nadaze2da's Profile
Stat Summary
- Average Rating:3.5
- Helpful Votes:1,011
- Reviews Submitted:85
- First Review:December 4, 2011
- Most Recent Review:September 20, 2020
- Featured reviews0
Status:
Nobody comes back from the Dark Side unchanged, but it’s the only way to re-light the fading flame.
Overall rating
3
/
5
6 of 15 found this review helpful
What happened to Uncle Colin?
PostedApril 2, 2018
nadaze2da
fromCome back to the light Uncle Colin!
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Mahjong, Match 3
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
This is really about a 3-1/2 star game. But I had to just quit playing a couple of times because I couldn't deal with back and forth any longer. I have loved the other games in the series but this one didn't thrill me.
Others have mentioned they are not fond of all the maps. I say "Thank You!" for the jump maps because without them, I would have been lost. I personally like the style of the maps and I don't know why all developers do not indicate collectibles on the map.
During the game, Uncle Colin is taken over by the dark side and we never find out his fate. Has he been drawn permanently to the dark side? Has the Dark Warrior turned him into a dark soldier? I wonder if there will be a sequel explaining this???
There is so much back and forth in this game that I found it tedious. In every location something is left behind to do making returning to that place a necessity. Sometimes the location to return to was at the beginning of the game. Again, thank you map.
There is no doubt the graphics are quality and the voice acting is fairly good. I don't usually listen to the music so no comment on that. We have seen most of the puzzles before but there a couple of different ones thrown in. Or maybe they are the same with a different look. Most were easy. Any comment on HOs is irrelevant to me as HOs are just HOs. See the list, find the object. No matter how interactive they may be, nothing new has come along.
It is worthwhile to try the demo just to see if you like it. You will need your traveling shoes though.
I recommend this game!
Explore kingdom ruins and meet the exiled Salt Princess.
Overall rating
5
/
5
9 of 17 found this review helpful
Hard Core Gamers chill
PostedMarch 16, 2018
nadaze2da
fromIf a misty lake can produce a guy like the Prince, I'm off to find one.
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Mahjong, Match 3, Word
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
No, there is no custom setting which we are all used to, And that's irritating. Yes, a better map is needed. That's irritating also. No, the puzzles won't give you a headache. Isn't THAT irritating!! (LOL) Yes, all you hard core gamers can sit this one out if you want but if you will loosen your hats a bit, you may find this to be a cup of Blue Tea that you like. Try the demo to see if you can deal with the "lack of modern technology" and if not, don't buy. However, those of you who want to experience a Blue Tea game that is reminiscent of the years before Eipix, drink up me hearties! The story is good. We all know what is going to happen before the ending but don't we always? And, oh, those wonderful FROG HO's which I love and the frogs too! I fell in love with the Frog Prince in the first Dark Parables game. You walk through places crafted by amazing hand drawn graphics that are not pink and purple but beautiful blues, greens, rustic browns and soft reds. Beautiful music follows you through your journey,and the voice acting is excellent. Refreshing! You still have collectibles i.e beyond objects (morphing objects) and parable characters. You can earn achievements. There is enough CE bling to warm your gaming heart.
As, I said, the puzzles are not brain drainers but some were a little complicated. And some were way too easy.
I played on normal, but if you play on advanced, you may get a little different game play. I do have a cautionary word about something I did find a little annoying. When placing items into a scene where several different items are to be placed, we are accustomed to having the game kind of zap it into place. In this game, you must put the correct item into the correct place or the game will reject it and you may think it doesn't belong there. It does, just try a different slot.
I played on normal, but if you play on advanced, you may get a little different game play. I do have a cautionary word about something I did find a little annoying. When placing items into a scene where several different items are to be placed, we are accustomed to having the game kind of zap it into place. In this game, you must put the correct item into the correct place or the game will reject it and you may think it doesn't belong there. It does, just try a different slot.
Don't like the CE price, wait for the SE.
I gave this wonderful gem 5 stars because there is nothing I have played in the last few months that made me realize more just how much we have been content with hum drum CE games. I have always loved Blue Tea games but the last few were not the old Blue Tea quality. This one is a return to the Blue Tea magic we all enjoyed in the past like The Exiled Prince, The Red Riding Hood Sisters and The Rise of the Snow Queen,
If you have liked earlier Blue Tea games, give this one a try. I suggest you play the demo just to see whether you can live without a custom setting.
I recommend this game!
It’s the find of a century, but will you live to tell about it?
Overall rating
4
/
5
15 of 22 found this review helpful
Review based on demo
PostedMarch 1, 2018
nadaze2da
fromWhen falling from the height of the pyramid to the water, the water would become a concrete block. One terrible squished belly flop would pretty much take care of all your tomorrows.
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Mahjong, Match 3, Word
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
Mad Head stepped into the HOPA arena and came out a winner with this wonderful game. Based on the demo, I haven't found much to complain about. A logic failure to me occurred when Cassie becomes a wing walker and fixes the airplane while in flight. The sister, Elsa, is an angry young architect who still resents her sister for allowing their father to die. We are left on the edge of our seats when dear old dad shows up with glowing eyes in the Amazon jungle. Is he a specter or a reincarnation? Guess we have to purchase the game to find out and this is one game I intend to buy.
Wonder upon wonders, acid comes in colors besides green! I haven't yet sharpened one tool or had to put one together from pieces. The mini games are better but not brain drainers. The HOs contain morphing objects and there are the usual Mad Head collectibles. I hope Mad Head breaks out of this tradition by offering different items in their collectibles and in the morphing objects. I prefer the morphing objects to be in the scene not the HO. And, surely they could come up with better collectibles. Because they went back to the same ole, same ole on things, I dropped my score to 4 stars. But this game really is a cut above the others we have had lately (i.e. Forgotten Fairy Tales: Canvases of Time, yawn). Please Mad Head give us a little more in the bling department and I'll be so happy!
Try the demo to see if you are impressed with Mad Head's progress into a new sci-fi genre. I hope there will be more.
I recommend this game!
Save the town and free your husband from a witch's vengeance.
Overall rating
4
/
5
51 of 72 found this review helpful
Been there, done that....but....
PostedFebruary 9, 2018
nadaze2da
fromBy the prickling of my thumbs, something witchy this way comes.
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Mahjong, Match 3
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
I am not a fan of the Myths of the World series. To me almost all of them do not meet the level of hype they receive. However, I kinda liked this game. Yes, there are glaring errors in logic. For instance....how did Margrit the witch meet you in the catacombs when only Lorelei's blood will open the door? Margrit did not have a vial of Lorelei's blood but you do in a locket, Or did I miss a plot twist there? Lorelei is a Dr. Jekyl, Miss Hyde. Some dark force makes her do things she doesn't want to do. Fortunately for her, you can help with that in the end.
In the bonus game you are a general who must rally your 18 men to defeat the dark forces. But, because you brought in a witch to help, you are thrown into the paddy wagon. Escaping from there was easy, And, just in time to save the kingdom.
In places, the graphics reminded of the old Island of Myst game which I liked very much. I don't listen to music so I can't comment on that. The puzzles and mini games were fun to me because they didn't tax my old brain and leave me frustrated. Some of the instructions for playing them were a little unclear to me and I had to refer to the SG. There is nothing different in the HOs that we haven't already had ad nauseum. I thought the voice acting was well done except for the soldier at the door of the castle. He sounded like a robot.
The game was satisfying in length and I was glad to see the morphing objects within the scenes rather than the HOs. After completing the main story and the bonus, you can enter the souvenir room. You can replay the HOs and mini games and check out the usual CE additions.
So, I am one of the few who will recommend this game. But, as always, take it for a spin yourself.
I recommend this game!
Can you save the young starlet from the wicked doll's curse?
Overall rating
1
/
5
10 of 20 found this review helpful
No, just No!
PostedFebruary 6, 2018
nadaze2da
fromSomewhere this game can't follow
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Mahjong, Match 3
Fun Factor
1
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
2
/
5
To say I loathed this game is putting it mildly. The Puppet Show games used to be excellent games but the recent ones are real stinkers, including this game. And, there was only the creepy doll for a helper. Where were the puppets? I found myself confused through most of the game about what I should do next. There was no flow, no logic, no fun in this game. It is tedious and boring. I did not find any redeeming qualities in this game.
There are rave reviews for this game, but IMO there was nothing to rave about. The creepy doll did little for the game. The mini games were ho-hum, the graphics so so and wasn't there something Leroy could do besides stand around watching you do all the work?
As usual, try it out for yourself. But I don't recommend this game.
I don't recommend this game.
When a Myth Seekers agent goes missing, you’re called in to discover the truth in this hidden object adventure!
Overall rating
4
/
5
7 of 8 found this review helpful
Those fickle gods!
PostedFebruary 1, 2018
nadaze2da
fromPoor Vulcan. His mother didn't even want him.
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Mahjong, Match 3, Word
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
Based on Demo:
Everyone believes the ancient gods were just myths but one detective agency, the Myth Seekers, knows they are real and real pests. The agency provides a buffer zone between those pesky gods and humans. The Myth Seekers are detectives who have the task of getting to the bottom of their fickle actions and hopefully straightening out their mess. This time the agency must find Vulcan's hammer before Mussolini or the goddess Belllona does.
The mini games are not hard or tedious. One HO scene was a FROG and one required a sequence of actions to get the required item.
Artifex Mundi/Sunward games are some of my favorite. This one does not disappoint. My only complaint is that the graphics look somewhat cartoonish. Especially the characters. Otherwise I think this is a nice start if it becomes a series.
You have the usual CE things including achievements, morphing objects, collectibles, etc.
As usual, try before you buy.
I recommend this game!
Donna’s childhood friend is overwhelmed by a cursed tree that poisons everything it touches!
Overall rating
4
/
5
15 of 20 found this review helpful
How does your garden grow? With potions and gene splicing!
PostedJanuary 29, 2018
nadaze2da
fromHow did the tree know who to kill?
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Mahjong, Match 3, Word
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
This second installment of the new Donna Brave series by Mad Head is not as bad as some reviewers lead you to believe. It is not a five star game but I think it comfortably fits into the 4 star category. There is a gimmick which is a box in which you can put an item and then see the story about it. This is not overused as gimmicks are in some games. It is unfortunate however that there is no mystery to "who done it" because I think that may be evident almost from the beginning. The story is a bit bizarre because the villain has perfected genetically modifying plants. Hence the killer tree which snatches up its victims and is supposedly indestructible. The tree roots also cover things in ice. The devices you use to melt the ice do not necessarily include matches. Thank goodness I don't remember coming upon a single tool that needed to be sharpened nor a missing zipper pull.
I may be a dullard, but I found some of the mini games rather confusing. Others were easy enough to sail through. A hidden object game is about looking for hidden objects, right? And not just in the HOs themselves. Find a key, find a bucket, find an amulet, etc. Otherwise, why do we play them? This game is not so saturated with amulets and locks and keys as some games are. There is a bit of back and forth but its usually within two or three scenes in the game and the map is a jump map.
I believe this game deserves an "E" for "effort" because the developer attempted to do something a little different. To some, the effort may have fallen flat but I kinda liked this game. I would have preferred that the mouths of the characters moved when they spoke but that is just aesthetics. Graphics were nice. Voice acting was perhaps a bit lacking but overall pretty good. You can customize the difficulty of the game and I usually do when its offered.
Take it for a spin, see what you think.
I recommend this game!
A time-traveling killer is taking out the Gray family, one by one.
Overall rating
2
/
5
17 of 21 found this review helpful
Amulets, Amulets, locks, locks, back and forth, back and forth
PostedJanuary 26, 2018
nadaze2da
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Mahjong, Match 3, Word
Fun Factor
2
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
The title of this review about sums up the game. To make any progress in the game, you must find amulets or keys or pieces of stone, paintings, etc. Once you track all over the map and find those things, they usually unlock another part that requires a different amulet to find. Thank goodness for the jump map. You will use it repeatedly! I can't find much to praise about this game due to the convoluted, confusing story and the continuous search for amulets, keys, etc. It is as if the developer just wanted to extend game time by making you search everywhere to find things. Once found, they usually only unlocked part of the item. So, off you go again, tracking down the next piece. My patience with the game wore very thin by the time I got to the bonus game. Which was again a convoluted mess. And carrying around your dead father's skull is still a little yew to me.
You play as the time traveling heroine, Anna Gray. Anna wants to rewrite history and keep her niece and nephew from being murdered. She travels back in time to find the murderer and while she is rewriting history, she saves some additional ancestors too. Why not??
Instructions for mini games are not always clearly presented. Graphics were ok, voices ok. Music, meh. HOs are nothing special. You have been there done that in some way before.
This is not a CE game even though it has all the CE collectibles, morphing objects and pieces of a screen saver to find. Sure the length is fine but it is only lengthy because of the running back and forth to find things.
Play the demo. You may think it deserves five stars, but not me. Wait for the SE if you think you can't live without it.
I recommend this game!
Can you find your sister and save the kingdom?
Overall rating
3
/
5
7 of 12 found this review helpful
Suspend your intelligence upon venturing into this game (review based on demo)
PostedJanuary 22, 2018
nadaze2da
fromSuspend disbelief all ye who enter here.
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Mahjong, Match 3, Word
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
At the very outset of this game, you will have to suspend your intelligence and any form of reason. Twin girls are sent away at birth. One living under an ice lake with a curse around her heart, and the other one in a coma somewhere. The one who has been in a coma all her life wakes up because her sister is in trouble and needs help. She wakes up able to walk, talk and use her special fire skill. To help her sister, she must first break out of her home and gets no help from the creepy looking nanny. I'm hoping nanny has some kind of sixth sense to get around because her head and eyes are swathed in some kind of scarf with knitting needles sticking out of it. To break out of her home, the girl who has been in a coma begins a quest for amulets and keys. Some of which are frozen in blocks of ice. Once she breaks out, she immediately has to battle a giant which is where those collectible spells come into play.
At the beginning of the game, we are warned of violence and disturbing content. I haven't found anything more disturbing than the story. Even tho you have to check your reason at the outset, the game is a good effort. I liked the mini games I've run into so far. None have been hard but some are a little frustrating. The HO scenes so far have been the usual interactive list type with very little interaction. And there were a couple of spelling errors which leads you have to click all over the place. Example: "strow" instead of straw. I kept wondering what strow was!!! The graphics are of course excellent and the voice acting is over the top good. Can't comment on the music because I don't listen to it. There are few achievements and about 12 spells to collect and that is the extent of the colllectable content aside from the usual CE offers.
After such an inauspicious beginning, I may pass up the CE and wait for the SE when I can purchase it with a coupon but I will get it just because I would like to see where it takes us.
I recommend this game!
Can you stop the Revenant before it's too late?
Overall rating
4
/
5
26 of 28 found this review helpful
Will we ever get better instructions for puzzles?
PostedJanuary 19, 2018
nadaze2da
fromThe Cemetery Keeper is a cowboy!
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Mahjong, Match 3, Word
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
There are several three part puzzles in this game which have very poor instructions for playing them. Even after referring to a walkthrough, I was unable to figure parts of them out. Poor instructions can cause the game to be much more tedious and less fun than it should be. Is it too much to ask that the instructions be clearly stated? The only other complaint I have is the length as it is short.
According to Merriam Webster, a revenant is one who returns especially one who returns from the grave. In this story revenge has brought the Revenant back and he sets out on a killing spree. The story sounds ominous and it is but there are bits of humor tucked away in the game too. MCF may have a strange sense of humor to some. I expected the Cemetery Keeper to have a sinister voice, instead its soothing. He gives you a raven that is his eyes and ears (literally) to help you in your quest. As a supernatural detective, you must stop The Revenant.
The story, graphics, voice overs and hidden object scenes are very well done. IMHO this is a good game but not a 5 star game. Perhaps if the puzzles had better instructions, I would have given it 5 stars.
I do suggest you get the demo because I believe that after playing it you will want to have it.
I recommend this game!