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:
Become the Emperor of Cradle of Rome 2! Journey through incredible levels, and the exhilarating building of the city of Rome!
Overall rating
5
/
5
156 of 163 found this review helpful
Great followup to the original
PostedNovember 21, 2011
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
Pros: multiple game modes, minigames, good learning curve
Cons: timed only, monotonous soundtrack, highly difficult near end of game
Cradle of Rome 2 features the same gameplay as its predecessor in that you are once again building up ancient Rome by collecting various resource tiles from the game boards in order to construct the city's buildings. Many of the powerups found in the original COR are back along with a couple of new, improved ones to make clearing out tough spots a little easier. The tricks for getting citizens to move into your city are no longer secret and can be found in a number of ways. Another new addition is the minigame to play to get a building blueprint (a blueprint must be obtained before you can buy a new building). These minigames include jigsaw puzzles, rotate the wheels, find a pair, and flip the card memory games. Although they aren't all that hard, they are a nice break from constant M3 action.
In addition to the adventure mode, there are two new game modes to unlock as you progress through adventure mode, Tourney and Blitz. In Tourney you'll be competing against who I presume were the game developers or testers for trophies on a board of your choosing. I have yet to decipher all the tricks for winning the Tourney trophies but it is definitely not just finishing first. In Blitz mode you try to go as far through the entire game as possible with each board on a special fast moving timer. There are three different difficulty levels to choose from and Hard made me look foolish after level 20 so adrenaline junkies are sure to get their fix.
The learning curve for adventure mode is back and still as good as the original. A nice update is that the double chained pieces don't appear until much later in the game, but that doesn't mean there aren't still challenges aplenty. The new obstacle to hate has got to be the skulls, but those won't appear until after the halfway point. The ice blocks can also prove tricky until you figure out the patterns to make around them. Sadly, COR2 still doesn't feature an untimed option, so once again, finishing the game is better off left to the pros.
The game window if playing in windowed mode is larger than in COR and the game tiles are likewise larger to make finding matches a little easier. The graphics have received a refreshing update and the citizens are no longer as cartoonish looking. The soundtrack, although improved from the original's in quality, lacks variety and gets very boring if playing for a long time, so if you can't tune it out, you may want to turn it off in the game options.
Look for the circular saw at the sawmill; it's another feature they brought back from the first game, and the current upgrades to it always make me laugh!
I recommend this game!
Become the Emperor of Rome as you match tiles and build your Empire in this truly original matching game.
Overall rating
5
/
5
193 of 293 found this review helpful
Challenging, engaging M3
PostedNovember 21, 2011
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
Pros: Game length, secrets to obtain citizens, good learning curve
Cons: Timed only, highly difficult near end of game
If you want a good, classic M3 swaps type game, it's hard to beat Cradle of Rome. The basic objective is to remove all the non-gold tablets from each board, but the main goal is to build up ancient Rome by using the resources you collect from playing each board. Each game tile has a value in either money, food, or building supplies and it will take a number of each of these to obtain a new building for your city. As you progress, you will also earn powerups to help you in your quest for more materials, and the game tiles will be upgraded accordingly with the rising costs of new buildings.
Along with all this construction comes the people who will live in your city, and these citizens are the Easter eggs to find. The tricks for obtaining new citizens are kept a secret until you perform one and the popup dialog appears to tell you who has just moved in. If you manage to build up ancient Rome (it will take you more than a day assuming you do other things sometimes) and get a full complement of citizens, you will be rewarded with the opportunity to visit Olympus, the home of the gods.
The gameplay eases the player in gradually, with the first 10 levels being more of a tutorial. But the learning curve picks up very smoothly and goes all the way to very hard by the game's end so that everyone will be challenged sooner or later. Unfortunately for some, there is not an option for untimed mode, so finishing COR is a job for the experienced M3ers. Even if you play a lot of M3s, you're going to hate those double chained tablets in later stages of the game.
The graphics are a little dated now, but are on a par for the time the game was released and the music is OK, but a little repetitive over long gaming sessions. I always wondered if the developers meant to cut the fisherman from the citizen roster but left him in at the very end, because the fisherman is not only the hardest citizen to find, but he's invisible in the city view screen even after he's moved in. Happy building, and good luck!
I recommend this game!
Get ready to wield your winged-scarab shooter in Luxor: 5th Passage, an exciting and fantastic Marble Popper game!
Overall rating
3
/
5
137 of 165 found this review helpful
Not quite up to other ones in the series.
PostedNovember 20, 2011
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
4
/
5
Pros: Variety of game difficulty, minigames, revisitation of parts of previous Luxor games
Cons: Game design
Luxor 5th Passage features nice graphics and relatively smooth gameplay (more on that later) but still manages to fall flat when compared to some of the others in the series. Some of the good features like being able to pick your difficulty level are back (and players can change the difficulty per board if they choose), as well as the blade shooter bonus round from Luxor 2 and the super cute Luxor 2 scarabs. If you don't have much time, you can get a quick fix by playing in Blast Mode, which is a 2 minute survival test. There is also Player's Choice mode, which features boards from Luxor 2 and Luxor 3 which you may just love to hate, as many of the boards chosen are the ones that proved to be a serious challenge in those games.
The graphics are on the same level as Luxor 2, and there is an assortment of trophies to earn to keep players coming back.
Why does this game miss the mark? The programming appears to have been rushed and there are several flaws inherent to the game itself which are not caused by Big Fish or any other portals which feature this game. The latest powerup touted in 5th Passage doesn't work, for instance, and this has been reported by players at multiple game sites. To put it shortly, lots of bugs, and I'm not talking about the scarabs.
I don't recommend this game.
Strategy and action come together like never before in this exciting Marble Popper! Defeat a dragon to protect your Sky Kingdom.
Overall rating
4
/
5
64 of 76 found this review helpful
Hidden Marble Popper Gem
PostedNovember 20, 2011
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
4
/
5
Pros: Gorgeous graphics, variety of games, varied difficulty levels
Cons: Need a good graphics card and processor speed to run game
Sky Kingdoms is one of those rare finds: little known, but an amazingly good game. The visuals are stunning and there is a variety of game play not seen in most other marble poppers, along with a good challenge level. In addition to the keep the balls from reaching the end usual gameplay, there are "chain reaction" and "snake" levels in which the object is to either score as many points as possible by making the largest setup, or remove all the balls on the "snake" which are actually parts of the dragons you must beat to advance to the next chapter. The dragons make it interesting by firing their own varied shots at you to avoid.
The sound effects are as good as the graphics, and you'll enjoy creating a good setup just to see the light show and hear the explosions. However, this is where the game's main problem enters in: If you don't have a good graphics card and processor speed to match, you're in for some pretty annoying issues (freezing or crashes). I wanted to keep this game, but my computer wasn't able to handle the graphics overload in certain places so I eventually had to give it up.
Stop the chains from filling the track in this marble-popping adventure. Only you can decide how fast each level will end!
Overall rating
4
/
5
24 of 24 found this review helpful
"I like this game but it's too easy." (quote from BF game forum)
PostedNovember 20, 2011
SynthpopAddict
fromHome on Derange
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Marble Popper, Match 3
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Pros: Nice graphics, smooth gameplay
Cons: Too many powerups for good players
Atlantis Sky Patrol is easily up there with the Zuma and Luxor games as one of the best marble poppers available. The sci-fi storyline and concept works well and the twist of having to remove balls from the machines instead of lasting long enough through a set number of marble chains is a good twist on the standard MP gameplay. Some of the rails on which your spaceship shooter rides upon are uneven, which adds to the challenge. When you reach a checkpoint you get the added bonus of playing a ball popping game in space for a change of pace.
There is a two player option to either play cooperatively or head to head but I have not tried this out.
There are lots of powerups to catch while playing, and upgrades to your ship to purchase in between levels. All of this is a mixed blessing since those who are not serious MP players will enjoy having a game which is not necessarily "frenetic" as the game description suggests; however, I managed to clear even the last few levels of the game in only 3-4 chains per screen using all the help. Without buying any of the upgrades between levels, the game is considerably harder, but I didn't experience any serious challenges until about level 65 even without buying the upgrades. If you lose a level you can just restart from that point and keep your current score and upgrades, which also takes something away from the overall challenge factor. I would still recommend it to MP fans, because even if you zen out, it's plenty of fun.
I recommend this game!
You are not alone. Join other captives in their quest for freedom as you reveal the evil secrets possessing this puzzling paradise!
Overall rating
4
/
5
44 of 47 found this review helpful
Lovely scrolling M3 game
PostedNovember 20, 2011
SynthpopAddict
fromHome on Derange
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Marble Popper, Match 3
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Pros: Timed/untimed option, lots of powerups, good storyline
Cons: Not all that hard for hardcore M3ers
Vesuvia is a M3 with the twist of having a board larger than the game window, so the board scrolls in whatever direction matches are being made in. While this may be disconcerting to some players at first, once you get the hang of how to move the board around, it's a refreshing change from standard M3s. Besides moving the board with swap style M3s there are hidden tools to find that you will need to get past board obstacles, and you are allowed to exit the game board at your discretion. This can be useful for planning out the strategy for a board, or earning a game trophy or powerup to help you better navigate upcoming boards. If you get lost, there's a well thought out map included in each game board to help you reorient yourself and/or find which items you are missing.
The storyline is good for a M3, albeit a bit confusing in spots, but worth watching. The graphics are a bit garishly colored, but at least that makes it easy to spot matches on the edges, and the tiles are distinct enough that there's not too much eyestrain involved.
There are both timed and untimed options but not all the trophies can be won if playing in untimed mode. Even in timed mode, some of the trophies seem to be programmed only for those who want to do monotonous work over and over in order to obtain them, which is one of the few detractions in Vesuvia. If you play a lot of M3s this won't be the most challenging game you've ever encountered, but it's well thought out enough to be worth a look.
I recommend this game!
Descend into the Egyptian sands to find an oasis of puzzles, treasures, and mysteries in this Match 3 dazzler.
Overall rating
5
/
5
54 of 59 found this review helpful
Lots of M3 variety and then some
PostedNovember 20, 2011
SynthpopAddict
fromHome on Derange
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Marble Popper, Match 3
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Pros: Timed/untimed option, many different types of games, extremely long playing time, expansion packs available at developer's website
Cons: You'll probably get frustrated somewhere
If you want variety in a game, Ancient Quest of Saqqarah has it in spades. Every type of M3 gameplay is featured here: swap, chain to match, pop clusters, connect the same, rotate sections, and token in hand. As if that weren't enough, there's also logic put-the-colors-together type puzzles and short not-quite-HOG "find the glyphs" games that pop up every few boards.
The game is broken up into seven different temples each featuring a different type of game play with the object being to solve all 72 boards in order to fully restore the temple. With seven temples this is 504 boards total to play which will keep you occupied for a long, long time. If you want more after that, there are expansion packs available at the developer's website, each of which adds on a whole new 504 boards to play. There are also trophies earned for various game achievements.
The graphics are beautiful and you are being aided by Khufu, a blue monkey with magical powers, and Sweeper the Scarab, who helps you enable Khufu's magic. Although Khufu may be a bit zealous with the help early on, as the game progresses, you'll be happy he's there. He's also got quite the sense of humor programmed into him.
At some point or another you'll likely get frustrated, if not by a playing style you're not familiar with, then by the obstacles you'll encounter. If you haven't played a lot of M3 games I would suggest playing in untimed mode first to get the hang of how each of the games works. Timed mode is doable, but quite a challenge, especially with the expansion packs.
Why should you buy this game? To quote Khufu, "There's no other monkey like me." And you and him will be in for adventures galore.
I recommend this game!
Hit the trail with Rupert on a journey through shrines and castles and uncover family history in Jewel Quest Heritage!
Overall rating
4
/
5
40 of 45 found this review helpful
Want a challenge? Here it is...
PostedNovember 20, 2011
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
Pros: Well thought out M3 gameplay, variety of obstacles and challenges
Cons: Boring storyline, high level of difficulty
Rupert Pack has had the Golden Jewel Board seized from his museum by archenemy Sebastian Grenard, and Pack's latest odyssey takes him through his family's ancestral tree to obtain the evidence Pack needs for the legal fight to get the Jewel Board back. And somehow, playing a lot of other jewel boards is involved while Pack meets various people in the process of doing his research. ;) This is about all you really need to know of the actual storyline of the game, which pops up in short videos periodically throughout the game and is augmented by commentary from the various characters Pack meets in between playing each jewel board. It's an interesting premise, but isn't all that well done. I found myself hitting the Skip button after viewing about six of the commentaries.
However, the M3 gameplay itself is fantastic. Besides the swap style M3 seen in previous JQ games, there are two new modes of gameplay--limited jewels and what the game calls "swaps mode" which is actually limited moves. There are a multitude of obstacles encountered as the game progresses that are not commonly seen in other M3 games and will require a well thought out strategy to beat. If you manage to complete the game, expert mode unlocks to give you even more challenges. The playing time is very long--it took me over 3 months to complete the game on my first run through it and I played every day--and the level of challenge gives it a high level of replayability. The backgrounds and music are soothing and appropriate to the game and not overly distracting.
I gave 4 stars because this game is definitely NOT for M3 beginners. Although it has an untimed option of sorts, it is not a true untimed mode that can be selected from the game options. The level of challenge will be a love/hate thing for most if not all as the later stages of expert mode will try the skills and patience of even seasoned M3 players. But if you want an M3 that doesn't pull any punches, this is one to check out.
I recommend this game!
Track down an incredible jewel in Jewel Quest – The Sleepless Star! Help Percy Park on an epic quest through two continents!
Overall rating
4
/
5
82 of 102 found this review helpful
Worthy addition to the Jewel Quest series
PostedNovember 20, 2011
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
Pros: timed/untimed modes, varied challenges, good storyline
Cons: may run slowly, frustration factor
The fifth game in the Jewel Quest match 3 series features some of the M3 gameplay seen in previous JQ games along with new challenges such as boards with hidden spaces to uncover and new obstacles to defeat. This is also the first JQ M3 to offer a true untimed mode, although it must be enabled first. There are powerup artifacts to collect as you progress as well as a board ranking to earn on each board.
The storyline is played out in cutscenes in between boards and is skippable if players wish, but is very watchable. A nice feature is that the story continues to update itself in popup pictures that appear to the left of the jewel boards as they are being played, and the shape of the jewel board itself is often relevant to the part of the story depicted.
I gave 4 stars only for two things. First, there is no option to disable high detail for the graphics in the game options. It's nice that the jewels now disappear in puffs of smoke for instance, but players with older computers or those with less sophisticated graphics cards may experience slow play action on some board styles. Another is that slower players will likely find themselves getting frustrated on particular game stages that require a quick thinking/quick clicking strategy to win even in untimed mode. On the other hand, long time JQ junkies might find this installment overly easy if they play with all the help enabled. But still, it's a worthy addition to the Jewel Quest legacy.
I recommend this game!