FamilyDad1's Profile
Stat Summary
- Average Rating:3.8
- Helpful Votes:389
- Reviews Submitted:68
- First Review:April 14, 2012
- Most Recent Review:June 12, 2024
- Featured reviews1
Status:
Save animals and solve a mystery in this action puzzler featuring the beloved Professor Fizzlewizzle.
Overall rating
5
/
5
8 of 11 found this review helpful
FUN, FUN, FUN for Kids & "Big Kids" Too!
PostedAugust 5, 2012
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
What can I say, I am an adult who loves Adventure, Puzzle & Hidden Object games, but I've also seen my grade school aged child playing this game for the last few years & he LOVES It!
And what's not to love. The game is based on the classic break-out concept, but this time around with a living, breathing world of many adorable animals.
You basically bounce a Fizz Ball off your paddle & break crates & other objects to free & collect cute animals to collect points. Along the way bonuses will drop down to enhance your paddle. And it's Fun, Fun, FUN!!!
The graphics are crisp & bright. The sounds are cute & fitting for the game. They are never really annoying either. With each level you clear, the game shows your accomplishments & the animals you've saved, including new ones.
Although this game is geared toward children, I can't help to think that one day I might try my hand at it because there are over 150 levels and an option to play with just the paddle (for big kids & adults) and with a safety net for younger children so that they never lose the ball.
Overall hours & hours of cute, adorable family fun. And TONS of reply value since your child (or maybe even You) will want to revisit it over & over to get to that next level.
Have FUN!
Go on a high seas quest for treasure and adventure with Floyd Finders, and his trusty sidekick, Goldie the cat.
Overall rating
4
/
5
30 of 43 found this review helpful
Fun for the Kids, maybe Adults too ; )
PostedAugust 5, 2012
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
For my children, this game shines. How great is it you get to hang out in your own boat, drop a fishing line & bring up untold Treasures!
You never know what you might find. It could be just a few fish, some nice gems or even the mother-lode: Sunken Treasure!
There are also little objects to hinder you & a friendly pet who travels along with you & helps you out with his handy vacume when you need a little extra power boost.
Great little game overall, endless hours of fun. At times you may find yourself wishing there was just One more aspect to the game, for example a shop where you could "cash in" your found treasures for mini-games, but overall there's lots of fun to be had here.
I recommend this game!
Use your powers of observation and deduction to unlock glimpses of events from the past and solve an 80 year old mystery!
Overall rating
4
/
5
12 of 13 found this review helpful
Movie Studio Quality Story Production!
PostedAugust 5, 2012
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
It's funny, the people giving negative reviews admit they are "not a fan of dialog". But if you are a fan of movies, books & EXCELLENT story lines, then this is Definitely the game for you. Also of note, many adventure/HOG games lack a good story line, as if the developers just threw a story together for the sake of putting out a game, this was the polar opposite, the story was so engaging, it drew you in to the point that you couldn't wait to return to see what would happen next!
This is from the team who did the Tex Murphy series years ago, & even back then they pushed technology beyond the limits. It seems this game suffers from budget issues, but they still do an incredible job on the production end, especially on the scene acting, dialog & sound aspects.
The gameplay was interestingly different, but got a little repetitive & ended abruptly. Again, as with the predecessor "3 Cards until Midnight", I kind of wish there were a little more location navigation, maybe some inventory to interact with & some changes along the way. But these guys shined at this in the past & I know with the right amount of backing they can continue to put out great games in the future. Overall, this was a really fun different HOG Story Book with a twist. Enjoy it, I did. Can't wait to see what's next!
I recommend this game!
Jess Silloway has just woken up and does not remember the last few weeks. Help Jess remember the past using mystical tarot cards.
Overall rating
3
/
5
11 of 12 found this review helpful
Movie Quality Story, Decent gameplay
PostedAugust 5, 2012
FamilyDad1
fromNew England
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
First let me start with full disclosure: I absolutely love this development team. These are the same guys who did the Tex Murphy detective series & those games were Absolutely INCREDIBLE!!! They're stories & production is that of a major motion picture studio! They even did FMV right, even when everyone else was cheesing it out.
I'm not kidding, check it out for yourself. The story draws you in like you're reading a novel. You can't wait to see what happens next. The dialog, graphics & sound can't be beat. These guys must've attended some kind of audio visual school & it really shows.
The HOG scenes are totally different in that you have to find objects based on words, however I have a couple of issues with this. At first this was a refreshing change, but by the end of the day, you felt a little tied to the formula. However, they improved on this with the sequel: 3 Cards to Dead Time better, in that it gave you more free range to find the objects without being tied to a single word.
Also, this pattern of HOG - Puzzle - Dialog, kept on repeating throughout the whole game. It would have been nice to have some other aspects break up this cycle. Maybe a little scene navigation or including some inventory objects. I'm surprised this was not included since these guys are the Masters at this. For example, with Tex Murphy, they were the first to feature "free floating" navigation where you could squat & look up under a desk to find a hidden object! Sounds like nothing today, but this was back in the 90's when games like Myst had pre-rendered still scenes or Quake, which only let you move at the same basic level of perspective.
So I'm sure these guys have TONS of production in them, they just need the $tudio backing for them to put those kinds of gems out there. Overall though this game stands out from the pack on story telling & production alone, and it did have me coming back again & again to see what was about to happen next. I have to give it that. And I can't wait to see what this team will give us next - to me they are video game Royalty so I'm sure we will continue to see more great games ahead - can't wait!
I recommend this game!
In a fading world devoid of color, the ghost of Nikola Tesla reaches through the Ether and invites you on an incredible adventure through time and space.
Overall rating
5
/
5
36 of 37 found this review helpful
Best Ever!!
PostedJuly 22, 2012
FamilyDad1
fromNew England
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
10 out of 10! Incredible game. All of the elements that make a great game are all 10's! I mean it. The storyline is the best I've ever seen in a game. For taking place in a fantasy world, it makes total sense & is believable within the context of the game. The historical factor is very cool too. The graphics are second to none. They are full & detailed, without being cluttered. The details are rich & vibrant. The locations were always fun, interesting and full of things to explore. Objectives were clear, and due to the incredible locations, navigation was always easy. You never had those dreaded moments where you didn't know where to go, or what to do next. It was just the opposite. The inventory was perfectly balanced. It was always full, but you never really had to scroll to locate forgotten objects. Therefore, the game gave you choices and was not linear. The objects were always logical as to their usage. The best part for me was that the HINT button contained a hologram of Tesla himself, who would pop out from time to time and speak to you. I absolutely LOVE games that contain other human beings as it keeps you from getting that lonely feeling of solitude (as with MYST). Which by the way contained some "beautiful" Galileo type machines, but in this game, they were never aggravating to figure out. You always knew what to do, or if not, then the game provided the help you needed not too far away. The game also featured frequent animations and voice-overs which always served to move the game along. The Time Travel parts of the game were fun, never knowing where you were going to end up. The animations were even cool, because it didn't torture you with an endless Dr. Who tunnel, instead it was just a brief animation (appropriate blue tunnel lol) and in a flash, there you were in another time in history - Excellent! The HOGs were great too. Just the right amount & frequency with pretty easy to find objects of fair size, not too dark, and with no punishments for missed clicks. Plus the HINT timer recharged pretty quickly. The puzzles were great too. Again, just the right amount, not too difficult, a couple of new ones thrown in & appeared at all the right times and places. Lastly, the length of the game was terrific! Just when I thought it was about to end, boom, you would travel to another time and place. So cool. Overall, this game was an absolutely pleasure to play. It lived up to (or for me Exceeded) its genre of "Adventure game", meaning playing it was like going on an actual adventure. Literally EVERYTHING about the game was top notch. And the game never, ever tried your nerves, not even once. A complete and total joy to play. I really hope the developers make many more like this. Oh, and the end credits suggested we may not have seen the last of Tesla. Let's hope not.
I recommend this game!
Rescue your canine companion, and solve the mystery of Houndspoint!
Overall rating
4
/
5
1 of 1 found this review helpful
Really Very Good!
PostedJuly 17, 2012
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
From the opening screen of a cozy winter village, you get a sense that you're walking into a Christmas Card.
The graphics and scenes are top notch, rich, vibrant, colorful, detailed.
The HOG scenes are great in that they're not too cluttered, almost everything is visible (except for a couple of unfair overlays, but no big deal), there are some good, logical object-on-object finds.
Most of the game kept your interest. You never really felt lost. The objects and objectives were pretty logical. The story unfolded fairly well through clues and other notes as you went along.
About a third of the way through the game, it got pretty climatic, so I thought it was over, but then it continued on. This was a pretty big plus that there was more to do. But it was also at this point, that I had to use the HINT button a few times as for where to go next.
Overall the story was pretty good, the cutscenes were nice, and the game was very good. My only real complaint is that you only really got to interact with characters in the very beginning & near the end, so you got quite a lonely feel.
I know there are many of these types of games with next to no characters at all, but I just wish there were more interactions is all.
I haven't yet played the Bonus Chapter so with it included I'd have to say the length of the game is another plus. Well done.
I recommend this game!
Travel to Red Lake Falls to track down the latest Dark Dimension!
Overall rating
2
/
5
12 of 15 found this review helpful
Lost in Clutter
PostedJuly 6, 2012
Fun Factor
2
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
The title sucked me right in because the promise of anything to do with WAX figures sounds mysteriously intruiging. But I was quickly let down. There are many, many locations which is a HUGE plus, all kinds of objects to use & even some characters to interact with, but they are lifeless & boring (of course because they are made of wax), but still it would have been nice to "talk" or interact with them via a flashback for example. The HOG scenes were pretty good as you got to use some items on other items, while some were more straight forward. While the graphics were very well drawn, most of the locations simply had WAAAAAY Too Much Clutter! It was everywhere you looked, so much so, that many times you couldn't tell the difference between locations, objects and background! Unfortunately this lends credibility to reviewers issuing the dreaded "pixel hunt" tagline, many times a death knell for adventure type games. Another problem is most of the time I had absolutely no clue where to go or what to do next. Besides having to look in the journal #which is boring#, the game never gave you a nudge. Some times the object didn't really seem to make sense as for its intended usage. The story may have been good or even great, but the game never engaged me enough to care about it. Admittedly, some of the confusion may be on my part, but all games are supposed to entertain us, not make us think about WHY we can't get into them. This self-explains why I didn't like it; It had me thinking, rather than just playing & enjoying the experience.
I don't recommend this game.
Once upon a time in the small, undistinguished town of Silentville people started disappearing. Help uncover the mystery behind these disappearances and save the town from a curse!
Overall rating
3
/
5
8 of 9 found this review helpful
Good story, OK gameplay, Waaay too short!
PostedJuly 4, 2012
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
I don't really care about graphics because great graphics do not make a great game. I would rather have a good, interesting game with heart than high def graphics as a front for a clunker. The graphics were pretty good, not grey and muted. The town and locations were cozy, kind of had that European village feeling, lots of bricks and closely laid doorways. They could have been a bit better, but you never really had a problem finding what you needed to progress and move on, sometimes a major problem with other games. The other nice thing without giving anything away is the story has the characters sort of frozen in time, hence the name Silentville, but you still got the interact with them in a very cool way. This broke the solitary feeling you can sometimes get in these games. It was awesome the way they included the cutscenes and backstories. Extra credit for the good solid voice overs! The HOGs were pretty unique in the way you got to integrate the objects with one another, kind of like with the game "Infected: Twin Vaccine". I know these types of enhancements are becoming more popular these days, but think about it, there are only so many twists you can expect from the developers, and this was pretty innovative. The downside to this if any is at times you just wanted to go ballistic & click normal hidden items or even "collections", such as Find ALL the Butterflies for example. Another thing is some of the puzzles were a bit obscure, but not too bad: light the lantern with a hot rose thorn, REALLY?!! Or some of the components needed for a couple of the machines involved a bit of test and see. But otherwise the locations, characters, story, HOGs and overall game play were pretty good. Unfortunately the game loses at least 2 full points for how unbelievably short it is. Upon its conclusion, I was SHOCKED that the game was over. I was expecting it to go into the next "chapter". I know story line is many times secondary to good game play and I don't have a problem with that; but, while the story was complete, it felt rushed because of the extremely short game play. I started playing just before a party on the 3rd of July and finished the morning of the 4th. Waaay toooo short!
I recommend this game!
Your favorite professor summons you to the island of Castle Rock. He wants you to find the philosopher’s stone and save the world!
Overall rating
3
/
5
1 of 1 found this review helpful
Muddled graphics, couldnt get into it
PostedJune 30, 2012
Fun Factor
2
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
2
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
Well, it started off promising with the determined intro, FMV & good voice over, however, it quickly lost steam due mostly to the grey, muted, muddled graphics. Everything just seemed messy & blended together, like the entire game was one big HOG. This is sad because I really liked the story line & some of the object placements & usage were devious, in a good way. Some of it could have been me due to my own aggrivation & having to use the HINT button often as for what to do next - the game gave absolutely no clue. I liked that you ran into other characters, but even they were down trodden & gloomy. Better graphics, scenes & characters next time please. A shame because like I said the story & FMV premise seemed promising.
I don't recommend this game.
A new breed of virus has spread throughout the City of Oxford. You must search the city for a missing girl who holds the key to stopping the global epidemic!
Overall rating
4
/
5
0 of 1 found this review helpful
Excellent, but WAY too short
PostedJune 28, 2012
FamilyDad1
fromNew England
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
The good was very good. Great subject matter, even though it *could* have had that lonely grey desolate "mad max" feeling, which could have been used as an excuse to be lazy with the artwork, it wasn't. The scenes were well rendered. And believe it or not, for this type of topic, it didn't feel lonely; there were actually other characters with whom to interact! The puzzles were okay, but the HOGs were Unique! You use found objects to manipulate other objects, AWESOME TWIST! Voice acting was terrific as were the cut scenes which featured real actual film segments. Sadly, there were a very limited amount of scenes, causing the game to feel quite linear at times. Many times you found yourself with only a couple of objects in your inventory, again giving it a one dimensional feel. But the worst part of all was just how short the game is. I started playing last night for a couple of hours & finished in today in just around another hour. Not just kind of short, RIDICULOUSLY SHORT!
It seems as if the designers spent so much time on the Incredible cut scene production & skimped out on the game play content. I would recommend it because of all the good elements, but would only Highly recommend it if it were longer. Great effort, add to the length next time.
It seems as if the designers spent so much time on the Incredible cut scene production & skimped out on the game play content. I would recommend it because of all the good elements, but would only Highly recommend it if it were longer. Great effort, add to the length next time.
I recommend this game!