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 Anna find her way to the mystical floating cloud city, seek out the Children of Light and save them from the Evil Empress!
Overall rating
5
/
5
5 of 5 found this review helpful
MY NEW FAVORITE
PostedOctober 15, 2012
arnold1049
fromApache Junction, AZ
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
This is now my favorite game. It doesn't tax your brain, but is just a relaxing, fun game without all the dark atmosphere of a lot of games.
The graphics are excellent, the storyline interesting and logical, and the navigation through the game relatively straightforward. I particularly like the fact that you are told when you are finished with a given area, so there is no question about whether you need to come back for something else. The Hint button worked both in and out of the HOS and was very informative with specific instructions.
There is no choice of difficulty level and the mini games were not that challenging. The HOS were fairly easy except for maybe one item here or there. I only had to refer to the walkthrough (which I did not find on the Big Fish Games web site) once. It could have been longer, which is related to the fact that it is a very enjoyable game. Now I will go back and play the first installment of this series.
I recommend this game!
After discovering a new system of caves, the entire town is excited to explore, until Suzy is kidnapped by a mechanical beast!
Overall rating
3
/
5
2 of 3 found this review helpful
NOTHING OUTSTANDING
PostedOctober 14, 2012
arnold1049
fromApache Junction, AZ
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
This game is pretty average as games go. It is guilty, in my opinion, of too much back and forth, my pet peeve. This was further complicated by no hint button except for the HOS. I had to have the walk through open during the entire game to be able to figure out where to go next. For a little while, things would progress in fairly logical steps, but then nothing would stand out to direct me to the next step, so I had to go to the walk through to continue. At one point, the walk through told me to back out 9 times to get to the next play area. In my opinion, again, this is way too much movement and breaks your concentration. However, this game isn't the worst I've played; there have been others that require so much back and forth, I just about give up on them. Because of this failing, I had no desire to check out the CE. All this back and forth makes the game seem long, but the time you spend actually playing is much less than it could be if you didn't have to spend so much time backing out and going forward to get to the next area of play.
The storyline is good, the graphics are good, and the HOS were difficult enough to be challenging. The puzzles were a good mixture of types, but, again, required a lot of forward and backward movements to finally collect all the pieces needed to play them.
Overall, an OK game, but didn't leave me with a warm, fuzzy feeling.
After inheriting a manor in England, you begin to explore the Kangale Estate and discover its history!
Overall rating
1
/
5
6 of 8 found this review helpful
FRUSTRATING BEYOND BELIEF
PostedOctober 11, 2012
arnold1049
fromApache Junction, AZ
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object
Fun Factor
1
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
This game commits the cardinal sin, in my opinion. It jumps you all over the place until you have no idea where you are or where you need to go. Instructions like the following in the included Strategy Guide are a prime example: "Back out five (5) times then go right and down the hatch." No matter how good everything else in the game is, these tactics take all the fun and enjoyment out of it. I used the hint button continuously to get me to the next active location. Perhaps if the game came with a map where you could quickly go to the next location, then it would be better. The only reason this game is so long is because you spend 3 times the time going from place to place as you do actually playing any HOS or puzzles. And the included strategy guide was basically useless, at least for the bonus play chapter, where I used it the most.
I don't recommend this game.
Challenge your visual skills as you match suspects, piece together clues, and spot the differences in this Hidden Object game!
Overall rating
3
/
5
42 of 42 found this review helpful
"FIND THE DIFFERENCES" EXTRAVAGANZA
PostedOctober 10, 2012
arnold1049
fromApache Junction, AZ
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
If you like "find the differences" puzzles, then you will love this game. However, these kinds of puzzles are one of my least favorites, so after playing for a couple of hours, my frustration level was maxed out.
All these puzzles have time limits and limited hints. You cannot skip any of the puzzles in order to continue past that point.
The premise of the game is that you are an investigator under contract trying to solve crimes. Each geographical location contains 3 contracts. Each contract has 5 puzzles with 5 differences in each scene. You earn money on these contracts by completing the puzzles correctly and quickly. At the end of each location, you are given clues to select the culprit. Also, there is an "arrange the pieces" puzzle that contains a clue on the back. With your earnings, you can go to the bonus room and purchase pieces to repair numerous vases. I got to the point where a safe was introduced to hold the clues. Since I did not/could not play it to the end, I have no idea how all this comes together in the end.
There is no choice of level of difficulty. The hints isolate the differences so quickly that many times I was unable to figure out where the difference was, even with the hint. This was very frustrating since you can't skip any of the puzzles and must play them over and over again in order to advance. Not only is each individual puzzle timed, but each set of 5 puzzles for each contract has a total time limit, so even if you finally find the pieces of a given puzzle, you can run out of time if you don't get either 3 or 4 puzzles completed in the combined time limit for that contract. Because of this, the game is not something you would do in order to relax. The puzzles are very complicated and extremely "busy". You only get 3 hints for each contract within each location, meaning you do not even have 1 hint per puzzle.
The concept of this game is something I've never run across before, and I might have liked it if it was the kind of puzzle I enjoy doing. But since I don't like these types of puzzles, I hesitate to rate it too low or make a recommendation on the game. I will leave that to others who are better at this type of puzzle than I am.
The time has come for Nelly and Tom to stop a potential catastrophe and save the world in Treasure Seekers: The Time has Come!
Overall rating
3
/
5
9 of 9 found this review helpful
NOT THE BEST, BUT NOT THE WORST
PostedOctober 2, 2012
arnold1049
fromApache Junction, AZ
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
I actually played both the SE and the CE of this game. In the series, this game is the most poorly done. The time travel was confusing, and I had to go to the walkthrough several times to figure out what I was missing, particularly when all the hint button would tell me was that I needed to be in another time period. I don't like having to refer to the walk through, as you have to exit the game to get to it, and it stops your rhythm.
I had to use the hint button on some of the HOS, which is OK, as I don't like HOS that are too easy. And I'm an impatient player, so I don't spend a lot of time trying to find the last couple of objects.
The extra chapter added to the SE for the CE did not justify the difference in cost. Hopefully, the next issue in this series will show some improvement.
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
5
/
5
13 of 15 found this review helpful
IF YOU LIKE ANIMALS, THIS IS YOUR GAME
PostedOctober 2, 2012
arnold1049
fromApache Junction, AZ
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
2
/
5
I really enjoyed this game, even though, at first glance, it seems aimed at the younger players. If you like animals and like learning new things about them, then you will enjoy this game, too.
The HOS were excellent, and there was always one or two items that were hard to find and sometimes required the hint button for those of us who don't have a ton of patience. The extra mini games were fun and can be played over and over again to earn more points.
Occasional quizzes required points to be able to play and resulted in your promotion through the ranks. Each promotion resulted in Zulu changing clothes and hairstyles, which was a cute addition.
The "Cheat" screens included lots of information about various animals, often containing surprising facts. These "Cheat" screens said the information would be used for a "Special Test", but I never saw the "Special Test" and was disappointed that there wasn't a big quiz at the end.
The storyline was kind of superfluous, as contestants for the $1,000,000 grant were eliminated but no reasons were given for their elimination. In fact, they played no part in the game, which was also disappointing. Some contests/quizzes between Zulu and the other contestants would have been a nice addition. Maybe they were eliminated because they were all men and they all looked mean.
It is a very long game, if you play a lot of the mini games, which I did. This is one of the first games I've played where I am tempted to play again.
I recommend this game!
Adventure runs in the family! Join Nelly and Tommy in their quest to retrieve their pirate grandmother`s hidden treasure!
Overall rating
3
/
5
6 of 7 found this review helpful
THEY GET EASIER AFTER THIS ONE
PostedSeptember 26, 2012
arnold1049
fromApache Junction, AZ
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
This game won an award in 2008, four years ago. Thankfully, subsequent games in this series are greatly improved. This is a very, very hard game and, coupled with the slow hint button, is very frustrating to play. I rarely need to use the hint button anymore, at least in casual mode playing, but this game had me using it over and over again in the same scene. Even when the button pointed out the object for me, I often could still not recognize it. A lot of the scenes were very dark, and some objects could not be seen at all against a black background. There is no choice of play mode, so you are at the mercy of the hint button. On the positive side, the graphics were excellent, and so was the story line. The depiction of the main characters were very accurate renderings of children at that age. If you have played other games in this series, then this would be a good one to play, just for the background for the other games.
Help Nelly find and save her brother from a mysterious Romanian castle and discover the secrets of the Philosophers Stone!
Overall rating
4
/
5
4 of 8 found this review helpful
PART OF A GREAT SERIES
PostedSeptember 25, 2012
arnold1049
fromApache Junction, AZ
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
This was a very enjoyable game. There were only a few times where the hints were not helpful and I needed to refer to the walk through to figure out what to do next. The story line was good, although a little disjointed. It starts out OK, with the brother summoning his sister for help. But the jumps from one canvas to another had no rhyme or reason. It would have been better if something in one canvas lead in a logical step to the next canvas. Obviously the sister is looking for her brother, but why she goes from one location to another is never addressed. I have purchased the other games in this series, hoping that they will be as straightforward as this one.
I recommend this game!
In this great sequel you must test your skills of observation in this dizzying whirlwind tour of a wacky amusement park.
Overall rating
4
/
5
17 of 19 found this review helpful
VARIATIONS ON A THEME
PostedSeptember 25, 2012
arnold1049
fromApache Junction, AZ
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
This game is very, very long. It will take you days and days to complete. There are 300 rounds in this game. There is no story line, just HOS in many variations. In fact, there are between 15-20 types of HOS, ranging from "Find and Replace" to a type of Hangman's game. Although the scenes repeat themselves throughout the game, they are challenging enough not to get too boring. If you just want to hone your HO skills, then this is the game for you.
I recommend this game!
Help Anna find and return 5 rare animals to her uncle`s zoo! You will only have three days before the zoo is shut down forever!
Overall rating
5
/
5
46 of 47 found this review helpful
NOT JUST FOR KIDS
PostedSeptember 13, 2012
arnold1049
fromApache Junction, AZ
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
Although at first glance, it looks like a kid's game, this game was a lot of fun and held my interest throughout. The variety of puzzles and combinations of HOS kept it from getting monotonous.
I really liked the fact that, if you were having trouble with a particular puzzle, you didn't have to skip it, but had the choice of going to an alternate HOS. I have never seen this before and it was a real hit for me. I am just not good at certain puzzles and this kept me from feeling frustrated. It also kept my score up in the game.
I found the hints good and the hint button quickly refreshed. And there was always one or two HO in any given scene that were pretty hard to find. The hardest HOS, in my opinion, was the circus. Also, there was a puzzle piece missing from the "repair the ship" puzzle, which was a little annoying, but, again, instead of having to skip it, I was able to play the alternate HOS.
The story line was pretty good, but had the occasional leap where you couldn't figure out how the "evidence" pointed at the next step.
The alternate HOS was the same every time, and repeated many of the same objects to find, even though the scene itself contained many more objects that could have been used. This was a little disappointing, but the fact that there was an alternate HOS more than made up for it.
This game has 27 chapters, some longer than others, so it was a good, long game. All in all, well worth the money.
I recommend this game!