Women's Murder Club

Every time a casual game takes its lead from a successful best seller there is a lot to live up to. And in the case of Women's Murder Club, the game comes close to holding up it's end of the bargain. But close only counts in........ well, you know.

Perhaps it is my disdain for the hidden object game genre that makes me give this game a thumbs down. Or perhaps it's my annoyance at game producers who shamelessly target games at woman as they know they are the ones more likely to open up the purse and make a purchase. I shouldn't blame them for this tactic, it's called knowing and understanding your marketplace. But c'mon game producers, give the ladies a fair shake. Give them some quality offerings.

The game has all the trappings of every other hidden object game we have seen over the past year. It does have some tricky puzzles and that is probably its best feature. But hey, if you liked the book and your into this genre of games, maybe it will provide you with some fun.

Pastry Passion....It's All About The Eye Candy

Just what we needed, another game themed with food. From burgers to Ice Cream and everything in between, we just cannot seem to get enough. And with warnings out from every government agency around that our kids are dangerously obese, you would think that cramming games down their throats with food themes would be the last thing an industry should do.

I had to get that off my chest. With that being said, Pastry Passion is not to bad a game. It is your typical match game with the usual whistles and bells. But what sets this one apart is spectacular graphics. The graphics in this game are so good that they should be used as the standard for all other graphic artists to shoot for when making a game.

If match games float your boat, give this one a spin and enjoy the eye candy. Bon appetit!

Money Tree..... It DoesGrow on Trees!

We have been told that money does not grow on trees all our lives. And now we find out that it actually does! It just goes to show that in the casual game marketplace anything is possible.

The premise is pretty simple. When a leaf falls from your Money Tree you catch it and transplant it on another fruit tree. That tree then bears fruit and you sell the fruit to make money. Think of it as diner dash in the garden with Alice overseeing the operation.

When I first gave this one a spin I thought it was destined for the now bulging trash can of poor games from the past week. The graphics were amateurish at best and your first impression is that some game programmer wannabe managed to get this thing released. But then as you play the game you realize the game has some legs. Goes to show you just can't overlook playability as the main ingredient for the success of any game. And playability is this games strong suit.

If your into time management games, I am pretty sure you will like this one.

I always thought the Virtual Villagers series was just borderline in the fun department. With the release of Virtual Villagers 3 the game has now headed south of the border! It's the same old same old in a new location. You now lead your community to the north side of the island to a place they call Isola. There you find a hidden city and try to discover the secrets left behind by the original inhabitants. And of course all the while you must continue to find food for the hungry villagers.

I really feel this is one of those games where the developers decided they could milk some more profit from a game with some name recognition. They didn’t come up with enough new twists or turns to differentiate the game from their two proceeding offerings. It is for this very reason that the casual game marketplace is inundated with sub par games every day of the year.

I wish they would wake up and realize that more is not always better.

Autocross Racing

I feel the need for speed! And Autocross Racing is just what the doctor ordered! I have said in several of my blogs that finding great games in the casual game marketplace is somewhat akin to panning for gold. With this release, you have just discovered a rare nugget.

What I really love about this game is its presentation. It is a top down race game meaning you view your race car as if you were in the Goodyear Blimp looking down on the race track. The game incorporates all the real aspects of racing such as drifting and places real emphasis on where you enter turns and how much you keep your foot to the accelerator.

There is a slight learning curve to the game and in my opinion it just makes the game more fun as you discover new ways to increase your proficiency behind the wheel. And with ten distinct and different race tracks to ply your skills, this game is a tremendous value for your gaming dollar.

As far as success in the marketplace, this game will absolutely take the checkered flag.

Mr. Smoozles Goes Nutso - And So Will YOU!

Ed is trying to stop Mr. Snoozles and his evil band of invading Goragons as they attempt to turn earth into something more to their liking. Your job, should you choose to accept the assignment, is to guide Ed and turn back this evil horde.

Mr. Snoozles Goes Nutso is a fairly intense game and might just be a little over the top for some of our younger gamers. It resides in that no mans land on the fringe of the casual game segment of games. That being said, I really enjoyed this game as it had some very interesting puzzles. But what really took it into the fun zone for me was the unique interaction that the game brings to the table.

Give this one a test drive, it is worth 15 minutes of trial to see if it makes you go "Nutso."

Some casual game creators just seem to get it. And the authors of the Professor Fizzwizzle series of games are amongst that group. They have a formula that works and they stick to it and continue to supply consistent quality and fun with every release.

The latest offering, The Brain Train is no exception. It sticks fairly close to its now familiar successful roots. And with five distinct categories that encompass fifteen total games, there is a lot of value for your gaming dollar. The categories allow you to "fine tune" your gaming experience to the particular mood you might be in when you fire the game up. This is a very unique feature and serves the playing experience quite well.

So jump on board, this train is pulling out of the station and is on its way to having some fun.

Flower Stand Tycoon

How many time management games can we possibly have with flowers or crops as the main theme? Apparently not enough as Flower Stand Tycoon has just been released. There is absolutely nothing new about this game, just the same old tried and true basics of the time management genre.

Flowers, vegetables, burgers, pets, haircuts, you name it, they have all been incorporated into some form of time management by the movers and shakers of the casual game marketplace. And there seems to be no end in sight. Why you ask? Because you keep buying them!

Finding a good new and refreshing game in the market right now is equivalent to panning for gold. If you find one, yell Eureka and send it my way.

Until then, save yourself some time and energy and take a pass on this one.

Little Farm

Does everyone know an Uncle Nate? I have the feeling many of us know someone like this character. And that is one of the reasons I really like Little Farm! Yes, it is a match game and exhibits many of the now normal features associated with this genre of games. But it also has one that many casual games strive for and few possess, and that is a feeling of attachment to the main character. No matter what, you really like Uncle Nate and want him to succeed. Alice brought this same phenomenon to the forefront and was rewarded handsomely as a result.

Uncle Nate must match like-colored areas of his farm to obtain water. He then plants and harvests as one would suspect. And yes, there always has to be a few obstacles to hurdle and this is where the crop eating pests come into play.

I really liked this one and think you just might as well. It is worth planting five minutes worth of trial to see if it sprouts for you.

Zen Fashion - Paris gives way to Hong Kong

Just when you thought there could be no more casual game producers jumping on the fashion bandwagon a new entry appears from the mysterious far east. I suspect that as long as this type of game brings in the mula, we can expect any number of substandard clones to follow.

There is one redeeming feature to Zen Fashion, the artwork is above the norm. Other then that, this match game is pretty much run of the mill and shamelessly targets our gentle gender players to exploit.

We usually are blessed with some pretty darn good games once the kids leave school for summer vacation. Until then I suppose we must bide our time and suffer through the release of games similar to this one.

If you truely possess Zen enlightenment, you already know to take a pass on this one.

Lucky's Rainbow - A Unique Twist on a Match Game

There is only one true difference between this match game and most other match game, but it is a significant difference. It changes the entire character and game play of the normal match game. And unlike most attempts at changing the character or roots of the game, this change actually succeeds.

In normal match games you replace pieces or swap them to create your three or more of a kind matches. In Lucky's Rainbow you rotate the pieces! It is very clever and creates scenarios that could never be achieved with normal piece swapping. It really takes some getting used to but in the long run, it makes this game better then ninety percent of the match games out there.

I think the producers of this game will indeed get lucky. They just might have a successful casual game on their hands.

I admit, I am a Yard Sale Junkie

Ok, I have to admit I like yard sales. It is the only way I have to satisfy my desire to hunt for hidden treasure as I will not be booking flights anytime soon to exotic locations to search for sunken Spanish ships laden with gold.

Perhaps that's why this game caught my eye. I went into it without a great deal of anticipation however as you know my disdain for this genre of games. After a half hour or so of playing Yard Sale Junkie it dawned on me, I was enjoying myself.

I think my enjoyment came from the dynamic nature of the game. It was not the old "find em and forget em" game play that encompasses most games of this type. You actually use your finds to further the game play and that is why this game will be successful.

This one is absolutely worth a test drive!

Eye for Design

I give credit to the companies in the casual game marketplace. They understand their market. Now I will let you in on one of their secrets. Women make up the largest demographic regarding purchases. So it seldom surprises me when a game comes out targeted entirely at the gender clicking the mouse on "buy". And Eye for Design is one of these games.

And why not! Give the customer what they want is a quick path to financial success. Games like this one do not appeal to me, and they shouldn't. But I can really see how young female players and probably many older players will get a kick out of this game. And as a game like this actually teaches somewhat of a skill, it does it in a manner that is fun and challenging.

So as they say, "You Go Girl" and have yourself some fun. You deserve it!

Magic Seeds - Where's the Magic?

Lets face facts, Alice Greenfingers was a huge hit in the casual game market. Why, I don't have a clue as it sure didn't float my boat, but as many of you have pointed out, I apparently have no idea of what constitutes a fun game.

The success of Alice was sure to bring about the "jump on the bandwagon" crowd of casual game creators searching for a quick buck. But just when you thought the garden clone games had come to the end of their life cycle, Magic Seeds is released.

Instead of Alice, your new heroine is Jane. Other then the change in name, it's hard to tell any difference. This game confirms that the designers and producers of games in the casual game market feel that the market is populated with consumers with very short memories. And the sad part of that statement is that they are probably right.

Have faith casual gamers, the summer will soon be here and traditionally better games soon follow when the kids are no longer in school.

Mystery Cookbook

So, when is the last time you saw the words "mystery" and "cookbook" together? Well hold your measuring cups Betty Crocker, Mystery Cookbook has arrived on the scene.

This slick little offering is in the hidden object genre of games and the premise or more correctly "premice" is helping a cat and a mouse work together to whip up some gourmet food. I usually have a hard time recommending many of the hidden object games but this one is going to get my seal of approval. Why? Because it takes a very light hearted approach and involves no lost treasure or gruesome murder to solve. This game is one you can play with your "little cook" and not worry about any lasting negative impressions left on a little mind.

I love it when games try not to be something that they are not. (Did that make any sense?) And Mystery Cookbook fulfills the old adage of "Nothing says lovin like something from the oven." I give it four out of five cake pans.

Family Feud: Dream Home

And you thought you only could purchase a hybrid at the Toyota dealership! With Family Feud: Dream House you may purchase a hybrid for considerably less then what that Prius is going to set you back.

Here is another lesson that you can ruin a perfectly good game by going overboard. Family Feud is a classic, no one can dispute that claim. But when did this classic ever involve decorating! Well, it does now and that fact took a great fun game and sent it to the scrap heap.

You play the game in the normal and well known fashion. All well and good, right? Well guess what reward you receive if you win the game? You take your winnings and you decorate your house! Now that may be fine for all you Martha Stewart wannabe's, but quite frankly Scarlett, well, you get the picture.

Now for a little fun of our own. Name the top five answers given to the question "Why will this game not be successful?"

Hidden Wonders of the Depths

It had to happen. It was just a matter of time. And it looks now as if the producers of casual games are trying to make up for lost time. There has always been a great deal of "Cross-Pollenization" taking place in the market. The recent onslaught however of every manner of game incorporating some form of "hidden object" has reached epidemic proportions.

And such is the case with Hidden Wonders of the Depths. While it is primarily a matching game, they felt compelled to burden us with hidden objects. I don't know about you, but when I play a matching game I want to play a matching game. If I wanted to strain my eyes looking for hidden objects, it's sure easy to find a game of that genre. But keep it out of my matching games!

Those of you who enjoyed Bejeweled and Super Collapse may like this game. And I will give it this, with over 200 levels you get good value for your gaming dollar. I just can't get past the hidden object boat anchor that keeps this game from sailing.

Posh Boutique

You know the drill. This is a time management game that features Alicia running a chain of posh boutiques. Stock the right products, upgrade your shops, etc. etc. etc. This game seems to have a very narrow target group of young females with a few bucks to spend in the casual game marketplace. Is that a large enough group to sustain sales and make the game a success? You bet your Posh Boutique it is!

I will say this for the game, the visuals are better then most. Is it worth a test drive? Not for me. But then again, I'm not the target audience. Makes one wonder. If I did like the game would I have the courage to admit it, lol.