megwoman25's Profile
Stat Summary
- Average Rating:3.7
- Helpful Votes:1,465
- Reviews Submitted:285
- First Review:December 20, 2011
- Most Recent Review:December 7, 2020
- Featured reviews0
Status:
Find ingredients and juggle hungry customers in this exciting Hidden Object and Time Management game!
Overall rating
4
/
5
7 of 8 found this review helpful
Fast Paced & Fun
PostedDecember 8, 2013
megwoman25
fromNorthern California
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Word, Adventure, Hidden Object, Large File, Match 3, Card & Board, Strategy, Time Management, Marble Popper, Puzzle
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
I enjoyed this one and I had been wanting this game for years and years so I finally used a game coupon on it and I should have bought this a longgggg time ago! Its just one of the funnest kind of games in my opinion. I love when hidden object games get mixed with time management like GardenScapes, Aquascapes, Antique Road Trip etc etc.
The game is simple. You grandpa left you a restaurant that needs updating, you help all the local restaurants to improve your skills but also get the money to buy the stuff you need to open your restaurant. You get to decide what items you want to update when you have the cash but you don't get to decide from 3 choices or anything. There is only one option. Also, as time goes on, your kitchen equipment gets faster and Ginger herself gets faster BUT as for manually picking things to get faster or getting a newer oven, that is not an option in this game. But since this is a pretty old one I can forgive all that.
What led me to take a star off is the fact you can't queue anything. I know old games are like that but it would have been nice to have more than one grater then or more than one oven instead of having to remember which one to go back to because they both needed to chop and only one grater was available. It would have been nice to click the item it needed next and it would have just worked without having to click the tabs again and again. Also, I wish it would have delivered without me having to constantly push that dish. But despite those two little things, I really enjoyed myself.
I felt like the challenge was spot on if not a little too easy. I didn't have to repeat any level except for the last 7 when you finally open your restaurant and then have to feed the chefs who helped train you. Some of the people were from the first couple levels and over time I had forgotten what their dishes were leading to slowness and me having to repeat levels. You can pass levels with a gold, silver or bronze depending on how much money you make and you can keep going and then come back to replay except for the last 7 levels which ask you to replay them until you get the correct amount to proceed. That was the only time I felt truly challenged.
Once you learn people's orders, it actually makes the game pretty easy. You get in a rhythm of how to cook sushi or eggrolls. The bread pudding had way too many ingredients and I think my favorite restaurant was the french cuisine believe it or not because I don't know a lot of french foods nor eat a lot of it so making these dishes were a lot more fun than making say a hamburger since it was new to me.
I recommend this game and I have the next one but I wish there had been many more!!
I recommend this game!
A mysterious fortune teller has foreseen her demise at midnight this very day. Can you find the soul who seeks to kill Madame Fate? You be the detective.
Overall rating
5
/
5
6 of 6 found this review helpful
Why Didn't I Play These In Order??
PostedDecember 6, 2013
megwoman25
fromNorthern California
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Word, Adventure, Hidden Object, Large File, Match 3, Card & Board, Strategy, Time Management, Marble Popper, Puzzle
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
My thoughts are exactly what my title states. You know when I first came to big fish, I knew that MCF was popular but I didn't get just how popular and so I skipped over some of the pure list ones and went straight to return to ravenhurst. So after playing the original Ravenhurst and now Madame Fate, it makes soooo much more sense. In fact I need to now play Return again and also Dire Grove and then Escape etc etc I have a new respected love for these games especially for the date they came out!
This beauty is from 2007. The first game to have morphing objects in hidden object scenes! Go figure! The scenes that have a morphing object have a purple question mark next to them. Some levels don't have the morph which I found refreshing. The morphs open up special zones in select chapters. I missed a morph however and was never able to open the last zone unfortunately but I did love when the clock would go backwards or when I got to view the tunnel of love!
My favorite, favorite part of this game are the puzzles. The first ones are WORD PUZZLES!!! OMG Every word fanatics dream and I am a total word hound. Love word games, they don't make enough in my opinion and this game would give you some really fun ones, then a hidden object scene of select items and then a really really hard to figure out puzzle. Well some were easier than others, a few I had to skip because I didn't want to use a walkthrough but others like the last one, I sat there for a long time trying to do it and when I did, what an accomplishment I felt!!
I wanted to make sure I played this before I played the 2013 Fate's Carnival but now I want to play the whole series over before I get to that one. The ending was like confusing at first til I realized it ties in with Ravenhurst!!! No wonder I was so confused when I first played Return a long time ago!!! Now Im going to replay it since my detective skills have long improved and my ability to do puzzles has increased.
I can't believe this was made in 2007 and still is so much fun to play today. 6 years ago this was considered the newest in gaming and now even if its not the newest, its still one of the most clever, witty and well done games I have ever played. I can't wait to discover more secrets as I play the games over again!!
I recommend this game!
Who is responsible for your children’s disappearance? Follow the trail!
Overall rating
4
/
5
3 of 3 found this review helpful
Review of Completed Game...
PostedDecember 4, 2013
megwoman25
fromNorthern California
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Word, Adventure, Hidden Object, Large File, Match 3, Card & Board, Strategy, Time Management, Marble Popper, Puzzle
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
First of all...I really enjoyed this game and I feel like there should be higher reviews than there are. Eipix has shown us what they can do in a whole different aspect in this game. Yes, the graphics looks sort of like drawn but it is nothing like drawn. I for one am not a fan of drawn and this game gives players a new experience along with the same things we love in hidden object games.
The story wraps up in the main part of the game and the bonus chapter is simply how they get away. I personally could have lived without the bonus chapter in terms of the story so had I gotten the standard edition, it really would have been a 5 star game. The collector's edition really was not needed in my opinion. There are 40 cupcakes to collect in it and I missed one! The agony! There are achievements and I guess this is what drives me nuts about Eipix games. I mean they would be perfect if the achievements could be achieved in the Bonus Chapter as well! There were a few I missed in this game and in their other game Linden Shades but once you are done with the main game, there is no more getting achievements even if you do them in the bonus game. I really like when everything goes into the bonus game because I feel like then its worth it to have a bonus game but I could have lived without the short bonus chapter this game did have.
The best part of the collector's edition extras for me was the "making of" where they show a movie and of course it was in fairy tale rhymes and it was just so funny. I love this developer and its so interesting to be able to see who are making the games and how much fun they seem to be having with it. I really enjoyed this part and I hope you keep including them.
As with any fairy tale, it has a happy ending. The length of the main game was good, took me like 4+ hours and the puzzles were very doable and I liked the hidden object scenes as they were very interactive. Loved the hints because it would show you where you need to go and then if you clicked, it would take you there. Once you were there you could either figure out on your own what to do or hit hint again as it didn't consider that something that needed the button to recharge and you could get additional help with what item you needed.
I definitely recommend giving this game a chance. Once I was into it, I remember how much I loved Hansel & Gretel as a child. The chocolate, candy world is how I always pictured it except I saw gumdrops and frosting everywhere not as much chocolate haha but there is a twist to the original stories and I had a good time playing it. I just didn't think the bonus chapter was needed and since it was quite short, I rated it 4 stars. Kudos devs! I love your games!
I recommend this game!
When the entire audience disappears from a film screening at an old theater, you must go behind the scenes to find out who is running the mysterious Nightmare Cinema.
Overall rating
4
/
5
4 of 5 found this review helpful
Review of Completed Game...
PostedNovember 28, 2013
megwoman25
fromNorthern California
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Word, Adventure, Hidden Object, Large File, Match 3, Card & Board, Strategy, Time Management, Marble Popper, Puzzle
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
I played this game on a iMac 10.6.8 OS....
I really liked this one but I gave it 4 stars for the confusion I felt surrounding the plot line. The main game is completely wrapped up in the main game. The bonus is you simply saving David from his demonic possession and how you accomplish that task. The reason the story line got a little wonky for me was because it incorporated people from the previous games in this series and since its been ages since I last played those games, I felt some kind of refresher might be needed especially for those who never played them. It might be interesting to replay the first two and then play this game and maybe my thoughts would be different. The confusing story line and the fact the puzzles in this game were pretty easy except for a 2 of them that lacked coherent instructions and I had to skip them as the guide and nothing else I did worked to solve them are the reasons I did not find this a 5 star game.
This game is a collector's dream. You collect 5 items in 10 collections. Some are origami, some are baked goods. They go into the bonus chapter as do the morphing objects which there are 66 to find. BEWARE. There are morphing objects in the hidden object scenes! I missed 4 because of this. I did not catch on until a bit later when I stumbled on one by mistake.
There are achievements, each one doable except I missed some morphs and skipped two puzzles so I was not awarded 3 of them but I pat myself on the back anyways ;)
Just because the plot got wonky for me doesn't mean it will for you. My memory is not the best these days and Im still quite young. I did listen to all the dialogue but I was not prepared for the blast from the past. I did however enjoy this game up until I got confused and even then I still liked the overall feeling, the interactive hidden object scenes with the morphs and the outcome of the game. I definitely recommend!
I recommend this game!
After winning the lottery, Alicia has decided to take her Posh Boutique to the next level and upgrade her amazing store!
Overall rating
3
/
5
15 of 19 found this review helpful
Fun but has issues
PostedNovember 27, 2013
megwoman25
fromNorthern California
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Word, Adventure, Hidden Object, Large File, Match 3, Card & Board, Strategy, Time Management, Marble Popper, Puzzle
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
I never played the first one so I can't compare the two but I will say the gameplay is really fun and I really enjoyed that part. What made me give the game 3 stars instead of 5 are the mechanics and issues with the game itself. One thing I really cannot stand is that there is no way to go back and get expert on levels you didn't get it previously. The only way to do this is to replay the same level over and over again because once you leave it, you can never go back to it. Not knowing that, there were a few levels, I could not get expert in and thats something I really like to do in TM games.
The other issue are the trophies. There aren't very many and some add up over time like it will have a 5 next to it for how many times since the first time you did it. There was one trophy (get 4 or more happiness from each customer in a level). I cannot tell you how many times I got this but no matter what it would not register. So even though I got all the trophies, the game never acknowledged that I did.
Some positives would be that there are 3 mini games to all the shops either scrolling, finding objects or pressing an arrow. The arrow one got a bit wonky from time to time and would stick. No it was not my mouse. The game is glitchy. There were also two mini games inbetween different levels. One was helping VIP customers and the other was finding shoes, purses etc. The finding one was really annoying because each time you would find the same exact objects and in the same places. So you'd get a great score but very repetitive.
There is an ultimate mode where you can do it til you drop or until you get to 10k and you have all the upgrades. I did one round, found it repetitive and called it a day. If the game mechanics had been working properly and I could go back to get expert, I probably would have given this 4.5 stars but due to all the glitches, I just can't justify rating it higher.
However, this game is really fun so if you like these kinds of games and don't care about expert ratings or trophies, I do recommend this game.
Guide Solar and his band of helpers as they set out to rescue the fair Lumina and stop the dark sorcerer Grogan from achieving eternal life!
Overall rating
4
/
5
2 of 2 found this review helpful
Review of Completed Game...
PostedNovember 24, 2013
megwoman25
fromNorthern California
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Word, Adventure, Hidden Object, Large File, Match 3, Card & Board, Time Management, Marble Popper, Puzzle
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
I really really enjoyed this game. I had planned on giving it 5 stars in fact until it ended on level 30! I have never played a builder game this short so even though I absolutely loved it, I felt like I got a little short changed.
The concept of this game is to build different things in order to save your princess but it has different game mechanics than other games. I really liked how each level was either 2 or 3 parts earning a star for each and 1 or 2 of those parts was always timed and one was untimed on adventure mode. There is a hardcore mode where they are all timed but I didn't play that one. Anyways, the untimed levels really gave you time to think and figure out what to do in the timed ones. And he would pack up their tent each time and walk into the next level and usually it would be almost like the other room you just did but with a twist. I really liked this aspect of some timed and some not.
This also has voiceovers and nice graphics. The story line is the same ol save the princess but you do have to do a lot of new things to get there.. Make potions, blow things up, talk to people and get helpers. I always felt like all the levels were quite doable although there were a few I had to do over. That was my pet peeve though because if you didn't do the timed ones in time, you got to move on BUT when doing them again, you had to do all the untimed parts as well. It would have been nice just to do the timed however it did make the game longer.
IF this game had about 20 more levels. An even 50 or at least some more places to go and things to do, it would have been 5 stars for me. However, I felt like I came to an abrupt halt and I yearned for more. I didn't feel done and thats too bad because I really enjoyed myself. 4 stars for the uniqueness and the fun I had but have to take a star off for length.
I loved that you had a lot of help along the way. You have a giant named Yord who reminds me of my dummy brown lab. Its just the way I picture him talking haha and there is a wizard and men who help along the way. Very interactive and while they are talking, you can do the tasks which is nice.
I do recommend this however because a game as fun as this one, cannot be passed up. Just use a punch card coupon or wait for the daily deal!
I recommend this game!
Discover what connects the ship’s disappearance with Devil’s Island and a family’s unsolved murder!
Overall rating
3
/
5
5 of 5 found this review helpful
Review of Completed Game...
PostedNovember 24, 2013
megwoman25
fromNorthern California
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Word, Adventure, Hidden Object, Large File, Match 3, Card & Board, Strategy, Time Management, Marble Popper, Puzzle
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
It was such a chore to finish this game let me tell you. What a yawner!! Artifex Mundi are one of my favorite developers but there is nothing new or exciting going on in this game.
Its the usual ship disappearing of its people, ghost leading the way to the truth type game. There are lots and lots of hidden object scenes and each one you play twice. They start out interactive but as time goes on, they just become basic lists. The puzzles were all the basic ones we normally see, I really didn't come across anything new. It was pipes, rolling the circles to form a picture, put the pieces together to make a map etc
Artifex Mundi really, really, really needs a new person doing voiceovers. This is the same lady from the Nightmares from the deep game and the Enigmatis games. As nice as her voice is, a new female voice for other games would be a nice touch.
But I guess the reason this game didn't hold my attention is just because its so predictable. I knew who the bad guy was right away although I had no idea why and even after finding out, I didn't really understand but of course it has to do with either love or greed because thats how most of these go. Also, the bad guy reminded me of the villain in "I know what you did last summer". Creepy guy, black cape covering the face and hook arms. Not so scary when there is a look alike like him in every game like this. There was just nothing new, nothing to grip me. I felt like this during the trial but kept hoping it would improve since its my favorite developer and it didn't.
Also, usually this developer has some of the most real graphics ever yet a lot of the graphics were fuzzy, objects were hard to spot in the scenes because I couldn't make out what they were. And don't get me started about the shades of blue and brown this game had. So dreary. I get its an abandoned boat but it was dismal and made the game seem really heavy.
I could not wait for this game to end. Definitely not on the "to replay" list. I reckon a lot will like this game especially if you are new to hidden object games but I've played wayyy tooo many for this to hold my interest. Play the nightmare of the deep games instead. They are by this developer and yet 500 times better in all ways.
I don't recommend this game.
Dark magic threatens our world! Can you stop the Shade and his minions before it's too late?
Overall rating
4
/
5
1 of 1 found this review helpful
A Great Game For Puzzle Lovers!!
PostedNovember 21, 2013
megwoman25
fromNorthern California
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Word, Adventure, Hidden Object, Large File, Match 3, Card & Board, Strategy, Time Management, Marble Popper, Puzzle
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
This is a real treat to play and boomzap have once again outdid themselves and gave us a beautifully done game. My reason for 4 stars instead of 5 is because without the bonus chapter, this game doesn't really have a satisfying ending if one were to purchase the standard edition. To me, even though this is a series and there are more after them, its unfair to people who do not buy the collectors edition. Without ruining anything, the bonus chapter isn't anything you actually need to know. It won't ruin the story if you don't get this version as you are basically just taking a break from the adventure you had. But what it does mean is that the ending is very abrupt like blink and miss it kind of thing and its disappointing due to the hours I put into this game and the love I had for it initially. Had this been the standard edition, I would have given it 3 stars because I hate when developers do this. I find it sneaky.
BUT since I love these developers and this game I gave it 4 stars. There are way more puzzles than hidden object scenes. You get achievements for doing them and I believe there are 66 mini games and only 10 hidden object scenes and that is fine by me! The hidden object scenes were extremely interactive and quite enjoyable. The mini games were not the kind that make you want to smack your head in the wall. They were very puzzle like. Move this here to open this or move 1 switch and get an item and I enjoyed all of them. There was only ONE puzzle I skipped and it was because I didn't understand the directions. I probably should have looked in the strategy guide but I got trigger happy.
There are also 60 collectibles that look like fairies and let me tell you, they blend in! I got 59 of these GRR When the game first starts, there are only 1 fairy per room but as you advance there can be anywhere from 1-4 fairies per room so make sure you look everywhere.
The graphics/sound are incredible and so life like. Cutscenes were more just about the story with the woman navigating. There was a giant twist in this story which gave it depth that I haven't always seen in boom zap games. The plot became easier to follow in this game as opposed to the first one I thought.
Overall, if you take away the abrupt ending, this is a very enjoyable, a puzzle solvers dream and worth every penny if you get the collector's edition. I definitely recommend this game. I also have no idea what the warning is about. I didn't feel like this game was for "mature audiences". I mean "the shade" is kind of creepy but unless I missed something, I am not seeing what all the hoopla would be with this game but then again I am pretty open minded.
I recommend this game!
Something’s driven everyone away from Linden Shades.
Overall rating
5
/
5
5 of 6 found this review helpful
Review of Completed Game...
PostedNovember 18, 2013
megwoman25
fromNorthern California
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Word, Adventure, Hidden Object, Large File, Match 3, Card & Board, Strategy, Time Management, Marble Popper, Puzzle
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
Eipix is starting to become one of my favorite developers. They really have amazing ideas. This is one of the best storylines I have played in awhile. Yes its the typical person in the ghost suit running around scaring people BUT it is told so well through cassette tapes that I really had no idea who was involved or why. It leaves you completely open and if you really follow along and get into the mood of the game, its pretty creepy what you are doing especially as a woman.
There were a lot of hidden object scenes but until the bonus chapter, you never had to play one more than once. Kudos to that. The puzzles were all very doable if you take the time. Some of the achievements were a little weird like skip 5 puzzles or get through the game without ever opening the map. For the record, I only like to skip puzzles if I can't figure it out even with a strategy guide or if its math lol and I never opened the map but didn't get credit for it!
I rounded up to 5 but would probably give this game a 4.5ish rating due to the achievements not registering properly and not being able to achieve them in the bonus game. I had not gotten the 10 hidden objects in 10 seconds or the 3 hidden object scenes without a misclick and thought I could still get them when I went to the bonus but I was wrong. I would have liked it to carry over so I could have gotten them all. However I did find all the collectibles and let me tell you those crayons blended in!
The game completely wraps up in the main game and the bonus game was you being called back to find the deed of the house. Its kind of weird that a reporter would be called in as you aren't a detective but you are back. You do revisit the old house but honestly it doesn't look the same and you do go to some new locations too. You also find diary entries in the bonus game that show how the plan was conducted and why and who was involved. A little back story.
There are a lot of extras. More hidden object scenes to play besides the ones you did. Music/wallpapers/art like usual. It also had all the videos you could watch again and some that I hadn't seen before. I like this developer because they always have a "making of..". This one made me laugh in fact. Love how it shows you some of the live acting and the people who make the game. I thought the live acting was really well done in this game unlike some others. You could also replay puzzles and there's something else but I can't put my finger on it.
You also collect 37 crayons, 12 letters and 16 children's toys. The crayons blend in! The letters were pretty obvious but the children's toys are tricky because in the adoption center there are a lot of toys laying around and not all of them are the ones that are collectibles, so you really need to make sure you click everything.
This game was not only enjoyable but a bit suspenseful at times. I thoroughly enjoyed playing it and I enjoyed the twists and turns the game takes you on. Eipix really did a good job on this game. I can't wait to see what other games they have in store for us. With creative minds like these, I am sure I will love where they take us from here.
I recommend this game!
Help Nicole find her vocation and climb up the corporate ladder in this fun Time Management game, Time to Hurry: Nicole’s Story!
Overall rating
5
/
5
8 of 8 found this review helpful
Outstanding Game!!
PostedNovember 17, 2013
megwoman25
fromNorthern California
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Word, Adventure, Hidden Object, Large File, Match 3, Card & Board, Strategy, Time Management, Marble Popper, Puzzle
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
This game plays like a time management but its also a hidden object game. It plays like gardenscapes except there is no garden to fix up. Instead you are character building the girl who you play and making her into a career, savvy business woman who can take on the world.
You go through 6 different store environments picking out what the customers want. As time goes on you have more customers so it gets tricky trying to give her the right life choices so you get better power ups and faster skills to beat the clock. All levels can be passed on even if you don't get the expert score. I found that at first, I would be sooo bad at the game especially trying to locate the various objects but as time went on, Id get faster and faster because I knew what to look for. Each time Id come back into the game, Id be slow all over again but 5 minutes in and I was back to fast finds.
There are 3 kinds of hint buttons. The first is just finding an object and once its leveled up, it will find 3 items at a time for you. The second is hearts and they give it to one person who is impatient with you but leveled up it will give it to all people who are waiting which is really helpful to get 100% for mood. The third one is a freezer and at first it just freezes the time of one person but upon leveling up it will freeze everyone's boards. Getting to each customer in order keeps their patience in check too and make sure you get the VIP people because they give you big tips and gifts which raise your 3 hints up. There were times I had a lot of hints and times I had none but since you can replay all the levels, in the end I was able to master the entire game with all 100% on the moods and all within expert time.
Also, inbetween certain levels, there are mini games that are a nice break between hidden object scenes. Some were spot the differences, matching, find the one that doesn't belong, putting puzzles together. I found it really fun and they are all skippable. If you skip though, you do not get the money and the money is how you take classes to advance yourself personally, physically, career and education.
All in all, I wish this game had been longer. It has 6 shops and is long already but I never wanted it to end. I liked how each shop had a different theme but still kept items from previous shops so it was easy to adapt to the new shops. There were all kinds of different things to find like if a customer wanted stamps, you had to look through a book and pick the appropriate one, same with household cleaners, coins and other stuff.
I recommend this game both to hidden object lovers and time management fans. Its just a fun game!!
I recommend this game!