Bpup's Profile
Stat Summary
- Average Rating:4.5
- Helpful Votes:977
- Reviews Submitted:22
- First Review:December 2, 2011
- Most Recent Review:November 19, 2021
- Featured reviews0
Status:
Journey through the center of the Earth on a fantastic adventure in Azkend 2 - The World Beneath, a captivating ride to remember.
Overall rating
5
/
5
27 of 29 found this review helpful
Do Give This One A Try, Even If You're Not A Match-3 Gamer
PostedApril 14, 2012
Bpup
fromUSA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Family, Word, Adventure, Hidden Object, Large File, Match 3, Card & Board, Strategy, Brain Teaser, Puzzle, Mahjong
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
I previously bought this and I'm really enjoying this Match-3 game. There are 17 "chapters" to the story, and in each chapter you have to obtain 3 or 4 pieces of an item that you need to advance to the next "chapter". This translates into 3 or 4 Match-3 boards that have to be cleared for each level. The levels get more challenging the further you progress in the game. It's got enough of a story attached to it that it makes a nice change of pace for HOPA fans.
When you find all the pieces in a level, there is a secondary match game that occurs. In the upper right hand corner an image of a portion of the graphic background landscape is shown and you have to match it to what's on the screen. IIRC, there are about six matches that have to be made within a fixed time period, and you are informed of your success percentage when it's done.
In the Adventure mode I am playing, some of the levels are timed, but the ones where there are bugs (not icky ones) that you have to eliminate before they escape the tiles or where there are tiles on fire that you have to put out before the flames spread are not timed. I'm only about a third of the way done with the game, so I don't know what other tricks the developer might have up his sleeve.
Options consist of Sound, Volume, Windowed, Voiceovers and Tutorials. There is also a Detail Level (low, medium, high).
There are two Challenge modes: Time and Medals.
The graphics are gorgeous, the gameplay is smooth, and the creator of the music is actually given credit at the beginning of the game which I agree with because the music really adds ambiance and drama to the game. I like the sounds of the game (the tile clicks, etc.)
This is a really good game and I am enjoying it. There is an earlier version of the game, Azkend, also available on this site.
I recommend this game!
Chains
Link the adjacent bubbles of the same color to create Chains in this fast-paced and exciting Puzzle game! Rack up the points!
Overall rating
5
/
5
16 of 22 found this review helpful
Highly Addictive
PostedJanuary 11, 2012
Bpup
fromUSA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Family, Word, Adventure, Hidden Object, Large File, Match 3, Card & Board, Strategy, Brain Teaser, Time Management, Puzzle, Mahjong
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
I happen to already own this game but I'm glad to see that Big Fish offers it. This game is an intriguing mix of Match-3 and physics puzzle elements. The goal is to link various sized, similar colored bubbles together to remove them from the playing field. The twist is that the bubbles are in motion - they are dropping into the playing field, tumbling over one another - and the playing field changes in each level. One level is a river that you have to keep flowing, another assigns point values to the different bubble sizes and you have to connect the right number of bubbles to reach a specific total, a third requires you to clear the bubbles fast enough to prevent the weight of them from triggering a trap door that drops all of them and costs you the level.
The colors are bold and bright and in a Pop Art style. The game play is smooth. Options allow you to adjust the Music and Sound volume, and it also allows you to set the screen resolution, and allows you to play windowed or full screen. There are 20 levels of gameplay, but don't let that low number fool you - some of the levels are tough to get through. It's a game that requires thought, planning and fast clicking.
I consider this game to be one of the hidden gems of Big Fish's inventory.
I recommend this game!
Your goal is to leave only one piece on the board in this ball-jumping puzzler.
Overall rating
5
/
5
7 of 7 found this review helpful
If You Like Playing Hi-Q, You'll Enjoy This Game
PostedDecember 26, 2011
Bpup
fromUSA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Family, Word, Brain Teaser, Adventure, Time Management, Hidden Object, Large File, Match 3, Card & Board, Puzzle, Mahjong, Strategy
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
If you've ever sat in a Cracker Barrel restaurant playing that little time-killing peg-jumper game they have on the table while you've waited for your meal to arrive, then you already know how to play Jumba. It is a marble solitaire game that whose object is to eliminate all of the marbles on the playing field by using one marble to jump over another, either horizontally or vertically, with the jumped-marble being removed from the board.
Jumba spices up the game by providing a variety of marbles scattered throughout the games, that have their own quirks and actions. There are locked marbles, exploding marbles, marbles than can move more than one space, marbles that destroy others if they come in contact with them, etc. The shape of the playing field also changes as you progress through the game, as does the number of marbles in play at any one time, and the complexity of the game play.
Graphics are clear, game play is smooth. There are controls for the sounds and music. This is fun little game for those times when you want to play a game, but you're just not willing to commit the time or attention to hidden object or time management or similar game.
I initially had a problem playing this on my Vista computer, but found that if I made sure to install it as an administrator, it worked for me.
I recommend this game!
After restoring the Atlantis World Museum you have been accepted into the Grand Pelasgian University to become an apprentice in Chronology!
Overall rating
5
/
5
139 of 156 found this review helpful
If You Love Puzzles, Give This A Try
PostedDecember 26, 2011
Bpup
fromUSA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Family, Word, Brain Teaser, Adventure, Time Management, Hidden Object, Large File, Match 3, Card & Board, Puzzle, Mahjong, Strategy
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
I was one of those people who passed on these nonogram-type (also know as "griddlers", "picross" "paint-by-numbers") puzzles for years, thinking that they were either boring or took too much thinking when all I wanted to do was to relax. Then BF offered one of them as their Daily Deal and I figured, "what the heck, I'll give this genre a try". I have to say, I've since gotten hooked on this type of puzzle.
The theme of this game is Holidays and the game is broken into a series of them. There is text at the beginning of each series that gives you background information about each holiday, so you learn interesting historical facts about the day. You progress through the calendar as you complete each series of puzzles.
This games start out with easy grids and provide a good tutorial, giving you a chance to learn how to play the game and how to use logic to figure out which blocks contain part of the image. Game play consists of trying to figure out which blocks are part of the puzzle's image and which aren't. You are given clues to which blocks are to be filled in, by the numbers on the top of the vertical columns and to the left of the horizontal columns. The games start off easy, with 10 by 10 grids. For example, if the number 10 is shown in the left column by a horizontal row, then you know that all 10 blocks in that row are to be filled in. If the numbers "2 7" are shown, then you know that there is a sequence of 2 filled-in blocks, and a sequence of 7 filled-in blocks in that particular row. There is always a blank space before and after each sequence (unless they start or end a row), so that's where you get your clues as to where other sequences begin and end, if they aren't obvious from the numbering sequence. The grids get progressively larger and larger as the game progresses, with the numbering sequences becoming trickier.
Playing this type of game on the computer is much, much easier than playing it on a piece of paper because it's much easier to correct a mistake - no constant erasing of pencil marks - lol. This game allows for a number of mistakes on each grid. If you exceed the allowable amount, you have to replay the grid. There are also hints if you get stuck. You are give the option to mark both the filled-in blocks and the empty ones, or just the filled-in ones, depending on your preference.
My only negative about this particular game is that I would have liked more of the harder grids, but that's just because I'm more experienced with the game play and I don't need the easy, tutorial levels anymore. If you are new to this genre, then the mix of easy and progressively harder grids should be perfect for you.
I have become addicted to these games, so whenever a new World Mosaics or a new World Riddles game comes out, I'm there. For those interested, BF also carries Gemsweeper which is also a nonogram-style game.
I recommend this game!
Take on Royal Challenge Solitaire and progress through countless levels full of quick and gripping gameplay!
Overall rating
5
/
5
47 of 53 found this review helpful
Good For When You Want To Relax
PostedDecember 17, 2011
Bpup
fromUSA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Family, Word, Brain Teaser, Adventure, Time Management, Hidden Object, Large File, Match 3, Card & Board, Puzzle, Mahjong, Strategy
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
You know, the more I played the game, the more I liked it.
The solitaire game is the tri-peaks version (one of my favorites) - the cards are spread into different layouts and you have to build cards sequentially either up or down on the up-turned deck card. You can play a Challenge or Random mode.
I liked the color tones of the backgrounds. I liked the ambient sounds of the water, clock, etc. I liked the sounds of the cards flipping. I use a small external stereo speaker plugged into my laptop, because the laptop sound itself is of poor quality, so I was really able to enjoy the sounds. The game has been updated since I bought it to include a music soundtrack that can be turned on or off, and an Undo button has been added, making the game even better. Because I bought the game from BF, I am able to update to the revised game free-of-charge, which is an added plus to buying games here.
I liked the fact that the cards looked worn and that they didn't have the standard U.S. Playing Card Co. faces.
This isn't one of those flashy games, with a lot of things happening that constantly catch your eye. The graphics and sounds allow you to concentrate on the gameplay and add to ambiance of playing peacefully alone in a quiet room, rather than distract from it.
I recommend this game!
Mystic Palace Slots
Get a taste of the orient in Mystic Palace Slots, an innovative and amazing Slots game! Watch the reels and win big!
Overall rating
5
/
5
100 of 116 found this review helpful
Suprised Myself By Enjoying This Game
PostedDecember 17, 2011
Bpup
fromUSA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Family, Word, Brain Teaser, Adventure, Time Management, Hidden Object, Large File, Match 3, Card & Board, Puzzle, Mahjong, Strategy
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
I like the "idea" of playing slot machines, but every time I go to Atlantic City and play them, I quickly lose my money and the glamor of them disappears. One thing good about playing slots on the computer is that you always have enough money to play - lol. But even with that, most slot machine games - to me anyway - become boring after a short amount of time because all you're basically doing is watching the dials rotate.
This game is a little different, IMO. First of all the graphics are large, so your screen is filled with light and color; bold red and gold colors are used so the displays are bright and eye-catching. The large display makes a great deal of difference, I find, to making the game much more immersive; most slot machine games have a smaller-sized display. Bonus games for winning involve getting the chance to play other casino game like 21 or roulette. You can also win multiple auto-spins, mirror spins, shuffle spins, etc. which means that your screen is really active with things going on, which definitely breaks up the monotony that is inherent in a slot machine game. Game play is very smooth, I enjoyed the sounds of the game, and there are short voice-overs during the bonus casino games play.
For some reason, this game really catches and holds my attention. I'm not bored by it. I will be buying it because I can see it becoming my go-to game in those rare moments when I get the urge to go to AC to play the slots; the price of this game is much cheaper than a trip there. =)
I recommend this game!
Slot Quest: Alice in Wonderland
Defeat the evil villains, including the Queen of Hearts and an evil dragon. Unlock new slots as you progress through each storybook!
Overall rating
3
/
5
19 of 22 found this review helpful
Only If You Love To Play Slots
PostedDecember 17, 2011
Bpup
fromUSA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Family, Word, Brain Teaser, Adventure, Time Management, Hidden Object, Large File, Match 3, Card & Board, Puzzle, Mahjong, Strategy
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
2
/
5
It needs to install .NET framework 4. (It had to repair mine). (It also tells you to restart your computer after the .NET framework installation. I'd recommend not doing so - I did, and I had to wind up uninstalling the whole game and reinstalling it. I didn't restart after the second installation and everything worked fine.)
It updates Direct X (my version was already good-to-go).
I had to give permission for Microsoft Visual C++ to install.
Game originally opened up in a very small window but I was able to get to full screen size.
Game play was smooth, colors were bright. The dials on the slot machine showed characters from the book, which animated briefly if a line was paying off. Maximum bet is $100 for twenty lines. Matching up the elixir bottles results in either auto spins or a bonus game. Format of the game is that you choose to accept or decline challenges (earn 25,00 points. earn 10000 points in a bonus game, etc. The characters grunt or say a few words if they are part of a winning line. There are voice over comments by Alice occasionally.
But when all is said and done, it's just a slot machine game; there's not much intellectual stimulation to it. Your chances of matching a line seem to be slightly higher than in real life - just going by my gambling experience. If you like the slots genre, then you'll probably like this game. My eyes tend to glaze over after a while with these types of games, so it's not for me. As with any game, your mileage may vary. =)
Recommended for slot machine addicts only.
I recommend this game!
Open up small jars and find a new Hidden Object scene, Puzzle, or another surprise! Explore these magical tiny worlds!
Overall rating
5
/
5
139 of 153 found this review helpful
If You Love Hidden Object Games, This Is A Must-Have
PostedDecember 17, 2011
Bpup
fromUSA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Family, Word, Brain Teaser, Adventure, Time Management, Hidden Object, Large File, Match 3, Card & Board, Puzzle, Mahjong, Strategy
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
What a cool unique little game! This is exactly what its title says - a purely hidden object game. There is a vine-like game map that "blooms" into new hidden object scenes as you progress through the game. Each scene is completely different and completely unrelated to the prior scene. The graphics are bold and interesting. If you like hidden object games, then this is one that you simply must have in your collection!
I happen to like all the little moving distractions in the scenes, the odd snippets of sound and music. I'm mainly an HOPA (Hidden Object-Puzzle-Adventure) player now, but I really enjoyed just hunting for objects with absolutely no story involved. I also liked the find-the-single-object scenes (like the one that let me look for 33 butterflies instead of the usual chintzy 10).
I played half of the demo time, and bought it. It is my favorite go-to hidden object game when I just want to relax and look for stuff, without dealing with an inventory or breaking my brain on puzzles. I tend to play this game in small increments, merely because I'm trying to make it last as long as possible. I keep hoping that its developer will someday come out with Pure Hidden 2.
I recommend this game!
Help Kiera Vale discover her ancestor’s history as she explores Blackwater Asylum in Nightmare Adventures: The Witch’s Prison!
Overall rating
4
/
5
39 of 62 found this review helpful
Amusing And Fun
PostedDecember 17, 2011
Bpup
fromUSA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Family, Word, Brain Teaser, Adventure, Time Management, Hidden Object, Large File, Match 3, Card & Board, Puzzle, Mahjong, Strategy
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
I enjoyed both the game play and the sly humor in this game. I played it without the tutorial and managed to figure out what I should be doing, so this should be an easy game for anyone to learn (I was a beginner to this type of games when I first played it). There is also a Walkthrough available on the Big Fish website that gives the solutions to the puzzles, if additional help is needed beyond the Hint button.
I loved the parody of HOG games. I took the worm and held it up against the saw blade and the game's comment was "Sicko!". The comment that popped up when I clicked on one of the shrubs sounded like something Roger the Shrubber would have said in the movie, "Monty Python and the Holy Grail". I appreciate game developers who inject humor into their games; it personalizes the game and makes it more fun because you never know what you're going to be told next.
When I got the game, I had a problem with a sluggish cursor, but since then Big Fish has issued an update to the game that has solved the problem, so that shouldn't be a concern for anyone anymore. Big Fish Games is normally very good about getting a game corrected if players are having a specific technical problem; its Game Manager program also has a setting that will auto-check for game updates for BF games you already own, which is very helpful if a new version of a game comes along (in one instance, a game developer issued an "extended version" of a standard game, and the game updater picked that up - something I would have missed unless I went back for some reason and checked that particular game's BF forum).
Glad I got this game.
I recommend this game!
Grace and James Anderson are newlyweds with a new antiques business. Help them find new items by traveling across America!
Overall rating
5
/
5
76 of 83 found this review helpful
Family-Friendly Hidden Object Game
PostedDecember 17, 2011
Bpup
fromUSA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Family, Word, Brain Teaser, Adventure, Time Management, Hidden Object, Large File, Match 3, Card & Board, Puzzle, Mahjong, Strategy
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Finally got around to playing this game and I have to say, what a pleasant surprise this is. It's a very nice change-of-pace from all those dark and gloomy HOGs I've been playing lately. I like the music even though country is not generally my thing; I've always had a softspot for bluegrass and the banjo, though.
I like the fact that you can take a break from the HOG scenes and play decorate-the-store for a while. I've been happily buying multiple versions of items and constantly rearranging my store to suit my taste. The mini-games are fun ones - jigsaw puzzles, pick out the matching/dissimilar items, find 25 of this or that - no great strain on the brain or stress-inducing in anyway.
This is a great game to play when you're in the mood for a hidden object game but you don't want to commit to, or have time for, immersing yourself into a whole hidden object-puzzle-adventure (HOPA) game. It's just as much fun if you play for a short or long amount of time.
I recommend this game!