arnold1049's Profile
Stat Summary
- Average Rating:3.8
- Helpful Votes:4,545
- Reviews Submitted:555
- First Review:February 24, 2012
- Most Recent Review:December 24, 2024
- Featured reviews0
Status:
Heed the call of Poseidon and save Atlantis with mystical crystals in this innovative Match 3 game!
Overall rating
4
/
5
2 of 2 found this review helpful
TOUGH ONE
PostedJanuary 16, 2015
arnold1049
fromApache Junction, AZ
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Word, Adventure, Hidden Object, Match 3, Puzzle, Mahjong
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
This Match 3 game gets harder as you progress through the game. The Match 3 puzzles contain double frozen tiles, double locked tiles, isolated tiles, brick walls and other obstacles, with each successive game having more and more of these to overcome. The ones that gave me the most trouble were the walls at the bottom that could not be eliminated by any of the power ups.
You are traveling through 7 ancient kingdoms (Babylon, Egypt, Rome, etc.) looking for 7 crystals to restore Poseidon's altar so that he will again protect and restore Atlantis to its original perfection.
For each kingdom, you play approximately 8 Match 3 games to find the pieces necessary to put together 8 objects. An additional 4 objects are obtained by finding their pieces in a hidden object scene. Once all the items have been found, you are then in possession of one of Poseidon's crystals. Before you can activate it on the altar, it breaks into pieces and you must find all the pieces in a hidden object scene.
For the Match 3 games, you start out with 3 lives which enable you to replay the game if you run out of time before you get all the pieces of the object off the board. You can gain more lives if there is a heart on the board that you remove by moving it off the board. There are also power ups on the board that can be brought to the bottom during play to use to help you solve the game.
On the very last kingdom, I ran out of lives before I could finish the 9th Match 3 game and I had to start over at the beginning of the kingdom and replay all the Match 3 and other games. This last game was really tough and all of them towards the end required a lot of thinking and strategy.
Once all 7 crystals have been restored and Atlantis saved, the game is technically over, but you can continue to play it over and over again. That is a nice touch, but with all the time and effort it took me to finally finish, I don't think I'm up to another round.
Challenging game play that requires planning and strategy.
I recommend this game!
Explore New York City on your next Big City Adventure! The Big Apple has become home to thousands of hidden items and minigames!
Overall rating
4
/
5
6 of 6 found this review helpful
180 HIDDEN OBJECT SCENES
PostedJanuary 14, 2015
arnold1049
fromApache Junction, AZ
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Word, Adventure, Hidden Object, Puzzle, Mahjong
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
There are 90 levels to this game and for each level you play 2 hidden object scenes to advance to the next level. I played the timed mode and never had a problem running out of time.
All the Big City Adventure games have similar formats; heavy on hidden object scenes with very easy minigames interspersed throughout. There are 4 types of coins hidden in each scene that provide two types of hints plus additional points. The number of hint coins that you can carry over from scene to scene is limited. As you progress through the game you finally get to the point where you can keep a maximum of 5 hints of each type available. I was never in any danger of running out of hints, which means the hidden object scenes are not that hard.
The snippets of information about New York that are provided between each level are interesting. However, with 180 hidden object scenes, the various locations are revisited numerous times, although with different objects to find.
The game had voiceovers separate from the music and sound, but the only voiceovers occurred at the very beginning of the game and at the very end. The rest of the time you spent reading postcards.
This is an easy game to play for relaxing and when you really don't want to tax your brain or concentration powers.
I recommend this game!
Friendly and cheerful ghosts need your help in this new, breathtaking match 3 game with HOGs and puzzles.
Overall rating
4
/
5
1 of 1 found this review helpful
BUILD A GHOST TOWN
PostedJanuary 13, 2015
arnold1049
fromApache Junction, AZ
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Word, Adventure, Hidden Object, Puzzle, Mahjong
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
This is a Match 3 game with a few twists. Playing the game and some additional puzzles earns you coins with which you buy buildings and other items to create a town for ghosts to live in, 5 ghosts to be exact. I played the easy, non-timed mode.
The Match 3 games are varied and challenging, with various power-ups, frozen tiles, tiles hidden behind fog, coins hidden behind vines, and several types of bombs and rockets. There are also achievements to be earned, 3 of which are for finishing a Match 3 game quickly. I was only able to win one of those achievements based on speed.
The puzzles consisted of a hidden object type where you need to find 15 of the same object or a mahjong type puzzle. The hidden object puzzles were extremely hard as the items were faded and blended into the background. Often only a very small tip of the item actually showed. I had to use several hints or in a couple of cases I got tired of straining my eyes and just skipped them. The mahjong puzzles were much easier.
I haven't played a lot of Match 3 games, so can't really say how this one compares to other similar games but I found it enjoyable.
I recommend this game!
Allie`s on a quest to find some breaking news in Adamas, but must now choose between her friend`s well-being and true love!
Overall rating
4
/
5
4 of 4 found this review helpful
MODERN DAY FAIRYTALE
PostedJanuary 9, 2015
arnold1049
fromApache Junction, AZ
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Word, Adventure, Hidden Object, Puzzle, Mahjong
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
This game is a modern day fairytale romance, where a woman meets a prince, falls in love, overcomes obstacles (stolen diamonds, assassination attempt) and lives happily ever after as queen of the realm. However, no kissing of frogs was required. What else can you expect from the Harlequin company? I'm not a romance book fan, so I did not take advantage of the free book.
I did enjoy the game, though. There is an option of playing the game without the cut scenes for the story, making it a straight hidden object game, but that would have been kind of boring, so I played it with the storyline.
The hidden object scenes are the standard list type and not very hard, although I did use the hint button a few times. It is pretty short, so I would recommend buying it on sale or using a coupon. Nothing special, just a nice little game to entertain you for a little while.
I recommend this game!
Solve crosswords to find the hidden objects! Enjoy the sequel to one of the most successful mix of word and hidden objects game genre!
Overall rating
4
/
5
28 of 35 found this review helpful
FIND HIDDEN OBJECTS IN CREATIVE WAYS
PostedJanuary 9, 2015
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Instead of being presented with the standard junk pile/list hidden object scenes, this game requires you to solve a crossword puzzle for each scene. Each word in the crossword represents an item in the scene. Once you think you know the word, you can click on the item in the scene or if you can't find the item in the scene you can type the word in the space provided at the bottom of the crossword and it will fill in the crossword. You do not type directly in the crossword; you fill in the letters in the form below the puzzle and when it is complete it transfers to the puzzle. The object of each location is to earn 3 gold stars based on time and accuracy.
I've never been much of a crossword fan, but this game was intriguing. Finding out the word isn't the typical crossword puzzle style; there are 4 different ways to try to find the word to go into the crossword.
First, there are riddles that have the required word missing: "You can't teach an old --- new tricks.".
Another way is you are presented with 3 clues, each one having 2 alternatives which help you identify the item. Depending on which order you choose them, the clues can change and be more or less helpful.
The third way is to play a minigame which consists of scrambled letters with a word or two of hints that you must unscramble to have the word entered into the crossword,
The fourth way is to play a Match 3 game to move blank squares representing letters to the bottom and off the grid that will spell out the word.
At anytime during these 4 actions, if you have figured out what the item is, you can immediately go to the location and click on the item or type it in to add it to the crossword.
Hints are available, but the only time I used one, as near as I could figure out, it just sparkled in the general area where the object was located. If you don't know what the item is, it really wasn't much help.
What was the most help was butterflies in a bottle that, for each one you released, a letter would be filled in. Butterflies were located in some of the squares in the crossword puzzle and when you solved that word, the butterfly went into the bottle for future use.
A couple of things were a little frustrating for me. I'm not sure where this game was developed, but there was definitely a language issue as the names of some things were not familiar and made it necessary to find the word letter by letter. For instance, a meerkat was identified as a gopher. While this might be technically true, anyone who has watched TV knows a meerkat when they see one.
The other frustration was the Match 3 minigames. I'm not a great fan of these types of games in general and these in particular took a very long time to play. Several times I ran out of moves and the game refreshed itself so I could continue to play. It was nice that I could stop playing once I had enough letters to solve the word, but if it was one of those items that didn't fit my language expectations, I was left with the tedious work of getting one letter at a time.
There are a total of 43 locations; that's a lot of HOS. If you don't get 3 gold stars the first time around, you can replay the scene until you do. In my case, it wasn't a matter of not winning all 3 gold stars, but losing one during play by making too many mistakes clicking on the wrong items. This was the only penalty I could find built into the game. The replay has many of the same words but some are different, which was nice. However, this winning gold stars the second time around does not help your final score. So with the replays, this game is very long.
I think a nice touch would be having a bonus play that allows you to go back to all the scenes and play them as a regular junk pile/list hidden object game. Maybe as a CE?
This game has so much going on that you are busy and completely immersed; time goes by without you realizing it. It is not a kids game by any means and was challenging, although I never ran out of butterflies. I really enjoyed it and would like to see more in a similar vein.
Overcome the mysteries of the Millionaire Manor and stop the macabre machinations of a madman in The Hidden Object Show 3!
Overall rating
2
/
5
1 of 2 found this review helpful
TOTALLY OPPOSITE OF THE OTHER TWO; TOO BAD
PostedJanuary 5, 2015
arnold1049
fromApache Junction, AZ
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Word, Adventure, Hidden Object, Puzzle, Mahjong
Fun Factor
2
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
1
/
5
I was disappointed in this game, as I enjoyed the other two games and thought they were challenging. This game took the fun-loving MC and turned him into an evil character along the lines of all the other dark games out there today. Definitely not the direction these games should have taken.
The format of the game was similar to the others, except this time you are playing against the MC in order to release prisoners he has captured and caged. There are numerous types of games to play that are selected by spinning a Wheel-of-Fortune-type wheel. Not all games are available immediately for play and here comes the main problem I have with the game.
While playing the games, a Bonus Game icon pops up that you need to play to try to select pieces of poker chips in order to earn hints, skips or chips to unlock additional games. The time available to do this is ridiculously short. I think there is something about finding the pieces of a given color of chip but with the time so short and the pieces hard to find, I was lucky to click on any piece, let alone try to limit myself to a specific color. By the time I released all the prisoners, I still had not unlocked all the types of games that could be played and I think that is a real waste of my money.
Once all the prisoners are released, unlimited play is available, but the same principles apply, i.e., the extremely short Bonus Games to try to get chips to unlock more games. Perhaps this was supposed to be justification for the cost of the game, but to me it just meant more torture.
By taking this 180 degree turn from the premise of the previous games, the developers have shot themselves in the foot.
I don't recommend this game.
Restore the Driftwood! Seaside's top resort has fallen into disrepair. Fix up the rooms, the inn, and renew the garden!
Overall rating
4
/
5
TOUGH LITTLE HOG
PostedJanuary 4, 2015
arnold1049
fromApache Junction, AZ
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Word, Adventure, Hidden Object, Puzzle, Mahjong
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
This is a straight HOG so if you don't like to play HOS after HOS, this isn't your game.
You have purchased a decaying seaside inn and have embarked on a restoration project. Each room in the inn represents a HO location. You visit each room 3 times in order to clean it up and get it ready to rent. The first time, you have to find specific HOs. Some of these HO actually belong to other rooms, which cannot be unlocked until all their items have been found. The next time you visit the same room, you have to replace objects back into the room. The third time, you find 15 of the same item. Once this is all done, the room can then be rented out.
Hints are acquired by finding magnifying glasses within the scenes. Coins are also hidden. Selling the extra 15 items from each room earn you additional coins. Coins are also earned for rooms that are rented, not using hints, having time left on the clock, etc. These coins are used to purchase items to renovate the outside of the inn. I was able to purchase all the renovations, including a long black limo, and still had coins and hints left over at the end.
Your assistant is the cutest blonde-haired, blue-eyed, British-accented, swishy-skirted character you could imagine. Her white, blue-eyed cat is a perfect companion.
All the HOS are timed and I ran out of time quite often. Since there was not a lot of hints available, it was easier to let the time run out and replay the scene, with a somewhat different list of objects. There were additional ways other than hints to get help to find items. Magnets in the scenes could be used for 10 seconds to move around the scene and listed objects would vibrate when the magnet got close enough. Or bombs could be set off that would give you an instant, and I mean a very brief instant, look at the places the items are in the room. Waking the cat up and having her leave the room would make listed objects shake. But for all these helps, you had to have a quick eye and a very good memory. So, to say the least, this game is a challenge.
The graphics are bright and cheerful and the HOs very well hidden. I never play with sound, so have no opinion. It does get a little repetitive, especially if you have to replay some of the scenes a few times, which is why it didn't rate 5 stars IMHO.
I recommend this game!
Characters from classical literature are coming to life!
Overall rating
5
/
5
20 of 26 found this review helpful
ANOTHER WINNER FROM "MIDNIGHT MYSTERIES"
PostedJanuary 3, 2015
arnold1049
fromApache Junction, AZ
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Word, Adventure, Hidden Object, Puzzle, Mahjong
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
This will make my 6th Midnight Mysteries CE game that I have purchased and played. My favorite to date has been Witches of Abraham. This new game, Ghostwriting, continues in the same excellent vein. My review is based on playing the one hour demo in the casual mode.
Washington Irving is being haunted by the evil characters he has created in his writings. He has made a fortress of his home and is a virtual prisoner. He has called upon his friend, Charles Dickens, who has the same problem, for help. Together, they set off to Sleepy Hollow to try to find a way to take control of these evil characters. This storyline has immense possibilities, reacquainting us with Irving's writings and characters.
The HO sometimes changed within the same scene from a list type to a silhouette type to an interactive type, keeping you on your toes. There are 4-leaf clovers to collect in every scene, including some of the HOS, so you have to keep your eyes open. The minigames are well integrated into the storyline and are non-repetitive and original. I needed to refer to the strategy guide a couple of times to get a boost on how to solve them.
I did not have to use any hints during the one hour of play. This was thanks in large part to the very helpful, interactive map that shows the active areas and allows you to jump to those areas. A good map, for me, always brings a game up to a 5 star.
There is the usual crow along for the ride, to help you accomplish some of the tasks. He even has his own room that you can decorate with coins you collect during gameplay. There are also achievements to be won.
This game has it all and them some. I purchased it immediately after I ended the demo, and I even got it on sale! Don't miss this one.
I recommend this game!
Return to the House of 1,000 Doors to save mankind from annihilation!
Overall rating
5
/
5
EXCELLENT GAME, EXCELLENT SERIES
PostedJanuary 3, 2015
arnold1049
fromApache Junction, AZ
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Word, Adventure, Hidden Object, Puzzle, Mahjong
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
This is the 3rd game I've played in this series, all CE, and they all have been wonderful. I'll be glad when more come out.
With over 100 reviews, there probably isn't a lot that hasn't already been said, so I will just hit on the things that impressed me the most.
First, the map. It is awesome. There is a lot of back and forth in the game and the map makes it effortless to move from place to place, as it shows you where you currently are and which locations have actions waiting to be completed and it allows you to jump between locations. It even shows if you have missed any morphing (beyond time) objects, which is a super plus for me.
The game has a variety of locations, which keeps the pace fast and the material interesting. The minigames are varied in subject, not extremely hard but can be time consuming. I did use a few hints outside the HOS (none needed in the HOS) and they worked without a hitch. I referred to the strategy guide a couple of times, mainly to get an idea of what the finished picture was supposed to look like in a couple of the jigsaw-type puzzles.
The main game storyline is believeable and linear, making you want to continue to play to see what happens next. The same cannot be said for the bonus game. It is totally chaotic and does not blend with the main game at all. However, it was still fun and challenging to play.
The HOS were a combination of lists with interactive items as well as shapes that had to be added back into the scene. None of the scenes were especially hard but did make you think a time or two.
There are no voiceovers and, as usual, I played with no sound.
There was really nothing outstanding in the extras and since the bonus game was a little disappointing, you might save some money and just buy the SE. But I'm always afraid I'll miss something so I always go for the CE.
Bring on more "House of 1000 Doors" for me; I'm hooked.
I recommend this game!
Travel the world as a Cruise Director, in charge of the super luxurious S.S. Liberty of the Waves!
Overall rating
5
/
5
21 of 31 found this review helpful
CHALLENGING HOG
PostedJanuary 1, 2015
arnold1049
fromApache Junction, AZ
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Word, Adventure, Hidden Object, Puzzle, Mahjong
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
This was a very challenging hidden object game. There were tons of HOS and the items were very well hidden. The minigames were fairly standard fare, but some of the puzzles took a lot of work. In particular, some of the jigsaws were mind numbing.
This game follows a couple as they take a cruise around North and South America There are lots of locations both on and off the ship, where the ship makes stops along the way.
Each location has three star levels to achieve. Finding all the HO earns a bronze, finding all the trash items or the lost items in addition gets a silver star and finding all 3 types of items earns a gold star. There are also 15 achievements to be won. I missed out on 2; playing a minigame in less than 1 minute and playing the complete game in under 3 hours. I'm thinking that it would take a speed demon to reach these two goals.
Points earned during the game can be used to purchase souvenirs from the gift shop. I earned enough points to buy all the souvenirs and still had over 10,000 points left at the end.
The storyline really isn't too relevant to the game, just a way to get from one location to another. I played without sound, as usual. There are 2 levels of difficulty.
This is a totally HOG; no bells or whistles to speak of, so it is for HOG lovers only. I enjoyed it thoroughly and am looking forward to a sequel.
I recommend this game!