pennmom36's Profile
Stat Summary
- Average Rating:3.7
- Helpful Votes:358,445
- Reviews Submitted:4712
- First Review:December 10, 2012
- Most Recent Review:April 24, 2025
- Featured reviews0
Status:
Elementary My Dear Majesty
The king's daughter has turned into a man-eating monster, and either you find the cure, or it's off with your head!
Overall rating
5
/
5
9 of 10 found this review helpful
Elementary My Dear Majesty
PostedMarch 26, 2015
pennmom36
fromDon't forget to use the rotation icon and zoom into the island for different views that will help you find items.
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Match 3, Time Management, Puzzle
Current Favorite:
Phantasmat Collector's Edition
(100)Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
This is probably the funniest seek and find adventure I have every played. The graphics ate actually very bright, colorful and crisp, even though the graphics are animated, it's obvious someone spent a lot of time perfecting the details. King Ludwig of Sky World has summoned the finest investigator available, which happens to be Felix the Investigator. Something or someone has turned Princess Mary into a hideous monster. The King likes to refer to Mary as a Rabbit, but she looks nothing like a cute fuzzy rabbit!
Each level or chapter has a whole slew of tasks to accomplish such as finding tools, or multiples of items such as 10 apples and 6 melons. The task are given to you on a list in groups and once you find all of those items you are tasked with using those items to solve a small dilemma, usually in the form of a mini game such as putting puzzle pieces together. Some of the tasks involve using a remote control box to align a crane, or a cannon both sideways and the trajectory or distance. One such piece of equipment involved launching some very cute sheep from the main island to a smaller island section, I accidentally overshot that poor little sheep (whose name was Dolly) over the side of the island, I felt horrible! If you want to play a lighthearted game that has all kinds of tasks available, and you like a sense of humor, give this game a try, but don't launch poor Dolly too far, enjoy!
I recommend this game!
Mystery Trackers: Nightsville Horror Collector's Edition
A mysterious Owl Man is terrorizing citizens!
Overall rating
5
/
5
246 of 290 found this review helpful
The Owl Man Is Real
PostedMarch 26, 2015
pennmom36
fromI give Elf a chance to do everything, looking back it probably wasn't wise trying to get him to scare away the gator
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object
Current Favorite:
Phantasmat Collector's Edition
(100)Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
We have another Mystery to solve, tracking down Oliver who has been abducted by the Owlman who was thought to be just a legend...until now. The odd thing is, the Owlman is a good omen in the nearby town of Nightsville, why has he come to terrorize the citizens of Willowsville? A little further investigation with the help of Elf, reveals that these two towns have always been rivals, did someone go too far this time?
Mystery Trackers has always been known for all sorts of goodies, Morphing Objects, Collectible Coins that can be used to purchase Character Figurines in a vending machine, and there are Collectible Monsters as well. There are Achievements to earn and Plus Sign inventory items that require some type of interaction before they can be used. An old man appears out of nowhere and gives you the "gift of sight" which allows you to see scenes in a whole different light, the way it was before something traumatic happened. Once you return items to their correct places, you reveal things you never knew was there, which really helps your investigation. When you speak to different characters, you are given several questions to ask, and you can choose which questions you want to ask in any order. You will collect pieces of evidence and once you have collected an entire set of evidence you will be able to make a deduction about what happened, which is presented in a video form for visualization.
The Hidden Object Scenes are well done, a little on the dark side, but items are easily recognizable, most scenes require you to find items that match silhouetted shapes shown in groups which reveals a part to the final item. There are smaller mini games such as turning several discs to allow rods to engage from the center hub to the outer ring. Then there's those long, complicated puzzles, where you have to match the numbers and birds on the code deck with the ones on the wheel, using the numbers and birds that are already set as a clue. The second set requires you to do the same thing with numbers, filling in the blank spaces according to the numerical pattern.
This Collectors Edition has Wallpapers, Concept Art, Music, a Secret Room, Achievements, Collectible Coins and Figurines, Morphing Objects, a Vending Machine, a built in Strategy Guide, and a Bonus Chapter, enjoy!
I recommend this game!
Elementals: The Magic Key
Plunge into the captivating world of magic inhabited by elementals. Help Albert, a young magician, restore the Key of Eiron.
Overall rating
4
/
5
2 of 2 found this review helpful
Elementals: The Magic Key
PostedMarch 25, 2015
pennmom36
fromWhy can't I just use magic to make one of these old keys the "Magic Key"?
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Match 3, Time Management, Puzzle
Current Favorite:
Phantasmat Collector's Edition
(100)Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
This is a seek and find adventure combined with a Battle feature where you are challenged to win a chess type game against evil forces. Young Albert and his sister, Lillian are students at the Academy for wizards. Albert's skills are put to the test when Sibelius, an evil sorcerer who was kicked out of the academy, kidnaps Lillian. This all sounds kind of familiar, speaking of familiar, each student has their own "familiar" pet, Albert's is a purple fuzzy critter named Fellian or Felly for short. As Albert and Felly set out on their quest to find Lillian, they use each room in the academy to their advantage, collecting important items they'll need and solving several tasks in the form of a simple mini game such as turning dials to complete a picture or or finding broken mirror shards and repairing a mirror. Most of the Hidden Object Scenes are Silhouettes, where you find items within the scene that match the silhouetted shape shown, and there is a zoom in area that requires you to move items out of the way, as a silhouette is shown one item at a time, to reveal the item needed to complete the final item in the original HOP. Whenever Albert comes across a foe, such as a Golem Guard or a familiar with attitude, a battle will ensue in the form of a board game. The board will have your elementals on the left side and the enemys elementals on the right side. You can choose any of your elementals to move them by clicking on the desired one and then you move that elemental to the desired and available position, which will highlight the opponents elementals that can be destroyed. simply click on the opponents elemental you wish to destroy. The goal is to destroy more of the opponents elementals then the opponent destroys of yours (last man standing) Elementals can be made stronger if you line at least three of them up either horizontally, vertically, or diagonally, it will then require at least two consecutive hits to destroy them. You can replay mini games and battles anytime you want, once they have been played in the original game. When you complete the game, you will be able to play new opponents as an added feature. I have played this strategy based type of game before, in a Match 3 game but never in an adventure or HOPA. This game surprised me at every turn, the cartoonish graphics are well done, the game functioned well, and kept you busy, there was always something to do, and those tasks were lighthearted and entertaining, enjoy!
I recommend this game!
Atlantic Quest: Solitaire
It's "High Fins and cards galore" as Sharky and Clowny are off to their latest deep sea adventure!
Overall rating
5
/
5
123 of 141 found this review helpful
Everything's Better Under The Sea
PostedMarch 25, 2015
pennmom36
fromJust watching that ship sink eloquently
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Match 3, Time Management, Puzzle
Current Favorite:
Phantasmat Collector's Edition
(100)Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
What a great game of solitaire, the entire family will enjoy this whimsical, nautical themed game. This is a Higher/Lower game requiring you to clear the board by clicking a card one higher or one lower than the deck card show, while attempting to make large combos. Each hand will have ill or imprisoned fish in a bubble, to free them you have to make a combo of a specific amount of cards as shown under the bubble, some require several combos. Occasionally, you will uncover Fish Helpers that are card specific wildcards, and there are trophies to earn as well. Some of the cards are blocked with Plants, Oil or even Sleeping Clams, and cannot be played until a special card is uncovered to remove the blockage. You can choose to allow the cards to gently "sway" as if they truly are underwater, which is a cool feature I haven't seen before.
You can spend the pearls you earn playing, to purchase upgrades in the shop. The Skipper is a wildcard that can be used in place of any card you choose, Clowny's Headbut destroys a single card, Sharky's Flipper-Flapper smashes a stack of cards, Inky's Tentacle grabs several cards and destroys them, Crabby's Claw allows you to click away as many cards as you can for 5 seconds (how cool is that!) the Big Turnover opens all aquatic plant, oil and clam covered cards, and finally, the Random Extra card which randomly chooses one of the bonus cards. This game reminds me of Seven Seas Solitaire which is a pirate themed solitaire game, so pull up a beach chair and enjoy!
I recommend this game!
1000 LYA
An exciting outer space Match 3 adventure with 80 levels, incredible powerups, a funny comic story and tons of unique special quests.
Overall rating
4
/
5
63 of 68 found this review helpful
Light Years Away From A Great Match 3
PostedMarch 24, 2015
pennmom36
fromI think I saw spock far far away
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Match 3, Time Management, Puzzle
Current Favorite:
Phantasmat Collector's Edition
(100)Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
Not a bad M3 game, but certainly light years away from being an awesome M3 game. As other reviewers have stated, the music is outdated and annoying, but that's an easy fix. The concept of this intergalactic Match 3 game is really good but poorly executed. The Match 3 items are too unappealing, white, blue, yellow, and red crystals that at the very least should have been more vibrant in color, not enough "eye candy" in my opinion. Basically, you make matches of at least 3 identical items by swapping tiles, you must make matches over all yellow cells, and collect a specific number of each crystal that is shown at the top of the playing field. The main goal is to collect the scarce green crystals which are supposed to be Energy Crystals, which will be used to power bonuses (galactic weapons) You travel from your home planet, Earthoc, to the planet Lavar as you chase down the interstellar villain who heisted your Time Machine, eventually making your way to all of the planets, Dorund, Asil and Korak. You can replay any level at any time, if you want to beat the highest scores and become the Champion of space, I didn't see an option to play this game without a timer, but it may exist in another galaxy lol.
If you make matches of 5 or more crystals, a Bomb will appear on the playing field which will explode if clicked to destroy all tiles nearby. Occasionally, a Meteorite will slam into the playing field, you want to click on it as soon as possible to break it up, and you will get a whole slew of bombs on the board. As you progress, you will earn different bonuses, BUT, each one requires a lump sum upfront, and then more energy crystals each time they are used, the weapons are available at the bottom of the playing field, and cannot be used until you unlock them first. There is a Crystal Laser with an initial cost of 27,500 energy units and 4,500 energy units each time you use it, the laser destroys an entire row in one shot. The Seeker Drone can be programmed to find certain stones to destroy, the initial cost is 47,500 energy units and an additional 7,500 energy units for each use. The Ion Beam cost 70,000 energy units to activate and an additional 2,500 energy units to use, this beam automatically finds it's target and focuses all it's energy on it until it's destroyed. The Ultra Sonic Torpedo requires 105,000 units of energy to complete and 12,500 energy units to deploy, this weapon upends the entire playing field and reshuffles all of the tiles. Some of the tiles are blocked and unavailable until you make at least one match beside the obstruction such as a lunar rock, which makes the game more challenging. I did enjoy playing this Match 3 game, I just wish they would have made the game more epic and colorful, enjoy!
I recommend this game!
Vacation Adventures: Park Ranger 3
Pinecreek Hills just keeps getting better! Help the Rangers protect Animals and Visitors, clean up the Park and spot Wildlife.
Overall rating
5
/
5
240 of 268 found this review helpful
Keep 'Em Coming
PostedMarch 24, 2015
pennmom36
fromWhat in the world is a Plectrum?
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Match 3, Time Management, Puzzle
Current Favorite:
Phantasmat Collector's Edition
(100)Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
Congratulations on your new promotion to Senior Ranger! Pinecreek Hills has never been better, so choose the gender of Ranger you want to portrait and get to work finding missing items, and cleaning up the park. There are seek and find puzzles in scenes all around the park, each scene has several wildlife animals to find that are shown as silhouettes in a box to the left of the word search bar, when all animals have been spotted, the box will close. You will also recycle trash that is laying around, such as plastic bottles, crumpled paper and cans, when all trash has been found, the recycle can icon will be filled to the top. You will earn an Eagle Eye achievement if you don't use either the hint or mega hint feature. You earn a Bronze star for completing the search, a Silver star if you find all wildlife OR all recyclable items and a Gold star if you find all wildlife AND all recyclable items. Words listed in blue require an interaction such as finding an air pump to fix a tire, words in red are hidden, requiring you to click on an item to open it which will reveal the hidden item, and most scenes have an area that zooms in which will have several items within that are on the list. Levels can be replayed at anytime to better your score or locate items you missed the first time. My favorite feature in the Vacation Adventures games are the abundance of Mini Games available after each search, such as, Spot The Difference, Word Search, Match Two and several different styles of puzzles, rotating tiles and putting together maps and pictures with different shaped pieces. You can use the money you earn playing the game in the Souvenir Shop to purchase anything from a coffee mug to a Turquoise Necklace, everything you purchase is kept in a display case in the Souvenir Room, enjoy!
I recommend this game!
Nightfall Mysteries: Haunted by the Past
Track down the truth about your grandfather's death!
Overall rating
4
/
5
87 of 95 found this review helpful
A Tragedy in Haven Rock
PostedMarch 24, 2015
pennmom36
fromI gotta go hide a cassette now.
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Match 3, Time Management, Puzzle
Current Favorite:
Phantasmat Collector's Edition
(100)Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
Christine has just learned that her Grandpa, Charles Crenshaw, has passed. Not from a letter, not from an attorney, not even from a distant family. Nope, she read about her Grandpa's passing in the newspaper! If that isn't odd in itself, grandpa was writing a letter to Christine, telling her that he was being followed and he was fearful for his own safety. He signed this letter of desperation simply, Charles, not Grandad or even Grandpa Charles. There are 15 audio tapes hidden around the town, which also seems strange to me. Some of the tapes are recorded by granddad Charles, some recorded by granddad's caregiver, Lily. Who does that, who sit's down, pops in a blank cassette, records a 30 second rundown of another person's behavior, and then hides the cassette in the church, or in another random building for safe keeping?
The hidden Object Scenes are a hodgepodge of variations, interactive silhouetted shapes, requiring you to find items that match the silhouetted shape shown, standard list finds, and finding several items of one kind such as 12 napkins. The most unusual HOP, required you to find items to feed a very hungry hamster, one at a time as indicated by the hamsters "thought bubble". Some of the Hidden Object Scenes are repeated, however, the second time around is usually a different style of HOP. The Mini Games are good, nothing new, but nothing mind boggling either, such as lighting all purple candles and distinguishing all yellow candles (clicking on one candle would affect the results of other candles) Another game required you to swap tiles to create pathways that allow a blue, green and purple gem to travel from the top to the bottom.
The Collectors Edition has 15 Audio Cassette Tapes (also available in this SE) to locate, 46 hidden Masks, an Art Gallery, Wallpaper, Music, Achievements, re-playable Mini Games and Hidden Object Scenes, a built in Strategy Guide and a Bonus Chapter, enjoy!
I recommend this game!
Greed: Forbidden Experiments
When Julia reaches an abandoned laboratory to rescue her sister, she discovers there is more to this mystery than a mere abduction.
Overall rating
5
/
5
133 of 143 found this review helpful
I Kinda Dig It
PostedMarch 23, 2015
pennmom36
fromHave you ever noticed that all HOS have at least one feather, handcuffs, glasses and a hammer to find, can we choose something different, no acorns, pinecones, snails, apples, and weights either
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Match 3, Time Management, Puzzle
Current Favorite:
Phantasmat Collector's Edition
(100)Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
This game definitely grows on you, and it's the perfect game to start out the week with because it's an easy breezy game that doesn't require a lot of effort to enjoy. The story intrigues me, a young woman receives a frantic phone call from a stranger stating that her missing sister Sophia is alive, but is the victim of cruel experimentations by The Oracle's of Doom! This could very well be a trap, but Julia has been left no choice, she must try to save her sister at any cost. When she arrives at the lab, something even more bizarre occurs, what she thought was just a recurring nightmare, turns out to be real life visions. Has she been here before, are these her memories or is her sister communicating with her somehow? Who are these evil men dressed in black apocalyptic style clothing and what are these experiments for?
Even though this is only a Standard Edition, there are 10 Oracle's Emblems to collect and 9 missing Diary Pages to find, which also gives some insight to Sophie's state of mind during her captivity by the Oracles, and shed's light upon the storyline. I really liked the first Greed (mad scientist) but this is a completely different storyline, and from what I could tell has no bearing on this game. Inventory items are easy to find, and are usually used within the same scene or shortly thereafter, and most tasks are logical so you will probably know exactly where to use an inventory item.
The Hidden Object Scenes are clear, and the objects themselves are easily identifiable, but not every item is easily found. There are good old fashioned list finds with several items requiring some type of interaction, usually just clicking on an object to move it which exposes the object you are looking for. There are also Hidden Object Scenes requiring you to find objects that match a silhouetted shape shown, and dark scenes where you must find listed objects with a flashlight, one of the scenes was repeated, but had a different type of search the second time around. The Mini Games are fairly easy, most of them are the type that when you select one, others are affected such as rotating square tiles to complete an image, when you click on one tile, others move as well, or selecting the correct combination on a lock, when you rotate one dial, others move as well.
There aren't a lot of bells and whistles, but this is a decent game with pretty good graphics, well done voiceovers, entertaining Hidden Object Scenes and clever Mini Games. There are Collectible Oracle Emblems and missing Diary Pages to go along with an interesting story, enjoy!
I recommend this game!
Empress of the Deep: The Darkest Secret
Explore beautiful underwater temples! Search for artifacts to uncover the dark secrets of the Evil Empress and her hideous plans.
Overall rating
4
/
5
2 of 3 found this review helpful
Empress of the Deep: The Darkest Secret
PostedMarch 22, 2015
pennmom36
fromAnna, Anna, wake up, you've been asleep way too long!
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Match 3, Time Management, Puzzle
Current Favorite:
Phantasmat Collector's Edition
(100)Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
Empress of the Deep was the first Hidden Object Adventure games that I played, and it drew me in hook, line, and sinker. I bought this game when it was first released, and it seemed so awesome in it's heyday. After re-visiting this game, everything about it seems different after all those years. I remember it being difficult and complex, in fact it's a very easy and basic game. I remember the graphics as being very detailed when in reality the graphics are just okay, and in fact are blurry in the HOS's. Don't get me wrong, it is a great game with a really unique story, it's just a different style of game then most.
Anna has been released from a sarcophagus that held her prisoner for a century. She doesn't remember anything, who she is, where she is, or even why she was held captive! All she knows is that the voice of a kind old man named Jacob is encouraging her to seek the truth. That's not the only voice she hears, the voice of a young girl has been taunting her as well, and she is encouraging Anna to question Jacob. One thing's for sure, the entire city is deep beneath the ocean, so how are you going to escape, and who is telling the truth?
When I first played this game, I found one feature invaluable, once you complete all available tasks in a location, a star will appear on the upper left of the screen saying "area complete". Now I realize just how easy this game is, with usually just one inventory item available, and occasionally a HOP or a Mini Game. The map isn't the best either, just a piece of paper with stars showing the locations you have visited. The Hidden Object Scenes can be difficult at times, mostly because the items are blurry, and at times unrecognizable. All HOS are list finds with no interactions available. The Mini Games are really good, many of them requiring you to find clues or combinations first. My favorite game required you to light up 6 connectors along a round tablet, by turning several round tokens with wire connections on the inside, to allow the power source at the center to flow freely along those wire connections. During it's heyday, I would have given this game five stars, but I now realize that this game had some flaws. Still a fantastic story and I really do enjoy playing it, give it a try, enjoy!
I recommend this game!
The Secret Order: Beyond Time Collector's Edition
Trapped in the past, Sarah must find a way home.
Overall rating
5
/
5
216 of 248 found this review helpful
Stuck In The Past
PostedMarch 21, 2015
pennmom36
fromI like the griffin better than the mousedog
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Match 3, Time Management, Puzzle
Current Favorite:
Phantasmat Collector's Edition
(100)Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
Sarah Pennington is a member of The Order of the Griffins, a secret society sworn to protect against the Dragon Clan. She boarded the Royal Griffin, traveling back in time to destroy unstable artifacts at their origin in Aeronhart. Unfortunately the Royal Griffin sank, but there's still hope for the time machine, thanks to Flavius, a local inventor. (and a flux capacitor or two)
I'm not too thrilled with the direction this adventure is heading, the original Secret Order was fantastic and had a really intriguing storyline. The next one added a baby griffin which made the game less credible in my opinion. This time they have given us Nubi, who is neither cute nor intimidating, and looks more like a mouse than a dog. To make matters worse, Nubi "learns" new skills, such as Fetch and then the power to control Lightning. Totally unnecessary, but other than giving him an outfit to begin with, at least I don't have to dress him up or give him a room with luxury items. There are 10 Eagle Masks, 10 Jaguar Masks and 10 Crocodile Masks hidden throughout the game and a bunch of Achievements to earn too.
The Hidden Object Scenes are list finds with several progressive interactions items to solve. There is an optional game of Mahjong available for those who have grown weary of Hidden Object Scenes. The HOS are well done but I thought the graphics could have been better within the scenes. There are a lot of Mini Games, none of which require in depth thinking, such as clearing a path to allow a necklace to be removed at the top of the board in a classic game of "Blocks"
This Collectors Edition has Soundtracks, Achievements, Collectible Masks, Game Art, replayable Mini Games, Wallpapers, a built in Strategy Guide and a Bonus Chapter, enjoy!
I recommend this game!