pennmom36's Profile
Stat Summary
- Average Rating:3.7
- Helpful Votes:358,445
- Reviews Submitted:4713
- First Review:December 10, 2012
- Most Recent Review:May 8, 2025
- Featured reviews0
Status:
Can you discover the truth about the Queen’s disappearance and save the kingdom?
Overall rating
1
/
5
42 of 53 found this review helpful
WITHOUT KNOWLEDGE POWER CAN BE DANGEROUS
PostedJuly 15, 2018
pennmom36
fromIs the Lost Queen Last or is the Last Queen Lost?
Skill Level:Expert
Current Favorite:
Nightmare Adventures: The Witch's Prison
(120)Fun Factor
1
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
1
/
5
Level of Challenge
1
/
5
Storyline
1
/
5
Believe it or not, the CE version of The Lost Queen game didn't receive a single 5-star rating, a dishonor I don't recall being bestowed upon any HOPA new release! I did buy this game in the CE version due to a lack of other choices during a BOGO sale, (hey it was basically free) and I did finish the main game today. Honestly, the storyline was undisguisable from just about any other "princess" themed game, and certainly no different than all the other Spirits of Mystery games, it even has a similar title to the last game offered, Last vs Lost! In the beginning, this series was pretty decent, but the princess plot has been beaten to death and this particular dev either doesn't read our reviews or doesn't care that their game didn't earn a single 5-star rating?
I will give them credit on the Morphing Paw Prints available in the CE version, they morph very slowly which make them more challenging to spot. On the other hand, I missed finding 1 Lamp and 1 Morph only to discover that I couldn't go back to pick them up without re-playing the entire game, and that just ain't gonna happen. There are 5 Chapters, but in my opinion, they are short chapters. The Bonus Chapter is about twice as long as the average main chapters are, and you play the part of the Prince this time. There are no collectibles or morphing objects available in the Bonus Chapter, but honestly, I didn't finish the BC because I was way too bored at this point. Here's a recap of my review to help you decide which version, if either, is right for you:
The devs must have run out of Blood Moon ideas because this time it's a Green Moon that causes the Forest Creatures to leave the comforts of the Dark Forest, and wreak havoc upon the Kingdom to ruin the wedding plans of the Princess and her fiance, Malgor. Of course there's always a hidden agenda and of course, no one is really who they seem to be. There's nothing about this storyline that's even remotely interesting, and the game's features are as easy as they could possibly be.
Yet another stupid gadget, a magic ring with a stupid and repetitive mini-game where you click when the orbs are inside a huge circle. There are Morphing Paw Prints and Lanterns in the CE version. This game should get an award for the shortest game in history, to me, this is an example of a game slapped together with little care of thought towards the fan-base, there's simply NO excuse for this!
The Hidden Object Scenes are super simplistic and include Interactive List Finds, Keywords in Sentence Finds, Silhouetted Shape Finds and Multiple Item Finds. There are several smaller HOP's where you must find Multiples of Items within the entire scene, but those items are so large, you simply can't miss them such as 6 Crates.
The Mini-Games are super simplistic and repetitive. Below are brief descriptions of some of the games you'll encounter during the demo:
1-Rotate disk rings to complete the image.
2-Click when orbs are inside the large center ring.
3-Use directional arrows to avoid obstacles and collect flags.
4-Repeat the sequence of doorknockers.
5-Select matching symbols.
6-Rotate and place picture pieces.
7-Repeat the sequence of snakes.
2-Click when orbs are inside the large center ring.
3-Use directional arrows to avoid obstacles and collect flags.
4-Repeat the sequence of doorknockers.
5-Select matching symbols.
6-Rotate and place picture pieces.
7-Repeat the sequence of snakes.
The Collector's Edition version has 13 Wallpapers, 20 Concept Art pictures, 6 Screensavers, 4 Music Soundtracks, 10 Movie Videos, 9 re-playable Mini-Games, 9 re-playable Hidden Object Scenes, 11 Achievements to earn, 14 Collectible Lanterns, 18 Morphing Paws, 5 Main Chapters +Bonus Chapter and a built-in Strategy Guide.
SPIRITS OF MYSTERY SERIES LIST
Title***Standard Edition Release Date***Average Rating
Title***Standard Edition Release Date***Average Rating
1-Amber Maiden (May 28-2011) 4.2
2-Song of the Phoenix (May 11-2012) 4.7
3-The Dark Minotaur (January 25-2013) 4.2
4-The Silver Arrow (January 10-2014) 4.2
5-Chains of Promise (September 11-2015) 3.9
6-Family Lies (April 22-2016) 3.6
7-The Fifth Kingdom (February 10-2017) 4.0
8-Illusions (July 14-2017) 3.0
9-The Moon Crystal (October 6-2017) 3.7
10-The Last Fire Queen (February 18-2018) 2.5
11-The Lost Queen (July 15-2018) n/a
2-Song of the Phoenix (May 11-2012) 4.7
3-The Dark Minotaur (January 25-2013) 4.2
4-The Silver Arrow (January 10-2014) 4.2
5-Chains of Promise (September 11-2015) 3.9
6-Family Lies (April 22-2016) 3.6
7-The Fifth Kingdom (February 10-2017) 4.0
8-Illusions (July 14-2017) 3.0
9-The Moon Crystal (October 6-2017) 3.7
10-The Last Fire Queen (February 18-2018) 2.5
11-The Lost Queen (July 15-2018) n/a
by: Amax Interactive
I don't recommend this game.
Can you navigate new realms to stop an evil conqueror in time?
Overall rating
3
/
5
36 of 42 found this review helpful
THE RAINBOWS & GLITTER ARE A BIT OVER THE TOP FOR ME
PostedJuly 14, 2018
pennmom36
fromWhat we need is more cowbell!
Skill Level:Expert
Current Favorite:
Nightmare Adventures: The Witch's Prison
(120)Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
The library seems like a perfectly harmless place to work, as long as the Book doesn't ask you to open it that is. If just one drop of blood is spilled upon its pages, you will be whisked away to worlds so magnificent, you'll never want to leave. In fact, no one has ever returned, and no one ever will, because Aspir needs their souls. Aspir needs your sister Margaret's soul, but he may not have expected a two-for-one package deal, and he certainly wasn't expecting a fight!
I loved the Labyrinths of the World games that took place within well-known landmarks (Stonehenge, Devil's Tower, Easter Island) because those areas have always had mysterious origins, who built them, why are they here, what are they for, are aliens involved. However, When Worlds Collide, is just another story about an evil sorcerer trying to take over the world, one soul at a time. The graphics are gorgeous though a little too glittery for my tastes, the story is just more of the same ole same ole, and the gameplay, unfortunately, is rather dull and lifeless. It felt like all I did was find a different method to remove one vine after another, find a piece here, put the piece there until I became overwhelmed with boredom. I did purchase the CE version on a 2 for 1 sale and discovered that my suspicions were true, there's just nothing exciting going on after the demo, and it's very predictable.
The Hidden Object Scenes are varied with Keywords in Sentence Finds, Interactive List Finds, and Silhouetted Shape Finds. A couple of the HOP's had several items that could match the description, which is unacceptable, especially when one of the achievement goals is to complete an HOP w/o making a mistake. There are also smaller Zoom Zone HOP's with Multiple Item Finds, and there's an alternate Match 3 game to play if you're not keen on HOP's.
The Mini-Games are available in an Easy or Hard mode, many of which are my least favorite where "one may affect others" because these types of puzzles can be downright frustrating. Luckily, most of the puzzles are easy enough to solve, even on the Hard mode setting. Below are brief descriptions of some of the games you'll encounter during the demo:
1-Swap adjacent disks to complete the pattern.
2-Find 3 symbols shown for each paragraph on the story.
3-Create a path for the skulls by swapping and rotating tiles.
4-Slide tiles until the cogs align in the center of the board.
5-Rotate the clock's hands until no gaps remain.
6-Rotate the disks to complete the picture.
7-Arrange arrows to allow a path through all cells.
8-Move the coin to the bottom right by rotating disks.
2-Find 3 symbols shown for each paragraph on the story.
3-Create a path for the skulls by swapping and rotating tiles.
4-Slide tiles until the cogs align in the center of the board.
5-Rotate the clock's hands until no gaps remain.
6-Rotate the disks to complete the picture.
7-Arrange arrows to allow a path through all cells.
8-Move the coin to the bottom right by rotating disks.
The Collector's Edition version has 22 Wallpapers, 20 Concept Art pictures, 5 Music Soundtracks, 32 Movie Videos, 22 re-playable Mini-Games, 19 re-playable Hidden Object Scenes, 33 Achievements to earn, 14 missing Aspir's Diary pages (because I have a thing about holding onto paper) 15 collectible Statuettes, 66 collectible Crystals (to purchase 17 items for your room?) 5 Main Chapters +Bonus Chapter.
LABYRINTHS OF THE WORLD SERIES LIST
Title***Standard Edition Release Date***Average Rating
LABYRINTHS OF THE WORLD SERIES LIST
Title***Standard Edition Release Date***Average Rating
1-Shattered Souls (October 5-2014) 4.3
2-Forbidden Muse (July 12-2015) 3.4
3-Changing the Past (February 7-2016) 3.4
4-Stonehenge Legend (September 4-2016) 3.7
5-Secrets of Easter Island (February 3-2017) 3.7
6-The Devil's Tower (May 28-2017) 3.6
7-A Dangerous Game (February 2-2018) 3.9
8-When Worlds Collide (July 13-2018) n/a
2-Forbidden Muse (July 12-2015) 3.4
3-Changing the Past (February 7-2016) 3.4
4-Stonehenge Legend (September 4-2016) 3.7
5-Secrets of Easter Island (February 3-2017) 3.7
6-The Devil's Tower (May 28-2017) 3.6
7-A Dangerous Game (February 2-2018) 3.9
8-When Worlds Collide (July 13-2018) n/a
by: Domini Games
Can you solve the mystery of the murderous dolls?
Overall rating
3
/
5
66 of 79 found this review helpful
WASTED POTENTIAL
PostedJuly 14, 2018
pennmom36
fromDid you know that the real Annabelle doll is actually a raggedy Ann doll with yarn hair, not a porcelian doll with a creepy grin, the storyline is real though as told by Ed & Lorrainne Warren.
Skill Level:Expert
Current Favorite:
Nightmare Adventures: The Witch's Prison
(120)Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
2
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
Who doesn't love a Creepy Doll comes to life game? I gotta admit, I was super excited because my favorite genre is creepy horror, and everyone knows how things went when Annabelle unleashed her horrorfest! Unfortunately, the ease of the game interfered with the plot. The plot is really good and is somewhat creepy with the dolls taunting whispers, giggles, and mischevious deeds, but EleFun has got to do something about the "loading" screen that occurs after each scene. It causes your mind frame to auto-adjust and it takes away from the intensity of the moment.
As far as the CE Bling, I love the Morphing Objects, Collectible Magazines and Collectible Eyes that give you more insight to the story, however, give me the option to turn off the "hand cursor" that points to them, otherwise, it says "look at me, here I am". It would be good if the Eyes weren't located on pieces of paper in a zoom zone as well, which make it impossible to miss when the zoom zone doesn't close until you click on it. My final complaint is that this is a super easy cookie cutter game. Wouldn't it be nice if a dev came up with different tasks and features? Wouldn't it be really cool if a game had alternate endings depending on the choices you make? Wouldn't it be cool if you had to figure things out instead of just clicking on everything? How about a journal that the player decides what information to add to it and you used clues you found to solve the puzzles rather than the current piece of paper that automatically appears to show you how to solve everything?
The Hidden Object Scenes are bland and uneventful. (btw, on the custom mode you can turn off the HOP penalty that causes the screen to fog with too many misclicks) The very first HOP showed promise because it included puzzles to solve, but afterward, they just fell into the so-so category. Many of them are multi-layered, with Interactive List finds, Keyword finds, Multiple Item finds and Silhouetted Shape finds and there are also several smaller Zoom Zone HO's. There is an alternate Jigsaw Puzzle offered, but once again they have outlines making it difficult to not know where they go. There are a total of 22 HOS throughout the game.
Mini-Games go from super simple, no skill required games to puzzles with some of the worst, most confusing directions I've ever seen. There are a total of 25 Mini-Games offered throughout the game. Below are brief descriptions of some of the games you'll encounter during the demo:
1-Click when the 2 circles overlap.
2-Choose 3 bricks that share 3 out of 5 symbols.
3-Place fuses according to the clue.
4-Connect fuses w/ a continuous line of # specific connections.
5-Find the connection between all symbols & dates.
6-Find the item that matches the silhouetted shape to fight the doll.
7-Choose directional arrows to deflect the dolls attack.
8-Click the bar continuously until the meter fills up.
9-Guess the sequence of lock tumblers.
10-Navigate the tunnels according to the map, finding & using items along the way.
11-Click tumblers to enter the correct code.
12-Click to remove blood cells shown on the right.
13-Place the clues correctly.
14-Choose crest segments and select directional arrows to move them.
2-Choose 3 bricks that share 3 out of 5 symbols.
3-Place fuses according to the clue.
4-Connect fuses w/ a continuous line of # specific connections.
5-Find the connection between all symbols & dates.
6-Find the item that matches the silhouetted shape to fight the doll.
7-Choose directional arrows to deflect the dolls attack.
8-Click the bar continuously until the meter fills up.
9-Guess the sequence of lock tumblers.
10-Navigate the tunnels according to the map, finding & using items along the way.
11-Click tumblers to enter the correct code.
12-Click to remove blood cells shown on the right.
13-Place the clues correctly.
14-Choose crest segments and select directional arrows to move them.
This Collector's Edition version has 9 Wallpapers, 9 Concept Art pictures, 3 Screensavers, 3 Music Soundtracks, 12 Achievements to earn, 20 Eye Symbol Signs (collect 4 eyes to open up more of the story) 31 Morphing Objects, 15 Collectible Fear For Sale Magazines, 5 Chapters +Bonus Chapters and a built-in Strategy Guide.
FEAR FOR SALE SERIES LIST
Title***Collector's Edition Release Date***Average Rating
Title***Collector's Edition Release Date***Average Rating
1-Mystery of McInroy Manor (November 18-2010) 3.8
2-Sunnyvale Story (December 8-2011) 4.1
3-Nightmare Cinema (April 4-2013) 4.4
4-Phantom Tide (April 3-2014) 3.7
5-The 13 Keys (October 23-2014) 4.0
6-Endless Voyage (April 2-2015) 4.3
7-City Of The Past (October 22-2015) 4.1
8-The House On Black River (March 17-2016) 4.3
9-The Dusk Wanderer (October 1-2016) 3.6
10-Hidden in the Darkness (April 20-2017) 3.8
11-The Curse of Whitefall (October 7-2017) 3.7
12-Tiny Terrors (July 14-2018) n/a
2-Sunnyvale Story (December 8-2011) 4.1
3-Nightmare Cinema (April 4-2013) 4.4
4-Phantom Tide (April 3-2014) 3.7
5-The 13 Keys (October 23-2014) 4.0
6-Endless Voyage (April 2-2015) 4.3
7-City Of The Past (October 22-2015) 4.1
8-The House On Black River (March 17-2016) 4.3
9-The Dusk Wanderer (October 1-2016) 3.6
10-Hidden in the Darkness (April 20-2017) 3.8
11-The Curse of Whitefall (October 7-2017) 3.7
12-Tiny Terrors (July 14-2018) n/a
by: EleFun Games
Work with new puppet allies to uncover the true puppet master!
Overall rating
4
/
5
93 of 121 found this review helpful
IT'S A GREAT DAY TO BECOME IMMORTAL
PostedJuly 12, 2018
pennmom36
fromPupaphobia is the extreme and irrational fear of puppets and marionettes, but not as common of a phobia as Coulrophobia the fear of clowns, and Pediophobia the fear of dolls.
Skill Level:Expert
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
Today's your lucky day Puppet Master Miriam! All you need is Faith, a willing Puppet, a dash of Blue Crystal, and the flip of a switch to become immortal. It didn't work too well for Dr. Frankenstein, but then again, he didn't have that magical blue crystal either! Looks like you got her just in time Detective/Journalist/Adventurer (insert name______) because your PuppetMonster just got dragged to the PuppetUnderworld and who knows what's going to happen to your PuppetSoul there! One things for sure, that barking dog in the distance has followed you.
Faith in the future I must say isn't as horrible as the last few games have been. I still don't feel that this is a 5 Star game, and I really do believe the "PuppetShow" has run its course, there's just nothing more this series can cover, so they are just creating spinoffs of the other plots. Once again, you get to choose the character you want to portrait within 3 categories, Detective, Journalist & Adventurer, and each category has a male and female character available. There are several Conversation choices you can choose from when communicating with each character, however, they are basically the same question so you're going to get the same answer no matter which you choose, so why bother if it doesn't affect the outcome?
The best feature this particular game has going for it is a Slow Morphing Mask outline, but, if the slow morphing object was a different object instead of the same mask outline, it would have made the morphing object so much harder to spot, but kudos to Amax on a job well done. There are also Piggy Banks located in some of the scenes that contain coins that allow you to purchase items created by Miriam. This "virtual" scenario has never particularly thrilled me because its moot, there's no rhyme or reason to it. I did like the feature in the pit and the pendulum which had collectible cards with a brief description of the various "bad guys" in a "before" scenario. To learn about the "now" scenario, you had to find all 3 Morphing Objects shown at the bottom of each card to unlock the current situation of that person, to me, that was a really creative feature that gave rhyme and reason to the collectible.
The Hidden Object Scenes are varied with Interactive List finds, Silhouetted Shape finds, Multiple Item finds, finding Items that match Icon Swatches. Most of them uncover fragments to collect which opens up a chest or box for the final piece, but several items are very small and may be difficult for some to see or recognize. There are several Zoom Zone HOS that have just a handful of silhouetted shape finds or Listed Items to find as well, but no alternate puzzle offered.
The Mini-Games are mostly swap type puzzles which in itself isn't all that bad, however, most of those swap type puzzles have a feature where the puzzle piece turns green when it's placed correctly making it impossible to struggle with. All you have to do is swap until it turns green, you don't have to even look at the picture! Here's a list of brief descriptions of some of the games you'll encounter during the demo:
1-Select 2 panels to swap to complete the lock picture.
2-Select 2 puzzle tiles to swap to complete the crystal picture.
3-Swap hexagon tiles to light up each light connectors.
4-Swap outer flower petals to match the inner flower petals.
5-Select each symbol portion to match the symbol shown.
6-Select lock rods in the correct order by trial and error.
7-Select 2 fan sections to complete the pattern.
8-Select 2 tokens at a time to find matching pairs.
9-Place shield fragments into the highlighted sections.
10-Find matching pairs by flipping 2 tiles which rotate if incorrect.
11-Swap 3 panels to form continuous paths for the flowers to travel.
12-Place tokens into their matching pattern centers.
2-Select 2 puzzle tiles to swap to complete the crystal picture.
3-Swap hexagon tiles to light up each light connectors.
4-Swap outer flower petals to match the inner flower petals.
5-Select each symbol portion to match the symbol shown.
6-Select lock rods in the correct order by trial and error.
7-Select 2 fan sections to complete the pattern.
8-Select 2 tokens at a time to find matching pairs.
9-Place shield fragments into the highlighted sections.
10-Find matching pairs by flipping 2 tiles which rotate if incorrect.
11-Swap 3 panels to form continuous paths for the flowers to travel.
12-Place tokens into their matching pattern centers.
This Collector's Edition version has 10 Wallpapers, 14 Concept Art pictures, 6 Screensavers, 11 Movie Videos, 5 Music Soundtracks, 11 re-playable Mini-Games, 14 re-playable Hidden Object Scenes, 16 Achievements to earn, 26 Morphing Masks, 58 Collectible Coins to buy 13 Items created by Miriam, 5 Main Chapters +Bonus Chapter, enjoy!
PUPPET SHOW SERIES LIST
Title***Collector's Edition Release Date***Average Rating
Title***Collector's Edition Release Date***Average Rating
1-Mystery of Joyville SE only (October 1-2009) 4.0
2-Souls of the Innocent (May 27-2010) 4.3
3-Lost Town (March 17-2011) 4.1
4-Return to Joyville (April 19-2012) 4.3
5-Destiny Undone (March 28-2013) 4.2
6-Lightning Strikes (August 21-2014) 3.3
7-The Price of Immortality (March 19-2015) 4.4
8-The Face of Humanity (January 21-2016) 3.7
9-Her Cruel Collection (September 15-2016) 3.4
10-Bloody Rosie (November 17-2016) 3.7
11-Arrogance Effect (July 22-2017) 2.8
12-Poetic Justice (October 5-2017) 3.3
13-The Curse of Ophelia (February 3-2018) 3.6
14-Faith in the Future (July 12-2018) n/a
2-Souls of the Innocent (May 27-2010) 4.3
3-Lost Town (March 17-2011) 4.1
4-Return to Joyville (April 19-2012) 4.3
5-Destiny Undone (March 28-2013) 4.2
6-Lightning Strikes (August 21-2014) 3.3
7-The Price of Immortality (March 19-2015) 4.4
8-The Face of Humanity (January 21-2016) 3.7
9-Her Cruel Collection (September 15-2016) 3.4
10-Bloody Rosie (November 17-2016) 3.7
11-Arrogance Effect (July 22-2017) 2.8
12-Poetic Justice (October 5-2017) 3.3
13-The Curse of Ophelia (February 3-2018) 3.6
14-Faith in the Future (July 12-2018) n/a
by: Amax Interactive
I recommend this game!
Sally and François dive headlong into chaos and absurdity in a brand new spa!
Overall rating
3
/
5
37 of 47 found this review helpful
HOW COME I ONLY GET 10 POINTS FOR FINDING CARL?
PostedJuly 10, 2018
pennmom36
fromThat Carl's a sneaky little feller!
Skill Level:Expert
Current Favorite:
Haunted Domains
(48)Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
There's something about this addition to the Sally's Salon series that just doesn't thrill me. The graphics are quite pink, and everything seems so large and don't get me started on those stupid mini-games that aren't really mini-games and certainly don't require any thought to complete them! I have to agree with the other reviewers on this one, the older Sally's were much better!
There are 3 Modes of difficulty, Easy, Normal, Experienced, but you have to actually go into the Settings menu to change the difficulty because it will automatically start the game in the Normal mode. You can earn up to 3 Stars per level depending on the number of points you earn, (50-100-150 worth of Shopping Money for upgrades) and you'll need at least 1 Star to unlock the next level, and there are 60 Levels total, with 15 Trophy Achievements to earn.
As clients arrive they will have a thought bubble above them indicating which Station to place them. (by clicking not dragging them to the correct station) You may need to apply a specific product or service while in a Treatment Station, and some products may need to be combined or restocked. Each successful Treatment will earn at least 1 star and if the client is serviced fast enough, their Heart Score can turn Gold and from that point on, they can't lose heart ratings. When the client is finished you can check them out at the Computer Register. (you'll earn bonus points for quick service, or multi-tasking)
A few features were changed this time, or at least I didn't notice if they were available on the last game, that mostly deals with the scoring. For starters, clicking on Carl only gives you +10 points instead of +100. You will earn Shopping Credits of 11, 22, 33 if you replay a level, and any Achievements you earn will give you extra Diamonds as well as completing the Challenge Levels where you can earn up to 3 Diamonds. Your Helpers can be upgraded from Basic to Treatment specific duties with the Diamonds you earned.
For me personally, this is just an okay game, a take it or leave it kind of game. I may have considered buying it as a Standard Edition, but there's nothing offered here to make me want to spend twice as much on a mediocre TM game, so I'll pass on this Salon.
SALLY'S SALON GAMES AVAILABLE
Title***Release Date***Average Rating
1-Sally's Salon (April 6-2007) 4.6
2-Sally's Spa (June 4-2008) 4.7
3-Sally's Studio (July 14-2010) 4.5
4-Sally's Salon: Beauty Secrets CE (November 23-2017) 3.5
5-Sally's Salon: Kiss and Make-Up CE (July 10-2018) n/a
Title***Release Date***Average Rating
1-Sally's Salon (April 6-2007) 4.6
2-Sally's Spa (June 4-2008) 4.7
3-Sally's Studio (July 14-2010) 4.5
4-Sally's Salon: Beauty Secrets CE (November 23-2017) 3.5
5-Sally's Salon: Kiss and Make-Up CE (July 10-2018) n/a
One small click can bring big results. Strike back at the invaders of your desperate nation with a powerful new weapon.
Overall rating
1
/
5
27 of 36 found this review helpful
NOT EVEN IF IT WERE FREE
PostedJuly 9, 2018
pennmom36
fromNow where'd I put those hot dog buns?
Skill Level:Expert
Fun Factor
1
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
1
/
5
Level of Challenge
1
/
5
Storyline
1
/
5
I love physics-based games that require you to set a chain reaction in motion to destroy all obstacles, preferably on the first attempt, but this game is horrible. The graphics are old-fashioned, the attempted sarcastic humor isn't really funny, and there's really no specific set point to make this a true physics-based game, it's a hit-or-miss tactical game.
As a general rule of thumb, if you hit the targeted area in the sweet spot zone, it will cause a chain-reaction that cause everything to come tumbling down, or in this case, destroy all of the opposing forces such as tanks, missiles, crates ammo etc. Some levels it does indeed occur, most levels, however, have no sweet spot. You can replay a level 50 times in a row, doing the exact same maneuver as before, and get an entirely different outcome every single time, even though the Sausage Bomb hit the same exact spot.
It takes too long and too many "click here's" to actually start the level, too long to wait for the chain reactions, and too long to replay the level, which adds up to a very unprecise and boring not-so-physics-based game.
I don't recommend this game.
In 1950s Brazil, meet a cast of colorful characters and uncover a story of romance and intrigue set in the historic Tiradentes.
Overall rating
5
/
5
200 of 219 found this review helpful
AN AMAZING ADVENTURE WITH A FRESH PLOT AND A RETRO VIBE
PostedJuly 9, 2018
pennmom36
fromWhat Day Is It? It's a great day for HOG lovers!
Skill Level:Expert
Current Favorite:
Nightmare Adventures: The Witch's Prison
(120)Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
This will be one of those games you'll either hate or love. The devs were clearly thinking outside the box when they came up with this storyline! I truly hope this game does well just to prove to the "big guys" that we're tired of the same ole same ole, and perhaps they'll get the picture and start hiring fresh writers that have a desire to create something new, something amazing, something that doesn't involve entering a portal to another world, a black shadowy mist creature, a kidnapped Princess, a scorned King/Queen, an evil sorcerer or a plague-era beaked mask 17th century evil-doer. Think about it, are there any other plots that don't involve those basic categories? (the answer is not really)
You won't see any of those above-mentioned staple HOPA features, but you will encounter mob gang leaders, criminals, and disgraced ex-KGB agents and you will find yourself tangled up in all their criminal activities as a pilot of a 1948 Cessna plane that has seen better days. You will visit exotic places and meet characters with excellent Russian accents, but most of all, you will probably have to use your brain depending on the difficulty mode you choose.
Even though this is a Standard Edition game, every scene has a Collectible within 4 different categories starting with My Flight Case, Igor's Fun Case, Anton's Toiletries, and Sveta's Toiletries. The cursor does NOT change so you will have to figure it out on your own, in fact, I'm still trying to find the collectible in the back room where the phone is located!
The Hidden Object Scenes appear to be just Listed Item finds, but this game is designed to be Retro after all. The items do tend to be small, but they have done an excellent job of hiding the items basically in plain sight, which is how it should be!
The mini-games are fairly easy at first but progress in difficulty as you get into the swing of things. What I liked the most about this game, other than the interesting storyline, was the fact that the tasks in each scene are different than what we're so used to seeing. There aren't missing emblems, cobwebs to remove, items in a sewer drain or held for ransom by a bird or squirrel.
Brazilian Adventure is just that, a Brazilian Adventure with a retro vibe. It won't sweep you off your feet of blow you out of your computer chair, but it is clearly a unique game and totally worthy of using a coupon and in my opinion totally worthy of the Standard Edition price tag, enjoy your flight!
I recommend this game!
Journey to the past to save your parents from a deadly killer.
Overall rating
3
/
5
39 of 46 found this review helpful
DID I CATCH UP TO THE PAST OR DID THE PAST CATCH UP TO ME?
PostedJuly 8, 2018
pennmom36
fromOkay Uncle Paul, we get the point, you've been better!
Skill Level:Expert
Current Favorite:
Nightmare Adventures: The Witch's Prison
(120)Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
Shadows From The Past was interesting enough to finish playing after the demo, but for me, most of the chapters are too drawn out and become borderline boring and tedious. There are a ton of "map" type puzzles where you guide a character or a car through a labyrinth of roads etc. that drove me crazy after about 3 in a row, and having repeated HOS back to back is clearly just filler material to stretch out the game and make it appear to be longer. I'd rather buy and play a game with 3 quality chapters than one with 5 chapters that are filled with meaningless, repetitive tasks, but that's just my personal preference. Overall, this isn't a bad game, in fact, I rather enjoyed the storyline which is the main reason I continued playing to get past the dull periods. The Bonus Chapter takes place shortly after the case has been solved, in current times, not the past, and you'll pick up the remaining 10 or so collectibles, puzzle pieces and morphing objects. Here's a recap of my review to help you decide which version, if either is right for you:
What if there was a device that allowed you to travel back to the past to right the wrongs and change the future. (other than Aunt Anna...think about it lol) What if that device existed, what if that device fell into the wrong hands? That device does exist! In fact, there are several devices that exist that are capable of extraordinary things, and those devices are safely guarded by The Keepers of Antiques! Alexandra Anderson is one of those Keepers sworn to maintain peace and safety throughout the world. The Antique Shop has been breached, and the Time Traveling Device has been stolen. Does Alexandra have enough willpower to follow the thief to 1985, without interfering with the accident that took her parents away from her?
Yes, we have yet another Gadget! The Keepers Tool has returned to deactivate or locate Keeper Artifacts, it's used a total of 14 times, 7-8 of which occur within the demo alone! Once again we have the "Loading" page between every zoom zone and new location, although they don't linger nearly as long as they have in the past, it's still annoying. If I had to guess at why this is the only developer that has this feature, I would say it may be due to the type of graphics used and size of the game because of the graphics, but I just don't know the answer. In the CE version, there are Morphing Objects, Jigsaw Puzzle Pieces to find and Collectibles in 5 different categories. The cursor changes to a hand if you come across one of them which makes them hard to miss at times, and for some reason, they are always lumped together in the same area.
There are a total of 20 Hidden Object Scenes compared to 25 Mini-Games making this game fairly even and should please fans of both puzzles and HOP's. There are Interactive List Finds, Silhouetted Shape Finds. Progressive Finds, and Keyword Finds. There are several smaller HOP's that EleFun always includes, where you are tasked with finding 5 Fragments located within the entire scene. Some of the HOP's have a small puzzle to solve, and there is an alternate Mahjong Matching game as well.
There are a total of 25 Mini-Games ranging from easy to medium in difficulty, most are just variations of older type puzzles. Some of the HO's have small puzzles to solve, but nothing to complicated. Below are brief descriptions of some of the games you'll encounter during the demo:
1) Swap image fragments to complete 3 portraits.
2) Complete those portraits by placing correct elements.
3) HOP puzzle: Rotate tiles to complete a continuous path of pipes.
4) Select fragmented symbols to recreate the symbol shown.
5) Place shaped pieces onto the pipe when the fire goes out.
6) Run over figures with the correct cube side using directional arrows.
2) Complete those portraits by placing correct elements.
3) HOP puzzle: Rotate tiles to complete a continuous path of pipes.
4) Select fragmented symbols to recreate the symbol shown.
5) Place shaped pieces onto the pipe when the fire goes out.
6) Run over figures with the correct cube side using directional arrows.
The Collector's Edition version has 9 Wallpapers, 10 Concept Art Gallery pictures, 3 Screensavers, 21 Music Soundtracks (that's a lot of antique music!) 16 Achievements to earn, 31 Morphing Objects, 36 Jigsaw Puzzle pieces (reveals character's past with each puggle completed) 31 Collectibles in 5 categories (6-Old Good Hilltown, 6-Mad Scientist, 6-Young Keepers, 7-Christmas Spirit, 6-Legendary Artifacts) a Keepers Room (complete each collection to reveal the information about the plot) 5 Main Chapters +Bonus Chapter and a built-in Strategy Guide.
THE KEEPER OF ANTIQUES SERIES LIST
Title***Standard Edition Release Date***Average Rating
Title***Standard Edition Release Date***Average Rating
1-The Revived Book (July 8-2016) 4.1
2-The Imaginary World (February 26-2017) 3.7
3-The Last Will (September 29-2017) 4.3
4-Shadows From The Past (July 8-2018) n/a
2-The Imaginary World (February 26-2017) 3.7
3-The Last Will (September 29-2017) 4.3
4-Shadows From The Past (July 8-2018) n/a
by: Elefun Games
A portal has opened, and dark magic is pouring through! Only you can close the gateway and defeat the evil Ice Golem. But you'll need to hurry!
Overall rating
5
/
5
32 of 34 found this review helpful
HAVE A NEED FOR SPEED?
PostedJuly 8, 2018
pennmom36
fromBlack Magic is breaking through to our world!
Skill Level:Expert
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
I just got around to playing Rune Lord today, and after 2 harrowing levels, I knew I had to have it! There are 3 modes of difficulty to choose, a Casual Mode which is NOT untimed, however, it is very doable with easier goals to achieve. The Advanced Mode is fairly fast-paced and challenging, the Hardcore Mode becomes available after you complete the game in the Advanced Mode, which surely has to be wicked challenging considering how challenging the Advanced levels are...but I for one, love the challenge, the graphics and the features offered.
The goal for each level is to collect specific amounts of the Stones with Energy (indicated by a glowing symbol) in a Swap type Match 3 game with Limited Time. Some of the levels offer an additional Task to receive an extra Coin, such as dropping Spiders down to a specific row to feed the toad, or raising and lowering a Coin by making matches of specific colored Rune Stones.
Large Matches of 4 or more will give you Bonuses on the board that must be included in the same color match:
*Rune of Fire-destroys 5 adjacent runes.
*Yellow Booster-gives you extra points.
*Rune of Lightning-zaps 7 matching runes on the board.
*Add 1 Magic Rune-adds a magic rune of a specific color.
*Bombs-color specific
*Yellow Booster-gives you extra points.
*Rune of Lightning-zaps 7 matching runes on the board.
*Add 1 Magic Rune-adds a magic rune of a specific color.
*Bombs-color specific
Spells can be purchased and upgraded with the Coin you earn for completing each level (2 coins if additional task requirements are met) Spells are automatically cast once the Sphere is filled with filled with the same color of stones, and upgrades usually increase the chance of getting boosters or that they will take out specific runes:
*Red Spell-sends a Meteor Shower that destroys 5 Runes.
*Green Spell-adds 5 seconds to the timer.
*Blue Spell-collects 3 magic runes.
*Azure Spell-changes the color of random runes.
*Green Spell-adds 5 seconds to the timer.
*Blue Spell-collects 3 magic runes.
*Azure Spell-changes the color of random runes.
Rune Lord is one of those games that you'll either Love or Hate. If you like fast-paced and challenging, you'll love this game, but if you like to play a Match 3 game for relaxation, you're probably going to hate it.
I recommend this game!
Go on an unforgettable puzzle adventure into a magical world populated with magical animals and help restore the balance!
Overall rating
1
/
5
20 of 25 found this review helpful
MYSTERIOUS STICK FIGURE DRAWINGS
PostedJuly 8, 2018
pennmom36
fromA butterfly?
Skill Level:Expert
Fun Factor
1
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
1
/
5
Level of Challenge
1
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
The storyline is the best part of this Griddler, everything else goes south very quickly. It's a very easy Griddler and I was able to finish 30 out of 120 levels within the demo, and that included several seconds of staring at the completed labeled picture afterward to make myself say "oh, now I see it" which takes a lot of imagination on ones part to see the bigger picture.
The Grids themselves are just large squares with lines, picture a tic-tac-toe grid with a few more lines added. Those squares get filled in with color, not with tiles like most Griddlers, so there's no depth, just flat, filled in squares, and only 3 colors total, and many of those colors are so similar it's hard to tell where one starts and the other ends.
You can purchase Bonuses and Upgrades in the Shop to help you solve the "Guesser Griddlers" that are randomly thrown in between the "Logic Griddlers" such as a Fireball to open a 5 or 9 square section. Crystal Haze opens up 1 or 2 chosen square. An Ice Bomb opens up 1 or 2 random squares, and you can purchase the right to make 4 or 5 mistakes without losing.
There are 12 Trophies to earn, but they are just achievements for enduring 12 Locations which each contain 10 levels. There's no redeeming quality here other than the storyline is somewhat interesting. The colors are ugly and flat, the pictures look like stick figure drawings, some of which require a stretch of the imagination to picture it. I'd have to say that this Griddler wouldn't be worthy of using a coupon code on, especially when there are so many really good Griddlers available.
I don't recommend this game.