DrDavid's Profile
Stat Summary
- Average Rating:3.3
- Helpful Votes:2,837
- Reviews Submitted:246
- First Review:November 24, 2011
- Most Recent Review:July 12, 2022
- Featured reviews0
Status:
Solve whimsical puzzles, explore worlds of exquisite detail, and keep your eyes peeled for hundreds of cleverly Hidden Objects!
Overall rating
3
/
5
2 of 2 found this review helpful
A mediocre HOG with a SteamPunk connection
PostedJuly 29, 2012
DrDavid
fromRaleigh, NC
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object, Match 3
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
Snark Busters is a SteamPunk hidden object game that has a certain charm and is extremely interesting in that you play in fanciful environments both in the real world and in the backward world. Objects are ‘broken’ and must be found and assembled to be used and the entire scene is the hidden object field. No junk piles here. As far as that goes, it is a fun play but it also has puzzles. Where the hint recharges quickly in normal play, it takes forever to get to skip, and that is bad because almost all of the puzzles need to be skipped. The puzzles are awful. There is little idea given of how to play and some will not play at all. Worse, a couple are part of the action and have NO skip. You either play them or erase the game. Add the good and subtract the bad and you end up with a mediocre game. If you like SteamPunk, get the game, otherwise, you probably will regret buying it.
I recommend this game!
Embark on a fascinating adventure in a world of magic. Break the town’s evil spell to bring joy back to its citizens in this beautiful Match 3 game!
Overall rating
2
/
5
21 of 28 found this review helpful
Mediocre, dull, and boring M3
PostedJuly 18, 2012
DrDavid
fromRaleigh, NC
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object, Match 3
Fun Factor
1
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
The game begins with a flourish and gives the impression of being a lot of fun ahead. The story line is very good and the graphics are also. Unfortunately, after the initial couple of levels, the game writers decided to get tricky and add in all manner of pitfalls to ensure that no fun would be had. And that was my impression of the game. Over half way done now, I no longer enjoy playing and am trying to finish just to say that I did. Some of the levels are now taking as much as 30 minutes to finish, making this more of a job than an amusement. This is real work, not real fun. There is scoring by gems dropped and stuff to buy, but the only things to buy are upgrades to tools that I never use anyway. I believe in playing what you are dealt. So why bother paying attention to the gem count? At times the gems with clock hands get down to only one on the board and that is the one you need; boring. The play here is slow, deathly slow. There is one “madness” scramble where the background changes to one that mainly obscures the gems and scoring is increased, however since I don’t use the gems to buy anything, it makes sense to avoid getting into a “madness” scramble by not allowing the bar at the top to go all the way to the right. I have 8 houses left to restore right now and over 1000 gems in every category. What a waste. And then there are the really stupid puzzles. Total waste of time puzzles; I hit skip without even looking at them. How weird for a M3. Overall, this game is a loser. It just isn’t worth money. There are so many really good M3 games out there that this one just can’t live up to; spend your money elsewhere and get a better, more fun, game.
I don't recommend this game.
Help gnomes to return the magic crystal and rebuild their underworld kingdom.
Overall rating
5
/
5
6 of 7 found this review helpful
An addictive and fun way to kill time - a hoot to play
PostedJuly 16, 2012
DrDavid
fromRaleigh, NC
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object, Match 3
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
OK. The game is way too easy and, yes, childish, but who cares because it is a hoot to play ! I loved Kingdom Chronicles but after the first couple of levels I never hit expert again. In this game I got three stars on every level. I’d play a while and leave and then come back later. The game is quite good about being able to be played in short intervals. The graphics are pretty good and the action is quite smooth. All in all, I thought this was a real hit.
I recommend this game!
Ariel's twin sister, Belle, has been kidnapped and it's up to you to assist in her rescue!
Overall rating
3
/
5
6 of 7 found this review helpful
A nice HOG with M3 portions
PostedJuly 14, 2012
DrDavid
fromRaleigh, NC
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object, Match 3
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
I must say that I love having the M3 available on every HOS. I enjoyed finding what I could quickly find and then switching to M3 for the last two or three or four items. After every HOS it tells you the time you took and awards you coins for the “store”. I wanted to keep my times as low as possible and always get 3 coins. Done. Based on this, I would give the game a 5 rating. I say that even though the “store” sells nothing of value and nothing related to solving the game. I enjoyed the HOS play as much as possible.
Game play was difficult to predict, however. There is an integrated guide in the rear of the diary that you will need to wear out. Very little in this game flows from here to there as you backtrack constantly. That was annoying enough to lower my rating to a 4.
The mini-puzzles, those which would work, were either fun or as stupid as a box of rocks. I can’t believe they even put them in this game. Dumb. They were so stupid that I was forced to acknowledge it by lowering the rating to a 3. I still recommend the game, but just for the HOS/M3 portions.
Game play was difficult to predict, however. There is an integrated guide in the rear of the diary that you will need to wear out. Very little in this game flows from here to there as you backtrack constantly. That was annoying enough to lower my rating to a 4.
The mini-puzzles, those which would work, were either fun or as stupid as a box of rocks. I can’t believe they even put them in this game. Dumb. They were so stupid that I was forced to acknowledge it by lowering the rating to a 3. I still recommend the game, but just for the HOS/M3 portions.
I recommend this game!
Follow a romantic story, explore barbarian lands, win recognition, and achieve success in Roads of Rome, a fun Time Management game!
Overall rating
1
/
5
5 of 10 found this review helpful
Not worth buying
PostedJuly 7, 2012
DrDavid
fromRaleigh, NC
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object, Match 3
Fun Factor
1
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
2
/
5
Having just loved Kingdom Chronicles, I thought I’d try another Time Management genre. I played the whole free hour and was stuck on level 7. The game does not allow you to assign a task until a worker is free and that causes delays. Then there are disasters and of course waiting for critical supplies at the onset. Not worth playing. I erased the game and am looking for something relaxing, which this was not.
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
4
/
5
Pretty good HOG
PostedJuly 7, 2012
DrDavid
fromRaleigh, NC
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object, Match 3
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
This was a pretty good HOG with junk pile HOS and lots of back tracking, but well drawn with good cut scenes and an interesting plot. Actually it is a good against evil with the detective trying to figure out whether the child or the parents are the evil ones. The puzzles range from the good to the obvious skips. At least one puzzle would not do anything and two were inscrutable unless you used the guide. Speaking of the guide, I could not have finished without it. The game continuity was lacking in several places with jumps that defied any logic. You just have to cheat to know what is next. Some of the next items were absolutely without any semblance of logic or reason. That said, the lack of continuity prevents it from getting a 5 but it seems too good for a 4. I guess it is somewhere around a 4.5 give or take. Given the junk piles and back tracking, let’s go with a 4. Certainly it is worth playing and it likely will be fun for most people.
I recommend this game!
Rescue the princess, defeat the villain and save your homeland!
Overall rating
5
/
5
2 of 2 found this review helpful
Wow what fun
PostedJuly 6, 2012
DrDavid
fromRaleigh, NC
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object, Match 3
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
I don’t play time management games. I never have found one I liked. Then I read the reviews for this game from what I thought was the HOG genre. I played 20 minutes of the game and realized that it was NOT a HOG but a time management game; and I bought it. Now I have finished it and I loved it. No I did not excel at it and no I did not finish many of the last half of the stages in time for a medal. So what? The game was a hoot. I guess the advice I can give is “Try it, you might like it”. I did.
I recommend this game!
You, as Jennifer, have to solve a perplexing mystery and save her only daughter in Silent Scream: The Dancer!
Overall rating
2
/
5
2 of 3 found this review helpful
A boring and dull game
PostedJuly 6, 2012
DrDavid
fromRaleigh, NC
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object, Match 3
Fun Factor
1
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
1
/
5
Level of Challenge
2
/
5
Storyline
2
/
5
This game could be categorized as having:
• Lots of backtracking
• Junk pile HOS
• Characters you won’t care about
• Horrible graphics – even bad as cartoons
• Boring cut scenes
• Bad voice overs
• HOS where the scene is too dark to see anything
• No story
• No continuity or flow to the game
• The worst puzzles I can remember, just stupid
The longer the game went on, the less I cared about the characters or the plot and the more I wanted to finish the game just to be done with it. Oh happy day, I finally made it through, bored as I could be. What a waste of time. How could something this bad ever be released? Have the designers no imagination? It could be worse, it just was boring and dull. Nothing scored well with me.
• Lots of backtracking
• Junk pile HOS
• Characters you won’t care about
• Horrible graphics – even bad as cartoons
• Boring cut scenes
• Bad voice overs
• HOS where the scene is too dark to see anything
• No story
• No continuity or flow to the game
• The worst puzzles I can remember, just stupid
The longer the game went on, the less I cared about the characters or the plot and the more I wanted to finish the game just to be done with it. Oh happy day, I finally made it through, bored as I could be. What a waste of time. How could something this bad ever be released? Have the designers no imagination? It could be worse, it just was boring and dull. Nothing scored well with me.
I don't recommend this game.
Drag your mouse across chains of identical items in this captivating blend of Match 3 gameplay and city-building fun!
Overall rating
2
/
5
29 of 35 found this review helpful
An M3 of luck and not skill
PostedJune 23, 2012
DrDavid
fromRaleigh, NC
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object, Match 3
Fun Factor
1
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
2
/
5
Storyline
1
/
5
After playing a bit of the demo I saw that if you bought the game the timer would go away. They lied. The timer is a permanent feature and an extremely annoying one. As a timed game, I could rate it no higher than a 3. The higher levels can just barely be finished in 6 minutes on normal mode and there is no possibility that this game is relaxing. Limiting my playing time, I finished it in just over a week. Limiting playing time is necessary if you want to be able to sleep at nights. If you fail at a level, which is certain because the game will make sure you do, just replay a few times until the game gives you what you need. Skill is a minor element here and luck, plain luck, is well over 50% of the M3 games. The game will determine whether you win or lose and skill has no place. The puzzles are not timed, however, and are the game’s best feature. One, 7 -11, I think, was really tough, and I had to get a hint from the forum. The puzzles are simply skill and problem solving. The art is cartoonish but the animation is fascinating. You build a silly little city and it has characters which walk around in it the whole time. The city building is not interesting, but the animation certainly is. As an untimed game this could have been really great, but as a timed game where luck is king, it falls flat. I can’t recommend it.
I don't recommend this game.
Help Adda and Ciro solve a mystery and restore a garden to its former beauty in Hello Venice, an amazing Match 3 game!
Overall rating
1
/
5
9 of 10 found this review helpful
Ill-conceived and poorly executed
PostedJune 18, 2012
DrDavid
fromRaleigh, NC
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object, Match 3
Fun Factor
1
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
1
/
5
Level of Challenge
1
/
5
Storyline
1
/
5
I played about 20 minutes of demo and saw where the game claimed that when you bought it, you could get rid of the time clock that rushed everything and made the game so terrible. I bought it. Wrong. It still has a timer set to a time too short to enjoy. Everything is rush, rush. I hate that. I got as far as level 5, just where I was when I bought it, and gave up. Far from being relaxing and enjoyable, it left me jittery. Terrible game. Horrible game. The game has absolutely no redeeming qualities. Everything about this game is a huge negative. This is the worst game I have ever tried. The solitary good thing is that it was free. It cost me nothing and was worth exactly that; nothing !
I don't recommend this game.