points will appear randomly in the open area so keep your eyes out for them in forms of a happy face or dollar sign and click on them as soon as you can. You get upgrades to the animals’ home and other items to improve the welfare of your creatures. To get more points, there are mini games to increase your score. You need to click on all the litter in the scene as quickly as possible.

The blocks in the game come in forms of crows who will scare your animals so you need to click on them to shoo them away. Also when it starts raining you must put all the animals back in their homes.

If all these things are not enough for you, change the normal mode to expert and see what happens. The message of protecting the wildlife is great, the artwork good and all the tasks fun to do. This game reminded me of the Mac game Farm Mania but not as hectic. Play both games and compare.

Features of Jane’s Zoo:
-Travel the World Saving Animals
-Raise Baby Animals
-Protect the Wildlife

Rating: ★★★☆☆

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Marooned Review

Adventure, Hidden Object/I Spy, Puzzle, Seek and Find | Posted by Zeke
Feb 26 2010

Marooned, a hidden object Mac game, is the first chapter of a Trilogy. You wake to find yourself with amnesia marooned on an deserted island. You must search for clues and items to find your identity and why you are on this island in the first place.

This game is your typical hidden object game with searching items in several different locations. Some of the objects will be needed to perform tasks in areas of the scene. You hover over a location and it will tell you if you need to do anything further with it. These “hotspots” will need an item from your inventory to accomplish the task and it may not be in the present scene. If it is not in your inventory or even in the present screen, you may need to search in another location for your tool.

There are many side puzzles integrated into the game to break up the hidden object play. The story is one of the main objectives you must unravel in your misty, amnesiac state, get the boat working, find 15 solar panel pieces, and find the tropical birds.

The narration carries Marooned’s story in a logical order, and the idea of an alternative source of energy is an enticing subject. The scenes are clear with great artwork, and the sound effects appropriate for the play. I found Marooned enjoyable and a pleasure to play. I am looking forward to the other chapters to see how everything unravels.

Features of Marooned:
-1st Chapter of Trilogy
-Search in 15 Landscapes
-Immersive Story

Rating: ★★★½☆

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Hidden Relics Review

Action, Adventure, Hidden Object/I Spy, Puzzle | Posted by Meg
Feb 24 2010

hidden-relics1

Adrianna, Dr. Peatrie’s best student, flying to Europe is hijacked mid-flight, and the valuable antiques she is carry for the Professor is stolen by a madman who jumps from the plane.  She is commissioned to retrieve the cargo by flying to all parts of the world.  Her first stop is Morocco. 

This is mainly a hidden object game with side puzzles and tasks related to recovering the goods.  The globe will guide Adrianna to the necessary locations, and at each scene there is a list of items to discover.  There are 5 hints if you need it, and if you need more, then you must find the magnifying glass to increase your numbers.

A different help comes from the gadget man who can provide you with sophisticated equipment to assist you in your search.  However, he does not easily part with his things.  You must solve mini puzzles in order to win stars and depending on how many stars you get will determine the number of gadgets he will be willing to give up.  One of the mini puzzle is the memory game when you turn over 2 cards at a time, and if they match, will increase the number of your turns.  Also you must discover 10 of a kind in a scene.  One of his many gadgets is the magnifying goggles you can use to better view an area you may have missed an important relic.

I found this lighthearted game entertaining as well as a good story and great graphics.  I enjoyed the hidden object play, the mini puzzles and even the music and sound effects.  I can hardly wait for the next destination assigned to Adrianne and her search for the Hidden Relics.

 

Features of Hidden Relics:

-Hidden Object Fun

-40 Special Item

-9 Mini games

-Great Characters and Story

 

Rating: ★★★½☆

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