Empires and Dungeons - It's Retro..... It's Good

Talk about a walk down memory lane. Empires and Dungeons is a retro fantasy role play game. But it really is so much more. The producers of this game have taken the best parts of many fantasy and role play games and molded those pieces together to create a polished unique game with a retro feel. The playability is just superb and the interface is one of the best I have seen in years. It will have you up and playing before you pillage your first village!

The premise is not new, you rule a country, you build your army, you defend your castle. It is certainly a tried and true theme. And the boys that built this game didn't stray far from it. They didn't try to camouflage it either with frilly little side games and unbelievable story lines. They just built a solid entry with superb and addictive game play as they paid homage to their roots, the fantasy games that paved the way from yesteryear. If your into this genre, you won't go wrong with giving this one a try

Interpol: The Trail of Dr. Chaos

Finally, a hidden object game that makes the grade. There has been such a rush to bring this type of game to market that many of the offerings are just plain bad. And the themes were part of the problem. Lets face it, hidden clues belong in a mystery, not a wedding or a mystery vacation of some sort. Interpol: The Trail of Dr. Chaos may bring a great deal of legitimacy to this newly created genre of games.

This game is no push over. You have to work to receive your rewards. And don't take everything at face value, you need to look beyond the obvious with some of the clues. While I thought some of the hidden objects were pretty strange (i.e. horses, pryamids and even a croissant) the savvy needed to ferret out the clues before the alloted time expires contributes a playability to the game that is most addictive. A word of warning, there are many road blocks and false trails thrown at you, so once again, take a good deep look at clues. There is more there then meets the eye.

Additional positives were the array of locations you visit as you chase the evil Dr. Chaos around the world and the various site appropriate music offerings.

So be you Mr. Bond or be you Mr. Holmes, you will absolutely enjoy this chase.

Who the heck is the Mighty Mage?

I really don't know how they do it, but they do. I mean think about it. How many concepts can you come up with in the puzzle and match genre of games. Aerial Mahjong managed to come up with a new spin. How about a floating land as a back drop for the game. I think its a lame concept and that is too bad as the game does have some redeeming qualities about it.

The game is a fairly polished production and the graphics are actually pretty darn good. And one fact is certain, you do get a lot of gaming bang for your buck with five distinct games and over 100 levels. And of course their is the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow should you make it to the end. A gift from the mighty mage. I don't know who he is or what he wants to give me, but I just can't help myself, I want to find out. I think you will as well and that is the hook with this game. You start out playing it with little to no expectations and before you realize it, you just blew off an hour! So in that regard, it does fulfill its mission in life.

So take a chance on this one and find out what the heck the mighty mage is offering. If you make it to the end and get the gift, be a sport and let me know what it is!

One good thing could come out of this game. I could remain in the South American rain forest and never play another video game again. I would prefer that fate if I had to play this game one more minute! What, like some palm trees and scenes from the amazon are going to make this game playable?

To launch a successful match game you need something fresh and unique, and believe me, this one has neither. Download Rainforest Adventure at your own peril. And don't blame me if you run into the jungle never to be seen again. I know I had to take the afternoon off just to recover from doing this review!

Fever Frenzy - Hysterical Time Management

Ok, its just another time management game. But this game takes a new road not traveled before. First, this thing is funny! All of the offerings in the time management genre (i.e. diner dash) never really picked up on a comedy theme and thats what makes Fever Frenzy unique. The patients have the most outrageous ailments such as bipolarbear disorder and 3rd. degree sideburns. And each patient is unique with their own mannerisms and voices.

I will not bore you with the details of how to play, your already know that. Keep the customer satisfied, its that simple. In this game, however, instead of walking out of a restaurant if they receive bad service, the patients check out permanently! Thats right, they die! Talk about pressure! When you take care of the needs of your patients you actually see them physically change, its a very coooool feature.

There are four different hospital settings and over 40 levels that start to get pretty tough after level eight. Even if your not into games of this genre, a trial download is in order just to see the patients.

My prognosis, this game will do better then many because it is truly unique. My instructions, download once, play twice and call me in the morning.

ZenGems -It is a GEM!

When I first saw ZenGems I thought to myself it would just be another match three puzzler. If you’re into casual games you know that there are hundreds and hundreds of games that fall under this umbrella. It really takes a lot to differentiate a game in this genre with all the offerings. And this game knocked the ball out of the park in that regard.

There are three modes of play with close to 200 levels! In adventure mode you discover that virtue medallions have been taken from the temples all across the land and a boy named Hoshiko along with his aging grandfather are on a quest to reclaim them from the villainous Yama-O-Rakas. Each time you solve a puzzle you reveal a piece of one of the medallions. In arcade mode part of the grid is underwater. It offers all new distinct levels. The third mode is Strategy mode and this is a play till you fail arrangement. What I liked about this mode is the feature that allows you to play from any of the worlds from adventure mode without unlocking them first.

I usually get pretty bored with these types of games in around twenty minutes or so but this one just kept rolling along and held my attention. That my friend is when you know you have a winner on your hands. The gameplay is such that before you know what hit you, you’re hooked. This rascal is addictive!

I just loved the sounds of the broken glass when you broke a gem and the sound when you completed a chain was very cool also. The graphics were good and blended well with the backgrounds. And let’s not forget some outstanding power-ups. A fireball, color burst and energy ball all help you along with your task but it is the pusher ball that really bails you out when you are at a loss for a move. With this power up you dictate the direction via an arrow pointing right or left. When it lands on a ball or a gem it pushes in the direction of the arrow. Play the game and you will see what a valuable tool this can be!

It is my opinion that this game will be one of the best selling games of this genre and will be a big hit.

Well, it had to happen sooner or later, the wise guys meet Diner Dash and Cake Mania! Uncle Antonio's son has a little problem and his gambling losses now may cause the Mafioso to take the family restaurant. But Fear not, it's Emily to the rescue in Delicious 2 Deluxe.

You know the drill in this genre of games, its basically always the same, keep the customer satisfied and this offering is no different. There are a few new twists however. There is the crazy guitar playing dude who serenades the customers and buys you time. In addition, you have a server to help you as well as a clown who also entertains your guests.

There are five distinct restaurants with ten levels each that become progressively harder. And in another twist, the food orders also become harder as you must click on two separate icons to piece certain foods together like ice cream and a cone. In order to afford all the upgrades you need to keep that service coming and if your real good, they leave tips that add to the cash needed for these upgrades.

Another feature I liked was the Happy Customer Mode where the game ends when a customer becomes frustrated from the lack of service and walks out. It becomes very frantic!

If my opinion, this sequel is far superior to the original. The graphics are very sharp and the detail with the food is extraordinary. All in all, a darn polished production and if your into this genre, its a must see!

Chromadrome 2

Chromadrome 2 will overwhelm you! The idea is fairly simple, stay on the tracks as you whiz through the Quantum Universe at breakneck speeds avoiding the obstacles in the road so to speak. The levels are easy at first but everything just keeps picking up speed as you progress. Now the visuals are really something. It has great 3D fast track action that also incorporates some really kewl visual effects such as motion blur and fish eye.

Let me return to overwhelm. The game has six modes of play and over a hundred arcade levels! In addition, there are forty bonus custom features and another forty game features. Want more, how about six full screen filters and six effect modifiers! And just for fun, lets throw in the option for two player games if you have vista or XP! All this can overwhelm the best of us!

To me, the game is really borderline to be considered a "casual game" and you have to broaden the category to include this offering. None the less, if you want to see some slick coding and great visuals, it is worth the trial.

I didn't expect much when I tried the free trial for the Yumsters. But I have to admit, it grew on me as I played. I thought during my first few minutes that this was a game a parent could play with one to the future gamers and have a pretty good time. Then I realized that I was having a pretty good time myself.

The concept is easy, just eat the fruit that is the same color as the little cute characters. The more fruit you eat, the more credit you acquire to obtain the band instruments you will need to enter the music Grand Prix. Then as you play in the concert, you have to catch musical notes of the same color for an added little twist.

If your into music, this game just might be for you. Its a quirky little offering and not for everyone but I am sure it is going to find its niche and do ok.

Pirates Plunder - Only thing plundered is your time!

If I have a choice of walking the plank or playing Pirates Plunder, I think I will choose the former! For starters, the game is just way to easy. Even with the trial time limit, I made millions. In fact, you can set it to auto play, walk away, come back later and your a multi-millionaire. The graphics are just fair and the music, well it became so repetitive I muted in short order.

The idea has merit, but the game just cannot live up to the idea. The only salvation for this game is to include it in a larger and better pirate game as a between levels bonus game.

Take a pass on this one, there are a lot better ways to spend a half hour of your time.

Lottso! Deluxe It's Bingo on Steroids

Warning! Play this game at your own risk! Yes, it is that addictive. I started Lottso Deluxe and now I can’t stop! Here is the deal. You are constantly competing with four other computer controlled players. All of the players including you have six Lottso cards to fill just like you fill a bingo card. After you have filled up a card it turns over and shows you a scratch off lottery card. You scratch to reveal how many points you have just acquired.

The cards are all a tad different and there are tons of them. Some are off the wall like the charity card where you split the winnings with the player who came in last. There are also some progressive point jackpots as well.

And it just gets better! There are good luck charms to pursue, twelve in all and they represent the Lottso balls one to twelve. You use the charm by picking the one that represents the ball you need to fill your card. But wait, there is another twist. The charm you use will increase your chances of acquiring that ball again in the next round. By manipulating what charm you use you’re able to hit the scores needed to achieve the goals the game has set. This is just such a way cool feature.

And to put the cherry on top of the sundae, the game gives you eight cities to open and they all have their own unique cards and style of competition. The sound was just right and never took away from the game play. If anything, it added a sense of urgency while you scrambled to best the computer players. The player avatars are just delightful and the animation is top shelf.

Think of this game as Bingo on Steroids! Playing this one will send you into your own roid rage!

Alice Greenfingers

Right now, my favorite game is Alice Greenfingers, a game made by Arcade Lab.

The basic idea is that you start with a small farm and grow it as you play. You then take your crops and sell them at the market. I know it sounds boring, but it is actually quite fun. The visuals for Alice are not good, compared to other casual games, that's for sure. Heck, she's even cross-eyed in the title screen of the game. But it's the fun that counts, and she has that for sure.

I am about 3 hours into the game and I am really starting to kick some serious butt. Before I am done, I need to upgrade everything- automation is the key to success with Alice.

First Post

Hello to everyone in blog land! This is my first post, hopefully of many. I am dedicating this blog to my love of casual games! My wife and I play at least 100 per year, and probably more than that. We decided it was time to start writing about our experiences, so stay tuned!