GrrlScientist's Profile
Stat Summary
- Average Rating:3.6
- Helpful Votes:2,517
- Reviews Submitted:124
- First Review:March 28, 2012
- Most Recent Review:February 15, 2013
- Featured reviews0
Status:
Discover the light-hearted, bizarre, and charming parts of America! Visit the Hamburger Museum, Pez Museum, and much more!
Overall rating
2
/
5
22 of 25 found this review helpful
good idea, poorly executed
PostedMay 31, 2012
GrrlScientist
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Large File, Strategy, Time Management, Mahjong
Fun Factor
2
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
1
/
5
Level of Challenge
2
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
yay, it's summer and time for holiday! and yes, there's a hidden object game for that, too! using this game, you can travel the USA and learn about various regions by exploring specialty shops that sell various items.
graphics: each scene is a combination of photography and graphic art. some hidden objects are so hidden that the only way you'll find them is with the hint button, unless you want to adjust your computer screen lighting just for this one game. i also think the animations (after you've found an object) are slow and clunky.
music: elevator music, and it repeats after eight bars or so. gets annoying really quickly.
storyline: probably the most believable part of the game.
my interaction: one hour demo, medium and hard levels.
complaints: i was disappointed by the developers' bias for the central USA and east coast, when in fact, there's plenty to see and do all over the western USA, too. (San Diego was only west coast city on this map!)
i was also disappointed by the artwork. the combination of photographs and drawings made the game appear to be thrown together without much effort or thought being put into it, especially since many objects in a scene did not pertain to the theme for that scene nor did they show me anything about the city, either (for example, what's a garden gnome and a buddha doing in a SD dress shop? and what do these items reveal specifically about SD? um, nothing!). many of the scenes were just plain cluttered and junky-looking, which i found stressful since it made me want to stop playing this game so i could clean my crib!
in short: the idea is a good one, but it needs work and a lot of thought, so i don't recommend it.
I don't recommend this game.
Garage Inc.
Angelo Marito has just opened up his very own auto garage and needs your help to succeed in the Roaring 1920s!
Overall rating
3
/
5
12 of 12 found this review helpful
enjoyable, but needs work
PostedMay 30, 2012
GrrlScientist
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Large File, Strategy, Time Management, Puzzle, Mahjong
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
it's 1928. you are a young mechanic trying to earn a living as a mechanic in mafioso-infiltrated chicago. you work hard for a few dollars each day but the mafia is determined to eat up your profits faster than you can earn them.
graphics: the graphics were nice, but the animation was annoying because it was slow and klunky, involved too much clicking, there was no possibility of queueing tasks for each of the mechanics and the mechanics' movements were nonsensical (they walk towards a pallet with boxes stacked on it and are in danger of tripping when they abruptly change direction go to the car -- what is the point of this? why this unnecessary movement??).
music: fabulous! i absolutely loved the music.
storyline: believable.
my interaction: one hour demo in story mode and in endless day mode.
i enjoy the idea for this time-period time management game, but the execution needs work. as it is, i am giving this game only a "meh" -- a tepid thumbs up.
I recommend this game!
BurgerTime Deluxe
Let the culinary capers commence in BurgerTime Deluxe! Use your assortment of ingredients to thwart the dastardly Vinnie Vinegar.
Overall rating
1
/
5
4 of 13 found this review helpful
boring and primitive game
PostedMay 29, 2012
GrrlScientist
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Large File, Strategy, Time Management, Puzzle, Mahjong
Fun Factor
1
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
1
/
5
Level of Challenge
1
/
5
the goal of this game is to build a hamburger by making your character run over the ingredients -- in the proper order. the ingredients are set up on a three-tier grid that has a ladder between each tier and your character adds each ingredient to the growing hamburger pile by running over it, causing the piece to fall onto the plate below the grid. (NOTE: go to the game settings to enable the mouse cursor, or the game won't work.)
music: simplistic! annoying! repetitive! annoying!
graphics: primitive, pixelated and poorly rendered, like a relic from the predawn times of video gaming. also incredibly tiny. why so tiny in an otherwise giant screen filled with .. um, nothing?
storyline: there's a story? even after i tried playing "story"? really?
in short, i hated this game. it's boring, slow and not at all fun.
I don't recommend this game.
Rebuild three islands in the wake of devastating weather! Rescue Team is fun, gripping, and unlike any other game you've played!
Overall rating
4
/
5
20 of 22 found this review helpful
silly but addictive fun
PostedMay 28, 2012
GrrlScientist
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Large File, Strategy, Time Management, Puzzle, Mahjong
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
a silly but fun time-management game with cute graphics, and a reasonably believable storyline.
the storyline: a hurricane has destroyed an island community. your goal: rebuild this community, a small portion at a time, within a specific time period to win a gold, silver or bronze trophy for the level. (so of course, if you are like me, then your personal goal will be to earn all gold trophies -- not so easy for some levels.) you are awarded points based on how quickly you complete each level, which you "spend" to repair your own home. to complete each level, you send workmen out to collect food, wood and stone that they use to rebuild the community's roads, buildings and bridges. you also send helicopters to rescue people, and as the workmen fix things, they also collect gems. hang on, they collect gems? gems? yeah, i know. that's weird. why did the game developers choose to have your little workers collect gems? they could have had them collect people's pets or something that makes sense within the context of a disaster zone.
the graphics: cute. who ever knew workmen and rescue workers could be so adorable?
the music and sound effects: non-intrusive, and the "yahoo!" cries of rescued people and workers is cute.
my complaint: the game does not allow you to queue up actions, so if you get ahead of your worker supply, tasks that you thought you'd assigned go undone. annoying!
my interaction: i purchased this game after the one hour demo had concluded. if you are a time management fan, or if you want to play something that's silly and fun, then this is the game for you!
I recommend this game!
Upon arriving in a strange city, you find the citizens ready to burn Menes at the stake in Ghost Towns: The Cats of Ulthar!
Overall rating
3
/
5
4 of 4 found this review helpful
not very inspiring
PostedMay 27, 2012
GrrlScientist
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Large File, Strategy, Time Management, Puzzle, Mahjong
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
2
/
5
Storyline
2
/
5
original premise for the game (cats turned into wild and vengeful beasts towards humans) but it has a less-than-inspiring execution.
storyline: you are helping a woman, atala, save her brother, Menes, who is scheduled to be burned at the stake for killing a old couple in Ulthar -- except he is innocent and you know it. your task is to prove his innocence before the flames start.
graphics: pedestrian and passable, but not notably well-done. the contrast between scenes (some much better done than others, but none of them were exceptional) made me think that two different artists had done the graphics for this game.
hidden object scenes: many of the scenes were used too frequently, so they were not challenging and became kind of boring. the best aspect was the 24 cats hidden throughout the game.
audio: non-intrusive music; neither annoying nor inspiring. cat's "meow" whenever you click on the hint button.
voiceovers: none.
my interaction: one hour demo (no plans to purchase this game).
I don't recommend this game.
Uncover the Sea Secrets of the Flying Dutchman!
Overall rating
3
/
5
7 of 8 found this review helpful
"meh!"
PostedMay 27, 2012
GrrlScientist
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Large File, Strategy, Time Management, Puzzle, Mahjong
Fun Factor
2
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
as a sailor, i wanted to like this game, but it was only a big "meh" for me. i wasn't impressed with anything about this game, really. i can see how others might enjoy this game, so this is the reason for my 3-star rating, even though i do not recommend purchasing this game.
storyline: i am trying to rescue a friend who lost everything, including his freedom, to an evil pirate captain, in a card game. for some reason, this story did not really resonate with me. possibly because i got to roam around the pirate ship without the captain interacting with me at all. wouldn't the captain want to at least threaten or scare me a little bit? further, my "friend" whom i was supposedly rescuing never acknowledged my presence on the ship, nor were there any other pirates to make my life (or object collecting) difficult.
graphics & animation: the graphics were nice in many scenes although i thought some scenes were rather primitive (getting water in the kettle, for example, was a bit annoying because the graphics were not that inspiring and the animation was slow and kind of klunky).
music was okay, not intrusive, appropriate, but again, not inspiring.
my interaction: one hour demo.
I don't recommend this game.
Investigating her parents’ deaths, Edwina rekindles a centuries old tale of love and revenge. End the curse of the severed heart!
Overall rating
4
/
5
3 of 5 found this review helpful
fun game, especially for the price
PostedMay 27, 2012
GrrlScientist
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object, Large File, Strategy, Time Management, Puzzle, Mahjong
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
this is a fun little hidden object game with lovely graphics and charming scenes to explore. there are lots of spirits/ghosts in it.
the game objective: you are edwina margrave, a young woman who has returned to the cottage where her parents died when she was a child. she is searching to learn more about how they died.
the graphics: lovely, quirky at times. the hidden object scenes are challenging; they invariably have one object that i couldn't find easily, so i used the hint button because i wanted to progress through as much of the game as possible during the one-hour demo.
the music: not intrusive or distracting.
the voiceovers: not too bad.
my interaction: one hour demo, and then i purchased this game (but i have not yet finished it). it's a fun little game so far, and i am looking forward to finishing it.
I recommend this game!
Help Zulu`s Zoo win a million dollar grant by making sure the zoo is in tip top shape. Find and feed the animals to succeed!
Overall rating
1
/
5
14 of 20 found this review helpful
tedious and inaccurate
PostedMay 27, 2012
GrrlScientist
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object, Large File, Strategy, Time Management, Puzzle, Mahjong
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
i hoped it would be educational, but some of the so-called facts included in the game are not accurate. for example, according to the game, white ibis are supposed to eat fish but in fact, white ibis primarily eat insects, worms and grubs. this is a great educational idea but it seriously needs a fact-checker before allowing it to cram incorrect information about the various animals in your head, or into your children's heads. why waste your time on something like this if it isn't providing correct information?
i also found the game to be tedious to play.
I don't recommend this game.
Save your sister and uncover the secrets of an ancient organization in Silent Nights: The Pianist!
Overall rating
4
/
5
2 of 2 found this review helpful
FINALLY a fun, playable game!
PostedMay 24, 2012
GrrlScientist
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Large File, Strategy, Time Management, Mahjong
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
After having played all the other new Mac games that are available on the big fish games site these past few weeks, i was really disappointed, so disappointed that i didn't even bother to write any snarky games reviews (most of which are rejected anyway, harumph!). so i am pleased to finally have found a new game that i actually enjoy.
Silent Nights is an engaging hidden object game with a believable storyline, detailed graphics and animations, high quality sound effects, few voice-overs, and a so-so soundtrack.
the story: my sister and i, both pianists, are scheduled to meet and stay at our uncle's hotel in france so i can accompany my sister on piano for a concert. but my sister is kidnapped at the train station whilst placing a desperate phone call to me, saying she's being followed. a mysterious robed and hooded figure repeatedly pops up as i investigate various scenes and it delivers dire warnings and vague threats whilst i try to get to my sister and rescue her.
graphics: beautifully detailed graphics -- probably the best feature of this game. many scenes include either moving or mouse-responsive elements (for example; a bird that moves its head to follow your mouse, a snail that crawls across the screen, insects running around.) the animations are realistic, detailed and very nicely rendered.
sound effects: lovely. i was especially charmed when the sound came from one of my two earbuds when an object was on one side of the screen versus the other.
voiceovers: i generally don't like voice-overs, but there were very few voiceovers in this game, and they are well-done.
music: piano music. i love piano, and at first i was excited that i could listen to piano throughout the entire game, but was disappointed that this piano playing wasn't very complex or very satisfying to listen to.
surprises: no map! no journal to make notes in! inventory bar at the top of the screen!
my interaction: one hour demo. this game is on my list of future purchases. (perhaps sooner rather than later, depending upon the quality of the big fish games selection in the upcoming days/weeks.)
I recommend this game!
When an asteroid hits the fragile world of Tiny Planet, it breaks into pieces! Save the population of Tiny Planet!
Overall rating
5
/
5
27 of 29 found this review helpful
I love the mysteriousness of this game
PostedMay 21, 2012
GrrlScientist
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Large File, Strategy, Brain Teaser, Time Management, Puzzle, Mahjong
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
of all the many video game i've ever purchased or played, this is my favourite. it creates a lovely, although mysterious world, hooks you and sucks you right in. there are no ghosts, demons or evil creatures anywhere, it is just a tiny world for you to explore and reconstruct.
graphics: stunning, rich, detailed, elegant. the quality is consistently the highest i've seen for a video game on this site. i felt i was living inside the world depicted in this game.
music: calm, soothing, relaxing. the music really seemed to match the game and the "feeling" that the game designers were trying to create. all of the different musical scores were wonderful to listen to.
puzzles: a tremendous variety of logic puzzles, arcade games and objects that you assemble from their hidden parts (this requires a bit of strategic thinking to accomplish for some of these objects). none of the games or puzzles can be skipped. there are no hints nor instructions, either. you just have to figure all these puzzles out on your own whilst exploring this world. this can be frustrating and exhilarating at the same time!
storyline: this is a quiet little story that somehow gets under your skin and keeps you thinking about it when you are doing other things during the day. the video game is designed to encourage you to explore and experiment with the various activities, so there are no penalties for clicking around. after you complete each chapter, you then assemble a puzzle of the fractured planet that you've been exploring. there are five chapters, which is not enough for this game, in my opinion.
i paid full price for this game many months ago and i would buy it again if i had to. this is definitely a thinking person's video game.
I recommend this game!