purpleporpoise's Profile
Stat Summary
- Average Rating:4.5
- Helpful Votes:1,384
- Reviews Submitted:36
- First Review:November 19, 2011
- Most Recent Review:May 4, 2015
- Featured reviews0
Status:
The kingdom is under threat from pirates! Sail to the farthest islands to save your sister and become hero of the kingdom.
Overall rating
5
/
5
1 of 1 found this review helpful
OMG! I'm so addicted to this game! It's so much fun!
PostedMay 4, 2015
purpleporpoise
fromUSA
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object, Time Management, Adventure, Match 3, Large File, Strategy, Word, Mahjong
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
I'm having so much fun with this game that it's hard to stop when it's time for me to go do my chores! First of all, let me say that this is a pure strategy game with elements of adventure and an expansive world. So if you like intense, dynamic, fast moving games with lots of action and you don't like reading a lot of text pop-ups, you're probably not going to like this game. But if you like leisurely games that rely on strategic planning, gathering of resources, completion of assigned tasks and accumulation of wealth, then give this game a try.
Hero of the Kingdom II is a little different in its execution than most RTS games and it takes a little getting used to. There is not a lot of direction or hand-holding, but you can utilize the hint button if you get stuck and it's really not that hard to figure out what you need to do next. It's a mouse-driven adventure and there's no timer, so it's not a click-fest.
I didn't play the first Hero of the Kingdom game, but apparently this one picks up where the first one left off. Basically, you and your sister have been adopted by a kindly old gentlemen in a fishing village after a devastating earthquake has destroyed your home and kinsman. You and your sister are happy and secure in your new home. You're learning new skills, like fishing and gathering shells and crabs and helping fellow villagers complete tasks until pirates attack, kidnap your sister and overrun the village. After you make sure everybody is okay, then it's basically up to you to go after the pirates and rescue your sister. Along your journey, you learn additional skills, how to manage your resources wisely and earn reputation (or credibility) among the townspeople you meet along your journey. You're given tasks to complete, as well as fighting giant spiders, alligators and zombies both above and below ground - all while trying to figure out the best way to rescue your sister.
I'll warn you that there is quite a bit of backtracking and if that drives you crazy, then this game probably isn't for you. But if you can learn to manage your gathered resources and gold wisely, you won't have to backtrack as often. Because of the different order you could use in completing tasks, I can see a potential for replay value here. You do need to have a good memory to remember where to go and what townspeople to visit to acquire certain items you need to complete your tasks. There have been a few times I've needed pencil and paper to write down how many of each item I needed to combine to make a new item.
There are mushrooms, herbs and berries to be gathered, boars and wild goats to hunt, treasure to find and ghosts to tame. There's always plenty to do in this game. I've put probably eight hours into this game so far and I don't think I'm quite halfway through it yet. I only wish that resources would regenerate indefinitely, which they do not. Once you've exhausted the resources in a particular area, that's pretty much it, unless you gain a new skill that you can backtrack and use in a previously visited area where you've not already utilized that skill. I particularly liked the mushroom picking!
The only other thing I would say is that you really should play this on at least a 22-inch monitor because the items you're looking for (like the mushrooms and bird eggs) are sometimes really, really small. I play this game on a 28-inch HDTV monitor and at times they're still easy to miss. But it's not enough of an issue, for me, anyway, that it detracts from gameplay. Like I said, there's no timer, so just take your time and search every little nook-and-cranny! In some ways, it reminds me of a dungeon crawler. You never know where you're going to find a treasure and this game certainly is one!
I recommend this game!
Trapped in the past, Sarah must find a way home.
Overall rating
5
/
5
69 of 81 found this review helpful
Storyline Kept Me Engaged - Clever Interactive HO Scenes!
PostedApril 19, 2015
purpleporpoise
fromUSA
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Word, Adventure, Hidden Object, Large File, Match 3, Strategy, Time Management
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
In The Secret Order: Beyond Time, you are helping Sarah Pennington discover a way to come back from the past after her time machine is damaged when her ship, The Royal Griffin, sinks to the bottom of the ocean as she is working to try to save an ancient kingdom from the evil-doings of a secret clan. She is being helped by Flavius, who's trying to figure out how to repair her time machine, but an earthquake destroys his workshop along with the time machine and she must then figure out another way to get home, which develops into an ingenious plan.
I played all but the last five minutes of the demo and the storyline kept me engaged for the whole time. It's a combination of adventure, hidden object and puzzles, which move the story right along. Very clever use of interactive hidden object scenes, meaning you search for and combine several objects to get the one you're looking for on the list. The puzzles were challenging (for me, anyway), but not so difficult that you can't figure them out. There is a skip button, but frankly I enjoyed the puzzles and persevered, even though it usually takes me a little longer to figure them out than most people.
I'm not an experienced player of HOGs, but I did play in advanced mode and I checked off to not have the tutorial after the first few pop-ups. There is a notebook with your objectives and you have an inventory list. I did quite a bit of back and forth between scenes to find the objects I needed. I will warn that when you get to one scene (I won't say which one so that I don't give away the story) you will not be able to hop back to previous scenes until you complete your objective for that scene.
I thought the graphics were good, though not as sharp or 3D as some I've seen. But they were pretty and not too dark and scary, more of a light fantasy theme. I love the Griffin and Little Nubi is adorable! I also love the Egyptian theme. Other than Flavius, who appears at the beginning, Sarah had no interaction with other characters in the portion of the game that I played. She is mainly just searching and figuring things out on her own.
There aren't a lot of cut-scenes or voice-overs to interrupt gameplay. I know some gamers find those irritating, as do I, if it doesn't add to the story. There are a few cut-scenes in the beginning, but not too many. The music is not intrusive. Frankly, I didn't even notice the music that much, I was so engrossed in the story.
I don't know how many chapters are, so I can't say if it's a long game or a short game. But I definitely would buy it if I didn't already have so many HOG's on my PC that I still need to play all the way through - LOL! I'd like to see how the story ends and find out if Sarah makes it back home. I recommend this game, especially if you like Egyptian or Fantasy themes and interactive HO scenes.
I recommend this game!
Forget those long-winded stories and dive right into the HO scenes you love! 100% Hidden Objects gives you complete control over your gaming experience.
Overall rating
3
/
5
3 of 3 found this review helpful
100% Hidden Objects Not 100% Fun
PostedJanuary 31, 2015
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
This is the first bad review I've given a game here on Big Fish, but when a hidden object that is obviously a CB radio is called a camera, there is just no way you can find that object the first time around and win that game except to restart and play it through again. And that shouldn't be the purpose of the game to have to replay it remembering that one of the 2 cameras you're supposed to find is actually a CB radio. That's just a no-win. That glitch coupled with objects that are half-hidden and objects that don't look like what they're supposed to makes (for me, anyway) frustrating game play. My head actually hurt after playing this game.
I did like the mosaic puzzles from the Mosaic Chest, however. In those, all the objects are fully visible and arranged side-by-side like a mosaic. They were truly challenging in that you are searching for an object by its shape, since all objects were of the same color or same set of colors. Amazing how your mind can play tricks on you when what you're looking for is a different color than what you're used to!
But after I lose trust in a game that inaccurately calls an object what it is not, it soon loses its "fun appeal" for me. I don't find it challenging if I'm always second-guessing whether the object I'm looking for is what the game is telling me to look for or something completely different. That's just plain frustrating. Also, I wasted a lot of time trying to find objects that are just plain un-findable. Not as in challenging hard-to-find, but just unidentifiable because they don't look like what they're supposed to look like. It shouldn't be that hard to make a scarf look like a scarf instead of a pile of rumpled whatever-it-is.
I got this game on a sale, not full price, so it's not too great of a disappointment. If in the future, the glitches of the unidentifiable and misnamed objects are fixed, I think it'll be a great game. However until then, if you love pure hidden object games, I would be inclined to recommend instead one called The Hidden Object Show Combo Pack instead of this one. The storyline is a little silly in that one, but at least the objects look like what they're supposed to and they're named what they're supposed to be called.
I don't recommend this game.
After inheriting an old antique shop, Emily discovers an odd diary that seems to contain a number of clues as to the book's origin. As she delves deeper into the mystery, what she uncovers will change her forever.
Overall rating
4
/
5
55 of 62 found this review helpful
Much Much Better on a Bigger Monitor! Beautiful Graphics in HD!
PostedMarch 26, 2014
purpleporpoise
fromFlorence, OR USA
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Word, Adventure, Hidden Object, Large File, Match 3, Strategy, Time Management
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
I played about 45 minutes through the trial and will definitely be buying Antique Shop: Books of Souls. The HOGs are challenging and I personally don't mind the abundance of HOG scenes in this game, because I love looking for hidden objects. The graphics are beautiful and the background music is pleasant with a sort of medieval Celtic New-Age melody that loops, but is not intrusive or distracting.
The mini-games have so far been easy - word seek, matching - but I would expect them to get more difficult as the game progresses. Interesting plot line: Emily finds a Book of Souls in her deceased uncle's antique shop filled with names of people and their birth and death dates. What does it mean? HOG locations correspond to locales meaningful to the people whose names are in the book, which is also your notebook. No voice-overs, all text. But I personally find voice-overs irritating at times and I read faster most times than they can talk anyway. Hints refill quickly and there appears to be no timer or penalties for wrong clicks, which is great! As another reviewer has said, this HOG doesn't have any of the dark, evil, eery themes that a lot of HOGs here have, which is another definite plus with me. Storyline seems to be more of a mystery.
However, I will note, as has been said in previous reviews, the objects are small and well-hidden in dark areas. You can lighten it up a bit through the options menu and use the lamp from your items cache to light up areas you want to look in. I did have problems with a slow-moving cursor at first, but I went to the options menu and moved the arrow all the way to the left and the cursor moved and responded normally after that.
I really liked this game in spite of the tiny objects and dark background, so I decided to try playing it on two different monitors - a standard 15-inch VGA monitor and a 28-inch HDTV acting as a monitor. On the smaller monitor, I found that I had all the problems previous reviewers have pointed out - dark screen, really tiny objects, magnifying glass that warped objects rather than making them easier to see. However, on my larger HDTV, it looked like a completely different game. The screen was much brighter without having to adjust brightness through the options menu and the objects were larger, of course. The graphics are crisp and absolutely beautiful in HD! I will say, too, that I also have a better video card on the PC hooked up to the HDTV, so that may also make a difference.
My final recommendation on this game is that if you have a big monitor that can do high-def, then play the trial and see what you think. It's a definite buy for me during today's 24-hour sale. It says there are 60 levels and I'm a slow player, so I'm expecting many hours of play. One other thing I will note is that the same objects don't always come up in the HOG scenes if you happen to start the game over using a different profile. So there is possibly some replayability here as well.
I'll update my review in the forums when I finish the whole game. Happy HOG'ging, Fishies!
I recommend this game!
With over 500 cute photos and more than ten hours of gameplay, Holiday Jigsaw Valentine's Day will have you falling in love all over again!
Overall rating
5
/
5
12 of 14 found this review helpful
It's Pink, It's Girly, It's Colorful! Perfect for Valentine's Day!
PostedFebruary 13, 2014
purpleporpoise
fromFlorence, OR USA
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Word, Adventure, Hidden Object, Large File, Match 3, Strategy, Time Management, Puzzle
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
I'm lovin' this game! Lots of puzzle choices with 4 "boxes" of puzzles, 16 pages each, 8 puzzles to a page. Some with as little as 12 puzzle pieces, some with pieces in the hundreds and every size in between, making the difficulty levels range from easy to very challenging.
Puzzles are high-quality color photos with girly themes - candy hearts, buttons, floral bouquets, bridal shots, teddy bears, kittens, swans, etc. I love the color pink and the background is a bright, cheery pink, like a pink textured wallpaper, with roses, Valentine hearts and cupids and a little tabby cat that peeks its head out from behind the puzzle menu at the bottom. That sold me right away - LOL! What girl can resist roses, Valentines, cupids and kittens? At least not this middle-aged gal, anyway. Not saying that guys wouldn't love this too, of course!
I'm enjoying playing it so far. No technical difficulties. The music is okay - relaxing, pleasant, not irritating, but just so-so, nothing to get excited about, which is okay, because it's the perfect game to play while listening to TV! And did I mention there was lots of pink?
There's a timer at the top that keeps track of how long you take to complete a puzzle, but there doesn't seem to be any hurry to finish, unless you want to win one of the trophies that are available. There also a leaderboard, but I'm not sure yet whether you're competing against other online players or just to better your own score.
There's also a modify tool that lets you increase or decrease the number of puzzle pieces, so you can increase or decrease the level of difficulty. One thing that took me a moment to figure out was that you can rotate the pieces of some puzzles (these are noted on the puzzle selections) and some already have their puzzle pieces at the right angle, requiring no rotation. Kind of different, but okay once I figured that out. Puzzle choices and options are not quite as extensive as Ravensburger, but I'm enjoying this one more because it's a little easier for me to figure out than that one.
A perfect casual game for Valentine's Day and I highly recommend it for all jigsaw puzzle lovers, whether you're looking for a challenge or just relaxing play on a lazy afternoon!
I recommend this game!
A hidden-object, adventure, building and matching game set on a mysterious Island chain!
Overall rating
5
/
5
26 of 29 found this review helpful
Enjoyable Match-3, Builder, HOG Combo!
PostedJanuary 30, 2014
purpleporpoise
fromFlorence, OR USA
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Word, Adventure, Hidden Object, Large File, Match 3, Strategy, Time Management
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
I'm enjoying this colorful Match-3 combo with elements of building, hidden-objects and puzzles. And thank you, developers, for including a casual mode! Easy enough to play while I'm watching TV, but challenging enough to keep me interested.
Nice combination of game play styles to break the monotony of straight Match-3 and pleasant background music for those times when I play with headphones. You can move to the edges of the map with your mouse to see the entire play area. Not sure how many hours I'll get out of this, but I can always go back and play timed/challenge mode, then play again to try to beat my score. Plays great on both Windows Vista or Windows 7.
I haven't played a Match-3 I've enjoyed this much in awhile. I put it right up there with Gardenscapes, Fishdom 3 and Hidden Treasures of the Deep. Great fun and highly-recommended! Definitely worth a game credit!
I recommend this game!
So what happens when the fate of the world falls into the hands of the most irresponsible bubblehead to ever trip over royal birth?
Overall rating
4
/
5
16 of 16 found this review helpful
Cute 2D RPG with Typical Quests and Exploration!
PostedJanuary 29, 2014
purpleporpoise
fromFlorence, OR USA
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Word, Adventure, Hidden Object, Large File, Match 3, Strategy, Time Management
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
I'm a die-hard 2D RPG fan and I bought this after a half-hour of play. I love basic sprite-based RPG games and this one has the typical cute storyline, quests and exploration that are the staple of this type of game. (Spoiler: The opening quest has Princess Calliope saving a beloved pet cat. What could be cuter?)
There is some strategy involved when buying magical items and power-ups at the town shop and also in deciding your attack strategy when dealing with bosses. And, yes, I have died 3 times so far, but the game will ask you every so often if you want to save and there are 5 save slots so you don't have to start all over again. Also, you can save your game manually at any time by pressing the X key on your keyboard and scrolling down to "save" on the menu.
There are lots of buildings and rooms to explore in town. There is some backtracking, so it's important to remember locations that you might need to come back to later after you have accomplished certain tasks or to procure certain items. So far, there appears to be plenty of open world to explore. There are at least two dungeons I have found with treasure chests to discover (coins) which enable you to buy your magical items and also weapons to find which will help you in your battles with the bosses lurking within.
I agree with previous reviewers that there is scant documentation. But it is, after all, an adventure game and the points are exploration and discovery. It reminds me of the old-style text-based adventure games ("You enter the forest. Climb to the top of the tallest oak tree. Look north. You see a dragon. What do you do?"). Anyone remember those? Of course, I'm aging myself here - LOL! But seriously, in my opinion you need to give this game more than an hour to really get into the storyline.
While A Princess' Tale might not compare to, say, an Aveyond or Skyborn, I'm interested enough to continue playing. It's not too hard, but it's definitely not easy either. Most games have credits at the beginning that say who the developer is. I don't see any credits in this game, so I'm assuming maybe it's a first title (?) and, if it is, it's really not that bad.
I'd recommend this game, but would suggest buying it during a sale like I did (sorry, developers) or a Daily Deal. But give it a chance and you may just find yourself having fun!
I recommend this game!
Help Oozi find his way home in Oozie: Earth Adventure! This classic 2D platformer offers old school gameplay, but with modern visuals and hand-drawn art.
Overall rating
5
/
5
21 of 22 found this review helpful
Oozi is Quickly Making me a Platformer Fan!
PostedDecember 12, 2012
purpleporpoise
fromUSA
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Family, Word, Arcade & Action, Adventure, Hidden Object, Large File, Match 3, Strategy, Time Management, Puzzle, Mahjong
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
First off, I'll admit I SUCK at platform games! Ask my daughter who, at 8 years old, could absolutely annihilate me playing Mario on Nintendo! But games like this one are slowly winning me over.
At first, I didn't think I would like Oozi much. He's a weird-looking little alien who's crash-landed (after running out of gas - duh!!) on an even more alien-looking planet with strange little creatures who might be scarey, if they weren't so cute!
Oozi's buggy little eyes and perpetual grin quickly grew on me. So, of course, I have to buy this game so I can help him find the pieces to his ship as he struggles to maintain health, rack up points and stomp out bad "bosses." I always have difficulty using keyboard controls in platformer games, so the thing I really, really like about this game is that I can actually use my Xbox-clone game controller instead of a keyboard, which makes for much more responsive movement.
This is a great game for those just starting out with platformers or who generally suck at them (like me). Cute characters, great graphics, pleasant music and sound. Just enough difficulty to make leveling challenging, but attainable and not enough to make you so frustrated that you want to quit. I recommend Oozi for "kids" of all ages!
I recommend this game!
Help Mevo reunite his band and end the terrible reign of Silence! If you can bring back the funk you’ll save the universe!
Overall rating
5
/
5
9 of 10 found this review helpful
Challenging & VERY Different! Great for Eye-Hand Coordination!
PostedDecember 12, 2012
purpleporpoise
fromUSA
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Family, Word, Arcade & Action, Adventure, Hidden Object, Large File, Match 3, Strategy, Time Management, Puzzle, Mahjong
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
Mevo and the Grooveriders is a very different kind of platformer! Challenging and great for improving eye-hand coordination and sharpening snap judgment skills. The storyline is simple: Silence has kidnapped Mevo's bandmates, the Grooveriders, and Mevo must move through worlds to get them back! To do so, Mevo must hit all the right musical notes, as he maintains health and racks up points and awards.
Mevo runs by himself. All you have to do is hit the left shift key or mouse button for the blue note and the right shift key or mouse button for the yellow note. Think it sounds easy? Think again!
If you think having Mevo run on his own, leaving you to do nothing but hit the right notes, sounds like a boring game, I think you're going to be in for a big surprise! Leveling up is challenging. Not only do you have to hit the right keys in succession, but you have to sustain the notes when prompted as well. I finally managed to finish Level One with all Mevo's health intact, but I'm replaying it until I can get the gold award, which is way more difficult.
The graphics are simple, but colorful and mesmorizing. I didn't think I'd like Mevo, but his one eye grows on you after awhile and I ended up really wanting to help the little guy get his friends back.
The music, a type of synthesizer funk, will have you bobbing your head to the beat. This is NOT a game you can relax and play while watching a movie or listening to Coast to Coast AM. But the groovy music (which reminds me a little of the Funkadelics) takes much of the edge off and keeps me from getting too "uptight." The levels are challenging, but achievable IF you don't get frustrated and practice, practice, practice! I found that I do much better and can react much more quickly using the keyboard controls than the mouse keys.
Although this game won't be for everyone, I'd recommend it to anyone of any age wanting to improve their coordination, attention and memory skills. I'll definitely be buying and playing it to the end, which I don't think will be all that easy. But it should provide this uncoordinated little old lady with years of fun!
I recommend this game!
Take a trip to the beautiful Caribbean and create your very own tropical hideaway!
Overall rating
5
/
5
1 of 2 found this review helpful
Fun Pirate-Themed Match 3 with Lots of Challenge
PostedDecember 9, 2012
purpleporpoise
fromUSA
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Family, Word, Adventure, Hidden Object, Large File, Match 3, Strategy, Time Management, Puzzle, Mahjong
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
I downloaded Caribbean Hideaway when it showed up in my suggested games after I logged into BigFish and ended up buying it when I had just 2 minutes left of my hour trial. Honestly, I didn't even know about this game, so it pays sometimes to click on those game suggestions and check them out, because I'm surprised how much I liked this one. I didn't start out a Match 3 fan, but am quickly becoming one as I play more games like this one.
As the other reviewers have said, it's a little different type of Match 3. Because your pointer picks up the symbol of the last symbols matched and the different goals involved in each session of matching, it makes for some interesting strategy, but not so much that it makes my head hurt!
This is the first Match 3 I've played where I've put my thinking cap on. However, the game play is still relaxing not stressed. There is a timer, but also power-ups in the bottom right-hand corner which allow you to add time to your session, "break" stubborn tiles with your hammer and take all tiles of a certain symbol off the board. You can also buy cannonballs with the gold you earn and use them to explode targeted sections of the board.
You build your very own pirate retreat with the gold coins you "earn" and one of the strategies is adding enough buildings to your retreat to keep your pirate citizens employed in jobs so they don't steal your gold!
Hilarious pirate characters! Really cute graphics! The music is "piratey" and just so-so, but you don't need to listen to it to play. There may have been some voice-overs in the beginning, I don't remember. But for the most part, the storyline, as such, progresses along in your notebook in the bottom right-hand corner.
All-in-all, a super fun combination of Match 3 and builder game that I highly recommend for Match 3 lovers looking for a little different twist!
I recommend this game!