pennmom36's Profile
Stat Summary
- Average Rating:3.7
- Helpful Votes:358,445
- Reviews Submitted:4721
- First Review:December 10, 2012
- Most Recent Review:June 22, 2025
- Featured reviews0
Status:
Enjoy a happy and peaceful weekend with your pets!
Overall rating
3
/
5
91 of 121 found this review helpful
Déjà vu ?
PostedDecember 31, 2022
pennmom36
fromRemembering you is easy, I do it every day. Missing you is a heartache that never goes away, until we meet again on the Rainbow Bridge one day. დ Loki
Skill Level:Expert
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
1
/
5
I've been an animal lover all my life, so naturally, I was drawn to this game but it didn't have the "it" factor I was hoping for. I'll be honest, it doesn't sit well with me that this developer keeps making games that are dead-ringers for successful HOG series' that other developers created. First, they carbon-copied every Vacation Adventure feature with Big Adventure, now they are swooping in with a knockoff of the I Love Finding Cats/Dogs/Critters/Birds series. It's one thing to create a similar format but it doesn't seem right that they take a ride on the shirt sleeves of those who worked really hard to create a name for themselves, those who came up with an original theme, and unique features...
The graphics are decent, however, the game mechanics are a bit sluggish. It seems to take forever before the score window pops up after completing a level, the silhouetted shape "extra" animals can be clicked on in any order (before their silhouette shows up) yet when you do click on an animal out of sequence it penalizes you by not giving you the 3rd star even though you earned the extra points and it shows that you found all the animals in-game. Objects are often mislabeled, such as a "street lantern" which is just a simple hanging porch lamp, or a "dwarf" which is actually a garden gnome.
There are 12-16 Listed Items to find, with an occasional second-level round mixup of Silhouetted Shapes, Descriptive finds, or Multiples of the same Object. Items in Blue are tasks that need to be completed, such as assembling a lamp. Each level has a different number of Silhouetted Shape pets to find as shown in the box on the bottom left, and there are secondary zoom zones as well.
You will earn a Red Star for completing a level, a Yellow Star for quick finds (x2-x3), and a Blue Star for finding all Silhouetted Shape pets. Points are converted to Pet money to allow you to purchase 20 Pet Shop animals, two of which are Raccoons??
Collector's Edition Extras:
8 Bonus Levels, 8 Bonus Puzzles, 12 Wallpapers, 20 Pet Shop Animals, 18 Music Soundtracks.
Stop by my new Nature-themed forum to talk about games and so much more thewoodsforum.boards.net
The graphics are decent, however, the game mechanics are a bit sluggish. It seems to take forever before the score window pops up after completing a level, the silhouetted shape "extra" animals can be clicked on in any order (before their silhouette shows up) yet when you do click on an animal out of sequence it penalizes you by not giving you the 3rd star even though you earned the extra points and it shows that you found all the animals in-game. Objects are often mislabeled, such as a "street lantern" which is just a simple hanging porch lamp, or a "dwarf" which is actually a garden gnome.
There are 12-16 Listed Items to find, with an occasional second-level round mixup of Silhouetted Shapes, Descriptive finds, or Multiples of the same Object. Items in Blue are tasks that need to be completed, such as assembling a lamp. Each level has a different number of Silhouetted Shape pets to find as shown in the box on the bottom left, and there are secondary zoom zones as well.
You will earn a Red Star for completing a level, a Yellow Star for quick finds (x2-x3), and a Blue Star for finding all Silhouetted Shape pets. Points are converted to Pet money to allow you to purchase 20 Pet Shop animals, two of which are Raccoons??
Collector's Edition Extras:
8 Bonus Levels, 8 Bonus Puzzles, 12 Wallpapers, 20 Pet Shop Animals, 18 Music Soundtracks.
Stop by my new Nature-themed forum to talk about games and so much more thewoodsforum.boards.net
I don't recommend this game.
Jump into the fun with dozens of ultra-realistic jigsaw puzzles!
Overall rating
5
/
5
84 of 96 found this review helpful
ANOTHER FANTASTIC PUZZLE
PostedDecember 27, 2022
pennmom36
fromRemembering you is easy, I do it every day. Missing you is a heartache that never goes away, until we meet again on the Rainbow Bridge one day. დ Loki
Skill Level:Expert
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
I absolutely love the puzzle games by Graphium Studios, they have most of the features I am looking for in a puzzle, beautiful images, variety, good features, and flawless mechanics.
There are 24 Puzzles in each category, Animals, Still Life, Flowers, Fantasy (my favorite) Vintage, Architecture, CG & Art, Around the World, and Nature. There are 4 puzzle shapes to choose from, including traditional, and my personal favorite, a square with no tabs whatsoever! You can enable Puzzle piece Rotation, as well as an Edge Piece Sort that places all edge pieces around the edge of the puzzle.
My only complaint is that after completing the border, there is a huge gap where the edge pieces were and there isn't an option to organize the remaining pieces neatly around the puzzle, other than manually grabbing them and organizing them individually, which would be very time-consuming. That's really the only option this puzzle lacks, and a must-have for my OCD inner puzzle geek :)
You can choose the number of pieces from 6 pieces all the way up to 1530 pieces (depending on the puzzle) As a puzzle geek, I love the fact that this developer always includes a larger puzzle option!
There are several in-game options as well, a multiple-piece selector, a normalization option to snap the puzzle to the center, a Ghosted picture option, a Magnifier, a Zoom option, a Features Guide, and my absolute favorite...a Background Color selector that allows you to choose and shade in any color!
Come join us at The Woods forum, we speak game geek :) thewoodsforum.boards.net
There are 24 Puzzles in each category, Animals, Still Life, Flowers, Fantasy (my favorite) Vintage, Architecture, CG & Art, Around the World, and Nature. There are 4 puzzle shapes to choose from, including traditional, and my personal favorite, a square with no tabs whatsoever! You can enable Puzzle piece Rotation, as well as an Edge Piece Sort that places all edge pieces around the edge of the puzzle.
My only complaint is that after completing the border, there is a huge gap where the edge pieces were and there isn't an option to organize the remaining pieces neatly around the puzzle, other than manually grabbing them and organizing them individually, which would be very time-consuming. That's really the only option this puzzle lacks, and a must-have for my OCD inner puzzle geek :)
You can choose the number of pieces from 6 pieces all the way up to 1530 pieces (depending on the puzzle) As a puzzle geek, I love the fact that this developer always includes a larger puzzle option!
There are several in-game options as well, a multiple-piece selector, a normalization option to snap the puzzle to the center, a Ghosted picture option, a Magnifier, a Zoom option, a Features Guide, and my absolute favorite...a Background Color selector that allows you to choose and shade in any color!
Come join us at The Woods forum, we speak game geek :) thewoodsforum.boards.net
I recommend this game!
A sci-fi thriller that will take your breath away!
Overall rating
2
/
5
38 of 51 found this review helpful
WHEN A HOPA CE VERSION GETS A 2.5 AVERAGE RATING IT SHOULD BE CLEAR TO THE DEVS THIS AIN'T WHAT WE'RE CRAVING IN A GAME!
PostedDecember 26, 2022
pennmom36
fromRemembering you is easy, I do it every day. Missing you is a heartache that never goes away, until we meet again on the Rainbow Bridge one day. დ Loki
Skill Level:Expert
Fun Factor
2
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
2
/
5
Level of Challenge
1
/
5
Storyline
2
/
5
Completed Game: Nope, couldn't force myself to play past Chapter 5
8 Chapters +BC: 26 Main Scene Locations +9 CE Bonus Chapter
Difficulty: Beginner (possibly Intermediate)
8 Chapters +BC: 26 Main Scene Locations +9 CE Bonus Chapter
Difficulty: Beginner (possibly Intermediate)
"Do Games, the masterminds behind the sensational Twin Mind series bring you a Hidden-Object Adventure like no other with Twin Mind: Nobody's Here!"...masterminds behind the sensational Twin Mind Series? Have they seen the ratings, 3.4, 3.0, and 2.7, 2.5, they are dropping faster than the US stock market! "Death is in the air" alright (their words not mine!) This story reminds me of the serial killer, Ed Gein, the one who said...it puts the lotion on its... (did anyone see that movie? Did anyone else feel really sorry for that adorable little white powder puff dog?)
I made it to Chapter 5 and just couldn't force myself to dig up another object (which never seems dirty btw) find another battery, inflate another tire, plug another steam hole, use a makeshift handle, use another two-pronged fork, pick a lock with a safety pin, swap with a statue, and believe it or not, I had to play another Hidden Object game on another murder victim's body (I just complained about this on Saturday's Domini Game)
EXTENDED PLAY OPTION:
You will come across conversation options that allow you to opt-in for extended gameplay. There will be two conversation options, if you choose the first option, it unlocks a side quest with additional scenes, mini-games, and hidden object scenes that aren't offered in the main game quest.
You will come across conversation options that allow you to opt-in for extended gameplay. There will be two conversation options, if you choose the first option, it unlocks a side quest with additional scenes, mini-games, and hidden object scenes that aren't offered in the main game quest.
There are only 3 optional quests (in Chapters 2, 5, and 8) that offer 3 additional Mini-games and 3 additional HO scenes in total. The CE Bonus Chapter also has a side quest with 1 extra mini-game & HO scene. These are just optional added content and they won't affect the main game's story or its outcome.
COLLECTIBLES/MORPHS (CE version only)
There are 15 Morphing Tobias' Ritual Items, 15 Collectible Tobias' Research Materials, and 70 Zoom Zone Level Access Passes (labeled as "movie tickets on the SG) that are used to purchase 15 Boudoir Items (the Boudoir is actually an office) These collectibles aren't hard to spot and they are getting pretty boring because Domini offers the same amount of the same extras in every game they offer...which is pretty much all of the HOPAs nowadays.
There are 15 Morphing Tobias' Ritual Items, 15 Collectible Tobias' Research Materials, and 70 Zoom Zone Level Access Passes (labeled as "movie tickets on the SG) that are used to purchase 15 Boudoir Items (the Boudoir is actually an office) These collectibles aren't hard to spot and they are getting pretty boring because Domini offers the same amount of the same extras in every game they offer...which is pretty much all of the HOPAs nowadays.
HIDDEN OBJECT SCENES:
Boring usuals...find random objects located around a dead body, Listed Item Finds, Silhouetted Shape finds, etc. The problem is they never get creative with the locations, they are always in a closet, on a desk, and apparently always around dead bodies? There was a new kind of HO, sort of, where you had to find and replace items in the correct place according to the photo but it just wasn't very challenging.
Boring usuals...find random objects located around a dead body, Listed Item Finds, Silhouetted Shape finds, etc. The problem is they never get creative with the locations, they are always in a closet, on a desk, and apparently always around dead bodies? There was a new kind of HO, sort of, where you had to find and replace items in the correct place according to the photo but it just wasn't very challenging.
ALTERNATE MATCH 3 GAME:
An alternate Match 3 game is available if you don't want to play a Hidden Object Scene. Unfortunately, it's the same M3 game, with the same boards, and the same icons offered in every game. Why not at least change the icons or the M3 type once in a while???
An alternate Match 3 game is available if you don't want to play a Hidden Object Scene. Unfortunately, it's the same M3 game, with the same boards, and the same icons offered in every game. Why not at least change the icons or the M3 type once in a while???
COLLECTOR'S EDITION EXTRAS (CE version only)
10 Wallpapers, 10 Concept Art Pictures, 5 Music Soundtracks, 27 Movie Video Cutscenes, 38 Achievements, 24 Replayable Mini-Games, 23 Replayable Hidden Object Scenes, 15 Morphing Tobias' Ritual Items, 15 Collectible Tobias' Research Materials, and 70 Zoom Zone Level Access Passes (labeled as "movie tickets on the SG) that are used to purchase 15 Boudoir Items (the Boudoir is actually an office) 8 Main Chapters, +Bonus Chapter, and a Built-In Strategy Guide.
10 Wallpapers, 10 Concept Art Pictures, 5 Music Soundtracks, 27 Movie Video Cutscenes, 38 Achievements, 24 Replayable Mini-Games, 23 Replayable Hidden Object Scenes, 15 Morphing Tobias' Ritual Items, 15 Collectible Tobias' Research Materials, and 70 Zoom Zone Level Access Passes (labeled as "movie tickets on the SG) that are used to purchase 15 Boudoir Items (the Boudoir is actually an office) 8 Main Chapters, +Bonus Chapter, and a Built-In Strategy Guide.
Come chillax by the campfire at my new forum thewoodsforum.boards.net
I don't recommend this game.
Treacherous villains attempt to deprive the world of the Christmas spirit!
Overall rating
2
/
5
35 of 44 found this review helpful
MERRY CHRISTMAS FELLOW GAMERS
PostedDecember 25, 2022
pennmom36
fromThe grinches will always play their part, even at Christmas time so let's all put on our best Ho Ho Ho's, jingle our bells a little louder, and wish for Peace on Earth Good Will Toward Men, even to those Fa-la-little skunks in our lives, Merry Christmas
Skill Level:Expert
Fun Factor
2
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
2
/
5
Storyline
2
/
5
Completed Game in less than 6 hours
(including all mini-games & Bonus Play options)
23 Main Game Scene Locations +8 Bonus Chapter
Difficulty Range: Beginner-Intermediate
(including all mini-games & Bonus Play options)
23 Main Game Scene Locations +8 Bonus Chapter
Difficulty Range: Beginner-Intermediate
Oh Holy Night, if ever there was a time to Believe, tonight's the night! I may have seen something I shouldn't have seen and I'm not talking about Grandma kissing Santa Claus, this is much more serious! Seems the Elves have taken sides and it's not sitting well with Ambrus who has vowed to stop Christmas forever. (does someone need a Candy Cane?) It's a good thing Santa put together a fantastic team...no, not the Reindeer, the Guardians of Christmas, problem is, one of the Guardians may not be on board with all the Ho Ho Ho's this year!
It's almost Christmas so I won't let the Do Games Grinch out, the story is cute, although it seems like it was taken directly from an episode of Tim Allen's Santa Claus movie. Yup, the tasks are still the same, you'll still be thawing out ice, using hairpins, magnets, wire & tape (and you'll know exactly what you'll need the second you come upon a task) It's really hard to play a simplistic Do Game right now because I'm currently playing Lost Lands, 7 hours logged in and I'm only halfway done which says a lot about a game doesn't it? Lost Lands is a thinking kind of game and this is just an autopilot kind of game, it may have more chapters but it won't take you an entire day to complete it.
Collectibles/Morphing Objects (CE version only)
Still has the same ole collectibles with a different name. There are 14 Morphing Christmas Stuff (that's the best name you could come up with Do..."stuff"), 14 Christmas Stockings, and 70 Zoom Zone Candy Canes that are used to purchase 14 Bedroom decorations. I wonder how that works for currency, is everything priced at an even candy cane number or does the recipient get to take a few licks off one of the candy canes?
Still has the same ole collectibles with a different name. There are 14 Morphing Christmas Stuff (that's the best name you could come up with Do..."stuff"), 14 Christmas Stockings, and 70 Zoom Zone Candy Canes that are used to purchase 14 Bedroom decorations. I wonder how that works for currency, is everything priced at an even candy cane number or does the recipient get to take a few licks off one of the candy canes?
Hidden Object Scenes:
I will admit, the Hidden Object Scenes were better than usual with some well-blended objects. Right off the bat, you use Santa's Christmas list to figure out which presents go into which box according to the descriptions followed by a scene where you must read letters to Santa and find Keywords from each letter. There are also Find & Replace HOs, and the usual Interactive Lists, etc.
I will admit, the Hidden Object Scenes were better than usual with some well-blended objects. Right off the bat, you use Santa's Christmas list to figure out which presents go into which box according to the descriptions followed by a scene where you must read letters to Santa and find Keywords from each letter. There are also Find & Replace HOs, and the usual Interactive Lists, etc.
Alternate Match 3 Game:
There is an alternate Match 3 Game available. It's the same M3 game, the same boards, and the same icons offered in every game, they didn't even bother to make it Christmassy.
There is an alternate Match 3 Game available. It's the same M3 game, the same boards, and the same icons offered in every game, they didn't even bother to make it Christmassy.
MINI-GAMES:
You can play the mini-games on Easy or Hard but honestly, the hard version mostly adds more "one affects others" scenarios which in my opinion is just an annoying time-waster and not necessarily harder. None of the puzzles were strategy-based "thinkers" in fact, some were so easily solved I'd be taken by surprise when it was suddenly over. I twisted sections of a magic staff and "tested it" and got it right on the first try. I led a mouse thru a maze while picking up inventory items to progress, keep in mind I was using a flashlight so I couldn't see the path ahead but I still managed to take the correct route on the 1st attempt. I'm not claiming to be a mini-game wiz, I'm just saying the puzzles are way too easy. I will say that I enjoyed the mini-game where I had to repeat the order of Rats arriving by clicking on the correct rats, but with each click, the rats would do a shuffle of positions and each level added more Rats.
You can play the mini-games on Easy or Hard but honestly, the hard version mostly adds more "one affects others" scenarios which in my opinion is just an annoying time-waster and not necessarily harder. None of the puzzles were strategy-based "thinkers" in fact, some were so easily solved I'd be taken by surprise when it was suddenly over. I twisted sections of a magic staff and "tested it" and got it right on the first try. I led a mouse thru a maze while picking up inventory items to progress, keep in mind I was using a flashlight so I couldn't see the path ahead but I still managed to take the correct route on the 1st attempt. I'm not claiming to be a mini-game wiz, I'm just saying the puzzles are way too easy. I will say that I enjoyed the mini-game where I had to repeat the order of Rats arriving by clicking on the correct rats, but with each click, the rats would do a shuffle of positions and each level added more Rats.
BONUS CHAPTER (CE version only)
Kevin! Oops, wrong missing kid on Christmas...This time it's Goldilocks that's missing, in fact, she's been missing for a few years just waiting for someone with a pure heart to find her medallion and reunite the King with his beautiful daughter...anyone else suspicious of those beady-eyed bears? She probably broke a few household items while the bears were out foraging and they probably worked up a big appetite, just saying, it seems logical to me! I know it's fairytale magic world at play here, but did it really take years for the King to find someone with a pure heart? Did he interview anyone else or did he think no one was good enough to look for his daughter? If I were the King and my daughter went missing in the forest, I'd be sending in every single townsfolk one at a time, if they don't return you just assume they had an unpure heart, and move on down the line, "NEXT!" This seems like a much better option than sitting around for years waiting on the purest of hearts to come strolling into town.
Kevin! Oops, wrong missing kid on Christmas...This time it's Goldilocks that's missing, in fact, she's been missing for a few years just waiting for someone with a pure heart to find her medallion and reunite the King with his beautiful daughter...anyone else suspicious of those beady-eyed bears? She probably broke a few household items while the bears were out foraging and they probably worked up a big appetite, just saying, it seems logical to me! I know it's fairytale magic world at play here, but did it really take years for the King to find someone with a pure heart? Did he interview anyone else or did he think no one was good enough to look for his daughter? If I were the King and my daughter went missing in the forest, I'd be sending in every single townsfolk one at a time, if they don't return you just assume they had an unpure heart, and move on down the line, "NEXT!" This seems like a much better option than sitting around for years waiting on the purest of hearts to come strolling into town.
As for the Bonus Chapter's glitter, there are 10 Mini-Games and 5 HO scenes across 10 additional scene locations. You will continue your search for 5 Christmas stockings, 4 Morphing Christmas Stuff, and 9 Zoom Zone Candy Canes as well.
Collector's Edition Extra's: (CE version only)
15 Wallpapers, 15 Concept Art Pictures, 5 Music Soundtracks, 29 Movie Video Cutscenes, 41 Achievements, 21 Replayable Mini-Games, 23 Replayable Hidden Object Scenes, 15 Morphing Christmas Stuff, 15 Christmas Stockings, and 70 Zoom Zone Candy Canes that are used to purchase 15 Bedroom Decorations, 7 Main Chapters, +Bonus Chapter, and a Built-In Strategy Guide.
15 Wallpapers, 15 Concept Art Pictures, 5 Music Soundtracks, 29 Movie Video Cutscenes, 41 Achievements, 21 Replayable Mini-Games, 23 Replayable Hidden Object Scenes, 15 Morphing Christmas Stuff, 15 Christmas Stockings, and 70 Zoom Zone Candy Canes that are used to purchase 15 Bedroom Decorations, 7 Main Chapters, +Bonus Chapter, and a Built-In Strategy Guide.
If you miss the BF forums then come to my new forum which has even more features to enjoy! thewoodsforum.boards.net
I don't recommend this game.
Can you restore your town's faith in the spirit of Christmas?
Overall rating
2
/
5
66 of 85 found this review helpful
THINGS ARE LOOKING PRETTY SUSPICIOUS AT BF LATELY
PostedDecember 23, 2022
pennmom36
fromThe grinches will always play their part, even at Christmas time so let's all put on our best Ho Ho Ho's, jingle our bells a little louder, and wish for Peace on Earth Good Will Toward Men, even to those Fa-la-little skunks in our lives, Merry Christmas
Skill Level:Expert
Fun Factor
2
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
2
/
5
Storyline
2
/
5
Completed Game in a little over 3 hours
(including completion of all mini-games & CE Bonus Chapter)
17 Main Game Scene Locations +8 Bonus Chapter
Difficulty Range: Beginner-Intermediate
(including completion of all mini-games & CE Bonus Chapter)
17 Main Game Scene Locations +8 Bonus Chapter
Difficulty Range: Beginner-Intermediate
I think it's only fair to state that Taxi of Miracles was created by the same developers as Christmas Stories: Nutcracker which received a 4.7 average rating with 5-Star reviews submitted from 272 individuals! This was the first game in this series and it was stunningly beautiful, incredibly imaginative, and highly entertaining, the kind of game you never wanted to end!
I'm trying to make a point here so bear with me...
Take a look at just a few of the Titles from fellow reviewers of Christmas Stories: Nutcracker:
You Had Me At Nutcracker
ABSOLUTELY WONDERFUL !!!!
FANTASTIC, BEAUTIFUL, OUTSTANDING!!!!!!!!
Breathtaking!
YAY DEVELOPER, YAY BFG 100000,00000,00000 STARS!
Beautiful & Imaginative Holiday Puzzler for All!! Well Done!!
One of the best games ever
BRAVO & KUDOS TO THE ELEPHANT TEAM!!!!
A Deliciously Delightful Experience
Charming, beautiful, endearing
I hated that it ended...
Bought this as soon as I saw it was an Elephant Game!
Take a look at just a few of the Titles from fellow reviewers of Christmas Stories: Nutcracker:
You Had Me At Nutcracker
ABSOLUTELY WONDERFUL !!!!
FANTASTIC, BEAUTIFUL, OUTSTANDING!!!!!!!!
Breathtaking!
YAY DEVELOPER, YAY BFG 100000,00000,00000 STARS!
Beautiful & Imaginative Holiday Puzzler for All!! Well Done!!
One of the best games ever
BRAVO & KUDOS TO THE ELEPHANT TEAM!!!!
A Deliciously Delightful Experience
Charming, beautiful, endearing
I hated that it ended...
Bought this as soon as I saw it was an Elephant Game!
When was the last game by ANY developer that inspired players as much as Nutcracker did? How can a developer go from Nutcracker to Taxi of Miracles in a single decade? If your heart isn't in it anymore why continue? We are the reason Elephant Games rose to fame, we are the reason Nutcracker has a 4.7 average star rating, do we not deserve your best effort? We deserve the Nutcracker kind of Elephant Games, but nowadays, all we get are Taxi of Miracles kind of Elephant Games! Perhaps a real Christmas Miracle will happen next year?
MORPHING OBJECTS/COLLECTIBLES: (CE version only)
There are 12 Collectible Snowglobes and 12 Zoom Zone Jigsaw Puzzle Pieces that allow you to assemble a 12-piece Jigsaw Puzzle in the Secret Room section...a single 12-piece puzzle, really? How old do you think your targeted audience is? Reminds me of a jigsaw meme..."I don't mean to brag but I just completed a puzzle in 1 week and the box said 2-4 years"
There are 12 Collectible Snowglobes and 12 Zoom Zone Jigsaw Puzzle Pieces that allow you to assemble a 12-piece Jigsaw Puzzle in the Secret Room section...a single 12-piece puzzle, really? How old do you think your targeted audience is? Reminds me of a jigsaw meme..."I don't mean to brag but I just completed a puzzle in 1 week and the box said 2-4 years"
HIDDEN OBJECT SCENES: (no alternate game available)
The Hidden Object Scenes should have been more creative with a Christmas atmosphere, after all, it IS a Christmas HOPA! (we look forward to the Christmas games for an entire year!) The HO scenes include a lot of variety, however, they are all located in the usual, boring places. The only scenes that were actually Christmas-related were some of the small Zoom Zone HOs where you are tasked with finding 6 items, most of which were items that spilled out of a Christmas bag of ornaments, inside a gift box under the tree, or a dumped out bowl of candy, clearly, they dropped the ball again.
The Hidden Object Scenes should have been more creative with a Christmas atmosphere, after all, it IS a Christmas HOPA! (we look forward to the Christmas games for an entire year!) The HO scenes include a lot of variety, however, they are all located in the usual, boring places. The only scenes that were actually Christmas-related were some of the small Zoom Zone HOs where you are tasked with finding 6 items, most of which were items that spilled out of a Christmas bag of ornaments, inside a gift box under the tree, or a dumped out bowl of candy, clearly, they dropped the ball again.
The Hidden Object Scenes were no different than they are in normal games offered throughout the year, for example: Find Pairs of Items that are located in the trunk of a car. an Interactive List find located on the shelves of a cabinet, Find 12 Toys located inside of a delivery truck, Find items matching Swatch Samples located inside a clothes closet, an Interactive List find using a flashlight to locate items under a bed, Listed items that require aligning items pictured on a parchment paper using vertical & diagonal slider buttons, turning rings of a disk to align two halves of an image, or finding Silhouetted Shape items located inside of a wooden chest...none of these scenes have anything to do with Christmas!
MINI-GAMES/PUZZLES:
I'm usually a fan of the mini-games & puzzles from Elephant Games and these were not necessarily bad, but they are pretty easy and just like the HO scenes, most of the puzzles were void of anything associated with Christmas other than snow or ice!
I'm usually a fan of the mini-games & puzzles from Elephant Games and these were not necessarily bad, but they are pretty easy and just like the HO scenes, most of the puzzles were void of anything associated with Christmas other than snow or ice!
-Rotate Pipes & Swap valves to match the valve shapes at the bottom
-Untangle Ropes
-Move a scoop along all tracks without backtracking
-Rotate squares until all wires are connected in the same colored wire
-Swap spark plugs in order from 1-6 (how old/young do they think we are?)
-Remove identical snow clumps in groups of at least 2 (vert/horiz/diag) on a grid (I actually liked this game)
-Swap & rotate gears to create an image
-Rotate disk rings and push segments into the center of the image
-Click directional arrows located an all 4 sides of the board to push squares into place
-Follow instructions to mold a new bell
-Swap nameplates to the correct mailbox number slots according to the pictured hints
-Guide a snowflake thru a labyrinth, passing over metal disks to open gates(difficult to make the snowflake move)
-Move pins on a key into the correct position & select the keyhole to test the positions
-Follow the ball under a cup and select after the shuffle
-Select pairs of identical ice clumps
-Move a ball thru the maze by swapping figurines of various weights to move the labyrinth
-Use directional arrows to guide Jacob who keeps swimming until he meets an obstacle)
-Color the embroidery (paint by numbers)
-Recreate the image by sliding square tiles using the empty slot
-Place presents correctly according to the shaped bases
-Untangle Ropes
-Move a scoop along all tracks without backtracking
-Rotate squares until all wires are connected in the same colored wire
-Swap spark plugs in order from 1-6 (how old/young do they think we are?)
-Remove identical snow clumps in groups of at least 2 (vert/horiz/diag) on a grid (I actually liked this game)
-Swap & rotate gears to create an image
-Rotate disk rings and push segments into the center of the image
-Click directional arrows located an all 4 sides of the board to push squares into place
-Follow instructions to mold a new bell
-Swap nameplates to the correct mailbox number slots according to the pictured hints
-Guide a snowflake thru a labyrinth, passing over metal disks to open gates(difficult to make the snowflake move)
-Move pins on a key into the correct position & select the keyhole to test the positions
-Follow the ball under a cup and select after the shuffle
-Select pairs of identical ice clumps
-Move a ball thru the maze by swapping figurines of various weights to move the labyrinth
-Use directional arrows to guide Jacob who keeps swimming until he meets an obstacle)
-Color the embroidery (paint by numbers)
-Recreate the image by sliding square tiles using the empty slot
-Place presents correctly according to the shaped bases
BONUS CHAPTER: (Collector's Edition version only)
The Bonus Chapter is way better than the main game and it absolutely felt more Christmas-themed than the main game. Perhaps I wasn't paying attention, perhaps Elephant Games never explained it but somehow Jacob wakes up in Catstown, a town filled with sophisticated, well-dressed, walking, talking cats! Since I'm already here, I agree to help Mayor Meows capture the bad kitty who has been stealing Christmas...he even stole the town's Christmas Tree and presents!
The Bonus Chapter is way better than the main game and it absolutely felt more Christmas-themed than the main game. Perhaps I wasn't paying attention, perhaps Elephant Games never explained it but somehow Jacob wakes up in Catstown, a town filled with sophisticated, well-dressed, walking, talking cats! Since I'm already here, I agree to help Mayor Meows capture the bad kitty who has been stealing Christmas...he even stole the town's Christmas Tree and presents!
There are 8 additional scene locations with 7 Mini-Games and 5 Hidden Object Scenes available. The Puzzle Pieces were all collected within the main Game and there are only 3 Snowglobes remaining which was a big letdown as far as I'm concerned. After completing the Bonus Chapter the Expedition Room can be accessed to search for any missed Collectibles.
COLLECTOR'S EDITION EXTRAS:
5 Wallpapers, 5 Music Soundtracks, 21 Achievements, 12 Collectible Snowglobes, 12 Zoom Zone Jigsaw Puzzle Pieces to assemble a single Screensavers, 13 replayable Hidden Object Scenes, 13 replayable Mini-Games, a Secret Room which allows you to assemble the Jigsaw, an Expedition room to search for missed Collectibles, 3 Main Chapters +Bonus Chapter, and a Built-In Strategy Guide.
5 Wallpapers, 5 Music Soundtracks, 21 Achievements, 12 Collectible Snowglobes, 12 Zoom Zone Jigsaw Puzzle Pieces to assemble a single Screensavers, 13 replayable Hidden Object Scenes, 13 replayable Mini-Games, a Secret Room which allows you to assemble the Jigsaw, an Expedition room to search for missed Collectibles, 3 Main Chapters +Bonus Chapter, and a Built-In Strategy Guide.
Rudolph's Presents are available to send & receive again this year, so join us at my new forum for game help/talk, general chats, and great company thewoodsforum.boards.net
I don't recommend this game.
Save the beautiful birds of an island rainforest in this tropical puzzler!
Overall rating
5
/
5
144 of 168 found this review helpful
THIS IS PARADISE
PostedDecember 22, 2022
pennmom36
fromThe grinches will always play their part, even at Christmas time so let's all put on our best Ho Ho Ho's, jingle our bells a little louder, and wish for Peace on Earth Good Will Toward Men, even to those Fa-la-little skunks in our lives, Merry Christmas
Skill Level:Expert
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
If ever a game should win an award for beautiful graphics, Bird Paradise is that game. This game has beauty, originality, variety, and creative imagination...everything we've come to expect from our beloved Mixo Games!
You can choose to play in a Casual Mode (slow animations, more hints, easier gameplay) a Normal Mode (faster bingo balls, fewer hints, more challenge), or an Expert Mode (quick bingo balls, no hints, harder levels) so everyone can enjoy playing at their own pace.
You begin by playing a Hidden Object Scene with creatively placed objects (if you've played Lost Amulets you will know the style) Some require you to find items listed on paper notes, and others may require finding multiples of the same object or categories in multiples, such as 4 Fruits, and even a Matching Pairs variety. The HO scenes may look simplistic at first glance but somehow this developer has mastered the art of hiding objects in plain sight! I love that the goal of the HO scenes usually involves finding several Bingo Balls or Black Pearls, and they are a lot harder to spot than you'd think!
After the HO scene, you will play a game of Bingo with a Twist. The goal is to click on the Bingo Balls that match the numbers & colors shown on the Bingo Card(s) before the line of balls reaches the end. At first, you only have to complete one Bingo Card but as you progress, they throw in multiple cards and which really keeps you on your toes! It sounds simple but I found the variant of matching symbols to be more challenging than expected. As you progress, Bonus Balls are added to remove color-coded balls, reverse the line direction, or explode a few unwanted balls.
Coins are awarded when balls are removed but to add another level of challenge, some coins must be clicked on to collect them. The coins can be used to purchase Casino tickets to play various mini-games, such as Solitaire, or a Pachinko game, I just wish it had flippers you could use to try to flip the balls back up! Playing the Casino games will allow you to win 4x the points! Points are used to help "Support the Island" by restoring things destroyed in a storm.
This CE version has 21 additional Levels, 20 extra Bingo Blitz games, 20 extra Infinite Matching Fun games, 20 extra Solitaire Games, a Casino game section, Show Introduction Movie, Art Gallery, 7 Music Soundtracks, and Collectibles (in several categories)
If you need help with the game join us for daily game talk at my new nature-themed forum. Reconnect with long-lost forum friends, join a group Adventure Game, or just chat about BF games when you become an official Woodsy...thewoodsforum.boards.net
I recommend this game!
A ski resort high in the mountains hides a dark past!
Overall rating
3
/
5
63 of 72 found this review helpful
I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO THE DALIMER LEGACY
PostedDecember 21, 2022
pennmom36
fromThe grinches will always play their part, even at Christmas time so let's all put on our best Ho Ho Ho's, jingle our bells a little louder, and wish for Peace on Earth Good Will Toward Men, even to those Fa-la-little skunks in our lives, Merry Christmas
Skill Level:Expert
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
Completed Game: a little over 4.0 Hours
(including completion of all puzzles & Bonus Chapter)
17 Main Game Scene Locations +7 CE Bonus Chapter
Difficulty Range: Beginner-Intermediate
(including completion of all puzzles & Bonus Chapter)
17 Main Game Scene Locations +7 CE Bonus Chapter
Difficulty Range: Beginner-Intermediate
I have come to terms with the fact that we will never get another HOPA where I can get lost or forget where something goes because the scenes were never locked. In games of the past, you would never complete a task by finding an inventory item AND a place to use it in the same exact scene! The Dire Groves, Ravenhearsts, and Fates Carnival games of yesteryear are long gone. Developers won't spend money or time to recreate those amazing HOPAs because they think HOPAs have seen their time. (If they only realized that it's because they started making the games fool-proof, we are still HOPA fans but fans of the way they were, not the way they are!)
I must admit, The Last Resort didn't feel like a MCF game. I miss the typewriter keys clinking as I tried to save enough energy to use a hint, I miss that mysterious vibe of being a Master Detective whose face is never shown, I miss the cool gadgets, I miss the dark and misty scenes in the moonlight, the creepy rooms, the seedy characters, etc. of the MCF masterpieces, and I definitely miss those fantabulous Rube Goldberg door puzzles that could drive a person insane! Mostly, I miss the saga of The Dalimer family so I'm really looking forward to MCF #25
With that being said, this is a really good game. I did not feel bored at any point in time and I did enjoy the game. I've given up on the way they were so I will try to rate this as just another game versus another Mystery Case Files game.
HELPERS/GADGET
There are no Helpers. At the beginning of the game, you find Lord Simon's camera and eventually begin to find cassette tapes to play, using Simon's Camera. This is short-lived and it felt like the developers forgot this feature existed because I found tapes 1 and 2, then I found one labeled #4. I kept thinking I'd stumble across the missing #3 tape but never did and that was the end of this gadget?
There are no Helpers. At the beginning of the game, you find Lord Simon's camera and eventually begin to find cassette tapes to play, using Simon's Camera. This is short-lived and it felt like the developers forgot this feature existed because I found tapes 1 and 2, then I found one labeled #4. I kept thinking I'd stumble across the missing #3 tape but never did and that was the end of this gadget?
Collectibles & Morphing Objects (CE version only)
Grandma did not disappoint when it came to collectibles & morphs! The collectibles themselves aren't necessarily exciting, but finding them was not easy and I really enjoyed the added challenge!
Grandma did not disappoint when it came to collectibles & morphs! The collectibles themselves aren't necessarily exciting, but finding them was not easy and I really enjoyed the added challenge!
There are 46 House Details, one that morphs, and one that is static (emblem of a house) There are also 20 Zoom Zone Jigsaw Puzzle Pieces that are blended into the scenery extremely well! If a zoom zone doesn't close automatically, that's your clue that a puzzle piece is still there! After finding all Jigsaws, you can assemble & download a 20-piece Jigsaw Puzzle.
There is a pull-out tab on the left that keeps track of the Collectibles but if you missed a collectible or Jigsaw Puzzle Piece, you can return to the scenes to collect them (after completing the Main Game) by clicking on the puzzle piece that shows "incomplete" or clicking on the house section that shows "incomplete". I love this ability, I love the challenge of the collectibles so thanks Grandma Studios!
Hidden Object Scenes:
There are only 10 Hidden Object Scenes +2 in the CE Bonus Chapter. (not sure where the other 5 HOs were hiding as stated by another player, there was a mini-game where you rotated the rings of 3 disks to match stained glass patterns BUT this was listed as a Mini-game with actual instructions) I don't normally enjoy HO scenes in most of these games because the objects aren't hidden and most of the time I can find the objects without looking at the list! This was definitely not the case in this game, in fact, I would stare at some of these scenes for a while trying to find a lousy paperclip or the last book, so bravo Grandma! Most of the HO's are Interactive Lists, but there were Silhouetted Shape Finds, Morphing Object Finds, Multiples of the same Object (find 12 books) Swatches where you pinpoint areas shown inside tokens)
There are only 10 Hidden Object Scenes +2 in the CE Bonus Chapter. (not sure where the other 5 HOs were hiding as stated by another player, there was a mini-game where you rotated the rings of 3 disks to match stained glass patterns BUT this was listed as a Mini-game with actual instructions) I don't normally enjoy HO scenes in most of these games because the objects aren't hidden and most of the time I can find the objects without looking at the list! This was definitely not the case in this game, in fact, I would stare at some of these scenes for a while trying to find a lousy paperclip or the last book, so bravo Grandma! Most of the HO's are Interactive Lists, but there were Silhouetted Shape Finds, Morphing Object Finds, Multiples of the same Object (find 12 books) Swatches where you pinpoint areas shown inside tokens)
Mini-Games:
Some of the mini-games were quite challenging, some of which were multi-layered. In the first couple of chapters, there were actually a couple of decent Rube Goldberg Door Puzzles where you find components to open up one puzzle at a time to unlock the door. Unfortunately, they were MIA in the last few chapters! There were a couple of multi-layered puzzles to open the next chapter but these were just a series of mini-games and aren't even close to being considered a Rube Goldberg Puzzle which is what made MCF games stand out in a crowd! My theory is that game production was halted midway through the game when Russia invaded Ukraine, and the last half was patched together quickly...but I completely understand! Grandma is faced with dreadful conditions, loss of electricity 50% of the day, not to mention most of their team is fighting in the war for their country, so when you think about their circumstance, the fact that they are able to produce such quality in any game is amazing!
Some of the mini-games were quite challenging, some of which were multi-layered. In the first couple of chapters, there were actually a couple of decent Rube Goldberg Door Puzzles where you find components to open up one puzzle at a time to unlock the door. Unfortunately, they were MIA in the last few chapters! There were a couple of multi-layered puzzles to open the next chapter but these were just a series of mini-games and aren't even close to being considered a Rube Goldberg Puzzle which is what made MCF games stand out in a crowd! My theory is that game production was halted midway through the game when Russia invaded Ukraine, and the last half was patched together quickly...but I completely understand! Grandma is faced with dreadful conditions, loss of electricity 50% of the day, not to mention most of their team is fighting in the war for their country, so when you think about their circumstance, the fact that they are able to produce such quality in any game is amazing!
Bonus Chapter: (CE version only)
You will play Katie in a prequel that fills in some missing gaps in the main story. If I explain any further it would spoil the main game's plot. This is an average-length Bonus Chapter that spans over 7 scene locations, with 6 additional Mini-games and just 2 Hidden Object Scenes. You will continue your search for the final 14 House Details and 4 Jigsaw Puzzle pieces which allow you to assemble & download a Jigsaw Puzzle.
You will play Katie in a prequel that fills in some missing gaps in the main story. If I explain any further it would spoil the main game's plot. This is an average-length Bonus Chapter that spans over 7 scene locations, with 6 additional Mini-games and just 2 Hidden Object Scenes. You will continue your search for the final 14 House Details and 4 Jigsaw Puzzle pieces which allow you to assemble & download a Jigsaw Puzzle.
Collector's Edition Extras:
10 Wallpapers, 10 Concept Art Pictures, 24 Movie Cutscene Videos, 8 Music Soundtracks ♪, 10 Replayable Mini-Games♙, 12 Replayable Hidden Object Scenes, 14 Achievements, 46 Collectible House Details (1 Morphing-1 Static) 20 Jigsaw Puzzle Pieces, a Jigsaw Puzzle to assemble, 5 Main Chapters (Last Vacation) +Bonus Chapter (Redemption) and a Built-In Strategy Guide.
10 Wallpapers, 10 Concept Art Pictures, 24 Movie Cutscene Videos, 8 Music Soundtracks ♪, 10 Replayable Mini-Games♙, 12 Replayable Hidden Object Scenes, 14 Achievements, 46 Collectible House Details (1 Morphing-1 Static) 20 Jigsaw Puzzle Pieces, a Jigsaw Puzzle to assemble, 5 Main Chapters (Last Vacation) +Bonus Chapter (Redemption) and a Built-In Strategy Guide.
Like most of you, I too missed the BF forums so I created The Woods Forum so everyone could enjoy all the benefits of a community built by like-minded gamers. Reconnect with friends, join group play games, check out the Game Series Lists, find gaming help & share tips, or just chillax by the campfire and enjoy nature at thewoodsforum.boards.net
I recommend this game!
Take flight with Santa for Springfield's most spectacular Christmas yet!
Overall rating
4
/
5
49 of 77 found this review helpful
LET THE HOLIDAYS BEGIN...No one gets a lump of coal with Christmas Wonderland!
PostedDecember 19, 2022
pennmom36
fromThe grinches will always play their part, even at Christmas time so let's all put on our best Ho Ho Ho's, jingle our bells a little louder, and wish for Peach on Earth Good Will Toward Men, even to those Fa-la-little skunks in our lives, Merry Christmas
Skill Level:Expert
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
Christmas Wonderland marks the start of the holiday season for me every year because It isn't Christmas until Christmas Wonderland arrives! This game is part of my holiday tradition and I look forward to it even more than I do the Christmas HOPAs. There are a lot of new features so Ho Ho Ho, and off we go... Now, Dasher! now, Dancer! now, Prancer and Vixen! On, Comet! on Cupid! on, Donner and Blitzen...Now dash away, dash away, dash away all, to the computer to play the greatest Christmas HOG of all!
You can play in Casual, or Challenge Mode, BF states in the above synopsis that it has an Extreme Mode, but that option is only available in the CE Version! (which is a Timed Mode requiring you to find all Golden Angels and Santa's Lost Presents, with an Eagle Eye achievement in order to earn all three stars) There are 19 Achievements to earn (20 Achievements in the CE version) The CE version has 16 Christmas Decorations to purchase and decorate your Wonderland House.
Each Hidden Object scene has about 12-14 Listed Items to find, items in Red are hidden in or behind something, and items in Blue require a task such as dragging a carrot to the snowman's nose. There are usually two Zoom Zone Areas in each scene, the zoom zones (indicated by twinkling stars) may come and go, depending on whether or not the items are available on your list yet.
You will earn a Bronze Star if you complete the HO scene, a Silver Star if you complete the HO scene and find all Golden Angels OR all Santa's Lost Gifts, and a Gold Star for completing the HO scene and finding all Golden Angels and Santa's Lost Gifts. When all of the Golden Angels have been found, the doors will close on the Icon on the bottom left by the Inventory Bar. Santa's Lost Gifts are shown as Silhouetted Shapes within the Snowglobe and Santa's Sleigh will appear to indicate all items have been found. There is also a Snowman hidden somewhere in each scene!
Some of the Scenes have a Photo Opportunity Icon located somewhere within the scene. (16 Total in both versions) Once you find the icon, you can click on it to add the photo to your Photo Album which can be viewed by clicking the Camera icon located next to the trophy icon on the bottom left of the screen.
My favorite part of the HO games by this developer is the puzzles that will make you feel like a kid on Christmas morning playing them! After each Hidden Object Scene, you'll solve a mini-game or puzzle such as placing those infamous puzzle pieces into a map of the North Pole, Rotating Square Puzzle Tiles, Jigsaw Puzzles, Word Search, Matching Pairs, or Spot the Difference.
COLLECTOR'S EDITION EXTRAS:
On the CE version, Bonus Levels have been incorporated into the main game scenes and have Gold Rosette Ribbons to identify them. There are 18 Wallpapers, 20 downloadable Music Soundtracks, 48 Replayable Mini-Games and Puzzles, 72 Santa's Lost Gifts, 12 Photo Ops, 19 Achievements, 16 Gifts available to purchase, a Hidden Snowman in each scene, and 3 Golden Angels in each scene. (with the exception of the first tutorial level)
On the CE version, Bonus Levels have been incorporated into the main game scenes and have Gold Rosette Ribbons to identify them. There are 18 Wallpapers, 20 downloadable Music Soundtracks, 48 Replayable Mini-Games and Puzzles, 72 Santa's Lost Gifts, 12 Photo Ops, 19 Achievements, 16 Gifts available to purchase, a Hidden Snowman in each scene, and 3 Golden Angels in each scene. (with the exception of the first tutorial level)
CE Version Mini-Game Extras: (48 Total)
❆-8 Jigsaw Puzzles
❆-8 Flipsaw Puzzles
❆-8 Rotation Puzzles
❆-6 Spot The Difference Puzzles
❆-4 Concentration Matching Pairs Puzzles
❆-6 Word Search Puzzles
❆-2 Shaped Jigsaw Puzzle
❆-3 Map Puzzles
❆-2 Trivia Games
❆-1 Find & Replace Hidden Object
The CE is incredible with a ton of extra puzzles and options and definitely worth the extra price, especially if you pick it up during a sale!
❆-8 Jigsaw Puzzles
❆-8 Flipsaw Puzzles
❆-8 Rotation Puzzles
❆-6 Spot The Difference Puzzles
❆-4 Concentration Matching Pairs Puzzles
❆-6 Word Search Puzzles
❆-2 Shaped Jigsaw Puzzle
❆-3 Map Puzzles
❆-2 Trivia Games
❆-1 Find & Replace Hidden Object
The CE is incredible with a ton of extra puzzles and options and definitely worth the extra price, especially if you pick it up during a sale!
Christmas is beautiful in The Woods so stop by and throw a snowball or two. Rudolph's Presents are now available to give & receive so jingle all the way over to thewoodsforum.boards.net
I recommend this game!
Join experienced detectives to help solve riddles and investigate one of history's greatest heists!
Overall rating
3
/
5
37 of 49 found this review helpful
IT'S A DECENT HOG
PostedDecember 18, 2022
pennmom36
fromRemembering you is easy, I do it every day. Missing you is a heartache that never goes away, until we meet again on the Rainbow Bridge one day. დ Loki
Skill Level:Expert
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
When the CE version was first released, I thought it was going to be a new HOPA by a new developer. Once I started playing, I realized this was just a HOG, but it is more of a hybrid because it's more than just a HOG... yet not quite a HOPA, from the same developer who created the Big Adventure: Trip To Europe series. To be honest, I bought the CE for three bucks from the S-word place a couple of weeks before it was offered here so it was totally worthy of the price. It is a fairly short game and can be completed in 2-3 hours, but it is a higher quality HOG than most out there lately.
What I like the most is that the HO scenes take place in an entire room versus on a table or shelf in the corner of a room. The story is told via text, and there are no voiceovers, but the devs did an excellent job incorporating the "case" before and after each scene without bombarding the player with a ton of dialog boxes on a clickfest that never seems to end.
The HO scenes are played in a Relaxed, untimed Mode with no misclick or hint penalties. The HO's vary with Listed Items, Silhouetted Shapes, Logically Related Pairs, Multiples of the same object, Reversed where you grab objects from the list and place them into the scene logically, and Descriptive Finds where you find objects that match a brief description. Some objects are blended into the scenery better than others but for the most part, they are easy to spot. (sometimes a chill game is just what the gaming doctors ordered)
My only complaint is that several scenes had multiples of the listed item, such as a HAT, or KEY RING, and when you click on a large hat in the forefront of the scene you discover it isn't the correct "hat" which drives me nutz! Fortunately, there is no Misclick penalty! Also, they have slightly "off" items such as a "feeder" instead of a birdhouse, or a "wheel" instead of a tire...and I had to google "aerostat" cuz I had no clue what it was.
Items in "pink" text are hidden in or behind other objects (a magnifying glass appears over these areas) and items listed in "green" are objects that require a task. Each scene has two Zoom Zones that will appear and disappear as the objects shown on the list are found or added.
Each HO scene has a hidden Raccoon (developer's mascot) and a Silhouetted Shape to find for extra points. Once the Silhouetted Shape is located, it can be viewed by clicking the "Extra" tab, oddly, it is considered an Achievement. You will earn a Bronze Star for completing the Hidden Object location, a Silver Star for finding the Silhouetted Shape Extra, and a Gold Star for finding the adorable Raccoon.
After each Hidden Object Scene, (some of which have a secondary HO in a different form, immediately afterward) you will play a mini-game, such as Rotating & Placing Fragments of a picture, Finding Matching Pairs of Footprints (I actually enjoyed this one) Rotating Ring sections, Following a path that lands on each house only once, Swapping & Rotating honeycomb-shaped puzzle pieces, Placing shaped puzzle pieces, Rotate & Place picture frags, and even Spot The Difference scenes.
After each Hidden Object Scene, (some of which have a secondary HO in a different form, immediately afterward) you will play a mini-game, such as Rotating & Placing Fragments of a picture, Finding Matching Pairs of Footprints (I actually enjoyed this one) Rotating Ring sections, Following a path that lands on each house only once, Swapping & Rotating honeycomb-shaped puzzle pieces, Placing shaped puzzle pieces, Rotate & Place picture frags, and even Spot The Difference scenes.
COLLECTOR'S EDITION EXTRAS:
18 Wallpapers, 20 Music Soundtracks, 8 Bonus Levels, 8 Extra Puzzles, a Hidden Raccoon in every HO scene, and a Silhouetted Shape Achievement in every HO scene. As I said earlier, I purchased the CE version for less than 3 bucks elsewhere's and felt it was worth the entertainment.
18 Wallpapers, 20 Music Soundtracks, 8 Bonus Levels, 8 Extra Puzzles, a Hidden Raccoon in every HO scene, and a Silhouetted Shape Achievement in every HO scene. As I said earlier, I purchased the CE version for less than 3 bucks elsewhere's and felt it was worth the entertainment.
Have you checked out my new forum yet? thewoodsforum.boards.net
I recommend this game!
Your new feathered friends are taking you to the sky!
Overall rating
5
/
5
102 of 126 found this review helpful
ANIMAL LOVERS, NATURE LOVERS, AND HOG LOVERS, THIS SERIES HAS YOU COVERED!
PostedDecember 17, 2022
pennmom36
fromRemembering you is easy, I do it every day. Missing you is a heartache that never goes away, until we meet again on the Rainbow Bridge one day. დ Loki
Skill Level:Expert
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
I loved finding birds from across the globe, both domesticated and wild, from tiny finches to large storks, pelicans, and birds of prey. When I first heard the title of the newest game in this series I was worried that there was just going to be a bunch of finches, parakeets, cockatiels, and an occasional parrot or Macaw but the developer really did a wonderful job of finding a wide variety of birds, both common, and uncommon...and such beautiful birds at that!
Each HO scene has 18 Listed Items to find with a Secondary Zoom Zone Scene. The listed items are highlighted to show which items are available in the current scene. You can zoom in to the scenes (including the zoom zone) by clicking the Magnifying Glass, Right-clicking, Double-clicking, or Scrolling. You can combine these features by clicking on the magnifying glass and THEN scrolling, which zooms into the scene even further...and the graphics still remain crystal clear! I really love this feature, it works flawlessly every time.
There are no Timers or Misclick penalties but you will earn more points for making fast consecutive finds (Combo x1, x2, x3, x4, etc.) and you'll earn more points if you don't use the Hint feature. Even though you aren't racing against the clock, you will earn a Gold, Silver, or Bronze Star depending on how many points you earn, so making combos is vital.
GOLD STAR TIP: it helps to concentrate on finding all collectible birds & morphing butterflies on the 1st attempt; while taking your time to find the listed items. Then you simply replay the scene (you won't have to bother with finding the collectibles if you found them the first go-round, they will still appear in the replay scenes but the game registers them as already collected), Because you are familiar with the HO scene at this point, it's usually easier to find the listed items quickly, even though the items to find change each time you replay a scene.
There are 16 Hidden Birds in every scene, including within the Zoom Zone. The Birds will convert to Adopt Points, allowing you to adopt 20 different birds, even an adorable penguin! Each scene also has 3 beautiful Morphing Butterflies, some of which are tough to spot! Each Morphing butterfly equals 3 Puzzle Pieces in your Butterfly Album. Simply "release" your butterflies and drag the round puzzle pieces to the correct area to complete a beautiful butterfly that can be downloaded as a wallpaper. (24 butterflies total)
After every HO Scene, you will play a side-by-side HO scene (with 3 additional birds) a puzzle, or a mini-game, such as Cycling through square tiles until the correct image has been discovered, or dragging colored squares to a grid, from light to dark, for each individual color.
COLLECTOR'S EDITION EXTRAs:
21 Wallpapers, 8 Developer's Bird pictures, 10 Music Soundtracks, 18 Main Scene Locations (Florida, Missouri, Naxos, Guatemala, Madison, Yunnan, Arkansas, Strabane, Telengana, Grand Est, Sonora, Manti-La-Sal, Hessen, Tochigi, St. Clair, New Hampshire, Oaxaca, Wessex) +6 Extra Bonus Locations (Shizvolca, Shropshire, Pahang, Taounate, Mie, Sumba) 20 Adoptable Birds +5 CE Adoptable Birds, 12 Bonus mini-games, and Scene Location Fun Facts.
21 Wallpapers, 8 Developer's Bird pictures, 10 Music Soundtracks, 18 Main Scene Locations (Florida, Missouri, Naxos, Guatemala, Madison, Yunnan, Arkansas, Strabane, Telengana, Grand Est, Sonora, Manti-La-Sal, Hessen, Tochigi, St. Clair, New Hampshire, Oaxaca, Wessex) +6 Extra Bonus Locations (Shizvolca, Shropshire, Pahang, Taounate, Mie, Sumba) 20 Adoptable Birds +5 CE Adoptable Birds, 12 Bonus mini-games, and Scene Location Fun Facts.
Rudolph's Presents are back for the Holidays so stop by my forum to give & receive presents asap. Become an official Woodsy at thewoodsforum.boards.net
I recommend this game!