pennmom36's Profile
Stat Summary
- Average Rating:3.7
- Helpful Votes:358,445
- Reviews Submitted:4725
- First Review:December 10, 2012
- Most Recent Review:July 20, 2025
- Featured reviews0
Status:
Reveries: Soul Collector Collector's Edition
Your wedding day gets interrupted when your fiancée is kidnapped!
Overall rating
3
/
5
88 of 94 found this review helpful
Another Wedding Day Nightmare
PostedDecember 13, 2014
pennmom36
fromHow come King Richard sounds like Bane?
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Match 3, Time Management, Puzzle
Current Favorite:
Phantasmat Collector's Edition
(101)Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
Welcome to Misty Island Kingdom, your Majesty, King Richard has been in love with you since the day you first met. Unfortunately the King's heart is so full of love that Dark Wing (isn't he a duck?) plans on using his royal heart to feed to the wolves. Dark Wing (I just can't take this serious) must appease the guardians of the gate, in order to flood the world with chaos. These guardian wolves represent human emotions such as, greed and envy, and only needs one more heart to open the gate, the heart of true love! Before walking down the aisle, your Majesty, you must enter the portal and save the King before Dark Wing turns King Richard into....... a tree?! (I know, I know, the story kinda lost credibility here)
Once you enter the portal you will save a wee tree, the best I can describe this anomaly, is a miniature tree, complete with limbs for hair and limbs for er..limbs. Whatever he is supposed to be, he tags along to lend you a limb here and there, squirming about whenever his services are needed. (I should've just waited for Richard to turn into a tree and used him) There are some features that I liked, the menu and map icons are located directly on top of the lockable inventory bar, and there is a drop down tab on the top left to access achievements and a drop down tab on the top right that accesses an eagle which will eventually have 22 feathers once you find find them within the game. This game must be fairly short because I found about half of the feathers within the trial version, but this is just an assumption on my part.
The Hidden Object Scenes were mostly interactive list finds, but some of the scenes were repeated a second time which is a feature I despise because it's too boring a second time around. One of the HOS that I did find interesting was finding items in a room one at a time as the healer asked you to find a needed ingredient, but this feature isn't anything new either. You can opt to switch to a jigsaw puzzle instead of Hidden Object Scenes. The mini games were way too easy such as moving dancers of different colors to their matching slots on a board, but I must admit there were a couple of mini games that I totally loved. One of them was choosing the correct object that correlated to several riddles being asked, and the other was defeating a monstrous cave dwelling wolf. The wolf had five lives and you only had three lives, the wolf held a sphere that represented a different element of either fire, water or earth, and you would choose which element would defeat the wolf's element such as water would defeat fire.
This Collectors Edition has Wallpapers, Concept Art, Screensavers, Movies, Music, replayable HO"s and Mini Games, Jigsaw Puzzles, Collectible Eagle Feather's, a built in Strategy Guide and a Bonus Chapter. The problem with this game was that is was super predictable, and way to easy, which makes the game kind of boring. I don't mind stories that have been done several times before, as long as the game is interesting enough, and there just isn't a wow factor to keep me entertained.
I don't recommend this game.
Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde: The Strange Case
A monster lurks in the fog of Victorian London. He seems to be related to the individual staying at Dr.Jekyll’s house: Mr. Hyde!
Overall rating
2
/
5
3 of 4 found this review helpful
Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde: The Strange Case
PostedDecember 12, 2014
pennmom36
fromThose are matches?
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Match 3, Time Management, Puzzle
Current Favorite:
Phantasmat Collector's Edition
(101)Fun Factor
2
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
2
/
5
Level of Challenge
2
/
5
Storyline
2
/
5
I was hoping this would be a really entertaining game because the storyline sounds interesting. Unfortunately the game lacks entertainment. This is a HdO type game with the main feature that allows you to click anywhere on the scene and drag the entire scene around, as well as zooming in and out of that particular area. The items that you are supposed to find are incredibly small and most are unrecognizable despite the fact that you can zoom into the scene. You can click on gold stars that are randomly placed in each location, that will give you an extra hint for each star collected. There are mini games and puzzles available as well. It's a no go for me, if I can't identify any objects, it's just no fun.
I don't recommend this game.
Dark Parables: The Little Mermaid and the Purple Tide
You've been called to investigate a strange purple tide. And that's when the mermaid shows up...
Overall rating
5
/
5
165 of 186 found this review helpful
The Sea Goddess Must Be Angry!
PostedDecember 12, 2014
pennmom36
fromI think Pinocchio just got sacrificed!
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Match 3, Time Management, Puzzle
Current Favorite:
Phantasmat Collector's Edition
(101)Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
An anomalous Purple Tide has rolled onto the shores of Crete, Greece, setting off a chain reaction of deadly waves which causes the mythical underwater kingdom of Prasino to rise from it's barnacle infested grave hundreds of feet below sea level. Prasino isn't the only thing to appear out of nowhere, a giant eel has also been disturbed, and it's hard to ignore sightings of mermaids when none of this seemed remotely possible in the first place! It is your job Detective, to find a way to stop the deadly Purple Tide, and perhaps solve an ancient mystery.
In true Dark Parable fashion, the Hidden Object Scenes are actually very well blended fragments of an object, in three different sections. When the fragments for all three sections have been found, the three sections will magically combine to create a single inventory item such as a key or emblem. Some of the inventory items require some type of interaction before using the item, such as combining that item with another inventory item. You will also collect Parables, which are items related to four different tales pertaining to the story. Mini games are always creative in Dark Parables, my favorite game was collecting glowing spheres on a board, as you make your way to the red boxes, collecting the spheres will give you additional moves that you will need to make it to the red box.
The Collectors Edition has Pictures, Movies, Music, Collectibles, Parables, a Souvenir Chest, Achievements, replayable HOP and Mini Games, a built in Strategy Guide and a Bonus Chapter: John and King Bluebeard, enjoy!
I recommend this game!
Christmas Eve: Midnight's Call Collector's Edition
Do you have what it takes to save Christmas?
Overall rating
4
/
5
95 of 106 found this review helpful
Christmas Nightmares!
PostedDecember 11, 2014
pennmom36
fromAn ice giant the best you got?
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Match 3, Time Management, Puzzle
Current Favorite:
Phantasmat Collector's Edition
(101)Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
"On Christmas Eve, your dreams are sweet, at midnight all your fears you'll meet. When the clock strikes 12, it's time to hide, from the darkness emerge those who've died. The ancient evil is again made flesh, they'll turn your living world to ash. What do you see, is it a dream? Wake up, try not to scream!"
With an opening poem, such as this, I was expecting more, than just Christmas bliss. I'm told that an ancient evil will soon be alive, but there's really nothing scary, so why should I hide? The Queen of Snow Hill, want's to make me a deal, just save the kingdom from the wicked sorceress so real, and she will return my dear sister, so our family can heal! I haven't yet seen the dead arise, just presents and decorations as you can surmise!
It's difficult to review this game without comparing it to the "other" Christmas game that was recently released, for starters, the graphics pale in comparison. Keep in mind that the graphics in this game are hand drawn, and not meant to be realistic. I was hoping for an epic Christmas tale, but in my opinion, the story is just an adaptation of the same old story told a million times, your sister dies in a tragic accident but you keep having recurring dreams that indicate she is still alive and well. I thought this was a good game, just not an epic game. There are collectible presents to discover and you will decorate your living room with assorted Christmas decorations for each achievement you earn. (again, nothing epic)
The Hidden Object Scenes are mostly interactive list finds, with only one or two items requiring a simple interaction such as pulverizing a mushroom with a pestle. I did however, really enjoy the mini games which allow you to choose between Casual and Hard modes for each game. My personal favorite was putting a calendar together by matching two sections of different animals. The center buttons rotate the outside disk, the inner disk is stationary with pictures of half of the animal, and there are dragons on the outside of the disk on the left and right side which will swap to adjacent tiles until you have complete pictures of each of the animals.
This Collectors Edition has Music, Screensavers, Videos, Wallpapers, Concept Art, replayable HO's and Mini Games, Collectibles, Achievements, a built in Strategy Guide and a Bonus Chapter. This is an entertaining game, but it just left me wanting a little more, see what you think, enjoy!
I recommend this game!
An unexpected invitation sends you to research mythical standing stones in Brittany.
Overall rating
4
/
5
86 of 97 found this review helpful
Seven Hours To Save Two Worlds!
PostedDecember 10, 2014
pennmom36
fromWhere is Avalon?
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Match 3, Time Management, Puzzle
Current Favorite:
Phantasmat Collector's Edition
(101)Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
The Druids have prophesied that a comet will hide in the dark side of the moon, the skies will turn purple and an evil demon (is there such thing as a nice demon?) entombed by the Druids long ago, will escape to create havoc and bring an end to the world as we know it. Against the will of the brotherhood, Michael has risked everything, including his own life, to ask for an outsiders help, a very well known archeologist. Liz boards a plane and heads for Brittany, France to investigate the menhirs standing stones, according to the prophecy, there are only 7 hours left!
I found this story to be refreshingly new, in spite of what other reviewers have stated, the only feature I found fault with was the fact that there weren't enough areas of interest in each scene. The graphics depict perfectly what you would expect from a town that has been forgotten for way too long. Even though we have grown accustomed to seeing all the "extras" a game has to offer, only in Collectors Editions, this game treats us with 70 collectible mistletoes, which I believe refills the hint icon (at least that's where they go) and you collect 40 mosaic pieces to complete a mosaic bas relief. Keep your eye's open, many of the collectibles are in the Hidden Object Scenes, and almost always tucked away somewhere within zoomed in areas!
The Hidden Object Scenes are pure delights, some are interactive, progressive silhouettes where you find items and use them in the scenes to find other objects, others are list finds and even fragmented finds, and very entertaining. The mini games are fun, but nothing new such as "Blocks" where you move different shaped blocks, some move up and down, some move left and right, and you need to expose all four corners. My favorite game required you to position green and gold tokens onto their matching colored discs, using handles to rotate the discs, and the handle to swap the tiles between the two discs.
This is just a stand alone game but it has some really nice features such as, 70 collectible mistletoes and 40 hidden collectible mosaic puzzle pieces that will allow you to assemble a mosaic tile puzzle once you have found all of the pieces. Enjoy!
I recommend this game!
Happy Empire
The evil wizard Moramor has captured the Happy Empire! Help Princess Leya overcome difficulties, banish the evil wizard and restore the empire!
Overall rating
3
/
5
53 of 57 found this review helpful
Loading................................
PostedDecember 10, 2014
pennmom36
fromHappy, Happy, Happy!
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Match 3, Time Management, Puzzle
Current Favorite:
Phantasmat Collector's Edition
(101)Fun Factor
3
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
I'm a huge Time Management fan, and I was positive I was going to love this game when I looked at the description and screenshots. The graphics are very good, that's certainly a plus, but between each level, I had to stare at a log cabin with a banners saying, loading........for what seemed like an eternity! I'm not a patient person when it comes to computer games, and I bet I'm not the only person who has a need for speed, dial up days are so yesteryear! With that complaint out of the way, I did love the vibrant colors and realistic items available such as the "food" which is a whole turkey beautifully basted and realistic enough to make you hungry. I felt there was way too much dialog which took up a lot of precious demo time. The game is available in Timed or Relaxed mode and it does give you an option to skip the tutorial. The story that this TM game is based upon is about a Happy Empire, the Empress Laya has just returned from a voyage where she was seeking new discoveries of resources and knowledge to make the people even happier. When she returns from her voyage she is unhappy to discover that the evil wizard Moramor has returned to create chaos even though he has been banned from Happy Empire. There are goals to meet in each level such as collecting food and resources, repairing roads and bridges and constructing buildings that will allow you to achieve your goals and earn 3 gold stars, all within the allotted time given (in timed mode) I'm not as critical as some of the other reviewers, the game itself isn't all that bad, it's just sluggish and really has nothing new to bring to the table, however if you like a slower paced game and play in a relaxed mode, this might be ideal for you.
I don't recommend this game.
Christmas Stories: Hans Christian Andersen's Tin Soldier Collector's Edition
The Rat King's wand has fallen into the hands of a vengeful baron. Team up with your new friend, the Tin Soldier, to stop him!
Overall rating
5
/
5
146 of 167 found this review helpful
Animated Christmas Wonderland
PostedDecember 10, 2014
pennmom36
fromToyland
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Match 3, Time Management, Puzzle
Current Favorite:
Phantasmat Collector's Edition
(101)Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
The Nutcracker has once again been turned into a toy, by now he's probably used to it, but this time his sister Nina and her fiance Charlie have become toy victims as well! Charlie and Nina were childhood sweethearts and were about to be wed when Charlie was called into war, Nina vowed to wait for him. Several suitors pursued Nina, but her heart remained true and she waited for Charlie's return, no matter how long it took. The Baron also wanted Nina for his own, and ordered his servants to do whatever it takes to assure Charlie never returns to Nina's loving arms. Charlie was severely wounded and lost his leg as a result of his injury, his love for Nina gave him the will to fight for his life! The Baron became filled with rage and turned everyone into teeny tiny toys when he saw that Charlie had returned, the Nutcracker managed to escape just before the Baron threw poor Charlie into the fireplace and kidnapped Nina!
It's a good thing Charlie is now made of tin because you are able to meld a new tin soldier using Charlie's original crystal heart, a little bit of paint and he's good as new and available at a moments notice to fight those nasty Box Trolls! The Nutcracker joins us in the adventure as a hint icon. There are 36 collectible puzzle pieces that fit into three different pictures, when completed they become animated screensavers, and there are 15 Christmas packages throughout the game that contain miniature cat collectibles. Some of the inventory items you find are complex items as indicated by a snowflake, which means some type of interaction is required before using that item such as opening the package or combining the item with another inventory item.
The Hidden Object Scenes are beautiful, with Christmas themed items, some are silhouetted shapes to find, interactive list finds that expose puzzle pieces that you swap to complete a picture and even moving items two at a time trying to find matching pairs. The mini games aren't difficult but certainly fun such as guiding soldier Charlie through a re enactment scene from the war, you have Charlie shoo away a crow, the crow drops the key into a haystack, charlie pushes the cow out of the way to search the haystack to find the key that opens a chest containing an axe to chop down the door of a burning house and so forth.
This Collectors Edition has Wallpapers, Music, Concept Art, Animated Screensavers, Collectible jigsaw puzzle pieces, Collectible miniature Cats, Achievements, a built in Strategy guide and two Bonus Chapters, enjoy!
This Collectors Edition has Wallpapers, Music, Concept Art, Animated Screensavers, Collectible jigsaw puzzle pieces, Collectible miniature Cats, Achievements, a built in Strategy guide and two Bonus Chapters, enjoy!
I recommend this game!
Nevertales: Smoke and Mirrors
You’re the only one who can save Taleworld from an evil queen.
Overall rating
5
/
5
112 of 131 found this review helpful
The Queen Is Breaking Hearts
PostedDecember 9, 2014
pennmom36
fromWhy did they leave Argos chained up with no food or water?
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Match 3, Time Management, Puzzle
Current Favorite:
Phantasmat Collector's Edition
(101)Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
Taleworld hasn't been the same since Alice went to the big city with dreams of becoming the CEO of a large corporation. The Queen of Hearts was a kind and generous ruler, she loved her subjects so much that the Queen of Hearts became the motto and her loyal army proudly displayed a heart upon their armor. Lately all that has changed, the Queen locked the castle gates allowing only her new advisor to enter the castle. The Queen now rules with an iron fist and has sentenced Pierre to be executed for speaking out against the Queen's injustice! Belle has gathered several of the brave townspeople to rebel against the Queen, and are patiently waiting for Gears to deliver their dire message to Alice. Can Alice return to Taleworld in time to save Pierre?
This is a fairly easy game to play with several areas of interest in each scene. Gears has returned to help Alice reunite with her parents, anytime you need assistance with objects too high or out of reach, Gears is your right hand man! Some of the inventory items need further interaction before using like combining that item with another item or using a code to open. Some of those items even have a small mini game to solve.
The Hidden Object Scenes are interactive, some list finds and some silhouetted shape finds. You may have to find flowers to open up the list or pick the correct books to make bookshelves recede to expose a stained glass HOP. My favorite HOP was finding gears that matched their silhouette shape in a scene filled with hundreds of gears, then you used those gears in a mini game where you choose the correct gear to go in the correct spot so that all the gears would turn. The mini games weren't complicated but really fun such as swapping stone tiles to complete a pattern or choosing several patterns that when combined, matched the sample shown.
The Collectors Edition has Concept Art, unlockable Wallpaper, Soundtracks, HOS, Smoke and Mirrors puzzles, Red Heart Casino games, Collectibles, Morphing Objects, a Bonus Chapter, and a built in Strategy Guide, enjoy!
I recommend this game!
Hidden Files: Echoes of JFK
Shed some light on the murky circumstances surrounding the death of journalist Jack Olsen, who was investigating the assassination of the famous 35th President of the United States.
Overall rating
2
/
5
71 of 72 found this review helpful
Interesting Story But Uninteresting Gameplay
PostedDecember 8, 2014
pennmom36
fromI man needs his cigars, right!?
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Match 3, Time Management, Puzzle
Current Favorite:
Phantasmat Collector's Edition
(101)Fun Factor
2
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
2
/
5
Level of Challenge
2
/
5
Storyline
2
/
5
Jack Olsen was a journalist who died in a fatal car accident while investigating the JFK assassination for an upcoming 50th anniversary article. FBI agent Jane Sully, must now investigate this accident which seems to be no accident at all, has Jack Olsen been murdered? What information did he discover that couldn't be made public?
This sounds like a very interesting subject, however the game mechanics were so outdated that I had no desire to even finish the demo. This is a click and drag style game allowing you to zoom into any section of the scene, even the inventory items you use have to be dragged to the desired location, you cannot simply click on the item and then click again to use that item. Everytime you click to move to another location or even a zoomed in area, you have to wait an eternity for the game to load while you stare at a book.
There are a ton of Hidden Object Scenes, they are all list finds, but you have to open up several drawers, cabinets and boxes to find all of the items. There are several opaque file folders in eas HO scene that will give you an interesting factoid about President John F. Kennedy, some of which I have never heard. JFK apparently purchased an emergency stock of 1000 cigars before issuing an embargo upon Cuba (Coober) Mini games were less abundant but actually aren't that bad, such as swapping sections of wave length lines on three different sections so that the wave lengths made a continuous and connected line.
The game states that the situations described in this video game are partly inspired by real events and real people, living or dead, they remain purely fictional. My only question would be, does that mean the factoids are fictional or non fictional? Personally, I wouldn't even use a credit on this game, perhaps the game improves as you progress.
I don't recommend this game.
Help Meredith retrieve the ancient tomes and stop the Wizard’s wrath in this hidden object adventure!
Overall rating
5
/
5
115 of 127 found this review helpful
The Books Of Knowledge
PostedDecember 7, 2014
pennmom36
fromWho cares about the books, they hurt my dog!
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Match 3, Time Management, Puzzle
Current Favorite:
Phantasmat Collector's Edition
(101)Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
In the realm of Orion a powerful wizard spent all of his time collecting knowledge from around the the world. He kept that knowledge within the pages of 3 books, and he used that knowledge to create chaos in the world! To put an end to the chaos, a brave sorceress named Salina, stole the wizard's three books of knowledge and fled into the night with her baby daughter Meredith, to the edge of the world where her sister Ariel lived. Salina tried for many years to read the books of knowledge that were written in an ancient text that only the wizard could translate. The years passed by and Salina succommed to an illness, Aunt Ariel raised Meredith and taught her everything she knew about magic. Eventually the wizard figured out where the books of knowledge were hidden, and his minions were ordered to set Aunt Ariel's house ablaze before they returned with the greedy wizards books. Now it's up to Meredith to finish what her mother started all those years ago!
This game was totally unexpected, the HD graphics are very well done, in a cartoonish fashion that actually works. The characters are extremely well done and there are some quality features within the mechanics of the game, which are usually reserved for the big boy games. There are 12 Enchanted Crosses and 8 Witch's Talisman's to collect as well as an abundance of available Achievements. Some of the items you come across require you to add other inventory items before using, several circles will appear with items shown as silhouettes and when you find those items you click and drag them to the correct silhouette. (I like this feature way more than plus sign indicators)
The Hidden Object Scenes are list finds, and in my opinion the items were very well placed, some were smack dab obvious and other items kept you searching the scene over and over forever to find them! The mini games are on the easy side, turning all symbols blue using levers on the left to rotate the symbols and the lever on the right to switch the colors of three adjacent symbols at a time, or rotating rings to line up slots which allow a ball to drop to the bottom.
This game may not be able to compete with the exclusive big named games we are accustomed to, but it is a very entertaining game with a handful of extras. This game proves that you don't always need all the bells and whistles to make a story pop with excitement, enjoy!
I recommend this game!