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:
Can you stop the fiery witch before it’s too late?
Overall rating
5
/
5
152 of 170 found this review helpful
This Witch Has Had 500 Years To Brood And It Shows!
PostedSeptember 29, 2016
pennmom36
fromMissed Opportunity: Why is it that I never have a bag of marshmallows when I need it?
Skill Level:Expert
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
Welcome to Menzbruck detective, this quaint little town holds many secrets, but not for long. Your client, Katharina has just awakened Madlena, one of the most powerful medieval witches ever burned at the stake! Madlena has big plans for Katharina, the first witch born in 500 years, none of them are good, and none of them are desired by poor Katharina! You're going to have to go on a witch hunt of your own because if you fail, this quaint little town will have two angry witches to deal with!
I don't know how you would ever solve these paranormal cases without your trusty psychic glasses that give you a glimpse into the past. Not only do they conveniently show you just the really important things pertaining to the case at hand (good thing, can you imagine all the really stupid things the past could show?) but they are really chic and stylin' to boot. This edition of Mystery Tales is really good, not perfect, but by all means, 100% better than the last CE handed to us! (wink, wink, nod, nod) The story is kind of silly and hoaky, and the game is really easy to play. In fact, the game can be played without a Strategy Guide and more than likely you'll never use the hint feature, but that's okay, it's fun, entertaining and jam packed full of CE bling. There are 15 Morphing Dungeon Devices, yep, you can fill the Torture Chamber with all the latest (by late I mean really old) gadgets. There's the tried and true pendulum, the typical rack, rusty pincers, a spiked collar, spiked boots, and a spiked chair, (are we sure this stuffs is medieval?) the tried and true expander, skull press, and cage, a water barrel, (or is it waterboarding) an iron mask, gallows, a wicked iron maiden and of course, no respectable dungeon would be caught dead without an executioner's hood! If that isn't enough to make Christian Grey proud, there are 36 Collectible Tarot Cards, Collectible missing pages from the Witches Spellbook, Collectible Notes (could somebody please explain why my notebook pages are scattered all around town, why are the pages loose in the first place?) Achievements to earn and a ton of Plus Sign inventory items, many of which require a puzzle to be solved. It doesn't get any better than this game when it comes to CE bling!
The Hidden Object Scenes are basically the same variations repeated, but the HOP's are fairly entertaining and are located in some interesting locations. My favorite scene was inside of an Iron Maiden with a ghostly vibe. There are Interactive list finds, Silhouetted Shape finds, and Multiple finds, many are multi layered, switching between a couple of different styles and some have small puzzles to solve withing the HOP's. If you don't like HOP's you can opt to play a Match 3 game instead.
The Mini Games have a wonderful feature, you can choose to play all of the mini games in either an Easy mode or or a Hard mode, why other games don't offer this feature is baffling. below are brief descriptions of some of the games you'll encounter during the demo:
1) Slide blocks to "free" a chain.
2) Find pairs of matching symbols by selecting two roses at a time, a wrong selection will cause the roses to swap positions.
3) Restore the picture so it matches the image the image on the clue found. Select the central buttons to rotate the surrounding tiles on the circles.
4) Find items that match keywords in a storybook.
5) Using trial and error, select a colored pin and a notch, wrong choices will reset the lock.
6) Swap disks to restore the picture.
7) Place the inner tokens next to their corresponding images on the outer circle. Tokens move along blue paths, select center arrows to rotate those paths.
8) Rotate square tiles, rotating one tile may affect others.
9) Arrange stones chronologically.
10) Place the heads on the correct statues based upon the pictured clue.
11) Drag rows and columns to clear matching symbols, while removing skulls last.
This Collector's Edition has 15 Morphing Torture Chamber Dungeon Devices, 36 Collectible Tarot Cards, Collectible pages for the Witches Spellbook, Collectible Note Pages for your dossier, 33 different Location's, 118 Zoom Zones, 23 Mini Games, 13 Hidden Object Scenes, 13 different Characters introduced, 14 Wallpapers, 13 Concept Art pictures, 5 Music Soundtracks, 33 Achievements, a built in Strategy Guide and a Bonus Chapter, enjoy!
I recommend this game!
Guide Dracula on a madcap quest to find out who's zombifying the masses through their cell phones!
Overall rating
5
/
5
65 of 76 found this review helpful
Don't Answer The Phone!
PostedSeptember 28, 2016
pennmom36
fromRing, Ring, Ring
Skill Level:Expert
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
The Incredible Dracula is no longer a bachelor, yep, he's a family man thanks to his online dating stalker, also known as Princess. The Count soon finds trouble in paradise, when people start to become hypnotized after using their cell phones. The Count and the Princess hit the road, together this time, to search for answers and destroy the billboards and other technology responsible for zombifying everyone.
I've truly never enjoyed a Time Management game more than this series, Chasing Love was an exceptional game and The Last Call is even better! You can play in relaxed mode, multi click and timed modes and in the CE, each level has a present to find and open to receive collectible stickers.
This game has it all, Vampires, Zombies, Werewolves and Trolls. You will need to hire zombies to clear paths, gather resources and collect food. My favorite part is building BloodDonalds hamburger shacks when the Count gets hungry, but of course there's the normal buildings such as sawmills and mines. Rufus is your go to zombie guy but has very little to say other than uugghh. Some items you collect will go towards crafting objects, after all, Princess still requires luxury. You will gradually earn bonuses that can be used once the meter fills such as swift feet which speeds up the zombie workers temporarily (but I thought everyone hated fast zombies!?) . I love how everything is related to the story, the garlic, the BloodDonalds, and even when you repair the road, the zombies simply slap a few misguided boards on top. The goal is to earn 3 gold stars, and you can replay the levels to achieve a better score.
The Collector's Edition has 30 Hidden Presents with stickers, 10 Biographies (hilarious) 6 Wallpapers, 5 Creepy Music Soundtracks, 5 Concept Art pictures, 34 Trophies to earn, a built in Strategy Guide and a Bonus Chapter, enjoy....if you dare!
I recommend this game!
Travel to a Klondike Gold Rush town to solve a murder!
Overall rating
2
/
5
47 of 54 found this review helpful
My One Star Rating Was Too Harsh On The Collector's Edition So I Bumped It Up To Two, It's Still Not That Great
PostedSeptember 27, 2016
pennmom36
fromThis snowbird's flying the coop!
Skill Level:Expert
Fun Factor
2
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
2
/
5
Level of Challenge
2
/
5
Storyline
2
/
5
I'm not a hard person to please when it comes to games, usually I can find entertainment value in every game I play. I had a really difficult time finishing just the demo, which thankfully was short, taking me just under an hour to finish.
When Dead Reckoning was first released, I thought it was a terrific whodunit adventure that appealed to my sleuthing side. Lately, the epic games of the past are spiraling downhill while some lesser known titles are stepping up their game. Probably because the devs believe the game will be a hit because most gamers automatically purchase games because "all of the other games were really good" and lesser know devs still strive to produce a better game than the last one, right?
As far as whodunits go, I suppose this is a good enough plot, just not one that I could relate to. Seth Savage is a railroad tycoon that has the Klondike gold rush community of Snowbird Creek split. Railroads could make or break the hard workers, some risking their lives panning for gold, others rely on making their money working on Seth's latest tunnel project. When Seth Savage is found murdered, the list of suspects begins to pile up in this ruthless untamed town, and of course that's where your skills come into play. Finding out who killed Seth Savage and why!
With the Collector's Editions version, Dead Reckoning: Snowbirds Creek does seem to have all the "extra's" one could ever want. The only thing I would question about the CE's worthiness is that the entire game may be quite short if the demo itself is a mere hour, give or take. Each scene has a Hidden Sign, but the bright gold fishing trophies are hard to miss, they stick out like a sore thumb. There are several Achievements to earn, and most of the Hidden Object Scenes have a Morphing Object to find.
The Hidden Object Scenes are typical, with several of the standard type scenes. There are Interactive List finds, and scenes where you find 5 identical items in 2 different sections which give you an item to release the rest of the listed items such as a hook to grab the net that covers the inventory bar. The only HOP that was slightly different required you to find items in a general store with just the inventory numbers such as 516 or 331. There is a Morphing Object in each scene and you can opt for a Match 3 game instead of the HOP. Technically, each time you interrogate a suspect (or examine a body) it's in the form of a HOP because you have to find evidence one item at a time.
The Mini Games are entirely too simple. Most of them can be done in seconds, which at least allows you to earn an achievement pretty easily. Below are brief descriptions of some of the games you'll encounter during the demo:
1) Arrange the financial records so that their lines complete a pattern.
2) Match all of the inner rope fibers by opening two fibers at a time.
3) Find related pairs of hiking items.
4) Dial the numbers written on a clue you found earlier.
5) Orient the tracing on the map by rotating the tracing and dragging it around until it lines up with the original.
6) Charge the tram by traveling through each point on the map without traveling to the same point twice.
7) Repeat the pattern by pressing the left or right keys to match the birds movements.
8) Move the golden keys to the 3 slots on the left. Select arrows to move all of the keys which move until they hit an edge, obstacles or each other.
The Collector's Edition has 6 Videos, 7 Music Soundtracks, 8 Wallpapers, 8 Concept Art pictures, 23 replayable Puzzles, 13 replayable Hidden Object Puzzles, replayable Match 3 Games, a13 Morphing Objects in the HOP's, 13 Achievements, 40 Hidden Signs, a Souvenir Room to store the collectibles, a built in Strategy Guide and a Bonus Chapter. Give this one a try before you buy, it's just to iffy of a game.
I don't recommend this game.
Can you save your boyfriend before it's too late?
Overall rating
5
/
5
265 of 296 found this review helpful
REALITY IS FLUID IN TALEWORLD
PostedSeptember 24, 2016
pennmom36
fromMadHead Games does it again! Now this is thinking outside the box!
Skill Level:Expert
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
Have you ever wondered what it would be like if you could rewrite the storyline of a game? Well, that's exactly what you get to do in Nevertales: Hidden Doorway! Helen receives a frantic video from her boyfriend Ian Barton, claiming his mentor Benedict Bell, isn't who he says he is, and that he's in dire need of her help. Helen rushes over to Mr. Bell's house to find Ian trapped behind a door bound by otherworldly chains. Ian shoves a novel he wrote, "The Hidden Doorway" through a small opening between the chains explaining that reality is fluid here, like fiction, and with his book she is able to change the story to a more favorable outcome! Helen sets out to free Ian from Mr. Bell who seems to have gone off the deep end, she quickly realizes that she has become a character in the stories that he has written and must outwit the author as she searches for Ian within the chapters world. Helen has an even bigger problem however, just who is the monster in reality, Ian or Benedict Bell?
Ian's novel will be your guiding light in this world as well as Taleworld. At certain points in the game, you will read a paragraph, words in purple text can't be changed directly, but the words in blue text can be altered to have a more favorable outcome. When you click on the word in blue, several items will be presented at the top of the page, you must the choose the item that will best suit the situation and change the outcome to a favorable outcome by using that item. This Collector's Edition also has a Hidden Collectible Sign in each scene, as well as the usual Achievements to earn, which also allows you to earn Gold, Silver and Bronze stars for each of the 9 Achievements.
The Hidden Object Scenes have a Morphing Object to find and an icon indicator to remind you to look for the Morph which is something I appreciate because I have a hard time remembering when they are within the HOP. There are Interactive List finds, Silhouetted Shape finds, Multiples of each item finds, items listed that simply move to expose fragments to complete a puzzle, and even smaller Zoom Zone scenes with just a handful of items to find. (note that some zoom zones have arrows to move the scene up and down, some have rotation arrows that allow you to flip the item to see the back of it)
I really enjoyed the Mini Games, they weren't too frustrating yet not too simple either. Below are brief descriptions of some of the Mini Games you'll encounter during the demo:
1) Arrange the pie shaped pieces so that the ball can roll down through the maze at the bottom.
2) Cut all the bushes by controlling the scissors. Scissors will cut in a straight line until the hit a hedge wall or other obstacle and the scissors can't cross their own path.
3) Select and rotate the two suns until the positions of the smaller planets align with their bigger versions.
4) Recreate the image by selecting square tiles and placing them in the correct squares.
5) Rotate the safe numbers using arrows from the clues you found earlier.
This Collector's Edition has a Hidden Sign in each scene, 9 Achievements available in Gold, Silver, and Bronze categories, a Morphing Object in each Hidden Object Puzzle, 16 replayable Hidden Object Scenes, 22 Concept Art pictures, 17 Wallpapers, 10 Music Soundtracks, Avatars, a Scrapbook, a Gardening Puzzle, a Nostalgia Section, a built in Strategy Guide and a Bonus Chapter, enjoy!
Ian's novel will be your guiding light in this world as well as Taleworld. At certain points in the game, you will read a paragraph, words in purple text can't be changed directly, but the words in blue text can be altered to have a more favorable outcome. When you click on the word in blue, several items will be presented at the top of the page, you must the choose the item that will best suit the situation and change the outcome to a favorable outcome by using that item. This Collector's Edition also has a Hidden Collectible Sign in each scene, as well as the usual Achievements to earn, which also allows you to earn Gold, Silver and Bronze stars for each of the 9 Achievements.
The Hidden Object Scenes have a Morphing Object to find and an icon indicator to remind you to look for the Morph which is something I appreciate because I have a hard time remembering when they are within the HOP. There are Interactive List finds, Silhouetted Shape finds, Multiples of each item finds, items listed that simply move to expose fragments to complete a puzzle, and even smaller Zoom Zone scenes with just a handful of items to find. (note that some zoom zones have arrows to move the scene up and down, some have rotation arrows that allow you to flip the item to see the back of it)
I really enjoyed the Mini Games, they weren't too frustrating yet not too simple either. Below are brief descriptions of some of the Mini Games you'll encounter during the demo:
1) Arrange the pie shaped pieces so that the ball can roll down through the maze at the bottom.
2) Cut all the bushes by controlling the scissors. Scissors will cut in a straight line until the hit a hedge wall or other obstacle and the scissors can't cross their own path.
3) Select and rotate the two suns until the positions of the smaller planets align with their bigger versions.
4) Recreate the image by selecting square tiles and placing them in the correct squares.
5) Rotate the safe numbers using arrows from the clues you found earlier.
This Collector's Edition has a Hidden Sign in each scene, 9 Achievements available in Gold, Silver, and Bronze categories, a Morphing Object in each Hidden Object Puzzle, 16 replayable Hidden Object Scenes, 22 Concept Art pictures, 17 Wallpapers, 10 Music Soundtracks, Avatars, a Scrapbook, a Gardening Puzzle, a Nostalgia Section, a built in Strategy Guide and a Bonus Chapter, enjoy!
I recommend this game!
Can you uncover the secrets of Crimson Hollow in time?
Overall rating
5
/
5
146 of 164 found this review helpful
Black Widow Baby
PostedSeptember 23, 2016
pennmom36
fromPoor, poor Stacy!
Skill Level:Expert
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
There's nothing better than playing the demo of a game, thinking you have the plot figured out, only to find out that you were wrong, dead wrong! Mandms33 was absolutely correct with her title, because I didn't see that one coming either! Once you get to about the third chapter you're probably not going to know who to trust, but there's always good ole dad to help you out. I'm so glad I purchased this game, I did however opt for the Collector's Edition, mostly because I love Morphing Objects.Here's a rundown of one of the best Grim Tales to date.
Detective Anna Gray has a new case to solve, one that might be a little too close for comfort! Rosette Darkwood has asked Anna to look into the mysterious disappearances of several of her Boarding School students that have gone missing. The headmistress has a few theories of her own, because all of the women were last seen with the handsome Dorian Black, at his family's mansion, Crimson Hollow. The Black family and the Gray family might have more in common than Anna ever imagined, and Dorian may be impossible to investigate if he has the same abilities as Anna!
Daddy dearest is alive and well, sort of. If you remember the last episode, Anna received some unexpected help from her father Richard's spirit when her nephew's son was kidnapped. After the investigation, Anna kept her father's powerful skull (weird right?) and just so it wouldn't fall into the wrong hands, she has brought the skull with her. Once inside Crimson Hollow, Richard Gray is awakened once more, perhaps because of the family ties that bind.....whenever his skull glows, dad has something important to discuss with you, but just bits and pieces of information at a time. There are a couple of devices to help your investigation, Anna's trusty detective kit with a lockpick, a screwdriver and a flashlight (high tech stuff) and a Charm that was actually given to Dorian by Richard. The charm is called the Sphere of Time and is capable of allowing its owner to travel to the past even when protected by magic.
One thing's for sure, this series just keeps getting better and better! You can always count on Grim Tales games to have exceptional graphics and a flawless incorporation of real characters. What often goes unnoticed however is the sounds. You can hear the wind howling, and the crackle of a fire, everything is realistic, and several things can be interacted with, just because you can! Stop playing for just a few seconds and listen, the sights and sounds are what make or break a game and you may not even know it. The Collector's Edition has hidden Jigsaw Pieces that will allow you to assemble 3 different Screensavers, Entailed Castle, Ancient Secrets, and Family curse pictures. As far as I can remember, all Grim Tales Collector's Editions have Morphing Objects, and the Morphs in Crimson Hollow are very creative, some of which aren't very obvious. There are also 10 Morphing Portraits to find and the normal CE bling of Achievements, Wallpapers, Secret Rooms and even Archives.
One thing's for sure, this series just keeps getting better and better! You can always count on Grim Tales games to have exceptional graphics and a flawless incorporation of real characters. What often goes unnoticed however is the sounds. You can hear the wind howling, and the crackle of a fire, everything is realistic, and several things can be interacted with, just because you can! Stop playing for just a few seconds and listen, the sights and sounds are what make or break a game and you may not even know it. The Collector's Edition has hidden Jigsaw Pieces that will allow you to assemble 3 different Screensavers, Entailed Castle, Ancient Secrets, and Family curse pictures. As far as I can remember, all Grim Tales Collector's Editions have Morphing Objects, and the Morphs in Crimson Hollow are very creative, some of which aren't very obvious. There are also 10 Morphing Portraits to find and the normal CE bling of Achievements, Wallpapers, Secret Rooms and even Archives.
The Hidden Object Scenes are really just average, for me, that's okay as long as the Mini Games are decent and in abundance and they certainly are. There are Silhouetted Shape finds, finding items that match Keywords in a story setting, Listed Item finds and even small Zoom Zone HOP's where you are tasked with finding a handful of fragments. My favorite scene was finding items that matched their Silhouetted Shapes, but the items morphed and you had to click on the item when it was in it's correct form.
The Mini Games are a mixture of small and simple puzzles to longer more frustrating types, but seem to be very doable. Below are brief descriptions of some of the Mini Games you'll encounter during the demo and a few of my favorites from the main game:
1) Select a word from each column that relates to the clues given, then click search on the computer. If correct you will read information pertaining to the search.
2) Fill each bronze plate with the correct number of spheres based on the number clues next to them and use the green triangle to move the spheres from one plate to another.
3) Control the magnet to take out all of the fragments from the fountain.
4) Move the cubes so that they will fit into the top slots of the lock using directional arrows on rows and columns.
5) Release the brides spirit from the door by selecting locks from beginning to end on chains that are free.
6) Trap the white checker piece in the corner using black checkers that can be moved to highlighted places on the board.
7) Move the clock hands so that the clock is set to Midnight, moving one hand may affect others and at different speeds.
8) Navigate to the center of the labyrinth in a specific number of moves, using directional arrows.
9) Select the correct piano keys using a complex cypher clue.
10) Select matching pairs of symbols by clicking on black spots to flip over two at a time. If you choose the incorrect matching symbol you will have to star over from the beginning.
11) Turn off all the runes on the shackles, when you turn off one rune, you change the state of adjacent runes.
12) Move the iconic monuments to the correct locations on a map.
The Collector's Edition has 8 Wallpapers, 8 Concept Art pictures, Archives, a Secret Room, 5 Music Soundtracks, Hidden Jigsaw Puzzle pieces that allow you to assemble 3 different Screensavers, Morphing Objects, 10 Morphing Portraits, 15 Achievements (to the best of my knowledge) a built in Strategy Guide and a Bonus Chapter, enjoy!
I recommend this game!
An arsonist is burning down the Mountain Kingdom's forests!
Overall rating
5
/
5
291 of 339 found this review helpful
This Royal Wedding Is Smoking Hot And On Fire
PostedSeptember 22, 2016
pennmom36
fromWhat do you need me for? It seems Snow White can take care of the fire much better than I can!
Skill Level:Expert
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
Once upon a time, a knight met a witch along his journey. The witch struck a deal with the knight, a deal that would make the knight a very wealthy man, if he were brave enough. She told the knight of a place that was filled with unimaginable treasures, all of which he could keep, except for one special item, a Tinderbox that belonged to her Grandmother. The knight agreed to this deal, but when he returned with his abundant treasure, he refused to give the witch her Grandmother's Tinderbox, when he discovered what the Tinderbox was capable of! When the knight returned to the Mountain Kingdom, he used his newfound wealth, and the Tinderbox to transform from commoner to king by marrying the Kings daughter. The knight turned king went to great lengths to protect the Tinderbox from the scorned witch, and those who sought its power, but somehow, someone has managed to steal it, someone who is desperately trying to stop the wedding between Prince Gwyn and Princess Gerda, but this someone may really surprise you!
Also, Once upon a time, back in the day, when I first discovered my love for HOPA's, I discovered this epic series, Dark Parables. I became hooked, purchasing one Dark Parable game after another, I just couldn't get enough of them. The stories were fantastically creative, taking well know fairytales and twisting the plot ever so gently to draw you in hook, line, and sinker. But my favorite feature was the Morphing Objects which to be honest with you I didn't know they even existed until I was a couple of chapters in on Curse of Briar Rose, the first DP game I played.You know why? Because the developers were geniuses! Dark Parables were non-linear games, Morphing Objects didn't Morph until they were eventually triggered by an action you did in an entirely different scene. These Morphs were challenging to say the least and often times you had to travel to a scene several times, and then had to be patient to spot the Morphs because they morphed so slowly slowly. I beta tested The Thief and the Tinderbox, and requested that the devs please consider going back their "roots" to give us this style of morph in the game itself, and not within the HOP's. Unfortunately, this game only offers Morphing Parables to find throughout the main game, I really hated this feature, why bother, it's just not very fun to search for a storybook puzzle piece when there are so few pieces to find. There are 3 parable pieces to find to assemble 7 different parables so they will be far a few between scenes . I also noticed that the graphics are becoming much crisper too, at one point the glittery gold hues were almost overbearing, especially in Jack and the Sky Kingdom, so I'm glad to see that feature change.
The Hidden Object Scenes haven't changed, and that's a good thing. Dark Parables are famous for their FROG's, this is where you are tasked with finding several fragments in three different sections. When all fragments have been found in a section, those pieces will automatically combine, and once all three sections are found the three sections will combine to make a single inventory item, usually an Emblem or fancy key, because DP are also famous for requiring you to find all kinds of fairytale emblems which seem to be missing or at least partially missing from just about every door, window, box or passageway in the kingdom. I know it may seem boring that all of the FROG's are the same type, but the scenes aren't as easy as you'd think, and they offer a nice change of pace. Other games have tried unsuccessfully to incorporate this type of HO but somehow never seem to be quite as fun as they are in this series.
The Mini Games are always a treat in this series, I look forward to solving the fantasy themed puzzles and rarely skip them. Below are brief descriptions of some of the games you'll encounter during the demo:
1) Recreate each of the masks by swapping the parts, press the arrow to rotate the masks right or left.
2) Untangle the lasers by dragging the tokens along their tracks. Press green arrows to rotate the wheel to move the center of the tokens.
3) Press buttons to guide the knight through the maze and complete the tasks. The first task is to take the checkered tile and then defeat the dog, then take the treasure in the corner, but the dog will kill you if you don't have the tile. The second task is to press arrows to move through the rotating rooms. If you get blocked you'll have to start over. The third task is to swap the tiles to create a path for the knight to reach the final treasure, you can only swap green tiles. Use the tiles to rearrange the arrow tiles. You can "skip" any or all of the three stages in this multi-layered puzzle.
4) Guide the King to the castle by arranging the number tiles in the right order, press the play button to check your solution.
This Collector's Edition has 6 Concept Art pictures, 8 Wallpapers, 8 Music Soundtracks, 21 replayable Mini Games, 17 replayable FROGs, 39 Hidden Signs, 16 Videos, Collectible Souvenirs, 12 Achievements, Morphing Parables, a built in Strategy Guide and a Bonus Chapter, enjoy!
Also, Once upon a time, back in the day, when I first discovered my love for HOPA's, I discovered this epic series, Dark Parables. I became hooked, purchasing one Dark Parable game after another, I just couldn't get enough of them. The stories were fantastically creative, taking well know fairytales and twisting the plot ever so gently to draw you in hook, line, and sinker. But my favorite feature was the Morphing Objects which to be honest with you I didn't know they even existed until I was a couple of chapters in on Curse of Briar Rose, the first DP game I played.You know why? Because the developers were geniuses! Dark Parables were non-linear games, Morphing Objects didn't Morph until they were eventually triggered by an action you did in an entirely different scene. These Morphs were challenging to say the least and often times you had to travel to a scene several times, and then had to be patient to spot the Morphs because they morphed so slowly slowly. I beta tested The Thief and the Tinderbox, and requested that the devs please consider going back their "roots" to give us this style of morph in the game itself, and not within the HOP's. Unfortunately, this game only offers Morphing Parables to find throughout the main game, I really hated this feature, why bother, it's just not very fun to search for a storybook puzzle piece when there are so few pieces to find. There are 3 parable pieces to find to assemble 7 different parables so they will be far a few between scenes . I also noticed that the graphics are becoming much crisper too, at one point the glittery gold hues were almost overbearing, especially in Jack and the Sky Kingdom, so I'm glad to see that feature change.
The Hidden Object Scenes haven't changed, and that's a good thing. Dark Parables are famous for their FROG's, this is where you are tasked with finding several fragments in three different sections. When all fragments have been found in a section, those pieces will automatically combine, and once all three sections are found the three sections will combine to make a single inventory item, usually an Emblem or fancy key, because DP are also famous for requiring you to find all kinds of fairytale emblems which seem to be missing or at least partially missing from just about every door, window, box or passageway in the kingdom. I know it may seem boring that all of the FROG's are the same type, but the scenes aren't as easy as you'd think, and they offer a nice change of pace. Other games have tried unsuccessfully to incorporate this type of HO but somehow never seem to be quite as fun as they are in this series.
The Mini Games are always a treat in this series, I look forward to solving the fantasy themed puzzles and rarely skip them. Below are brief descriptions of some of the games you'll encounter during the demo:
1) Recreate each of the masks by swapping the parts, press the arrow to rotate the masks right or left.
2) Untangle the lasers by dragging the tokens along their tracks. Press green arrows to rotate the wheel to move the center of the tokens.
3) Press buttons to guide the knight through the maze and complete the tasks. The first task is to take the checkered tile and then defeat the dog, then take the treasure in the corner, but the dog will kill you if you don't have the tile. The second task is to press arrows to move through the rotating rooms. If you get blocked you'll have to start over. The third task is to swap the tiles to create a path for the knight to reach the final treasure, you can only swap green tiles. Use the tiles to rearrange the arrow tiles. You can "skip" any or all of the three stages in this multi-layered puzzle.
4) Guide the King to the castle by arranging the number tiles in the right order, press the play button to check your solution.
This Collector's Edition has 6 Concept Art pictures, 8 Wallpapers, 8 Music Soundtracks, 21 replayable Mini Games, 17 replayable FROGs, 39 Hidden Signs, 16 Videos, Collectible Souvenirs, 12 Achievements, Morphing Parables, a built in Strategy Guide and a Bonus Chapter, enjoy!
I recommend this game!
Overall rating
1
/
5
91 of 100 found this review helpful
Um, Ah, Hmm, I'm At A Loss For A Title To Describe This Game!
PostedSeptember 21, 2016
pennmom36
fromI scored 3 times the required points on the first level way within the number of moves so why did I earn only 2 stars?
Skill Level:Expert
Fun Factor
1
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
1
/
5
Level of Challenge
1
/
5
Storyline
1
/
5
I get what 99Rabbit is saying about strategy required to beat the levels. But if it's a lousy game that isn't fun to play, the last thing you want to do is think about your next move. This is a Match 3 game that isn't a Match 3 game at all. You are required to click on groups of identical gems, but there only has to be two in a group, of course larger matches will earn more points and give you bonuses on the board.
The board is green, there's no eye candy, the music is annoying and the gems are just different color variations of the same thing. You must reach the levels goals within a limited number of moves to earn 3 stars. You may have to earn a specific amount of points, or click on matches over all colored cells, and there are the usual obstructions that require matches made next to them to break through.
As you progress you you receive bonuses of specific amounts that can also be purchased with the gold coins you have earned, you can also purchase more stars, I'm assuming to upgrade something but it was not explained. You can also purchase more moves if you fail to meet the requirements within the specified amount of moves.
In all fairness, this is my least favorite type of Match 3 games and I only made it about halfway through the demo, it was just too boring to pursue it any further. If you like chain type Match 3 games, I recommend you try Cradle of Persia and leave Dr. Evil Wicked to his own devices.
I don't recommend this game.
When a famous shapeshifting alchemist is charged with looking into the murder of the king's most trusted agent and friend, the last thing she expects to discover is an intricate network of shadowy criminals, intent on bringing chaos to the land.
Overall rating
5
/
5
261 of 294 found this review helpful
I'm An Alchemist And Shapeshifting Is What I Do
PostedSeptember 20, 2016
pennmom36
fromOne thing's for sure, I don't want to shapeshift into a wolf!
Skill Level:Expert
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
I've played a lot of different characters in a lot of different games. I've been a female detective, I've been a male detective, I've been a mother, I've been a father, I've been a sister, I've been a brother, I've been a witch, I've been an Aunt, I've been a Princess, I've been a Queen (I don't think I've been a King??) I've even been a vampire before! This however, is the first time I've been a bird, a hamster and a snail, yep, for about 5 minutes I joined the slug kingdom! There's a perfectly good explanation for all this shapeshifting, it's because I'm an Alchemist who can whip up some pretty unusual recipes with just a few plants and berries, and just when I need them the most.
This certainly is an unusual game to say the least. Even though I'm sarcastically describing this game's plot and features, I had fun playing yet another game where the King calls upon my services. (at least I'm not a Princess, but now I think I want to be a King) No Alchemist would be credible without a portable Alchemist Box, so naturally I have a space age (you'll see what I mean) state of the art box that allows me to whip up a ton of shapeshifting potions. The icons to the left of the inventory bar will show you as either human or animal just in case you forget that you just drank a huge bottle of the potion you just got done whipping up. I just hope none of them wear off too soon, I'll really get myself into a pickle then! Each scene has a collectible Jigsaw Puzzle piece to find, and some of the scenes have collectible Figurines to find which also give you brief descriptions about them, such as Trolls and Fairies.
The Hidden Object Scenes are pretty decent, and every HOP was different. Just in the demo alone, there were Interactive list finds, Morphs, Multiple of the same objects, Multiples of sharp objects, Fragmented Object finds and even an interactive soup recipe with Silhouetted Shape finds. You can opt to play a Matching Pair game where you flip over tokens that aren't blocked by other tokens to find matching pairs, if no pairs are available you can click the arrows to rearrange the tokens.
The Mini Games are fairly easy, but once again, they were fun to solve. Below are brief descriptions of some of the games you'll encounter during the demo:
1) Follow instructions to set the temperature and all the conditions before pouring the ingredients of 3 different recipes.
2) Reach the castle, when the arrow stops moving click to open up a problem to solve: A-use directional arrows in a specific order to maintain balance. B-find the right path through mountains by clicking on the mountain that stands out from the others. C-find pairs of identical birds. D-repeat the sequence of clouds lit up by thunder and lightning.
3) Place stained glass fragments correctly to form a picture.
4) Click on the thorny vines in a specific order and drag them to the bottom of the screen to remove them.
5) Ring the bells in the order depicted on the beam above them, using the cypher clue sheet to discover which bell corresponds to which musical note.
This Collector's Edition has 8 Wallpapers, 6 Concept Art pictures, 5 Music Soundtracks, replayable Hidden Object games, replayable Mini Games, 15 Collectible Character Figurines, 34 Collectible Jigsaw Puzzle pieces, 15 Achievements to earn, Fairytale Character Bios, a built in Strategy Guide and a Bonus Chapter. I've got a weird craving for some bird seed, gotta go, enjoy!
I recommend this game!
Travel to France and uncover the secrets of this beautiful country!
Overall rating
4
/
5
91 of 103 found this review helpful
My Trip To Italy And Greece Was More Fun
PostedSeptember 19, 2016
pennmom36
fromThe Eiffel Tower was built for the World's far? Somebody forgot to proofread before releasing this game, rut row!
Skill Level:Expert
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
I can't quite put my finger on just what made this game a little less fun than the other two Travel Riddles. I wasn't drawn into this game as much as I was with the other games in this series, it's not a bad Match 3 game, it just wasn't an addicting game. If you've ever played the Cradle series (Cradle of Rome 1&2 and Cradle of Egypt) you know how addicting those games can be, it's really difficult to stop playing them! One thing I didn't like was the lack of explanation on the level goals before each game, most of which have Limited Moves, another feature I'm not crazy about.
Each level will give you a small factoid about France and it's famous monuments, which is interesting. The goal is to swap tiles to match at least 3 identical tiles, and you can replay any level to try for a perfect score of 3 gold stars. Some levels have Artifact pieces that need to be collected by dropping them off of the board as you make matches under them. There are also Keys in some levels that you need to collect to unlock locked areas. There are the usual obstructions, Wooden Crates, Stone Blocks and Vines that can be cleared by matching near them, Cannon Balls and Lava stones require a Power-up to remove them.
As you progress, you will receive Bonuses of a Mighty Bomb to clear a group of tiles, a Magic Crystal to destroy all tiles of a specific kind, and Rockets which destroy tiles in a horizontal and vertical line. Making matches of 4 tiles will give you a diamond this will earn you more money to use in the shop, large matches of 5 or more will give you bonuses or power-ups on the board. Your Bonuses can be upgraded in the shop, and you can earn 31 Achievements during the 230 some levels. Although this isn't a fantastic game, it's certainly worthy of a credit, enjoy!
I recommend this game!
Something terrible lurks in the halls of Iron Gate Asylum…
Overall rating
5
/
5
94 of 109 found this review helpful
INMATE EXPERIMENT CONSPIRACY
PostedSeptember 18, 2016
pennmom36
fromI'm pretty sure the "cracker" I had to find in the boat filled with water wouldn't look much like a cracker!
Skill Level:Expert
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
Welcome to the Iron Gate Asylum, once that iron gate closes behind you, there's no going back to the free world! Sarah has just been assigned her new identity, prisoner number 76, she's about to do hard time but she's committed no crime! Sarah has infiltrated the prison with the help of Warden Michael, to find out what happened to her sister Layla who was falsely accused of murdering 3 fellow campers. Once inside the pokey, Sarah is horrified when she discovers that Dr. Ford has been torturing Layla with brutal unethical experiments. Layla is locked in solitary confinement but she's not alone! After attempting to free her frightened sister, Sarah unknowingly releases a terrifying entity, an evil monster you cannot see with the naked eye! Now, no one is safe, and there's no way off this island, at least not alive!
It all begins to make sense, once you realize that the ornate lantern you found is capable of exposing the evil entity that otherwise can't be seen. Seeing is believing, but finding a way to stop a shadow is a whole different ballgame. I absolutely love Mad Head games, they are so good at making games seem real, they use real characters and computer generated graphics to make you feel like you're actually in, and part of the game, it's believable and realistic. In the Collector's Edition, each scene has a hidden creepy eye to find, some of which are very well blended, especially as the game progresses, several Achievements to earn, and a Morphing Object withing the HOP's.
I've made the statement lately that there's nothing new or exciting nowadays in a Hidden Object scene, but I must admit I liked the HOP in this game where you have to use sliders on the top of the page to slide the scene right or left and the slider on the right of the scene to slide the scene up and down as you are tasked with trying to match up two corresponding items. There are also Interactive List finds, Multiple finds, Silhouetted Shape finds and Zoom Zone HOP's with a few fragments or items to find and assemble. My favorite was an HOP I've never seen done before, you had to find items of clothing in a washing machine that matched swatches of fabric, the washer would spin the clothes a couple of times so you could find a whole new group of clothes and it was a very fun and somewhat challenging puzzle to solve.
The Mini Games aren't necessarily challenging, but they are entertaining which is what I really want in these games. Below are brief descriptions of some of the games you'll encounter during the demo and a few of my favorites during the main game:
1) Rotate all of the tiles to connect the pipes from point A to point B.
2) Find the countries that match the outlines on a clue using a globe.
3) Rearrange the tiles by color so they are in the correct columns.
4) Place the drawings of Darwin's Theory in the correct order.
5) Unlock a box using the clue by clicking arrows to change the numbers.
6) Place the circles in the right spots using the side scrollers in each row and column.
7) Several Labyrinth puzzles where you had to guide your character through various mazes, sometimes finding and using items you find along the way, and this is done in the dark with just a small flashlight beam to see with.
8) Multi layered puzzle following the pictured directions to duplicate several dials, sliders, knobs and levers to operate a rail monitor.
9) Rearrange the Roman Numerals on a clock correctly by sliding the numeral tokens on limited tracks.
10) Guide your boat through the river avoiding whirlpools, lightning and the Kraken.
11) Move chess pieces to their corresponding places as shown on a diagram using rows of numbers and columns with letters.
The Collector's Edition has 12 Concept Art pictures, 20 Wallpapers, 6 Music Soundtracks, 18 replayable Hidden Object Scenes, a Shadow Puppet Theater, a Labyrinth, 11 Achievements, 18 Morphing Objects in the HOP's, 38 Collectible Hidden Eyes, a built in Strategy Guide and a Bonus Chapter, enjoy your stay prisoner #76!
I recommend this game!