pennmom36's Profile
Stat Summary
- Average Rating:3.7
- Helpful Votes:358,445
- Reviews Submitted:4700
- First Review:December 10, 2012
- Most Recent Review:January 15, 2025
- Featured reviews0
Status:
Find and collect adorable critters as you visit incredible places all over the world!
Overall rating
3
/
5
47 of 55 found this review helpful
WILDLIFE WOULD HAVE BEEN MORE APPEALING THAN CRITTERS
PostedMay 7, 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
I did indeed LOVE Finding Cats & Pups, and this is still a great HOG but the critters weren't very appealing, and adopting a snake, or a chicken, didn't have as much appeal as pups and cats.
They must have updated the game because when I originally played the CE version, it was never explained that each level was critter specific. In this SE version, it now explains that there is a tab showing which critter is available when you scan over the critter tab.
I also had difficulty seeing some of the puzzles, such as the Squirrel Circle Rotation puzzle which took me quite some time to even notice that the center of one of the circles, wasn't rotated correctly because it was entirely black and tucked away in the hole of a cave.
I also had difficulty seeing some of the puzzles, such as the Squirrel Circle Rotation puzzle which took me quite some time to even notice that the center of one of the circles, wasn't rotated correctly because it was entirely black and tucked away in the hole of a cave.
There are 18 Main HO locations: North Carolina, Santa Monica, Tunis, Palermo, Kalispell, Denpasar, Dodge City, Connecticut, Bordeaux. Zaanstad, Lisbon, Vientiane, Malmo, Tioman, Nebraska, Muir Woods, Moab, and Bloomington. The locations are real, and you get to read Trivia about each location.
There are no Timers or Misclick penalties, however, you will need to make consecutive, back-to-back selections to fill the Combo-meter if you want to earn a Gold Star on each level (you'll earn a Bronze, Silver, or Gold Star depending on how many combo points you earn) I usually take my time and find all critters and butterflies then I casually find the Listed Items. I can then replay the level and just worry about finding the items back-to-back for combo points (& a Gold Star) because I don't have to worry about finding the critters. The critters and butterflies can still be clicked on, but the level will show that the critters and butterflies have already been found!
The graphics are amazing, even when using the Magnifying Glass feature which allows you to zoom in to the scenes (including the secondary zoom zone area) by double-clicking, right-clicking, or scrolling. You can even click on the magnifying glass and THEN scroll to zoom in even closer...and the graphics still remain crystal clear!
There are 3 different HO Scenes per location, and after each HO scene, you will play a very challenging Spot The Difference Scene, followed by a Mini-Game, such as Disk Rotation, Square Rotation, Swapping Tiles, or Cycling through pieces until you figure out which of the images will complete the picture.
Each scene has 16 Critters to find, some of which are located in the Zoom Zone, and 3 Critters are located in the Spot the Difference scenes as well. You will earn Adoption Points for finding all the Critters and you can use the points to adopt 20 adorable Critters.
Each scene also has 3 beautiful Morphing Butterflies which can be quite challenging to spot in some scenes! Collecting the Butterflies releases them in the Photo Album. One Butterfly is equal to 3 Puzzle Pieces that allow you to assemble 24 Butterfly Puzzles which can be downloaded as Wallpapers.
I still suggest that Tiny Little Lion considers adding a Strategy Guide to their CE versions that shows the location of all Critters & Butterflies, that way they can get as challenging as they want with their placement and still have a cheat sheet if the player decides to give up the search! A similar game I recently played added a new Hint feature for locating the available Morphing Object, so perhaps they could add a Critter Hint button that would locate 1 critter, that way the player could use the hint for 1 critter or all 16 if desired?
The Collector's Edition version has 18 HO Locations (with 3 different scenes per location) 6 Extra Bonus Chapters, 12 extra Mini-Games, 27 Wallpapers, 17 Music Soundtracks, 12 Developer's Critter Bios & Pics, 20 Adoptable Critters +5 CE Bonus Critters, and 24 Butterfly Puzzles (in Butterfly Album)
ฅ^•ﻌ•^ฅ
ฅ^•ﻌ•^ฅ
There's always something interesting going on at my new forum and we've just started a new group play game! If you miss chatting with fellow fishies from the Big Fish Forum days then grab a thermos full of coffee, throw on your favorite jeans & t-shirt, and lace up your hiking boots...ah who are we kidding...just keep your comfy fuzzy slippers on, and come chillax with us by the fire at thewoodsforum.boards.net
I recommend this game!
Pack your bags for an unforgettable trip through sunny France!
Overall rating
3
/
5
42 of 59 found this review helpful
THE GAME DOESN'T AUTOMATICALLY ADJUST TO FIT MY LARGE SCREEN :(
PostedMay 6, 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
I loved Vacation Adventures: California but I wasn't crazy about traveling to France. I liked the outdoorsy, camping kind of vibes as I traveled around California but for me, France is such an overused and typical HOG theme so it just seemed like another travel HOG. The biggest complaint I have is that it doesn't adjust to my large screen automatically (Alienware 38" curved monitor) and I have to play in windowed mode or adjust the resolution on my computer which is a pain.
You can choose from 3 different difficulty modes, a Relaxed Mode with a 15-second Hint recharge and no misclick penalties, a Medium Mode with a 35-second hint recharge and a misclick penalty, or a Hard mode which is Timed and has a 60-second hint recharge and misclick penalty. FYI: you will earn bonus points if you don't use any Hints.
There is a Magnifying Glass feature that works really well on the main scenes but doesn't work on zoom zones. The Magnifier (+) disappears once you click on an object, which I found to be very annoying. It would be wonderful if you just had to right-click to discard the magnifier when you no longer needed it versus disappearing after every single click, which is usually the case in most HOGs with magnifying glass zoom feature.
Each Scene has two Zoom Zones which needs a few tweaks in my opinion. First of all, you can't use the Magnifying Glass feature in the Zoom Zones. Secondly, it would be nice if the listed items were highlighted when a Zoom Zone is opened. Third, I think it would be even better if the zoom zone would close automatically once the items have been found, and reopen if new items appear on the list (as you find items, new items appear on the list)
There are 5 Variations of HOGs as you replay the scenes. Listed Items, Silhouetted Shapes, Scrambled Letters, Missing Vowels, and Riddled Clues. The Scenes will have either a Fleur-de-Lis or a French Flag to find, collecting 60 Fleur-de-Lis will unlock the Unlimited Mode, and finding 60 French Flags will unlock 60 Bonus Mini-games. Each scene also has an 8-Ball that is worth 60,000 extra points, and items listed in Blue require an interactive task such as finding and placing a feather on a hat.
The Collector's Edition version has 60 Main HO locations, 14 additional scene locations that are incorporated within the regular locations and are marked with a CE rosette, and 19 Gold Medal Achievements
Come join in on the fun at my new forum in The Woods. We're starting a new group play game today! Get help with games from fellow players, chat with friends or just sit by the campfire and chillax for a bit thewoodsforum.boards.net
An intense race against the clock to sort through tons of objects in search of the correct ones!
Overall rating
1
/
5
157 of 175 found this review helpful
I THINK I COULD HAVE ENJOYED THIS GAME BUT...
PostedMay 3, 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
1
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
1
/
5
Level of Challenge
1
/
5
Storyline
1
/
5
This is a very basic Hidden Object Game where you drag a Film Strip back and forth to search for Listed Items. I really think I would have enjoyed this game if it didn't have so many glitches and oversights galore! There is a Free-play Mode, a 2-Player Mode, and an Adventure Mode which has no adventure or storyline?
CON...
-This is a Timed game and there is no other option. The game begins with "Finding One Item in 75 Seconds" and each level progresses with the number of items to find increasing each time, up to 15 Items You will be credited with +20 seconds for every match made. After completing this Timeframe, you will repeat the process with only 65 seconds and 15 seconds added per match, followed by 55 seconds with only +10 seconds added per match, and so forth.
CON...
-This is a Timed game and there is no other option. The game begins with "Finding One Item in 75 Seconds" and each level progresses with the number of items to find increasing each time, up to 15 Items You will be credited with +20 seconds for every match made. After completing this Timeframe, you will repeat the process with only 65 seconds and 15 seconds added per match, followed by 55 seconds with only +10 seconds added per match, and so forth.
-If you misclick an object, -5 seconds will be removed from the timer for each misclick...wait till you hear the timer alarm (I'll get to this in a little bit!)
PRO...
-Although the Timer sounds intimidating, there aren't a lot of objects on the film strip, and most of the objects are multiple's of the same object type, such as 3 Kitchen Items, 3 Tools, etc.
-Although the Timer sounds intimidating, there aren't a lot of objects on the film strip, and most of the objects are multiple's of the same object type, such as 3 Kitchen Items, 3 Tools, etc.
-Before the demo ended I had completed the entire group at 75 seconds, the entire group at 65 seconds, and I was up to 5 items in the 55-second category, so it is doable. On the other hand, there are 100 levels so odds are high that the last part of the game will barely have enough time to read the listed items much less have enough time to find the objects!
CON:
-Just before the timer runs out there is an excruciating noise that blares and drives you practically insane. I have played thousands of games and have never encountered a sound so loud or annoying.
-Just before the timer runs out there is an excruciating noise that blares and drives you practically insane. I have played thousands of games and have never encountered a sound so loud or annoying.
CON:
-The objects are all Clip Art images, some of the objects are unrecognizable! The cartoon images make it difficult to distinguish what is a toy and what is supposed to be real!
-The objects are all Clip Art images, some of the objects are unrecognizable! The cartoon images make it difficult to distinguish what is a toy and what is supposed to be real!
CONS:
-There are all kinds of inconsistencies when it comes to what is accepted. Normally, this wouldn't be an issue, it IS an issue when they deduct -5 seconds from the timer for every mistake!
-There are all kinds of inconsistencies when it comes to what is accepted. Normally, this wouldn't be an issue, it IS an issue when they deduct -5 seconds from the timer for every mistake!
-Under the "Kitchen Items" category, cleaning supplies do not count, not even the mop, broom, or dustpan. I don't know about you, but I am constantly using a broom & mop in my kitchen! (or vacuum which also isn't accepted)
-Under the "Desert" category, the orange and pineapple were accepted as a desert but the apple was not, but only on certain levels...on some levels, the apple was accepted?
-Under the "Fruit" category, a tomato is not accepted even though a tomato is a fruit.
-Under the "Leaves" category, the husk on a corn cob counts as a leaf, a pineapple counts because it has a leafy top, the tulip with two leaves counts, the strawberry also counts because it has two leaves...there is a smaller identical strawberry with leaves that sits on top of a birthday cake, this does NOT count as a leaf even though that same strawberry on top of the cake was accepted on the previous level under the "fruit" category, even though this strawberry is identical to the strawberry without a cake??!!!
-Under the "Numbers" category, the #5 candle on the cake does NOT count (not to be confused with the strawberry adorned cake) again, the strawberry on top of the other birthday cake counted as fruit but the #5 candle doesn't count as a number? You may say that it's part of the cake so it wouldn't be accepted, as is the case in most HOGs, but there is a ketchup bottle with a picture of a tomato on the same level and that tomato adorned ketchup bottle was accepted as a "vegetable"
-Under the "Letters" category, the letters on books don't count, even when it says it's an ABC book! It's also difficult to tell the difference between a letter and clip art of some music symbols, and the Greek Alphabet which isn't accepted.
-Under the "Toys" category, a basketball was accepted, a volleyball, baseball, tennis racket, etc. was not? Again, these are all cartoon clip art images so it's difficult to tell if it's supposed to represent a toy or a real-life object, for example, is a cartoonish Teddy Bear supposed to be a "toy" or is it supposed to be under the "animal" category?
HUGE CONS:
-Twice I encountered a glitch where I was tasked with finding 3 Kitchen Items. As the other categories were completed, such as 3 Animals, and 3 Socks, a second "Kitchen Items" category would appear on the list. Both times this happened (where I had Kitchen Items doubled on the list of items to find at the top) after I found all 3 kitchen items in the first list, the second list of 3 Kitchen items would disappear as well. The timer kept going, the level didn't end, and there were absolutely no items left to find, the top showed nothing, no items listed whatsoever...I had to restart both of those levels!
-Twice I encountered a glitch where I was tasked with finding 3 Kitchen Items. As the other categories were completed, such as 3 Animals, and 3 Socks, a second "Kitchen Items" category would appear on the list. Both times this happened (where I had Kitchen Items doubled on the list of items to find at the top) after I found all 3 kitchen items in the first list, the second list of 3 Kitchen items would disappear as well. The timer kept going, the level didn't end, and there were absolutely no items left to find, the top showed nothing, no items listed whatsoever...I had to restart both of those levels!
-The game froze and became unresponsive twice (unrelated to the above-mentioned glitches) Once during the 75-second mode with 15 items to find, and then again when I got to the 65-second mode with 15 items to find, it apparently doesn't like the final levels in each time-frame. I had to ctrl/alt/delete to bring up the Task Manager to close the game.
Come enjoy Nature at my new Woodsey-themed forum. Get help with games from fellow players, join group gameplay, chat with friends or just sit by the campfire and chillax for a bit thewoodsforum.boards.net
I don't recommend this game.
Solve fun clutter puzzles and help the Walker family set up the perfect campsite!
Overall rating
2
/
5
46 of 55 found this review helpful
APPARENTLY, THIS DEVELOPER HAS NEVER BEEN CAMPING
PostedApril 30, 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
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
1
/
5
Storyline
1
/
5
Once again, they couldn't bother to change the Christmas music? And FYI the last game was Winter Garden not Mr. Claus on Vacation! (shown on the BF synopsis) I'm betting this developer has never actually been camping because they weren't very creative with the objects they chose, most of which have nothing to do with camping OR glamping!...and what on earth does Underwear have to do with camping and why would anyone want a game with a bunch of random men's Tighty-Whities to match?
I hate those Sun Hint icons, most of the challenge in the game comes from the fact that there are a gazillion suns that are literally the size of a golf ball so they clutter the board and cover everything you are supposed to be trying to find. You are left with no choice but to click to remove them just so you can see the clutter objects! I can understand having 5-10 on each level, but there are more sun icons than actual objects so unless you use the Hint to find every single object why would you need so many?...at a bare minimum make them smaller (take notes from the real Clutter games if need be!)
There are only two modes of difficulty, Easy Mode which has no time restraints, and a Difficult mode with a time limit that gives you 500 extra points for not using Hints, and 10 extra points for time remaining. There are 140 Clutter-type levels that can be replayed if you want to earn a better score and there are 20 Puzzles available as well.
Most of the puzzles are simple square swap variations with complicated mechanics, such as swapping adjacent squares, and each time you swap a square the orientation changes. I hate these types of puzzles because they are frustrating and annoying and I'm pretty sure everyone wants to play games for relaxation so why not have mini-games that are simply jigsaw variations, spider solitaire. word search...better yet, add a Spot the Differences variation. There's a big difference between a challenging game and one that is challengingly frustrating.
Come enjoy Nature at my new Woodsey-themed forum. Get help with games from fellow players, join group gameplay, chat with friends or just sit by the campfire and chillax for a bit thewoodsforum.boards.net
I don't recommend this game.
Painting has never been easier! Indulge the artist in you without spending tons on expensive art supplies – just relax and enjoy!
Overall rating
1
/
5
49 of 82 found this review helpful
WHAT COULD BE BETTER THAN A PASTEL-COLORED SMILIE?
PostedApril 29, 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
1
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
1
/
5
Level of Challenge
1
/
5
Storyline
1
/
5
Just when you think the images couldn't possibly get any more unappealing...along comes a light-yellow pastel-colored smilie, a coffee cup, and a slice of pie...no background necessary! Now, where's that picture of a lemon?
To make matters worse, there are no decent features, it doesn't have a Hint feature when you are desperate to find the numbers you somehow missed...and you have no way of knowing how many cells still need to be filled in because there is no Cell Counter!
Why are 3-4 different numbered cells highlighted at the same time, shouldn't the only highlight coincide with the current number you are working on?
What is the point of changing the background color to different shades of grey, isn't this a "coloring" game? Shouldn't there be actual colors involved? Why doesn't this feature change the color of the highlighted cell ((s)) so we can pick a highlight color that is contrasting and easier to spot? What happened to the multiple color grid selection for the background & cells a few games prior?
Why are we forced to complete the first level before accessing the next set of images? Are those images even less appealing? Are you worried no one will buy the game if they are able to see all of the available pictures?
Why are the colors always so bland? Why are the images mostly a single object in the center of the page? Why don't you offer more images that include a background so we can color the whole picture? My granddaughter likes the coloring books where she just has to color a single "Queen Elsa" a "puppy" or "mermaid" and rarely bothers with the background scenery (most don't even have a background)...but that's because she's only 4-years old...just trying to make a valid point here!
There are no Why's involved when it comes to having fun so grab a compass and some comfy hiking boots, and head on over to The Woods Forum! Take the well-beaten path and a right at the fork in the road, we've got a new Group Game Play reservation with your name on it so you might want to start trekking! thewoodsforum.boards.net
There are no Why's involved when it comes to having fun so grab a compass and some comfy hiking boots, and head on over to The Woods Forum! Take the well-beaten path and a right at the fork in the road, we've got a new Group Game Play reservation with your name on it so you might want to start trekking! thewoodsforum.boards.net
I don't recommend this game.
An exciting new adventure in ancient Egypt awaits! Help the sacred crocodile break the curse to save the oasis!
Overall rating
4
/
5
62 of 73 found this review helpful
EXTREMELY COLORFUL & REALLY FUN TO PLAY
PostedApril 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
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
I'm actually a big fan of this Match 3 series, the icons are bright and colorful and fairly large so they should be easy for most to see comfortably. I started the demo playing in the Medium Difficulty and was easily earning all 3 Stars with time remaining but I wanted to get as much out of the demo as possible so I didn't switch to the Hard Mode.
After the demo ended it occurred to me that there was NO option to replay the levels! I wished I had thought about this before the demo time ended because if switch to the Hard Mode after purchasing, I'd assume that earning all 3 stars will be unlikely on the first attempt as I progress further. In all fairness, the game may offer this option when you don't earn all 3 stars but now I'm super reluctant to buy this game because the Medium Mode will get boring if the challenge doesn't increase but my OCD will go bonkers if I don't get the opportunity to replay levels on the Hard mode if I don't earn all 3 stars....aahhhrrr!
You can play in a Relaxed, Medium, or Hard Mode of Difficulty but none of the options that actually matter are explained, just the annoying ones like where to type in your name lol! I'm assuming the Relaxed is an untimed option, and the Hard Mode gives you less time than the Medium Mode? There are 3 Cursors Options, and 35 Achievements to earn. After each Match 3 Levels, you open a Water Lily that awards you various prizes of Gold or Gemstones, followed by fairly decent Mini-games, such as Tri-peaks Solitaire, Nonograms, and a really fun Mahjong where you have to remove tiles that appear on a moving conveyor before it reaches the end.
You can play in a Relaxed, Medium, or Hard Mode of Difficulty but none of the options that actually matter are explained, just the annoying ones like where to type in your name lol! I'm assuming the Relaxed is an untimed option, and the Hard Mode gives you less time than the Medium Mode? There are 3 Cursors Options, and 35 Achievements to earn. After each Match 3 Levels, you open a Water Lily that awards you various prizes of Gold or Gemstones, followed by fairly decent Mini-games, such as Tri-peaks Solitaire, Nonograms, and a really fun Mahjong where you have to remove tiles that appear on a moving conveyor before it reaches the end.
The Level Goals vary with different kinds of Resources (Icons) to collect, and matches must be made on all Violet-colored tile cells, which eventually include Blue cells which require a match to turn violet and a third to turn gold. Removing the Gold Coin Icons will give you an extra point per coin as well.
Eventually, Power-up Boosters become available, such as a Scythe to remove a single tile, or the Goddess Bastet to remove an entire row which sends an adorable cat to run across the row knocking off obstacles...loved it! These powerups will recharge after each use by matching the Icons that match the powerup, after using a powerup, the icon for that powerup will be added to the board & switch back once recharged, which I thought was a cool feature. You can also purchase boosters in the Shop eventually.
Large Matches will earn Elemental Bombs on the board:
*Water Element: (Blue) Match 4-clears 5-tile radius.
*Earth Element: (Green) Match 5-clears 9-tile radius.
*Fire Element (Orange) Match 6-clears 25-field tile radius.
*Air Element??? I'm sure they have a 4th element but I don't think I earned this one during the demo.
*Earth Element: (Green) Match 5-clears 9-tile radius.
*Fire Element (Orange) Match 6-clears 25-field tile radius.
*Air Element??? I'm sure they have a 4th element but I don't think I earned this one during the demo.
There are various Obstacles such as Earth/Sand Tiles that require adjacent matches to "dig" as well as Single & Double Ribbon Tiles which require you to include the ribbon encased tile in a Match (either once or twice depending on how many ribbons are involved) Obstacles don't necessarily need to be destroyed if they aren't blocking you from achieving your goals, however, oftentimes they are preventing tiles from cascading into the areas below them.
When you have earned enough Coins, Gems, Resources, and specific Achievements, you can purchase various Garden items to restore the oasis. Each Garden Item can be upgraded twice, the items will show the status with 1-3 stars when you hover the cursor over the item.
Do you miss the BF forums? Check out my new forum where you can chat about daily games, find game help when you get stuck, play group games and so much more at thewoodsforum.boards.net
I recommend this game!
European Quest 2
Experience all the beauty and diversity of Europe!
Overall rating
3
/
5
34 of 43 found this review helpful
I'VE NEVER BEEN TO FRANCE BUT I'VE PLAYED HUNDREDS OF GAMES IN PARIS
PostedApril 24, 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
4
/
5
Storyline
2
/
5
This is a great HOG with lots of Easter Eggs, literally, there are 5 Golden Eggs to collect in each HO scene. For me personally, it was just an okay game because quite frankly I'm really tired of visiting Paris which seems to be the go-to location destination in every travel-themed HOG!
The Hidden Object Scenes can be played in an Easy Mode with no Timer or Misclick Penalties, a Normal Mode which is Timed but has no Misclick Penalties, or a Hard Mode which has a Timer and Misclick Penalties. You can earn up to 3 Stars per level, one Star for completing the scene, one for finding all of the collectible Hearts, and the third for finding all 3 Dogs (Bella's Location) I hate that the scoring scenario moves at a snail's pace and it takes forever to get to the next HO or mini-game. It would be wonderful if we could just click the popup window to get it over with.
The Hidden Object Scenes can be played in an Easy Mode with no Timer or Misclick Penalties, a Normal Mode which is Timed but has no Misclick Penalties, or a Hard Mode which has a Timer and Misclick Penalties. You can earn up to 3 Stars per level, one Star for completing the scene, one for finding all of the collectible Hearts, and the third for finding all 3 Dogs (Bella's Location) I hate that the scoring scenario moves at a snail's pace and it takes forever to get to the next HO or mini-game. It would be wonderful if we could just click the popup window to get it over with.
There is a Zoom +/- feature (click to zoom & drag the screen around) as well as a Hint Feature and a Morphing Object Hint that must recharge after each use. In the Timed Mode, you are given approximately 15 minutes to find 15 Listed items. Each scene has a single Zoom Zone location that contains the final 3 objects, or the first 3 objects, or quite possibly the middle 3 objects, depending on how you look at it.
Each HO scene has 5 Golden Eggs to find and a single Morphing Object (with a new Morph Hint feature) Each scene has 3 Collectible Hearts and 3 Dogs to find. Finding all 3 Hearts will unlock 3 new animal pictures (180 total) in a photo album. Finding all 3 Dogs will open up Bella's Location which adds that scene to Bella's Album (60 scene locations total) Doesn't this seem like it should be reversed and the Hearts open up the Location pictures while finding the Dogs should open up the animal photos?
The points you earn are used to purchase 18 Gift Shop Souvenirs and you replay any HO scene to improve your star rating or find missing hearts, dogs, coins, and/or morphs, but the objects to find are different each time you play. You can also enable/disable the HO modes which introduce Scrambled Words in levels 21-40, and Missing Letter Mode in levels 41-60, as well as enable/disable the Location Information.
After each Hidden Object Scene, you'll play a quick mini-game, such as Solitaire, Memory Match, Spot the Differences, Mahjong, jigsaws where you have to drag shaped pieces and rotate them into place (you must hold the left mouse button while clicking the right button to rotate at the same time)
Come to my new forum and take a stroll through The Woods Forum and join us for a group play game! If you miss chatting with fellow fishies from the Big Fish Forum days then grab a thermos full of coffee, throw on your favorite jeans & t-shirt, and lace up your hiking boots...ah who are we kidding...just come as you are...keep your comfy fuzzy slippers on, and come chillax with us by the campfire at thewoodsforum.boards.net
I recommend this game!
Find and collect adorable critters as you visit incredible places all over the world!
Overall rating
3
/
5
19 of 23 found this review helpful
I WASN'T AS IMPRESSED WITH THIS EDITION because...
PostedApril 22, 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
I did indeed LOVE Finding Cats & Pups, and this is still a great HOG but when compared to others in this series I was a tad disappointed. I was mostly disappointed because Finding all Critters was rather deceiving. It was never explained that each level was critter specific so in the first level, I was clicking on anything I considered to be a critter, such as Deer, Ducks, Hawks, Lizards, etc. When none of those critters were accepted, I realized that I could only click on the Squirrels, the next level was Hedgehogs, followed by Hamsters, etc. If you're going to have a 1-critter at a time feature, at least explain which critter will be available on each level for those of us who are trying to earn gold on each level and don't want to have to guess or randomly click away.
I was also disappointed in the fact that there were multiple items in each level matching the listed description, yet only 1 was accepted as the correct object, for example, there is a set of 3 Hourglasses sitting on the table (Santa Monica) but it was not THE Hourglass they were referring to.
I also had difficulty seeing some of the puzzles, such as the Squirrel Circle Rotation puzzle which took me quite some time to even notice that the center of one of the circles, wasn't rotated correctly because it was entirely black and tucked away in the hole.
There are 18 Main HO locations: North Carolina, Santa Monica, Tunis, Palermo, Kalispell, Denpasar, Dodge City, Connecticut, Bordeaux. Zaanstad, Lisbon, Vientiane, Malmo, Tioman, Nebraska, Muir Woods, Moab, and Bloomington. The locations are real, and you get to read Trivia about each location before starting.
There are no Timers or Misclick penalties, however, you will need to make consecutive, back-to-back selections to fill the Combo-meter if you want to earn a Gold Star on each level (you'll earn a Bronze, Silver, or Gold Star depending on how many combo points you earn) I usually take my time and find all critters and butterflies then I casually find the Listed Items. I can then replay the level and just worry about finding the items back-to-back for combo points (& a Gold Star) because I don't have to worry about finding the critters. The critters and butterflies can still be clicked on, but the level will show that the critters and butterflies have already been found!
The graphics are amazing, even when using the Magnifying Glass feature which allows you to zoom in to the scenes (including the secondary zoom zone area) by double-clicking, right-clicking, or scrolling. You can even click on the magnifying glass and THEN scroll to zoom in even closer...and the graphics still remain crystal clear!
There are 3 different HO Scenes per location, and after each HO scene, you will play a very challenging Spot The Difference Scene, followed by a Mini-Game, such as Disk Rotation, Square Rotation, Swapping Tiles, or Cycling through pieces until you figure out which of the images will complete the picture.
Each scene has 16 Critters to find, some of which are located in the Zoom Zone, and 3 Critters are located in the Spot the Difference scenes as well. You will earn Adoption Points for finding all the Critters and you can use the points to adopt 20 adorable Critters.
Each scene also has 3 beautiful Morphing Butterflies which can be quite challenging to spot in some scenes! Collecting the Butterflies releases them in the Photo Album. One Butterfly is equal to 3 Puzzle Pieces that allow you to assemble 24 Butterfly Puzzles which can be downloaded as Wallpapers.
I still suggest that Tiny Little Lion considers adding a Strategy Guide to their CE versions that shows the location of all Critters & Butterflies, that way they can get as challenging as they want with their placement and still have a cheat sheet if the player decides to give up the search! A game I recently played added a new Hint feature for locating the available Morphing Object, so perhaps they could add a Critter Hint button that would locate 1 critter, that way the player could use the hint for 1 critter or all 16 if desired?
This Collector's Edition version has 18 HO Locations (with 3 different scenes per location) 6 Extra Bonus Chapters, 12 extra Mini-Games, 27 Wallpapers, 17 Music Soundtracks, 12 Developer's Critter Bios & Pics, 20 Adoptable Critters +5 CE Bonus Critters, and 24 Butterfly Puzzles (in Butterfly Album)
ฅ^•ﻌ•^ฅ
This Collector's Edition version has 18 HO Locations (with 3 different scenes per location) 6 Extra Bonus Chapters, 12 extra Mini-Games, 27 Wallpapers, 17 Music Soundtracks, 12 Developer's Critter Bios & Pics, 20 Adoptable Critters +5 CE Bonus Critters, and 24 Butterfly Puzzles (in Butterfly Album)
ฅ^•ﻌ•^ฅ
There's always something interesting going on at my new forum! If you miss chatting with fellow fishies from the Big Fish Forum days then grab a thermos full of coffee, throw on your favorite jeans & t-shirt, and lace up your hiking boots...ah who are we kidding...just keep your comfy fuzzy slippers on, and come chillax with us by the fire at thewoodsforum.boards.net
I recommend this game!
Pack your bags for an unforgettable trip through sunny France!
Overall rating
3
/
5
11 of 14 found this review helpful
IT'S NOT AN EASY-BREEZY HOG!
PostedApril 21, 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
5
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
I loved Vacation Adventures: California but I wasn't crazy about traveling to France. I liked the outdoorsy, camping kind of vibes as I traveled around California but for me, France is such an overused and typical HOG theme so it just seemed like another travel HOG.
You can choose from 3 different difficulty modes, a Relaxed Mode with a 15-second Hint recharge and no misclick penalties, a Medium Mode with a 35-second hint recharge and a misclick penalty, or a Hard mode which is Timed and has a 60-second hint recharge and misclick penalty. FYI: you will earn bonus points if you don't use any Hints.
There is a Magnifying Glass feature that works really well on the main scenes but doesn't work on zoom zones. The Magnifier (+) disappears once you click on an object, which I found to be very annoying. It would be wonderful if you just had to right-click to discard the magnifier when you no longer needed it versus disappearing after every single click, which is usually the case in most HOGs with magnifying glass zoom feature.
Each Scene has two Zoom Zones which needs a few tweaks in my opinion. First of all, you can't use the Magnifying Glass feature in the Zoom Zones. Secondly, it would be nice if the listed items were highlighted when a Zoom Zone is opened. Third, I think it would be even better if the zoom zone would close automatically once the items have been found, and reopen if new items appear on the list (as you find items, new items appear on the list)
There are 5 Variations of HOGs as you replay the scenes. Listed Items, Silhouetted Shapes, Scrambled Letters, Missing Vowels, and Riddled Clues. The Scenes will have either a Fleur-de-Lis or a French Flag to find, collecting 60 Fleur-de-Lis will unlock the Unlimited Mode, and finding 60 French Flags will unlock 60 Bonus Mini-games. Each scene also has an 8-Ball that is worth 60,000 extra points, and items listed in Blue require an interactive task such as finding and placing a feather on a hat.
This Collector's Edition version has 60 Main HO locations, 14 additional scene locations that are incorporated within the regular locations and are marked with a CE rosette, and 19 Gold Medal Achievements
This Collector's Edition version has 60 Main HO locations, 14 additional scene locations that are incorporated within the regular locations and are marked with a CE rosette, and 19 Gold Medal Achievements
Come join in on the fun at my new forum in The Woods. Get help with games from fellow players, chat with friends or just sit by the campfire and chillax for a bit thewoodsforum.boards.net
I recommend this game!
Join Catherine Ragnor’s adventure with the Flying Dutchman help her retrieve the three legendary treasures in this high-seas match-3 adventure!
Overall rating
1
/
5
9 of 14 found this review helpful
IF ONLY IT ADJUSTED TO FIT LARGE MONITORS
PostedApril 21, 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
1
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
1
/
5
Level of Challenge
1
/
5
Storyline
1
/
5
I wasn't able to play this game because it didn't adjust to fit my large Alienware monitor. The screen was all jumbled with the outer edges showing portions of windows & icons in reverse on both sides and most of the icons for the various features were cut off at the bottom of the screen.
When I select to disable the Fullscreen mode absolutely nothing happens, it doesn't take me to a windowed mode, it doesn't change anything so why bother to have the icon folks? Yes, I could, in theory, adjust my computer's resolution for this one single game...but that's not my responsibility, it's the developer's responsibility to make sure these games are up to date, surely I'm not the only player with a large screen monitor?
Honestly, I can play the Match 3 levels because there are no icons at the bottom or sides of the boards that I have to click. The problem is when I get to Catherine's Ship where I have to use my Map pieces to open the treasure and then battle pirate ships for the booty. I can barely see the icon to shoot my cannon because 99% of the icon is chopped off, but enough of the icon was showing that I could click the button.
After the battle, however, I cannot see any exit icons and I get stuck because there is no way to get back to the Match 3 boards. My only option at this point is to click ctrl/alt/del to pull up the task manager and exit out of the game.
If this game were more exciting I would jump through these hoops every time, but it's basically the same concept as all their other Match 3 games with the exception of shooting a cannon at a pirate ship several times and having to endure lengthy downtime while I wait for the pirate ship to fire back after each of my shots.
I am once again confused by the hit or miss Timer option. The developer must flip a coin on each new game to decide whether or not to add a Timed Mode? Catherine Ragnor and the Fury of the Flying Dutchman has a Timed option but the second game in the series is a Relaxed Mode only which makes absolutely no sense??? Obviously they have the capability to add the option because the last game had it. Why would you not make this an option for every game to satisfy both types of players...and their games have never had a Limited Moves mode so ya gotta wonder what goes thru the developer's minds over this decision!
Come join in on the fun at my new forum The Woods. Get help with games from fellow players, chat with friends or just sit by the campfire and chillax for a bit thewoodsforum.boards.net
I don't recommend this game.