SynthpopAddict's Profile
Stat Summary
- Average Rating:3.8
- Helpful Votes:2,361
- Reviews Submitted:69
- First Review:November 20, 2011
- Most Recent Review:April 23, 2019
- Featured reviews0
Status:
Help the young hotel manager create a 5 star luxury hotel and turn it into the holiday resort of your dreams.
Overall rating
4
/
5
3 of 4 found this review helpful
Cleverly designed, harder than it looks!
PostedAugust 9, 2017
SynthpopAddict
fromHome on Derange
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Marble Popper, Match 3
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
[review based upon completed game]
Pros: challenging levels, clean interface, relaxing solitaire minigames, multiple difficulty level options
Cons: not entirely skill based in normal mode (need a serious luck factor in some boards), building concept's been done before and better elsewhere
96 levels, options to play in limited moves, limited moves with 25% more moves, and relaxed. I only played in normal but you can click on the relaxed mode button at the bottom of every level to change the difficulty level. Fairly standard features with powerups, blocked spaces, chains and a hotel scene to build in between levels. The first few buildings have one-up one-down solitaire minigames to play for more gold as a diversion.
The storyline and building theme was OK, but has been done before, nothing particularly special. I do wish the building scene didn't wiggle left and right on its own constantly while in between levels. Typically I play games with music on, but the game soundtrack annoyed me after about 25 levels, finally shut it off. There appear to be a few design oversights such as the tutorial for the solitaire always appearing every time you start a new card game, and on my system the powerups would sometimes auto-trigger if I wasn't careful where I was clicking. Otherwise, the game options were pretty carefully considered so you can switch off things like the custom cursor and bouncing coins (thanks devs!).
I really enjoyed that this game is quite challenging in normal mode, but thought some levels were designed more for the player to have to restart over and over before getting lucky enough with a good setup to be able to win. I finished the game in about 10 hours of play time which is average for my M3s. Fun summer game. :)
I recommend this game!
In this magical DragonScales sequel, form color combinations of dragon scales through 150 totally new levels and throw down the cult of the Eternal Prophecy of Darkness!
Overall rating
5
/
5
15 of 16 found this review helpful
The best of the series!
PostedJune 27, 2017
SynthpopAddict
fromHome on Derange
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Marble Popper, Match 3
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
[review based upon completed adventure mode]
Pros: untimed, unique playing obstacles and concept, good challenge if you're trying for trophies
Cons: only the adventure mode appears to be really interesting to play, lack of a help section, storyline/hints easy to miss
I have all the DragonScales games and this one is my favorite. The developer clearly spent a lot of time cleverly designing the adventure mode this time around. Even if you played the rest of the series, the new obstacles and gravity scales levels will take a bit of figuring out, as there aren't a lot of instructions on how to play. The dragon who helps you keeps most of his dialog off to the side of the screen, so if storyline [the evil characters keep most of their dialog off to the other side of the playfields] or not missing hints is important to you, make sure you wait a few seconds before clicking on the playfields. The levels start out a bit dark and creepy as does the music, but it gets better the further you go along.
The level navigation interface from the first game was brought back for this installment. Although it's pretty, those who haven't played any of the other games might find it confusing to get around on the "map". None of the levels are timed; however, there is a default "best time" from the developer to beat if you want to win a "best time" award. Plenty of other awards/trophies to win too if you're looking for a really good challenge. The minigames in between levels are much better than the ones in DS2 IMO and offer their own challenges now instead of just being a no-brainer for free coins.
About the only drawback I can find with the game is that only the adventure mode appears to be worth playing? I did play about 15 levels of the gravity scales mode and it seems like it's the same few levels over and over - good zen game for those who want something a little different but nothing challenging, but I was quickly bored with this mode. I didn't play the practice mode, but if it's the same as in DS2, it sounds like another chill-out mode.
I won't ruin the storyline for everyone here, but will tell you not to despair late in the game as there's a twist to the story. Enjoy!
I recommend this game!
You won't be able to resist the charm of this wonderful Match-3, Hidden Object mash up! Are you ready to join the snails on an exciting garden adventure?
Overall rating
4
/
5
3 of 3 found this review helpful
3.5 stars - liked Penguin Rescue more
PostedApril 29, 2017
SynthpopAddict
fromHome on Derange
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Marble Popper, Match 3
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
[review based upon completed game]
Pros: clean interface, cute graphics, good challenge, unique powerup concepts...and you can read the whole storyline now! ;)
Cons: last few chapters are copied from another game, gets crazy hard, can't make moves all the time, tiles harder to see
As has been mentioned elsewhere, yes, this is a clone of Penguin Rescue. If you play long enough, you'll even find many of the levels near the end are a straight up copy [albeit with different graphics] too! With that said, if you enjoyed Penguin Rescue, this is still worth a look. Be warned that even though the difficulty curve here is a little less steep, it does get to the insane levels that PR has eventually. One of the differences is that a chain reaction of powerups can keep on going after the level has been completed, which helps you on winning extra stars. Otherwise, you'll still need to strategize and hang on to your gold stash, as you still can't buy your way out of levels with powerups all the time.
The storyline is better, and you can read it all now, instead of having it hidden in the "clouds" in several instances. The map scene is darker overall which makes finding the hidden objects a little more tricky, but even with my poor HOG skills I was able to locate most of them without help. I thought the graphics in the M3 boards were a little less polished than in Penguin Rescue though, and the tiles to clear are harder to see.
There is still no player profile creation option, so the only way to completely restart the game is to delete the saved game folder; however, Pretty Snails doesn't have the glitch which occurs in Penguin Rescue once the game is completed. I enjoyed working through the 150 levels, but prefer the penguins.
I recommend this game!
Penguin Rescue
Aurora, the summer holiday of the penguins has arrived! But the ice has suddenly started to melt. Can you help save this snowy place?
Overall rating
4
/
5
7 of 7 found this review helpful
Not a child's game - thinking required!
PostedApril 27, 2017
SynthpopAddict
fromHome on Derange
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Marble Popper, Match 3
Current Favorite:
Penguin Rescue
(21)Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
[review based upon completed game]
Pros: Clean, easy to see graphics, unique board concepts and powerup combination effects
Cons: Much harder than it looks, can't make moves all the time, some tech issues [developer aware and working on update]
I don't usually go for such cartoonish looking games, but Penguin Rescue turned out to be a surprise gem of a game. Don't be misled by how childish the music and interface look. Almost every level is limited moves and the boards are cleverly crafted so you really have to strategize to win after the first 20 or so levels. Those who rely on heavy powerup use to get through their games will be in for a shock, as the gold required to buy powerups is in limited quantity.
I really enjoyed the concept of the moving board sections in some of the levels, as well as the unusual refilling patterns in other levels. One of the secrets to playing well is learning how to combine powerups for special effects - experiment with all of them to see what happens [but don't forget about that moves counter or the end goals for the level, LOL]. Unfortunately there's no unlimited moves mode available, but there's also no lives counter either, so take your time replaying levels to get a strategy down.
There's no way to create separate player profiles in the current version of the game, and this seems related to a glitch that occurs once the 150 levels are completed. The developer is aware of the issue and is working on an update as of this writing. In the meantime, see the game forum for a workaround if you want to replay the game after finishing. I noticed a few other small bugs while playing, but they weren't game-breaking. I truly enjoyed saving the penguins and have gone back for more!
I recommend this game!
Save the Maharaja's Park from its curse and create your very own exotic garden!
Overall rating
4
/
5
5 of 6 found this review helpful
Easier clone of Chateau Garden
PostedMarch 20, 2017
SynthpopAddict
fromHome on Derange
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Marble Popper, Match 3
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
[review based upon completed game]
Pros: easy to see colorful playing tiles, good puzzle challenge, improved powerups from previous game, untimed
Cons: if you're not good at pattern recognition/puzzle solving this won't be for you, storyline, music, scene building really are copies of the previous game
This is a brick shooter/marble popper collapse type game, not a M3. If you played Chateau Garden which the developer released previous to India Garden, you'll quickly realize that only the 80 levels are different as they kept almost everything else virtually the same just with a different color scheme.
I did like that two of the powerups were altered to be more effective, as that made them much more useful, and the change of the "chest" puzzles to "hover mode" puzzles. The levels seem easier than Chateau Garden's, but that may just be my playing experience. If you aren't good at spotting the patterns and planning your moves carefully you'll still find yourself replaying levels over and over. As in the previous game, play for the opportunity to use your gray matter, not for the storyline or the garden scene building.
I recommend this game!
Create a romantic garden and give the princess the chateau of her dreams!
Overall rating
4
/
5
12 of 13 found this review helpful
Not really a M3, it's a marble popper puzzler
PostedMarch 17, 2017
SynthpopAddict
fromHome on Derange
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Marble Popper, Match 3
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
[review based upon completed game]
Pros: untimed, crisp and colorful graphics
Cons: unless you're good at puzzle solving/pattern recognition this is much harder than it looks, hokey storyline and scene building
80 levels of collapse type puzzles. The object is to clear all the colored tiles in as few moves as possible. There's no timer and moves are unlimited. Be warned that unless you're extremely good at pattern recognition and setting up mass collapses in advance, you'll likely find yourself replaying boards over and over especially if you want to 3 star them. I found the challenge addicting, but it's not going to be for everyone.
The storyline and scene building seem to be thrown in as an afterthought, as I found the garden scene parts garish and the story seemed very contrived. Some of the other details of the interface took me a while to figure out, like how to get to the level selection window to replay boards and what the number in the top right of the screen meant [it's a counter keeping track of how many moves you've made so far]. Play for the challenges, not so much to build your garden scene.
I recommend this game!
After Rupert and Emma receive a mysterious message, from their old friend Hani that the Jewel Boards were in danger, the duo must work fast to save both the jewel boards as well as Hani. But can they do both?
Overall rating
3
/
5
4 of 4 found this review helpful
Too much of a luck factor needed
PostedDecember 14, 2016
SynthpopAddict
fromHome on Derange
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Marble Popper, Match 3
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
[review based upon completed normal mode]
Pros: unique challenges, replayable levels, ability to toggle between normal/expert modes
Cons: What happened to the "thinking cap" factor from previous Jewel Quest games? Low quality graphics, clunky play action.
If you enjoyed the challenges of the older Jewel Quest games, the developer brought that back in spades with the latest Jewel Quest. All the levels are either timed or limited moves only. Levels are very small but don't let that fool you...this game is much harder than it looks. In keeping with Jewel Quest tradition, there are also unique features or obstacles which you won't see in other M3s.
I enjoyed the storyline, but found the graphics subpar when compared to previous games of the series, and the loud music with no slider to adjust the volume was annoying - shut the music off almost immediately and I usually play games with music on. I also noticed that the play action seemed sort of clunky where I would often be trying to make matches faster than the game would allow. You can make moves all the time, as long as you don't do them *too* quickly.
My main gripe with this game is how much you are dependent on sheer luck to win many of the levels; it doesn't matter how good you are but you won't win some levels without a huge dose of the jewels happening to fall in the right way! Normal mode is tough but doable by experienced M3 players but I'm not sure if I'll be patient enough to finish expert mode. I'm not panning it entirely, but won't recommend it either.
Restore castles in a royal match-3 adventure to help Matthew marry a Princess!
Overall rating
4
/
5
6 of 6 found this review helpful
Well thought out game
PostedDecember 11, 2016
SynthpopAddict
fromHome on Derange
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Marble Popper, Match 3
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
[review based upon completed timed, limited moves modes and bonus content]
Pros: beautiful graphics, multiple game modes, built in walkthrough and strategy guides, long play time
Cons: slow playing levels
120 base levels, 40 extra levels, 30 M3 bonus boards, 1 HOS bonus game, and 23 mahjong bonus games. The developer also incorporated a walkthrough, strategy guide, and some extra wallpapers into the CE extras. If you've played any of the Jewel Match series before, you're familiar with the general idea of how this game works. The developer continues to improve on their graphics in each game - the tiles are beautifully detailed and the castle building scenes keep getting better in each game. There are subtle improvements in the mahjong and HOS which make those games more enjoyable than in previous games too, and all the wallpapers are now customizable.
One thing I've noticed from playing all the Jewel Match series is you don't know what you'll get difficulty wise from game to game or how fast overall the game plays. This one turned out to be one of the harder ones and also doesn't play very quickly even though you can make moves all the time. It seems that the levels were designed to within an inch of their lives with all the multiple layers of unlocking or finding things...expect to spend a while figuring out all the little mysteries worked into each level. While I appreciate the extra challenge this provides, I sometimes found it feeling more like work, slogging through some of the levels. You'll be playing this game for a long time if you're a completionist - I can usually finish most M3s in 10-20 hours of playing but this one took me over twice that long to get through one game mode and the bonus content.
I personally enjoyed the storyline since I'm a diehard romantic but it won't be for everyone. The soundtrack was pretty but because the game takes so long to get through I eventually shut the music off and turned up the ambient effects which are easier to listen to over long playing sessions. Enjoy!
I recommend this game!
Something terrible has happened to Buttonlands! Your wonderful little world is now in ruins and it's up to you to restore it.
Overall rating
4
/
5
8 of 8 found this review helpful
Patience: a much needed virtue for this game
PostedAugust 19, 2016
SynthpopAddict
fromHome on Derange
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Marble Popper, Match 3
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
1
/
5
[review based upon completed regular game mode and bonus boards]
Pros: untimed, unique 2 sided piece concept, recent game upgrade enables relaxed [unlimited swaps] mode at start, great challenge
Cons: green tiles hard to see, very slow paced game, poor storyline, different playing mechanics take getting used to
100 levels with 10 bonus levels unlocking after all achievements are won. Don't be fooled by the cartoonish look of this game. The regular mode is NOT a child's game. The developer recently updated the game so the relaxed mode is now enabled all the time, but it's a crying shame if you don't at least check out the regular mode because you'll be missing out on the truly unique spin on M3 gaming. All the pieces are 2 sided, and in regular mode you have to strategically flip the pieces with a single click to get your matches instead of doing the usual dragging to swap most of the time - there's a limited number of swaps given more as a "bailout" for when flips aren't producing moves. Interesting powerups that aren't the same old, same old, either.
The main drawback I found was that flipping pieces makes the levels very time consuming especially near the end of the game. Also, the brightly colored pieces seem to obscure the pale green tiles that need to be cleared, and it's difficult to differentiate the different sized bombs. Some of the other playing mechanics aren't obvious either. Check the game forum for tips. The storyline was terrible and it looks like the developer had planned to use voiceovers at some point but left them out for some reason?
If you don't mind taking your time going through the levels and having to think outside the everyday M3 box, much recommended!
I recommend this game!
Choose your own path of adventure through the land of Tirnanog! Harness the power of mystical hammers and magical power-ups.
Overall rating
2
/
5
3 of 5 found this review helpful
Play the Jewel Match series instead. :(
PostedAugust 11, 2016
SynthpopAddict
fromHome on Derange
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Marble Popper, Match 3
Fun Factor
2
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
[review based on demo only]
Pros: soothing soundtrack, lots of powerups
Cons: lack of "snapback" action, confusing marble colors, odd marble placement on shooter
The people who bring you the Jewel Match series of M3 games once made a marble popper too. Although this is a pretty good try at a MP, it's not up to par with their M3s. I liked the graphics and music overall, and having a hammer powerup is something different for a MP. Instead of having powerups randomly fall from the chains like in most MPs, powerups are either within the chains or will randomly appear on the shooter. There's so many of them it's hard to keep track of what they all do. New chains are generated very fast, but don't roll very quickly; the player needs to use the powerups regularly to succeed.
Unfortunately, there were some really annoying things - gaps in chains not closing up speedily after a pop, which I feel is a real must for this type of game, and the marble currently in play being situated near the back of the shooter instead of at the front. There were times I had to look and look just to make sure I was using the correct marble or had the shooter aimed correctly because sometimes I'd confuse back for front with the shooter! The thing that really killed the game for me though was that by level 2 there were both a dark purple and a dark red marble which appear almost identical. I'm an experienced MP player and don't have color blindness but I couldn't even play one of the boards in level 2 because I couldn't distinguish the purple from the dark red and lost all my lives pronto there. So no buy for me. Sorry devs, you know I love your Jewel Match games and I wanted to enjoy this too, but I'm glad you decided to go with M3s.
I don't recommend this game.