Reminds me of the early Mystery Case Files: 'Prime Suspects' and 'Madame Fate'. You look for clues about exciting but mysterious characters in hidden object scenes. All the characters are over the top and very colorful but also quite well rounded. We all know someone a bit like them, or maybe a lot like them. They have quirks and foibles and at the end of chapters, you find out a little more about them, but never enough so that they lose their alluring mysteriousness. There's even a bit of exciting arcade action at the end of each chapter. The only downside is the deviously hidden objects. To make it even more of a challenge, you have to earn your hints. if you have the patience, be prepared to play scenes over and over until you get to know where everything is. It's not easy earning money for hints and I didn't exactly sail through scenes first time, but that's what I liked about it, it's challenging AND fun.
Luscious back to back hidden object scenes, in this old school game, in a realistic Victorian genre. Bags of atmosphere and good environmental effects. It always seems to be raining though, but that's quite soothing. The cockney guy who berates you when you get something wrong is a real unique feature. I love his voice. I played it four times in all because I got stuck when I first played it and had to start again. I couldn't understand why I got stuck the third time, when I'd just completed it on the second attempt! There's no way back if you don't pick up objects in a certain order and you'll have to start again. Also, there is no hint to help you find objects that you need to progress in the gameplay. The HOS has a hint system but not the actual gameplay and it was the gameplay that needed it, in my opinion. I didn't mind having to start again, as there is a degree of re-playability. You are graded at the end of each chapter, on different elements, almost as if you were at school. So it gives you incentive to play again and to improve on your score.
Victorian/steampunk genre. Quite an old HOG, with a decent spattering of relaxing HOS and nice game play. Good pace. Fast skip on puzzles and hint button. Interesting little story and cinematic cut scenes running throughout. The creepy carny freaked me out a little bit. Enjoyable but a tad short.
I really like that you have to earn your hints in this game, mainly through playing the mini games. You can also play the rounds as many times as you want, to be rewarded with another hint each time. You start off with only five hints in the starting scene and you can run out fairly quickly, so it's a good idea to play the mini games that most appeal to you, and keep repeating the round a few times, and before you know it, you have a nice little stockpile of hints. You can skip the mini games if you wish. I liked the scenes and the variety of music was good and relaxing.
Back to back hidden object scenes, with some mini puzzles in between. Quirky and old school with weird environmental sound effects, and different interesting scenes. You have a list of objects, and you scroll from left to right to find them, but if they're not in the part of the scene you're looking at, the objects in the list will fade out, until you're back in view of them. . There isn't a skip on some of the puzzles, but they are easy enough to complete and there is a quick charging hint on all HOS. It consists of five chapters and I thought it was a bit short. It also ended abruptly, so I played it again, on timed mode and it was much more challenging and exciting.
A HOG which has an adventure game feel, where you can stop to drink in the atmosphere of the ship and appreciate the ambience and detail. There are HOS and mini puzzles and fun little arcade type games throughout. I also like the way you open the water tight doors and look in drawers and cupboards. You can even move the little door-mats. There's a hands on tactile approach, which is very endearing and makes you feel that you are really involved and can lose yourself in it. The sound effects are good and as a side task, there are 33 white pearls to find throughout, that you will need for the finale, but if you don't find them all before the end, the hint button will guide you to them.
There are three restaurants in all, America - 20 levels, Asian - 20 levels and Italy - 20 levels. I completed all 60 levels very easily but got bored after the first 10 levels of each restaurant. The upgrades were limited and pretty much done after 10 levels and most of the food additions had come into play by then too. You spend the last 10 levels of each restaurant doing the same routine, with the same old dishes, over and over, quite mindlessly with nothing to keep your interest, or make it exciting in some way. Game play wise, it reminds me of the old 'Cake Mania' games. The graphics and sound effects were good and the food looked delicious, but I was relieved to finish it.
This is a nice time management game to dip in and out of. You need a lot of patience for it. You have to be in it for the long haul. The rewards are okay if you stay the pace. It is boring at times but it's also old school fun, that you just can't get these days. Some people might say that's a good thing. I've been playing on and off for a year. Mostly off. I'm not sure I'll ever reach the end because you have to serve probably thousands of customers and make an enormous amount of money. I'm not sure there is an end. If it wasn't so old, it would be like the never ending games of today, like Time Gap, which you have to stop playing for your sanity.
I found this game highly addictive. I couldn't put it down. I knew I had to finish it before I could sleep or eat or anything else. It's TOO addictive and bordered on crazy making at times. Not a relaxing game, at all. I must have played some levels six or seven times, but I never gave up. It is strict and challenging and shall not let you pass to the next level until you have completed the former level to its satisfaction. When I first tried it, I didn't like it at all and quit after five minutes of playing. It has a different game play than some of the other cooking games and just takes some getting used to. I went back to it after a month or so, gave it another go, and became hooked! There are 12 levels in The Pancake House. 18 levels in The Burger Joint 24 levels in the Juice Bar.
Good gameplay with interesting and fun HOS, that seemed to be thin on the ground at first, but appeared to be a lot more frequent at the end. Around the time this game was made, there was a phase and fashion when some HOG's gave you a helper, in the form of an animal, or in this case, puppet, to solve problems and get objects up high, or in difficult places. I normally find them quite annoying but I must admit, I have a bit of a soft spot for the joyful, smiling redhead that helps you out in this game. They normally don't help you all that much but this one was very keen. Don't like the painted graphics style and there's a lot of to-ing and fro-ing, and no environmental sound effects in the hidden object scenes, but overall, a pleasant, and at times, exciting and dramatic well paced game.