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:
Help Santa make Mike and Mary’s Christmas the best ever. Decorate trees, build snowmen, visit Santa’s workshops and open fabulous presents.
Overall rating
4
/
5
4 of 4 found this review helpful
ANOTHER WINNER
PostedDecember 30, 2014
arnold1049
fromApache Junction, AZ
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Word, Adventure, Hidden Object, Puzzle, Mahjong
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
Mike and Mary are back following Santa around as he gets ready to fly in another great HOG. This game has some extras thrown in with 15 achievements available and presents to purchase from a store with points earned during game play. Two difficulty levels of play are also available.
The storyline and locations are controlled by an Advent Calendar, providing 25 sets of HOS and minigames. The graphics are great; bright and clear. The HO can be tough to locate at times, however. The minigames are varied and interesting and challenging enough that I skipped a couple.
There are 3 level of stars to be won for each location; bronze for finding all HO, silver for finding all HO and all candy canes OR "12 Days of Christmas" items and gold for finding all 3 sets of objects.
One of the 15 available achievements is for obtaining a gold star for each location. I did have to replay a couple of the scenes to achieve the gold star as I needed to use one or two hints to find especially hard-to-find objects.
Some of the other achievements are based on obtaining the other types of objects. I missed 3 of the achievements; finishing all the minigames (I skipped a couple), finishing a minigame in under 1 minute and finishing the game in 3 hours. Although this is a fun game for kids, it is hard enough for adults as well.
The music was repetitive, therefore annoying, so as usual I muted it.
I'm hooked on this series of games and looking forward to next year's release.
I recommend this game!
It's Bill and Mary's best Christmas ever! Be part of the famous town parade and visit Santa's amazing North Pole workshops.
Overall rating
4
/
5
1 of 1 found this review helpful
BEST ONE YET
PostedDecember 29, 2014
arnold1049
fromApache Junction, AZ
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Word, Adventure, Hidden Object, Puzzle, Mahjong
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
There are 30 HOS locations in this game chock full of beautiful graphics just right for the Christmas season. Bill and Mary tag along with Santa through preparations for the big trip and get to see some great world sights.
For each location, you can achieve a bronze, silver or gold star. Finding all the hidden objects gets you a bronze star; also finding all the nativity items or the extra presents bumps you up to a silver star and finding all three gets you the gold. I had to replay a couple of locations in order to get gold stars for all of them. You also earn points as you find the items.
The nativity items were particularly hard to find as they were very small and there was no indication how many were included in each scene until you finished the scene and found out you had missed one. I replayed the very last scene several times before I was finally able to find the 9th nativity item.
I played without sound as it was repetitive and annoying, as usual.
The minigames were varied and interesting, none of them too hard. The game would be fun for kids, but at times it is definitely challenging enough for adults.
I recommend this game!
Visit Santa and his helpers at the North Pole and fly back home on Santa's Sleigh for a big surprise on Christmas Eve!
Overall rating
4
/
5
ANOTHER GOOD ADDITION TO THE SERIES
PostedDecember 28, 2014
arnold1049
fromApache Junction, AZ
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Word, Adventure, Hidden Object, Brain Teaser, Puzzle, Mahjong
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
This game starts out with a treasure hunt at the local mall with the prize being a trip to the North Pole. Once at the North Pole, Mike and Emma explore the location through an Advent Calendar, each day bringing up HOS and minigames.
Lots of HOS that I had to use hints on at times. The scenes were timed and I often ran out of time before I finished. Points scored on each scene were a combination of time, accuracy, and finding the snowman.
The scenes had extra items to find, like the snowman and santas and Christmas trees. I thought these items were supposed to allow me to play additional games or something at the end, but if so, I never got that part figured out, so that was disappointing.
The only interactive part of the HOS were that some items were hidden and I needed to move across the scene until the cursor turned into a magnifying glass.
I played the casual mode which said it included sparkles but I sure didn't see any helpful sparkles anywhere. To get the magnifying glass to show up, or to find the areas where I could get the santas or the trees, I had to just move the cursor all over the scene until I found the active area.
The graphics are bright and clear. The minigames are standard; jigsaw puzzles of various kinds, concentration, arrange books, etc. The music was much better this time with more variety and less repetition so I listened to it throughout the game.
Again, a nice relaxing game for a lazy holiday afternoon.
I recommend this game!
Lisa is helping Santa Claus deliver presents to a small town when her car transforms into candies! Help her fix her car and save Christmas!
Overall rating
4
/
5
4 of 4 found this review helpful
BRIGHT AND CHERRY
PostedDecember 26, 2014
arnold1049
fromApache Junction, AZ
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Word, Adventure, Hidden Object, Puzzle, Mahjong
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
This game is right in keeping with the holiday spirit. It is light, bright and sparkly and still complicated enough to appeal to adults.
The storyline consists of a car being turned into candy while on a Christmas journey. In order to get back on track, the driver must perform various tasks for 3 sisters living together in a candy filled and Christmas decorated house.
There are lots of list-type HOS that aren't too hard. There were some points where it was a little hard to figure out what to do next, but the hint button worked like a charm. With only 4 locations (outside and 3 rooms in the house) there wasn't much back and forth, which was nice. The game was a good length, not too long nor too short.
Just a nice relaxing game for a lazy holiday afternoon.
I recommend this game!
Clean up the Clutter in this amazing Hidden Object game! Take on minigames and put everything in order again!
Overall rating
3
/
5
1 of 4 found this review helpful
GOOD PRACTICE
PostedDecember 24, 2014
arnold1049
fromApache Junction, AZ
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Word, Adventure, Hidden Object, Puzzle, Mahjong
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
2
/
5
This game provided me some good practice to keep my hidden object skills honed. Otherwise, it doesn't have much to recommend it.
The storyline has something to do with 12 stones that a family supposedly descended from Ponce De Leon searches for over centuries. These rocks do something, provide something, or maybe not. Never did figure that one out. The stones didn't seem to have much to do with the gameplay itself. The actual game play centers around learning to remove the clutter from your life and reap tons of benefits, such as having more time to play games.
I will say that the mini games and the HOS were at times challenging enough that I was unable to solve them or finish them in the time allowed and had to play them over.
Food for thought: if everyone unclutters their life, where will we find any antiques?
I don't recommend this game.
Get tips and hints from our handy Strategy Guide! Follow our crystal clear instructions and helpful tricks to succeed!
Overall rating
4
/
5
3 of 3 found this review helpful
I TRIED AND I BOUGHT
PostedNovember 23, 2014
arnold1049
fromApache Junction, AZ
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Word, Adventure, Hidden Object, Puzzle, Mahjong
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
I played the demo of this game and was so interested in the story and the challenges that I bought it and I was not disappointed.
This game centers around the conflict between healers who can change between human and wolf forms and the soldiers controlled by the exiled wife of one of the healers. During the ceremony to promote the daughter of this union into the healers, the exiled wife sends her army to attack and the daughter and her father disappear. You must reunite the father and daughter and save the healers from extermination. Want to make a bet on how it ends? LOL
The game play was pretty linear and there was a map to help you navigate. Once you were done with one area, a new map would come into play. Rarely did I have to go back more than 2 locations to continue the game. This is a real plus for me.
I played in the easiest mode and even then I found the mini puzzles to be extremely hard. I think I skipped more than I completed. But, then I get pretty impatient and if I can't solve it quickly I just move on.
The HOS were also challenging and varied. Sometimes you worked from a list, other times you had to solve riddles to find the object. There was one item, a "tasset" that I had no clue what to look for. It turned out to be metal shorts. The HOS were all relative to the time the story is set in, so the "tasset" was in line with that theme.
The hint button worked outside the HOS as well and was another way to find the next active location. This was nice to have both the map and the hint button lead the way.
The graphics were excellent. I played without sound or musics, as is my usual manner of play. The length was just right; not too long and not too short. I think I played it in about 2 long sessions.
This is a very entertaining game and I enjoyed playing it.
I recommend this game!
Susan Anderson is back, following the clues of a mysterious benefactor, searching the world for the treasures of legend.
Overall rating
4
/
5
8 of 10 found this review helpful
ENGAGING FUNDAMENTAL HIDDEN OBJECT GAME
PostedNovember 16, 2014
arnold1049
fromApache Junction, AZ
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Word, Adventure, Hidden Object, Puzzle, Mahjong
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
The storyline for this game is the seeking of different treasures related to a certain event in history and the place where this event occurred. I played the full hour of the demo.
In the hour of the demo, I was looking for a treasure related to the American Civil War. There were 5 (I think) locations that needed to be searched for the treasure. I was unable to complete this search so I did not find the treasure.
Each location had a list of items to find in the scene. Some of them were very small and others really faded into the background, so they were challenging. There were also some interactive items where I had to take additional steps in order to find the object. Another item, not listed, had to be found to take you closer to the treasure. Nowhere was there any information to tell me what the item was. So I needed to randomly click on the items in the scene until I found it. At one location, I never did find it but spent a lot of time looking, causing me to run out of time before I could finish the "chapter".
Moving between locations was simple with the use of a map. If I was having a problem with one location, I could move on to another; I did not have to finish one location before moving on. When I did return to a location, for instance to look for that "extra" item that I had been unable to find previously, I was presented with another, different list of objects to find in the same scene. That definitely added interest and variety to the game.
Since I didn't find the Civil War treasure, I have to guess that the rest of the game would be made up of the search for more treasures, resulting in 4-5 or more locations for each treasure to do the Hidden Object search. Since there were several treasures, I would think this game would be fairly long.
It was challenging and had a lot of HOS, which I like. The graphics were good. The sound was irritating so I turned it off, as I usually do with all games. I was interested enough about what other treasures and locations would be available and wanted to go back to try to find the special item I missed that I immediately purchased the game. I don't think I will be disappointed.
I recommend this game!
Save your daughter from an evil ghost in Psycho Train! Begin your journey towards the unknown!
Overall rating
3
/
5
3 of 6 found this review helpful
AVERAGE GAME
PostedNovember 16, 2014
arnold1049
fromApache Junction, AZ
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Word, Adventure, Hidden Object, Puzzle, Mahjong
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
I played the complete hour of the demo and I can't really say anything bad about the game, but I also can't say anything good. It is just an average game with nothing to set it apart from similar games.
I will not be buying this one.
I don't recommend this game.
Something wicked has taken over Fate’s Carnival!
Overall rating
2
/
5
3 of 5 found this review helpful
ANOTHER UNNECESSARILY LONG GAME
PostedNovember 5, 2014
arnold1049
fromApache Junction, AZ
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Word, Adventure, Hidden Object, Puzzle, Mahjong
Fun Factor
2
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
2
/
5
Storyline
2
/
5
This game was extremely long and that is not meant to be a compliment. This is one of those games that sent me back and forth so many times I got dizzy, then I got a headache and finally I got sick of the game.
There is a map that allows you to jump from one location to the next, but having to open the map repeatedly added even more time to the game. I found that it was a lot easier just to hit the hint button which allowed me to teleport to the next active location.
This is how the game went: I'm at a location and I do one or two things there; then I have to go to another location where I do one or two more things; then I'm back to the previous location or a third location to do one or two more things. There was no logic to the order in which the locations had to be visited so it was either use the map or the hint button.
To illustrate this ridiculous jumping back and forth, I was several hours into the game and probably had 20 or more locations that I had already visited, many more than once, when suddenly I had to go all the way back to the very first location. I have said this before and I will say it again; this kind of back and forth adds nothing to the game except time and frustration.
And what a joke the "super" puzzles were! Again, there is no way to figure out how to solve these puzzles as there is nothing logical about them. There was only one order in how to solve the different parts of the puzzle. So, again, I had to hit the hint button that was inside the puzzle and it became a game of "read and follow the directions". Not only was there no challenge to the puzzles because there was no logic to them, but using the hint button not only told me what to do next, but gave me the answer as well, not even letting me attempt to figure a small part of it out. For instance, I needed to enter a number in one location and the clues for this number were available in other parts of the puzzle. But the directions in the hint button also gave me the number to enter Thank you, but I learned how to read and follow directions a long time ago.
The bonus chapter was more of the same; no logic to the movement between locations and the constant jumping back and forth between locations made my head spun. Again I fell back on using the hint button to be teleported to the next location.
Then comes the "secret" room at the end where I got to play the HOS over. This might have been a redeeming factor except the "super" puzzles were included and I could not skip them to go to the next "normal" HOS. I finally gave up on the game at this point. If I wasn't the kind of player who hates to quit on a game, I should have given up on the game many hours before I reached this point.
The lack of logic in moving from one location to another also detracted from the storyline. I quickly lost any sense of the story progressing from point a to point b and completely lost any sense of direction within the storyline.
A game like this makes me think the developer could not figure out how to design a game that progresses in a logical pattern nor how to create a longish game without adding extra time by going back and forth between the same locations over and over again. Or maybe they are just lazy.
I don't think I have ever given a game this low of a rating, but I was so sick and disgusted with this one, I had no choice. Life is frustrating enough without having to deal with it when I'm trying to play a game for relaxation and fun. So, unless you enjoy being frustrated, I suggest you avoid this one.
I don't recommend this game.
It's time for new adventures! Discover new challenges in Asian Riddles 3! Will the legendary master fear such a trial?
Overall rating
4
/
5
5 of 6 found this review helpful
MOSAIC PUZZLE GAME
PostedNovember 3, 2014
arnold1049
fromApache Junction, AZ
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Puzzle, Mahjong
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
I played the entire hour of free play.
This mosaic game is on par with other games of this kind. The puzzles start out easy and get harder as you progress. You start out with 3 stars and 4 or 5 hints for each puzzle. Each mistake removes a star, so you are allowed only 3 mistakes per puzzle but you get the option to replay it.
The hints were very helpful and I found myself having to use one or two during the hour of play.
The music definitely fit with the Japanese theme, but as does most music for me, it got monotonous and I turned it off. The color scheme is black and red, also very Japanese.
I believe there is a place to shop with the points you win or use them to purchase additional hints, but I'm not sure. I didn't get far enough into the game to figure this out.
This is a solid mosaic puzzle game.
I recommend this game!