MSBAM100's Profile
Stat Summary
- Average Rating:4.7
- Helpful Votes:8,578
- Reviews Submitted:240
- First Review:January 11, 2013
- Most Recent Review:January 27, 2024
- Featured reviews0
Status:
Set out with Bella in search of her brother through the pages of well-known novels and true stories.
Overall rating
4
/
5
23 of 33 found this review helpful
Fight the Cthulhu and save the town!
PostedMay 8, 2014
MSBAM100
fromTampa, FL
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Match 3, Time Management
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
This is a good SE game, but doesn't have the bells and whistles required for a CE game. The story is pretty good, but the execution is strange.
You are Bella Smith, looking for your archeologist brother Stan who was sucked into a portal after placing an artifact on a book. When you pick up the amulet, it splits into 5 pieces and inserts itself into 5 books, the first of which is "The Call of Cthulhu", a story about some strange octopus-like monster. When you enter the book, you are whisked away to Innsmouth, Massachusetts in 1928, where you meet Professor Angel. The Professor is now a ghost, having been grabbed by Cthulhu. He promises to help you find your brother if you defeat Cthulhu for him.
So the interactive map is a bit different here. It has the main buildings of Innsmouth, but no hint as to where to go next, except new places keep appearing on the map. You also get a clue "Nothing left to do -- Click the map" that tells you to move on (in Casual mode).
The HOS are either word lists or picture lists, and the Hint Button is most useful here, as some items are hidden very well. The Mini-games are not too hard. You also keep finding coins you can use to buy your own artifacts like Cardinal Richelieu's Chess Set. This doesn't seem to have any purpose other than using up your coins. There are also achievements.
I actually had to use the Strategy Guide once or twice, because the Hint Button is not as helpful as it could be. There is also a bonus game -- solving the book "The Titanic."
I like this game despite its quirks, but do not think it is a CE!
I recommend this game!
Travel to South America to investigate a deadly cosmic force. Can you uncover the secrets of the missing research team?
Overall rating
5
/
5
43 of 55 found this review helpful
Enthralling story, HOS and mini-games!
PostedMay 3, 2014
MSBAM100
fromTampa, FL
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Match 3, Time Management
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
All I can say is WOW! This third entry into the Phenomenon series is even better than the two previous ones, and they were great! You don't need to know about the previous games, as each one stands on its own.
You are Sasha who lost your parents to a mysterious phenomenon when you were 5, the same time you found a "golden homunculus" - which is a medallion. You are all grown up and your medallion starts acting up and takes you to an island full of Cyan Plasma. You meet Daniel from a previous Phenomenon who is searching for his mother, but is now unhealthy due to the plasma. He gives you some advice, and off you go, to find and neutralize the plasma.
You still have your medallion, which keeps you safe from the plasma, but must be recharged after every use. You meet an old wisewoman - who used to be young when she had her medallion - who uses words like "curative" and "harmonium." You almost need your own dictionary here to translate! She wants you to make a potion to cure her and tells you the recipe, which is nicely recorded in your diary, should you forget.
But the BEST part of this game - and the series - are the HOS within the HOS, and the clever mini-games. When you encounter a HOS, there is an item to click to take you to a different HOS using the same basic scene. You don't get your "reward" item until you finish both. They are not too hard - a little dark on a large screen monitor, however. Didn't even use the Hint button on the HOS!
And the mini-games -- WOW! There is a picture of a stone face with many dials and levers and buttons to push. Meanwhile, you get 13 steps to follow -- you can use the hint button without skipping the mini-game. Another game requires you to assemble a stained glass window -- first with the the lead outlines, second with the glass added in.
The map is fantastic -- kind of a blueprint of the island and its structures. It shows where you can do an activity -- which I prefer using rather than the hint button. The graphics are stunning and the voiceovers realistic and gorgeous as well.
There are 35 plasma containers for you to find -- well hidden as I only found about 5 in the demo. There are 3 modes, a bonus scenario, and the normal CE bling. Gotta have it!
I recommend this game!
After searching for five years, Princess found her mother – only to have her kidnapped right before her eyes!
Overall rating
5
/
5
44 of 56 found this review helpful
Help the Princess find her mom!
PostedMay 1, 2014
MSBAM100
fromTampa, FL
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Match 3, Time Management
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
You are a detective who's been summoned by the Princess you helped 5 years ago. She's finally found her mother, but unfortunately, mom has been kidnapped by some rogue trees that seem to be everywhere in this story. Good thing you have your trusty fire knife that burns up trees and roots and things! Somehow, this is connected to Selena, a woman who foresaw her daughter was doomed to die at birth, and decided to get help from the Tree of Wishes. And then there's the evil sorcerer Rizallion, an elf who killed his brothers so he could be elf king by himself, who is also connected to the Tree of Wishes. The story is a bit complicated, I think!
Anyway, the art is beautiful. The voice-overs could be better and the lips don't move, but the kingdom and its inhabitants are great. You get a magical glove that lets you overcome magical force fields, just in time to outfit a skeleton warrior. And a magic Book of Life that lets you bring statues to life, after you find all the missing body parts and weapons.
The HOS are all lists with minor interactions. But the mini-games are quite clever, fitting in gracefully with the storyline. My favorite is the storybook one that requires you to walk the prince to the castle, visiting the tavern and the mill and finding a sword to kill the wolves on the way. And once you get to the castle, you still have to figure out how to get onto the throne. Then there is the will o' wisps challenge, that makes you align parts of a puzzle in order to tell the story of Rizallion in greater detail.
The teleporting map is a great help. The hint button is a skeleton's head that yawns when he gets bored. There are little dragons to collect, and morphing creatures, and achievements, plus 4 modes of play.
This is a clever game that makes you want to find out the rest of the story! Try it and see!
I recommend this game!
Destroy artifacts in the past to preserve the world’s future!
Overall rating
5
/
5
52 of 79 found this review helpful
More Secret Order!
PostedApril 26, 2014
MSBAM100
fromTampa, FL
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Match 3, Time Management
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
The original Secret Order is nicely summarized at the beginning of this game to establish the setting and the premise, so even if you didn't play the original, it is OK.
You are Sarah Pennington, and you and your father belong to the Order of the Griffin and you're summoned to headquarters to find your father and other members in danger, caused by ancient artifacts that come to life. You must travel back in time to 1896 to the London Griffin Museum before it is burned down by Master Blackfire. You must find King Amadan and his mysterious kingdom of Aeronheart to destroy the ancient artifacts. Got all that?
What I enjoy about this game is the theming. You feel like you are in 19th century London - even though you arrived there by the Royal Griffin time travelling ship! The voice overs are British and you travel via horse and carriage over cobblestoned streets. You have to find and charge a "time stone" in order to use the ship.
Of course you eventually meet up with your Pet Griffin, who helps you with those higher up areas. I need one of these in my house! The teleporting map is very nice, marking your activities available, in casual mode. There are three modes of play -- no custom, however.
The HOS in the demo were all lists, with the exception of a very small assembly one. You can choose to play a Mahjong game instead. The minigames were fun -- particularly one in storybook form where you have to use items within the scene to eventually advance the knight to save the princess from the dragon. I also like the card matching one -- easy, but fits the story.
There are 12 collectible golden dragons, 12 turquoise unicorns, and 12 amethyst griffins -- easy to spot because of color. There is a Bonus Chapter, a Strategy Guide - not needed if you use the map and Hint Flower Button. Also the normal CE Bling of wallpaper, art, sound, movies, and mini-games. And an achievement room with items pertinent to the game.
While it doesn't have as much to do as other CEs, I purchased and enjoyed the previous Secret Order CE, so I trust this one will be a good buy as well. Try it and see!
I recommend this game!
The city fears the return of the infamous Fire Knight – but is Rosa Ramirez really responsible?
Overall rating
4
/
5
38 of 58 found this review helpful
The Fire Knight will get you!
PostedApril 24, 2014
MSBAM100
fromTampa, FL
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Match 3, Time Management
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
This is the fourth in a good series by ERS. There are several things to like about this game, as well as a few to dislike. You are once again a detective trying to save a town from a headless knight, who was brought back to life after 3 centuries by Rosa Ramirez who stole the sword that kept him locked up. The Knight goes around randomly killing citizens and leaving skulls in their hands. Rosa's husband, Sergio, wants you to find her.
There are four modes, including custom. What is fun is watching all the sketches that the citizens draw to help explain the story to you. You can collect butterflies that convert to coins that you use to buy items for your bull -- not exactly sure how the bull fits in, however! There is a bullfight arena, but the demo ends before you get to enter the arena for the bullfight.
You also earn coins throughout the game that you use to buy items you need - a knife, medicine, a glove and more. The HOS are very cool and varied. In one case, you get a description of the item you must find. In another, you must feed the animals by matching a treat with the animal. In a third, you erase items from a storybook. Not hard, but quite fun. The mini-games are not necessarily unique -- matching keys with locks a few times.
What is not cool is that neither the HOS nor the mini-games really follow the Spanish bullfight theme, or even the Fire Knight theme. The really annoying item is the map. It shows where you have been, but not where you have an activity you should try next. And you have to scroll over the pictures and remember where you want to jump to. Most of the current games have an icon indicating on the map where you should try next. So I had to resort to the Hint Button to see where I should go, which is tedious and tracks through many scenes needlessly.
The voiceovers do not move lips, and there is another annoying issue that once you are finished talking to the character, the scene is grayed out and you must click to bring it back. It is a bit strange.
I like this game, but the lack of theming, and the useless map makes me think I will wait for the SE. Don't care enough to spend the extra $$$ to buy things for my bull!
I recommend this game!
Discover a story of mysterious kidnappings of both children and mafiosi.
Overall rating
4
/
5
14 of 18 found this review helpful
Butterflies and the subway and the mob in NYC?
PostedApril 19, 2014
MSBAM100
fromTampa, FL
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Match 3, Time Management
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
So the name of the game is secrets of the Mafia, but there's not a mob boss in sight in the demo -- they've all been "melted" by a green liquid and a butterfly is left behind. Unfortunately, a child who draws a similar butterfly also disappears at the same time.
It is 1955 in NYC, but there is no real atmosphere that suggests 1955. You are reporter Laura Jones who is summoned to the American Museum of Natural History by Lucas Bishop to write a story. It turns out Mr. Bishop is actually a member of the order of the White Stone, who needs you to assist him in researching supernatural occurrences, of which the disappearing mafia bosses is one.
The story is a bit convoluted, and the demo ends before you ever see a mob boss or a missing child. So it is hard to figure out just where the story line is going.
There are lots of cool things about this game, however, including the opening subway ride. The voiceovers are quite good -- the lips even move. You have 35 "Phantom" morphing objects to collect, plus 36 different collection objects -- 9 each of briefcases, ties, poker chips, or statues. The nice thing is, the excellent map not only shows you where you can do an activity, but it also tells you if you've collected all the items in that scene or not. Very helpful for me, as I always forget to look for the extra items!
Another nice touch is a "back button" right on the inventory -- no more random clicking to go back! The HOS are few and far between, but very nice -- silhouettes that require you to find and use items and even mini-puzzles within the HOS. The mini-games are interesting, but not very hard.
Recreating the NY subway system so it works easily is one of the highlights of the game -- you get a subway pass that you use at the station that takes you where you need to go.
This is a good game, but the connection to the mob does not occur in the demo, nor do the children or the butterflies. So I have to only give this 4 stars as the story line is not as strong or as clear as other games, and the atmosphere does not reflect the era.
I recommend this game!
Track down the wily Fox’ before he slips away into the beauty of Venice!
Overall rating
5
/
5
31 of 54 found this review helpful
Ciao Bella!
PostedApril 17, 2014
MSBAM100
fromTampa, FL
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Match 3, Time Management
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
Another creative Eipix game comes to life with the sites and scenes of Venice, Italy. I enjoyed the beta of this game and it is even better now. You are a reporter chasing La Volpe - The Fox - a thief whom you meet at the Bell Tower to find he is being framed by his ex-partner Gabrielle, who is still in the theft business. You are supposed to clear his name, by following clues that really give you a flavor of Italy, from a trip via gondola to a motorcycle ride through the city.
You are helped by a fox head hint button, an interactive map with activities marked, and a unique camera that requires different filters for different photographs. Your photo then becomes a clue to use to open a briefcase or whatever.
The HOS are so much fun -- not too hard. Each one is unique, from multi-scene silhouettes, to pictures on paper that open up mini-HOS within the scene as well. The mini-games are pretty easy so far - have not had to skip yet!
There is so much to do! You have 52 fox figurines - one in each scene, I think - with an icon on the screen to let you know if you've found the one in that scene. Also, there are 16 morphing letters, 10 travel guide pages, and 17 other morphing items as well. Your achievements are counted on screen also, so you can visit and see them.
There is the regular CE bling of soundtracks, wallpaper, screensavers, art, puzzles, HOPs, strategy guide and bonus chapter. Plus - one of my favorites - a behind the scenes video and a souvenir room you cannot see until you finish the bonus game.
Hope you will also enjoy it. Off to purchase!
I recommend this game!
You've returned from school to visit your father at his famous Jazz Pepper Club during Mardi Gras, but everyone is hypnotized. Have they heard the wrong note?
Overall rating
5
/
5
21 of 35 found this review helpful
New Orleans and Jazz!
PostedApril 12, 2014
MSBAM100
fromTampa, FL
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Match 3, Time Management
Current Favorite:
Nightmares from the Deep: Davy Jones Collector's Edition
(78)Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
We've seen a lot of great games lately, but this is one of the best! Frankie "Tupelo" Bolden, a deceased saxophone player and member of the Dixie Peppers, seems intent upon killing all current members of the Dixie Peppers, including your father, the current saxophone player. Frankie hypnotizes everyone with his saxophone solo, and three days later they die due to lack of food and water!
The New Orleans jazz is embedded in the game, and the music theme is ubiquitous. The five levels of difficulty are Novice, Artist, Virtuoso, Maestro, and Improviser, which is Custom. The Hint Button is a phonograph. The collectibles are 44 musical notes hidden in each scene, with an icon to tell you if you've found it or not in a scene -- something I
dearly need as I forget to look! There is even an Instrument restoration workshop, and some good old New Orleans voodoo. You have to find a Preservation Amulet to save your father from Frankie.
dearly need as I forget to look! There is even an Instrument restoration workshop, and some good old New Orleans voodoo. You have to find a Preservation Amulet to save your father from Frankie.
The HOPS are very unique - you find musical notes by manipulating objects, or alternately, find and use the object to light up a musical note, or find pairs of objects hidden behind other objects. Each HOS also has a morphing object as well. Your map is the streets of New Orleans that you use to direct your cab around the city. The mini-puzzles are also music related. Several tell a story about the band, and you have to find and place an object within each scene of the story.
The voice-overs are excellent and the art makes you feel like you are in New Orleans. I even left the music on, I enjoyed it so much. The normal CE bling is available, although the Strategy Guide is not needed. Try this game and see if you aren't tapping your feet, celebrating New Orleans during Mardi Gras!
I recommend this game!
Ghostly warnings in the water are terrifying a grieving family. What's causing them, and what really happened to Julia White?
Overall rating
5
/
5
15 of 29 found this review helpful
Water, water everywhere!
PostedApril 3, 2014
MSBAM100
fromTampa, FL
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Match 3, Time Management
Current Favorite:
Nightmares from the Deep: Davy Jones Collector's Edition
(78)Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
This is the fourth in the Fear for Sale series, and it is great fun! You are paranormal journalist Emma Roberts, who is summoned by Adrian White because water is pouring out of everywhere in his home. His wife Julie, a PHD researcher, was recently killed when a bomb exploded in her research boat. Right before she died, she noticed something amiss near the dam.
You arrive at the White's, turn off the water, solve the puzzle and rescue Adrian from the basement full of water. You earn a special shell that can manipulate water. It drains the basement, puts out fires, does lots of water-related things. You also find a map to help you.
The HOS are all lists, and the mini-games are not necessarily unique, except for the water theme. The voice-overs, especially daughter Katie, are great. There is a suspicious mine owner you find at Julie's lab, so I am sure he's involved in her death.
There are achievements, plus 7 collections of 6 objects each -- afternoon tea, dolls, conch shells and more. And 36 morphing objects! Plus the normal CE Bling, bonus chapter and strategy guide. These games are all interesting and fun. Try it yourself and see!
I recommend this game!
Can you defeat the mist and find your lost brother?
Overall rating
5
/
5
43 of 55 found this review helpful
Fairy and dragon and snake, oh my!
PostedMarch 29, 2014
MSBAM100
fromTampa, FL
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Match 3, Time Management
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
This is a game that seems simple on the surface, but actually gets more complex and clever the longer you play. Twenty years ago, you watched your artist brother show you how his painting came to life in the mist. And you also watched him being swallowed up by the mist. Now the mist has returned, and you team up with Dr. Victor Haig to get through the mist and rescue your brother. Which might be a bit hard, because brother Dorian has been "adopted" by the evil Countess who seems to have lost her own son as well!
First you must rescue a fairy, get her the mist she needs to survive, and she becomes your hint button. Then, you fix the collar of a small dragon who becomes your "burn buddy," providing the flames you need to bring paintings to life as well as melt things. Part of the game is to collect pieces of paintings, play a puzzle to sort them out, and then get the dragon to burn it to bring it to life to help you conquer some obstacle - like a snake!
The teleporting map, while simple, is sufficient to guide you along, and is separated into parts of the countryside you travel. There are 21 creatures to collect -- I think I found two in the demo. The HOS are lists, or interactive silhouettes -- I had to use the hint button for help with the silhouettes. The mini-games are interesting -- some as simple as assembling a crossbow, and others a bit harder such as building a butterfly pyramid with matching triangle sides.
The music and voiceovers and graphics are very good. The game has four modes, including custom. The CE bling includes wallpaper, screensavers, music, HOS, puzzles, movies, a strategy guide, and a bonus game. Try it for yourself -- it is a nice change from the death and destruction of many of the current games!
I recommend this game!