dancemom1's Profile
Stat Summary
- Average Rating:3.6
- Helpful Votes:13,287
- Reviews Submitted:871
- First Review:April 15, 2012
- Most Recent Review:November 26, 2024
- Featured reviews0
Status:
Your sister disappears the night of her star debut – and there are ghosts in the theater! Will this dance ever end?
Overall rating
4
/
5
25 of 40 found this review helpful
Lots to do...
PostedFebruary 20, 2014
dancemom1
fromYakima, WA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Word, Adventure, Hidden Object, Card & Board, Strategy
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
Morning all. Yes, same story different day, but this game had a wonderful introduction to the story. Graphics are well done, although more monochrome than color (a lot of yellow/gold tones), but clear. Too much of this color makes my eyes tire quickly. Game play was good, no problems along the way. Locking inventory bar, which seems to be the norm these day (thank you very much). Music wasn't too bad.
Voice overs were a bit sketchy...I heard a bad Italian accent, an okay Spanish accent and a little hint of French in there too. Guess they couldn't decide which one to use. The ghost voices were hauntingly well done. HOGs were a combo of silhouettes and standard HOP. Items were not difficult to find or figure out what to do with, but they didn't stand out either. Puzzles were extremely easy. The SG is the standard, and of course, you can't get a feel for the game length without all chapters being listed...why do they do that? I found that you don't really need the SG. The game flows well enough without. I didn't even have to use the hint, so don't know how quickly that may fill. When you have accomplished a task or put something together, it automatically disappears and/or closes the screen (I like that, no extra clicking#.
Lots of standard achievements, along with collectibles, e.g. 44 yellow roses #easy to spot# and 15 morphing objects #kept forgetting about them and had to go back). The morphing objects are no as easy to spot and are not in every location.
I have a lot of games by this dev and have enjoyed them all. This one isn't extremely challenging, but I became engrossed in the story. I think all levels of players would find this enjoyable and interesting enough to spend the time and money. I keep trying not to buy so many CE games, but it takes too long for the SE versions to come out and I want to play...I have to stop doing that. I don't give 5 stars easily and because of the color, this one won't get it either. Yes, this will be a definite buy for me too.
As always, try it for yourself and see what you think. We all have different tastes in games and you may not care for this one at all. Thanks for the reviews.
I recommend this game!
Your grandfather disappeared while searching for Inuits' legendary treasure. Travel to the Arctic to find your missing grandfather and solve the Inuit mystery.
Overall rating
4
/
5
9 of 17 found this review helpful
Nice SE!
PostedFebruary 19, 2014
dancemom1
fromYakima, WA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Word, Adventure, Hidden Object, Card & Board, Strategy
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
Afternoon all. Well, I am very impressed with this game today. Surprisingly good graphics for an SE. We have "real" people rather than animated, although animated lips keep up better with voices than the real thing. Personally, I prefer a good animation over reality. Game play is very good, no problems. There is a very useful jump map, and you will use it a lot, so get your tennis shoes on and go for it. Nice music, but gets a bit annoying after a while.
Voice overs are nicely done, but few and far between. This is a fairly quiet game with a few sound FX and a lot of wind #gee, you think "polar" has something to do with that#. Hint system is very helpful and heads you in the right direction, as well as showing you exactly where you need to be to find something. Hint fills about the usual, but maybe a bit slower.
I really like the HOGs. They are a little messy and cluttered, but you get items you need to use, and is a mixture of standard HOG and interactive. Items are not difficult to find, but you do have to look for them. I especially like the ability to switch to a jigsaw puzzle, as I am a major jigsaw puzzler. These puzzles have very different and odd shapes, which I really love. Not difficult, but fun.
There are a number of collectibles, e.g. morphing objects #not as easy to spot as you think#, lots of coins #for the penguin igloo# and relics #I don't know what these do for you, if anything#. This game is not especially challenging, but it is fun and has a different story line for a change. I believe this will appeal to all levels of players and a definite buy for me today.
As always, try it for yourself and see what you think. We all have different tastes in games and you may not care for this one at all. Thanks for the reviews.
I recommend this game!
A series of robberies takes a deadly and supernatural turn!
Overall rating
4
/
5
4 of 4 found this review helpful
Very nice game...
PostedFebruary 17, 2014
dancemom1
fromYakima, WA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Word, Adventure, Hidden Object, Card & Board, Strategy
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
Finally got to demo this one...yesterday was my birthday and I had a house full of family. Gee, I don't know why, but they'd rather I spend time with them than play my games...silly people.
Anyway, I have the first in this series and really liked it. I was glad to see another one. This game has very nice graphics, bright colors, clean and clear. Game play was very good, no problems with anything so far. There are voice overs, which are well done, but I wish there were a few more. I'm lazy, so the need to click on the "x" after a conversation was annoying, but not a deal breaker. Not a lot in the way of sound FX, but what we had was also well done. The inventory bar does lock. When I couldn't find a "lock," I just clicked on the lion in the center...clever.
There is a jump map, which is very helpful, as you return to the same areas multiple times. It did seem a little cluttered to me and the identification icons were a little small for my old eyes. SG was exceptionally short, but was helpful when needed, with clear instructions. Hint system was also quite helpful and showed you exactly where or what you needed to do, and filled quickly.
There are a lot of collectibles, which are not all as easy to spot as you may think, and a lot of achievements. I loved the HOPs, even though constant interactive gets real old after a while. They were well done and items were not difficult to find or figure out. Puzzles were nice, very much the same and not difficult either. This game is not extremely challenging, but I found it quite fun. The story and game play flowed well and kept me interested, and made me want more. Yep, gotta have it for my every growing collection of CE games. I think all levels of players will find this one enjoyable.
As always, try it for yourself and see what you think. We all have different tastes in games and you may not care for this one at all. Thanks for the reviews.
I recommend this game!
Return to Raincliff, where what you see isn’t always what you get!
Overall rating
5
/
5
37 of 50 found this review helpful
Well worth 5 stars!
PostedFebruary 13, 2014
dancemom1
fromYakima, WA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Word, Adventure, Hidden Object, Card & Board, Strategy
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
Afternoon all. Well, I have to tell you that I have NEVER purchased a game without first giving the demo a try, no matter what anyone said about it...until today. I have the first 5 games in this series and have never been disappointed in any of them. Exceptional graphics and game play, as always with Elephant. Colors are quite good, and very clear. We have our little Elf back again to help in small places. Music is okay, but it got tiresome after a while.
Jump map is quite helpful, since you are doing a lot of running back and forth (grab the tennis shoes), and is very well done. Areas are clearly marked and identified. Hint system is also very helpful. You almost don't even need the SG, which is the usual and customary with clear instructions. Puzzles are not difficult, but some do take a bit of time and thought to complete. Really liked the HOGs. Items not difficult to find and they were a little different than most.
I loved all the extras this game has, i.e. hidden areas. Many achievements and collectibles. I especially like how the morphing objects are used (very different and clever). Found out that they cannot be picked up until they are actually needed, by clicking on what I thought to be a morph and it wouldn't pick up until later...nicely done. The toad cards are not extremely difficult to find, but you do have to look for them, as some blend into the scenery.
I got so engrossed in this game, that I was into chapter 3 before I realized that I forgot to keep notes. The story line is a little different and interesting. It drew me in from the very beginning. Okay, so it had me at "Mystery Trackers," what can I say. I believe this game will appeal to all levels of players. It has it all, challenging, but not so much that even a beginner wouldn't like it.
As always, try it for yourself and see what you think. We all have different tastes in games and you may not care for this one at all, although I would be surprised. Thanks for the reviews.
I recommend this game!
Can a vampire and an ordinary girl be together, if the vampire's father opposes this?
Overall rating
3
/
5
11 of 22 found this review helpful
Missing something.
PostedFebruary 8, 2014
dancemom1
fromYakima, WA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Word, Adventure, Hidden Object, Card & Board, Strategy
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
Well something a little different today...yes, another vampire game, but still different. Graphics aren't too bad, but a bit dark and fuzzy. Game play wasn't bad either. Game did move slowly, especially when moving from one area to another. Voice overs were fairly good, but few. The little girl was well done. I did like the music, very soothing and nice. There is a jump map, which is helpful and well put together, and will get used often.
You switch players during the game, which can be a little confusing. The player is suppose to "glow" when you need to switch, but either it was too light for my old eyes to see it, or it didn't happen. Either way, switching is confusing, as you can easily forget what you are doing from one player to the other. Nice hint system, that fills fairly quickly. If you need to jump to another location, it actually shows you that location, rather than telling you. Nice set up. SG was standard, but not needed.
HOGs were cluttered and very messy. Funny, the very first HOG tells you that you need to find items "in all this mess." You revisit the same one frequently, but find different items each time. You can switch between HOG and match 3 game for something different. Didn't care for the match 3, as the items you were matching were too large and cramped together, so I only played that once or twice and went back to the HOG.
There are a lot of things to do in this game and a lot of things to collect, e.g. bats to update your castle #could have been quite fun, but wasn't#; garlic to decorate the panel and medallion; collection of animals, cake, smoke and others things that I'm not sure what you do with when you do get them. This could have been a very fun game, but it just didn't have the extra "wow," and definitely was not challenging. Personally, I don't feel this is CE worthy. I like vampires, but I'm just tired of movies, games and TV shows. I think this would be a nice game for a beginner or someone who just wanted a no brainer game today, and that is the only reason I recommend this game. I have been known to change my mind about a game when the SE version comes out and I play it again...could happen.
Didn't care for the way the game just threw me completely out when my demo time ended. No heads up, no nothing.
As always, try it for yourself and see what you think. We all have different tastes in games and you may find this one to be exactly what you are looking for today. Thanks for the reviews.
I recommend this game!
Stop the disaster caused by the Sky Kingdom and save the day!
Overall rating
4
/
5
6 of 7 found this review helpful
Not like any Jack I've ever seen!
PostedFebruary 6, 2014
dancemom1
fromYakima, WA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Word, Adventure, Hidden Object, Card & Board, Strategy
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
Afternoon all. Well, I have the first 5 DP games and really liked them all. This one is very much the same, only a different story (naturally). There is no SG to look at, so hard to tell how long this one might be. Hopefully, there is a guide when you purchase the CE. Voice overs are well done. Not a whole lot in the way of sound FX either. Graphics aren't too bad, but not really up to today's standards. They seem a bit old school, but still nice. Game play was good. There is a map, but it is not a jump, which would be very helpful, since you revisit the same areas multiple times. Needless to say, the map really isn't any help at all. Music was nice and mellow.
There are a lot of extras to collect in this one, just as in the other 5. The morphing objects are not that easy to spot and I got tired of looking after a while. The colors are very bright, almost to bright...tired eyes very quickly. Of course, you have Parables to find in this one too, which I found mostly by accident. The FROGs were fun, I like these, but would be nice to change it up a bit to something else as well. The one thing that shocked me is that there is a click penalty...haven't seen that in a game in quite some time, except the really old styles. The hint system is somewhat helpful, but if you need another piece of something, it won't tell you where to go get it, it just keeps pointing to the same spot and saying you need to find more parts.
I was a little disappointed in this game, especially since I loved all the others in the series. It was not especially challenging and did not make me want to run right out and get it. It is a nice game and I do recommend it, but something is missing for me and I'm not sure what. I know I will end up adding this to my collection of every growing CE games, but not today. I do have to say, I really liked Jack!
As always, try it for yourself and see what you think. We all have different tastes in games and you may not care for this one at all. Thanks for the reviews.
I recommend this game!
Young Andrea suddenly collapsed, falling into a coma. Now her fate rests on an experiment that dives deep into minds.
Overall rating
3
/
5
7 of 10 found this review helpful
No challenge..
PostedFebruary 5, 2014
dancemom1
fromYakima, WA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Word, Adventure, Hidden Object, Card & Board, Strategy
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
2
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
Afternoon all. Wow, this must be a fairly old game, or at least one that's been hidden somewhere for a very long time. Graphics are old school but fairly well done. Game play is a little slow, but good. Music gets very annoying very quickly. There is a locking inventory bar and a very useful jump map.
You have the option of volume for the voice overs, but the only place I had them was at the intro to the game and not within the game...very disappointing. Hint system is quite helpful and fills at the usual rate. Skip button fills faster than most. Colors are very bright, almost too bright.
HOGs are the usual as well. Items are not difficult to find. Some items in the game are easily overlooked, e.g. the needle for the thread. You have to look at everything for a possible helpful item. Puzzles are very simple. This game is not really challenging and because there are no voice overs and not much in the way of sound FX, it is a bit boring for me. Yes, the story is a little different and I did like the way you could jump between the dream and the real world, but... The little girl was a little creepy, and who in their right mind would subject their daughter to experimental procedures without first ruling out everything else! They could have at least had Mom or the doc make a statement to the fact that "everything else has been done and we find nothing abnormal," or words to that affect.
It's hard to tell how long the game is, but I had 26 minutes left on the demo, so it probably isn't much longer than another hour or so. Apparently there are memory shards to collect, but I only found one #accidentally# during the demo. This would be a very nice game for a beginner, and that is the only reason I recommend it. This game just didn't have it for me today...too simple, too quiet, no challenge, no buy.
As always, try it for yourself and see what you think. We all have different tastes in games and you may find this to be exactly what you are looking for today. Thanks for the reviews.
I recommend this game!
An eccentric artist's creations have sprung to life, and they're terrorizing a small town.
Overall rating
4
/
5
31 of 41 found this review helpful
Fun puzzles..
PostedFebruary 1, 2014
dancemom1
fromYakima, WA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Word, Adventure, Hidden Object, Card & Board, Strategy
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
Afternoon all. Okay, first off, I like dragons. Story is a little different than most, even though you are saving the woman as always. Graphics are nice and fairly clear. Colors are pretty dark. So far, everything seems to be happening at night, hopefully that changes and it lightens up. Game play was good, no problems at all. Music was okay and tolerable. I liked how the paintings came to life, which added a bit more fun to the game.
HOPs were nice, items fairly easy to find, not crowded and junky. You had standard HOP, silhouette and "place this where it belongs" type HOPs, which is fun and keeps a game from getting boring quickly. HOPs are repeated. Did not care for the location of the SG. It needs to be on the game page and not on the menu page. Hint system is quite helpful and fills quickly, so you don't really need the SG. Jump map was nice, but I didn't find the need to use it much. Some of the found items within the game were quite small and not easy to see. Most of the puzzles were different and took a bit of thought and time to complete.
You do have birds to collect and believe me, some are very small and difficult to see, but if you look carefully, you will find them. Very disappointed in that this game would have been very nice if it had some sound FX and more voice overs. It was just too quiet. This game is not very challenging, but I did enjoy the puzzles and the story. I'm just not sure it is CE worthy. I will put this one in my puddle and think on it a bit. As I have said before, I sometimes change my mind when the SE comes out and I play it again...I don't usually purchase the CE version though. If I feel it is CE worthy, I will get it now. Not sure what is was, but it just didn't make me want to run out and buy it now.
As always, try it for yourself and see what you think. We all have different tastes in games and you may find this one to be exactly what you are looking for today. Thanks for the reviews.
I recommend this game!
You came to the town of Brownville, Louisiana hoping to find a new job. But you weren't expecting to stumble upon a strange adventure in a world filled with beauty and danger!
Overall rating
4
/
5
14 of 19 found this review helpful
Like the SE version..
PostedJanuary 31, 2014
dancemom1
fromYakima, WA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Word, Adventure, Hidden Object, Card & Board, Strategy
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
As you can see below, I had already given the CE demo a shot and my review stands the same today for the SE. As I said, I sometimes change my mind about a game when I play it a second time as an SE. That said, I seldom go back and buy it as a CE. Not found any jigsaw puzzle pieces in the SE, so must only be for the CE bonus version. There is a WT, but you really don't need it, as the hint works very well. I still had 23 min left so might be short. Liked it enough to use a credit today.
"A new story for a change! Graphics are very cartoony, but have very bright, nice colors and are well done. Game play was good, although moved a bit slowly. Nice voice overs, but very few and far between. Music wasn't too bad, but got annoying after a while. Inventory bar did lock, so you don't constantly have it jumping up and down.
There is a helpful jump map, which you will use a lot. There is a lot of returning to the same location for one thing or another, so put on your tennis shoes and get ready to exercise. Didn't use the hint, so can't comment on how fast or slow it recharges. We have another magic animal in this game, but he is quite funny and fun to watch.
HOGs are very simple and again, you need to find a part of something before you can pick it up and remove it from the list. Items are not hard to spot, but I found a few movements that didn't make much sense to me. Puzzles are very simple so far..hopefully they pick up as the game goes on. SG is helpful and locations are well identified.
The only collectibles I have seen are the cards that you need to collect and charge up before you can move to the next level, and the jigsaw puzzle pieces you collect in each scene. Not sure what you do with those, but I would guess it has something to do with the bonus level.
I really found this new story line to be interesting, but it was lacking something that would draw me into the game...not sure what. I do recommend this game for beginners, but not for the expert who wants more realistic graphics and a little more challenge. A game does not have to be extremely challenging for me to like it enough to buy it, but this one did not make me want to buy it as a CE. I have frequently changed my mind once I replay when the SE comes out, so never say never."
As always, try it for yourself and see what you think. We all have different tastes in games and you may find this to be exactly what you are looking for today. Thanks for the reviews.
I recommend this game!
The town of Green Hill has really gone to the birds!
Overall rating
4
/
5
4 of 6 found this review helpful
Well done, but...
PostedJanuary 30, 2014
dancemom1
fromYakima, WA
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Word, Adventure, Hidden Object, Card & Board, Strategy
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
Afternoon all. Another nice addition to the Mystery of the Ancients series. I have the first two and thoroughly enjoyed them both. Like the others, this one has very nice graphics, but the cut scenes were a bit fuzzy. Seems like everyone is doing that these days...must be for effect. Other than that, the colors were very nice and clear. Game play was good, with no problems at all. Music was nice and mellow and seemed to move with what is happening in the scene at the time. I liked the story, a bit different with the addition of the crows.
The jump map is a little crowded, but works well and is used often. Locking inventory bar is great and appreciated, but I did not care for the constant moving of the item within the bar when you are looking or clicking on something to use. Hint system is helpful and fills rather quickly. Voice overs weren't bad, but some didn't fit the setting or time period, e.g. Sheriff, and you could not click through the dialog if you read faster than they speak. Very nice sound FX, appropriate for what is happening at the time.
SG seemed to be missing a few steps here and there, e.g. shoot rifle...at what? or use glass cutter...on what? If you are going to have an SG, it needs to be specific with where and what, not just the last step to accomplish a task. HOPs were interesting and quite easy. Rather than straight silhouettes, the items were a single color to clearly identify what they are. You find one to complete another and there are mini puzzles within the HOP...more than there are outside the HOPs. Did not care for the storybook puzzles, as they were extremely simple and moved very slowly.
There is a lot to do in this game and you are constantly on the move. You have 33 squirrels and 9 collector items to find. Others have mentioned jigsaw pieces, but I haven't seen any. Guess I'll go back and try to find them.
This is not a bad game, not very challenging, but interesting enough to make me want to add it to my collection of ever growing CE's. This will probably appeal to all levels of players. I do not give 5 stars easily and I down-graded this one because of the SG and the same old, same old HOPs throughout the game (so far). They need to change from straight HOPs to silhouettes to whatever to keep your interest.
As always, try it for yourself and see what you think. We all have different tastes in games and you may not care for this one at all. Thanks for the reviews.
I recommend this game!