pennmom36's Profile
Stat Summary
- Average Rating:3.7
- Helpful Votes:358,445
- Reviews Submitted:4708
- First Review:December 10, 2012
- Most Recent Review:March 13, 2025
- Featured reviews0
Status:
In this ghostly continuation of the Fear for Sale series, you've discovered a luxury ocean liner bears an eerie resemblance to a ship that vanished years ago.
Overall rating
5
/
5
121 of 141 found this review helpful
U.S.S Virginia, The Luxury Cruiseliner That Can Stand The Test Of Time
PostedApril 2, 2015
pennmom36
from...the skipper too....
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Match 3, Time Management, Puzzle
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
Welcome aboard, Emma Roberts, this should be the cruise of a lifetime, literally, you might be on board a lifetime! Reports of people boarding a mysterious cruiseliner and disappearing into thin air, have piqued this reporters interest. She boards what appears to be a replica of the U.S. Virginia, in Miami Florida, but this isn't a replica, this is the U.S.S Virginia, how can that be, she went missing in the 1930's! One minute the ship looks pristine, the next a bucket of rust, beautiful flowers wilt within seconds, seagulls fly right through the ships walls, as if it weren't even there! To make matters worse, there has been a murder on board, this investigation may prove to be more than this journalist bargained for!
This game might not be very "fearful" but it certainly has a fantastic story, a mixture of the love boat meets the Philly experiment! You begin this game as a simple Reporter, and advance up the ranks from Investigative Journalist to Special Correspondent. Every inventory item you find, every collection found and Morphing "seer" objects you spot, will net you points, you will even receive points for completing Hidden Object Puzzles and Mini Games. As the points add up, so does your ranking, you can even replay the game to get a better score, or challenge a friend.
There are 34 Morphing Objects to spot, and several Collections available within different categories, such as Lady Collectibles, Captain and Musician Collectibles and Postcards. The map will indicate that all Collectible and Morphs have been found in each location, with a gold star above that area. Some of the inventory items have Plus Signs which indicate that further interaction is needed before that item can be used such as combining two inventory items together or repairing the item.
The Hidden Object Scenes are very interactive and extremely well done. Some are progressive, silhouettes, requiring you to find the first item that matches the silhouetted shape shown, and then using that item in the scene to collect the next item and so forth. There are also interactive list finds, and smaller HOP's within zoomed in areas where you are tasked with finding 5 emblems. There is an optional Jigsaw Puzzle available in place of the HOP, which sounds appealing because all of the hidden object scenes are repeated at least once. The Mini Games seem fairly easy, at least within the demo, lighting the correct lights to duplicate the astrological sign as shown, or swapping tiles to their correct position to complete an image, by using arrows to rotate three different sets of tiles.
This Collectors Edition has Wallpapers, Concept Art, Screensavers, Music, Achievements, Collectibles, Morphing Objects, a built in Strategy Guide and a Bonus Chapter, enjoy!
I recommend this game!
Visit a world where legends are true and magic is real in this enchanting Hidden Object game.
Overall rating
1
/
5
5 of 6 found this review helpful
Enchanted Fairy Friends: Secret of the Fairy Queen
PostedApril 1, 2015
pennmom36
fromHow about Frosty the Fairy, does that work for ya?
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Match 3, Time Management, Puzzle
Fun Factor
1
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
1
/
5
Level of Challenge
1
/
5
Storyline
1
/
5
The Fairy Queen has a secret that you must uncover, her true name. The only way to discover her true name is to seek the help of the other eight fairies, Fern, Dew Drop, Silver Birch, Acorn, Apple Blossom, Cherry Blossom, Mushroom and Glitter Moss. The only way to get them to help you, is to help them find missing items and help them solve a few puzzles. This Hidden Object game is available in Timed or Untimed modes and can be played in three different difficulty modes. Easy mode allows you 45 minutes (in timed mode) to complete each set of HO's and puzzles, and the items to find are shown as exact pictures of the listed items to find. Medium, allows you 35 minutes to complete the same set of tasks, however the items are shown only as silhouettes. Hard mode gives you only 25 minutes per set, and the HO's are listed as words only. There are only 3-4 available hints per set, or fairy quest, I'm not sure what happens if you need another hint after that. The scenes are bright and colorful, but the graphics are poor in the Hidden Object scenes themselves, similar to an older video game with sharp edges and little detail. The items themselves are way out of proportion, some items like a gazebo are the size of a pinky fingertip, yet a calculator is the same size, not to mention a chaise lounge chair was practically microscopic! Letters were unrecognizable as well and most often placed on an item the same exact color. The silhouettes were even worse to find than the words themselves, showing a round silhouette which matched at least 10 different items, and if you clicked too many wrong matches, the Queen fairy would scold you and tell you that was rude! Even in the Easy mode, items were difficult (not impossible) to find, therefore, I think children (which I presume this game was geared towards) would have a difficult time with this game, especially if they only get a few hints per fairy. My biggest complaint with this game, was with the narrator's voice, it was as if someone were reading a bedtime story, as they tried to get the audience to participate or keep them motivated. The Mini Games and Puzzles were actually the best part, and only feature I liked. Each Fairy needed help putting together their favorite stained glass picture, and each puzzle was progressively larger and more difficult, as you placed colorful pieces into the matching shaped slot. After each puzzle, there is a quick game such as "spot the difference, or swapping branches on a fern from smallest to largest. The scenes are repeated several times as each fairy request lost items to be found in a new scene and then other scenes that a previous fairy had lost item in, and each scene had some of the same items to find which were in the same place as before. Again, in my opinion, this game would be frustrating for younger kids who would enjoy the fairy tale theme, but too childish for older kids or adults for that matter.
I don't recommend this game.
Help Anna find her way to the mystical floating cloud city, seek out the Children of Light and save them from the Evil Empress!
Overall rating
5
/
5
3 of 3 found this review helpful
Empress of the Deep 2: Song of the Blue Whale SE
PostedMarch 31, 2015
pennmom36
fromTrust no one Anna, it's always a trick!
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Match 3, Time Management, Puzzle
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
After a century long slumber, imprisoned in a crypt, far beneath the ocean, she discovered The Deepest Secret. Her twin sister Pandora had claimed position as Empress, against the wishes of their parents, Anna is the true heir, the true Empress of the Deep! Anna was tricked into following Pandoras directions instead of Jacobs, nearly destroying the Ark by activating several purple orbs that were actually explosives! Pandora was evil, and very unstable, and managed to detonate the explosives that destroyed the underwater Ark, as well as herself, Anna barely escaped. As Anna makes her way to the Temple in the Sky, she learns that she must save the children of the seasons, along with the Guardian animals that have been imprisoned by Pandora, with the help of an unlikely accomplice!
Anna must collect several Crystal Dolphins that flutter about in select scenes. These dolphins will give Anna the Magical Healing power, needed to free the Guardian Animals, that have been imprisoned with mechanical gadgets that control them. Eventually you will free a Beaver, a Sea Turtle, an Otter, a Narwhal, a Seal, a Manatee, and an Orca.
The Hidden Object Scenes are basic Listed items with no interactions available. Some items are extremely difficult to find because items are very well blended into the scenery. The Mini Games are fairly easy, there are a lot of puzzles requiring you to flip tiles over until a picture is complete, the only thing difficult, is figuring out which picture is the correct one. Some puzzles require you to direct beams of light to light up all orbs using mirrors and splitters, or connect all circuits by rotating directional paths on each tile.
In my opinion, the only valuable asset in the Collectors Edition is the built in Strategy Guide, really the only other difference is collectible diary pages belonging to Pandora which will open up bonus gameplay of an unusual Match 3 game called Zen, enjoy!
I recommend this game!
Help Anna find her way to the mystical floating cloud city, seek out the Children of Light and save them from the Evil Empress!
Overall rating
5
/
5
11 of 11 found this review helpful
Empress of the Deep 2: Song of the Blue Whale CE
PostedMarch 31, 2015
pennmom36
fromAnna should have stayed in bed!
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Match 3, Time Management, Puzzle
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
Anna awoke from a century long slumber, and discovered The Deepest Secret, in the first Empress of the Deep. Her twin sister Pandora had unrightfully claimed her position as Empress, and tricked Anna into following her directions instead of Jacobs. Pandora was evil, and she destroyed the underwater Ark, as well as herself, Anna barely escaped. Now Anna must travel to the Temple in the Sky and save the children, along with the Guardian animals that have been imprisoned by Pandora......or so she believes!
I have played hundreds of games, and there is no other game like this series, the storyline is like no other. The graphics have improved tremendously since the first Empress, which had very blurry graphics within the HOS which made some items unrecognizable. The map still has room for improvement, you cannot use the map to travel, and because there are so many paths to choose, it sometimes becomes confusing as to which way you need to go in order to complete a task. The game itself isn't difficult, but I do recommend this Collectors Edition because of the built in Strategy Guide. This game introduces us to a new feature, collecting Crystal Dolphins that flutter about in select scenes. These dolphins will give Anna a Magical Healing power, and enable her to free the Guardian Animals, a Beaver, a Sea Turtle, an Otter, a Narwhal, a Seal, a Manatee, and an Orca.
The Hidden Object Scenes are basic Listed items with no interactions available. Some items are extremely difficult to find because items are very well blended into the scenery. The Mini Games are fairly easy, there are a lot of puzzles requiring you to flip tiles over until a picture is complete, the only thing difficult, is figuring out which picture is the correct one. Some puzzles require you to direct beams of light to light up all orbs using mirrors and splitters, or connect all circuits by rotating directional paths on each tile.
In my opinion, the only valuable asset in this Collectors Edition is the built in Strategy Guide, really the only other difference is collectible diary pages belonging to Pandora which will open up bonus gameplay of an unusual Match 3 game called Zen, enjoy!
I recommend this game!
Harvest a bumper crop of thrills as you rebuild your farm in the wake of a hurricane! Farm Frenzy: Hurricane Season is going to blow you away!
Overall rating
5
/
5
79 of 98 found this review helpful
I'm In A Frenzy!
PostedMarch 31, 2015
pennmom36
fromThat bear just stole my chicken!
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Match 3, Time Management, Puzzle
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
Running this farm is hard work! Plant the grass to feed the chickens, water the grass, collect the eggs, send the eggs to the egg powder plant, send the egg powder to the pasta plant, send more eggs to the egg powder plant, collect the pasta, send the pasta to the market, collect the egg powder, send the egg powder tp pasta machine, collect more eggs, plant more grass, water grass, refill water pump, oh nooo cage those ferrets, send them to the warehouse, the warehouse is full, send the eggs to egg powder plant, nope it's busy make more pasta, that is exactly how you will end up in a frenzy too!
Before each level, you need to purchase or upgrade buildings in order to play that level. The first machine you purchase is the Egg Powder Plant which takes the freshly hatched eggs and grinds them into powder and neatly packages them. The next item you purchase is the Pasta Plant which takes those packaged egg powder packages and makes pasta, and packages them neatly. Then you store the items in your warehouse, and click on the truck to have the goods delivered, when he returns, you have more money available to purchase water for grass and the scenario continues until all goals have been met, as shown on the bottom right of the screen. Chickens, cows, pigs etc. can be purchased by clicking the top left icon, the more you have, the faster production goes, but the faster the grass needs planted and watered as well. Various critters such as weasels and bears, attack the chickens, so you must quickly click on them several times to build a cage around them and send them off to market as well. You can upgrade the truck, the warehouse the plants, and purchase a dog to attack the critters, a cat to collect goods, and all kinds of helpers and new production plants. This is the kind of game that will keep you busy for hours, enjoy!
I recommend this game!
Team up with Kane and his furry partner, “Detective” Max, to solve this exciting and dangerous case set in modern New York.
Overall rating
3
/
5
69 of 74 found this review helpful
The Bomb Squad
PostedMarch 30, 2015
pennmom36
fromMax and Detective Kane seem to have everything covered, I think I'm obsolete!
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Match 3, Time Management, Puzzle
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
Jane is the newest recruit to the New York Bomb Squad Department, assigned to work alongside Detective Kane and Detective Max, a bomb sniffing Black Lab. Bomb threats have been received all over the city as of late, most are hoaxes, but all must be taken seriously. A bomb has exploded in a section of the United Nations Building and that's where you're going to learn first hand, on how to work with Max on an investigation, and hopefully clear the building before anyone gets hurt.
This is a simple Hidden Object game, if you don't enjoy one HOP after another, then steer clear, because that is the object of this game, each scene is all about the hidden objects with only a handful of tasks to accomplish. The graphics are extremely basic, most of the scenery has computer generated objects with sharp edges and little detail, especially when you zoom into a close up object. The Hidden Objects are given in list form, however if you click on any word on the list, you will be shown a silhouette of that item, if you still cannot find the item, click on Max, who will sniff out the object in question and sit quietly beside it. Max will rest afterwards (hint recharge) and will be ready to get back to work when the meter above him reaches full capacity. Max starts out with a lower set of skills, but increases his skills as you progress, but you will have to find the hidden stars located in select scenes. Items listed in green, require you to find areas that change to an eye icon, which zooms you into an area of interest that will require the use of an inventory item, however, you may need to visit another location in order to find the necessary items. Some inventory items need combined to complete, by dragging one item to the other such as a net combined with a metal ring, and then the net with the metal ring gets combined with a wooden handle. At the bottom of the Hidden Object list,, there is a bag icon which holds all inventory items you collect, and a globe icon which will allow you to access the map. You can use the map to visit other locations, or click on the areas within the scene that have feet, to move to the next location. After completing a scenes tasks, there will usually be a mini game such as guiding Max through all of the rooms in a building, and declaring which rooms are cleared (those rooms turn green) and marking the rooms that need further investigating (those rooms turn red) to determine if they have bombs as indicated by Max.
This game can be sluggish at times, and the graphics are really poor, but if you can overlook those glitches, and want to play a relaxing seek and find game, it's not a bad game. In fact it's kind of a nice change of pace, enjoy!
I recommend this game!
Explore Ancient Rome in your quest to save the beautiful Altana from the clutches of the villainous Marcus in this challenging Match 3 adventure!
Overall rating
5
/
5
112 of 129 found this review helpful
Worthy Match 3
PostedMarch 30, 2015
pennmom36
fromThis is the first time I've played this game but it asked if I wanted to resume my game from level 6!?
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Match 3, Time Management, Puzzle
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
This game reminds me of the Cradle series, maybe it's because of the Roman theme, but it kept my interest for the entire demo. Whilst you fought at the side of Caesar for the glory of Rome, the evil Marcus kidnapped your beautiful wife Altana, so there's no time to rest your war weary body. You must deploy the help of legendary Romans to help you during your quest, and gather enough gems to pay their wages.
If you make matches of 5 or more tiles, you will receive either a bomb or lightning on the board which will explode when clicked destroying several tiles. As you progress, you will enlist the services of great warriors and marksmen such as Dracus, but it will cost you 45,000 Sestertius to unlock his services and another 12,000 each time you require his services to make all matches of whichever tile you choose. Lanius can clear an entire row, his cost to join you is 27,500 Sestertii, and another 4,500 each time you need his services. Bowman Philipus will join you for 70,000 and will require another 18,000 to use his arrows which are like miniature bombs, Spearman Fighterus needs a whopping 105,000 Sestertii for his deployment and another 25,000 to use his spear to destroy all of the tiles on the board (why not just use him, clear the board, game over!)
Some tiles are blocked with rocks and boulders which take at least one match to clear the rocks, some are blocked with chains and even double chains, again requiring at least one match of whichever tile is chained, to break. You need to make matches on top of every blue tile, and some levels require a specific amount of gems to be collected as well. The tiles aren't that colorful, but most of them deal with the time period with swords, flags, gems and wings. I didn't see an option to play this Match 3 game in another mode such as Untimed or a different matching method, but the goals are fairly easy to accomplish within the given time frame. Enjoy!
I recommend this game!
Was Marion Ashworth murdered? Uncover the victim's true identity!
Overall rating
5
/
5
100 of 108 found this review helpful
A Case Of Mistaken Identity
PostedMarch 29, 2015
pennmom36
fromIf Madame white is such a great detective, why didn't she know to use gloves when investigating the crime scene?
Skill Level:Expert
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
No one knew Marion Ashworth better than her own parents, however, the students and faculty of the prestigious Belfort Academy of Dance, knew her as entirely different person. News of Marion's death came as quite a shock to her wealthy parents, and an ever bigger shock when they discovered that the victim wasn't their Marion. This imposter was so cunning, she was able to fool Ms. Compton, the headmistress, not to mention her classmates, this Marion was the only Marion they knew existed! Who exactly is the murder victim, and what happened to the real Marion? Did the murderer intend to murder the real Marion or the imposter Marion, and why?
This is a fantastic Whodunit/Whoisit investigative adventure with Madame White, hot on the trail of some mind bending and deceitful evidence. Your Evidence Board is located on the bottom right of the screen, which holds all the information, clues and bios you collect during your investigation. Some of the inventory items have plus signs indicating that further action is required before that item can be used, such as fixing broken items or combining it with another inventory item.
The Hidden Object Scenes are mostly interactive list finds, but there are unusual scenes as well, such as searching the murder victim for signs of a struggle, or finding a specific number of personal items. You can opt to play a Match 3 game in place of the HOP, which requires you to make matches of Codminions in place of the listed item search. The Mini Games are good, but I was surprised to find most of them just revamped puzzles, matching two related items, or using arrows to rotate several fabric buttons on a diamond shaped grid until the buttons were in their matching colored holes.
The Collectors Edition has 41 hidden Collectible Masks, Achievements, that allow you to receive Gold, Silver, or Bronze categories within those thirteen achievements. There are 10 Morphing Objects, but they are only available within the Hidden Object Scenes. To help you remember, there is an icon that will flash until you find the changing or morphing object. The Collectors Edition also has Souvenirs, replayable Mini Games and HOP's as well as Bonus HOP's once the Bonus Chapter has been completed, the Making of, Pictures which has both Wallpapers and Sessions, Movies, Match 3 games, Music, and a built in Strategy Guide, enjoy!
I recommend this game!
Emma and the Inventor
Save Emma’s grandfather who has accidentally trapped himself in a mysterious void in Emma and the Inventor!
Overall rating
4
/
5
1 of 1 found this review helpful
Emma and the Inventor
PostedMarch 29, 2015
pennmom36
fromHe's a real character all right.
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Match 3, Time Management, Puzzle
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
What a surprisingly entertaining game! Emma arrives at her Grandpa Jason Jenkins home, to see his latest invention. Emma arrives just in time to see Grandpa's Mystery Machine go haywire. Now Grandpa is stuck in another dimension and his Mystery Machine has exploded into parts that have scattered everywhere. You will need to find those pieces, restore the Machine, and use Grandpas recipe for making fuel so that the Mystery Machine is operational once again, and hopefully find a way to get Grandpa back.
Your inventory bar has three different sections that can be rotated with the click of a button to bring up the trays, Parts, Fuel and Objects. Because this game is centered around inventions, you are equipped with a giant magnifying glass on a mechanical arm. Whenever there is an area of interest (sparkles appear) your magnifier will activate to give you a closer look of the area. I will admit that waiting for the mechanical magnifying glass to engage every single time, became a tad bit annoying, but I got used to it eventually.
The Hidden Object Scenes are in abundance, and all seem to be simple list finds with no interactions, some even require the use of a flashlight as your only source of light. For the most part, the objects are well hidden, but one of the HO's was within a dark painting, and the items were so tiny that they were unrecognizable. The Mini Games are very easy, but fun such as swapping puzzle tiles to complete a picture, or flipping switches in a specific order. My favorite one required you to change the number on several buttons to complete the numerical sequence, starting with 1 + 1 = 2, 1 + 2 = 3, 2 + 3 =5 and so forth. This is a simple Hidden Object adventure game, that is pleasantly fun and lighthearted, enjoy!
I recommend this game!
Discover Fairy Kingdom and enjoy an exciting simulation adventure!
Overall rating
5
/
5
122 of 139 found this review helpful
Save The Princess
PostedMarch 28, 2015
pennmom36
fromWhy do all the workers look exactly the same, did I clone them?
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Match 3, Time Management, Puzzle
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
Seems to be a lot of evil sorcerers lately, (are there any nice sorcerers left ?) this one has left the Fairy Kingdom in total chaos, and has taken the Princess with him! The King has asked for our help to restore the kingdom and bring his daughter home safely. I didn't notice an option for an untimed mode, but this TM game isn't that hard core, and there seems to be plenty of time allowance for most levels. Achievements are available, some of them have three different levels to achieve a bronze, silver and gold trophy.
The graphics are very well done in this somewhat easy Time Management/Strategy game. Each level has a specific set of goals to accomplish, to receive up to three golden stars. You will have to use strategy when constructing buildings, so that you will have enough resources to complete other tasks. Roads must be cleared of pits, stones, and branches, broken carts must be disassembled and bridges repaired. You will have to collect food for needed energy to complete these tasks as well. Farms can be built to produce more food, Sawmills to produce wood, Gold mines for funds and Libraries to learn various spells. The spells are actually bonuses that when fully charged can be used to speed up the workers, make construction faster, or receive more resources. Wild boars will run amuck and block pathways, so a Hunters House must be built to house the hunters who will chase the boars out of the way, and if you upgrade buildings you can get more workers or a larger supply of resources. The tasks are clear, and fairly easy to achieve, they are listed at the top of the screen so you can see your progress easily. Enjoy!
I recommend this game!