arnold1049's Profile
Stat Summary
- Average Rating:3.8
- Helpful Votes:4,545
- Reviews Submitted:555
- First Review:February 24, 2012
- Most Recent Review:December 24, 2024
- Featured reviews0
Status:
Explore the haunted history of a ballet school while guided by spirits from another dimension! Can you help guide these poor souls home?
Overall rating
4
/
5
4 of 6 found this review helpful
A LITTLE QUIRKY
PostedMay 5, 2016
arnold1049
fromApache Junction, AZ
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object, Match 3
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
The game started out a little rough. The lead-in narrative went by too fast for me to understand what it was trying to tell me. First I got the impression that the Black Swan was a ballerina. Later game play proved this was not correct. Anyway, the background set up of the game left a lot to be desired.
Gameplay was also confusing, partly because of the less-than-understandable lead-in. I used a lot of hints, both inside and outside the HOS.
The HOS were very entertaining, as they contained morphing objects for some of the items that needed to be found. This was a neat way to require more attention to the scenes and to make the HOS more interesting.
Mini games did not stand out one way or the other. The game left me with the impression that it has a good pace to it and it kept me busy and interested.
I recommend this game!
Create a romantic garden and give the princess the chateau of her dreams!
Overall rating
4
/
5
52 of 55 found this review helpful
COMBINATION MARBLE POPPER & MATCH 3
PostedMay 2, 2016
arnold1049
fromApache Junction, AZ
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object, Match 3
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
In this game, matches of 3 or more are made by launching a tile that will make the match, as opposed to the more traditional types of Match 3 play. Tiles can be switched prior to launching but only to the tile that the game makes available; you cannot choose which tile you want to launch, so switching to a different tile does not necessarily improve the chances of a Match 3.
The goal of each grid is to clear it of all tiles within X-number of moves. The fewer launches/moves you make, the more stars you get, up to a maximum of 3. As the complexity of the grids increases, so do the number of moves allowed for successful completion. There is no time limit, but exceeding the number of moves allowed to clear the grid causes a failure and the need for a replay.
As an example, a grid may have a maximum of 8 moves allowed to clear it. Making less than 5 moves earns you 3 stars; making more than 5 but less than 8 moves earns you 2 stars; using 8 moves earns one star and using more than 8 requires a replay.
All grids can be replayed as many times as you want, just by returning to the level map and selecting the grid to play again. For the first grid, I tried several times to increase the number of stars I had earned from 2 to 3 but with no success.
There are lots of complications added to the grids as the game progresses; locked tiles, weed tiles, changing tiles, etc. This keeps the grids from becoming boring. As for winning the stars, sometimes I got 1, sometimes 2 and sometimes 3. This also kept the game interesting.
The storyline centers on a princess having to restore a garden in order to keep the chateau that was given to her by the king upon his death. Depending on money earned during game play, the garden can be decorated with many types of flowers, statues, etc., with each item having up to 3 levels of cost.
The amount of money earned each time a grid is completed varies depending on the complexity of the grid and on how many stars are earned. At times the amount of money earned was small so it took a long time to reach a point where enough money was available to make improvements to the garden.
This game is a great combination of various types of play that held my interest from the very beginning.
I recommend this game!
Is this an ordinary murder case, or something more sinister?
Overall rating
5
/
5
3 of 6 found this review helpful
GREAT GAME AND GREAT STORY
PostedMay 1, 2016
arnold1049
fromApache Junction, AZ
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object, Match 3
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
The NY Mysteries series keeps getting better and better. I played the demo of the CE of this game and submitted my review. As is the case with all SE and CE, this game is just a stripped-down version of the CE.
Read my review of the CE of this game. There is one correction that needs to be made to my previous review. I think the dress and other graphics of the game suggest a Roaring Twenties time frame. However, the game is supposed to be set in the 1950's and other graphics support this, like the car. This is just a minor flaw.
My SOP is to always get the CE of a game if one is available. But if you don't need all the extras that a CE provides, then this game is perfect for you.
I recommend this game!
Solve a Mayan Puzzle in this challenging Match 3 game! Tackle four different game modes in a gorgeous Mayan surrounding!
Overall rating
2
/
5
1 of 1 found this review helpful
DON'T HAVE A CLUE
PostedApril 29, 2016
arnold1049
fromApache Junction, AZ
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object, Match 3
Fun Factor
1
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
2
/
5
I tried playing all four types of gameplay, Classic, Time Trial, Challenge and Marathon and the only one I could figure out was the Classic. Here at least you have a map of locations/grids to play and you must successfully complete each location before the next one is unlocked. Successful completion means clearing the grid in X-number of moves. If you haven't done it in 20 tries, then you get one hint. The one time I earned a hint, that was all I needed, just the first swap which then made the other moves logical.
The kicker in all the types of play is that lateral movement is the only kind allowed. You cannot move any of the tiles vertically, which is both frustrating and limiting. I also saw no mention of a skip button.
The other three types of play I could never figure out how to advance from the first grid. Exactly what did I need to accomplish? Playing Time Trial, what did I need to complete before the time ran out? Is clearing the board the goal for all the types of gameplay? The only choice I saw was play again or return to menu.
I don't mind a challenge if I know what I'm trying to accomplish. Playing the exact same grid 20 times before getting any help is way too much frustration for me. This game just left me irritated and clueless.
I don't recommend this game.
Compete with the neighbors for the highest score in ten home-themed card games! Use bonus cards to gain additional points.
Overall rating
3
/
5
I'M NOT A CARD PLAYER
PostedApril 28, 2016
arnold1049
fromApache Junction, AZ
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object, Match 3
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
I have nothing really good or bad to say about this game. I just didn't enjoy the card play. Be sure to try it yourself.
Help Sarah find her missing friend, who was taken away by a dark being in the middle of the night, in this Hidden Object game!
Overall rating
3
/
5
3 of 5 found this review helpful
LOTS OF HOS
PostedApril 27, 2016
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
This is a weird little game that started out funny; it was like you came in in the middle of a scene and in the middle of a conversation. Once getting past this point, the game evened out.
There is a lot of narrative in this game that sometimes made me shake my head. The saving grace was the number of HOS in the game. If you like to do a lot of HOS, this game is for you.
There are two levels of difficulty, with the harder one having timed HOS, with penalties for mis-clicks in the HOS, and slow recharge of the hint/skip button. I started out with the harder level, but after running out of time 3 times on the same HOS (some different items in each one), I gave up and changed to the easier mode.
The items in the scenes are small and hard to see. I ended up using several hints. In one fragmented HOS, it was hard to tell by the pictures exactly what piece I still had to find. I had one piece of a key to find, but could not tell from the pictures which key was missing a part. Since I didn't know what I was looking for, I needed a hint to get past it.
You have to be a serious HOG lover to get past the shortcomings of this game. Being such a person, the preponderance of HOS was right down my alley. The fact that they were not that easy was also a good point. I'll probably use a coupon for it.
But as always, try it before you buy it.
I recommend this game!
t's up to you and the bumbling Captain Bloom to rescue the adorable Picolytes.
Overall rating
3
/
5
CAN'T HANDLE MATCH 4
PostedApril 27, 2016
arnold1049
fromApache Junction, AZ
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object, Match 3
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
You help Captain Bloom in rescuing his shipment of Picolytes that were ejected from his space ship when it collided with one of Earth's satellites.
Calling this a Match 3 game is a stretch of the imagination. Gameplay consists of rotating sets of 4 blocks until you get a matching block of 4 of the same color. Did you see a 3 in any of that?
There are 3 modes of play (ok, so here is a 3), timed story, timed puzzle and untimed endless. The story mode takes you from one city to another (starting with San Francisco) to make the block matches to rescue Picolytes. Each city has more than one level.
The puzzle mode, which I only played once during the demo, consists of rotating blocks of 4 until you make a batching block of 4 that contains a bomb, thus defusing the bomb. Of course, I didn't do it fast enough so the bomb exploded and I had the choice of playing it over or going back to the menu, which is what I did. This was only the first puzzle, though, and there were lots of them, so probably not all of them were the same.
I played the endless mode during the biggest majority of the demo as I dislike playing against a clock. The endless mode is untimed and all you have to do is make matching blocks of 4 until you manage to raise the level of the spaceship on the left side of the grid up to the top, at which time you have completed the level. Of course, there were various obstacles and "power ups", such as not defusing a bomb which drops the space ship all the way to the bottom. They named this mode "endless" for a good reason, because I thought I would never get that spaceship up to the top. Along the way, you rescue Picolytes and earn money, but I never got far enough into the game to know how any of this was tied into the completion of the game.
The graphics are very cartoonish and would probably appeal to kids. I actually liked the bright colors and cute Picolytes myself. There were also 4 (not 3) "awards" to win.
Maybe I'm just not good at spacial relationships, but I just could not see patterns that easily so creating sets of 4 was hard. Or maybe I'm so used to playing Match THREE games that I can't handle fours. LOL.
Big Fish, how about another choice for "Recommend This Game?" like "Not Sure" or "Ambivalent" or "Don't Want To Commit" or "Make Your Own Decision" or something similar?
Try it and see for yourself. It maybe right down your alley.
The murders are rampant in Miami! Follow the clues to crack the cases and arrest the killers!
Overall rating
4
/
5
4 of 5 found this review helpful
GOOD, SOLID MULTI-COLOR GRIDDLER
PostedApril 26, 2016
arnold1049
fromApache Junction, AZ
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Puzzle, Hidden Object, Match 3, Card & Board
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
As with most griddlers, this one starts out easy and gets increasingly harder. The storyline ties the solution of crimes with the successful completion of the grids. Each crime has several grids to complete before the crime is solved. Each crime must be solved before you can move on to the next crime.
There are two modes of play, casual and advanced. This option controls two things; how the blank squares are filled in when all the other squares are completed correctly, and how the hints are recharged. I played the Advanced mode and the hints were recharged based on my correctly filling in the squares and blank squares in a row or column were filled in once all the filled in squares were completed.
Each grid uses three different colors for the squares. This makes the graphics and the completed grid much more interesting. Being able to switch among the colors during play makes it easier to solve the puzzle.
All grids in the crime must be completed, thus solving the crime, before you can move to the next crime and set of grids. A specific number of mistakes are allowed for each grid. Exceeding that allowed number requires you to restart the grid.
I find this format a lot more enjoyable than having to make no mistakes in order to receive a gold star. And solving a crime is much more rewarding than getting a star--nightmares from kindergarten.
I find this format a lot more enjoyable than having to make no mistakes in order to receive a gold star. And solving a crime is much more rewarding than getting a star--nightmares from kindergarten.
Hints are available and the mode of play determines how the hints are recharged, either through time or by the accuracy of clicking on the squares. I played the harder mode of having the hints recharge based on accurately filling in the squares. It seemed to me that I accumulated more hints this way than through the passage of time method. Before I knew it, I had 8 hints available for use.
I will purchase this game and will enjoy playing it over a long period of time.
I recommend this game!
Police are baffled by a series of unexplained cases dubbed, The Vanishing Files. Enter Cate West, celebrated novelist!
Overall rating
4
/
5
1 of 1 found this review helpful
GREAT PLOT AND CLIFF HANGER ENDING
PostedApril 25, 2016
arnold1049
fromApache Junction, AZ
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Puzzle, Hidden Object, Match 3, Card & Board
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
I played the demo and then immediately used a coupon to purchase the whole game because I wanted to see the end of the story.
This is a great HOG with a great storyline that ends with a cliff hanger that continues into the next game in the series. At least that is what I am guessing, not yet having played the second game.
Cate West has psychic powers that she starts using to help solve a series of crimes. The crimes are masterminded by a character called "M" and seems to have something to do with the death of Cate's dad.
The game consists of 15 chapters with 5 parts to each chapter. The first part is a set of HOS containing 10 items to find in each location. Part 2 is a set of fragmented HOS that show clues necessary to solve the current crime. The 3rd part is a find-the-differences game. Part 4 requires you to "arrest" the perpetrator, based on the clues. The final part is another find-the-difference game that convicts the perpetrator.
I did not play with sound or music so cannot comment on the voiceovers. The graphics were great. I think that the choices you make during play influences the outcome of the game. When I finished it, I got a message that I had finished the game in the "best" manner.
The only reason I didn't give it 5 stars is because the HOS repeated over and over again. This repetition got a little annoying, but did not help a lot in making the items easier to find. I used a lot of hints.
I recommend this game!
Worried that you are wasting your life, you finally decide to take action. Dump your dead-end job and find your true calling!
Overall rating
1
/
5
0 of 1 found this review helpful
NOTHING TO DO
PostedApril 22, 2016
arnold1049
fromApache Junction, AZ
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Puzzle, Hidden Object, Adventure, Match 3, Word
Fun Factor
1
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
1
/
5
Level of Challenge
1
/
5
Storyline
1
/
5
I played 12 minutes of the one hour demo and all I did was read and click. There were no games to play, no puzzles, nothing. Just click on a location, read the dialog, click on the button to sleep, work, etc., then move on to the next location. Talk about a couch potato game, this is it.
I think the purpose of the game was to exchange money and energy for certain skills that would finally tell you what you would be when you grow up. This game needs to grow up!
To earn money, all you had to do was show up at work and click the "Work" button and you got $50. Didn't even have to do anything at all.
Need more energy to use for gaining life skills? Go to your apartment and click the "Relax" button two or three times and you get 60 energy points by sleeping. Now is that a do-nothing game or what?
I don't even know what you would call this game; it isn't an adventure that's for sure. I guess it is a board game like Candyland or something similarly childish. I like my games to have something for me to do. This one is a complete failure.
I don't recommend this game.