RyeMcLaughlin's Profile
Stat Summary
- Average Rating:4.2
- Helpful Votes:1,194
- Reviews Submitted:33
- First Review:November 11, 2011
- Most Recent Review:April 28, 2015
- Featured reviews0
Status:
Flower Fiesta, a colorful match 3 adventure that gives you a chance to travel the world planting flowers and creating beautiful gardens!
Overall rating
4
/
5
43 of 49 found this review helpful
Don't give up too quickly on this one
PostedApril 28, 2015
RyeMcLaughlin
fromUSA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Match 3, Card & Board, Strategy, Marble Popper
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Before playing this game, carefully read the instructions. There is a lot happening and it's very different. It's more about strategy than speed (except for the garden level).
It's really designed for an iPod/Pad, so the game area only takes up a quarter or so of the screen. Still, the graphics are clear and colorful. There are 120 levels of match 3. After every 6 of those there is the timed garden making level.
You have an seed in your hand and must place it to make a match. It's not timed, but you have a limited number of moves, so you need to be careful about where you make your match. There are goals to meet such as number of resources collected and clearing areas. There are bugs to eliminate. If you make a match of more than three, some seeds on the board will be worth more. The icons do not always drop straight down to fill the empty spots.
Scoring depends on number of matches made and number of moves left at end of game. You get one to three stars depending on how well you did.
After 6 levels there is a timed garden level. You have to make a path, clear ground plant and water seeds. The time is very short. Not sure if you need to pass this to progress. Didn't enjoy this level as much as the match 3 levels.
I found this to be a fun thinking game. I only got up to level 16 in the hour demo as I wanted to get those three stars and had to replay some levels several times. I was surprised when the time ran out.
Just one caveat - as this is a Mac only game there is no forum.
I recommend this game!
Exercise your intellect in this relaxing Match 3 brain teaser set in the wonder subterranean world of Azkend 2: The World Beneath.
Overall rating
3
/
5
10 of 10 found this review helpful
Not a Match 3
PostedAugust 12, 2014
RyeMcLaughlin
fromUSA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Match 3, Marble Popper
Fun Factor
2
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
I was really excited to see a new game in this series. The first two were great. This however is not a match 3, but a puzzle game. Yes, you do have to match 3 or more icons to play the game, but this game only has one solution for each board and you keep playing that same board until you discover it.
The production values of this game are excellent and I like being able to back up one step at a time. This game is not timed.
I imagine that the difficulty will ramp up pretty quickly as even the easy levels were not easy. The pieces don't fall straight down, but may roll to one side. If you like a brain busting challenge this may be for you, but I hoping for a fun match 3 and was very disappointed.
I don't recommend this game.
Uncover dark forces emanating from the heart of Old Town and be spellbound by this adorably ghoulish horror-themed puzzle game!
Overall rating
5
/
5
2 of 2 found this review helpful
Halloween fun
PostedNovember 4, 2013
RyeMcLaughlin
fromUSA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Match 3, Strategy
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
Excellent match 3 that starts out easy, but gradually gets more challenging. Simple but effective graphics, good music and sound effects (so important in a match 3), and lots of fun power ups. There are 100 levels and you can play timed or untimed.
This is a game with good replay value. Perfect for a quick break or extended play. It's just plain fun.
I recommend this game!
Hi-End Match-3 game with several gameplay mechanics, amazing handmade graphics and relaxing music
Overall rating
3
/
5
2 of 5 found this review helpful
Not as good as the original
PostedSeptember 3, 2013
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
Based on demo
I'm afraid that I don't like this one as well as the original. In that one you had access to all three matching types, as well as your choice of three board styles right from the beginning. This one makes you wait (in the hour demo I never did get past swap). Also the powerups are random, infrequent and not very powerful. The magnet that clears all types of an icon, does not clear the tile. Bombs (which you get for matching 5) don't seem to clear tiles either. Because of the board shapes you often run into tiles that are very hard to clear. Power ups become necessary and not just a way to make the game go more quickly.
I will say that I played the whole demo and was startled when it ended. I was tempted to purchase it, as Match 3 games are rare to begin with and even more so for Macs. At this point though I would rather replay the original and save my credits for another day.
BTW - the description of the game reads "While other Match-3 games support only one gameplay mode (Swap or Chain), Lost in Reefs 2 goes a step further by now including Group, a third, new gameplay mode." is somewhat of an exaggeration. These choices have been available for many match 3 games for years.
I don't recommend this game.
Discover the fate of your exiled kingdom, save your people, and end the ancient evil that started it all!
Overall rating
3
/
5
1 of 1 found this review helpful
Could have been better
PostedApril 15, 2013
RyeMcLaughlin
fromUSA
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Match 3
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
2
/
5
I loved the first two in the series, and #3 was OK, but this one is just disappointing. The graphics are well done, and it's a long game, but the storyline is almost non-existant. There are lots of puzzles, and many are different, but most have vague instructions at best. In the jigsaw puzzles, if you are not spot on with your cursor (to the very pixel) you won't be able to place the pieces. There was a connect the pipes puzzle that was full of leftover pieces and many of the correctly place pipes had open ends - usually forbidden in this type of puzzle. Eventually I started just skipping puzzles which I never do usually.
I think the developers got lazy with this one. I gave it 3 stars for the quality of the graphics. Otherwise it would have gotten 2 stars.
I don't recommend this game.
Help the creatures of Christmasville discover the truth about missing Santa Claus in this eye-popping Hidden Object Christmas adventure!
Overall rating
4
/
5
6 of 6 found this review helpful
Silly fun
PostedNovember 16, 2012
RyeMcLaughlin
fromUSA
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Match 3, Card & Board
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
If had been made by any other developer, I would have panned it. The graphics are just OK, the HOGs are junkpile with a few really tiny objects and some others that are incorrectly translated. What makes this game stand out and keep me playing level after level is the storyline. It's hysterical, twisted and just pure fun. I developers would make more games like this one.
I recommend this game!
Bejeweled 3
Escape to the biggest, brightest Bejeweled ever! Discover all-new ways to play the world's #1 puzzle game!
Overall rating
5
/
5
526 of 653 found this review helpful
Addictive with lots of variety
PostedNovember 6, 2012
RyeMcLaughlin
fromUSA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object, Match 3, Card & Board, Marble Popper
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
When I first saw this (2 years ago), it didn't seem all that different from Bejeweled 2. Then I started playing the new games and the demo was over in a flash. #3 has everything that was in #2 and lots more.
The graphics are simple, but good, the game works well on a smaller screen. Sound effects are quite noisy and fun. Narrator sounds a bit like James Earl Jones. Runs well in Snow Leopard and Lion.
There are 8 modes, four of which must be unlocked before playing. They all share the same powerups which you get by making matches of 4 or more.
Classic - the original game - untimed - play until you can not make any more matches.
Poker - untimed - make matches to create a poker hand
Lightning - timed- as you play, certain gems appear with numbers. Make matches with them to extend your playing time.
Ice Storm - timed - ice starts working it's way up the columns. Make matches in that column to destroy it.
Zen - untimed - very relaxing. Click on the EKG sign above the Hint button to set Breat Modulation (works really well to relax me), Ambient Sounds, Mantra and Binaural Beats. The last requires headphones and comes with a medical warning - apparently it can cause all sorts of weird side effects - I haven't tried this yet.
Butterflies - untimed- as you make matches, butterflies make their way up the board. Make matches with them to free them before they meet the spider at the top of the board.
Quest - a sampler of everything - get certain goals in each of the games to progress.
Diamond Mine- timed - make matches at the bottom of the board to destroy dirt and rocks to collect gold and treasure.
My personal favorites are Diamond Mine and Butterflies (although I always feel bad when that spider gets a butterfly). This game will keep you entertained for days, and has good replay value.
I recommend this game!
Dive in to this aquatic word adventure featuring multiple play modes and an almost infinite number of underwater realms.
Overall rating
4
/
5
26 of 27 found this review helpful
Worth a try
PostedSeptember 18, 2012
RyeMcLaughlin
fromUSA
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Word, Hidden Object, Match 3, Marble Popper
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
I was surprised at how much I liked this older game. The graphics are clear. The game plays smoothly. It can be played in Relaxed or Timed modes and you can switch between each.
In this game you chain the letters to make words. You can go in any direction, but each letter can be used only once. You can also switch the position of one set of adjoining letters per word made. The letter are on a grid like a match 3 and you have to clear tiles to clear a level. Some tiles must be cleared twice.
There are starred tiles that can be any letter. Some letters are locked - these must be used as the first letter in a word. The tile still needs to be cleared after you break the lock. There are also bonus words, these give you bonus points.
If you make a word of 6 letters or more you are awarded with bombs of varying strength. There is a volcano on the lower right of the screen. This will allow you to clear the whole board.
Like the other Kahuna games, you also unlock fish to swim in the background. You can fill your screen with lots of them or only have a couple. It's a nice extra touch. The tutorial is voiced by a surfer dude. He's kind of amusing/annoying. He pops up each time there is a new feature, but doesn't waste too much of your time.
Lots of replay value to this one. Give it a try if you like word games.
I recommend this game!
Peggle Deluxe
Do you have what it takes to become a Peggle Master? Take your best shot! Ready, aim... bounce!
Overall rating
4
/
5
Just silly fun
PostedSeptember 7, 2012
RyeMcLaughlin
fromUSA
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Arcade & Action, Hidden Object, Match 3, Marble Popper
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Do your self a favor and play at least the first level of this game. It will only a take a minute or so and will have you smiling or even LOL.
Four modes of play, some of which are unlocked as the game progresses.
Adventure - 10 levels each with five stages - you play with the help of a different character in each level - each character has different powers.
Quick Play- Replay any level you have beaten - get to choose which character will help you
Duel[/b] - play against computer or another player
Challenge- Extra 75 levels are unlocked after beating all Adventure levels
Adventure - 10 levels each with five stages - you play with the help of a different character in each level - each character has different powers.
Quick Play- Replay any level you have beaten - get to choose which character will help you
Duel[/b] - play against computer or another player
Challenge- Extra 75 levels are unlocked after beating all Adventure levels
This game has many short levels. I keep wanting to play just one more. Good for when you need a break from other games. Great for kids as well.
I recommend this game!
Play through ten catchy arrangements of Chopin's greatest classics. Battle your opponents in musical duels!
Overall rating
4
/
5
33 of 35 found this review helpful
Piano Hero
PostedSeptember 5, 2012
RyeMcLaughlin
fromUSA
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Arcade & Action, Adventure, Hidden Object, Match 3
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
Guitar Hero for piano. This is based on a fairly short play time, so I don't know if it would get boring after a while.
Lots of technical options, screen resolution, graphics quality, and input. Looks like you can play it with a game control, mouse(not the default) arrow keys or letters on the keyboard( you can choose which keys).
To choose which keys to use, select Input Options on the main menu (not the popup Graphics/Input window). Click on a piano key shown with the cursor, then choose the key on your keyboard. That way you can play with both hands.
There are four difficulty levels, Too Easy, Normal, Hard and Chopin.
The muses have raised Frederic Chopin from the dead to battle against a modern day one man electronic band. Why? They don't say. This opening cut scene is fairly long - there is a total of one hour of cut scenes. There are no instructions, apparently they assume you know what to do.
There are 7 wires leading to your keyboard. Notes appear and you have to wait until they touch the key before you click on that key. I played on Too Easy mode and was hopeless, but hopefully that's because it took me a while to figure out how to play.
Looks like it would be lots of fun for kids. It's nice to see something completely different. I recommend this with reservations that you give it the full demo time.
I recommend this game!