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:
Dragon Empire
Earn resources to build a unique looking beautiful city. Fill it with people and improve your economic and military might!
Overall rating
4
/
5
19 of 20 found this review helpful
Fun and Relaxing Match 3 & Building Combination
PostedMay 21, 2012
purpleporpoise
fromUSA
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Family, Word, Adventure, Hidden Object, Large File, Strategy, Time Management, Mahjong
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
I became so engrossed in this game that my trial hour was over before I knew it! This is a fun and relaxing Match 3 and building game combination. The graphics are nice. Not outstanding, just average as Match 3 games go. But neither are they too cartoonish nor are they blurry in the least and the colors are pleasing and bright. The little villagers are cute! If you watch the bushes closely, you'll see little heads pop up, look around and then hide back in the bushes again!
The matching part is timed, but not stressful. If you don't finish before the timer, you simply start the level over. Matching 3 or more like tiles removes them. Matching certain type of tiles, like coins or bells, earns you resources that enable you to build your empire and also power ups you can use to destroy tiles to free up other tiles.
Completing a level unlocks bigger and better buildings to build. You progress from building a simple forge and village, on up to temples, rice paddies, a town square and more. However, you can't place your buildings wherever you want to, as you can in "Heroes of Kalevala" (another combination Match 3 and building game on BigFish), which was why I give it a 4 overall rating and not a 5. Nor was I able to go back and choose from the previous buildings I had already built once I'd earned resources to progress beyond that building set, although it does say during the tutorial that you can add improvements. For example, I wanted to go back and add an additional village and watermill, but could not, although there may be a way you can do that once you get further on into the game.
As far as levels in the game, I'm not sure how many there are. But I think another reviewer here said there are quite a few, so replay value should be good.
I was enjoying the game so much that the trial hour was over before I knew it! Totally fun! The music is very relaxing, not intrusive. I actually turned it down and listened to a radio program while playing. Runs fine on my Windows Vista 64-bit desktop with a 19-inch flat screen. I'm not sure I'd pay full price, but I'd definitely pay the game club price and it's definitely worth a game club credit!
I recommend this game!
Keep your brain on its toes with daily mental exercises covering different subjects. Stimulate your brain with Brainiversity!
Overall rating
4
/
5
61 of 63 found this review helpful
Great Brain Challenger!
PostedFebruary 10, 2012
purpleporpoise
fromUSA
Skill Level:Beginner
Favorite Genre(s):Family, Word, Arcade & Action, Adventure, Hidden Object, Large File, Strategy, Time Management, Mahjong
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
This is a great game to exercise your brain. A friendly light bulb (light bulb for bright idea?) guides you through timed tests in 4 categories - language, memorization, math and analytical - that get progressively more challenging as you improve your score. You can only take the daily exam once each day, but you can take unlimited practice exams. Also, different levels in each of the 4 subjects tests are unlocked as your score improves, adding more variety to the gameplay.
The graphics are just so-so, but sufficient for the purpose. It's a game for testing your brain, so don't expect to be entertained, except by light bulb's encouraging and, at times, funny comments. He's really quite clever and interacts with the player. For instance, when I logged on the game just now (it's after 1:00 a.m. here), he asked me "Shouldn't you be in bed?" Now, how cute is that? The only complaint I have is that, as cute as the little light bulb is, his voice is kind of irritating. But his comments are also captioned, so I just turn the sound down.
Whoever programmed the game did a great job. I would have given it fives in all categories except for the mediocre graphics and sound. But I'm not really sure that more should be expected, since this isn't really that type of a game.
I haven't unlocked all the levels yet, but my scores are getting better. It's already improving my memory and recall somewhat. If it actually makes me smarter in the long run, you can bet I'll be singing Brainiversity's praises for a long time. I did buy the game after the trial and I'm really delighted to see that there is a Brainiversity 2.
If you like word and memorization games or are wanting to improve your memory and sharpen your thought processes and aren't concerned whether it has mind-bending graphics or animation, you'll probably enjoy this game.
I recommend this game!
Cooking Dash: DinerTown Studios
Overall rating
4
/
5
20 of 28 found this review helpful
Fun Game, But I Got Stuck!
PostedFebruary 2, 2012
purpleporpoise
fromUSA
Skill Level:Beginner
Favorite Genre(s):Word, Arcade & Action, Adventure, Hidden Object, Large File, Match 3, Strategy, Time Management, Mahjong
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
This is a fun game. The graphics are excellent and the music is enjoyable. The storyline is cute - Flo and Granny try to help the studio by serving up good food to some very picky movie stars and stage hands.
But I got stuck when I couldn't figure out what to do after I messed up and put a customer's order on 2 plates instead of 1 and I ended up with both hands full. I couldn't put down one plate or put the food from 2 plates onto 1 plate. I know there must be a way, but I couldn't figure it out, even when I looked in the help files that come with the game.
Also, when a customer wanted fried fish instead of broiled, I couldn't get the piece of fish to stay in the deep fryer, so I lost that customer. I have tendency not to stick too long with games that I don't find intuitive enough.
I would still recommend the game, though, because I've played the demo of Cooking Dash and thought that one was fun and found it somewhat easier than this one. I also have Hotel Dash Suite Success and I love that one. Flo is a great character. Anywhere Flo is is bound to be loads of fun!
So I think it's just me not being able to figure out what to do and not anything wrong with the game. See the other reviews here. Lots of gamers are liking it. I'm not going to buy this one, but don't let that stop you from trying it. You may be a lot better at frying fish and serving it up on a plate than I am!
I recommend this game!
Choose your hero and match your tribe to glory in the lands of Kalevala. Build your own villages and unlock beautiful worlds!
Overall rating
5
/
5
9 of 9 found this review helpful
Totally Fun Mix of Match 3 and Build-It!
PostedJanuary 31, 2012
purpleporpoise
fromUSA
Skill Level:Beginner
Favorite Genre(s):Family, Word, Arcade & Action, Adventure, Time Management, Hidden Object, Large File, Mahjong, Strategy
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
I bought this game sight unseen as a Daily Deal and I'm so glad I did! I would gladly have paid full price. I don't usually care for Match 3 games, but this one is really fun. The ability to unlock mythical "heroes" to help you clear tiles and the adventure of building villages with the virtual money you earn from game points makes it interesting. If you love timed Match 3, build-it, money management and adventure games, you should like this one.
You get to buy huts and foliage to build a town in the mythical land of Kalevala as you gain points and earn money from clearing tiles in the Match 3 portion, all the while avoiding the evil witch's crow. Oh, yes, and you have to keep your little villagers happy, so they'll love, love, love with lots of hearts! When you earn enough money, you can send explorers out to build other villages and then interact with those villages to buy-and-sell, but I haven't gotten that far in the game yet.
There is also a scrolling interactive map that you can use to move from village to village. On the menu under other features, there is a guide that explains who the mythical heroes are and their powers.
One issue I have: There are some funny captions and open hand symbols that occasionally appear above the heads of the villagers that I'm not sure how to respond to. It's not explained in the game, at least not that I've seen. So I'll have to go to the BFG forums to find out.
The graphics are nice, the Match 3's colorful with a nice, light atmosphere overall, even with the evil witch. Level of challenge is good. Easy enough for me to win, but I still lose sometimes too. I have no technical problems at all running it with 64-bit Vista. I'm not sure how many levels there are in this game or how many game hours there are, but it looks like I'll be playing this game for awhile. Fun factor gets a HUGE 10 - a BIG THUMBS UP from me!
I recommend this game!
Stay fashionable in Sale Frenzy and help an average girl get the attention of the boy she loves in this fun Time Management game!
Overall rating
2
/
5
Not my kind of sale!
PostedJanuary 31, 2012
purpleporpoise
fromUSA
Skill Level:Beginner
Favorite Genre(s):Family, Word, Arcade & Action, Adventure, Time Management, Hidden Object, Large File, Mahjong, Strategy
Fun Factor
2
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
This was the first game that I downloaded as one of the "play it a day early" game club offerings at BFG. I couldn't wait to play it. I thought it would be a fun game, even though I'm not into fashion, because what gal can resist a sale? I had the idea that you would get to shop for clothes and then dress up an avatar to gain points for time and fashion savvy. But the game is not that at all.
I played the demo for about 25 minutes. I agree with some of the other reviewers that it's really unclear what the character is supposed to be doing other than getting points for picking the right clothes and bonus points for picking certain items before the competition. And I'm not clear where additional money comes from to buy clothes after her initial funds acquisition.
The character's goal is to impress the guy she's trying to nab by dressing like a fashionista. But I didn't find that to be enough motivation to make me want to play this game any longer than the 25 minutes in demo mode. Also, I'm not sure I'd want my teenage daughter playing a game where the primary goal is to gain the attentions of a guy by dressing a certain way. I actually liked the way the character looked just the way she is in the beginning narration scene. She's really cute and sexy-looking, even in her drab clothes!
With that said, the graphics are great, very sharp, colorful and well-done. Things on playing area are big enough to see and there is a nice atmosphere overall. Avatars move smoothly and the city maps are cute. There are different boutiques you can click on with your mouse to shop at and also nightclubs that I guess you get to go into at some point in the game, but I didn't get that far. I really don't remember much about the music because I generally turn it down. Cursor movement and mouse control was good. I didn't have any technical problems at all with the game and I'm running 64-bit Vista.
It seems to be a straight TM game. Easy enough to win points in the time allotted. But I didn't always win against my competitors, because, frankly, with the dumb plot, I didn't feel that sense of urgency to try to beat the timer. And that's the point of a TM, right? I mean, the guy she's trying to get isn't even that cute! (I say that tongue-in-cheek!)
The storyline gets an F from me, though that's just my personal opinion. It might be a fun game for really young girls (think, "Dress-Up, Barbie" or "Dream Date"). I'm over 50, so it may just be an age thing. I think it would have been a more fun game for me if you were just shopping to beat your competitors to the best deals and latest fashions without the stupid goal of impressing a guy!
A no-buy for me, but I can't give it a complete thumbs down, because the graphics are great and it runs with no glitches on my 64-bit Vista! I'll give Sale Frenzy II a try if the developers design it as a straight shopping TM without the stupid plot.
I don't recommend this game.
Word Whomp ™ Underground
Help the wacky gophers collect acorns and spare parts for their underground drilling machines by spelling as many words as you can!
Overall rating
5
/
5
65 of 86 found this review helpful
Gophers get a 10 for CCF factor (Cute, Challenging & Fun)!
PostedJanuary 21, 2012
purpleporpoise
fromUSA
Skill Level:Beginner
Favorite Genre(s):Word, Arcade & Action, Adventure, Time Management, Hidden Object, Large File, Mahjong, Strategy
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
I always thought of myself as a master speller at word scramble games, until I played this one. You have to spell as many 3, 4, 5 and 6-letter word combinations as you can with the letters you're given before your time runs out. You'd think it would be a piece o' cake (like I did), but it's not. I played this game as a demo and never beat the clock even once. So it's a definite buy for me. I GOTTA buy it just to try to beat it!
The gophers are adorable! If you take too long to form a word, they start falling asleep! The music gets a little monotonous after awhile, but I just mute it. Some of the letter combinations used are words that I would consider slang and would never have thought of using as legitimate words. But the game doesn't necessarily follow the traditional rules that we adhered to as kids when we played Scrabble (okay, I'm aging myself here). Once you know that, though, I guess it's okay.
I'm not sure I'd recommend it for kids. To me, it's a little hard. I can't even find all the letter combinations and I'm 56! But I may be underestimating the kids of today - LOL!! When your kids and grandkids have to show you how to use your new smartphone, you know you're getting old!
This game is definitely a brain-teaser and should keep a person busy for awhile!
I recommend this game!
There's a battle brewing in the backyard and only you can save the day! Tumblebugs is the hit action-puzzler in which Black Bugs are rounding up and trapping the peaceful Tumblebugs underground.
Overall rating
5
/
5
176 of 248 found this review helpful
Don't let the cute factor fool you . . . Very challenging marble popper game!
PostedJanuary 21, 2012
purpleporpoise
fromUSA
Skill Level:Beginner
Favorite Genre(s):Word, Arcade & Action, Adventure, Time Management, Hidden Object, Large File, Mahjong, Strategy
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
I played this game for about 5 minutes in demo mode before I decided to buy it. I'm a total newb and I'm still on Level 2, so it will definitely keep me busy for awhile. Marble popper games are not usually my favorites, but that may change. I love this game almost as much as Bird's Town.
I had to get used to how to use the mouse pointer. It's a little different than Bird's Town and there was a learning curve. I would definitely recommend a good, precise mouse for this game. Mine's not that good and doesn't always point where I want it to and the stupid cord gets in the way. I need lots of room to move the mouse around on my desk, so keyboard, papers, everything gets pushed to the side - LOL! I depend on the cursor to bulls-eye the targets a little more than I do in Bird's Town, where I basically just aim and shoot. But I really like the game and the tumblebugs are super cute. The ominous-sounding growl that comes out of the black bug's hole after it captures all your bugs is great!
Fun game for kids of any age from 5 to 65. But don't let the cute factor fool you. The levels are very challenging.
I recommend this game!
Journey into the mythical Snowfall Kingdom and investigate the disappearance of children in Dark Parables: Rise of the Snow Queen!
Overall rating
5
/
5
5 of 5 found this review helpful
The most beautiful hidden-object game I've played so far!
PostedDecember 5, 2011
purpleporpoise
fromUSA
Skill Level:Beginner
Favorite Genre(s):Arcade & Action, Adventure, Time Management, Hidden Object, Large File, Mahjong, Strategy
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
I read "The Snow Queen" when I was little and it was one of the most scary, yet beautiful fairy tales I've ever read. The Snow Queen was always frightening, mysterious and beautiful at the same time. Whether or not she was truly evil depended upon how you interpreted the story. Did she simply love children so much that she spirited them away or did she truly mean to hurt them? And so I find it is with this game version.
The graphics are beautifully done and the music is haunting, but in a pleasing way. Not too loud or distracting. I'll be playing this game to the end no matter how easy or difficult it becomes, because it's just so pretty to look at. I'm a beginner, but I'm finding the HO scenes about medium in difficulty. Every so often there is an object that takes me forever to find.
The puzzles are medium to easy (so far). However, I'm still on chapter one, so things may get more difficult as the game progresses. I like the way the HO scenes are done by matching visual objects to visual objects instead of words to the corresponding visual objects. A very interesting way to do it and the first time I've seen it done that way in one of these games.
The game progresses at a good pace (for me, anyway) and the story line is compelling. If you like medieval or Celtic themes, you will love this game. Lots of Celtic symbols embedded in the hidden-object scenes. I don't own many collector's editions, but this one is a definite buy for me. Also, I see that there is a bonus game included, which should extend playtime a little.
Kudos to the developers for the beautiful graphics! I'll definitely check out the other games in this series.
I recommend this game!
Strange figures have taken over a small town in Hallowed Legends: The Templar! Stop the Knights of the Templar!
Overall rating
4
/
5
3 of 3 found this review helpful
Nice Hidden-Object mystery...very challenging, but just not one of my favorites
PostedNovember 24, 2011
purpleporpoise
fromUSA
Skill Level:Beginner
Favorite Genre(s):Family, Arcade & Action, Adventure, Time Management, Hidden Object, Large File, Mahjong, Strategy
Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Nice hidden-object game. Graphics are very well-done. There's not a lot of intrusive dialogue. The mini-puzzles are challenging. The circle puzzle is driving me crazy! Still haven't solved it.
I like the mixture of medieval and modern themes, but for some reason, this HOG is not resonating with me, which is more of a personal preference rather than a reflection of the quality of the game. I think other hidden-object gamers will like it, especially the challenge level. You have a choice to play at casual level with a lot of help or more advanced with little or no help. Maybe that was my problem. I played at a more advanced level during trial play and I am a beginner. I find several of the puzzles difficult.
The hidden-object sequences are about average and the level of difficulty about average IMO. It advances at a good pace for me. It just is not one of my favorites. I've played HOGs that I like a lot better and I probably will not buy this one, at least not right now.
I recommend this game!
Build up Birds Town using incredible powerups, gorgeous gems, and more in this incredibly fun Marble Popper game!
Overall rating
5
/
5
126 of 157 found this review helpful
Great basic marble popper game. Easy enough for kids and slow shooters!
PostedNovember 24, 2011
purpleporpoise
fromUSA
Skill Level:Beginner
Favorite Genre(s):Family, Arcade & Action, Adventure, Time Management, Hidden Object, Large File, Mahjong, Strategy
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
2
/
5
This game is a super simple basic marble popper game. A line of birdies marches slowly along, as you launch birdies from a catapult to match 3 or more of the same color. Try to match all the birdies and keep them from marching into the cat's cage!
Okay, so I guess I'm a little of a dimwit, because it took me 17 minutes just to get through Level 1 and my birds kept getting caught in the cage! But once I finally got through Level 1, I was able to start building the birdies their own little town with the points I won. The graphics are super cute, the music nice, not at all irritating and the game slow enough that even slow shooters, like myself, can get some good shots in. Even with that, I my birdies kept getting caught by the cats! (Don't worry, animals lovers, no birdies are harmed in this game, unless you're a really bad shot and accidentally catapult them into a rock!)
I'm not good at shooter games, but I like this one and found it addicting and very relaxing play. It's one that my grandsons and I will be able to enjoy together when they comes to visit! Plus you get to build the birdies their own little town and add on to it as you go along with the points you earn from all the birdies you save! My understanding from reading other reviews in the BFG forums is that the levels DO get a little more difficult as you advance.
Fun game for kids and anyone 50 and over going-on-5! If there was a category for cute-factor, I would give it a 10! I give it only a 2 on level of challenge only because I don't think it will present any challenge for expert marble shooters. This one is a definite buy for me!
I recommend this game!