pennmom36's Profile
Stat Summary
- Average Rating:3.7
- Helpful Votes:358,445
- Reviews Submitted:4711
- First Review:December 10, 2012
- Most Recent Review:March 30, 2025
- Featured reviews0
Status:
Snow, Ice and the deadly wind blowing from the Frozen Mountains! The Lost Lands have been overtaken by ice in the middle of summer!
Overall rating
5
/
5
233 of 272 found this review helpful
SUSAN HAS BEEN SUCKED THROUGH THE PORTAL TO THE LOST LANDS TO SAVE THE DAY IN HER PAJAMAS!
PostedSeptember 12, 2017
pennmom36
fromDid I just look through Maaron's underwear drawer?
Skill Level:Expert
Current Favorite:
Phantasmat Collector's Edition
(100)Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
Susan has once again been summoned to the Lost Lands by Maaron the Alchemist Mage, and she's still wearing her pajamas and slippers! Winter has arrived way too soon (winter is coming if you're a GOT fan lol) and Maaron needs the warmaidens help to find the source of the sudden freeze, emanating from the Frozen Mountain. Foinor the dwarf has returned to escort Susan through the tunnels leading to the mountain, to join forces with Maaron to stop the freeze, before its too late.
Lost Lands is a fantastic adventure game, however, I've never understood why the graphics of the scenes aren't as stunning as the videos. The videos are CG but the scenes themselves are hand drawn, and at times are cartoonish in nature, with very little color. The lip movements are horrible, the lips are moving, but they certainly don't match up to the words being spoken. There's also a discrepancy in the storyline, the introduction video shows a museum SECURITY GUARD twirling a nightstick while on duty, which becomes airborne, and causes an undesirable chain of events to occur. The video then switches over to show Susan watching the news on television, and the news anchor says he was a JANITOR, when clearly he was a security guard. Why would a janitor have a nightstick?
Other than those minor complaints, my favorite feature in Lost Lands, are the abundance of extra's offered in the Collector's Edition versions. You can even choose whether or not you want the cursor to change when it scans across a collectible or morph. They are actually on the small side, but in my opinion, that's what makes them more challenging to find. In this CE version there are 30 Morphing Objects and 13 Lost Lands Manuscript Pages to find. There are several Collectibles in different categories, Mittens, Icicles, Owls, Stained Glass, and Golden Horse Statues, all of the above, will unlock Bonus Puzzles when completed, as well as Achievements. Eventually you will use a Magic Wand to cast spells that can repair or damage items, make items smaller or larger, or make invisible items visible. Each time you use the wand, you'll have to play a game of "connect the dots"
The Hidden Object Scenes are all Progressive Interactive Silhouetted Shape finds, where you find an item that matches the silhouetted shape shown, and then use that item interactively in the scene to expose the next silhouetted shape item, until complete. Most of the HOP's include a small Mini Game to solve.
The Mini Games are somewhat on the easy side, I'd prefer something a bit more challenging, but at least they are entertaining. Below are brief descriptions of some of the games you'll encounter during the demo:
1) Shovel the snow into the pit, by selecting directional arrows to push snow piles. Adjacent snow piles move one cell away, and if you push a pile against the border it can't be moved and you will have to start over.
2) Make your move to the next location when the wolves aren't looking.
3) Rotate the pointers to the required symbols.
4) Use the hint to select the correct symbols
5) Arrange the statues arms to resemble the picture.
6) Connect the dots to recreate the image using the wand.
7) Rotate the dials to the correct number using a picture as a reference clue.
LOST LANDS GAMES AVAILABLE
Title***Collector's Edition Release Date***Average Rating
Title***Collector's Edition Release Date***Average Rating
1-The Dark Overlord (February 22-14) 4.4
2-The Four Horsemen (January 15-15) 4.6
3-The Golden Curse (November 7-15) 4.5
4-The Wanderer (October 25-16) 4.3
5-Ice Spell (September 12-17) n/a
2-The Four Horsemen (January 15-15) 4.6
3-The Golden Curse (November 7-15) 4.5
4-The Wanderer (October 25-16) 4.3
5-Ice Spell (September 12-17) n/a
This Collector's Edition version has 14 Wallpapers, 15 Concept Art pictures, 17 replayable Movie Videos, 8 Music Soundtracks, 21 Achievements to earn,19 replayable Mini Games, 5 Bonus Puzzles, 30 Morphing Objects, 13 Lost Lands Manuscripts to discover, 7 collectible Mittens, 8 Icicles, 8 Owls, 7 Stained Glass pieces and 12 Golden Horse Statues to collect, a built in Strategy Guide and a Bonus Chapter, enjoy!
I recommend this game!
This once magnificent mansion has been a haven of evil spirits. Banish the evil spirits in this match-3 adventure!
Overall rating
5
/
5
109 of 129 found this review helpful
THE MOST CHALLENGING GAME OF THE SERIES!
PostedSeptember 11, 2017
pennmom36
fromWow, challenging from the first level!
Skill Level:Expert
Current Favorite:
Cradle of Egypt
(92)Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
What a way to start the week! Cursed House 4 is by far the most challenging game of the series! Did you know that this series has an Irish Language version available? I wasn't aware of this until today, I'll have to check that one out too. If you are looking for an easy breezy Match 3 game, this probably isn't the game you want, however there is a Relaxed mode available as well as Limited Moves or Limited Time, and you can switch between modes on different levels to help you beat difficult levels. Eventually, you will be given the option to skip a difficult level without penalty, after several replay attempts, and in the Bonus Levels, you will receive interactive hints after 10 replay attempts.
The Cursed House is filled with evil spirits, that can only be banished by an ancient Amulet (where do you get these ancient amulets, it seems to be all the rage, every game has one nowadays) The Amulet can only be powered by collecting hundreds of coins, therefor, the only object of this game is to collect coins, coins that are difficult to collect at that!
Large matches will give you a Power-up, and power-ups are critical, because most coins are blocked by obstacles that require a power-up to destroy them. A match 4 will give you Dynamite to explode by moving it or double clicking. A match 5 will give you a Morphing Power-up to choose either a Rocket which targets obstacles, Lightning which destroys all identical tiles match with, or a Dynamite Barrel, these power-ups do not move when you make matches beside or below them.
Levels with Trunks require you to collect Trunk Coins, when all trunk coins have been found, you need to make a match adjacent to the trunk or trunks that will vibrate to alert you that all trunk coins have been located. Once the trunks are opened, you receive bonuses and other parts of the board are unlocked.
Some levels have Cannons that require you to make matches next to the wick to fire the cannon to start a chain reaction, some cannons are locked and you must make matches in front of the key to allow the key to move towards the lock. Firing the cannon also opens up other parts of the board.
There are several types of coins besides the gold coins and trunk coins, Dusty coins that need two matches, coins that are split in half requiring matches in front of the pieces to join the two halves. Coins that need filled in by collecting falling drops of liquid or gold by dropping them off the board to fill a vial. Bug coins need to be collected to get rid of pesky bugs that annoy you, and Red bugs need to be pushed off of the board because they are invulnerable to power-ups.
There are several types of coins besides the gold coins and trunk coins, Dusty coins that need two matches, coins that are split in half requiring matches in front of the pieces to join the two halves. Coins that need filled in by collecting falling drops of liquid or gold by dropping them off the board to fill a vial. Bug coins need to be collected to get rid of pesky bugs that annoy you, and Red bugs need to be pushed off of the board because they are invulnerable to power-ups.
Some tiles have obstacles such as boarded tiles, some boarded tiles have shields that require matches made on the sides without the shield for more challenge. There are Stone tiles, Lava tiles, Chained tiles, ice tiles, Rock tiles and Fog tiles that require either a match adjacent to them, most but not all obstacles can be destroyed with lightning explosions or bombs. There are even Green and Red Hot Stone tiles that require matches on top to destroy them.
After playing a few levels, you get to play a Mini Game such as Higher/Lower Solitaire that has an extra slot to store any face up card to use in a match later and unblock cards on the board. There are also Hidden Object Scenes and one of my favorite games, Spot The Difference which has very subtle differences and wasn't as easy as you'd expect.
This game is by the same devs that created Laruaville 1-6, Floria and Spellarium, which are super fun Match 3 games as well, enjoy!
I recommend this game!
Journey into your nephew’s mind to save him from a nightmare!
Overall rating
4
/
5
27 of 33 found this review helpful
NO MORE TV TIME FOR THIS KID!
PostedSeptember 11, 2017
pennmom36
fromI think this kid suffers from cynophobia!
Skill Level:Expert
Current Favorite:
Phantasmat Collector's Edition
(100)Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
I love this series because I love creepy games, the creepier the better. Yes, I love a lot of different series, I'm addicted to HOPA games for sure, but I suppose that if I didn't love most of the games offered, there'd be no need of a membership lol. When I rate a game, my biggest consideration is whether or not the demo held my attention. If while playing the demo, I feel distracted, bored or know how the story develops and wonder if it's ever going to end, I'm probably not going to buy the CE or SE version. If I'm so engrossed in a game, that the abrupt ending of the demo takes me by surprise, or I just gotta know how the story ends, I know I have a winner, (for me personally). I wait until a there's a sale that makes the CE the same price as an SE, and buy the game, but I usually wait until the SE version is released to finish playing it. I then play the demo again but in the SE version, then I finish playing the game in the CE version. This way, both versions are fresh in my mind, and I don't confuse the current game with other games I've played. I do love the extra's offered in most games, particularly Morphing Objects, so I usually prefer the CE over the SE in most cases. I deducted a star on this version of Maze, only because I felt that after the demo, the nightmares were all pretty much the same, and didn't hold my interest at all times. However, I have played a ton of HOPA games, so I've pretty much seen it all, several times over. So here's a recap of my review to help you decide which version, if either, is right for you:
Welcome to Timmy's nightmare, welcome to another creepy Mad Head game! I don't think this game is as epic as Subject 360, and the storyline is very similar to Stranded Dreamscapes: The Prisoner, but MH knows how to put the mad into madness with just a touch of twisted insanity and warped visions of a nightmarish realm!
Timmy's father is a doctor who specializes in dreams, but has been unable to bring Timmy back to reality. Aunt Christine however, specializes in nightmares, and has agreed to enter Timmy's nightmare, and help him fight the demons that are haunting him. There's just one problem, Jimmy doesn't want to leave, until he completes his "dare"
In the Collector's Edition version, there are 31 Collectible Hidden Signs, some of which are very well hidden. There are also 19 Morphing Objects in the CE, one in each of the Hidden Object Scenes. I prefer the Morphs in each location, not in the HOP's, but Mad Head games seem to only offer them within the HOP's on all of their games. Honestly, the CE game doesn't have enough of a wow factor as far as the extra's go, to warrent the price difference, so this Standard Edition is probably the better choice.
The Hidden Object Scenes are far and few between, and consist of Multiple finds, (one of which allows you to earn several achievements) there are Keywords in Sentence finds and Listed items as well, and in the CE version, each HOP has a Morphing Object to find. The Morphs are very well done, and not very obvious, making them a fairly decent challenge.
The Mini Games range from easy to medium difficulty, so far nothing really frustrating offered. Below are brief descriptions of some of the games you'll encounter during the demo:
1) Press buttons in the correct sequence, according to the clue located somewhere in the room.
2) Select a token to move it to an adjacent empty slot, to arrange tokens in the correct rows.
3) Select misplaced objects and return them to the scene correctly.
4) Stop the crosshairs when it passes over the window handle.
5) Select the numbered tiles on the board to light them up, so the sum of the lit up tiles equal that shown on each column and row.
6) Swap and rotate tiles to complete the image on three different puzzles.
7) Select and jump coins into an empty slot to remove them.
8) Repeat the sequence of statues lighting up.
MAZE GAMES AVAILABLE
Title***Collector's Edition Release Date***Average Rating
Title***Collector's Edition Release Date***Average Rating
1-Subject 360 (August 1-15) 4.6
2-The Broken Tower (October 8-16) 4.1
3-Nightmare Realm (August 12-17) 4.0
The Collector's Edition has Wallpapers, 8 Character pictures, 31 Collectible Hidden Signs, 19 replayable Hidden Object Scenes, 10 Morphing Objects within the HOP's, 10 Achievements to earn in several categories, 34 Mini Games, 5 Music Soundtracks, Jigsaw Puzzles to assemble, a built in Strategy Guide and a Bonus Chapter, enjoy!
2-The Broken Tower (October 8-16) 4.1
3-Nightmare Realm (August 12-17) 4.0
The Collector's Edition has Wallpapers, 8 Character pictures, 31 Collectible Hidden Signs, 19 replayable Hidden Object Scenes, 10 Morphing Objects within the HOP's, 10 Achievements to earn in several categories, 34 Mini Games, 5 Music Soundtracks, Jigsaw Puzzles to assemble, a built in Strategy Guide and a Bonus Chapter, enjoy!
I recommend this game!
Can you stop the infamous Crows League before they strike again?
Overall rating
1
/
5
26 of 27 found this review helpful
LET'S NOT TALK ABOUT THIS GAME AGAIN, SERIOUSLY, I'LL TAKE IT OUT BACK AND BURY IT, ANY OBJECTIONS?
PostedSeptember 10, 2017
pennmom36
fromYou know it's a bad game when there are reviews with 3 stars on the first page of the CE version!
Skill Level:Expert
Current Favorite:
Phantasmat Collector's Edition
(100)Fun Factor
1
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
1
/
5
Level of Challenge
1
/
5
Storyline
1
/
5
Amex has obviously tried to breathe new life into ERS' long running Dark Tales series. If I remember correctly, Puppet Show was the first series released by ERS, and then Dark Tales. Detective Dupin looks like he's tired, and is in need of a shave, I'm not sure if this was the look they were going for, but I think he may be getting ready to retire, which might be a good thing, because Dark Tales has been going downhill for quite some time now. There is one good thing with this latest Edgar Allan Poe rendition, Lenore, the collectibles in the CE version are better, and they've added Morphing Raven sketches. They have also revamped the inventory bar, for a cleaner look, and it appears that they have integrated CG graphics along with hand drawn graphics. With all this revamping, the storyline is just getting old, as old as Dupin himself, and to make matters worse, they continued with the same plot as the last game, which wasn't all that great.
Dupin receives a letter from Thomas Guillinger, the town Mayor, because he always receives a letter from the town Mayor. The Mayor suspects that the Crow League is responsible for the recent abductions of the town's children, including his own son. Doesn't it seem that the town Mayor only gets involved when something happens to his own family? As usual, this case has to be solved discretely, so the Mayor asks you to meet him on a specified date, just outside of town. When you arrive, our bright detective fears that the Mayor is a no show, but tells you to ask the seedy character wearing a burlap sack over his head, if he is the person your looking for. Because so many people wear a sack on their head, it could be your employer, it could be just an average Joe out for a stroll. The Mayor is a suspicious man, so he has sent his henchman, wearing a fashionable sack over his head, and he proceeds to tell me (me, not Dupin, because he doesn't seem to do any of the legwork) that I must pass a test before I get hired! That wasn't the deal, there was no mention of a test in the letter, but against my better judgement, I enquire about the test. Turns out he wants me to enter the Smuggler's Tavern, and if I make it out alive, I've got the job. SAY WHAT? They want me to go into a haunted tavern of which I may not make it out alive, just to be able to risk my life doing my detective thing for the Mayor? At this point, I'm thinking I should re-negotiate my fee, but Dupin gladly volunteered my services! Thanks a lot Dup! As you can guess, I make it out alive, and infiltrate the town on my quest to solve the case of the missing children, once again.
Dupin receives a letter from Thomas Guillinger, the town Mayor, because he always receives a letter from the town Mayor. The Mayor suspects that the Crow League is responsible for the recent abductions of the town's children, including his own son. Doesn't it seem that the town Mayor only gets involved when something happens to his own family? As usual, this case has to be solved discretely, so the Mayor asks you to meet him on a specified date, just outside of town. When you arrive, our bright detective fears that the Mayor is a no show, but tells you to ask the seedy character wearing a burlap sack over his head, if he is the person your looking for. Because so many people wear a sack on their head, it could be your employer, it could be just an average Joe out for a stroll. The Mayor is a suspicious man, so he has sent his henchman, wearing a fashionable sack over his head, and he proceeds to tell me (me, not Dupin, because he doesn't seem to do any of the legwork) that I must pass a test before I get hired! That wasn't the deal, there was no mention of a test in the letter, but against my better judgement, I enquire about the test. Turns out he wants me to enter the Smuggler's Tavern, and if I make it out alive, I've got the job. SAY WHAT? They want me to go into a haunted tavern of which I may not make it out alive, just to be able to risk my life doing my detective thing for the Mayor? At this point, I'm thinking I should re-negotiate my fee, but Dupin gladly volunteered my services! Thanks a lot Dup! As you can guess, I make it out alive, and infiltrate the town on my quest to solve the case of the missing children, once again.
The Hidden Object Scenes are mostly Multiple finds and mostly consist of small Zoom Zone scenes where you are tasked with finding 4 objects of the same kind such as 4 crows, 4 buttons etc. All of these objects are in plain view and impossible not to find.
The Mini Games are basic and simple lacking creativity. Most games are available in a Casual or Hard difficulty mode. Below are brief descriptions of some of the games you'll encounter during the demo:
1) Create a color coded path for each skull, using buttons to swap plate sections, then drag skulls to the other side.
2) Restore the mirror by placing the shards correctly.
3) Swap medal parts until they match the wax seal on the letter.
4) Click on the number code in the correct order according to the clue.
DARK TALES EDGAR ALLAN POE'S GAMES AVAILABLE:
Title***Collector's Edition Release Date***Average Rating
Title***Collector's Edition Release Date***Average Rating
1-Murder In The Rue Morgue (December 17-2009) 3.7
2-The Black Cat (September 2010) 4.6
3-The Premature Burial (October 2011) 4.5
4-The Gold Bug (January 10-13) 3.8
5-The Masque Of The Red Death (April 25-13) 4.4
6-The Fall Of The House Of Usher (March 20-14) 4.0
7-The Mystery of Marie Roget (February 19,15) 4.1
8-The Tell-Tale Heart (November 14-15) 2.7
9-Metzengerstein (July 21-16) 3.4
10-The Raven (December 29-16) 3.2
11-Lenore (August 10-17) 2.8
2-The Black Cat (September 2010) 4.6
3-The Premature Burial (October 2011) 4.5
4-The Gold Bug (January 10-13) 3.8
5-The Masque Of The Red Death (April 25-13) 4.4
6-The Fall Of The House Of Usher (March 20-14) 4.0
7-The Mystery of Marie Roget (February 19,15) 4.1
8-The Tell-Tale Heart (November 14-15) 2.7
9-Metzengerstein (July 21-16) 3.4
10-The Raven (December 29-16) 3.2
11-Lenore (August 10-17) 2.8
The Collector's Edition has 9 Movie Videos, 10 Wallpapers, 10 Concept Art pictures, 5 Screensavers, 5 Music Soundtracks, 16 replayable Mini Games, 21 replayable Hidden Object Scenes, 16 Achievements to earn, 32 Morphing Ravens, 66 Collectible Golden Feathers that convert to jigsaw puzzle pieces to assemble EAP's office,a built in Strategy Guide and a Bonus Chapter.
I don't recommend this game.
Can you break free from your nightmares in time?
Overall rating
5
/
5
136 of 163 found this review helpful
DON'T BE AFRAID OF YOUR OWN SHADOW, BE AFRAID OF OTHERS SHADOW
PostedSeptember 9, 2017
pennmom36
fromGuess I'm going to be late for work, there goes my bonus!
Skill Level:Expert
Current Favorite:
Phantasmat Collector's Edition
(100)Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
Our minds tend to block terrifying events as a coping mechanism, to help us survive. Our dreams however, don't always get the memo, and sometimes we're forced to relive horrifying events of the past, events we've tried so hard to forget. On this fateful night, Reynell's nightmares come to fruition, as his dreams open portals of his past from Sullivan River to Norwich Caves, back to where his troubles first began. A nightmare filled with Shadows of those who haunt his life. It is said that a man who cannot find his deepest memories, will wake up, but what happens if he does find his deepest memory?
I remember when Sullivan River was first released, and I bought the game without hesitation, and loved every minute of it. Since then, Sable Maze has had it's ups and downs, but I continue to enjoy this series, and Nightmare Shadows will definitely join my series collection. The characters are very realistic and have fluid movements (unlike the ones in Dark Romance that glide or walk with jilted movements) The graphics are decent, but tend to be a bit on the dark side. In this Collector's Edition version, there are Family Portraits to collect, and hidden Shadows to find. There are also Achievements to earn, some of which require playing HOP"s with the search penalty turned on.
The Hidden Object Scenes are the same ole, same ole, however, I did enjoy some of the locations. There are items to find that match riddles, Fragment finds, Interactive Progressive Silhouetted Shape finds and even smaller Zoom Zones HOP's with Multiples. One of the scene's were repeated in the demo, which is a feature I really don't like, because its boring a second time around, but hopefully not too many scenes are repeated in the main game. There is an alternate Match 3 game available if you're not into HOP's.
The Mini Games are fairly decent, so far nothing that's too difficult, and some are available with an Easy or Hard difficulty mode. Below are brief descriptions of some of the games you'll encounter during the demo:
1) Overlay a colored lens with the clear lens to scan for stepping stones, using the clues shown on each stone to choose the next colored lens.
2) Move figurines to their matching colored doors, moving a figurine will cause the others to move in the opposite direction.
3) Click rotational arrows and swap picture pieces along the lines to restore the 4 pictures.
4) Rotate circle sections until marbles align with all holes.
5) Find and replace torn book fragments correctly.
6) Use arrows to align two glass shards together.
7) Click on items to uncover fragments, if the selection is wrong, the items will shuffle.
8) Place tiles in their matching slots correctly.
9) Fold the map horizontally and vertically using visual clues on the map.
10) Use the map to find your way out of the maze.
11) Create a path for the ball to travel from left to right using directional arrows to move columns of tiles.
12) Arrange labels according to the timetable.
13) Defeat the shadow by selecting symbols in the scene that are shown in the top right corner.
14) Rotate the disks to swap the pieces to complete the picture.
15) Select and place the gears into the correct slots using the clues shown.
SABLE MAZE GAMES AVAILABLE
Title***Collector's Edition Release Date***Average Rating
Title***Collector's Edition Release Date***Average Rating
1-Sullivan River (September 30-12) 4.0
2-Norwich Caves (August 29-13) 4.0
3-Forbidden Garden (July 24-14) 3.5
4-Twelve Fears (May 14-15) 3.6
5-Soul Catcher (December 31-15) 3.7
6-Sinister Knowledge (September 8-16) 4.2
7-Nightmare Shadows (September 9-17) n/a
2-Norwich Caves (August 29-13) 4.0
3-Forbidden Garden (July 24-14) 3.5
4-Twelve Fears (May 14-15) 3.6
5-Soul Catcher (December 31-15) 3.7
6-Sinister Knowledge (September 8-16) 4.2
7-Nightmare Shadows (September 9-17) n/a
This Collector's Edition has 13 Developer Diary pictures, 18 Concept Art pictures, 12 Wallpapers, 15 Family Pictures to collect, 15 hidden Shadow People, 4 Music Soundtracks, 15 Achievements to earn, a built in Strategy Guide and a Bonus Chapter, enjoy the Shadows!
I recommend this game!
Mysterious portraits are causing their subjects to transform into monsters!
Overall rating
4
/
5
105 of 135 found this review helpful
HELLO KITTY
PostedSeptember 7, 2017
pennmom36
fromI'm not a doctor, but shouldn't I remove his coat before applying the bandage to stop the bleeding?
Skill Level:Expert
Current Favorite:
Phantasmat Collector's Edition
(100)Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
Surely everyone knows by now, not to open that last wedding present, that nobody ever knows where it came from. Sure enough, it was a cursed gift, a portrait of the new bride, that's slowly morphing into a beast, and causing Sybil Vane, to morph as well! Nigel and Sybil aren't the only newlywed's hexed by a curse, because this is a very Dark Romance, this couple must work together to find out who and why, they are being targeted, before the beast within takes control, and Sybil is gone forever.
In true Dark Romance fashion, you will solve this mystery by playing both characters, Nigel and Sybil, which gives you a different perspective, from both characters point of view. In this Collector's Edition version, there are 3 different collectibles, with icons above the inventory bar that open up whenever there's an available collectible. You can choose to disable this function in the custom settings, there are 15 Morphing Objects, 12 Cursed Paintings (with a background bio) and 64 collectible Paint Brushes, which allow you to purchase animals for portraits in the Menagerie. I though this game was going to give us a break with the gimmicky tool feature, but it turns out that the only thing papa left, was am Amulet. What does the amulet do you ask? Well, it somehow gives us the ability to turn into a falcon and fly! This part leaves me with so many questions, why do I need a real falcon if I can just turn into one using my amulet? Why can't I find an amulet that turns me into a panther and we can both live happily ever after changing into a cat? How does an amulet such as this work in the first place, voodoo, dark magic, alien technology? How do I return to human form? Do I carry the amulet around my falcon neck? Do I eat rodents when I'm a falcon?
The Hidden Object Scenes aren't all that impressive, and you can opt for a Match 3 game, but these alternate puzzles rarely offer a really good Match 3 game. There are Interactive List finds, Progressive Interactive Silhouetted Shape finds, and Keywords in Sentence finds requiring you to find and replace items correctly. There are also Multiple finds in smaller Zoom Zone HOP's as well.
The Mini Games however, I found to be creative and somewhat lengthy. Most games are available with an Easy or Hard difficulty mode option. Below are brief descriptions of some of the games you'll encounter during the demo:
1) Eliminate all but one token by removing tokens located between two matching tokens.
2) Point each dial to one of the symbols shown on the clue, by pressing the blue arrows to rotate the dials the total number of times shown on them. Rotating one dial may affect others.
3) Guide each flower to its matching corner without intersecting paths.
4) Perform first aid on Benjamin logically.
5) Press icons in the correct sequence.
6) Guide Nigel to the gates, avoiding the black hawks.
DARK ROMANCE GAMES AVAILABLE
Title***Collector's Edition Release Date***Average Rating
Title***Collector's Edition Release Date***Average Rating
1-Vampire In Love (February 8-14) 3.9
2-Heart of the Beast (April 23-15) 4.0
3-The Swan Sonata (October 17-15) 3.4
4-Kingdom of Death (April 21-16) 3.4
5-Curse of Bluebeard ( October 13-16) 4.7
6-Romeo and Juliet (February 25-17) 2.7
7-The Monster Within (September 7-17) n/a
2-Heart of the Beast (April 23-15) 4.0
3-The Swan Sonata (October 17-15) 3.4
4-Kingdom of Death (April 21-16) 3.4
5-Curse of Bluebeard ( October 13-16) 4.7
6-Romeo and Juliet (February 25-17) 2.7
7-The Monster Within (September 7-17) n/a
This Collector's Edition has 15 Wallpapers, 20 Concept Art pictures, 5 Music Soundtracks, 10 replayable Movie Videos, 30 Achievements to earn, 12 Cursed Paintings, 15 Morphing Objects, 64 Collectible Brushes to buy 12 Animal paintings in the Menagerie, 19 replayable Hidden Object Scenes, 19 replayable Mini Games, a built in Strategy Guide and a Bonus Chapter, enjoy!
I recommend this game!
Gather balls of the same color in increasingly difficult levels in this action brain teaser.
Overall rating
5
/
5
74 of 84 found this review helpful
TAKE ALL THE TIME YOU NEED TO CLEAR THESE COLORFUL BALLS
PostedSeptember 6, 2017
pennmom36
fromBy the time I Clear It to level 150, Clear It 3 will be released lol!
Skill Level:Expert
Current Favorite:
Phantasmat Collector's Edition
(100)Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
There's no timer, no limited moves, so you get all the time in the world, to clear the balls! The object of this game is the same as in the first game, Clear It, again! The gameplay is simple, but the game itself isn't so simple. There are unlimited colored balls located on all four sides of the board, all you need to do, is select and click on a ball, which will travel in a straight line until it hits another ball (or power-up) If the selected ball hits a ball on the board that is the same color, they will both be destroyed. Using strategy however, allows you to destroy several balls in a single move.
Each level usually has special balls that when hit with a ball, will be activated, such as a Star that will eliminate several random balls, a Fireball which explodes to destroy nearby balls (created by hitting flashing balls) an Exclamation ball that destroys all balls of the same color, and a Multi-colored ball which can either help you or hurt you by adding more balls to the playing field.
There are 150 levels, and because the only object is to clear all the balls, without time restraints, and without any move limits, there is no score. Because there is no score, the levels continue one after another, so you won't have to wait for the game to load or click several icons just to get to the next level. Each level is slightly more difficult than the previous level, as more colors are added, there's less of a chance of getting the necessary colors. Sometimes you just have to sacrifice a few balls, by adding more to the equation, just to get to the colored balls you need.
Clear It is a very addicting Marble Popping game, with increasingly more difficult levels. With 150 levels, this game will be well worth the price, in my opinion, I just hope I make it to level 150, enjoy!
I recommend this game!
Start off as a Rookie and play your way to MVP, travelling to different states across the USA!
Overall rating
5
/
5
82 of 100 found this review helpful
I'M NOT A BASEBALL FAN BUT I'M A FAN OF THIS SOLITAIRE GAME
PostedSeptember 6, 2017
pennmom36
fromTake me out to the ball game.....
Skill Level:Expert
Current Favorite:
The Chronicles of Emerland Solitaire
(147)Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
Too bad this isn't a football themed game, I love football, but I've never really gotten into baseball. Whether you're a baseball fan or not, this is still a really good Higher/Lower solitaire game, and has all the features I look for in a solitaire game. There are 10 different baseball themed card backs and 3 face card options to choose from, you can even choose custom cursors, a baseball, a glove, a giant foam pointer finger, a hot dog or bat. I hate it when you are forced to play a tutorial level that makes you choose specific cards that the arrow points to, because they never let you choose all available cards in a chain combo, but this game allows you to opt out of the arrow hint, yet still continue with the tutorial!. This game can be played in a Casual difficulty with a high chance of special cards, and higher card points. Normal mode gives you a normal chance for special cards and a normal point score, and Hard mode rarely has special cards, gives you less points and playing King to Ace and vice versa is not allowed. There are 40 Achievements to earn, and there is a section that allows you to play Freehand, Tri-Peaks and 5 Peaks Solitaire games.
The goal is to remove cards on the board, either one Higher or one Lower (except on Hard mode) you must remove all Special Cards that have a baseball on the corner, and you can still continue playing until all cards have been removed, unlike other solitaire games that don't let you continue after removing the special cards! Combos start at 6 consecutive cards, and you can earn bonus coins if you play the same suit card. You can earn up to 4 Stars, and there's a meter at the top to see your progression.
This is baseball folks, so if you miss a playable card on the board, it's considered a Strike. Three strikes and you out, you will lose cash and a deck card! There are Bonus Foundation Cards that show up, some give you extra Coins, some are Wildcards that can be used as any card number, but must be played, Jokers however, turn into a specific valued card, and will be held until you use it. Some cards allow you to play a Mini Game such as a Match 3 game or a Pair Matching game. Some of the cards on the board are blocked and can't be removed until you uncover it's counterpart, such as a Home Plate Card that requires a Runner Card to unlock, and Lock Cards require Key Cards.
You can spend the cash you earn at the Shop, passive cards such as Undos, Shuffles, Jokers, Wildcards, Missed and Card Hints, are automatically. Other shop card items need to be assigned before each level, with up to 4 power-ups at a time. There are cards that will reveal a percentage of face down cards or show you how many deck cards remain, cards that will remove cards, or give you playable cards, even cards that will allow you to earn more coins per card, or reduce the combo starting point at 5 cards.
This game has all the features I like, customizable difficulty modes, the ability to choose my own cards during the tutorial, High/Low solitaire type, the ability to continue playing after the special cards have been removed, and a Free Play section. I love the 3 Strikes your out feature too. Although I'm not that into baseball, I am into this Solitaire game, so give it a try, even if you're not into baseball or sports because it's a really good Solitaire game, enjoy!
I recommend this game!
Can you save your sister from her new abilities in time?
Overall rating
5
/
5
151 of 186 found this review helpful
STORMBORNE
PostedSeptember 5, 2017
pennmom36
fromIf the Queen rules by day, and the King by night, why is there a Princess?
Skill Level:Expert
Current Favorite:
Phantasmat Collector's Edition
(100)Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
There are two Realms in this world, The Realm of Man and the Realm of Fae which is ruled by a King and Queen. The Queen ruled by day, King Oberon by night, that is, until she left the Fae Realm and escaped to the Realm of Man. An infuriated King Oberon closed the gates between the two worlds, sealing her fate forever. The Realm of Man, is a broken world, a post apocalyptic world, a world that eagerly accepted the stranger who came to rule, to offer its people wisdom and salvation. When a sudden storm produced a deadly tornado, it forces Lynn and Astrid to flee their home, and seek shelter from the stranger, their Mayor. The sisters discover something amazing on their life saving journey, it seems that the storm has awakened powers deep within Lynn, powers she never knew she had, powers that are strengthened by the medallion she's had since birth. This is Dawn of Hope: Daughter of Thunder, this is an amazing journey!
Mad Head games has got game! Dawn of Hope is going to be a series of epic proportion, a stormy force to be reckoned with, one that will rise to the top of the HOPA charts, surely this game will qualify for many gaming awards, so hats off and kudos Mad Head, you've done it again! The only features I'm not crazy about, are that we have yet another Amulet/Medallion gimmicky tool, the same hidden Spirals are located in each scene, and that the Morphing Objects are only found within the Hidden Object Scenes, in this Collector's Edition version. This game would be absolutely perfect if each scene contained a slowly Morphing Object in each location instead of just in the HOP's!
The Hidden Object Scenes are what you'd expect, I've come to the conclusion that there's just not much you can do with this feature to make it more exciting, other than being creative with the location of the scenes. No longer are the items cleverly blended into the scene, perhaps in an effort to make them easy enough for everyone, but if you've ever played an older HOPA game, you'll notice that items were much more difficult to spot than in the newer games. There are Silhouetted Shape finds and Listed Item finds, usually a combination of both, and in the CE version, each of the 20 HOP's have a Morphing Object to find. I had to wonder about the HOP located inside the Cable Car, because one of the items was a bucket full of ice! How long was that bucket of ice in there? Why didn't the ice melt? How did they make ice in a post apocalyptic era in the first place?
The Mini Games are fairly decent, ranging from simplistic and easy, to medium difficulty, so far nothing super challenging. Below are brief descriptions of some of the games you'll encounter during the demo:
1) Click on the symbol that matches the symbol near Lynn's' hand.
2) Select thorny vines that aren't covered by another vine.
3) Use directional arrows to blow wind on the lock and key parts to move them towards each other.
4) Select and drag the colored tiles to fill the entire grid, each tile has a specific amount of tiles it can cover.
5) Match 3 different corresponding items to each character by rotating circle sections.
6) Select misplaced items and place them into the scene correctly to advance the story.
7) Balance the spheres on the orange surface using directional arrows until the meter is full.
DAWN OF HOPE GAMES AVAILABLE:
Title***Collector's Edition Release Date***Average Rating
Title***Collector's Edition Release Date***Average Rating
1-Skyline Adventure (November 5-16) 4.3
This Collector's Edition has 8 Profile pictures, a Character Gallery, 20 replayable Hidden Object Scenes, 20 Morphing Objects within the HOP's, 30 Hidden Signs one in each location, a Jigsaw Puzzle, 10 Music Soundtracks, 4 Wallpapers, a built in Strategy Guide, an ALTERNATE ENDING, and a Bonus Chapter, enjoy the storm!
I recommend this game!
A once beautiful and bright lagoon has gone dark. Help underwater characters find the culprit in this match 3 adventure!
Overall rating
3
/
5
33 of 41 found this review helpful
SAME AS PENGUIN RESCUE/PRETTY SNAILS/OWL RESCUE
PostedSeptember 4, 2017
pennmom36
fromI'm going to give the worms a break on this one!
Skill Level:Expert
Current Favorite:
Cradle of Egypt
(92)Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
This is another Match 3 game by the same devs of Penguin Rescue, Pretty Snails, and Owl Rescue, I think there were a few others offered, but I can't remember. This is a Limited Moves, swap type Match 3 game, and I'm not really a fan of the Limited Moves feature. If you don't reach the goals before running out of moves, you are forced to buy increments of 5 extra moves that increase in price with each increment, and it's next to impossible to earn all 3 stars when you do. I also hate that I can't make another swap until all tiles are finished doing their matching thing! The Fish Tiles are large, bright and colorful, so there should be no issues with being able to see the tiles or telling them apart from one another. Personally, the cartoonish nature of the game isn't that appealing to me, seems like it's targeted audience would be for kids. The music was cute at first but quickly became repetitive.
Large matches will earn you bonuses on the board to help you beat the levels, a Match 4 gives you a Super Fish, which are eels attached to a fish, that when matched with color specific fish, will clear an entire row or column, depending on the direction you made the original match in. A Match 5 earns you a rainbow colored Octopus which removes all tiles of the same color that it's matched with. A Match in a T or L shape will earn you a Swellfish which is a fish in a bubble that detonates to destroy adjacent tiles when used in a match. Power-ups can and should be combined when possible, especially once the difficult boards are introduced. As you progress, you are given bonuses such as + 5 Tiles, or a Fish Net to grab a single tile. Eventually you will be able to select Bonus items before each level of Timers, the Octopus, Starfish or Shellfish bonus or the Sweet Duo feature.
I did enjoy the Obstacles offered such as Seaweed Tiles that require single or multiple matches made on top of them, Vines that require matches made of the same tile that's trapped within, Ink Tiles that disappear when you make a match next to them, and my favorite are sea urchins? or flowers? that can require single, double or triple matches adjacent to them depending on how many layers there are!
Just as in all the other Match 3 games by this dev, every third level has a new quest offered to earn extra coins. The quests are very simplistic and easy to find items located somewhere on the level map. It also has the same feature that's unique to this series of games, where on some levels, the columns or rows swap places after each turn. I liked Penguin Rescue, and this isn't a bad match 3 game, but it's really no different than all of the other games I mentioned, so I'll hang up my fishing rod for this one.
I recommend this game!