lmcpoodles's Profile
Stat Summary
- Average Rating:3.9
- Helpful Votes:146
- Reviews Submitted:15
- First Review:February 3, 2012
- Most Recent Review:November 17, 2013
- Featured reviews0
Halloween puzzles await you in Holiday Jigsaw: Halloween!
Overall rating
1
/
5
6 of 6 found this review helpful
BEWARE
PostedNovember 17, 2013
lmcpoodles
fromEastern Massachusetts
Favorite Genre(s):Word, Hidden Object, Match 3, Puzzle
Fun Factor
1
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
2
/
5
Level of Challenge
1
/
5
Storyline
1
/
5
OK, count me the fool, I didn't do a Try before buy.
But I have Puzzles Galore, so I figured if I didn't like the way it played, I would just import the pics into that and play it there. WRONG. I can't find the pics anywhere, and the game, although the music is nice, the visuals, well, just try changing the piece counts to 200-300 and they are ridiculous big blocks with tiny little bumps on them. I am heartbroken, because the pictures are wondertul!!! and I would have been completely satisfied with the purchase as long as I could have had access to the pictures.
But I have Puzzles Galore, so I figured if I didn't like the way it played, I would just import the pics into that and play it there. WRONG. I can't find the pics anywhere, and the game, although the music is nice, the visuals, well, just try changing the piece counts to 200-300 and they are ridiculous big blocks with tiny little bumps on them. I am heartbroken, because the pictures are wondertul!!! and I would have been completely satisfied with the purchase as long as I could have had access to the pictures.
I don't recommend this game.
Put together the beautiful jigsaws included, or make your own new puzzles from photos or screen captures in Jigsaws Galore!
Overall rating
4
/
5
10 of 11 found this review helpful
Perfect minus 1
PostedSeptember 14, 2013
lmcpoodles
fromEastern Massachusetts
Favorite Genre(s):Word, Adventure, Hidden Object, Match 3, Puzzle
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
I adore this game. All the joys of picture puzzles but you don't have to dedicate forever a table in your house.
I usually have 3 or 4 open at the same time, it eases the strain on your eyes. It has all the features you could want, pick from several 'shape types', the number of pieces, the size of the pieces the percentage of 'odd' pieces. There are virtual trays where you can collect a working set, by color or edges or types. If you a 'cheater', you can let the machine sort, you can rearrange pieces to the edge or in a grid, there is a 'ghost' image AND you can remove it or select how bold or dim it is. Yes you can use your own pictures, but I probably never will, because, after all, when I've played them all, I can go back and play the same ones with different shaped pieces or a different number of pieces, etc.
Cheats: There is cheat where you can find the match for a piece. The only cheat I've ever used, because my eyes are not the greatest is the one that puts all the pieces right side up and if the picture is very 'busy' #like small leaves# I sometimes use that after I've placed all the ones I can see.
SO, you ask, what it the 'minus one'? Sometimes certain pieces are slightly distorted?? You look at a piece, you notice the length of the neck, the shape of the point, it's close, but you're sure it will not fit what looks like an almost match... and it FITS, or the reverse. Don't get me wrong, this is not the usual 'I'm sure this piece does or doesn't go there... I'm really talking too different. Perhaps they are all like that#I haven't played the other puzzle games I own, long enough to know_. Perhaps it it a function of being on a screen, pixels, etc., but it's definitely often.BUT it's not so awful that I'd stop playing!! I've just gotten used to 'try it anyway' if it's close.
I HUGELY RECOMMEND THIS GAME. ALL SKILL LEVELS, ALL AGES
I usually have 3 or 4 open at the same time, it eases the strain on your eyes. It has all the features you could want, pick from several 'shape types', the number of pieces, the size of the pieces the percentage of 'odd' pieces. There are virtual trays where you can collect a working set, by color or edges or types. If you a 'cheater', you can let the machine sort, you can rearrange pieces to the edge or in a grid, there is a 'ghost' image AND you can remove it or select how bold or dim it is. Yes you can use your own pictures, but I probably never will, because, after all, when I've played them all, I can go back and play the same ones with different shaped pieces or a different number of pieces, etc.
Cheats: There is cheat where you can find the match for a piece. The only cheat I've ever used, because my eyes are not the greatest is the one that puts all the pieces right side up and if the picture is very 'busy' #like small leaves# I sometimes use that after I've placed all the ones I can see.
SO, you ask, what it the 'minus one'? Sometimes certain pieces are slightly distorted?? You look at a piece, you notice the length of the neck, the shape of the point, it's close, but you're sure it will not fit what looks like an almost match... and it FITS, or the reverse. Don't get me wrong, this is not the usual 'I'm sure this piece does or doesn't go there... I'm really talking too different. Perhaps they are all like that#I haven't played the other puzzle games I own, long enough to know_. Perhaps it it a function of being on a screen, pixels, etc., but it's definitely often.BUT it's not so awful that I'd stop playing!! I've just gotten used to 'try it anyway' if it's close.
I HUGELY RECOMMEND THIS GAME. ALL SKILL LEVELS, ALL AGES
I recommend this game!
Dr. Sigmund Fraud has been released from the asylum, and is up to his old tricks. Help Detective Ravenwood track him down!
Overall rating
4
/
5
2 of 2 found this review helpful
Definitely INTENSE
PostedNovember 10, 2012
lmcpoodles
fromEastern Massachusetts
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Word, Adventure, Hidden Object, Match 3, Puzzle
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
First, there is a bug- on every slide puzzle or traditional picture puzzle, when I completed it, the program froze. BUT the games is so good that I put up with working around that.
Before doing the puzzle, I would close so that progress was saved, then I'd enjoy completing the puzzle, use Task Manager to kill the game, reopen it, then just fiddle at putting the puzzel together again until the Skip was active, then hit skip and the game moved on just fine. Sounds like a lotof trouble - but it is worth it. This is freakier than the first RedRum. I love it's diversity! I has truly frightening pictures and concepts. I'm not talking about something jumping out at you, I'm talking sick, creepy... twisted pics but the payoff is just as big... You get to release tortured souls and it is done very satisfyingly. There is a lot of back and forth but there is a pattern to it. If you use the hint and the map, you really shouldn't need a walkthough at all, but I admit that once I did have to go to every single room and scene. It's well balanced, perhaps a little light on HOS. If you don't like doing picture puzzles, then you might not like this because pretty much each soul has one. I happen to love them.
Before doing the puzzle, I would close so that progress was saved, then I'd enjoy completing the puzzle, use Task Manager to kill the game, reopen it, then just fiddle at putting the puzzel together again until the Skip was active, then hit skip and the game moved on just fine. Sounds like a lotof trouble - but it is worth it. This is freakier than the first RedRum. I love it's diversity! I has truly frightening pictures and concepts. I'm not talking about something jumping out at you, I'm talking sick, creepy... twisted pics but the payoff is just as big... You get to release tortured souls and it is done very satisfyingly. There is a lot of back and forth but there is a pattern to it. If you use the hint and the map, you really shouldn't need a walkthough at all, but I admit that once I did have to go to every single room and scene. It's well balanced, perhaps a little light on HOS. If you don't like doing picture puzzles, then you might not like this because pretty much each soul has one. I happen to love them.
I recommend this game!
Embark on an exciting journey and plunge into the myths of Ancient Greece with Odysseus, the legendary hero of the Trojan War!
Overall rating
3
/
5
6 of 7 found this review helpful
Beware - after a year or more there's still no walkthrough
PostedOctober 7, 2012
lmcpoodles
fromEastern Massachusetts
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Word, Adventure, Hidden Object, Match 3, Puzzle, Mahjong
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
This is based only on the trial, since I DO NOT buy games without walkthroughs. Yes, I've been known to play a game or two without a walkthrough, but I've also bought 2 games that didn't have walkthroughs, one I had to tuck away until there was one. The other, after much waiting, I deleted. My $ is too tight to BET that I can play a game without one. Too bad, because I really enjoyed the trial hour. A little 'low tech', but it moves along and the tasks make sense. If you think I'm the only one who wants one. Search for the walkthrough and read some of the rants from folk who like the game but need the walkthrough. Then ask yourself... Do I feel lucky? Well, do I?
I don't recommend this game.
Travel to Red Lake Falls to track down the latest Dark Dimension!
Overall rating
3
/
5
2 of 2 found this review helpful
So Disappointed
PostedAugust 15, 2012
lmcpoodles
fromEastern Massachusetts
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Word, Adventure, Hidden Object, Match 3
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
Dark Dimensions: City of Fog was one of my favorites, so when this came out, I did what I rarely do: I bought it without trying the demo first AND I bought the Collectors Ed. I'm not quite all the way through it and I'm tempted to just quit. The mini-games were different but some were not challenging and others were just too tedious to bother doing. The HOS were interesting with several interactive elements in most, but there were an awful lot of them. Someone said the voice overs were good?? They were awful, totally out of synch with the visuals and wayyy too slow. I don't mind a lot of back and forth and walking around, but after a while, you just got the feeling that it was all in there just to make the game longer. The graphics were great but the story just wasn't grabbing me the way City of Fog did and I never felt any attachment to any of the characters. I waited anxiously for this and it's a real let-down. I've never not finished a game before, but I'm considering leaving them all waxed.
I don't recommend this game.
Save the besieged alpine village of Martlet and rescue its residents from the mysterious living statues in this exciting Hidden Object Adventure game!
Overall rating
5
/
5
9 of 11 found this review helpful
Loved it! You're not alone- you have side-kicks!!
PostedAugust 6, 2012
lmcpoodles
fromEastern Massachusetts
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Word, Adventure, Hidden Object, Match 3
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
I love a game that gets me so involved that I talk to the characters/creatures and this is one. Lovely music, wonderful voices. Your human sidekick could speak a little more but he's so helpful, I almost didn't need a walkthrough at all... Some might think he 'tells' a little too much. He doesn't actually speak, you read that part, but he does tell the storyline periodically throughout the game... wonderful voice. Then!! another thing I love that not many games have, other creatures that help you do things, break through walls, bring you things you can't reach and they don't leave you right away, you get to use them on bunches of things... All kinds of interactive items, loads of motion Gnomes shoveling for you and on and on. I've never seen it done better, and while it's not quite as pretty as Awakening:Goblin Kingdom, it's just as entertaining and engaging.
Mini-games are probably my one complaint - some were either just too hard, or in one or two cases, so obscure that I just didn't Care about solving them, but there's a skip and you don't have to wait too long for it. Clicking is accurate but not too picky. OH, there's a clickable Map. I don't normally like these, but this thing is so big and spread out and does do lots of going back and forth as you find things you need that it makes perfect sense to have it and in fact, you could get bored wandering around lost if you didn't have it. I found it nice and long, but then, I take time to talk to my rooster and tell him how clever or brave he is. I HIGHLY recommend this game, especially if you liked the Awakening series. My big problem now is to decide what to play next and try not to be disappointed when it isn't this good. Can't wait for another!
Mini-games are probably my one complaint - some were either just too hard, or in one or two cases, so obscure that I just didn't Care about solving them, but there's a skip and you don't have to wait too long for it. Clicking is accurate but not too picky. OH, there's a clickable Map. I don't normally like these, but this thing is so big and spread out and does do lots of going back and forth as you find things you need that it makes perfect sense to have it and in fact, you could get bored wandering around lost if you didn't have it. I found it nice and long, but then, I take time to talk to my rooster and tell him how clever or brave he is. I HIGHLY recommend this game, especially if you liked the Awakening series. My big problem now is to decide what to play next and try not to be disappointed when it isn't this good. Can't wait for another!
I recommend this game!
Escape an underground vault of clockwork wonders with the help of its mysterious and eccentric inventor in Fantastic Creations: House of Brass!
Overall rating
5
/
5
relaxed play - loads of fun - satifying ending this has it all!
PostedJuly 9, 2012
lmcpoodles
fromEastern Massachusetts
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Word, Adventure, Hidden Object, Match 3
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
-Music was pleasant and suitable, but I've heard better.
-Voice overs very good but comments, not dialog
-Quite a bit of walking around(there are no maps# which I like - because maps that let you jump from place to place don't exercise the brain as much AND you don't get to appreciate the graphics as much and this game's graphics were Interesting.
-Storyline: concept was EXCELLENT and Well Executed
-- loved the zoo!! very cute and clever mini-game.
-not very diverse mini-games, but happened to be some of my favorites and very appropriate to story#circuitry, etc.# I found myself many times congratulating the designers/programmers on this or that. #drive the dogs crazy when I talk to the computer, poor things)
-Graphics - all the brass and mechanical aspects were very crisp and clever - added much pleasure to the playing.
-most solutions made sense - I hate when you have a hammer and they say you have to break something, but the hammer won't do it, you have to find a rock or some such!!
In this game an ax was for chopping, etc.
- Overall, a relaxing, somewhat easy level of play, but I still had to use a walkthrough in a couple of places. Beginners and Intermediates should get hours of fun out of this.
-OH- BIGGEST POINT---HOS were not lists, but collecting types of things, like 12 transparent items or 12 containers, etc. A nice change from the usual. Very nice, would definitely buy more from these folk.
-Voice overs very good but comments, not dialog
-Quite a bit of walking around(there are no maps# which I like - because maps that let you jump from place to place don't exercise the brain as much AND you don't get to appreciate the graphics as much and this game's graphics were Interesting.
-Storyline: concept was EXCELLENT and Well Executed
-- loved the zoo!! very cute and clever mini-game.
-not very diverse mini-games, but happened to be some of my favorites and very appropriate to story#circuitry, etc.# I found myself many times congratulating the designers/programmers on this or that. #drive the dogs crazy when I talk to the computer, poor things)
-Graphics - all the brass and mechanical aspects were very crisp and clever - added much pleasure to the playing.
-most solutions made sense - I hate when you have a hammer and they say you have to break something, but the hammer won't do it, you have to find a rock or some such!!
In this game an ax was for chopping, etc.
- Overall, a relaxing, somewhat easy level of play, but I still had to use a walkthrough in a couple of places. Beginners and Intermediates should get hours of fun out of this.
-OH- BIGGEST POINT---HOS were not lists, but collecting types of things, like 12 transparent items or 12 containers, etc. A nice change from the usual. Very nice, would definitely buy more from these folk.
I recommend this game!
Reunite the Dragon and Pheonix Kingdoms to stop the evil witch!
Overall rating
5
/
5
86 of 106 found this review helpful
Blew me away
PostedMay 17, 2012
lmcpoodles
fromEastern Massachusetts
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Word, Adventure, Hidden Object, Match 3
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
Where to start... great sound & music. Gorgeous graphics.
More puzzles than HOS but the quality of the HOS was great. Items are hard to find but not hard to see and not so hard that you have to rely on lots of hints. Enough things to do in scenes(I hate when there's just one thing to do in a scene.# Story line is traditional but the quality of the voices adds greatly to it. I did have to use a walkthrough in a few places but most of the time, it was appropriately challenging without being discouraging.
Details, details, details! Wonderful. Even non-important creatures respond to clicking. Instead of the snail door just opening when you solve the puzzle, the snail oozes from its shell and glides away. There is some humor #i.e. the solution to the smoke in the kitchen). Many, many puzzles and again the graphics in these are great and each is a little different. Several of types I've never seen before. LOVED the double sided puzzle, pretty much loved them all, even the ones that I eventually had to skip. There is a lot of walking around and I know people complain sometimes about that, but there is a sense of purpose and accomplishment when you remember where you saw something and going back through the scenes you get to appreciate the visuals besides, I don't want to race through a game snatching up things just to get to the end. I want the adventure of figuring things out and appreciating the trip. and did I mention the graphics. :-)
And it has a satisfying ending with enough whoop-tee-do to make you feel like you accomplished something. All in all a wonderful experience.
This has moved into my 'favorites, worth replaying some day' folder, and I'm impatient to see what ERS does next!
More puzzles than HOS but the quality of the HOS was great. Items are hard to find but not hard to see and not so hard that you have to rely on lots of hints. Enough things to do in scenes(I hate when there's just one thing to do in a scene.# Story line is traditional but the quality of the voices adds greatly to it. I did have to use a walkthrough in a few places but most of the time, it was appropriately challenging without being discouraging.
Details, details, details! Wonderful. Even non-important creatures respond to clicking. Instead of the snail door just opening when you solve the puzzle, the snail oozes from its shell and glides away. There is some humor #i.e. the solution to the smoke in the kitchen). Many, many puzzles and again the graphics in these are great and each is a little different. Several of types I've never seen before. LOVED the double sided puzzle, pretty much loved them all, even the ones that I eventually had to skip. There is a lot of walking around and I know people complain sometimes about that, but there is a sense of purpose and accomplishment when you remember where you saw something and going back through the scenes you get to appreciate the visuals besides, I don't want to race through a game snatching up things just to get to the end. I want the adventure of figuring things out and appreciating the trip. and did I mention the graphics. :-)
And it has a satisfying ending with enough whoop-tee-do to make you feel like you accomplished something. All in all a wonderful experience.
This has moved into my 'favorites, worth replaying some day' folder, and I'm impatient to see what ERS does next!
I recommend this game!
Famed writer Nathaniel Hawthorne has died during a freak storm, and his spirit comes to you for help!
Overall rating
1
/
5
10 of 12 found this review helpful
10 minutes in the cemetary and I needed new eyes
PostedMay 7, 2012
lmcpoodles
fromEastern Massachusetts
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object
Fun Factor
1
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
1
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
I'm sorry folks, but, the hidden objects in the cemetary were nigh to invisible. That to me is not any kind of fun, and having read a bunch of reviews, I was going to just buy it instead ot loading the trial first! Lesson learned. One man's meat is another man's poison... Too bad, because the scenery graphics looked exceptionally well done.
A mysterious fortune teller has foreseen her demise at midnight this very day. Can you find the soul who seeks to kill Madame Fate? You be the detective.
Overall rating
5
/
5
1 of 2 found this review helpful
Only HOS I've played multiple times
PostedMay 7, 2012
lmcpoodles
fromEastern Massachusetts
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Match 3
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
Lots and lots of scenes, HOS are divided up pretty evenly between find items on the list and 'find 12 of these' types. Mini puzzles, fabulous! Clever, sometimes difficult. Items on the screen that aren't part of solving still have actions so that figuring out how to solve the puzzle is part of the puzzle! I've played this game all the way to the end 4 times. Morphing objects, interactive items in HO scenes. Voice of Madame Fate is delightful. For those who live for story lines and voice overs, this may not be the game BUT there's lots going on in this game ... about mini-games, some require thought, some quick reflexes. HO scene graphics are very crisp and clear and interactive items are sometimes not just fun, but funny. Long playing. My ONLY complaint is that I have never been able to solve the last puzzle. This is partially because, every time through, instead of skipping the puzzles, to rack up clock time for the last game, I enjoy playing them too much and since some require hand-to-eye speed, even when you know 'what' is required, sometimes it takes a bit ot fime. Some will complain that the minis don't have an explanation of what is required, but I found that part of the challenge and when you finally catch on, it's a big... 'OH, wow that's clever', or cool... There's no adventure part of going around and collecting things and using them in other scenes, but honestly, the HOs with morphing AND putting things together... well, they're just so clever I don't miss the 'adventure' elements. I've played, I think all, of the Mystery Case Files games and without a doubt, Madame Fate is the best. I laughed and/or groaned (at my stupidity and sometimes at their humor. This was I think the last of their 'old style' HOGs. I think the next was Dire Grove which is more of the new style, but if they could get the twisted programmers to do a new style but with the cleverness and twisted sense of humor of Madame Fate... Now THAT program would be one to end all games.
I recommend this game!